Re: Pitino quote on Barros and Dallas

[Joe Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

 Francis Hsu wrote:

> I found this Pitino quote rather amusing:
> "Dana Barros is coming into the last year of contract. There is no finer
> place to be to become a wealthy young man than with the Dallas Mavericks.
> So, this is a nice situation for Dana. In the last year of his contact,
> if he plays well for them, (Dallas owner) Mark Cuban is someone who
> rewards his athletes very well." - Rick Pitino
>
> Ref URL: http://www.nba.com/celtics/trade_sidebar_000816.html
>
> Francis

   One of the great mysteries is what to really make of the relationship
between Yo Thankx Dad! and "Poultrino".

    Is Paul Gaston a basketball fan or is he someone who obsesses needlessly
about shareholder value for the Celtics Basketball Holdings Limited
Partnership (down from 25 dollars a share when Pitino was hired to 9.25 per
share today) and truly thinks that the 35.5 million salary cap + two veteran
slots (1.2 and 2.2 million) is some sort of realistic payroll target? Paul
Gaston treats it like a matter of principle, which is fine unless you have a
tradition of excellence to maintain and a guy like Jerry West running circles
around you.

     Whenever we talk about the "Boston Chicken" franchise, one of the
fortunate things about our team is that even though Celts fans reserve the
right to gripe like crazy about Toine and Pierce, in the end they still flood
the gates and give a damn. On the face of it, this really should help raise
the potential resale value of the club from that of any other generic small
market team.

    Maybe Dad will finally be proud of Paulie Girl if he sells the team for a
really cool profit next year. The six million in cash he pockets as a result
of the Mercer auction (plus two first rounders, Eric Williams and Robert
Pack) will certainly help buy out Poultrino's contract if the next owner
insists on it. I know I'm stretching this metaphor to ridiculous lengths, but
Da Bird needs to come in next year and teach fowl to fly.

Joe

---------