D'Alessandro

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

Dave D'Alessandro's article strikes me as something he wrote without
actually talking to anyone. Then he writes about what other people are
supposedly thinking in a factual manner that would only be possible if
he was an accomplished psychic. 

For instance, he writes: "One week, Pitino thinks he's the best forward
in the game. The next, Pitino sees him for what he is -- a player who
cannot fuse the mental commitment with the physical talent to be the
star he should be." Does anyone believe that Pitino is calling him from 
week to week and telling him this? What Pitino has actually said is that
Walker has the POTENTIAL to be one of the best forwards in the game,
IF he gets disciplined, and he has been absolutely consistent about that.
Big difference from flip-flopping from week to week.

Under the link to the article, it claims that Antoine's "sideshow" is
wearing thin with teammates. Where did that come from?! In the actual
article, he writes, "He consternates his teammates with his
inconsistency." He somehow "knows" that how all of Walker's teammates
think the same things that Tim Hardaway do, that Antoine is an
(expletive). Now if someone from the Celtics had actually said something
to him, no doubt he would have gleefully written, "An unnamed Celtic
criticized Antoine..." because it would further his point and actually
be true. But as it is, you know that he's just fabricating it to
further his argument. He somehow knows it's true, even if his teammates
have never said anything of the sort. They just "never got around to
saying" it. 

I think that sportswriters have a weaker standard for reporting truth
than tabloid writers. Tabloids at least get sued sometimes when they
make stuff up about people. What particularly bothers me is that  
D'Alessandro could easily make an argument about Antoine's immaturity
based on actual quotes of Pitino and Walker, say, without making up
BS about how Pitino is thinking or what his teammates think. No question,
Walker has a ways to go in terms of maturity. Though I don't agree
with the conclusion that he draws, that the smart, knowledgable Boston
fans are "right" about the Celtics never winning with Antoine. 

Overall it's just a disgusting piece of "journalism". 

Alex