Re: Criticism

[damekmo@teleport.com]

>I don't care how successful he's been everywhere - he never coached a
>young >team in the NBA, just an established team.

It was a long time ago and I was travelling around the country in an old
Toyota with two dogs two children and a future ex, (my fault...let's move
on) but weren't the Knicks a young team, with a young starting center and a
young starting point guard, when Ricky took over? Yes? No?


Paul M.




He actually said a week or two ago he'd never be happy behind the scenes -
he has to coach.  He said being the President just meant there was nobody
above him to second guess him.  But in getting the title of President he
took it away from Red, who was not too happy about it - and why should he
be?  He made the Celtics what they became - the most storied franchise in
the history of the NBA, bar none!  So nobody would be above Pitino, he had
to have that title.  That by itself would be enough for me, but there's
much, much more - his bad deals, long, costly contracts he can't blame on
anyone else - the promises he should never have made - the list goes on.
As for the press - he didn't invent it, other teams use it, too.  It's part
of basketball, not Pitino ball.  And last but not!
> least, there's his screaming all the game long.  If he's the coach he's
>supposed to be, the game plan should be in place, the troups should know
>the ropes and he should not have to direct every move from the bench.
>    I don't personally believe he was as much upset about the booing
>(though I'm as upset about booing your own team as any of you) as he was
>that he was getting the bad press.  He's not accustomed to that.  Did that
>fire up the team to achieve more?  Maybe, maybe not - I don't know.  I'm
>glad some-thing did.
>    I'm older than most of you - so maybe I see things differently, and
>that's my privilege - but even though these players are young, they are
>old enough to drink and to vote - some of them are married with children,
>so they are not children and should not be treated as such.
>    I want this team to achieve, and I want them to be in the spotlight,
>not the coach.  Is that wrong?  I don't think so.  The fact that they're
>winning more games and are fun to watch at long last is wonderful, but it
>doesn't suddenly make me forgive Pitino.  Flame me all you want, but
>understand you cannot change a person's mind about something like that -
>only time, if anything, can do that.  One thing that can be blamed on
>Gaston is giving RP too much power.  I think a coach should coach.
>Someone else should be making other decisions, even though the coach
>should have a say - just not the final one.  He's proven he's not good at
>some things.  End of rant, but I think you jump too fast to condem people
>for not agreeing about everything.
>Dorine