Why So Much Hate for the Celtics?

The Boston Celtics have a target on their back. Since winning their 17th Championship 2 years ago they look like hunted prey every time they step onto the court. The horrid Knicks beat them last week, then celebrated like they just won it all.  It just seems that teams kick it into another gear when they play the C's.

            

Boston teams in general are not too well liked nationally since their string of championships in the early/mid 2000's.  Other fans and players are flat out sick of us, and I'm sure there's a big jealousy factor as well. The fact that the Celts have 3 future hall of famers in their starting lineup also adds fuel to this fire of contempt.

            

The biggest reason this team gets hated on might have something to do with their trash talking habits.  KG, Pierce, Sheed, Perkins, and Rondo are 5 of the loudest mouths in the game.  In fact Sports Illustrated did a trash talker poll among players and the Celtics were very well represented.  KG was the winner.  At 62% he is clearly the biggest talker in the game.  Sheed placed third, Pierce 4th, Rondo was the 9th biggest mouth out of 10, and newly acquired Nate Robinson came in at the 5 spot.  The Celtics clearly take home the trash talking title in 2010.  They're also representing the team nicely when it comes to technical fouls.  Wallace has the most techs in the league with 17, and Perk is third with 15 T's on the year.  I feel that Sheed gets hit with one every game I watch.  Refs aren't the biggest fans either.  

            

There have been a few instances this year where things got rather dicey out there for them.  In a game in November Rondo got in Chris Paul's face and it looked like they were about to throw down.  In January Big Baby was fined $25,000 for a rather foul outburst at a fan in Detroit who called him fat.  On Easter Sunday, Tony Allen got in Lebron's grill after the King missed a game winning 3 pointer.  It almost seems like Doc is more of a baby sitter than a coach with these guys.  It all comes down to this team being a bunch of hard-nosed competitors who want to win.  Hopefully they feed off all this venom come playoff time.