The Celtics officially introduced a bowtie-wearing Shaquille O'Neal on Tuesday, and while he mentioned all the right things -- "I think I'll be a good fit here" ... "'I just want to be with a group of guys who want to win" ... A possible clam chowder eating contest between him and Glen Davis; ya know, all the important stuff -- he also took the time to reiterate something said in an interview with Vanity Fair: if his kids come home with Boston accents, they're getting grounded. (Though, he clarified that a "grounding" in the O'Neal household just means having to make Shaq a sandwich.)
Maybe not a wicked smaht move to immediately alienate all your new fans named Sully and Murph (especially when you consider that the non-rhotic accent -- the original British accent, duh -- is popular throughout all of New England).
But don't worry: Shaq quickly smoothed things over, saying the Boston accent is "sexy."
Which, as the Globe's Eric Wilbur points out, is likely the first time the accent has been described as "sexy."