The contract negotiations have begun. Oh boy.

[damekmo@teleport.com]

>How about this for a thread:  what do we make of
>Pitino's comments about Battie and Mercer in the
>Herald?  And what happened to Pitino's having the
>contactual right to make all decisions 15M and less?
>Why not just sign everybody we need, how about that?
>It goes without saying that Pierce will get the max
>next summer, too.

Well, I think we can safely say the very public negotiations have already
begun. Very nice. If I'm Master P - I'd take all my money right now and hang out
with Joe in Paris (Yes, you can buy friendship.) - but, if I'm Master P I
read this as Gaston/Pitino making Mercer out to be the bad guy by forcing
the Celtics into a trade. "Don't ask for too much Ron, because if you do, I
have to break up this team." How much is too much? I think Ricky has just
told the rest of the league that the bidding can begin. And that in the
end...it'll be Ron's fault. Somebody will be traded - forget patience - and
Pitino can say, "Hey...we had to sign Ron." But hey...I'm cynical.
Anyway....I
just love it when management positions itself in public before negotiations
have even begun. Why doesn't Pitino just say something like, "These
negotiations are private matters, they'll be handled behind closed doors
when the time comes." But hey...I don't like him. So perhaps I'd only be
happy if Pitino said something like, "I quit."

Paul M.