The Boston Celtics are considered one of the most exciting young teams in the NBA this upcoming year. They have a surplus of young, exciting talents along with a head coach who is viewed as one of the best in the league. Last year, the Celtics finished with a 40-42 record and the 7th seed in the playoffs. They were swept in the first round by the eventual Eastern Conference Champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers. While it was an early exit, it was still viewed as a success because they exceeded the expectations of many. Most thought that the team wouldn’t win over 25 games, let alone make the playoffs. Now, people know that the Celtics are not a joke anymore.

The Celtics had four draft picks this year, three of which have been signed and will make the team. They added March Madness star RJ Hunter and Louisville starting point guard Terry Rozier; along with athletic forward Jordan Mickey. This summer, they re-signed Jae Crowder and Jonas Jerebko and brought in Amir Johnson from Toronto. Celtics fans have already seen how Crowder and Jerebko can produce and they hope that they can receive the same from Amir. Another big move that was made was a trade with the NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors. They traded Gerald Wallace for former All Star David Lee. Wallace was nothing more than a bench warmer for Boston, so getting anything in return should be classified as a win. It appears that Lee could compete for a starting role and will most definitely get significant minutes this year.

The Celtics have one of the deepest rosters in the entire league. There are only so many minutes that can go around and there may be an issue with some of the budding young players not getting enough time. This is a good problem to have because a surplus of talent is always better than having a lack of talent. In the backcourt, Marcus Smart, Isaiah Thomas Avery Bradley are all players who are highly capable of starting. Not to mention you have Hunter and Rozier on the bench who also need to see the floor along with 2014 first round draft pick, James Young. These players are all capable of contributing now and there is no way to tell which way head coach Brad Stevens will choose to go; but as a Celtics fan, I have faith in his decision making. We have a similar logjam in the frontcourt. We have Tyler Zeller, Kelly Olynyk, and Jared Sullinger, who all performed very well last year for the Celtics, not to mention the additions of Amir Johnson and David Lee, who look to be as good if not better than the players mentioned above. All five veteran forwards will be fighting for a spot in Stevens’ rotation. Mickey appears to be the odd man out in this situation. He does have age on his side though; he is a young, athletic, forward who will only get better with time.

I am going to make some predictions for the Celtics. First off, I predict that Danny Ainge will address the logjam in the frontcourt and will trade at least one of the players listed above. Next, I predict that the Celtics will finish with about 46-48 wins and make the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. There are many other budding young teams in the East so it should be an exciting race to watch. The Celtics have a talented young core and should be turning some heads as they continue their journey back to title contenders and Banner 18.

Having your team win whenever you attend a sporting event is always the most important thing in every fan’s eyes. But the experience you have at the stadium — the food choices, the view, the general atmosphere — influences how much fun you have at the game. I have been lucky enough to travel to eight different stadiums in my life. As an avid sports fan I can only hope that that number grows but here are my rankings of the best and worst sporting venues I’ve been to.

#8 Continental Airlines Arena- the Prudential Center

I was visited the home of the New Jersey Devils of the NHL in 2006 and then in 2009. The area of East Rutherford is a rural area but the stadium itself is average. Nothing special to it, just an okay stadium but does not stand out in any way from my experiences. Hence why it is ranked last.

#7 Gillette Stadium

As most know, the home of the New England Patriots is located in Foxboro, Massachusetts. It holds a total of 68,756 fans. It is home to the most loyal fans in all of sports, and Patriots games get so exciting and fun that the experience at Gillette is amazing. The problem though  is getting there and leaving. The traffic on the one road to get in and out is awful, taking over three hours all three times I’ve been to Gillette Stadium.

#6 Camden Yards

Located in Baltimore, Maryland,  I traveled to this wonderful home of the Baltimore Orioles in 2011. The area in which Camden Yards in located is beautiful. The inner harbor of Maryland is a great place to walk around before and after games. The seating is nice, as it seems there are not many bad views in the whole park. It’s also located right next to the Baltimore Ravens stadium, so although I did not go in the Ravens stadium, it was a cool experience to see that as well.

#5 Yankee Stadium

In 2009 I was at game one of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies. The stadium was massive, energy was electric and my experience was a great one. The seating was very comfortable, food stands cover almost every inch of the stadium and the centerfield scoreboard was enormous. Located in the Bronx, parking was tough but the atmosphere was like nothing I had ever seen at a sporting event: the fans around me were going crazy and so into the game that it made the game even better than it was.

#4 TD Garden

For basketball, the arena holds 18,624 and for hockey it holds 17,565. The Boston Celtics and Bruins have played in the same stadium since 1939. The Garden is very easy to get to as it is a final stop on the T, and  it’s easy to get into and leave. The TD Garden is a very small arena and there is a reason behind that. My experience is that when watching either basketball or hockey games at the garden, you feel as if you are on top of the action. It’s a  great environment for sporting events and one of the best in the NHL and NBA.

#3 Raymond James Stadium 

Located in Tampa, Florida, it is the greatest football stadium I’ve ever been to. It holds 75,000 people and is absolutely amazing. In the south endzone section, there is a 103-foot pirate ship that blasts a loud cannon noise for every Tampa Bay Buccaneer score and first down. The seating is great along with the size of the stadium and how open everything around it is. Lots of parking makes easy access to coming and leaving. The diehard Buccaneers fans make it even more special and the Florida weather definitely helps because warm weather at a football game was not something I was used to. Raymond James Stadium is one of if not the best Stadium in all of the NFL.

#2 Fenway Park

For 103 years the Boston Red Sox have called Fenway Park home and it is the oldest park in Major League Baseball. Its capacity is 37,673 and, to many, it is the greatest ballpark in all of baseball. Its traditional feel makes Fenway  a great place to watch a game. There are things about Fenway I do not like although I love the location, fans, and the environment. But the seating is bad. Some seats are directly in front of poles that support the upper deck seats. Seats are wooded and at times can be very uncomfortable. Despite that downside, I truly do love the park and am very lucky to attend it as much as I do during the baseball season.

#1 Tropicana Field

Though some people argue that this is the worst stadium in all of baseball, it is my favorite sporting stadium of any I’ve been to. The Trop, as it’s nicknamed, is home to the Tampa Bay Rays and is an indoor baseball stadium. Many old time baseball people curse the thought of indoor baseball because it’s not traditionally where baseball is played. Tropicana Field is located in St. Petersburg, Florida, and holds 31,042 people. The big thing is Rays’ fans usually don’t show much support at games. They haven’t sold out a game since game 3 of the World Series in 2008 (longest non sellout streak in baseball) and seats are always available at games. That’s why games are so great; you can sit anywhere you want and I mean anywhere. Complaints about the Trop center on the catwalk, which connects to the roof and when lights need to be replaced, maintenance goes up there to fix them. Fly balls hit from batters can hit the catwalk and impact play. I truly believe people dislike and hate the Trop because it’s different, and that’s exactly why I like it. 

Major League Baseball consists of a grueling 162-game schedule that stretches from the middle of April to the end of September. Now that October is upon us, it means postseason baseball is here.

The Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays are currently battling it out for the American League spot in the World Series. From the National League, the Chicago Cubs, who haven’t won a World Series since 1908 — and were predicted in the 1989 movie Back to the Future to finally win the World Series in 2015 — are trying to defeat the New York Mets.

When postseason play began, I predicted that the St. Louis Cardinals  of the National League would meet the American League’s Blue Jays in the World Series. But the Cardinals got knocked out by the long-suffering Cubs. So, even though I got that one wrong, I still believe the Jays will make it to the World Series, get the win, and earn starting pitcher David Price d the 2015 World Series Most Valuable Player.

Somehow we are already more than a month into school, and for some, the fall sports season. The girls volleyball team has been playing hard, one game at a time, with its eye on making the tournament.

Sitting in the stands of Rockland High School on Oct. 2, the RHS Bulldogs, our longtime rivals, had a rallying fan section equipped with all the necessary cheering and vocal power any school needs. Despite the large number of students they had, the Hanover fans that traveled to our neighboring town pushed right back with energy and cheering.

The ball flew through the air, bouncing back from each teams court, and senior Annika Rowland’s “Got it” pierced through the air as she went for the ball, the crowd and court silent after Rockland’s serve. The game was powerful, with a lot of effort  coming off both teams.

Junior Meaghan Raab played phenomenal for the Indians, smiling while being photographed with head coach David Jakub afterward. “The most important part of the game is your team. Without your team you can’t win,” Raab said. “We pulled together as a team, and we won. Coincidence? I think not.” Meaghan confirmed that her mantra on the court is to “play hard, but play smart.”

Emily Hennessy, a senior co-captain with Melanie Armstrong, had nothing but positive remarks on Friday’s fantastic match. “We all worked together and fought for every point even when we were down,” Hennessy said. “Almost every set (of the game) was won or lost by just a couple points.” Emily was not only impressed by the win itself, but also the communication and teamwork. “The Rockland match was the best match we’ve played technically and as a team.”

It was followed up by an exciting win for Hanover against Plymouth South on Monday, Oct. 5, which brought the team’s record to 7-6. With a few more wins, the team has a good chance of earning a spot in postseason play.

After the “Deflategate” scandal and its outcome, Harris Poll released a survey of the most beloved and disliked athletes in professional sports. Lebron James was, oddly, the most beloved and also the most hated athlete. The second most hated? New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

After Deflategate, it seems like, all over social media and some TV and radio stations, people are up in arms about Brady “cheating” again, and not getting a punishment. Most people, outside of New England, have a deep dislike for Brady, one that has shown itself more and more recently. But why?

To us New Englanders, he’s the savior. The legend. As close to a god as a human can get. Four-time Super Bowl winner, with a supermodel wife. He’s never had any run-in with the law, which cannot be said for many other NFL players today. He’s never arrogant, always putting the team first, and buys all of his offensive linemen a gift before the playoffs.

So why do people still hate Tom Brady to the core? I have a theory: people like to hate on the consistent success of somebody other than themselves. For us in New England, we love all the success Brady has brought to us. However, with the Patriots being so successful year in and year out in the NFL, going to six Super Bowls since 2001, it’s almost like no other team has a chance. People cannot, for some reason, attribute the success of a man and his team to hard work, dedication, integrity, and skill. No, of course not, they have to blame the wins on spy cameras and deflated footballs.

So, New Englanders, we have to accept the fact that outside our beautiful region, everybody hates Tom Brady. It’s a fact. But don’t worry, they’ll be hating him for much longer, because we Patriots fans know, Tommy God will be out to win more and more championships. Let’s all go out and hate someone who is actually arrogant, cheating, and self-centered, America. Like A-Rod.