Let Us Pray That New Celtics Owner Bill Chisholm Is Nothing Like John Henry And Fenway Sports Group

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It's been quite a while since we've had a Celtics offseason that included so much uncertainty. From the Draft, to free agency to trades, nobody has any idea what the hell Brad Stevens is going to do. All we really know is something is going to change, and as fans, we're all just blindly trusting our lord and savior Brad Stevens to make the right decisions when it comes to the future of this team and this franchise. Until he gives us a reason not to trust his basketball brain, there's nobody on the planet I would want when it comes to being in charge and making the heavy decisions that are unavoidable over the next few months.

At the same time, the GM can only do so much. A lot of what Brad can do comes down to what he's allowed to do, and that's where the uncertainty comes back around. In an ideal world, everyone in ownership just lets Brad cook, but do we know if that's the case this summer? That's something we haven't gotten any solid reporting on.

What exactly is the mandate from ownership, more specifically, their new owner in Bill Chisholm?

Is it just to get under the 2nd apron? Is it to get under the luxury tax altogether? Is there no mandate to move off major players because the ownership group has accepted the costs and is willing to pay? 

When the Celts first went up for sale, there was really only one thing that every single Celtics fan agreed on. I don't think most cared who the ultimate buyer would be, as long as it was not John Henry and Fenway Sports Group. Take the Saudi oil money, give it to Pags, who gave a shit. The only thing that mattered was that John Henry was not allowed anywhere near this team and this franchise. 

Why?

That right there, is the FSG Special. It was the exact reason why everyone was terrified of Henry & Co getting into the mix with the Celts sale. This is what the current era of Fenway Sports Group is all about, and it certainly isn't building a winner/contender in Boston. 

Given the harsh reality that the Celtics are going to have to make roster/financial decisions this summer, I do wonder if everything that's happened in the last 24 hours has had an impact on how Chisholm views the potential paths he's going to have Brad explore. Was there something MAJOR on the table prior to this Devers deal that no longer is an option because of the optics? Is Chisholm maybe now more willing to pay the tax, so the mandate shifts to only getting under the 2nd apron?

There's also the chance that he gives zero shits and nothing about this news changes his plan or his thinking, but to me that would be shortsighted. Chisholm should look at what is currently going on with FSG and the Sox and realize it's the exact OPPOSITE of how he needs to operate as the owner.

This is not to say don't make trades, we all know the trades are coming. I'm talking more about the accountability part. Not being a slimy snake while you completely burn your franchise to the ground by repeatedly trading all of your franchise players. Does it feel like John Henry and FSG are being accountable right now? Where was the press conference this morning to talk about all this and take questions from the media? Where's the backbone? Given what has happened in the past, don't you think there'd be some sort of learning in how to handle these types of decisions with the media/fans? Instead, it's been a giant fuck you to the fanbase.

I think most Celts fans have come to terms that someone we love is going to be moved this summer. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. All I ask is that Chisholm does not go the FSG route. Don't make a bad trade just to save money, and then hide like little bitches when the entire city erupts. You bought the Celtics knowing they were expensive. You went on a publicity tour talking about how big of a Celts fan you are and how you are going to run this "the right way" etc. You pandered, we as fans ate it up, well now it's time to back things up in what is one of the most important Celtics offseasons in recent memory.

What might that look like? Well, let me be the first to make this crystal clear for you. The "right way" is the exact opposite of whatever the hell FSG is doing. While there's a certain level of confidence in knowing it's Brad Stevens who is making these decisions compared to Craig Breslow, let's not undersell the importance of ownership in all of this. Hopefully, Wyc still being around and having gone through the ups and downs of ownership will help, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to what Chisholm wants.

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The hope is that he's learned that John Henry and FSG are the devil, and that their approach to running the Red Sox in recent years is the last thing the Celtics need to entertain. Saving money means jack shit if you lose your entire fanbase for the foreseeable future.