Re: more pack journalism

["Cecil" <cecil@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: <snoopy1@pig.net>
To: Wright, Cecil <Cecil.Wright@JUSTICE.GC.CA>; <celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 6:42 PM
Subject: RE: more pack journalism


> Yes, having a family IS important.  But it's not like anyone held a gun to
> these guys heads and said, "Do you wanna play pro ball for millions a
> year?"  I lost track of how many times my personal plans were shot to hell
> for months on end because my job required extensive overtime.

But it is not their job to play in this, or any other tournament.  Their job
is to play professionally in the NBA.  This is not the NBA, therefore there
is no obligation for them to participate.
>
> As far as injuries go, if everyone's so blasted concerned, why don't they
> shorten the exhibition season?  Why not cancel the end of the NBA season
> once the playoffs are decided--or has everyone forgot that Vitaly
Potapenko
> was injured in a meaningless game just before the playoffs?  That's not
the
> first time that sort of thing has happened.

I doubt this will happen.

>
> On an international scale, this tournament is considered to be more
> important than the Olympics.  The US feels strongly enough about it that
> when our college players were no longer sufficient to beat the stuffing
out
> of other teams every 4 years, we were all in favor of letting the pros
> play.  Enter the Dream Team.  As a by-product, they play the FIBA
> tournament too.
>

Isn't it obvious that the Americans will win with whatever pro players
decide to accept the invitation?  On pure athleticism

> This is not kid stuff.  This is the World Basketball Championchips.  The
> other countries send their very best year after year, and we treat it like
> an exhibition game.  With an attitude like that, it's no wonder people are
> ambiguous about watching, never mind playing.  When the day comes that the
> NBA players who show up get trounced, there'll suddenly be all kinds of
> pressure to "send our best".  Paul Pierce wasn't even one of their first
> picks, and he's their leading scorer, playing with fire and passion every
> night.  If Ray Allen, Shaquille O'Neal, and the rest of the lazy bums
> couldn't be bothered to represent their country, then as far as I'm
> concerned, the players who showed up ARE our best.

So if an injured player doesn't show up, he would be considered a lazy bum?
Interesting perspective.


> Nash?  Ummm...what, Cuban doesn't pay him enough money that he couldn't
buy
> his own damn policy for two weeks??  Bleah.

He's just a lazy Canadian bum :-)

> P.S.--to New Zealand--great game, guys, have a cold lager on me.

They got crushed like grapes by a bunch of NBA also-rans didn't they?

Cecil



> Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
>
> At 03:01 PM 9/4/02 -0400, Wright, Cecil wrote:
> >I think the article is rather condescending to the fine athletes who have
> >chosen to go and represent their country.  There are reasons for some,
who
> >are not there, to be absent.  Can you tell me, in all honesty, that if
you
> >were the owner of the Lakers, you would want Shaq to delay surgery so he
> >could participate in these games?  I wouldn't.  Also, some of these guys
are
> >family men.  Spending time with their children and families is important
to
> >many of them...and if they decided to take their kids away just before
the
> >start of school, knowing they will be back to work shortly anyway, what
> >right would any of us have in finding fault with that?
> >
> >Here, for example, Steve Nash, at the last moment, decided he couldn't
play
> >with Canada.  Of course there was just a small detail of Mark Cuban
wanting
> >an adequate insurance policy in case Nash was injured and unable to
perform
> >for the Mavs.  Nash, a bachelor, was heartbroken because he WANTED to
play.
> >How they could not have arrived at an agreement, I don't know.  Is
Pierce's
> >insurance policy strucured in such a way that IF he was injured during
this
> >tournament, the C's would be covered with a policy that somehow would
> >provide equivalent compensation?
> >
> >I honestly believe we place too much pressure on athletes to play for
this
> >reason or that reason when there are far more important things taking
place
> >on this continent than the results of a game or two.
> >
> >Cecil
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Lance Jacobson [mailto:lancejacob@attbi.com]
> >Sent: September 04, 2002 3:41 PM
> >To: Tammo29@AOL.com; celtics@igtc.com
> >Subject: Re: more pack journalism
> >
> >
> >   I think it's become obvious that the media is dying for a U.S. loss,
> >although Deveney is the first writer I've seen actually admit to it. You
> >would
> >think American pride would be more important than any "I told you
> >so's", but I guess not>>Tammo29.
> >
> >Tammo's got me filtered, so I don't expect a direct response, but I read
the
> >author's pleading for a loss another way.  He's seeing sloppy play by the
> >Americans, and it's as much a testament to the missing talent of Shaq,
Kobe,
> >Duncan, and Tracy as it is to the limited practice time.  He'd like to
see
> >more of the top players willing to play to show just HOW GOOD the US
players
> >are, rather than just eking out a win.  He feels this will only happen if
> >the
> >team loses, and the best Americans are drawn into defending the honor of
the
> >U.S.A.
> >
> >Tammo thinks that the author should root for the U.S.  I don't see why.
> >These
> >guys don't truly represent the best we have, and if that's what we're
> >putting
> >forth against the world's best, then we need the wakeup call of a loss.
> >
> >Just another example of how Tammo interprets things differently than I.