Interview With Justin Poulin, Jack Jemsek, and Tom Halzack

I decided to conduct an interview with former Celtics 17 greats, Justin Poulin (Jughead), Jack Jemsek (ManchvegasBob), and Thomas Halzack (Tenacious T). The three of them now contribute to Comcast Sports Net. Tom also writes for the Connecticute Post. Thanks to the three of them for allowing me to ask them some questions. Enjoy!Celticsfanatic: Justin, I know you were the one who started Celtics 17. Do you think the blog was a gateway to the number of opportunities you've received now?Justin Poulin: It obviously was to me. I began making some connections with knowledgable and interesting Celtics fans at a few message boards, eventually settling at Scout.com and then spinning off with some friends from there to form a small board, also named Celtics17, which is still active. MVN provided me with an opportunity to learn the Do's and Don'ts of blogging and also gave me some insight into what it is like to write about the same general topic every day. That is not an easy proposition, especially if you intend to stay fresh and interesting. One of the ways I had hoped to tackle that was to get into other mediums and I began doing some podcasting with Ryan McNeill (HoopsAddict) on a show called Killer Crossover which was hosted on MVN in a partnership with Brandon Rosage's 360thepitch. A year after I began at MVN I had figured out how to broadcast live for an affordable cost and created Celtics Stuff Live with Jim "JB" Metz.CF: I see that all of you contribute to CSN now on the Celtics segment of their site now. What's it like working together?JP: It's fun to work together because we all started at the same Scout.com message board that I mentioned before and each of us used Celtics 17 as our starting point for blogging. MVN did an excellent job of marketing our work to help get us recognized and read. At the time I created Celtics 17 there were less than 5 active Celtics Blogs and that has obviously grown with technology and the success of the team. Tom and Jack are extremely intelligent and knowledgable and rarely do the three of us every agree on an issue, so working together is what keeps it interesting. I'm just lucky they haven't figured out how difficult I am to work with yet.Jack Jemsek: The camaraderie means a lot to me, and the more we keep the alliance going, the more rich our mutual success becomes. However, in the end, as a writer/blogger, you essentially are on your own. Having the resources and feedback is tremendous coming from folks as knowledgeable as Justin and Tom.Tom Halzack: I see that all of you contribute to CSN now on the Celtics segment of their site now. What's it like working together?I think it's great. We all bring different points of view, areas of emphasis, and writing (or speaking) styles. I'm the one who gets abused for liking Big Baby. So that either makes me an important member, or... I'm keeping the site from attaining true credibility.But I must be clear...it is Justin and Jon's site. I'm only there because Justin asked me if I wanted to be part of it. It's his gig.CF: Tom, you're one of the most popular Celtics bloggers/journalists right now. What was it like seeing your name explode to become widely known throughout the Celtics blogosphere during your time at Celtics 17?TH: Did my mother put you up to asking that? If so, tell her 'thanks, Mom'. If not, the check is in the mail.I don't see myself as that popular really. I feel like one of the ripples in a big Celtic pond. But I'm just happy to be a part of it all. It is a dynamic group of bloggers, probably the biggest group for any one NBA team.And it's been a fantastic time to be a Celtic fan or blogger the last few years. But let it be known that I was doing it long before the Big Trade went down. I loved watching all the youngsters as much as the superstars.But when Justin asked me to take over Celtics17, I said to myself that if just 20-30 people read, then I'll do it for awhile. I had no idea that it would turn out the way it did. Celtics17 was a blast. I really enjoyed the camaraderie among the bloggers there. Doing Celtics17 absolutely led to my getting the Connecticut Post gig. So thanks to Justin and C17 and whatever readers I had, I was able to move up and really see the game from behind the scenes a bit at Celtic Central. Who would have thought, right?See. Compliment me and I blabber on. CF: Jack, looking back at your days when at Celtics 17, what were you most grateful for? I know that when you came in you were immediately welcomed by faithful readers and loyal commentators (including me). JJ: The freedom to do what you wanted was immense. The resource to do what you wantedwere there, and I was able to build on the tradition started by Justin and Tom. Don't forget about 32Fan either . . . his unfortunate departure pulled me in to doing the recaps which became total immersion in everything Celtics, andthrusted me into the 3 to 4 articles per week realm - which means a lot when itcomes to promoting a blog. Keeping it fresh is what I learned from MVN.CF: Justin, what prompted you to call yourself "Jughead" when on Celtics 17?JP: This is actually unrelated to my Celtics ventures entirely. I joined TKE my sophomore year in college and got the nickname there. Every summer in college I worked at a summer camp in Maine for handicapped children and adults and made the mistake of letting the staff there know of the nickname I had been given at the fraternity. By the time I graduated college most people didn't know my real name and I had "Jughead" tattooed on my right shoulder. So, even though I introduced myself to the world as Justin from then on in my professional life, I carried the fond memories of college and Pine Tree Camp with me to the internet as my handle. CF: Tom, and why did you choose for your alter ego to be "Tenacious T?"TH: Alter ego? Sounds like the comic book heroes I read about growing up (geek alert). I wanted to relate to my basketball playing days growing up. I was pretty bad, but I D'd up with great intensity and energy. I wasn't going to score much so...neither were you, if I could help it. My nick name (to my friends) was simply 'T'. Hence... Tenacious T. A legend in my own mind.CF: And how about you Jack? Why was your name "Manchvegasbob?"JJ: loved the novelty of the name of Manchvegas "city of lights" for the City of Manchester, New Hampshire - which is where I was living while the internet evolution was happening. I simply added the name bob as independent circles of friends from high school in Illinois and college (Notre Dame) would assign Bob as a defacto middle name, i.e., officially I should be Jack-Bob! CF: What was your reaction when you saw this commercial? Those were the starting days of when the Celtics fanbase really started to take off.JP: That commmercial still gives me goosebumps when I see it. In the postgame press conference following Game 6 against the Lakers last year when the Celtics won Banner 17, I remember asking Kevin about that commercial. He gave a great answer about how the city had embraced his arrival and how inspiring that was for him. That was a memorable year for me as well (I was featured in the film "Return to the Rafters" which can be rented on netflix) and seeing that commercial brings me back to the beginning of it all.TH: I'm assuming you mean the "I remember finding out about you" commercial?If so, it was great. Great marketing, because it connected on a deeper level than most ads will. It spoke well to capturing the feelings of the moment. We were a hungry fan base and we knew (felt) that something special was about to happen.JJ: I believe that conference to introduce KG was as big as the victory parade after No. 17. I came back from work early to my home in Amherst MA for both events. Sat on the couch in awe for both events. And the commercial still give me an adrenaline rush when I watch it. After hearing how Boston wasn't a destination for any superstar due to the weather, fans, racial climate, yada, yada, yada . . . to hear KG say this was the best situation to win a championship proved to be prophetic.CF: Justin, what are your thoughts on Rasheed Wallace?JP: Not much that hasn't been said already. I did feel that the team was under pressure as the other Eastern Contenders were making aggressive moves to improve their rosters, but this is an example of Danny's cool under fire and his patience. The man suffered through some serious scrutiny until July 31st, 2007 - all to bring banner 17 to Boston. Good on him for it. I also liked the way the players supported the move and went out of their way to assist Danny in getting the job done. Championships are won when not just the players and coaches align themselves, but when entire organizations pull together to make their own success. The acquistion of Sheed is likely another great example of this with today's version of the Boston Celtics. Let's hope so anyway...CF: Tom, how do you feel about Marquis Daniels?TH: I like him. He's got his limitations. He has had injury issues. But he's a veteran with 36 games of playoff experience and an energy guy. He could be a good defender and has an in between game that most players don't. He somehow gets his shot off in traffic and it goes in enough to be effective. He's like the inverted Anthony Parker. Does most things pretty well (except distance shooting), but nothing great. Unless we get lucky, 60 games looks like his limit though. CF: Jack, how do you think the Celtics are looking right now in terms of offseason transactions compared to all the other powerhouses?JJ: They are going to need Marquis Daniels, that is for sure, and sure-handed point guard will also help. Signing Big Baby or another bonafide 6th man will also be important for insurance purposes too. After that, we are lookingat the Spurs, Magic and Cavaliers who have made monster moves. You can argueagainst the Spurs as being the most improved with Richard Jefferson and McDyessjoining the mix. The Cavaliers are better and have to come in 2nd with Shaq, Moon and AParker being added and no net loss. I wouldput the Celtics in 3rd with Wallace and Daniels being added. Orlando is hurtsome by the loss of Turkoglu and Lee, although the addition of VCarter, Bass and Barnes is very good for them. It is definitely the case of the rich gettingricher this summer in the NBA. CF: Lastly, what are your thoughts on Lester Hudson? Some peg him as a great scorer, who could've gone to a better school if he had better grades, while others think he's just the usual, run-of-the-mill 58th pick.JP: I haven't seen Lester play all that much and had hoped to see him in Summer League, but he broke his finger in the early going and I missed the first game in Orlando. I should get a good look at him this season as he will likely play for the new Maine based D-League team, the Red Claws. Since I live just outside of Portlan (where the team is based) I expect to get a good look at him and should have a better analysis by January. In the meantime, what I have been told is that he can score and has an NBA level first step. I value the scouting reports at DraftExpress.com and would point you to his profile over there to get some insight. He's undersized, plays defense and can score, but ball handling seems to needs some work (his height and skill set project him as a combo-guard). Since these are not first-hand observations of my own, take them with a grain of salt and ask me again in 6 months.TH: I haven't seen enough of him to make a real judgment. But I like his aggressiveness. I like that he is a bit older. He seems to be in great shape and likes contact. I first thought that he's just a mandatory pick up that will mean nothing...and maybe that is all he will be. But don't get too caught up on him being the 58th pick. There are players in the league who were never drafted at all. Pruitt not playing well, could give him a slim chance to make the team.JJ: I've got my green glasses on - I think Hudson will be an upgrade over Pruittimmediately, and you have to look at him as someone that is ready to get spotminutes as a rookie if he can get his hand healed up. You can't discount whathe accomplished as a collegian, and rising above difficult personal circumstanceonly adds to the potential success he should have with the Celtics.