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Re: [Celtic_Pride] Peter May's Letter to Pitino
So now Peter May speaks for all Celtic fans does he? Odd. Here is a guy
who has been belittled by the list on many occasions. Glad to see you all
love him now.
Personally, I hope Pitino sticks it out. The team has made some strides
being in games until the very end only to fall short. We all know that.
And they have been as injured as any team in the league and have still
played hard, albeit, stupid basketball on occasion.
I know I am in the minority on this list, but I am a big boy and can take
the heat which will surely come. It is not my habit to make fun of someone
who knows as much about basketball as Pitino. Red has praised him. Russell
has praised him. It is not all his fault. Somewhere along the line, the
players must be held accountable for their own shortcomings. Though it may
not be as fashionable as bashing Rick, it is true nonetheless.
Michael Jordan said he was going to have the Wizards in the playoffs this
year. It ain't gonna happen. Does that mean he should be fired? Is it his
fault?
This team needs to be patient and work the ball more for good shots. Do you
really think that Pitino is happy that they settle for the threes? I don't
think so. Because a player is selfish enough to think he is capable of
making them (Toine/Pierce) does that mean they have tuned him out? I don't
think so. It all comes back to maturity as I have mentioned in the past.
You want that duo to play like Bird and McHale but forget that they do not
have the supporting cast. They have no Parish in the middle or DJ in the
backcourt.
I have seen listees berate RP for his substitution patterns yet he is forced
to play Walker 44 mpg? When is he supposed to give these guys a rest? After
the game? Is it any surprise we run out of gas at the end?
The point is, I know Pitino is not perfect and has a big mouth and made
stupid promises, etc. But this team is not too far away, which leads me to
this:
I hope they trade ONE of the draft picks along with Kenny, Eric and Moiso
for Bibby and Swift. There is no PG in the draft who is as good as Bibby
right now and Swift is going to be a monster. This guy can run the court
like you wouldn't believe!
I'm ready. Fire away.
Cecil
----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil Stubbs" <stubbs43@hotmail.com>
To: <Celtic_Pride@egroups.com>; <celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001 3:45 PM
Subject: Re: [Celtic_Pride] Peter May's Letter to Pitino
> Could any of us have said it any better, save for Ray.........
>
>
> >From: NBAJ2K@home.com
> >Reply-To: Celtic_Pride@egroups.com
> >To: celtics@igtc.com
> >CC: Celtic_Pride@egroups.com
> >Subject: [Celtic_Pride] Peter May's Letter to Pitino
> >Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2001 15:16:58 -0800
> >
> >
> >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...
> >
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
> >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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> >The FREE way to access your mailbox via any web browser, anywhere!
> >
> >
> >To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
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> >
> >
> >
>
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