Dear Mr. Bibby: The numbers don’t lie

Posted by Ted McEnroe April 22, 2008 at 5:57 pm

So, Mike Bibby called the Celtics fans “fair weather” today. Now I’m not saying that TD Banknorth Garden was a rocking place last season when the Celtics were 24-58, and had some games that, to put it frankly, stunk up the joint.

But y’all down in Atlanta can now get a little math lesson. Let’s look at the NBA attendance.

This year, the Celtics averaged 18,624 fans a game - 100% of capacity. You know that the hard way if you tried to get tickets late in the year.

The Hawks averaged 16,843. That’s 86 % of their capacity.

But hey, the Green are kings this year. What about last year when the weather at the Garden was decidedly “wicked bad?”

The Green were 24-58. Worst in the Eastern Conference. But they averaged 16,843 per game, about 86 percent of capacity.

The Hawks? 6 games better at 30-52. But more than a thousand fans worse, at 15,594 - 78 percent of capacity.

No doubt Bibby will hear what 18,624 sounds like tomorrow night.