Chad Finn: Underrated

[Chad Finn]

Yeah, I usually lose it a little east of Bangor, when we head up to visit friends in Eastport. Strong signal. 

 

[Cesar Crespo]

The dirty Lew, sadly.

 

[Corsi]

'It Was Like Living in a Video Game': An Oral History of Larry Bird's 60-Point Game
 
Must read.

 

[joe dokes]

'It Was Like Living in a Video Game': An Oral History of Larry Bird's 60-Point Game
 
Must read.

 
tremendous....and
 
JOHN STERLING, Hawks television broadcaster :blink: 

 

[ifmanis5]

Pants off.

 

[joe dokes]

I got cable TV for the first time around New Year's 1985, so was fiannly able to watch *all* the C's games.  It wasn't long after that Bird went on a hellacious scoring run that the 60 was in the middle of.

 

[BannedbyNYYFans.com]

'It Was Like Living in a Video Game': An Oral History of Larry Bird's 60-Point Game
 
Must read.

 
 
 
Great stuff, Chad.  I own the DVD of this game and re-watched it about a year ago.  This article does a wonderful job with the inside stories.  A couple things I particularly loved:
 

STERLING: I coined 'Dominique is Magnifique.' He loved it. He was a pleasure.
 

 
Haha.  Making up shit nicknames even back in those days.  What a dork.
 
 
 

When Wilkins, known as the Human Highlight Film during his prime, was recently honored with a 13 ½-foot tall, 18,500-pound statue outside of the Hawks’ home, Philips Arena, Bird quipped, ‘I’m pretty sure it’s not made in a defensive stance.’
 

 
Larry still has it...

 

[MyDaughterLovesTomGordon]

Chad is so good he deserves a better editor to clean up typos. There are five or six in there someone at the globe should clean up.

Normally i don't care much, but those are imperfections on a jewel.

 

[bluefenderstrat]

One of my favorite Youtube vids--watching the Hawks bench players acting like fans is priceless:


http://youtu.be/Rto2_oYVs0I

 

[Chad Finn]

Thanks, guys. It was a joy to put together. Didn't think my perception of Bird could grow any more, but it has after this. Couldn't have been nicer. Called me out of the blue Monday after I'd been trying to get him for a couple of weeks through Pacers P.R. Never thought I'd pick up my phone and hear, "Chad? Larry Bird, howya doin'?
 
MDLTG, if you see any or remember any, let me know. If tried to clean up as many as I can, but there have been a couple of instances in which our brutal content management system has reverted to a previous version. 

 

[MyDaughterLovesTomGordon]

I feel your pain, Chad. Almost impossible to edit yourself. I do this for a living, so can't help myself - just trying to be helpful. Love the piece:
 
Missing "the": "opposing players on bench got swept"
extra y: "“They way he was shooting"
extra a: "He made me a much a tougher player mentally"
should be "as long as": "pace us, and along as no one"
missing t: "But hat year was a tough year "
extra comma: "abundance,. He"
missing as: "so you never know who they had a stat guy."
missing close quotes: “Larry Bird! Larry Bird! while proclaiming 

 

[Buffalo Head]

Kudos to the graphics folks for the video game rendition. Excellent job all the way around.

 

[leetinsley38]

Great read. IMO Chad has gone from "underrated" to "properly rated", at least around here. He's like a homeless man's Bob Ryan, or something.

 

[Chad Finn]

Thanks -- I appreciate it. Writer can't blame an editor, but I was a little frustrated some of that slipped through. 

 

[dirtynine]

Awesome story. Definitely tweet/link-up worthy. 
 
fake edit: Come to think of it, I might make this my first ever This share today. 

 

[Granite Sox]

I love the fast-forward characterizations of 'Nique and Ainge, as if nothing has changed. Larry still busting balls, and both of them "get it" and maintain their respect.

Ainge: "Kevin didn't know how to talk to Larry, and Larry didn't know how to talk to Kevin, but they both knew how to yell at me."

Fantastic.

 

[runnels3]

What a great piece, again. Very special times. Those teams were extraordinary. I lived in Atlanta in the mid 80s. Saw the Celtics every time they came through. And they never lost, once coming from 25 back in the 3rd quarter. Now that was Showtime.

 

[AlNipper49]

Chad, as usual, freaking awesome!!!

 

[Rudi Fingers]

Outstanding combination of old-fashioned journalism and "there it is" Vine videos.  
 
Chad - I loved Pedro article in January (http://www.boston.com/sports/touching_all_the_bases/2015/01/pedro.html).  Can an oral history of Pedro's 17 strikeout game against the Yankees be far behind?

 

[Red Right Ankle]

That was terrific, terrific stuff.

 

[jacklamabe65]

Sensational.
 
Hats off to both Larry and Chad!

 

[Dotrat]

Thank you, Chad--what a great, great piece that is. And what a sweet bonus to hear from so many old Celtics like Scott Wedman, Carlos Clark, and Greg Kite. Terrific work!

 

[doldmoose34]

Just an incredible read, great job again Chad

 

[mikeford]

Man, what a phenomenal read. Cant say enough good things about that piece. 

 

[Vandalman]

Posted on Facebook:
 

Very cool to get my first one of these today. *And* it features possibly my best headshot yet.
 

 
 
 

 

[ifmanis5]

That is cool. He'll be voting for Jack Morris before you know it.

 

[Darnell's Son]

Lookin' good, Chad.

 

[Andy Merchant]

That ID is just screaming for a boudoir pic from Glamour Shots.

 

[Granite Sox]

Chad should put the Rodney Craig picture on his card...

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Manhattan Area Code 646?

I knew it.  He's about to turn on us

 

[NortheasternPJ]

It's the beginning of the end! I wonder if he gets an ivory castle to judge from with membership?

 

[Billy Jo Robidoux]

Lookin' good, Chad!
 
 

 

[NickEsasky]

He's one of them now. We've lost him forever. We had a good run though. 

 

[Andy Merchant]

I'm sure they'll send Chad an updated ID when his Sports Lodge oil painting portrait is completed.

 

[Red Right Ankle]

I'm sure they'll send Chad an updated ID when his Sports Lodge oil painting portrait is completed.

Should be done soon. Borges does them and he just traces other people's photos.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

Should be done soon. Borges does them and he just traces other people's photos.

This sounds like a job for Larry Johnson.

 

[Chad Finn]

I haven't looked that good in years. 

 

[Chad Finn]

I'm bummed I won't get to vote for Raines. 

 

[LMontro]

Chad, I found myself nodding along when I read this tweet and I was wondering if you know any of the backstory of his hire:
 

Chad Finn ‏@GlobeChadFinn  Mar 31
Honest question: What is Tim Benz's appeal supposed to be to New England sports fans?
 

 
When you think about it, it just seems odd.  It could be anything from just wanting an "outside voice" to maybe his father pulled some strings?  I know I am reaching but it makes no sense.  

 

[Chad Finn]

I really don't know. I've heard the favor-to-his-dad theory, but nothing beyond a little smoke and a lot of rumors. I'm hoping to talk to him in the next week or so, and I'll ask. 

 

[Vandalman]

More from Facebook:
 
Posted by Downtown with Rich Kimball
 

Congratulations to Chad Finn of The Boston Globe, the winner of Downtown Madness 2015! Chad had an impressive run to the title of favorite Downtown guest, besting the likes of Joe Castiglione, Steve Buckley, Bob Ryan, Sean McDonough, and actor Jeff Daniels. Chad is not only a very talented writer and a regular guest on the show but a proud graduate of both Morse High School and the University of Maine. Well played, Chad!
 

 

[gmogmo]

Awesome article by chad on disappointment of krafts actions today, captures how pretty much everyone I've talked with today feels. Beyond annoying that instead of reading this in tomorrow's globe we'll read a victory lap from fck wad shaughnessy and dolphin fan volin sharpening his knives on pats with glee.

 

[riboflav]

Wow. What a takedown by Chad. Not sure that's where I'm at right now but Chad's sentiments were how I felt viscerally while Kraft was speaking today.

 

[crystalline]

Just saw Chad's article on Kraft.  I haven't been able to read media coverage since #PatsSurrender, but I'm 100% with Chad here:
 
http://www.boston.com/sports/touching_all_the_bases/2015/05/if_brady_suspension_isnt_reduced_this_is_the_truth_kraft_put.html
 

If Brady suspension isn't reduced, Kraft puts NFL's well-being above Patriots'

There's nothing to lose by going scorched-earth on the rest of the league -- except for Goodell's good favor and the precious approval of his fellow owners.

Pathetic. Kraft should be fighting to keep that first-round pick.

But it's business and billionaire buddies' desires above everything else.

Kraft used to be one of you. Today, given a public opportunity to reveal his true allegiances, he chose them.

Help me out here, because barring an elimination of Brady's suspension or the minuscule possibility that the league has more on the Patriots than was revealed in the 243 pages of the Wells Report, I do not know how Kraft's billionaire-boys-club gesture today does a damn thing to help out his football team.

Seriously, what does it do besides save a few million bucks in lawyers' fees? It costs them a first-round pick, more damaging than even the Brady suspension given Bill Belichick's knack for turning No. 1 picks into dependable players at worst and cornerstones on a number of occasions.

 

[nattysez]

Borges is talking shit to Chad on Twitter. I wonder what Chad wrote that struck a nerve.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

Drunk John Dennis would be proud of Borges tonight. #soberasajudge!
 
Yikes, Chad goes for the jugular:
 
https://twitter.com/GlobeChadFinn/status/603355662165405696

 

[Granite Sox]

Borges is talking shit to Chad on Twitter. I wonder what Chad wrote that struck a nerve.

Tracing it back (6 days), Borges mocked Chad for thinking Kraft placed the NFL before TB12. Borges countered that Kraft put the "other 52" ahead of Brady. Chad's retort of "took you 6 days to think of that?" seems to have irritated Ronnie... plenty of Chad's followers chiming in with additional humorous replies.

 

[crystalline]

Borges is the ultimate hack. His angle on this scandal is the same old bone he has to pick with the Pats - he hates Belichick and wishes ill on him and the team. Ballghazi is like manna from heaven for Borges. It's more grist for his mill of how the Patriots suck and Belichick sucks. What a hateful loser. If you make your living by tearing down the hometown team what does that say about you being an unlikeable person?

Borges has been recently quoted nationally as saying "Belichick never believed Brady".

Which I'd bet is a straight lie.
- No confirmation has arisen.
- We know from watching Borges for years he has no sources - when was the last time he broke Pats news?
- From reading the Wells report we know that there's barely any evidence for a violation there. Belichick didn't believe Brady for what? Saying he loves collies? Saying Brady's favorite color is blue?

 

[dcmissle]

Another stellar effort regarding the managerial situation:
 
http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/2015/06/12/john-farrell-should-not-lose-his-job-but-will-red-sox-continue-flail/3y52iSBBdRDLvFUoprYtIM/story.html?p1=well_Sports_main_hp
 
So many people writing and talking about sports are so deplorably bad, nationally and locally, that you appreciate something like this all the more.

 

[Bunt4aTriple]

This almost deserves its own thread.  Outstanding.  It seems like a linear story would have been much easier to write, but this definitely required a ton of research and the clips are great.  I hadn't seen the linked piece from Bleacher Report either, with plenty of excellent KG tidbits.
 
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/2015/06/16/how-kevin-garnett-paul-pierce-and-ray-allen-brought-the-celtics-back/UbwIMxwrtCheJFdmdQKdiI/story.html?p1=Must_Reads