You are probably just as curious as I was when I saw the headlines. Read on to hear about how one Celtics fan was expecting to win big and instead lost opening night tickets and the chance to play against Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics.

4SB: Hey Brian, I hear you went out to the Celtics/Dunking Donuts/WAAF event yesterday in Waltham. What happened?
BRIAN: Yes, unfortunately I did go. It was a very strange situation and I’m not sure what to think of the 3 mentioned companies anymore…

Let me tell you what happened.

They were doing this Iced Coffee promotion for Dunkin Donuts and the objective was to be caught cold. I was literally one of the first people there and was paying close attention to everything going on.

After a while the event starts and they are selecting people being “caught cold” drinking ice coffee to participate in a few round of foul shots to see who will face Ray Allen for the tickets later.

A bunch of kids are in the first 2 groups. I pass and don’t bother playing in those games, it would be no fair for a 90% high school foul shot shooter to play vs 8 year olds.

So, finally I see an opening when people my age are playing. I get “caught cold” and end up in the 3rd group. There really wasn’t a ton of people drinking iced coffee and trying to be seen so it wasn’t really hard to get in.

4SB: Did you win the first round in your group of 5?
BRIAN: Yep, I made 4 out of 5, and won my group. They told me to stand off to the side and I’d be facing Ray Allen later in a showdown with other winners from the 4 other groups. We were all standing off to the side together talking about how cool this was going to be. Texting friends, etc etc.

4SB: So what happened? Did you play vs Ray Allen?
BRIAN: Nope!

4SB: Why not?!?
BRIAN: Ray finally showed up, after a lot more people were there and then suddenly all of the event people were much harder to get near… cops were around not letting us back in the area they asked us to stand, and the overall feel had changed in a weird way…

Next thing I know Ray is up there and they are announcing who is going to be playing vs Ray in the game of knockout for the tickets. The first 2 people got introduced and they started mentioning a bunch of info about them, info that I didn’t give about me… I was asked what city I was from and what my age was but that was about the extent of it.

So, 5 people go up, wearing these white jerseys (I didnt have a white jersey, I just had a special green shirt from winning round 1) and of course I wasn’t one of those people… My first thought was that something shady was going down but I didn’t want to believe it.

4SB: Wow… so what happened next?
BRIAN: I figured that maybe they were doing 2 different things. Maybe they were doing this for the commercial they had been talking about or something like that. I was trying to find a reason to not believe that I just got shammed.

Fast forward 20 minutes, me sitting around hoping that they were going to call us up too, but nothing.

4SB: So you didn’t get to play vs Ray, didn’t get any tickets and were totally left hanging dry?
BRIAN: Yep, we did finally get a “We are using these guys” from one of the event people implying they changed their minds or something.

4SB: I would have been pissed and started yelling pretty loud.
BRIAN: We tried that too, but it was so loud hundreds of fans at this point and the WAAF announcer on the Mic… nothing we could really do. Plus the cops wouldn’t let us anywhere near the event holders at this point.

4SB: You mentioned something about discrimination/racism?
BRIAN: Here’s the real kicker…

The majority of the winners from the first round of 5 games… were 20s something white males.

The group they brought in was a completely balanced racial group with different ages and genders.

4SB: Yah, you’re right that does some like reverse discrimination or something. I’m going to post this story on the blog, they need to take responsibility and settle the score with you somehow. Did you try contacting them?
BRIAN: It was a lesson learned about what happens in the real world. It’s just unfortunate when it’s your favorite sports team of all time involved in a scandal like that. I honestly don’t know if I can remain a Celtics fan or ever go to Dunkin Donuts again at this point. I’ve sent the story out to several news organizations and blogs. I feel like people deserve the truth and that’s more important to me than getting free tickets. Plus, it shouldn’t be me ringing them to get the score settled.

4SB: You posted a longer version of the story at your blog is that correct?
BRIAN: Yes, I maintain a marketing blog of my ramblings at DailyConversions.com and yes it does have a very very detailed account of yesterday (Click Here for the direct link).

He has worked to make sure Doc Rivers returns for one more year as the head coach.

He worked to re-sign Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, all the while maintaining some spending flexibility for the remainder of the offseason and for future seasons.

Ainge locked in Rivers, Pierce, and Allen, all for at least one more year, and kept the core of a championship team together for one more run.  And he did all of this without the need for a one-hour infomercial to glorify himself or any of the players involved.  How about that?

Credit has to be given to all parties involved.  Rivers, who had a sincere desire to spend more time at home watching his children excel in sports, honored the last year of his contract and decided to return.

Ainge was loyal to Rivers in 2006 and ’07, and River was right to reward that trust with one more season.

As for Pierce and Allen, they did what we wish athletes would do more often – they made decisions that appear based on something other than salary.  And both made the correct decisions.

Pierce, who was set to earn $21 million next season, opted out of his contract and in return, he has security for the next four years at roughly $15 million per season.  The four-year deal also likely guarantees that Pierce, who will be 33 by the time next season begins, will retire a Celtic.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Ray Allen was reportedly recruited by some of those big name free agents we all are tired of hearing about.  He didn’t want to play their waiting game, and chose instead to return to Boston for a two-year deal at $10 million per season, with the second year being a player option.

Allen said all along he wanted to stay in Boston.  But he also made nearly $19 million dollars last season.  With all the money teams have to spare this offseason, and with all the three-pointers Allen has made in his career, it is likely some team out there would have given him more money.

Ray, though, didn’t wait, didn’t drag the process out.  He wanted to be in Boston, was reasonable about his contract demands, and signed to stay a Celtic, with the deal being announced on the first day deals could be signed.

Good job all around.

Then why am I still not sold on the 2010-11 Celtics, and why do I know that Danny Ainge still has a great deal of work to do.

That is because the goal is to win a championship.  Every year, that is the goal for Boston, but it will be particularly so next year.  Rivers, Allen, and Pierce stuck around in part out of loyalty, but in part to make one more run at a championship.

They won one in 2008 and were real close in 2010.  All involved know that 2011 will likely be their last shot.

Even with all Ainge’s moves to bring back the team’s key ingredients, all Ainge has accomplished has been to keep the team relatively even from last year.   Considering the age of Pierce, Allen, and Kevin Garnett, and the injury to Kendrick Perkins, staying even won’t bring a championship to Boston in 2011.

Moving forward, there have been two noted additions.  First, Ainge drafted Avery Bradley out of Texas.  That was a good first step for Ainge this offseason, especially if Bradley proves to be a versatile player and can come in at either point or shooting guard.

ESPN.com Illustration

And earlier today, Ainge made another move official, signing the 31-year old Jermaine O’Neal.  I point out O’Neal’s age because in the playoffs this year, when he was with the Heat, O’Neal looked to be a player much older than that.

Thus, you can see why I am not too excited about that signing.

Best case scenario, O’Neal matches the output Boston got from Rasheed Wallace in the postseason.  If that is the best case, then it is difficult to see how O’Neal brings the Celtics closer to a championship.

I like signing Jermaine O’Neal better than the other rumored options – Shaq or Kwame That, however, clearly is not saying much, and Ainge must continue to work to fill out the bench with players that Rivers can rely on in any situation.

There are two areas that concern me the most.

The first is added front-court depth, even for when Perkins comes back.  I’d like Ainge to find an athletic big man who can run the floor with Rajon Rondo and finish at the rim when Rondo drives and dishes.

The other area that is just as pressing, if not more so, for Boston to fill is finding someone to step into the role played by James Posey in 2008.

Remember that Posey did not put up huge numbers for the Celtics.  But he was someone Rivers felt comfortable playing at any point in any game.  He could defend multiple positions, could knock down open shots, and maybe most importantly, he could give Paul Pierce a rest.

AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

Pierce looked tired at the end of each of the last two postseasons, and not coincidentally, the Celtics have not had anyone on their roster the last two years to really give him a breather.

Ainge did not replace Posey in 2009, and the Marquis Daniels experiment did not work this past season.

Where exactly does Ainge turn?

I am not exactly sure, and I do not for a second pretend to fully understand the various and numerous restrictions and limitations on NBA contracts.  I will just say that Ainge needs to get creative.

Players to keep an eye on could be old friends Ryan Gomes or Leon Powe, former Boston College star Craig Smith, or maybe get on the phone with the Golden State Warriors to discuss Anthony Randolph and Anthony Morrow (especially if the Warriors sign David Lee).

Ainge did his part in bringing Rivers, Pierce, and Allen back. Don’t stop now Danny.  Those three came back for one more run; the fans expect the same.

By any means necessary, do what you have to in order to reward them for coming back.  And also to get the horrid taste out of my mouth the remains from Game Seven.

*******

And if I may offer one comment about the entire LeBron James saga:  no professional athlete of his, or close to his, stature has ever done anything to embarrass himself more, or to turn people against him more, without breaking the law or being involved in other scandalous activity, than LeBron James has done to harm himself in this free agency process.

*POOF* And I'm gone! (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Other writers have written it much better than I could, but regardless of what he chooses tonight, he has proven, once and for all, that his ego is too big for his own good and that he cares more about attention than he does about basketball.

If he goes with Cleveland, he basically made a team and a city beg to keep him and put them through hell for two years as he made them all fear he would leave.  His actions look even worse in comparison in the wake of Kevin Durant’s quiet, understated resigning yesterday with Oklahoma City.

If he chooses Miami, well then, he has shown he doesn’t believe he has what it takes to lead a team to a title and would rather just rely on other stars.  He wants a title, but doesn’t want to put forth the effort necessary to get one.  He wants a shortcut to a championship, a short cut to a place next to the other all-time greats.

I don’t believe there is such a shortcut to basketball immortality, and all I can say is that from now on, I will certainly be rooting against James in his attempt to get there.

This is true in other sports too, but at least in the NFL, the free agent portion of the offseason occurs before the draft.  Imagine how much different last night’s draft would have been had teams actually known whether they were winners or losers in The Great LeBron and Others Sweepstakes of 2010.

And while the Celtics are not in on that situation, their draft is still difficult to judge right now.  A draft analysis does not make much sense; an offseason analysis certainly does, with the draft being the first part of it.

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

With over a week now gone by since the end of the season (anyone else still not over it?), the Celtics many needs are apparent, but there is much left Boston needs to wait on: is Doc Rivers returning; can they resign Ray Allen; will Paul Pierce opt out and if he does, is it just to make sure he finishes his career in Boston; how serious is Kendrick Perkins’ knee injury.

All of that adds up to a great deal of uncertainty.  There were, however, two areas, that Boston knew it had to address: backup point guard and front-court depth.

With that in mind, Ainge may have done about as well as could be expected, grabbing Avery Bradley, a guard who played one year at Texas.

John Wall was the consensus top pick in the draft and rightfully so, but only a year ago, Bradley was actually ranked ahead of him.  And now, while Wall will have a great deal of pressure to produce right away in Washington, Bradley will have time in Boston to develop as a player.

We all know Rajon Rondo is Boston’s point guard.  That leaves really one of three options for Bradley’s career:

1. He becomes the player many thought he would be when he was ranked ahead of John Wall, earns more playing time, and becomes a tremendous trade chip for the Celtics in the future or insurance if something were to happen to Rondo;
2. He becomes a good NBA player but never quite reaches the potential some saw in him, making him perfectly suited for a top spot coming off the bench;
3. He never develops and is Marcus Banks Part II.

ERICH SCHLEGEL/Special Contributor DallasNews.com

Hearing Bradley talk about his drive to be the best rookie in the league next year, I don’t think the Marcus Banks comparison will ever be needed, leaving just the other two options.  Both would be fine for the future of the Celtics.

What the Celtics love about Bradley is his defense.  That is important, especially if Rivers returns as coach.  To be kind, Rivers has been hesitant to play young players, normally due to perceived defensive deficiencies.  If Bradley can play defense like they say, he should be able to find the court quicker than other Boston rookies did under Rivers.

What I like about Bradley is that he should be able to play either guard position, another reason he is a good fit in Boston.  Bradley might not be ready right now to be a starting point or shooting guard in the NBA.  But, he certainly should be able to do either in a reserve role.

Also, finding a backup for Rondo has not been easy for the Celtics, and the better Rondo has become, the tougher the task because no quality point guard wants to be a backup to a star and be relegated to 10-15 minutes per night. That is why, even before the draft, I did not envision Nate Robinson resigning with Boston.

A combo-guard is exactly what Boston needed coming off the bench.  A quality player who can give Rondo a break, but also be able to play with Rondo, thus playing 20-25 minutes a game, instead of 10-15.  I was thinking a Kirk Hinrich type player.

AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams/McDonald's

Bradley has a different game than Hinrich, but he nonetheless fits the description.

He can float between either guard spot and has lottery-type talent, having been ranked ahead of John Wall only a year ago. He is a great defender on the ball, has a solid mid-range game, and can be explosive around the rim.

He does need to improve his long-range shot, but he and Rondo can work on that together.

Bradley is now the first piece of Boston’s offseason puzzle to be put in place.  Next up will be resolutions of the Doc Rivers and Ray Allen situations.

As far as what I would like to see happen:  Rivers return for one more year; Paul Pierce opt-out and resign, saving the Celtics cap space in 2010-11 and all but ensuring Pierce finishes his career as a Celtic; Ray Allen returns; Ainge can find someone to fill the James Posey role who can reduce the burden on Pierce; and Ainge finds an athletic big man capable of running the floor with Rondo.

Whether Danny can do all of those things will dictate what Boston’s final offseason grade should be.  For now, though, the drafting of Bradley was a good first step.