Celtics fans ready to buy championship gear

By Jarret Bencks Staff writer Celtics fan Ralph Zusman of Derry was shopping yesterday, but there were a couple of items he had to wait until today to purchase — a Celtics NBA championship T-shirt and hat. A fan during the 1980s, Zusman said he lost interest in the team during the 1990s, but got excited again when the Celtics acquired Kevin Garnett. "I'm waiting on a championship shirt and hat," Zusman said yesterday. A lot of Celtics fans have been waiting a long time — 22 years, in fact — to buy Celtics championship gear. Local retailers are ready to ring up those sales this morning. Olympia Sports in the Mall at Rockingham Park planned to pick up official gear at a company distribution center in Walpole, Mass., at 7:30 this morning. The store usually opens at 10 a.m., but district manager Megan Smith said if they get the... [read full story]