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About Paul Flannery

Paul Flannery began his journalism career answering phones at the Boston Herald before embarking on a cross-country odyssey that included stops in Oregon, Virginia and Philadelphia. He then returned home to Boston, where he was the online editor at Boston magazine and began covering the Celtics in 2008. Flannery also contributes to the Phoenix and teaches sports journalism at Boston University.

 
COLUMNS
Paul Flannery
10/29/2012 - 11:53am
End of a Celtics era brings new promise
Paul Flannery
10/22/2012 - 12:53am
Meet the new and improved Jeff Green
It’s hard to say which move was the most impressive one Jeff Green pulled off on Sunday night. Maybe it was the smooth dunk he threw down in traffic, or possibly it was the reverse jam he had after driving baseline.
Paul Flannery
10/19/2012 - 2:35pm
The case for starting Jared Sullinger
Paul Flannery
10/17/2012 - 12:03am
The Nets rise and Celtics challenge
The Nets as we knew them are dead.
Paul Flannery
10/15/2012 - 2:12pm
Understanding Kevin Garnett’s leadership style
Over the first few weeks of training camp, it’s become quite clear that not only is Jared Sullinger ready to play in the NBA, he’s already become accepted by his veteran teammates.
Paul Flannery
10/03/2012 - 12:06am
What we learned from Celtics camp
Like the leaves changing colors, it’s an annual rite of October for NBA teams across the land to announce their commitment to the running game when training camps open. Really, what else are they going to say: We’re going to play a boring, slow-down game that our fans will hate?  Obviously not. 
Paul Flannery
09/27/2012 - 10:56pm
Rebuilt Celtics take another shot at championship
The Celtics’ season ended with the crushing disappointment of a Game 7 loss in Miami, but the new one started with a letter.
Paul Flannery
09/25/2012 - 7:38pm
Is Rajon Rondo the Celtics' best player?
Paul Flannery
07/18/2012 - 11:12pm
Dionte Christmas is chasing his dream
LAS VEGAS – When he was in college, Dionte Christmas scored 2,043 points, sank a school-record 319 3-pointers, and won two Atlantic-10 championships, neither of which would have even been remotely possible were it not for his presence. But for his former coach Fran Dunphy, the only number that mattered was one.
Paul Flannery
07/16/2012 - 2:41am
What to watch for at Las Vegas summer league
LAS VEGAS -- It’s a measure of how absurd this offseason has been that the Celtics held a press conference Saturday to introduce two players they haven’t signed yet.
Paul Flannery
07/12/2012 - 11:52pm
What we've learned at summer league
At long last the moratorium has lifted and we will no longer have to talk about the Celtics in hypothetical terms.
Paul Flannery
07/08/2012 - 11:22pm
Courting Courtney Lee and what's next for Celtics
The first part of the Celtics’ roster building is complete.
Paul Flannery
07/07/2012 - 1:32am
Ray Allen’s complicated legacy and where Celtics go from here
Without Ray Allen, there is no Kevin Garnett.
Paul Flannery
07/02/2012 - 11:43pm
Why Danny Ainge is trying to bring back Big Three
The problem with blowing things up and starting over is that there has to be a viable alternative.
Paul Flannery
06/29/2012 - 1:37am
In Jared Sullinger, C's gamble is worth risk
Danny Ainge never envisioned being able to draft Jared Sullinger. He didn’t think he would get him when Sullinger was dominating the competition in Ohio as a high school student.
Paul Flannery
06/22/2012 - 7:00pm
The new NBA order and the Celtics place in it
Over the last two seasons, few teams have given the newly-crowned NBA champion Heat more problems than the Celtics. The C’s have won six of the eight regular season games meetings and took Miami to the brink of elimination in the conference finals.
Paul Flannery
06/20/2012 - 6:50pm
Kevin Garnett is Option A in Celtics offseason
It’s been almost two weeks since the Celtics were eliminated in the playoffs and there’s still much uncertainty about the direction of the team with 10 free agents and only four players under contract for next season. But really, this can all be very simple.
Paul Flannery
06/16/2012 - 10:40am
Is Rajon Rondo ready to become the Celtics leader?
Rajon Rondo slid in unnoticed, or as unnoticed as someone in a pastel yellow sweater can be in a room full of reporters.
Paul Flannery
06/15/2012 - 12:28am
Stay or go: A look at Celtics free agents
The Celtics have nine unrestricted free agents -- counting Jeff Green -- and one restricted free agent in Greg Stiemsma.
Paul Flannery
06/10/2012 - 3:20am
The Celtics run is over, long live the run
MIAMI – For six games and almost 40 minutes, the Celtics traded shots with the Heat.
Paul Flannery
06/08/2012 - 9:07pm
Seven thoughts for Game 7
Paul Flannery
06/08/2012 - 2:10am
No easy way out for Celtics
The sign on the whiteboard in the Celtics’ locker room read: Pack For A Week.
Paul Flannery
06/07/2012 - 12:10am
Making sense of the Celtics
Go ahead, try to figure out the Celtics.
Paul Flannery
06/06/2012 - 3:30am
Kevin Garnett takes Celtics home
MIAMI -- About nine hours before Game 5, Kevin Garnett sat in a chair along the baseline with his head buried in his forearm and his elbow propped up on his knee.
Paul Flannery
06/04/2012 - 2:39am
Celtics stay together, win together


Audio On Demand

It Is What It Is Cast: Ex…

It Is What It Is Cast: Examining the New England Patriots offseason

In the latest edition of the "It Is What It Is" podcast, Chris Price and CSNNE's Mike Giardi take a look at the Patriots offseason on both sides of the ball, try and get a handle on which new guys will make an impact first, and whether or not the Patriots have altered their style when it comes to drafting and developing wide receivers.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on Tebow's release

Mike Florio joined the program to discuss the Jets decision to release Tim Tebow, he said the situation is as disaster all around for the Jets and that the problems begins with owner Woody Johnson. Mike also said that he was disappointed with the Pats moving back in the first round.

Mike Petraglia, WEEI.com, Sits Down with Butch Stearns to Help Break Down the Pats Draft

One of the hardest working men in the biz, Mike Petraglia aka "Trags", sits down with Butch Stearns live in Foxborough to help break down all the latest Pats moves. He discusses his reaction to the trade in Round 1 and the guys those picks produced. Also, the boys talk about the decent trade the Pats made in acquiring LeGarrette Blount from Tampa Bay for Jeff Demps and a 7th rounder.

Celtics President Danny A…

Celtics President Danny Ainge with Salk and Holley

We check in with Danny Ainge for our first talk to him since the Celtics season ended last weekend. We talk about the future of the team, KG, Pierce, Doc Rivers and more, as Danny directly answers the rumors being floated by ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.

Jackie MacMullan, ESPNBoston.com: "Gut" tells me Doc will stay

Jackie Mac joins the show to discuss the trade rumors swirling around Paul Pierce, KG, Doc Rivers and the Celtics. She also discusses the future of the Celtics head coach.

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith on his rumored Celtics Clippers trade

Stephen A. joined the program to discuss the trade rumors he has reported regarding a possible trade including Doc Rivers and the Clippers. Stephen A. also told the guys that he has heard that Danny and Doc may be tiring of working together.

John Lackey postgame gues…

John Lackey postgame guest after the last game of the Minnesota series

Joe Castiglione talked with John Lackey after he picked up the W against the Twins. Lackey threw seven innings, and retired the 1st twelve batters of the game.

John Farrell pregame before the last game of the Minnesota series

Dave O'Brien talked to John Farrell before the end of the Twins series. The Sox skipper said that Big Papi's success is no surprise given his work ethic.

John Farrell postgame press conference

John Farrell postgame press conference

Shawn Thornton on his big…

Shawn Thornton on his big game three

Shawn joined the program to discuss his big night at MSG. He told the guys that it is not Marchand's job to fight and that he needs to be on the ice and out of the penalty box.

NESN's Barry Pederson on the Bruins dominance

Cleveland Indians hottest team in baseball, yet remain last in attendance May 19, 2013 By AJ Kaufman 6 Comments There’s a scene in Major League where Bob Uecker, portraying the radio voice of the Indians, bemoans, “In case you haven’t noticed, and judging by the attendance you haven’t, the Indians have managed to win a few here and there, and are threatening to climb out of the cellar.” Well, that was nearly 25 years ago and fictional, but today’s reality is that Cleveland has won 17 of its last 21, and currently tops the AL Central with a mark of 25-17. No one in the majors is better than the Indians in the past month (20-7). That’s great news. The bad news, however, is the Tribe somehow remain in the MLB cellar when it comes to attendance. How can this be? The fact that I wrote on this same topic almost to the day last year – when only Tampa Bay drew fewer fans than Cleveland - may be even more troubling. Though roughly 34,000 watched a walk-off win Friday night against Seattle, perfect weather and free caps weren’t enough to draw more than 36,000 Saturday and Sunday combined. What did the Indians do in those tilts? They nabbed another walk-off win on Saturday, then the Indians crushed the great Felix Hernandez Sunday behind Justin Masterson, arguably the AL’s best pitcher right now. Fun fact: The Indians have already faced eight Cy Young Award winners in 2013: Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Jake Peavy, David Price, Justin Verlander and Hernandez. They have won seven out those eight matchups. Simply astounding. This offseason, the much-maligned Indians front office finally made a legitimate attempt to improve the team through free agency. I’m not talking an Ubaldo Jimenez-like trade, but rather smart acquisitions that brought veterans Mike Aviles, Michael Bourn, Jason Giambi, Scott Kazmir, Brett Myers, Mark Reynolds, Drew Stubbs and Nick Swisher to Cleveland. In addition to being a fantastic place to watch a game due to great egress and ingress, with extremely affordable tickets, the best promo lineup anywhere, Jacobs Field boasts overall, cooler, less muggy summer weather than most Midwestern locales. The team also lowered beer and hot dog prices to $4 and $3 respectively. What other professional stadium in any sport offers that? I have visited 28 of the 30 current Major League Baseball stadia, and few top The Jake when all angles are considered. I say that as a baseball fan, not an Indians fan. As for the putative “economic” angle, these are the same people who spend insane amounts of money to watch terrible football every fall and show up in decent numbers for putrid basketball in the winter. Irrespective of season length, those sports charge up to 10 times the price for a ticket, and the atmosphere isn’t half as fan-friendly as baseball. I understand fans’ lack of willingness to get on board to some degree. A decent recap of Cleveland’s decade of “rebuilding” can be read here and the team suffered a horrific collapse last August. However, in addition to all the benefits of attending games at Jacobs (now Progressive) Field, fans should also realize the team has potential and often exceeds preseason aspirations at any point without warning. Cleveland hosts the rival Detroit Tigers — heavy favorites to repeat as AL Central champs — Tuesday and Wednesday nights before hitting the road. The temperature should be pleasant at first pitch each evening so you’d expect The Jake to be full to watch the best hitter on the planet right now — but don’t count on it.

Ed Olczyk, NBC Sports: "Surprised" by amount of goals in series so far

Eddie Olczyk joins the show to discuss the Bruins Rangers series and what to expect with Game 3 back in NY. He also talks about Seguin's inconsistency and the role of Jaromir Jagr.

Shawn Thornton on his big…

Shawn Thornton on his big game three

Shawn joined the program to discuss his big night at MSG. He told the guys that it is not Marchand's job to fight and that he needs to be on the ice and out of the penalty box.

The boys respond to Salk's attack

Our afternoon host Mike Salk was offended at Gerry and Kirk's conversation on his favorite band Rush, the guys responded.

NESN's Barry Pederson on the Bruins dominance

Barry joined the program to break down the Bruins game three win over the Rangers. Barry discussed the great play of the fourth line.

Ed Olczyk, NBC Sports: "S…

Ed Olczyk, NBC Sports: "Surprised" by amount of goals in series so far

Eddie Olczyk joins the show to discuss the Bruins Rangers series and what to expect with Game 3 back in NY. He also talks about Seguin's inconsistency and the role of Jaromir Jagr.

Kenny Albert, NY Rangers PBP: Previews Game 3

Kenny Albert joins Mut and Merloni to discuss the play of Henrik Lundqvist, changes John Torterella may make before tonight's game, and if home ice advantage will make a difference.

Mut Vs. Salk on NESN Daily

Find out which WEEI host came out victorious in the latest Salk Vs. Mut battle.

Full tilt, full time. New…

Full tilt, full time. Newest inductee to the Patriots Hall of Fame Tedy Bruschi with Salk and Holley

We talk to #54 about his career and well deserved induction to the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Salk and Holley's Four (or Five) at Four - 05/21/13

We tackle four off-topic topics! Today including RGIII's wedding registry, Tiger Woods, new putters in golf and more.

Barry Melrose: Sit the injured veteran defensemen until you need them, until you lose

We check in with ESPN's great hockey analyst and former NHL coach Barry Melrose to get his take on this Bruins-Rangers series. We also ask the coach in him how he'd deal with the great play of the rookie defensemen when the vets get healthy... and his answer might surprise you.

Daily Planet Tuesday May …

Daily Planet Tuesday May 21st

The Bruins look to take a 3-0 series lead, Jon Lester gets his first loss, Dwight Howard has options in free agency.

Daily Planet Monday May 20th

Today on the Daily Planet the Bruins have a 2-0 lead over the New york Rangers, the Red Sox are back on the winning sde of things, and the noteable birthdays of the day.

Daily Planet Thursday May 9th

The Bruins have almost finished raking the Leafs, the Red Sox struggle from the mound, Miami Heat fans show their level of class.

Salk and Holley's Miked U…

Salk and Holley's Miked Up and Answer the Question - 05/21/13

They're like a ray of morning sunshine on an otherwise gloomy day.

Salk and Holley's Miked Up and Answer the Question 05/21/13

....uhhhh.....a bunch of bombs over there....

Salk and Holley's Miked Up and Answer the Question - 05/17/13

Sounds like a prostate exam to me!

Linda calls in to describ…

Linda calls in to describe the scene on Dexter St in Watertown

Linda explains how the shootout transpired in Watertown during the early morning hours. She saw the first suspect mortally wounded and police beginning the manhunt for the second suspect.

More from this show

Boston bombing hero Jeff …

Boston bombing hero Jeff Bauman: "He's dead and I'm still here"

Jeff Bauman, a victim of the Boston Marathon bombing, joined the show to give the guys an update of his condition and a first-hand account of that terrible day. Jeff told the guys how he wrote the description of the bomber as soon as he could. Mr. Bauman added that he is aided every day with the knowledge that he is alive and the terrorist that detonated the bomb is dead.

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Shawn Thornton on the Bru…

Shawn Thornton on the Bruins game 2 win

Shawn joined the show to discuss the teams great performance in game two against the Rangers. Shawn said that he wouldn't mind playing for John Tortorella because he seems like a funny guy.

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Minor Details Ep. 49: Man…

Minor Details Ep. 49: Managerial development with Torey Lovullo and Arnie Beyeler

By and large, the focus of development in the minor leagues is on players. Still, there is a developmental path for coaches and managers in the farm system, as is evident from the fact that the previous two managers of the Red Sox' Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket -- Torey Lovullo (2010) and Arnie Beyeler (2011-12) are now both on the Red Sox' big league coaching staff. They share their insights about the differences between player and coaching expectations in Triple-A vs. the majors, while discussing professional development from the perspective of former minor league managers who aspire to similar positions in the big leagues.

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Things you would never do

Things you would never do

John, Gerry and Kirk give their things that they would never do, listeners joined on the WEEI yakoff app with their thoughts.

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