If you didn’t know already, Celtics Town is one of 25 finalists for the BallHyped Sports Blog of the Year Award.

Currently, we are in first place, but barely holding on. In the name of hanging onto our slim lead (voting ends at midnight tonight), I ask that you please vote. If you haven’t already, that is.

Voting is easy, and takes about ten seconds. Just click on the following link and vote for celticstown.com.

http://ballhyped.com/about/ballhyped-sports-blogs-of-the-year/

Thanks in advance for your vote. I, like you, look forward to Rondo’s potential return this afternoon. Happy New Year’s, folks. Enjoy the night, and stay safe.

Somehow, some way, Celtics Town was one of 25 finalists selected for BallHyped’s Sports Blog of the Year contest.

We are currently in third place, but need a lot of votes to catch up to the first place blog. So please, vote for us. Just click on the following link and vote for www.celticstown.com:

http://ballhyped.com/about/ballhyped-sports-blogs-of-the-year/

Deserving or not (and I’m definitely leaning toward “or not”), it’d be cool to be named the Sports Blog of the Year. So thanks in advance for your vote, and thanks for reading. We love you all.

Semih Erden's home country.

Do you know what I’m thankful for?

I’m thankful for the opportunity to watch the Celtics compete for a championship. I’m thankful for the Big Three’s continued run of great play, and for Rondo joining them (surpassing them, really) among the NBA’s elite players.

I’m thankful for Shaq’s tendency to amaze even as a 38-year old. I’m thankful for Nate Robinson’s joyous spirit and surprising ability to fill in for Rondo, and I’m thankful for Glen Davis and his never-ending string of charges taken. I’m thankful that I don’t have to watch Marty Conlon play basketball ever again.

I’m thankful for Delonte West’s second chance, and my second chance to cheer for him as a Celtic. I’m thankful for Von Wafer’s development and maturation. I’m thankful for Marquis Daniels’s ability to cut, and for the days he provides a lot even on occasions when he does very little. I’m thankful for being able to look forward to Jermaine O’Neal’s return (I had to be thankful for something with Jermaine, right?).

I’m thankful for Luke Harangody’s hideous, yet somehow effective and ridiculously quick, release. I’m thankful for Avery Bradley’s promise, and his pitbull defensive mentality. I’m thankful for Paul Pierce’s stepback jumper, Rondo’s fake around-the-back, Ray Allen’s picture-perfect shooting stroke, and Kevin Garnett’s fire. I’m thankful for Perk’s scowl, candidness, and dedication to return from injury in shape, and I’m thankful that Semih Erden has proven himself to be something other than the average soft European stiff.

I’m thankful that Danny Ainge had a vision and stuck to it. I’m thankful that the owners are willing to spend ungodly amounts of money to let it happen.

I’m thankful for Doc Rivers’s decision to return and see this whole thing through.

I’m thankful that I can share my Celtics thoughts with all of you, and that some of you even care.

So thanks for reading, everybody. Enjoy your turkey, and, if you’re lucky, the presence of family and friends.

Call-in number:

347-215-7771

I’ve got an interesting proposition for you all tonight: After the Celtics pummel the Bucks (or somehow lose to an inferior opponent on national TV, whatever the case), you should all listen to the Celtics Late Night Show. I will be the co-host. Scary thought, I know.

But just think about the two potential outcomes that could result from my podcast-hosting debut:

1) I stutter and stammer my way into making an idiot out of myself. I make baseless claims and insult half the listeners with my moronic chatter. Everyone who listens to the show will be more stupid after listening to me. I will be awarded no points and may God have mercy on my soul.

Or

2) I shock anyone who’s ever read my work by sharing insightful opinions. I stutter a little bit and say “umm” a few times, but nothing to be ashamed of. I even make a few insights into the Celtics that make you scratch your head and think, “Hmm, I haven’t thought of that before, but he’s right!” The listeners love me and have a great time.

Either way sounds entertaining, right? So listen to the show immediately after the game. And if you’re feeling especially frisky (or if you just want to disagree with me) call in.

Comcast Sports is holding a 90-minute long, season-opening preview tonight at 7:00 p.m., and my brother and I were lucky enough to be invited. “The Basketball Show,” as Comcast is calling it, combines a television show and online chat.

Here’s Comcast’s description of the event:

Our entire broadcast team and online team join forces to take your calls for 90-minutes on the eve of the highly anticipated season opener with the Heat. Fans can call into the show and ask the panel questions, or join us right here on CSNNE.com for a Live Chat.

My brother and I will be part of the online live chat (sadly, our television debuts will have to wait), so click this link at 7:00 to ask us questions.

P.S. – I actually was on TV once before, when a local broadcasting station televised one of my high school basketball games. I scored 18 points and was proud to be the game’s second-leading scorer, even though we lost to Charlestown High School. I was a star, I thought.

A year or so later, my cousin recommended me a book: The Assist. It was written about the Charlestown team we’d lost to be three points that day, the day I’d scored 18 hard-earned points and transformed myself into a TV star. The book called one player on my team (my friend TJ) a beast, and lumped me and the rest of my teammates into one sentence. I think I can remember it word for word, but I might be a little off.

“The rest of the team was characteristic of the slow, methodical white players common in the western part of the state [Massachusetts].”

So much for being a TV star, huh?

Media day starts today at 2:00 p.m. I will get you updates as soon as I can, but I actually have a job interview so they might not be perfectly on time. (“Wait…” you ask, “Somebody’s actually thinking about giving YOU a job?” Indeed. Crazy, right?) Meanwhile, check out Celtics Blog, Celtics Hub and Red’s Army for more timely updates.

Some of you may not get excited for media day, but just remember — it marks the start of the season, one that could be special, one that will hopefully end like this: