Peter May's Letter to Pitino

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Here is Peter May's letter to Pitino.

Sorry if someone already posted it.
It's at ESPN.com

>>>>>>>
Rick, I think it's time for you to go...

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By Peter May
Special to ESPN.com
Dear Rick:

It's time to go. You always have said that you will do what's
best for the Boston Celtics. What's best for the Boston Celtics
right now -- not to mention your own well-being -- is for you
to resign.

We've all known for some time that you set up a potentially dangerous
situation this season when you said you'd leave if things didn't
turn around. (That was after saying the year before that you'd
leave if the team didn't make the playoffs, but that's another
story.) Things haven't turned around. They've bottomed out.

Rick, you've been hoisted by your own petard. There are a lot
of things you've said over the last four years which, well, stretched
the imagination, not to mention your credibility. But your promise
to leave if things didn't improve seems to have a little more
staying power than your evaluation of Bruce Bowen ("John Havlicek
without a jump shot") or Travis Knight ("he's going to be a great,
great player in this league") or guaranteeing a playoff team
last season ("if we don't make the playoffs, I'll jump off the
BU bridge.") The whole situation is untenable. The only serious
public discourse these days about the Boston Celtics concerns
your status.

In short, it's not going away. Your promise, that is. We know
you've talked about a meeting with owner Paul Gaston this month,
but what's to talk about? Settle on a date. Settle on a buyout
figure if you've decided you don't want to leave $22 million
on the table. Turn the team over to someone else. And then wait
for the deep pockets guys at UCLA or some other college to come
calling.

Let's face it, you're a dead coach walking. Your players aren't
listening anymore because they see what we all see: a deteriorating
situation that will get worse before it gets any better. They
know what's going on. You may tell us they're working hard, but
that's because you want to make it appear as if they haven't
cashed it in. Well, they aren't playing hard, especially on defense.
They lose focus, go through the motions, and allow teams like
Chicago, Atlanta and New Jersey to shoot 50 percent or better
from the field. That's effort?
You have, right now, the worst defensive team in the NBA. That
is despite your earnest and persistent efforts to teach the lads
the fundamentals of the game, which they seem loath to learn.
Three months ago, you opened training camp by saying you would
devote almost all of your time and energy to defense. Six weeks
ago, you told the team that if it didn't play better defense,
then you would let someone else coach it. Well, since then, your
team is 8-14 and, in the last two-plus weeks, six teams have
shot 50 percent or better from the field. The Knicks did it the
other night for only the third time this season.

It's no longer a question of "if" you're going to leave. It's
"when." And judging by what we're now seeing, the sooner you
leave, the better it will be for everyone. For the franchise.
For the players. For the fans. For you. For your family. Your
own son, Richard, was asked recently what he'd do if he coached
the Celtics. "I'd leave," he said. Out of the mouths of babes.

 “ In short, it's not going away. Your promise, that is. We know
you've talked about a meeting with owner Paul Gaston this month,
but what's to talk about? Settle on a date. Settle on a buyout
figure if you've decided you don't want to leave $22 million
on the table. Turn the team over to someone else. And then wait
for the deep pockets guys at UCLA or some other college to come
calling. ” 
  — May 

You've even put your own, recently purchased townhouse on the
market, although you said it is unrelated to your coaching status.
Yes, Richard is going to go off to college next year, but, then
again, you knew two years ago that that might happen. You soon
will have four in the house now instead of five. All of a sudden,
it's too big?

Now, you have said repeatedly that the outstanding money on the
table -- around $22 million -- is "irrelevant." If that's the
case, hand over the keys to the kingdom and walk away. What else
could be motivating you to endure the unendurable?

Yes, there are talks under way to sell the team and, yes, you
are eligible to get a $22 million buyout if the team is sold.
But any sale is unlikely to be finalized until the spring at
the earliest. You've already made $28 million here in four years
and a case can be made that the franchise is worse off now than
it was when you got here. Attendance is at a historic low. The
team's payroll is well over the salary cap with only a couple
players of any value. You do have two draft picks other than
your own, but one is protected and the other is likely to belong
to either Utah or Phoenix. When you arrived, you had the 3rd
and 6th picks in the draft. Besides, you had the 11th pick last
June and you took a guy who can't get off the bench when he's
not on the injured list.

We know you're not enjoying any of this. All the years you've
spent coaching have, for the most part, been in college. There,
the kids listen to you. There, you didn't have to deal with agents
or agendas or hand-held computers and cellphones in the locker
room. There, you had a constant replenishment of talent every
year. There, you were the king because you were very good.

Since you came here in May 1997, you have always had a larger
public profile than the team you coached. Back then, that profile
was one of hope and optimism. We wanted to believe you would
get it done just as you got it done at Kentucky and Boston University.

Now, your profile still dominates the most storied franchise
in the history of the sport. But the profile no longer represents
hope. It represents futility and hopelessness, two words that
have never before been associated with your professional performance.
You said this week that you wanted to keep everything positive
and upbeat and leave the Celtics as healthy as possible. You
have said that you will do what's best for the Celtics.

You can take the first step yourself. It's time you did.


Peter May, who covers the NBA for the Boston Globe, is a regular
contributor to ESPN.com. 
  


 
 



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