What the Celts have waiting for them back home ... To be honest, I had no idea who this Gino character was until just a scant few weeks ago ... At first I thought this was a new phenomenon, cooked up by the Celtics' ad wizards for the new season. However, as more and more people began expounding the virtues of this dancing machine, I began to realize that the "Gino" phenomenon had a rich and storied history within the Celtics community.
Curious, I decided to do a little research and see when the whole thing got started ... Now, I know that the team did not have access to a Jumbotron until their arrival at the then-FleetCenter back in '95, so it's a pretty safe bet that Gino did not rear his afro-shaped head before then.
At first, I tried searching the archives of the Globe and Herald (proquest.umi.com) to see if I could find more info on his mysterious origins ... However, that did not prove to be very helpful, as the earliest mention of Gino that I could find in either paper was an article by Steve Bulpett barely a month old (December 3, 2007):
Homeland security (bostonherald.com)
The Garden has again become a fun place to visit, but you might want to think twice about it if the Celtics invite you over to shoot some hoops.
Thus far they've treated their guests to a diet of defeat. With anchovies.
There have been nine games and nine victories, most of them by such a wide margin that they get to show that old American Bandstand clip on the video board. The iconic Gino has danced his way into the modern day version of a Celtics victory cigar.
Turning to Teh Google, I uncovered a posting on the Globe's website from back in '05 (after a win over the Pacers):Good home start (boston.com)
So I guess it's fitting that Gino makes his first Green Room appearance after the Celts' first game back in the Garden in over a week (big thanks to Dan McCarthy for the photo). As always, Gino is NEVER disappointed with a Celtics performance. Just look at that silly smirk on his face. I'm pretty sure Disco Fever is a communicable disease. And I'm also pretty sure Gino has infected a LOT of people. In fact, I can feel a beard growing ...
Still not satisfied, I sniffed around the archives of the Boston Celtics newsgroup, and found this post (groups.google.com) dated May 8th, 2003:
SOMLAW | May 8 2003, 12:52 amNewsgroups: alt.sports.basketball.nba.boston-celtics
From: SOMLAW (bakala_2...@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu, 08 May 2003 00:52:09 -0400
Local: Thurs, May 8 2003 12:52 am
Subject: Need pic of Gino
Reply to author | Forward | Print | Individual message | Show original | Remove | Report this message | Find messages by this author
yeah, the American Bandstand dude with the fro. I want print it up,
frame it and give it as a gag birthday gift for someone. Anyone got a
link? Google comes up empty.
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SOMLAW HAS SPOKEN!!!
This was a little further in the past, yet I still wondered if there was something written about the man that was older still ... Luck was on my side, however, as just a few days after I began my little research project, none other than Bill Simmons (bostonsportsguy.com) chimed in and reposted an article he had written on the very subject from 2002 (May 16th, to be exact):
A Six-Pack of Lame Beer (proxy.espn.go.com)
I've never been a fan of the Jumbotron era, partly because it's insulting and idiotic, partly because some fans seem more interested in getting on the Jumbtron than actually watching games, and partly because it teaches fans to react to Jumbotron prompting instead of thinking for themselves. Make some noise!! It's noise time!! I can't tell you how much I hate this stuff. Drives me crazy.
With that said, I have to say ... when it's used properly, the Jumbotron becomes an enormous weapon during playoff games. For instance, during Celtics games, the Fleet Center slapped together a highlight clip which combines highlights of Paul "The Truth" Pierce with the pivotal courtroom scene between Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise in "A Few Good Men." At the end of the clip -- when Nicholson finally screams, "You can't handle the truth!", quickly followed by a Pierce dunk -- the crowd always goes ballistic, especially during Game 5 of the Philly-Boston series (when Pierce was ripping the Sixers up for 46).But here's the clip that gets me: When the Celtics are putting away an opponent in the fourth quarter, the Jumbtron cues up an "American Bandstand" clip from the Disco era and blasts "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees. And they intersperse old footage (of Bandstand people dancing in hideous '70s outfits) with live footage (of numbskulls dancing at the Fleet Center and trying to get on the Jumbotron). Just an average Jumbtron gimmick, right?
Wrong.
Near the end of the Bandstand footage, they show one Tony Manero wannabe with a terrifying, George Lucas-style beard and a middle part in his hair, grooving to the music in tight pants and wearing a shirt that says "Gino." That's right, Gino. As an added bonus, he's only about 6-feet tall, but somebody put Kevin McHale's arms on his body... so when he's dancing, his freakish, gigantic arms are swaying back and forth, yet he's totally into the music and in rhythm. Remember my Unintentional Comedy Rating? Gino doesn't even qualify. He's off the charts. On a scale of 1 to 100, he's like a 400. He's one of a kind.
And the crowd eats him up. Every time they start showing the clip now, a buzz builds in the crowd, and it builds, and people are waiting, and waiting ... then, BOOM! There's Gino. And the place explodes. I'm not making this up. The place explodes. Even some of the players look up and start giggling. It's amazing that there hasn't been a "Geee-no! Geee-no!" chant (I bet it's coming in the Nets series).
Anyway, I hate the Jumbotron, I hate everything it represents, I long for the old days ... but I love Gino. He's like the new-wave version of Red Auerbach's victory cigar. I just had to to share.
So there you go; the legend of Gino may go back even further, but that's pretty much everything I need to know all in one neat little package.
He's been groovin' to the music all these years after a Celtics' home victory, and therein lies the reason for why his aura has eluded my grasp ... Home wins have been so few and far between lately (ESPECIALLY last season), that poor Gino hasn't been given the opportunity to shake his groove thang very often.
However, now that the Pierce-Garnett-Allen triumvirate have all but guaranteed the home crowd a blowout victory night after night after night, Gino's greatness can remain a secret no longer!
Hell, even the national press is catching on:
The perfect last-minute gift (sports.yahoo.com)
By Kelly Dwyer
Monday, Dec 24, 2007 8:11 am EST
This is fantastic, and I'm beyond frustrated that I didn't discover this months earlier: The Celtics got a secret, they're not sharing it, and for that, they should be ashamed.As far as I can gather, toward the end of Celtic home games, the TD Banknorth Garden plays an ancient American Bandstand clip on the Jumbotron with KC and the Sunshine Band's "Shake Your Booty" (or, pardon my brevity, "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty") as the musical accompaniment. The clip is usual spliced with shots of Celtic fans shaking their respective booties along with the song. Toward the end of the AB video, however, there is a shot of a rather hirsute Gino Vannelli fan (with a requisite Gino Vannelli t-shirt), that causes C's fans to absolutely lose their Skittles.
This has apparently been going on for a while, there are YouTube clips of the Gino phenomenon from last season's 24-win debacle, and a clip of Gino doin' his thang during Friday's blowout win over the Bulls tells us that the movement is still going strong (this is the one to watch).
The Boston Globe's Marc Spears, in his notes roundup from today, brought the power of Gino to my attention by providing a link to a CafePress outpost where you can buy the Gino Vannelli shirt. With a scant few hours until Santa's touchdown, I think it best we all try to get our hands on what will likely be the 2007-08's finest fashion trend.
It's official - there's a bona-fide Gino bonanza going on now ... People can't shut up about the guy!
He's showing up on the news:
Mike Dowling and SportCenter 5 investigate the GINO phenomenon (sczanation.com)
So the long awaited GINO piece is done. Check out the Celtics new victory cigar, and have a Merry Christmas!
He's causing some people to have transcendental experiences:
A night at the Garden (rebuildingyear.wordpress.com)
Little is known of Gino other than his appearances on American Bandstand. The Celtics splice stock footage of AB clips with live footage of dancing fans during 4th quarter timeouts; this was the genesis of Gino. Now groups of drunk guys chant ”We want Gino!” before the 4th even starts. Yes, this all sounds ridiculous but, much like hiking Kilimanjaro or floating in the Dead Sea, once you’ve experienced Gino, you achieve some deeper level of understanding: Zen and the Art of Beard Maintenance.
Scott Pollard (apparently) wants to have sex with him:
Kept on hold (bostonherald.com)
To say Scot Pollard hasn't played much lately would be an enormous understatement. Heck, dance video icon Gino has gotten more minutes at the TD Banknorth Garden.
But the 6-foot-11 Celtic doesn't mind . . . about the latter.
"You know what? I gladly defer to Gino because that guy is awesome," said Pollard. "He is one of the greatest things I've ever experienced in my life.
"And I mean that in a completely heterosexual way."
There's even rumors that the search to find Gino is on:
Where in the world is Celtics icon 'Gino'? (bostonherald.com)
By Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa
Friday, December 28, 2007
"Finding Nemo" has taken over the TD Banknorth Garden this week, but when the Boston Celtics [team stats] return from their West Coast road trip, the mission will be "Finding Gino." Next week, the team's techies will begin to shoot a mockumentary about their quest to find the 1970s disco dancer who Shake, Shake, Shakes his booty to KC and the Sunshine Band on the Jumbotron wearing a tight Gino Vannelli tee.
Fans in the stands are wild for the Guidoesque "Gino," who has been shaking his polyester booty in a vintage "American Bandstand" clip on the video board for years. But it wasn't until this winning season - when the Boogie Man caught the eye of bench biggies Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen - that "Gino" fever really took off.
Apparently, there are a few Celts who have been perfecting their "Gino" shtick in the locker room. And KG has admitted to surfing the Web to find his own vintage Vannelli tee.
Now, while the Celts filmmakers claim they're trying to find the "real Gino" with their mockumentary, there's some trepidation about whether he should actually be located. (Think the FBI and Whitey Bulger . . .)
"We think if we found the real 'Gino' - and his name was Bill or Tom - that would take some of the sizzle out of the 'Gino' phenomenon," said our source in the Celtics control room.
Not to mention the fact that the real 'Gino' is likely getting a little long in the tooth and his boogieing days may be far, far behind him! "
But if the team makes the playoffs, 'Gino' could get some national attention," said the video snitch, pointing out that ESPN has already done a piece on Celtics' disco mascot. "The real McCoy will pop out of the woodwork."
File Under: Grand-Papa Gino?
Yes, the future looks bright for that 70s guy we know as Gino ... And if the Celtics continue on their winning ways, we can expect him to be a fixture at the end of every home game for years to come.
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