Garden Is Gone, but Now You Must Weed Between the Lines

Remember when visiting basketball teams tiptoed into Boston Garden, figuring forces seen and unseen were allied against them, everything from the players on the floor to the dead spots in the floor to the mythical leprechaun in the rafters?

Now that the Boston Celtics have fallen on lean times, there’s a feeling that the unseen forces no longer favor the home side.

According to Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy, a longtime employee of the club prefers the pay phones on Causeway Street to those in the Celtic offices these days. The employee is convinced the Celtic phones are tapped.

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Add Boston: The FleetCenter will replace 66-year-old Boston Garden in September.

To mark the passing of one of sports’ most hallowed buildings, a time capsule was placed Monday in a wall of the new structure. The capsule will be opened on June 5, 2045.

Among the items placed in there by a committee that included 10 eighth-graders were a black hockey puck, a brick from Boston Garden, a green slab of wood from the parquet floor, a much despised, Day-Glo orange, parking-violation notice frequently seen in the area of the Garden, copies of Monday’s Boston Globe and Boston Herald, a recipe for clam chowder, a Massachusetts state flag and a subway token.

Everything but the leprechaun.

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Trivia time: Of the 20 players whose numbers have been retired by the Celtics, two had the same one--No. 18. Who were they?

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Hit man: Known as the agent for football stars such as Troy Aikman and Steve Young, Leigh Steinberg has taken on a new client--boxer Oscar De La Hoya.

“I’ve spent the last 20 years watching my clients get knocked down by 300-pounders,” Steinberg said. “Finally, I have a guy who can hit back.”

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No jail for these birds: The Baltimore Orioles have designated an area outside of Oriole Park for fans to legally sell tickets to other fans on game days. Those entering the “Bird’s Nest Scalp-Free Zone” will be allowed to sell tickets for face value two hours before each home game.

The area will be cordoned off and will be monitored by the Orioles and the Baltimore City Police Department. If arrested, scalpers can face up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.

The Orioles sold out 48 of their 55 home games last season, causing a shortage of game-day tickets.

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Bad gamble: The British track and field federation has decided to maintain its century-old ban against on-site betting at track meets.

The organization had been holding discussions with bookmakers about placing betting stalls at major meets at Crystal Palace, Birmingham, Gateshead and Sheffield.

But the possibility angered many traditionalists, who said it could lead to abuse and corruption within the sport.

Betting stalls are a familiar sight at English soccer stadiums.

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Trivia answer: Dave Cowens and Jim Loscutoff.

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Quotebook: Oakland reliever Dennis Eckersley: “My adrenaline starts flowing when I leave the clubhouse. I get worn out sometimes even when I don’t pitch.”