Welcome to another season of “Fan Friday” here at Red’s Army. Sorry for the delay in getting started this year, but the life of a Celtics blogger can sometimes be a busy one. I look forward to introducing you to some of the coolest & most dedicated Celtics fans from all over the world.
Our first fan profile this season was a suggestion from our friend Justin over at Celtics Down Under. Oliver Lynch is a a 30-something Boston Celtics fan from Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Geelong is located in the southeast portion of Australia, and the coastal city is home to roughly 150,000 people. Ollie, as he likes to be called, was born & raised in Scotland, but relocated to the land down under as a teen. That is when his relationship with the Boston Celtics began:
Admittedly, I didn’t start following the NBA seriously until I moved to Australia from Scotland, when I was 16. Such is the sporting culture down here, there’s been year-on-year momentum among passionate sports fans desperate to connect with their teams no matter where they are in the world. And it was no different for me, as I seriously began noticing the Celtics and the New England Patriots. When you add to meeting your future wife in 2003, hailing from southern Mass, no piece of your heart or soul is in any other state of the USA.
Ollie tells me Larry Bird is his favorite Celtic legend, but KG is a guy he idolizes as far as more recent members of the C’s:
I wish I could go further back than some of my fellow Celtics comrades and friends, like Justin Hunter up in ‘Brisbane’, but it would be Larry Bird and modern-day, Kevin Garnett. Both for me epitomised the love for not just the game of basketball, but the jersey on their backs. The emotional weight which Garnett brought on himself in games yet still able to use it to excel – made him unmissable viewing. I would have happily accepted the Celtics letting him play on until his legs turned to Jello. He was that inspiring.
Ollie explains how his size has unfortunately led to some unfair stereotyping and general negativity. He likens it to how some of the Celtic teams of late have been pushed aside by the mainstream media/NBA fans in favor of super teams like Miami Cryami & Cleveland D*ckRiderLand. Needless to say, Ollie bleeds green, and supports his team no matter what the current record may be. Just another reason why Celtics fans are the best fans in the world..
As a person of short-stature, I have had to endure a bit of negativity or just mundane stereotyping. And even though the mighty C’s are 17-time, I said 17-time World Champions, their disregard by so many in NBA community in favour of the Hollywood teams (Lakers and Miami) is a notion that is most endearing to me. We are all about respect and we are all about 18!
I want to give a huge thank you to Ollie for participating in Fan Friday, and be sure to follow him on Twitter. And even though his birthday has now passed according to local time in his native Australia, it’s still his birthday here in the US! So Happy Birthday Ollie, and thank you for representing CelticNation Australia! Thank you all for reading-until next time, GO CELTICS. -KWAPT
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