Howard David Comments & Slams Toine

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

http://www.bostonherald.com/sport/basketball/baker01092001.htm


David: Walker `part of the problem'
Sports on the Air/by Jim Baker
Tuesday, January 9, 2001

Losing a coach or broadcast partner is becoming a way of life for WEEI
Celtics voice Howard David - who said farewell to ``Monday Night
Football'' radio analyst Matt Millen and Jets coach Al Groh before Rick
Pitino bid bye-bye following dreadful weekend losses to the Warriors and
Heat.

But David did not hesitate to blame Pitino's failure on ``no
accountability'' among players and particularly slammed team co-captain
Antoine Walker.

``Walker is part of the problem,'' David carved. ``His ears weren't
open. He cares about winning the scoring championship, not the team
championship. If his thought process is that he isn't getting enough
touches (of the ball), as he was quoted as saying, then he should take
the `C' off his jersey. He has one thing in mind, scoring, and there's
an epidemic of this around the NBA.''

Ex-Celtics great Tom Heinsohn added: ``What happened to Rick is the
modern age of basketball with (rich) contracts, the salary cap, a
lockout and injuries. Ultimately, he did himself in. I think the players
gave a good effort, but he was asking for defense and it wasn't working.
He left a lot of money on the table because he's a man of honor. He'll
be back in basketball because he loves it.''

Next stop for Rick: CBS?

Don't be surprised if Pitino becomes a CBS college hoop analyst for the
NCAA tourney before landing his next coaching job - with rumors swirling
about UNLV and UCLA. Pitino told Ch. 4's Bob Lobel yesterday in Miami
that CBS Sports chief Sean McManus called to offer an opportunity.

``Sean is looking at the tourney for Rick because he was a big part of
college basketball for a long time,'' said CBS Sports executive producer
Terry Ewert. ``It's in the realm of possibility.''

NBC and Turner reported no room for Pitino, saying their NBA teams are
set.

Hole-in-one for Lobel

Lobel had the lone Pitino TV interview after they golfed 18 holes
yesterday. Pitino said responsibility for the C's mess is ``all on my
shoulders.'' Lobel added: ``He said he failed, made mistakes letting
Rick Fox and David Wesley go and was tactful about the players, though
he spoke of philosophical differences and said Walker has a lot to learn
on the court.''

ESPN's Dick Vitale said ``Rick and John Calipari are made for the
college game. Rick would have been an icon and I have no doubt that's
where he'll head. His strengths - coaching on the floor, recruiting,
selling - are negated by the pros and, if you've noticed, the college
guys get the worst jobs in the NBA.''

ESPN teammate Digger Phelps agreed. ``Not many college coaches made it
in the NBA but Jack Ramsay and Chuck Daly. I look at Pitino and Calipari
as high-profile, control guys. Daly said it best: `In the NBA, the
players you're dealing with are 12 different corporations.' The players
run the NBA - period. (Pitino will) go back to college like Calipari
did.''

WEEI's Eddie Andelman vowed not to ``go for (Pitino's) throat,'' saying:
``This just did not work. I admire him for walking away from all that
money. We all have failures and this is his. I know he's being recruited
for UNLV by Steve Wynn, who sold his interest in the Mirage for $1.3
billion.''