Re: Isiah's remarks

[Joe Pacuska <jpacuska@epix.net>]

Hooray for Mike!

He got it right.  I, too, remember the incident and saw multiple replays of the
televised interview.  Thomas was *not* kidding.  He was *not* facetiously poking
fun at Rodman's comments.  He was *not* taken out of context.  His words were
not spoken "tongue-in-cheek".  His comments were pure sour grapes, made in the
lockerroom minutes after Larry and the Celts had pulled the rug out from under
the Pistons.

The intent of his words was to marginalize Bird's performance, which was being
ballyhooed in the face of the Pistons during the locker room post-game
interviews.  Paraphrased, he was saying "What?  What did we think of Larry's
performance during the series?  No big deal.  He didn't do anything so special.
He did what lots of guys do all season long.  Let's face it,.... the only reason
you guys are making such a big deal about him is because he's white.  If he was
black, he'd be just another good guy."

And what only a few sportswriters acknowledged at the tail-end of the story was
the fact that Larry saved Thomas' butt by stepping up and doing damage control
for him.

Rodman is, very simply, a moron.  I doubt if he ever has a coherent thought.
(For evidence consider his most recent, self-concocted plan where he, Pippen,
Jordan and Phil Jackson would get traded to the Clippers).  So, his comments
should not have been (and, not surprisingly, weren't) taken seriously by
anyone.  Thomas, on the other hand, is a very intelligent man and knew better
than to offer such racist drivel to the media.  What amazes me is that so many
people so quickly forgot the whole incident.

Joe.

Mike Dynon wrote:

> Warwick Janetzki wrote:
> >
> > Cecil Wright wrote:
> > >
> > > I am trying to remember exactly what Thomas' comments regarding Larry
> > > Bird being an average player back in the mid-80's.  Something about how
> > > fans rave about him because he is white.  I think he also went so far as
> > > to say if Bird were black he would merely be classified as an average
> > > player.
> > >
> > > Can anyone on the list help me out?
> > >
> > > Cecil
> >
> > The people who responded about Isiah saying it to the media on tv or
> > radio were right. He was joking, as we all know Isiah, Magic and Bird
> > are all kinda close so theres no way he would slag him off like that.
> >
> > Warwick
>
> There is a way, and I remember it vividly.  That remark actually came
> after Game 7 when the Celts beat Detroit in the 1987 conference finals,
> and it was a war.  I never believed Thomas was joking--this was minutes
> after a bitter loss, and now the real Isiah had emerged.  At the Finals,
> Bird defused the situation by appearing with Thomas at a press
> conference, where Larry accepted Thomas' apology.  My opinion: at that
> point, Isiah just wanted to save his own butt.
>
> Need more evidence?  In '88, the Pistons finally overcame the Celts in
> the playoffs, ending Boston's four-year run in the Finals.  McHale shook
> Thomas' hand at mid-court as Kevin was subbed for with a minute to play.
> Detroit lost in 7 to LA that year, but then they won the title two years
> in a row.  During those two years, Chicago unsuccessfully chased the
> Pistons, just as Detroit had chased Boston.  In '91, when the Bulls
> finally beat Detroit, the weasel Thomas and his sore loser team walked
> off the court with only a couple of seconds to play, refusing to
> congratulate the Bulls.  Boston had respected Detroit when the Pistons
> won, but when the Pistons lost they would not show Chicago that same
> respect. Thomas was the team captain, so who was mostly to blame?
>
> If you think about it, Isiah was probably a bigger jerk than Bill
> Laimbeer.  At least Laimbeer never pretended that he was a nice guy.
>
> Mike Dynon