Gary Larrabee

His thunderous drives and embracing personality have been a part of the North Shore golf community for decades. So it probably should have come as no surprise to any who have met the man, or played golf with him, to learn that Beverly’s Arthur Athanas has emerged as a favorite in the Acushnet Company’s Titleist ball division.

Yep, that’s the Stonehan native who has been appearing in recent Titleist advertisements both in the national golf publications and The Golf Channel. That’s him, “Arthur A.,” wearing his white Titleist cap with the accompanying quote, “I’m not a Touyr player and I play Pro V1x.”

The Director of Marketing for the Beverly-based Bishop Company, Athanas, an eight handicap who can probably outdrive half the players on the PGA Tour (it’s the rest of the game, he admits, that makes him an eight handicap), Athanas appeared in recent issues of Golf Digest, Golf World, Golf, Sports Illustrated’s Golf Plus section and GolfWeek, as well as on the PGATour, GolfChannel, Golf, GolfWeek and GlobalGolfPost websites. The Golf Channel 60-second spots, featuring Arthur’s chiseled good looks and authoritative voice, will appear on The Golf Channel through November.

“It’s been fun and exciting, being a part of the Titleist campaign,” say Athanas. “My heart’s really in it because I’ve always played Titleists. They’re the gold standard in the industry. I’ll admit I’ve tried new balls when they’ve come out, like Bridgestone and Calloway, for example, but I always come back to Titleist. Their Pro V1s have taken the brand, I believe, to a new level that puts even greater space between them and the No. 2 ball — light years of space.”

Like any responsible marketing guru, Athanas is all over the internet every day for professional and other reasons. The Stoneham native has followed the Titleist website forever, he says, and he has responded to their visitor surveys regularly. But after filling out one particular survey series, he received an inquiry from Acushnet, the parent company of Titleist, inviting him to take part in a focus group.

“I responded,” Athanas, a member at Beverly Golf and Tennis Club (and formerly a Ferncroft member), explained,”and the next thing I knew I was asked to come in to Arnold Advertising in Boston. That became a three-hour series of back-and-forth discussions about everything Titleist golf ball. They were filming me through one-way mirrors. I gave them a lot of feed back. At the end of the session they gave me a dozen Titleists and a titleist hat and I went home.

” I filled out a few more internet surveys and then, right before Fourth of July, I got an e-mail for an open casting call. I figured, what the heck, so I sent the data they asked for back to Titleist. Soon thereafter I got the word I’d made the cut and was asked to come down to the comany’s home base in Acushnet and Fairhaven for an all-day shoot for print and electronic media purposes.”

Athanas left his house at 5 a.m. on the day of the shoot and got home at 8 a.m. that night, but the long day was an unforgettable 15-hour adventure, he said.

“We met at the Acushnet River golf course and got right to work,” he related. “They gave us Foot-Joy (Titleist sister company) shoes to wear and a Titleist hat to start. Then came wardrobe stuff and a makeup lady. They almost made you feel like a movie star.

“We went on the golf course — it was one hot day — and they started shooting video and stills, first using a Titleist driver. Then we went to fairway shots with 6 irons, chipping, wedge shots, and tnhey lastly shot us walking down a fairway carrying a Titleist bag and clubs. They had opened a gross of new Pro V1s to hit, and tbhey didn’t care where the shots went.”

The group broke for lunch, then moved to Titleist’s Manchester Lane testing facility. “This was srious stuff,” Athanas surmised rather quickly. “We drove through security to get to the buildings; beautiful set-ups for all kinds of testing, spin ratyes, flight patterns; tech stuff. Then we did some video interviews; took maybe 25 minutes. Lots of fun.”

Athanas made the cut for air time. “One spot shows me hitting a shot, looking over another player’s shoulders. I speak twice in one of them, saying how I on occasion try a new ball, but I always come back to Titleist.”

When his day at Titleist was complete, he left with his shoes, hat, Foot-Joy socks and a dozen Pro V1s.

Once the spots began appearing on the Golf Channel, Athanas’s devices went bonkers. “I must have heard from a hundred people over the first several days. I got it from all sides the next time I showed up at the club to play, too. Guess that’s the power of advertising,” said the 20-year Beverly member.

The 53-year-old joked that now he might be known for something other than as the father of two hot shot competitive swimmers. Son Aaron and daughter Vanessa both were all-state swimmers for their high schools, St. John’s Prep and Beverly High, respectively. Aaron now swims for Dartmouth, Vanessa for Union.

“They’re still the athletic stars of the family,” he said. “I’m just trying to keep my handicap in single digits.”

Catching up with an assortment of golf — and other — issues as we forge into the two most beautiful months of the golfing season, September and October.

First, a huge shout-out to the memberships and staffs of Salem and Kernwood Country Club for the magnificent fashion in which they shared hosting duties for one terrific 92nd NEPGA Championship the end of last month. Let’s even give them credit for the delicious weather we had for three straight days, not to mention the outstanding golf played by several of the top names in the field. The cream of the field crop surely rose to the top, as witnessed the four top finishers: first-time cham Ed Kirby (a former PGA Tour player and three-time U.S. Open participant), runnerup Jeff Seavey, third placer (and defender) John Hickson and No. 4 finisher Kirk Hanefeld, who at 56 is coming off a five-year journey on the Chjampions Tour and, had it not been for a balky putter, could have made the homecoming to his former club (Salem) quite a celebration.

Among the locals, it was great to see Ipswich head pro Travis Hall, a former Salem assistant, qualify for his first National Professional PGA Championship next July along with Kernwood’s Frank Dully.

Personally, I have never seen the Kernwood and Salem courses in finer condition or more playable for a major competition. Just another reminder how special these two Donald Ross courses are; always in demand as championship sites.  Next up for Kernwood is the 2014 Massachusetts Amatwur as part of its centennial season. Next up for Salem, hopefully, is the 2017 U.S. Senior Open, pending the USGA’s acceptance and then successful negotiations from the two parties. The USGA should be acting on the invite in the next couple months.

We North Shore (of Boston) golfers can’t have it any better — arguably the finest combination of public and private golf in the state, if not New England. Tedesco, Myopia, Essex, Turner Hill, Ferncroft and Ipswich are additional superb tests on the private side and the list of solid public courses, nine and eighteen, are almost endless.

Congrats to Salem Classic winners Matt O’Keefe and Indian Ridge’s John Gilmartin (132 gross for the 36 holes) and Matt Nekoroski and Troy Joncas (124) on the net side.  Ditto for 92nd Myopia Fourball winners Dan Cutler and Wil Loring. And ditto again to Jim Grant for capturing his fourth club title at Crystal Lake (formerly Crystal Springs) with 74-73-147, good for a six-shot margin over Barry Rembis (74-79) and seven over Glen Harwood (78-76)

The seventh season of the Chris Young-directed New England Golf Tour wraps up the next couple weeks with a September 18 tournament at red Tail and the Tour Championship September 25 at Marlboro. Polar Beverages has continued as the primary sponsor. Joel Bradley won the most recent event at The Ledges with a 73.

Another spectacular Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston, with Rory McIlroy surviving a tense final-round duel with South African Louis Oosthuizen, while Tiger’s putter went astray the final nine or he’d have triumphed.

Amazing stat of the week: Oosthuizen was -19 after 46 holes and finished at -19 at the end of the 72-hole tourney. He played the last 26 holes in even par. No wonder he lost.

Two terrific coffee table books you must purchase for your golf library or for for your golf chums (they make ideal gifts): Emerald Gems —  The Links of Ireland, photographed by Westerly, Rhode Island-based Laurence Casey Lambrecht, and Classic American Courses, by Mike Stachura. Lambrecht’s work is stunning in every respect. The book’s 12 by 16 dimensions  are justified. The images are worth framing; 206 pages of dazzling Ireland golf, accompanied by commentary from a group of Irish chaps, including David Feherty. Go to Larry’s website. It’s the next best thing to having played there, which I haven’t yet, but will before I make my inevitable trip to the Harvard Medical School cadaver laboratory. I buy the book in groups of five. You should, too. It’s the finest book of golf photography I have ever seen.

Stachura’s book (2003), published by Golf Digest, boasts appealing photography of what he considers 50 of this country’s finest classic courses, including two in Massachusetts, our own Salem and Brookline’s The Country Club. Wannamoisett makes three, and that’s it, for New England courses. The obvious choices are included, such as Cypress Point, Augusta National, Pebble Beach, Shinnecock Hills, Pine Valley and Seminole. But there are sime surprises as well. Get it on Amazon for a bargain basement price.

It was as glorious a week as the New England section of the PGA of America has experienced in goodness knows when.

This, the 92nd annual section championship, held August 20-22, was blessed with three days of heavenly summer weather and compelling competition among 190 competitors — second largest field in tournament history — on two outstanding Donald Ross-designed North (of Boston) Shore courses —  Salem and Kernwood.

And to cap it all off a thrilling final-round, head-to-head battle between week-long leader and eventual champion Ed Kirby and Jeff Seavey on Salem’s historic championship layout.

The determining factor the last round? Kirby’s four-inch tap-in for birdie on the 16th hole — after Seavey’s second eagle in five holes on No. 15 had brought him level with Kirby — and Kirby’s eight-foot, uphill par putt on the final hole.

Put it all together and you had a wire-to-wire victory for former PGA Tour player Kirby, representing Alpine Country Club in Cranston, R.I. His three-round aggregate of 66-69-70-205 earned Kirby, who turns 50 in November, the $14,000 top prize from a purse of $85,000. He was followed by two Mainers, Seavey (70-68-68-206), in his 16th year at Samoset Resort, and defending champion Hickson (68-71-69), who provides his golf expertise for Dick’s Sporting Goods, and three-time former winner Kirk Hanefeld (72-67-70), who runs The Golf Academy at Renaissance.

It was a superb week for the “old guard.” Hanefeld is 56, Hickson 48 and Seavey 46.

“As with many Donald Ross courses,” Kirby said after receiving the Tom Mahan Sr. Trophy from NEPGA president Jim Noris and NEPGA excutive director Mike Higgins, “it was all about shaping your ball into position on virtually every shot from tee to green. Length was no issue. It was more strategy, knowing when to go for the pin and when not to; where to place your tee ball. And that played into the hands, I think, of the more experienced players, and the scoreboard backed me up.”

And no one followed that route better than Kirby, who played in his first section title event in 2008. The three-time U.S. Open contestant who spent three years competing in Asia and two years in Africa, led the championship from the moment he turned in a four-under 66 on opening day playing Kernwood, located in Salem.

A 69 Tuesday at Salem, located next door in Peabody, gave him a three-shot advantage on Seavey moving into the final day, and he never trailed, though playing partner Seavey did catch him with his 16-foot eagle putt (after a 228-yard hybrid second) on the par-5 15th.

When Kirby responded with a 7-iron approach on the 420-yard 16th to within inches of the cup for birdie, the final margin of victory was established. But not before Seavey missed birdie putts on 17 and 18 (21-foot downhiller) and Kirby made a five-footer for par on 17 and chipped from off the green, pin high right, on 18 to within eight feet and sank that one.

“I knew I needed to play well the last round because I had so many solid players chasing me, including Jeff Martin, a former assistant of mine, ” Kirby noted. “I also remembered that I choked when I had a chance to win at Worcester (2009) but shot 79 the last day and Paul Parajeckas (at 59) won. I was determined not to let that kind of finish happen to me again.”

Yet, Kirby had even more important matters on his mind during the tournament. His 87-year-old father, Richard, had been admitted to the VA Hospital in Providence with severe anemia and required two blood transfusions Monday night shortly before Ed returned to his bedside.

“He’s had two triple bypasses and just a few months ago he had a pacemaker implanted,” Ed said, “so we all had our worries about him. But after visiting him Monday night and being told he was out of danger, I could get back to my golf the next two days feeling better about things.”

Two days later, son gave father the best medicine possible: the Tom Mahan Sr. Trophy. “I walked into the room with it and we both started crying,” Kirby revealed. “I told him I felt him there with me every step of the way the last round. He made all those putts for me.”

Richard Kirby will be inducted into the LaSalle Academy Athletic Hall of Fame in November.

Those putts Kirby referred to would include a shaky five-footer on No. 11, a short par-5, where Seavey sank a 55-footer from the front of the green for his first backside eagle, a five-footer on 12 for birdie, a five-footer for par on 13 from behind the green, an eight-footer after missing the green on 14 and the aforementioned clutchers on 17 and 18.

“I was so calm over that last putt on 18,” Kirby admitted. “This is what I came here for, I told myself.  I had no negative thoughts, only one positive one about dad. And the putt fell. Jeff had given his birdie putt a good go, but that was a treacherous downhiller, so I was fortunate to be putting for the win and not a tie and a playoff.”

Kirby, who stands a mere 5 feet, 5 and a half inches, made five of six up-and-down situations for the day, four of five the back nine. The one he failed on was unique, on No. 11. After overshooting the green with his second, Kirby opted to hit a semi-flop pitch back up to the pin, rather than a bump and run, and the ball landed on an upslope 17 feet short of the pin; not his best. But, amazingly to the Salem members looking on, the ball stayed on the upslope, when in most cases it would have rolled back down off the greem towards Kirby’s feet. “That was a big break for me,” Kirby admitted. “Jeff had just made eagle. If that ball rolls back to me I might be struggling to make six, never mind a five.”

It reminded some of Fred Couples’ good fortune on No. 12 the final day of his Masters victory in 1992, when he left his tee shot on the famous par three short of the green, and remarkably the ball stopped on the steep slope rather than roll back down into the pond frontingthe green, as was usually the case.

Kirby has dealt with adversity the last few years in the form of a bad back and phlebitis, but as he reasoned, “I didn’t believe my golf game would desert me; it was simply going to hide on me until I could find it again.”

Thus, Kirby, slugged “Popeye” by Raymond Floyd when they were paired together for the final round of the 1987 U.S. Open when Ed outdrove the major champion more times than not, recommiteed himself to his game the last 18  months and has reaped significant dividends. He was particularly encouraged coming to Salem and Kernwood after starting 69-65 at the Rhode Island Open a couple weeks ago and shooting 10 under par on one of the two days of the Telus World Skins game held in Nova Scotia the end of July.  The Halifax field included Paul Casey, Stephen Ames, Carl Pettersen, Jonathan Vegas and Lucas Glover.

“I knew I could play well, but I had to do it, not just talk about it to myself,” Kirby qupped. “And I was fortunate to do just that, but with help. It helped that I was paired with Frank Dully the first two days, Day 1 at Kernwood, his home course, then Salem. I played solid and smart that first day. I got help for the second round from an unexpected source. I was starting to walk the course late Monday before driving home to my dad and a member in a cart pulled up and asked me if I wanted a ride around. That saved me lots of time and gave me a great refresher, since I hadn’t played there since the 1991 Massachusetts Open. Thanks, Bill Niconchuk.”

Kirby had four birdies and a bogey Tuesday, five birdies and a bogey Monday, setting the stage for the dramatic Wednesday finish.

“I told my wife Susan all I needed to do was shoot under par, easier said than done, to win, and I did, but barely. Jeff pushed me right to the last putt,” Kirby said.

Seavey, who finished third in the NEPGA in 2009, gained solcae in finishing second by qualifying for the PGA National Professional Championship next June in Oregon for the fifth time in eight years. “That was my primary goal coming in,” he confessed. “But I also thought I might be able to contend for the top spot if I played my best. I almost did.”

The Fryeburg, Maine, native was in the hunt throughout, starting with 70 at Kernwood (he hadn’t seen the layout in several years), then scoring the best 36-hole aggregate at Salem (136, eight under). But it still wasn’t good enough to catch Kirby, whose last serious stretch on the PGA Tour occurred in 1994, when he made seven of the last eight tournament cuts.

“Ed made a bunch of clutch putts the last nine, no bigger ones than on the last two holes,” added Seavey, who works winters at The Plantation Inn in Crystal River, Fla. “Fact is neither one of us lost the tournament. I kept creeping up on him and he’d answer with a great shot or putt. I finally caught him on 15 and, like a champion, he got the edge right back with a fantastic approach on 16.”

Then it came down to the 54th hole. “I was stuck between clubs for my second shot (132 yards, uphill, slight breeze in the face),” Seavey explained. “Ed had hit first and landed just off the green to the right. He’d need tow good shots to save par. I decided to hit a three-quarter cut 9-iron; caught it a fraction too hard and had that tough putt from above the pin. At least I made Ed play exceptional the last few holes to beat me. He played great for three days actually.”

Seavey played the par-fives six under the final day.

Hickson, who provides instruction and club fitting at Dick’s Sporting Goods in its Topsham, Maine, location, put up a gallant defense of the 2011 title he won at Pine Hills in Plymouth, Mass.

“I was tickled pink the way I finished as strong as I did,” said Hickson, who played the final round with a nasty stomach bug. I couldn’t eat in the morning; got dehydrated too. But I had to plow forward. I wanted to finish top 13 for the National Pro.”

Which he did, of course. Hickson, Kirby, Seavey, Hanefeld and the other qualifiers, including North Shore entries Dully and Ipswich’s Travis Hall, will compete June 23-26 next year at the Sunriver Resort’s Crosswater and Meadow Club courses in Oregon. The top 20 there will play in next August’s PGA Championship.

Playing in the next to last group with Hall and Hanefeld, Hickson stayed within range of Kirby and Seavey the final day and nearly caught them. He had five birdies, four on the first 11 holes, but never got any better than -7 for the tournament, after his final birdie on the 15th. A bogey on the home hole, moments after Kirby made birdie on 16, crushed his hopes.

“I made a couple bad decisions the front nine and didn’t make enough birdies the back,” said Hickson, who was cheered on throughout the tournament by 11-year-old son Benjamin. “Poor drives on 16 and 18 cost me as well. Still, I had a good week on two awfully good courses.”

Hickson won $5150, Seavey $7800.

Hanefeld, after a five-year quest on the Champions Tour, returned to the club, Salem, where he served as golf director for more than a decade, and gave a fine account of himself. He finished seven back and settled for fourth money ($3850), lamenting his poor start at Kernwood on Day 1 and ineffective last-day putting.

“I put myself too far back of Ed the first day (66 to 72) when we were both playing Kernwood,” Hanefeld said. “I needed to shoot under par there before going over to Salem for the last two days. I had three three-putts that put me at 72. I got back into it a little with the 67 second day (leaving him 4 shots back with 18 holes left), but couldn’t put any heat on the final round.”

Hanefeld, with a sizable group of Salem members in his last-day gallery, could have gotten into the mix for the final nine, but he hit a poor second shot into the par-5 11th, lipped out his 12-footer for birdie, then missed a 10-footer for bird on the one-shot 12th. His only birdie the back nine came on No. 15. Too little too late.

“I hadn’t played Salem in a few years and it was as good or better than I remembered it,” Hanefeld offered. “It was nice to see so many friendly faces and receive their support. Walking off the ninth green Tuesday  and heading for the 10th tee was like going through a receiving line.

“Kernwood? It was the perfect pairing with Salem for this event. A great playing experience, a terrific setting with the Danvers River wrapping around several holes.”

Fifth place finisher Jeff Martin (70-68-72-210, $3400) was expected to put some pressure on the leader, but never got untracked the last round in the Kirby-Seavey group. He didn’t make birdie until the 10th and made only one other, on 18.

Four Aces

Aces were wild over the three days. Four players made holes-in-one: Salem assistant David Perroni on Kernwood’s 138-yard ninth. Two were made on Salem’s No. 12, a 150-yarder (Weston’s Adam Hemeon and Bob Darling of Fox Ridge), and one on Salem’s 14th (213 yards, by Kernwood’s Dully).

Dully, the 2006 winner at Turner Hill when he bludgeoned the field by 12 strokes with an 11-under 205 total), notched his sixth career ace with a 6-iron. He lost the tournament when he shot 4-over-par the first 11 holes at his home course on Day 1. He played six under from there and finished T-7, worth $2575, the same number as former winner Troy Pare of Wannamoisett.

Perroni’s “1,” with a 9-iron, shook up the North Salem neighborhood surrounding Kernwood because that’s where the first-year Salem assistant and former long-time head pro at Cape Neddick grew up.  Perroni, in fact, caddied at Kernwood as a kid. His parents still live off the 11th tee. “I snuck on the course a lot as a kid. The members were kind to me,” Perroni remembers.

Trophy Presentation

NEPGA President Jim Noris, head professional at Dedham Country and Polo Club, thanked the memberships and staffs of Salem and Kernwood for serving as ideal hosts. Course superintendents John Eggleston (Kernwood) and Kip Tyler (Salem) received the most plaudits from players and spectators.  NEPGA Executive Director Michael Higgins seconded Noris’ remarks. The Tom Mahan Sr. Trophy has a North Shjore connection. Mahan was head golf professional at nearby Beverly Golf and Tennis Club (United Shoe CC during his tenure) for many years, a good portion of which he served as NEPGA president. Tom’s son, Tom Jr., succeeded his dad and was in charge for more than a decade before taking the post as head pro at Oyster Harbors on Cape Cod…Kirby described the two courses as “absolutely spectacular” during his acceptance remarks. “Salem’s always been in my top five,” he said, “and Kernwood I’ve always loved playing.”

Notebook

Some observers rightfully so gave Dully a chance to become the first host professional to win on his home course since Tom McGuirk at Vesper in 1977…This was the third time Salem played host, the first time since 1944, when Lester Kennedy of Pawtucket won…Kernwood also has hosted the event twice previously, most recently 1999 (with Winchester), when Mike San Filippo triumphed…The last Rhode Islander to win before Kirby was Pare, who won at Pleasant Valley in 2005…Hickson had also won earlier at Warwick and Quidnessett in Rhody in 1995…Kernwood gets right back into the major tournament hosting business in two years as venue for the 2014 Massachusetts Amateur during the club’s centennial year…Seasoned veterans are making it a habit of winning the NEPGA…Of the last four winners, two were in their 40s (Hickson and Kirby) and two in their 50s (Carnegie Abbey’s Scott Spence in 2010 at Portland and The Woodlands in Maine, Parajeckas at Worcester and Mount Pleasant in 2009).

The passing of Johny Pesky yesterday at the age of 92 is a loss of inestimable measurement to Red Sox Nation. He was unquestionably THE friendly face and voice of Red Sox Nation for the past half century and more.

He may not have been the slugger Ted Williams was, nor the fielder Nomar Garciaperra was, nor the manager that Terry Francona was. But he WAS the most beloved Red Sox of all time, simple as that.

Of course, it was nice that he lived here on Boston’s North Shore (Swampscott) for most of his retired life. He seemed to be everywhere, in season and out, representing the Red Sox and at million charity events, many of them baseball game fundraisers. He also was a regular breakfast patron at the Salem Diner for decades.

This writer had the privilege of bumping into Johnny on several occasions during my 25 years covering sports at The Salem Evening News; several times while covering the Sox at Fenway, and several other times when he popped into the office to say hello to sports editor Bill Kipouras while he was stopping by to have lunch with his son, David, who just so happened to work at The News in advertising for several years.

I consider myself as fortunate as any one of the countless Sox fans who shook Johnny’s hand over the years. Just as Arnold Palmer has every second of every day loved being Arnold Palmer, the same can be said for the great Johnny Pesky. He loved being Johnny Pesky and we all benefited. For he loved making new friends. He died with millions of them.

Looks mighty grim for the aging, injury-racked Celtics tonight in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final in the all-white surroundings of the Miami Heat’s home court. Only an injury to Lebron James will prevent the Heat from moving on to the NBA Finals, simple as that.

The Celtics have already pulled off their one minor-miracle win on South Beach in this wildly unpredictable series, and nearly pulled out a second win down there. But to expect them to do it again tonight would defy any sense of reality. Sorry about that.

Unless……unless they can shoot, rebound and defend better than they have in any previous game of this most memorable series. Which I can’t expect to happen. Just the way it is. Lebron woke up in Game 6. That was the real Lebron James. Expect another game like that from the man-child tonight and salute the Celtics for what they have given us the last 5+ weeks —  a delightful example of what a bunch of old guys, led by a younger little guy (Rondo), and boosted by occasionally timely bench support can do.

After the Bruins’ offense-less performance and the meddiocrity of the Red Sox, the Celtics saved us the past month and more.

Then again, if they somehow do pull off a major miracle tonight, I give them  a 50-50 chance of beating the Thunder. At least we’ve got a seventh game to watch, when I laughed at such a suggestion 10 days ago. Celtics get to a seventh game? C’mon. Well they have. I shan’t forget this playoff run for many moons to come.

It’s a bitch of a game to officiate. I will grant you that. Been doing it myself at the high school level for the last seven years. But…….what transpired last night in overtime during the Celtics’ heartbreaking defeat to the Miami Heat — once again — makes me wish we could bring back the likes of Jake O’Donnell, Earl Strom and Darrell Garretson and their whistles.

That Rajan Rondo could be smacked on the face as he attempted  a difficult layup attempt — with the score tied — and NOT get the call from whichever of the three zebras was under the basket within arm’s reach of the play in question is ludicrous, preposterous, you name it.

Granted, there were more than two minutes, maybe three minutes, left in the OT. But, if the proper call — so ridiculously obvious Helen Keller would have tweeted — had been made and Rondo made the two foul shots (most likely thanks to the offensive “zone” he was in) the Celtics go up two points and the Heat do not get a breakaway slam dunk at the other end. The momentum swung right there and the Celtics never recovered, despite the opportunities that presented themselves.

There’s always been a conspiratorial cloud hanging over the heads of the officials, but no moreso than today. Except for a few vets, like Joe Crawford, Dan Crawford and Ron Garretson (Darrell’s son), the NBA referee corps is a bunch of faceless, borderline competents, just like Commissioner David Stern wants it.  Hell, bring back Bernie Freyer and Tommy Nunez. Save us from these bozoes.

I appreciated the likes of Jake, Earl, Manny Sokol, Paul Mihalak, Jack Madden, Richie Powers, Don Murphy and company when they tooted NBA games and I had the good fortune of covering the Celtics in the ’70s and ’80. Boy, were they good. Never knew how good than in recent years.

The outright lack of judgement and talent at the NBA officating level these days is sad, never displayed more dramatically than in this series — after only two games. Five phantom technicals (at least 3 of them were, in all honesty) on Boston in Game 1, then the “face rake” of Rondo at a criticial moment in Game 2. What, pray tell, will the striped stupidos do the next two games in Boston to make us cringe and call for their scalps? Stay turned. And keep the Maalox and Scotch close by.

If you happened to see the front page of the New York Times sports section Sunday, it was “All North Shore.”

Top of the page, left side, all about Boxford’s Chris Kreider, recent NCAA champion with the Boston College Eagles, and the amazing impact he’s had since joining the New York Rangers, now in their Stanley Cup playoff push.

Just below that, covering the bottom three-quarters of the page, and the same space on page 4, a fantastic profile of former Salem State player and coach Tom Thibodeau, the newest star coach in the NBA, leading the Chicago Bulls. The story from Greg Bishop goes back to Thibodeau’s upbringing in New Britain, Conn., as well as his years at Salem State before beginning his journey as an NBA assistant and now headlining head coach.

Best parts are quotes from Salem Staters John Galaris, Nate Bryant and Pat Veilleux, all with strong connections to Thibodeau. Read it. You’ll love it.

Yours truly had the privilege of emceeing a Salute to the Champions banquet for the Division 3 state champion Danvers High boys basketball team on April 24 at Spinelli’s in Lynnfield. A fantastic evening was enjoyed by all, including surprise special guests, coach John McGrath and the 1975 Northeastern Conference championship team, the last to win an NEC title until this year’s team.

Pat Veilleux, a key player on that team, as well as a former DHS boys head coach and current DHS girls head coach, congratulated the first DHS hoop team to win a state title. Pat has made history on the girls side, leading the Falcons to their first two NEC titles in 2010 and 2011.

The keynote speaker was Dana Skinner, the UMass-Lowell athletic director and the best player ever to come out of DHS, the school’s first Boston Globe all-scholastic in the early 1970s and later a Division 2 All-American at Merrimack College and a Boston Celtic draft choice.

It was one historic night for a history-making team, led by the latest DHS Globe all-scholastic George Merry, who will take his imposing game to WPI in the fall.

Banquet organizers Kim Merry, Brenda Clifford and all the Basketball Boosters can be proud for a first-class production for a first-class group of young men and their coaching staff, led by 32-year-old John Walsh.

With four starters and some promising backups returing, the Falcons will be the clear favorite to bring home another NEC Division title next winter.

• How can Easter NOT be a national holiday when Christmas is???
• Tiger Woods: Good for the golf industry, bad for the game.
• From where I observe, obesity is a national epidemic at all age levels, not just with young people.
• Respect and responsibility: two beautiful words to live by.
• Why can’t motorcycle noise be controlled like car noise (mufflers, fines)?
• We’ve lost some very special people the last few months around these parts, i.e. the North Shore of Boston, i.e. Paul “Buster” DiVincenzo of St. John’s Prep, Dick Batchelder of the Prep and Beverly High fame, and Hugh Nelson of Beverly High and Beverly Golf and Tennis fame.
• If Mitt Romney truly lightened up and let his hair and personality down naturally, he really could beat the incumbent.
• A Masters champion named Bubba? Ya gotta love it.
• Let’s hear it for North Shore Golf and Tennis magazine. Begins publishing its 10th year with its first issue coming out May 1. Well done, Richard Ayer.
• I thought my Boston University Terriers’ hockey program under Jack Parker was a national model for success until the boys got a little rowdy this past season. Make no mistake. Jerry York and the Boston College Eagles are now the NCAA powerhouse of record, both on the ice and off.
• The honors keep coming the way of the Massachusetts Division 3 state championship boys basketball team from Danvers.  UMass-Lowell athletic director Dana Skinner, the greatest player in Danvers history, will be the keynote speaker when the Boosters honor the team April 24 at Spinelli’s in Lynnfield.
• A new invite from Salem Country Club to the USGA for a U.S. Senior Open, this one in 2017?  I like the club’s chances.
• Mike Wallace dies at 92, Dick Clark at 82. Unmatched in their talent and charisma.
• Ricky Fowler: the most overrated golfer in history.
• Pro hockey will never change. If it does, meaning less violence and no fighting, there’d be no NHL, sadly.
• Every day is a gift.

Too busy celebrating to write more than this about the Danvers High boys’ historic 59-47 victory over St. Joseph’s of Pittsfield earlier today at the DCU Center for the State Division 3 basketball championship.

The mark of true championship teams is their ability to adjust to adversity. The Falcons did it in their first tourney game against Pentucket when pivot George Merry got in foul trouble in the first period and they broke the game open without him.

They did it in the Division North semifinal against Wayland, overcoming a 10-point deficit with less than two minutes remaining (thank you, Joe Scarfo) to force overtime and win it then.

They did it in the North final when their defense held Saugus to three fourth quarter points.

They did it in the Eastern Mass. final at TD Garden against 24-0 Wareham when, after giving up ten straight points and falling behind, 32-30, the Falcons responded with a 22-2 run to turn the game into a rout.

And, they did it again today in the ultimate test — the state title game — when, trailing 37-31 late in the third quarter, scored the last seven points in the quarter and pulled away in crunch time, the fourth quarter, once again. This time sixth man Nick McKenna carried the Falcons the second half with 15 of his game-high 18 points.

The young man from rich and deep basketball roots (his grandfather is the late great Ipswich and St. John’s Prep coach Bob McKenna) has  come a long way after transferring from the Prep last year, dealing with knee surgery, then missing some playing time earlier in the season this go-round because of a bad shoulder.

Everyone did his job, including Merry (11 points, 6 blocks), as the Falcons finish 21-4 (the best record in school history) and enjoy the remarkable fruits of their labor, guided in extraordinary fashion by second-year coach John Walsh.

Next up: a celebration worthy of the state champions, hopefully featuring a first-class banquet. Stay tuned. Congrats, team, from a former DHS cager who never thought he’d see the day. Well, I have.

Back to celebrating!!!!!!!!!!