From the rolodex of the mind ...
* Hey Paul, last time we saw you, it was the night of June 17 and you were hoisting the MVP trophy over your confetti-covered head after you guys crushed the Lakers for the NBA title. Must have felt great, and you deserved it. Deserved it all - the title, the cheers, the trophy - after playing on some really bad Celtics' teams, none worse than the year before.
You made the late-night talk show circuit, trophy in hand. The rest of the team seemed to lay low, but you were milking the championship for all it was worth. Again, you deserved to.
Then you went to Spain and told reporters you were the greatest player in the world. Not the NBA. The world. And you know what went through a lot of folks' minds? That you might not even be the best player on your team. Sorry, but I heard a lot of that.
Now maybe you figured Spain was a good place to say something like that, because who would really know but some Spaniards who only care about soccer? Wrong, Paul. There's this new thing now. Internet. Nothing goes unnoticed in this wired world.
Anyway, I gave you a pass on it. Maybe it was the Spanish wine loosening your tongue and maybe your mind too. Then you repeated the claim to the Orange County (Calif.) Register. "A lot of people might look at it like, "Oh, another cocky attitude," you said. Well, now that you mention it, "I'm the best player in the world," does have a certain ring to it.
But if you were, would you have had to scream it so loud? If you were, somebody else would have said it for you. I'm still waiting. If a new team came into the league and had a fantasy pick of any player to start up with, do you really think you'd be its top pick? You could be in the discussion, maybe top 10. Can I throw a few names at you? Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Bosh, Tracy McGrady, Steve Nash, Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Yao Ming, Baron Davis, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Deron Williams.
I've admired your work over the last 10 years, and even when things weren't going so hot for you, I wrote that when your career was over you'd be high on the list of greatest Celtics' of all time. It would be cool if you'd just enjoy the off-season, keep polishing that MVP trophy and bask in the NBA title the Celtics couldn't have won without you. Or KG, Ray Allen and James Posey.
See you in camp. Hope you've changed your tune by then. It doesn't fit you well.
* Lou Merloni has taken the airways by storm. The Framingham homeboy has made himself right at home with the savvy, fast-talkin' Big Show gang on WEEI, and is providing the best Red Sox pre- and post-game analysis that NESN's ever had. He doesn't hesitate to criticize a player. He was terrific on the trading deadline special. He's at ease in front of the camera (and telegenic too). Merloni's a rookie at this, but he pulls it off like he's been doing it for years.
* Great situation for Jason Bay, with the Red Sox off to play at Kansas City and Chicago. He's already got his Boston baptism behind him. One minute he was a Pirate, the next minute he was getting a standing ovation in his first Fenway at-bat. He delivered in all three games the Sox took from the A's. The media was all over him. He handled it well.
In KC and Chicago, he won't be a big story. He can get to know his new teammates better. By the time the Red Sox return to Fenway next Tuesday it'll be second nature to him.
* Everybody knew golf's TV ratings were going to slip with Tiger Woods on the DL. The flip side is they'll skyrocket when he's ready to play again. But what about when he retires? Will golf ever be as popular on TV again? He ain't playing the Senior tour, that's for sure. Let's say he surpasses Nicklaus's 18 majors. Then he's gone. We would have seen the greatest player (are you paying attention, Paul Pierce?).
A dip in golf interest is bound to happen A.T. (After Tiger). There's no chance we'll ever see another like him.
* Meanwhile, Tiger's good buddy Roger Federer was riding as high in his sport as Woods was in his. Federer seemed a lock to hold on the no. 1 world ranking for a long time. And he did. Then along came Rafael Nadal. These two give next month's US Open extra pizzazz. Not so long ago Roger and Tiger had no rivals. Now only one can make that claim.
* The Yankees are the best team in baseball. That lineup is ridiculous. Joba Chamberlain is growing into a big-time starter. Mike Mussina, left for dead in May, is 14-7 and might win 20. Bobby Abreu was a great pickup two years ago. This time, it's Xavier Nady and Ivan Rodriguez. If the Yankees get their setup guy to Mariano Rivera, look out.
* It'd be nice to see Ken Griffey Jr., well into his twilight, go out with guns blazing for the pennant-contending White Sox. There was no better five-tool player to watch than Griffey in his prime.
* They used to spell relief T-R-E-V-O-R H-O-F-F-M-A-N in San Diego. Not anymore. He's 1-6 with a 4.59 ERA.
* Prior to the Manny Ramirez deal, Tito Francona looked like dead man walking. Since the trade, the color in his face and the bounce in his step are back. Francona probably celebrated by swallowing a pack of chewing tobacco whole.
But Dodgers box scores are must reading now.
(Lenny Megliola is a Daily News columnist. His e-mail is lennymegs@aol.com)
