Teen Decapitated by Six Flags Coaster

A teenager was decapitated by a roller coaster after he hopped a pair of fences and entered a restricted area Saturday at Six Flags Over Georgia, authorities said.

Six Flags officials are uncertain why the unidentified 17-year-old from Columbia, S.C. scaled two six-foot fences and passed signs that said the restricted area was both off-limits and dangerous to visitors, spokeswoman Hela Sheth said in a news release.

Authorities were investigating reports from witnesses who said the teenager jumped the fences to retrieve a hat he lost while riding the Batman roller coaster, said Cobb County police Sgt. Dana Pierce. Police have declined to release the teenager's name until an autopsy is completed.

Six Flags said it closed the roller coaster after the Saturday afternoon accident out of respect for the teen's family. The ride was expected to reopen on Sunday, according to a Six Flags news release.

Police said the ride was going full-speed when the teen was struck. The ride's top speed is 50 mph, according to the park's Web site.

No one riding on the roller coaster was injured, Sheth said. The teen was with another boy who also entered the restricted area but was not injured, Pierce said.

The teen and his parents were at the park with a group from the Oakey Spring Baptist Church near Springfield, S.C., police said.

In May 2002, 58-year-old groundskeeper Samuel Milton Guyton of Atlanta was killed after he wandered in a restricted area under the Batman roller coaster's path and was struck in the head by the dangling leg of one of the ride's passengers. The ride was closed for a day to allow the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to inspect the ride. It was deemed safe for passengers.

In June 2007, a teenager's legs were severed when cables snapped on the Superman Tower of Power ride at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Ky. Doctors were able to reattach Kaitlyn Lasitter's right foot, but she had to have some of her left leg amputated and subsequent surgeries.

State officials blame a faulty cable and slow response by an amusement park ride operator in the accident. Her family is suing Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, claiming the park failed to maintain the ride and equipment and ensure riders' safety. The amusement park has denied liability in court filings.

Dog found in river had throat cut

The body of a partially decapitated dog has been found in the River Waveney in Suffolk, the RSPCA has revealed.

The lurcher dog, which had its throat cut, was found by canoeists on the river between Mendham and the Norfolk border at Harleston.

An RSPCA spokeswoman said: "It is not known how the dog died but it was almost decapitated and may have been in the water for several days."

The RSPCA are appealing to anyone with information to contact them.

The animal, which had a black leather collar, was found with a black plastic bin liner around its head.

Anyone found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal faces a jail sentence of up to six months and/or a fine of up to £20,000.

Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz Says New Album May Sound Like AC/DC And White Stripes -- Or Not

'It's early, but the ideas we've got right now, they're really guitar-riff-heavy,' bassist says. Hey, bloggers! Pay attention, because Pete Wentz is about to make things very easy for you.
Here's what he has to say about Fall Out Boy's new album — you know, the one that may or may not have an Iggy Pop & the Stooges-meet-the Smiths feel to it? The same one they're currently working on with producer Neal Avron? Anyway, yeah, here's how Wentz describes it. And again, we urge you to have your OMGs and WTFs at the ready.
"It's early, but the ideas we've got right now, they're really guitar-riff-heavy. A lot of other bands, like AC/DC or the White Stripes, you know their songs by the opening guitar riff," Wentz told MTV News. "So basically, I want our record to be like an AC/DC album or a White Stripes album. I want to make sure the bloggers say that. Actually, I'm just kidding about that. Well, I was kidding about the White Stripes part. Not AC/DC."
So there you go. The new Fall Out Boy record is going to be heavily influenced by the fret-shredding heroics of Jack White and Angus Young. Except that it probably won't, because, as Wentz points out, pretty much every song the band has ever written has gone through about, well, 30 different permutations. And, like he said, it's still really early.
"We've put down, like, three to four songs, but they're just ideas right now. This is how we do our songs. They go through, like, 30 changes. 'Sugar [We're Going Down]' went through 30 changes, and then it just went back to the way it was when we first started, so I don't know if these ideas we've got now will change or end up just like they are now," he explained. "Right now, we've got a bunch of great parts surrounded by a web."
And they're weaving that web at Avron's home, which has perks the average recording studio wouldn't ("He's got a trampoline built into the ground, a pool and a really awesome kid. So it's really easy to do test marketing, because if his kid says it sucks, we know it sucks," Wentz laughed). And as for how the pre-production process works? Well, Wentz is quick to explain with a "Wizard of Oz" metaphor (why not?).
"The way it works is, Patrick is kind of like Dorothy from 'The Wizard of Oz,' and we're all the supporting characters. I'm like the Tin Man, Hurley is Toto, and Trohman is definitely the Lion, because he's got big hair and he's very boisterous," he laughed. "I go over there after I leave the set of 'FNMTV,' and usually before too. Usually twice a day. Patrick is always there, working on new stuff. We keep him chained in the basement."
So when can fans expect to hear the new album? Well, Wentz said FOB hope to start recording it this summer, and that it will hopefully be in stores before the end of the year. Then again, that wouldn't be the first time he's said something like that.
"I think we're gonna start recording this summer, because it's 116 degrees in Los Angeles, and I need to be someplace with extreme air-conditioning," he said. "But I always say that, and then we screw it up, so we'll see."

Source: MTV NEWS

Pete Wentz opens a bar, and Ashlee shows off baby bump

The Wentz’s were seen in Chicago at Pete Wentz’s bar opening, as Ashlee showed off her baby bump.
Newlyweds and parents-to-be Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson-Wentz attended Wentz’s bar opening in Chicago this weekend.

Simpson-Wentz displayed her pregnancy for all to see in a fitted black dress and high heels, but only allowed a few pictures before stepping inside with her in-laws. Husband Wentz stayed out to field the hundreds of questions given by interviewers about the future for the happy family. He even revealed that he would rather raise a family in Chicago, rather than their home in L.A.
People quoted, “I think I would rather raise a family here than L.A.’ you go to your own coffee shop, you go to the dog park, it's smaller and I appreciate that.”
He also added that he is willing to do everything for his wife during her pregnancy: “oh year, I do the whole nine [yards], anything to keep her comfortable — massages, the works.”
Their night continued with a birthday photo montage for Wentz, followed up by a bulldog-shaped cake, a tribute to their bulldog, Hemmingway, who was the ring bearer at the wedding.

Woman Dead 42 Years Before Someone Noticed

We're not sure what was on TV in 1966 in the former Yugoslavia, but it was the last thing seen by a woman whose remains have only recently been found.
Hedviga Golik, who was born in 1924, was discovered by police in the Croatian capital of Zagreb, long-dead and sitting in her arm chair in front of her black and white television.
The deceased had been reported missing 42 years ago, and neighbors say they thought she had moved away to live with relatives. Oddly though, the police only recently broke in to try to determine who owned the apartment and they still have not figured out how the woman could have been reported missing so long ago without anyone checking the residence.
"When officers went there, they said it was like stepping into a place frozen in time," a police spokesman said. "The cup she had been drinking tea from was still on a table next to the chair she had been sitting in ... Nothing had been disturbed for decades, even though there were more than a few cobwebs in there."
A neighbor, fittingly, remembered Golik as "a quiet woman who kept herself to herself."

Potent Quotables: Katy Perry's Crush Confession

"I'm kinda saving myself for Miley Cyrus."--Katy Perry
The 'I Kissed A Girl' singer insists that she is holding out for the 'Hannah Montana' star.

Don Imus on Adam Jones: 'What Color Is He?'

Don Imus, the radio jock who was fired last year for calling the Rutgers women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos," has once again put his foot in his mouth in comments related to the world of sports.
When one of Imus's on-air partners, Warner Wolf, discussed Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam Jones' legal troubles, Imus asked, "What color is he." When told that Jones is African-American, Imus said, "Well, there you go. Now we know.
The full transcript is below.

Wolf: "Defensive back Adam 'Pacman' Jones, recently signed by the Cowboys. Here's a guy suspended all of 2007 following a shooting in a Vegas night club."

Imus: "Well, stuff happens. You're in a night club, for God's sake. What do you think's gonna happen in a night club? People are drinking and doing drugs, there are women there, and people have guns. So, there, go ahead."

Wolf: "He's also been arrested six times since being drafte

d by Tennessee in 2005."

Imus: "What color is he?"

Wolf: "He's African-American."

Imus: "Well, there you go. Now we know."

Jamie Lynn Spears gives birth to a girl

Jamie Lynn Spears gave birth to a baby girl Thursday morning at a south Mississippi hospital, according to a friend of the Spears family. The friend, who asked not to be identified because the family had not yet announced the baby's birth, told The Associated Press that the baby was named Maddie Briann and weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces.
The 17-year-old Jamie Lynn was the star of Nickelodeon's "Zoey 101," a sitcom about prep school friends, and is the younger sister of pop star Britney Spears. The Spears family announced in December that Jamie Lynn was pregnant. The father is Casey Aldridge, a pipe-layer from Liberty, Miss. The couple is not married but announced an engagement several months ago.
Ellen Brannan, spokeswoman for Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center, in McComb, would not give out any details. "We understand everybody's interested, but we don't give out information on anyone. Everyone's entitled to their privacy," she said.
The younger Spears lives near Liberty with Aldridge, 19, and has been seen around the small south Mississippi town often as her pregnancy became more apparent. Her family owns a home across the state line in Kentwood, La.
Spears announced her pregnancy through an article in OK! Magazine and was expected to receive a large payday for exclusive pictures of the newborn.
Nickelodeon issued a statement about the birth on Thursday, saying, "We wish her and her family well." Nickelodeon spokeswoman Marianne Romano said that filming of the fourth and final season of "Zoey 101" was completed last summer before Spears became pregnant.
Spears portrayed Zoey Brooks, a student at Pacific Coast Academy, a campus that had been an exclusive all-boys boarding school until Zoey and a handful of other girls arrived. At the end of the series, Zoey gets the boy — longtime crush Chase (Sean Flynn).

Jamie Lynn Spears Baby Sparks Interest In High School Pregnancy Pact

The big news of yesterday was that 17-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears gave birth to her first child—a daughter. But the news that followed—that several girls at a Massachusetts high-school planned to get pregnant and raise their kids together in a pregnancy pact—has caused an uproar among concerned parents.
According to reports, 17 students at Massachusetts’ Gloucester High School—none of them older than 16—had made a pact to get pregnant and raise their children together. School officials learned of the pact while trying to explain how the pregnancy rate of students in the school had quadrupled over last year.
The Boston Globe has reported that the mass pregnancy has sparked discussion in the largely Catholic fishing town about the availability of contraception. The news sent shockwaves through parents and administrators.
“More students are coming in and asking about pregnancy testing,” Gloucester’s public health director, Jack Vondras, told the Globe last month. “What’s odd is that some of them are disappointed because they’re not getting pregnant.”
MTV is reporting that several of the fathers are out of high-school and well into their twenties. One is a 24-year-old homeless man from the area, the Website reported.
At a recent city council meeting, the town’s mayor inquired about filing statutory rape charges against several of the men, according to MTV.
Jamie Lynn Spears went public with her pregnancy when she was just 16 years old in a dual interview with her mother Lynne Spears. Lynne Spears said at the time that while her daughter was obviously too young to be having a child, she stood by her decision to have the baby and be as involved as possible.
Late last year, Jamie Lynn’s older sister Britney Spears experienced some parenting problems of her own. She lost custody of her two young boys to ex-husband Kevin Federline.

Teacher Accused of Burning Cross on Kids

The school board of a small central Ohio community voted unanimously Friday to fire a teacher accused of preaching his Christian beliefs despite staff complaints and using a device to burn the image of a cross on students' arms.
School board members voted 5-0 to fire Mount Vernon Middle School science teacher John Freshwater. Board attorney David Millstone said Freshwater is entitled to a hearing to challenge the dismissal.
Freshwater denies wrongdoing and will request such a hearing, the teacher's attorney, Kelly Hamilton, told the Mount Vernon News.
School board members met a day after the consulting firm H.R. On Call Inc. released its report on the teacher's case.
The report came a week after a family filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Columbus against Freshwater and the school district, saying Freshwater burned a cross on a child's arm that remained for three or four weeks.
Freshwater's friend Dave Daubenmire defended him.
"With the exception of the cross-burning episode. ... I believe John Freshwater is teaching the values of the parents in the Mount Vernon school district," he told The Columbus Dispatch for a story published Friday.
Several students interviewed by investigators described Freshwater, who has been employed by the school district located 40 miles northeast of Columbus for 21 years, as a great guy and their favorite teacher.
But Lynda Weston, the district's director of teaching and learning, told investigators that she has dealt with complaints about Freshwater for much of her 11-year term at the district, the report said.
A former superintendent, Jeff Maley, said he tried to find another position for Freshwater but couldn't because he was certified only in science, the report said.
Freshwater used a science tool known as a high-frequency generator to burn images of a cross on students' arms in December, the report said. Freshwater told investigators he simply was trying to demonstrate the device on several students and described the images as an "X," not a cross. But pictures show a cross, the report said.
Other findings show that Freshwater taught that carbon dating was unreliable to argue against evolution.

Martha Stewart Banned From Britain

Martha Stewart has been banned from Britain -- but she got a warm welcome Friday in Poland, her grandparents' homeland.
The lifestyle guru was planning to visit Britain in the coming days for business engagements, but the Daily Telegraph and other British newspapers reported Friday that she was denied permission to enter because of her 2004 conviction for obstructing justice.
Stewart's assistants confirmed the visa denial, but they gave no other details beyond saying they hope the decision will be reversed.
"Martha loves England; the country and English culture are near and dear to her heart," said Charles Koppelman, chairman of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. "She has engagements with English companies and business leaders and hopes this can be resolved so that she will be able to visit soon."
On Friday evening in Warsaw, it would have been hard to tell that the headache was hanging over her head.
In an elegant home goods shop in the glistening Golden Terraces mall in downtown Warsaw, Stewart was feted by fans eager for a glimpse of the homemaking expert turned business tycoon.
She was in the Polish capital to promote her Martha Stewart Living magazine, which was recently launched in Polish, and to open an exhibition of her photographs, scenes of landscapes and gardens that she took herself.
During a brief speech, Stewart made a point of stressing the link she feels to the country where all four of her grandparents were born -- and crediting its hearty cuisine for providing inspiration in the kitchen.
She said that her mother, who was "a fabulous cook," taught her to make traditional Polish delicacies like pierogies, the traditional Polish stuffed dumplings; kielbasa, the Polish-style sausage; and babka, a spongy yeast cake popular at Easter.
"As a Polish-American, I feel a strong connection to this beautiful country and to its people," she said. "This trip is a wonderful opportunity for me to connect with my heritage."
Despite her roots, Stewart is not widely known in Poland -- though her legal troubles brought her a degree of attention for the first time.
In 2004, Stewart was convicted in federal court of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements related to a personal sale of ImClone Systems Inc. stock. She got a five-month prison sentence, and also served an additional five months and three weeks of home confinement.
A Home Office spokeswoman, however, refused to comment about Stewart's entry to Britain, but added: "We continue to oppose the entry to the U.K. of individuals where we believe their presence in the United Kingdom is not conducive to the public good or where they have been found guilty of serious criminal offenses abroad."
British and U.S. citizens generally enjoy visa-free travel between their countries. However, people with certain convictions must apply for visas.

Mexico Declares War On Emo

Chances are if you aren’t emo, you hate emo. But you likely don’t hate this straight-haired, massacre-lined subculture as much as the Mexicans do. In recent weeks, a wave of emo bashings has swept across Mexico, several news agencies have reported, fuelled by punks, rockabillies, goths, metalheads and basically anyone who’s not emo.
According to Daniel Hernandez, who’s been covering the anti-emo riots on his blog Intersections, the violence began March 7, when an estimated 800 young people poured into the Mexican city of Queretaro’s main plaza “hunting” for emo kids to pummel. Then the following weekend similar violence occurred in Mexico City at the Glorieta de Insurgents, a central gathering space for emos. Hernandez also reports that several anti-emo riots have now also spread to various other Mexican cities. Via the Austin American Statesmen, several postings on Mexican social-networking sites, primarily organising spot for these “emo hunts,” have been dug up and translated. One states: “I HATE EMOS!!! They are not even people, they are so stupid, they cry over meaningless things… My school is infested with them, I want to kill them all!”
Another says: “We’ve never seen all the urban tribes unite against one single tribe before… Emos, their way of thinking is for crap, if you are so depressed please do us all a favour and kill yourselves!”
More recent reports state that the emos have begun to fight back against the other “urban tribes” and organised marches in Guadalajara and Mexico City, escalating the violence and leading to increased police presence. Also, some Mexican newspapers, such as El Porvenir, have called for government intervention to protect the emos, writing, “It’s the responsibility of the authorities to make sure the threats aren’t carried out and the aggressions are punished.”

Former Escape the Fate Singer Hunted Down By the Police

Emo kids might be getting beat up in Mexico, but in the United States, things are working out differently.

Ronnie Radke, the former singer for Escape the Fate attempted to live up to his old band’s name this week while eluding police. Radke skipped out on his parole and went on the lam before being apprehended outside of Las Vegas yesterday.
Radke was not involved with Escape the Fate’s next Epitaph album, but was apparently soliciting money while on the run to get his band back together when police nabbed him. Deputy U.S. Marshal Michael Picou said police “caught him by surprise” at a Henderson, Nevada home.
Radke’s trouble with the law began when he was charged and convicted of battery for his involvement in the murder of one Michael Cook during a fight. Another individual has been charged with the murder. Police have not stated if Radke stands to face any more charges for his brief flight.
It’s not known whether Radke plans to launch any humanitarian appeals on the basis that a singer from one of Epitaph’s newer signings doesn’t stand a chance in prison, however we’ll be sure to keep you posted should he do so.

Movie Soundtrack Features Exclusives From Aiden, The Von Bondies, Seether, and Eagles of Death Metal

Bloodsuckers and rock fans rejoice! There’s a new soundtrack for your hot, sweaty summer.
A 1987 cult hit, The Lost Boys’ soundtrack is arguably one of the most beloved movie soundtracks of the last 20 years. Armed with great, eerie songs that fit perfectly opposite the little film with a big bite, the soundtrack to the much anticipated sequel, Lost Boys: The Tribe, delivers just the same.
Helping to create a soundtrack worthy of it’s well-respected predecessor, the Lost Boys: The Tribe soundtrack includes AIDEN covering the classic anthem “Cry Little Sister” while THE VON BONDIES offer up “Only To Haunt You,” a never-before heard cut from their new album Love Hate And Then There’s You. Others include Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode fame, as well as the revamped Blind Melon.
Previously unreleased tracks include Aiden’s cover of “Cry Little Sister,” as well as Seether’s live acoustic rendition of “Burrito” and G.Love & Special Sauce’s “Long Way Down,” and The Von Bondies’ “Only To Haunt You.”
Says Aiden singer wiL Francis: "When we were approached to be a part of the new Lost Boys movie I was beside myself. Being such a fan of the original I could hardly set my excitement aside. This is a great opportunity for us to pay homage and be a part of something spectacular."
Artists’ Addiction Records is a leader in the horror soundtrack genre, releasing the popular SAW 1-4 Soundtrack CD’s. SaysAAR President Jonathan Miller: “I’m really excited to be a part of this project. I grew up with the original movie so to be involved with the second installment is amazing. We are all thrilled with the music that has been selected for the soundtrack and movie.”
Set in the shady surf city of Luna Bay, California, Lost Boys: The Tribe takes us to a world where vampires roam the night and feed on anyone who crosses their path. Into this dark world arrive Chris Emerson (Tad Hilgenbrink) and his younger sister, Nicole (Autumn Reeser). Having just lost their parents in a car accident, the siblings move in with their eccentric Aunt Jillian and become new prey for the locals’ way of life. When Nicole unwittingly falls for a local vampire, Chris must locate and destroy the gang’s lifeline before his sister’s transformation is complete; to do this Chris finds himself relying on the expertise of none other than Edgar Frog (Corey Feldman). With subtle references to characters from the original film, and cameos from returning actors,Lost Boys: The Tribe offers a homage to the Lost Boys legend while creating a sinister tone of impending doom.

Singer Wanted For Probation Jump Arrested

Metro police have arrested the former lead singer of a Las Vegas band who was wanted in connection with jumping parole.
Ronnie Radke, who was wanted in connection with jumping parole, was arrested Tuesday.
Radke was charged and convicted of battery in the death of Michael Cook.
A little more than two years ago, Cook was shot and killed near Shadow Ridge High School at 5050 Brent Lane.
The charges against the alleged killer were dropped, because Chase Rader, 22, had a viable claim of self-defense, police said.
This stemmed from a fight. Ronnie Radke, who was involved, was charged and convicted of battery, but police said he jumped parole and is a wanted man.
Radke was once part of the band Escape The Fate and still has a fan site on MySpace.

Boston Cheers as Celtics Rout Lakers

The sights, smells and happy chaos were familiar, as if borrowed from another era and another arena: Stale cigar smoke filled the air. Champagne soaked the locker-room carpets. Green and white confetti was everywhere.
Red Auerbach was not present for the moment in which the Boston Celtics restored their lost glory, but the party they threw Tuesday night at TD Banknorth Garden was unmistakably stamped with his outsize personality.
The Celtics did not just beat the Los Angeles Lakers, they crushed them – and left no doubt that the Larry O'Brien trophy belonged back in Boston after a 22-year hiatus.
Accompanied by chants of "Seventeen!" the Celtics routed their longtime rivals 131-92 to close out the finals in six games. Sixteen green-and-white banners will soon have company in the rafters.
Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce – three stars who had known individual glory but not gratification – will soon have their first championship rings. So will Coach Doc Rivers, who deftly blended their talents after they were united last summer.
It took Pierce, the longtime Celtics captain, 10 years to get here. Garnett waited 13 years for the moment, Allen 12. They all checked out of the game together, with 4 minutes 1 second left. They could not hug each other enough.
"Knowing that you were at rock bottom a year ago today, and to climb all the way to the top, this is a dream come true," said Pierce, who averaged 21.8 points in the finals and was unanimously named the most valuable player. "I'm going to cherish this forever."
They earned the moment with relentless defense that held Kobe Bryant, perhaps the game's premier scorer, to 40 percent shooting in the series. He had 22 points in the finale but just 11 points in the final three quarters.
Unbridled emotion came over the Celtics as the final buzzer sounded. Eddie House, the sharpshooting reserve, fell to his knees at one free-throw line. Garnett kneeled at center court and kissed the Celtics logo.
"I just want to say, other than my kid being born, this has got to be the happiest day of my life right now," said Garnett, one of the greatest power forwards of his era, whose intensity helped transform the Celtics this season.
In the din and the smoke, the Celtics paid homage their franchise patriarch.
"This win is for Red Auerbach," Wyc Grousbeck, the managing partner, said during a raucous trophy presentation on the court.
Moments earlier, Grousbeck had been shown on the video scoreboard chewing on a cigar, to the delight of the crowd.
After a taut series of wild comebacks, near-comebacks and tense fourth quarters, the finale proved anticlimactic – albeit exhilarating for the 18,624 green-clad fans, who hardly used their seats all night.
The Celtics had an 11-point lead in the middle of the second quarter, a 23-point lead at halftime, a 31-point lead by the middle of the third and very little to worry about for most of the night.
Allen buried the Lakers with his 3-point stroke and finished with 26 points. Garnett set the tone with a 10-point first quarter and finished with 26 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists. Pierce had 17 points and 10 assists.
The Lakers never did win a road game in the series, and the Celtics finished their run with a 13-1 record at home. The 39-point margin of victory was the largest for a title-clinching game.
"We're disappointed," said Lakers Coach Phil Jackson. "Our fans are disappointed. I think everybody is disappointed that we didn't get a game out of this, give ourselves a chance."
The game was lost in the first half, when the Lakers failed to grab a single offensive rebound and shot 29.6 percent from the field. Garnett mowed over Pau Gasol, Allen bounced back from a poked eye (courtesy of Lamar Odom) and the Celtics put the game away early, with a 35-14 second quarter.
"We just didn't have it in us, I guess, tonight to be able to match that effort and that intensity," said Gasol, who finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds.
The story of the series, and the season, was the Celtics' commitment to relentless defense. They turned Bryant into a jumpshooter, made him work for every point and forced his teammates to do something spectacular. With few exceptions, they were not up to the task. Odom and Gasol seemed to shrink in the face of the Celtics' ferocity. A young bench anchored by Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar seemed overmatched and outwitted by a Boston bench that featured the savvy veterans P.J. Brown and Sam Cassell.
After much prodding, Bryant conceded that the Celtics' defense was the best he had seen in the playoffs.
"Just upset more than anything, frustrated," Bryant said. "But I'm proud. I'm proud of the way that we performed all year. I'm proud of my guys. I'm proud of the effort that we gave."
The city was primed for the moment. The arena boomed with "Beat L.A." chants in the first quarter. They booed Bryant's image on the scoreboard even earlier — during the national anthem. Fans amused themselves early in the fourth quarter by singing "Where is Kobe?"
The championship was ready to be claimed Tuesday, if only the Celtics could fight through exhaustion, attrition and whatever Bryant unleashed upon them. Over 48 hours, the Celtics had endured a sobering Game 5 defeat, a delayed flight and a sick child, all layered on top of the accumulated aches from a long playoff run.
Allen's youngest son had fallen ill in Los Angeles two nights earlier, which led him to miss the team flight back to Boston. Pierce played the final five games of the series with a sprained knee. Center Kendrick Perkins finished the series with shoulder and ankle injuries and point guard Rajon Rondo with a sprained ankle.
It took 26 games for Boston to win the championship, an NBA record. They were not always the most convincing contenders, going 3-9 on the road and requiring seven games to beat Atlanta and Cleveland in the early rounds.
But the Celtics were persistent, and unified, staying true to the South African theme of "ubuntu" that they established last fall. The word, introduced to the team by Rivers, literally means "I am because we are" and was invoked when the Celtics opened training camp, with the newcomers Garnett and Allen joining Pierce.
"They came in with no egos," Brown said. "Everything was about one thing — they came here to win a championship. It went throughout the whole team. Everybody bought in."
As an added bonus for the Celtics, they denied Jackson a 10th title, which would have broken his tie with Auerbach. That was, Danny Ainge admitted, a fringe benefit: "We wanted to keep Red's nine championships intact and not let Phil pass him."
Ainge was a vital role player when the Celtics won their last title in 1986 and is now their general manager. He absorbed Auerbach's wisdom, acquired the kinds of players who were worthy of his legacy, then watched them dismantle the franchise's greatest rival.
"Beating the Lakers," Ainge said, "is an added bonus. Yeah."