In perhaps the biggest challenge yet to her U.S. Senate campaign, Elizabeth Warren may soon face the momentous decision of whether to root for the team representing her adopted hometown, the Boston Celtics, or the team from her state of origin, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Celtics, as you are no doubt aware, were expected by many, including some local sports pundits, to fold quickly and quietly in the face of the mighty Miami Heat. Instead, after going down 2-0 including a heartbreaking overtime loss in Miami, they have tied the series at 2-2 with two gritty wins at home, and go back to Miami with momentum on their side and the pressure squarely on the Heat, who have a history of collapsing when the going gets tough. Beating the Heat would be an epic triumph of guts over glitz, and would put the Celtics in a strong position to win it all and make history in the process.
The Thunder were also expected by many to succumb to the San Antonio Spurs, who came into the series riding a remarkable 20-game winning streak. However, after going up 2-0 in the series, the Spurs have lost three straight, and the Thunder are now poised to win the series if they can take game 6 at home on Wednesday night.
Both the Celtics and the Thunder are appealing, come-from-behind, underdog teams. So the big question for Warren, really, is where do her loyalties lie: with her family in Oklahoma, or with her would-be constituents in Massachusetts.
This could be the big one, folks.
😉
mike_cote says
If she supports the Celtics, then BLUEMAXXXX and the other trolls and sock puppets will whine and complain about it as though it was a campaign issue and would somehow influence votes. It won’t. A pox on anyone stupid enough to vote based on a sports team.
dont-get-cute says
This is right up her alley, she’s an expert at being two competing identities at once, and no one has minded before. I mean, really, you can’t fathom mixed loyalty?
She can just slip into one of these t-shirts, and say that a great-great-great-grandfather was a Celtic:
whosmindingdemint says
and the Foxboro Red Sox
dont-get-cute says
Yup, go after those low-information voters by giving them half the story, ignoring the complicated facts. Brown’s suggestion was what STOPPED the Red Sox from tearing down Fenway and caused them to renovate it instead. Remember they were pressuring Menino and the state to go along with their proposal for a new Fenway in the same neighborhood, and they were well on their way, with plans and models and everything and $313 Million in state money, until Brown played his great bluff by pointing out that if they wanted a new stadium, Foxboro was already there and would be a lot cheaper and less disruptive to the city. He didn’t call for tearing down Fenway, he just said “exploring the possibility makes fiscal and economic sense.” That took all the wind out their sails and forced them to scuttle the proposal (hey, that’s not even a mixed metaphor). Brown saved Fenway and saved the state millions of dollars.
Ryan says
Seriously, deranged.
Bob Neer says
Probably because he was getting campaign contributions from real estate developers who would benefit.
Just like today he is voting for legislation that would hurt Massachusetts because his campaign is funded by New York bankers.
Same story.
dont-get-cute says
He didn’t “try” to get them to move out of Fenway. If you look at the quotes, he only said that if they move, they should move to Foxboro, and said the state isn’t going to pay for their Boston plans, which Menino surely knew was going to be a headache that made no sense. Maybe Menino saved Fenway, by enlisting Scott Brown. This explains the Menino loyalty, perhaps his whole Senate ascendancy. He stepped up to scuttle the Red Sox plan to make a new Fenway, which wasn’t an unpopular idea at the time, and he took time off from whatever state senators and representatives do all day, to deliver a coupe de grace to the Red Sox ludicrous plans to build a new Fenway right next to the old one, at a cost to the state or over 300 Million to the state and destroying Fenway Park! That would have happened if not for Scott Brown’s actions, including the hand-delivery and the Globe faxing, and I challenge you to offer an alternative reason why we aren’t stuck with a New Fenway right now, instead of celebrating the 100th birthday of Fenway Park.
whosmindingdemint says
.
whosmindingdemint says
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/06/its-personal-why-scott-brown-is-skating-but-elizabeth-warren-is-tripping-on-character-questions/258103/
goldsteingonewild says
The Thunder are really the historic Seattle Supersonics. Just moved to OKC a couple years ago, so she didn’t grow up with them.
FWIW, “Thunder” beat out Wind, Barons, Marshalls, Energy and Bison for the team name.
michaelhoran says
Forget slapping on a t-shirt–she really should be at Game 6.
Remember Obama-Cameron at that Western Kentucky-Miss Valley Tournament game? Camera couldn’t get enough of them. And that was a hell of a game to boot. Granted an appearance by EW isn’t on that level, but she’d get some on-air time.
While you can get away without being a sports fanatic (cf Gov. Patrick), if you can pull it off, a hotdog-and-beer at the game can go a long way towards burnishing your street cred.
Can’t sit down TOO low, though. And in the interests of real credibility and to dispel any notions of being handed a sweet ticket at the expense of some true fan, she should buy the ticket from a scalper. (Get up a clip of her making the deal, her face painted green and white, a bagged forty in her hand, looking nervously over her shoulder for any signs of the law, playing hardball on price. OK, the image isn’t working for me either. But still, she oughta go.).
Christopher says
Pretty sure we do NOT want to see footage of EW engaging in such a transaction. You have to be careful with appearing at sports events. Even otherwise popular politicians have been known to be booed by other spectators when announced because the spectators don’t like their entertainment intruded upon. Also, these so easily come across as phony. Just as long as she is willing to shake hands outside Fenway and doesn’t confuse a star Red Sox player for a Yankees fan she should be fine.
elizabethwarren says
This is an easy one for me – I’m with the Celtics 100%. I’ll be watching tonight and rooting for a win in Miami. Go Celts!
David says
😉
surfcaster says
Celtics all the way!
Oklahoma Thunder is a Seattle team. Today’s kids will one day hearken back to the great Thunder of 2012, but for anyone who has been in Boston for 20 years, Celtics baby…
And, Elizabethwarren said it best herself!
mski011 says
“Warren Loves Celtics Less than Saint Brown.”
“Sensationalistic Newspaper Deems Dem’s support for Celtics to be Less than St. Brown’s because real Celtics fans Vote for St. Brown. The Herald is investigating if perhaps Warren’s support is sincere, which would mean she plans to vote against herself as a true Celtic fan obviously would. The latter, indisputable claim was originally reported by the Commonwealth’s top news source, the Scott Brown Radio report.”