re: Nothing but bad news

[bird <birdwl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: "Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Let's see... off the hook for Pitino's contract (let's be conservative and
> say $5 million saved)... playoff revenue (again conservative, say $2
> million)... ticket increase ($3 million)... Seems to me the money is there
> to take the one-year hit on Rogers. I don't know how Gaston can look in 
> the
> mirror.
I'm preparing myself to undergo a fundamental chance in attitude: from 
"Waiting to see if Gaston might actually pony up the dough" to "Calling 
for a crusade to storm Gaston's mansion, decapitate him, parade his head 
on a pike throughout the greater Hub area, and, like the legions of 
ancient Rome, install an Owner/Imperator that'll actually spend money".

No one is asking for a Cuban- or Allen-type, "money is no object" kind of 
thing, only to take a one-year hit, then when Kenny's salary comes off, 
things might even return to under the cap.  Even if it didn't, it wouldn't 
be too far over.  I've been speaking out against decrying Thanksdad before 
giving him a chance, but if this turns out, that would have been his 
chance.

Damon Jones?  Sundov?  Songaila?  Bremer?  Geez Louise.  The forwards 
would have been a decent addition to the team, but to replace Rogers, 
McCarty, Blount?  Not hardly.  The evil you know, and all.  And Strickland 
for Jones and Bremer?  No fair!  All we get out of the deal last year is 
Tony Delk?  Yikes!  This bodes ill, very ill.

What we got here is, failure to think reasonably.  Gaston is adhering (if 
this turns out to be the case, I should still say, I guess) to a principle,
 just for the principle's sake.  And hey, who's going to argue with 
"fiscal responsibility"?  Well, fans who want the team to win, is who.  In 
the NBA, you pay to win.  What's "responsible" is to realize that 
sometimes one must take a hit or a loss in order to move forward.  This is 
one of those times.  It's actually better business sense, from what I can 
see, than by sticking to this foolish "we'll stay under the cap no matter 
what".  Well, I've got news for you: the next NBA champions for as long as 
this CBA is in place will not be under the cap.  Not gonna happen.

So, as for what I can see, Gaston isn't even running the operation in a 
business-like fashion.

Man, what a way to wake up: I feel like someone whizzed in my Wheaties.

I won't do anymore wailing and gnashing of teeth, at least in this post.  
And I certainly won't "predict" the downfall of the team.  But it's 
definitely not looking good.  You just can't have two stars and then 
surround them with CBA-level talent and expect to reach the Conference 
Finals every year.

Maybe there's a stunning pleasant surprise waiting in the wings, something 
Wallace and Obie cooked up to mitigate this foolishness.  (Yeah, sure, 
then they bring it to Gaston, and he stamps "Can't Afford" on it.)

Re-sign Rodney Ro-- dammit.

Bird