Re: "You didn't turn around, to see the frowns, on the faces of the jugglers and the clowns...."

["Dan Forant" <dforant1@nycap.rr.com>]

I like his strutting and wiggling. It's been years since we've had anything
to strut about. It's just a release of natural emotions. Some players are
cool, some express emotions. The bottom line is they are entertainers.

Concerning his injury, we all at times have injured ourselves thinking that
it is worse than it really is. Walker has to rank at the top when it comes
to resiliency.

DanF


----- Original Message -----
From: "JB" <JBMetzEA@yahoo.com>
To: "Cecil Wright" <cecil@hfx.eastlink.ca>; "Celtics@igtc"
<celtics@igtc.com>; "Celtics Stuff" <Celticsstuffgroup@Yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2002 1:08 PM
Subject: Re: "You didn't turn around, to see the frowns, on the faces of the
jugglers and the clowns...."


>    Cecil:
>    Of course, it's all speculation: yours, mine etc. I just enjoy thinking
> different (I use a Macintosh) and like to share my unorthodox views and
also
> hope to entertain (I know; enlighten, is a reach) the readers. Antoine's
> birthday and mine are both smack in the middle of Leo land. He's 8/12 and
> I'm 8/9. Perhaps, I have some insight and/or am projecting, perhaps not?
As
> my Guru from India once said; "you are half right, half of the time."
>    I don't want to get into a discussion on what other aspects of Walker's
> play (I would never suggest this is his only motivation) has shown this
> tendency (not really to "win over,") to entertain, but he does love to
> strut; like Mr. Natural; "truckin'  on down" the court, even if he has
toned
> down the wiggle.
>    I also never suggested he wasn't injured, or that he wasn't in pain,
just
> that he exaggerated his reaction.
>
>                         JB
>
>
>
>                   Unchain My Heart !
>
> on 1/13/02 3:45 PM, Cecil Wright at cecil@hfx.eastlink.ca wrote:
>
> > You're fully entitled to whatever belief you have about Walker
embellishing
> > an injury so as to win over the fans, if that is your point.
> >
> > But you should understand the logic behind the posts which confronted
your
> > comment.  This guy has been a true warrior throughout his career and has
not
> > ever looked to do such a thing in the past.  With this team playing
better
> > than it has during his tenure, he has nothing to gain from being hurt
and
> > surely those fans who are knowledgeable about such things have great
> > appreciation for his effort.
> >
> > I note that you still believe he embellished the injury.  Perhaps it was
> > really bothering him and you mistook that for embellishment?  Isn't it a
> > possibility?  The fact that he had to have an MRI in the first place
would
> > indicate the severity of the strain, even if temporarily.
> >
> > What's with the "trying to please the crowd" theme?  This point is
basically
> > groundless.  You think he improved his free throw shooting because of
boos
> > from the crowd?  I could just as easily disagree and say that he worked
on
> > the elements of his game which could raise his game to a level which
would
> > most help his teammates win.  That is what most athletes worth their
salt
> > want...to help their team win...to win the NBA title.  Why would Toine
be
> > any different?  Did he spend all those hours with Michael Jordan last
summer
> > to garner support from fans or did he actually think that it could help
him
> > improve in a number of areas which would benefit himself as a
professional
> > and his team as a result?
> >
> > But that's just my impression.
> >
> > Cecil
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Cecil
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "JB" <JBMetzEA@yahoo.com>
> > To: "Celtics Stuff" <Celticsstuffgroup@Yahoogroups.com>; "Celtics@igtc"
> > <celtics@igtc.com>
> > Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2002 6:04 AM
> > Subject: "You didn't turn around, to see the frowns, on the faces of the
> > jugglers and the clowns...."
> >
> >
> >> The title of this piece is taken from a Bob Dylan song, which played in
> >> my head this AM, as they are wont to do, since, as I wrote last week,
my
> > 13
> >> year old son, has discovered the works of the bard from Hibbing.
> >> I had been searching, in my mind, how to expand the concept of Walker,
> >> over dramatizing his injury. I still believe it to be true. The notion
of
> >> Walker as an entertainer, seemed to show this in a different light.
> >> As I posted this observation, without malice towards Walker, nor
> > thinking
> >> that there were any nefarious motives, I was taken aback by the hostile
> >> reaction to that post.
> >> I think I was able to convey, that I wasn't accusing Walker of faking
> > it,
> >> I have no doubt that his knee is sore and that he will play through
> >> tremendous pain, because he loves to play, but I want to explore the
> > reasons
> >> for his love of the game, as it might relate to his flair for the
> > dramatic.
> >> Walker loves the three ball. The home run, you could see it in his eyes
> >> last night, after passing up several opportunities early in the game,
he
> > got
> >> a few passes, in position, on the perimeter, late, with the outcome
> >> determined and his eyes gleamed. What I saw was a player who loved the
> >> interaction with the crowd. Some have this, they want the approval of
the
> >> home crowd and to silence the enemy fans, but mostly they want to be
the
> >> show. They feed on the crowds reaction and I believe its instinctive,
> > hardly
> >> conscious, there's a connection. Do you ever walk through a door and
think
> >> that everyone is watching you? Well, they probably are. Most people get
> > shy
> >> and close up a little, a person with a flair for the dramatic, revels
in
> > it
> >> and uses that energy to build a relationship and starts acting with
that
> >> crowd and it's energy, as part of his motivation.
> >> Remember Bird, talking about how much fun it was, to go to opponents
> >> arenas and silence the crowd? Remember Jimmy Brown, after a run, laying
on
> >> the ground like he had just broken every bone in his body, slowly
getting
> > to
> >> his feet and walking back to the huddle like a Palm Beach octogenarian?
> > Some
> >> players have this quality, most don't.
> >> I believe that Walker's penchant for this type of bonding with the
> > fans,
> >> led to what I perceived as an exaggerated limp, going out to fire the
two
> >> three point shots he took in the last two minutes of the Spurs game.
> > Imagine
> >> the crowd's reaction , if he made one or both of those shots, on one
leg?
> > I
> >> propose it was his flair for the dramatic, not any sense of him
"dogging"
> >> it, or looking for an excuse.
> >> Having been trained in the theatre, lo, those many years ago, is
> > perhaps
> >> why I picked up on this. A great actor, from the minute he walks on
stage,
> >> feels that the audience is watching his every move and revels in it,
> > trying
> >> to carry them to emotional heights, that feeds on his desire to
entertain
> >> and perhaps enlighten them.
> >> Why has Walker never gotten down from the boos of the Fleet center
> > crowd?
> >> Why did he work on his foul shooting? I suggest, that it is this
feeling
> > of
> >> wanting to pleas the fans more than anything Pitino, or the present
> > coaches
> >> are trying to do to him, that has led to his constant refining of his
> > game.
> >> Most players would have sulked and demanded a trade, Walker just keeps
> >> trying to please.
> >> In a way, if this team does develop into a championship team, it is the
> >> great history of unselfish Celtic players and the Celtic nation's
> > relentless
> >> insistence on the same standard, for it's stars, that will inspire
Walker
> > to
> >> take his play to that level.
> >> JB
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Unchain My Heart !