Posts Tagged ‘Celtics’

The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Care Center’s gala at the Westin Waterfront hotel was held last night, and special guest Matt Damon was on hand to helm the festivities. Though the event featured a bevy of important people raising money for the Track at The One Hundred charity, Damon made a point of bringing up the fact that he was missing the Celtics game at the TD Garden.

Damon reportedly wore a Celtics jersey on the plane ride from New York City, and acknowledged his desire to get updates on the score for game 6 of the eastern conference NBA finals game between the Celtics and the Miami Heat, throughout the evening. The game was being played at the same time as the gala, not all that far from the hotel.

The gala is the ifth annual fundraiser honoring individuals and groups “whose diligence and discoveries, philanthropy and passion have helped advance the fight against cancer.”

Other attendees included actor Chris Cooper and Teresa Heinz and Senator John Kerry. Damon’s father, Kent, who was also in attendance, was treated by Mass General doctors in 2009 for multiple myeloma.

Damon just finished a project with Newton native John Krasinski called Promised Land. The film follows the story of a natural gas salesman who experiences life-changing events after moving to the small town location of his company’s next business endeavor.

Damon also expressed his fondness for the recently released Funny or Die video starring Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. In it, a clueless Dick’s Sporting Goods customer mistakes the Brady for the actor Cambridge bred Oscar winner.

It’s no secret that Boston is a great city for sports. With all 4 of our major league teams winning at least one championship in the past decade, many have taken to calling our Hub “Title Town”. As local sports fans become increasingly accustomed to attending championship parades, it’s natural to expect that many celebrities are jumping on the bandwagon.

Many of these stars long-time, hard-core, Boston sports fans, most of them with long-standing roots in the area. Brookline’s Conan O’Brien, Medford homegal Maria Menounos, and of course Ben Affleck, Matt Damon are all fans of all four of our championship winning teams. Any of them are likely to be spotted wearing their green at a Celtics game, grabbing a Fenway frank for a Sox game, chilling at a Bruins game, or kicking back at a Pats game.

Our most storied sports team, the Red Sox can claim many celebrities among their fans, including the likes of Jennifer Garner, Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon, Stephen King, Denis Leary, Kenny Chesney, Stephen Tyler, Arlington’s own Dane Cook, Neal McDonough (who hails from Hyannis), Seth Meyers, Amy Poehler, and Mark Wahlberg.

Up until June of last year, Bruins fans felt a bit left out of the Boston sports championship frenzy. Then, thanks to the first Stanley Cup in 29 years this past June, famous fans like Dropkick Murphys’ frontman Ken Casey, celeb chef Ming Tsai, “Superbad” star Chris Mintz-Plasse (you may remember him as McLovin), “The Office” star Mindy Kaling, Newton-bred actor/director Eli Roth, Dane Cook, Denis Leary, Jim Gaffigan, and former Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath, all suddenly had something serious to cheer about.

With their 2008 champhionship win, the Celtics brought the luck of the Irish back to Boston, harkening back to the days when the likes of Larry Bird helped us hoist multiple banners years after year in the Garden. These days, famous faces like Everett’s Ellen Pompeo, Gisele Bundchen, Watertown’s Eliza Dushku, Dane Cook, Steven Tyler, Mike O’Malley, Jay Leno, and Dorchester’s Donnie Wahlberg all were seeing green. Wahlberg in particular has definitely waited for his chance to celebrate with the team, supporting them by being spotted in the stands going all the way back to the mid-90s, long before Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Shaq ever put on their clover leaf apparel.

Famous Patriots fans are a little harder to find. It seems with all their championship successes, the team causes a lot of controversy, even amongst the most stalwart and staunch Boston sports supporters. Supermodel Gisele Bundchen, who of course is our famed quarterback, Tom Brady’s, wife, is at every game. Donnie’s brother Mark Wahlberg also roots for his Pats, as does writer Steven King, who originally hails from not to far off Maine. Aerosmith frontman and former Brighton resident, Steven Tyler not only sang the Star-Spangled Anthem at the AFC championship game, but showed his love for his home team by sporting the sparkliest Patriots scarf this side of Michael’s Craft Supply. With the Pats defeat of the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC championship, sending them to yet another Superbowl showdown, maybe we’ll see a few more famous faces pop up at the next game!

★ Car-tastrophes all around; Patriots star Tom Brady was involved in a car accident in downtown Boston, and Andover grown Jay Leno’s super rare antique car breaks down.

★ ‘Body Snatchers’ actor Kevin McCarthy dies in Hyannis at age 96.

★ Boston Magazine talks to Mark Wahlberg and Wellesley chef Ming Tsai, the host and creator of the cooking show “Simply Ming”.

★ The Improper Bostonian features cover model, “Grey’s Anatomy” actress, and Boston University graduate, Kim Raver.

★ Ben Affleck reveals he’s been dying his hair since movie directing turned him gray. It was worth it though; The Town opened to take the number one spot at the box office in its first weekend.

★ Connecticut born John Mayer talks about why he quit Twitter.

★ Ex-super model Stephanie Seymour calls off her divorce and reunites with her husband in Connecticut.

★ New Celtic Shaq makes his presence felt in Beantown already and crashes a Boston wedding.

★ Lady Gaga holds a rally in Maine to support the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.

While the proverbial NBA battle of Hollywood East versus west may be over, we saw a plethora of celebrities and other famous faces packing the stands, cheering their favorite team on.

So which stars cheered for which team? On the Boston Celtics side, “Access Hollywood”  cohost, Medford-born Maria Menounos, a graduate of Emerson College, Cambridge-born comedian Dane Cook, retired New England Patriots linebacker (and recent Health Expo attendee) Tedy Bruschi, Boston-born actor Mike O’Malley, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, Red Sox owner John Henry, Everett’s Ellen Pompeo, Watertown’s Eliza Dushku, and Dorchester’s Donnie Wahlberg. Chief executive of DreamWorks Animation and film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, who donated $1.25 million to Boston University in 2006, was also assumed to be cheering for the Celtics.

Rooting for the Lakers, as always, was Jack Nicholson, singer Justin Timberlake, Sylvester Stallone, director Spike Lee, Sean P. Diddy Combs, Snoop Dogg, actor Leonardo DiCaprio who spent some time in Boston in 2008 while filming Shutter Island, Kevin Connolly, and Andy Garcia. Stars of the E! reality show, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” Kris, Kim, and Khloe Kardashian, wife of Lakers forward Lamar Odom, attended the games in L.A., but were absent on the east coast. Khloe did, however, find herself the target of some unique taunting by Boston fans at the TD Garden; fans were seen waving cardboard cutouts of her in hopes of distracting Odom.

Others famous faces that have been spotted at some of the games, included, First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia, singer Christina Aguilera, Olympic gold medalist from Jamaica, Usain Bolt, musicians Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh of the Eagles, “Saturday Night Live” performer Seth Meyers, singer Anita Baker, and comedian Will Ferrell. Actors Chris Rock and Adam Sandler, who have been heavily promoting their movie, Grown Ups, throughout the games, also spent time in Boston last summer filming their new flick, and were spotted sitting courtside in L.A.

The stars in the stands weren’t the only TV and film personalities in attendance. Lakers star Lamar Odom has been featured numerous times alongside his wife on “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” as well as its spin-off “Khloe and Kourtney take Miami”. Celtics star Ray Allen, who began his college career at the University of Connecticut, has also starred in a number of films, including Spike Lee’s He Got Game, and Harvard Man. At a press conference after game 4, Celtics players Nate Robinson and Glen Davis even likened themselves to characters from the popular Shrek movies. Perhaps we’ll see them on set at the next film shot in Hollywood East during their off season!

★ Tom Hanks brings new 10 part miniseries, “The Pacific” to the JFK Museum in Quincy.

★ Shorts in Ports film night features films and their directors in New Hampshire.

★ Mitt Romney raps, is officially declared a “homeboy”.

★ The Dorchester Boys and Girls Club kids shoot their own movie.

★ Boston Celtics coach uses film to teach players a lesson.

★ Beverly High School graduate enters Salem Film Festival with 2 entries.

★ Stephen King’s son appears in Salem for a reading from one of his father’s books.

★ Matt Damon loses Super Bowl bet, wears a Saints jersey on “David Letterman”.