antoine's comments

["Liles, Donald" <liles@hr.upenn.edu>]

I read this on yahoo this morning, I thought that the addition of Antoine's
comments 
were worth posting. Oddly enough, I think that Walker is right. How strange
is that?
I have wondered about the timing of Pitino's comments, I think that a win
one (or forty to make the playoffs)
for the gipper is a bit of a stretch. Rick go ahead and leave. I am
disgusted by 
each and everyone of you in the organization that show no heart, no
enthusiasm, no emotion.
Back up the truck, load everyone in, maybe Dino needs a coach overseas.


Kind of surprised at Stith's comments, perhaps I am just cynical about pro
sports these days.
Every single player seems to be a selfish greedy jerk, could there really be
players out there who
love to play the game? By the way, did anyone read the article on Chris
Gatling in the Sporting News
at the beginning of the season? I thought it was pretty good. 

I hope that somehow they can wake up to play the next 70 games or so. Last
night
they didn't do too well from what I saw on sportscenter. Were there any
positives for
the celts last night at all?  

Don


Pitino gives players ultimatum: Win or I'm gone 

November 23, 2000 
BOSTON (AP) -- Rick Pitino's strategy managed to motivate the Boston
Celtics. Rudy Tomjanovich's failed for the Houston Rockets. 
Pitino gave his players an ultimatum on Wednesday, telling them that if they
didn't play better the rest of the season he would step down as coach. 
``It had a dramatic impact on me,'' said Bryant Stith, who joined the
Celtics in training camp. ``That came totally out of the blue, and it caught
me off guard. But we have 72 games left that we can change his mind. That's
my every intention.'' 
The Celtics responded with a 96-81 victory over the Rockets, who got a
different kind of pep talk from Tomjanovich before the game. 
``We talked about being at a crossroads, where you want to be considered
with the other top teams in the league, before the game,'' Tomjanovich said
after the Rockets had their four-game winning streak stopped. ``This was a
chance to come in and win, and we just weren't there.'' 
The Rockets scored the fewest points of any Boston opponent so far this
season, making only 37.5 percent of their shots from the field. That was
satisfying for Pitino, who told his team to improve its defense or ``there
won't be a next year for me.'' 
Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 16 points. Antoine Walker had 13 points and
13 rebounds for the Celtics (5-6). Bryant Stith and Walter McCarty both
contributed 14 points and Doug Overton -- signed on Tuesday -- added 10. 
Cuttino Mobley led the Rockets with 17 points, while Hakeem Olajuwon added
11 points and six rebounds. Mobley converted a three-point play to cut
Boston's lead to 86-68 with 4:52 left, but the Rockets never got closer than
10 and fell to 1-5 on the road this season. 
``Their coach motivated them this afternoon,'' Mobley said, ``and they
showed it tonight.'' 
But Walker said Pitino's job status wasn't the reason for the win. 
``Our coach is not our concern,'' he said. ``We don't need any extra
motivation. What happened today was a distraction we didn't need.'' 
Pitino has said since late last season, his third consecutive losing season,
that this would be his last in Boston if he doesn't see improved results.
But after Monday's 24-point loss to Philadelphia dropped the Celtics to 4-6,
he turned that into an ultimatum for a team he thinks will play harder to
keep him around. 
``I think these players do really care,'' Pitino said Wednesday. ``Emotion
for me is a great vehicle for teaching the game. I've got great confidence
in these guys that we will turn it around.'' 
Pitino said he would meet with owner Paul Gaston in January to discuss
whether the team has made the requisite progress. Asked if he might call it
quits then, Pitino said: ``I'm definitely finishing out the season. No
question about that.'' 
Wednesday's comments raise the stakes for Pitino, who first spoke of leaving
with 11 games remaining last season. After a team meeting on the plane ride
home from a 122-87 loss at Orlando, Pitino said he wouldn't stay just to
collect the rest of his 10-year, $50-million contract. 
``All I would be doing if I stayed at that point is trying to take Paul
Gaston's money,'' he said then. ``If I don't see a major difference in our
ballclub and we're still struggling, I think enough's enough. What I will do
is just go on and try my next job and wish everybody well.'' 
Nothing has changed, he said at a news conference at the team's practice
facility after a front-page story in Wednesday's Boston Globe raised the
issue anew. 
``At the end of the year, what I told you last year goes,'' he said. ``We
are not panicking. But there are danger signs, and the danger signs are the
way we've played defensively. ... If we don't get it done now, there won't
be a next year for me.'' 
Pitino said it was possible that he would give up the coaching job and stay
on as team president, if he wanted to and Gaston wanted him to stay. He has
also been rumored for several college coaching jobs. 
``I wish I did have little bit of burnout. Then I could walk away,'' he
said. ``Unfortunately, it's the exact opposite: I'm more passionate about
the game than I've ever been. I don't want to give up teaching the game
ofbasketball, and there's no better place to do it.''