The Legends of Tacko Fall

RetractableRoof

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Meh, I dunno. Celtics fans have a long standing history of cheering loudly for a deep bench player regardless of said freakiness. There was nothing freaky about Terry Duerod or Conner Henry in the 80's, or Scalabrine, or the fans fondness for the Sichting's and Walter's of the team. Whenever there is a "fun" team wearing green the Celtics fans have historically selected a guy that they want to see on the floor at the end of blowouts regardless of freakishness level. Aside from the obvious height, Fall has the charisma to attract a cult following.
This is it in a nutshell.

Personally, I've typically been a "root for the underdog" fan in terms of favorite players. In many cases the rookies or utility guys are the defacto underdog. Leon Poe was a personal favorite because he was always fighting through knees that were grating like tectonic plates. The guy at the end of the bench doing extra reps, more conditioning, fighting to get on the field of play - that's my guy. I put Tacko in that group - because he is so raw at his profession - AND, he seems to have the same perpetual smile that Kemba has. Let me see that you are human, let me see that you are busting your butt, let me see that you recognize the opportunity in front of you and are grateful for it, be reasonably likable, and I'm a fan. It's really a simple formula. I've never been a fan of the brooding athlete type. If you don't like the limelight, choose another profession.
I like me some Tacko fall, I'll root for him in any uniform.
 

Koufax

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I think that there is also an element of recognition that Tacko needs playing time and the fans want to see him get some.
 

InstaFace

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Well let's hope he takes it in that spirit and uses the cheering fans as motivation to add muscle, get some cardio for endurance (I bet swimming is a good fit, anything low-impact), earn his way up to the rotation, and the fans can end up feeling like his career is something they helped make happen, even just a little bit.

What made me go on this tangent was:
I would think that if this was a big issue, Brad wouldn't be imploring the crowd to cheer louder.
Once he made the decision to put him in against Detroit, yeah, Stevens egged them on a bit. But the interpretation of that as "Brad is all about the Tacko hype" doesn't square with his more-sober comments in the tunnel right after the game - which I can't locate now but in which I'm certain the first thing out of his mouth on the subject of the we-want-Tacko cheers was that "at first, I was embarrassed for him". I don't think Brad Stevens wants that kind of attention on him, for Tacko's sake, and I'm inclined to trust his EQ on the matter.
 

benhogan

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Well let's hope he takes it in that spirit and uses the cheering fans as motivation to add muscle, get some cardio for endurance (I bet swimming is a good fit, anything low-impact), earn his way up to the rotation, and the fans can end up feeling like his career is something they helped make happen, even just a little bit.

What made me go on this tangent was:

Once he made the decision to put him in against Detroit, yeah, Stevens egged them on a bit. But the interpretation of that as "Brad is all about the Tacko hype" doesn't square with his more-sober comments in the tunnel right after the game - which I can't locate now but in which I'm certain the first thing out of his mouth on the subject of the we-want-Tacko cheers was that "at first, I was embarrassed for him". I don't think Brad Stevens wants that kind of attention on him, for Tacko's sake, and I'm inclined to trust his EQ on the matter.
I agree with your initial take. BUT the fact that Tacko is playing along with the crowd by standing up himself to send the fans into a frenzy shows me that he is fine with the attention.

As long as he gets a "real" chance to play some rotational minutes in the next month I'll be fine with what Brad did/said. If Brad continues to treat him like a human victory cigar, I'll be slightly annoyed with CBS.
 

Carbo Loading

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I saw that too. Its not always easy to tell from the normal, slightly-overhead broadcast angle, but his towering-ness at floor-level is staggering. I think *every* player that's gotten to the NBA has some innate clue how to shoot over or around a 7-footer. But even just standing there, Tacko overloads the circuitry. Chances are pretty good that no one on the other team has ever gone against someone that tall.

FWIW--I once stood next to Manute Bol. (Bridgeport at Bentley. I was living in Boston and had to check him out. He was at the back of a layup line; I was walking along the side of the floor to walk up the bleachers. I'm 6'3". When my friend turned around to say something to me, his eyes practically looked to the ceiling and the color drained from his face. When I turned, Bol's height was almost disturbing.
I was at that Bridgeport at Bentley game since I was attending Bentley at the time. I think it's the most full that gym ever was in the time I went there.
 

joe dokes

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He seems to both intelligent enough and mature enough to simultaneously understand that at present he's something of a novelty to fans; that he has it within his control to maximize the potential of not being just a novelty; that he's not there yet; and while that much of the fans' current reaction may be to the novelty angle, they are also pulling for him to succeed beyond that.

As long as he gets a "real" chance to play some rotational minutes in the next month I'll be fine with what Brad did/said. If Brad continues to treat him like a human victory cigar, I'll be slightly annoyed with CBS.
As long as both Williams and Poirier are out, he is probably sticking around, even if its only because they need another big guy at practice. And since he's not really ready for prime time minutes, he likely is going to only see garbage time, unless there's injury or serious foul trouble.
 

lovegtm

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I agree with your initial take. BUT the fact that Tacko is playing along with the crowd by standing up himself to send the fans into a frenzy shows me that he is fine with the attention.

As long as he gets a "real" chance to play some rotational minutes in the next month I'll be fine with what Brad did/said. If Brad continues to treat him like a human victory cigar, I'll be slightly annoyed with CBS.
The Celtics have shown a pretty good internal understanding of who to play/keep/cut/extend based (presumably) on what they see behind the scenes. I don’t see any reason to doubt them wrt their handling of Tacko and his minutes.
 

joe dokes

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I was at that Bridgeport at Bentley game since I was attending Bentley at the time. I think it's the most full that gym ever was in the time I went there.
Wow. Yeah, it was pretty packed. KC Jones son (6'3?) at center for Bentley, IIRC.
 

Cellar-Door

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The Celtics have shown a pretty good internal understanding of who to play/keep/cut/extend based (presumably) on what they see behind the scenes. I don’t see any reason to doubt them wrt their handling of Tacko and his minutes.
Yeah, Tacko is getting deep deep bench run because of injuries, if we get healthy he'll go back to Maine. He's not really being used differently than a normal G-League call up, just the fans love hi,
 

DJnVa

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Once he made the decision to put him in against Detroit, yeah, Stevens egged them on a bit. But the interpretation of that as "Brad is all about the Tacko hype" doesn't square with his more-sober comments in the tunnel right after the game -
Who had that interpretation?

We said that if Brad and his teammates saw this cheering as a bad thing for Tacko they would not egg it on. That's not the same as "all about the hype".
 

Cesar Crespo

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I think Tacko has a chance to be an elite shotblocker and a competent rim runner with some more development. I think that's enough to be a 10 minutes a game situational player in the NBA. I don't think he's there yet, and I think I'd rather he play more basketball in the G-league than playing for 5 minutes every once in awhile in the NBA for right now.
He's probably already an elite shot blocker. Time Lord too. I guess it might depend on what you mean by shot blocker though.

Sometimes having one elite skill is all a player needs. I'm not sure shot blocking qualifies though. At least not in 2019/20.
 

Eddie Jurak

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Meh, I dunno. Celtics fans have a long standing history of cheering loudly for a deep bench player regardless of said freakiness. There was nothing freaky about Terry Duerod or Conner Henry in the 80's, or Scalabrine, or the fans fondness for the Sichting's and Walter's of the team. Whenever there is a "fun" team wearing green the Celtics fans have historically selected a guy that they want to see on the floor at the end of blowouts regardless of freakishness level. Aside from the obvious height, Fall has the charisma to attract a cult following.
Who can forget Stojko Vrankovic, whose nickname was The Human Victory Cigar?

Also, Brad Stevens does not seem like the type of guy who would play into the Tacko hype if Tacko himself was not a willing participant.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Who can forget Stojko Vrankovic, whose nickname was The Human Victory Cigar?

Also, Brad Stevens does not seem like the type of guy who would play into the Tacko hype if Tacko himself was not a willing participant.
And Brian Scalabrine, though being a redhead might qualify him for some freakiness.
 

TripleOT

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Brad mentioned that it is unfair to the center who earned minutes, naming Kanter. However, the last thing Kanter needs to sharpen his game is running around in garbage time.

Coaches ave absolute authority over who plays, and when (expect for Lebron James' coaches). Not a good spot for Brad to be in, but he has handled it well, I hope it's Tacko Time and he gets into every home game the rest of the way. That would mean that the Cs are winning big, and Porior isn't active. He's not very good.
 

pantsparty

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His limitations are well known but this guy actually has some basketball skills.
Which, to my eye, he didn't have at the beginning of Summer League. Back then he looked like his only basketball-related skill was being able to dunk without jumping, and if you want to see an abomination google his free-throw shooting form in college. He's only a fringe NBA player currently, but how quickly he's improved under this team's coaching staff says a lot to me about his potential to be an actual rotation bench player in the future, and Brad knows how to work around players with both limitations and useful skills.
 

stepson_and_toe

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From the Globe:

"Wearing a spiffy white bowtie and a custom-made, size-48 double-extra-long tuxedo, Fall took the stage after the program’s intermission to lead the orchestra in a rousing rendition of the signature holiday tune, 'Sleigh Ride.' He was greeted warmly by the sellout crowd of 2,300, with cheers louder than those that erupted when Tom Brady’s No. 12 jersey was held up during '12 Days of Christmas' one song prior."
 

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I saw that too. Its not always easy to tell from the normal, slightly-overhead broadcast angle, but his towering-ness at floor-level is staggering. I think *every* player that's gotten to the NBA has some innate clue how to shoot over or around a 7-footer. But even just standing there, Tacko overloads the circuitry. Chances are pretty good that no one on the other team has ever gone against someone that tall.

FWIW--I once stood next to Manute Bol. (Bridgeport at Bentley. I was living in Boston and had to check him out. He was at the back of a layup line; I was walking along the side of the floor to walk up the bleachers. I'm 6'3". When my friend turned around to say something to me, his eyes practically looked to the ceiling and the color drained from his face. When I turned, Bol's height was almost disturbing.
I once met Shawn Bradley. Trying to have a normal conversation with this freakishly tall dude was pretty much impossible.
 

Kliq

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I once met Shawn Bradley. Trying to have a normal conversation with this freakishly tall dude was pretty much impossible.
Always felt bad for Bradley; he had a solid professional career and when he was younger was tremendously fluid for a guy that size. He always hampered by people thinking he should dominate and that just wasn't his talent or his playing style. Plus he had a hard time fitting in during the 90s NBA. He's always been a really positive guy and ESPN did a great 30 for 30 short on catching up with him after basketball.
 

PedrosRedGlove

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From the Globe:

"Wearing a spiffy white bowtie and a custom-made, size-48 double-extra-long tuxedo, Fall took the stage after the program’s intermission to lead the orchestra in a rousing rendition of the signature holiday tune, 'Sleigh Ride.' He was greeted warmly by the sellout crowd of 2,300, with cheers louder than those that erupted when Tom Brady’s No. 12 jersey was held up during '12 Days of Christmas' one song prior."
How embarrassingly patronizing for Tacko...
 

BigSoxFan

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I really hope Tacko is monetizing the hell out of all this. Some of this stuff really is patronizing. On the flip side, he has a great opportunity to benefit from it. If he can turn himself into a situational rotation player, he is going to kill it financially with endorsements. Obviously, money isn’t the be all, end all but someone that size will need a lot of it given the future health issues that typically arise with people this size. Most importantly, he just seems like a real kind soul. I hope all of this extra attention doesn’t change his personality. Would love nothing more than for all of this to culminate in a moment where he stuffs the shit out of Embiid in a pivotal playoff spot.
 

Lose Remerswaal

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He is playing for the C's and earning approx $1.5 million, if my research is correct.

How else can he monetize this? I assure you, the Boston Pops gig doesn't pay much, although he did get that cool 48 Double Long tux out of the deal.

Maybe DXL can sign him up as a spokesmodel?
 

lovegtm

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He is playing for the C's and earning approx $1.5 million, if my research is correct.

How else can he monetize this? I assure you, the Boston Pops gig doesn't pay much, although he did get that cool 48 Double Long tux out of the deal.

Maybe DXL can sign him up as a spokesmodel?
If he’s not hitting Boston area endorsements hard, he needs a new agent yesterday.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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He is playing for the C's and earning approx $1.5 million, if my research is correct.

How else can he monetize this? I assure you, the Boston Pops gig doesn't pay much, although he did get that cool 48 Double Long tux out of the deal.

Maybe DXL can sign him up as a spokesmodel?
Your research is incorrect. He's on a 2-way contract so his max earnings is somewhere around $385,000.
https://gleague.nba.com/news/nba-g-league-announces-player-salaries-2018-2019-season/
 

Lose Remerswaal

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Your research is incorrect. He's on a 2-way contract so his max earnings is somewhere around $385,000.
https://gleague.nba.com/news/nba-g-league-announces-player-salaries-2018-2019-season/
You are right.

I misread this: https://www.spotrac.com/nba/boston-celtics/tacko-fall-31972/

Dunkin usually uses better known players, like Gronk and Papi. And I don't think Tacko will work well for a car dealer, or clothing place. Not sure what local endorsements make sense other than DXL
 

jose melendez

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Yeah it’s kind of patronizing, but it’s the nature of being a true giant— regardless of race or origin. It was as true for Andre and big Georgie and it’s true for Tacko and Manute bop. You can probably avoid a little by having no discernible charisma like Bradley, but some of it is just the nature of being a physical marvel.
 

bankshot1

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It kind of reminds me of the "love" Celt's fans showed Hank Finkel WBW. He was ok as Cowens sub/garbage time guy, but he got way more attention for his Lurch-like appearance, than his on court contributions.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Not sure what local endorsements make sense other than DXL
He could do endorsements for some kind of restaurant. Maybe a steak place . . . or a chicken sandwich place . . . maybe fried fish - no that's not right. If only there was a food endorsement where he'd naturally fit in.

Oh well, I guess that's why I'm not in marketing.
 

ggreene

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It's just a great underdog story and I don't blame the fans at all for cheering and having him as a favorite. They pay a lot of money for those seats and have the right to choose who they love.

I root for him as well and hope he is successful in his career.
 

Lose Remerswaal

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He could do endorsements for some kind of restaurant. Maybe a steak place . . . or a chicken sandwich place . . . maybe fried fish - no that's not right. If only there was a food endorsement where he'd naturally fit in.

Oh well, I guess that's why I'm not in marketing.
I am not sure if Taco Bell does local ads, and Anna's doesnt advertise, but it is a good idea.
 

RetractableRoof

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There's probably a banking relationship to be had for Tacko. "I'm pursuing my professional dreams on court, and partnering with XYZ bank who want to help you reach your professional goals with the XYZ small business program". Wordy, but there is something there.
 

Kliq

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It is worth noting that Tacko is reportedly extremely bright, graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA and became fluent in English after eight months after coming to America when he was 15, and that is dream is to work as a programmer for Google. Even if he has a catastrophic injury that ends his playing career, I'm sure he is going to be fine.
 

BaseballJones

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Well let's hope he takes it in that spirit and uses the cheering fans as motivation to add muscle, get some cardio for endurance (I bet swimming is a good fit, anything low-impact), earn his way up to the rotation, and the fans can end up feeling like his career is something they helped make happen, even just a little bit.

What made me go on this tangent was:

Once he made the decision to put him in against Detroit, yeah, Stevens egged them on a bit. But the interpretation of that as "Brad is all about the Tacko hype" doesn't square with his more-sober comments in the tunnel right after the game - which I can't locate now but in which I'm certain the first thing out of his mouth on the subject of the we-want-Tacko cheers was that "at first, I was embarrassed for him". I don't think Brad Stevens wants that kind of attention on him, for Tacko's sake, and I'm inclined to trust his EQ on the matter.
I initially thought the same thing of "Eh...I'm kind of embarrassed for Tacko....seems like a side show, last man on the bench thing." But the more I thought about it, I think it's great. It's not like Tacko is a 10-year vet, a perennial 15th man, kind of guy. He's a brand new rookie that fans want to see. If I'm him, I'm GIDDY that the fans are screaming for me and want me in the game. I fully know that I'm not ready for prime time, and so ANY playing time with the Boston Celtics is gravy in this, my rookie year.

This is nothing but good. If it stayed like this for years and years, maybe it's different. Now? No way; it's all good.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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There's probably a banking relationship to be had for Tacko. "I'm pursuing my professional dreams on court, and partnering with XYZ bank who want to help you reach your professional goals with the XYZ small business program". Wordy, but there is something there.
"Have lofty aspirations like I do? Let XYZ bank help you reach the heights (slam dunk for emphasis)"

I should have gone into marketing.
 

Lose Remerswaal

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He could do endorsements for some kind of restaurant. Maybe a steak place . . . or a chicken sandwich place . . . maybe fried fish - no that's not right. If only there was a food endorsement where he'd naturally fit in.

Oh well, I guess that's why I'm not in marketing.
"Have lofty aspirations like I do? Let XYZ bank help you reach the heights (slam dunk for emphasis)"

I should have gone into marketing.
This is well done.

One of your statements is obviously true