who's running teams, anyway?

[Snoopy the Celtics Beagle <snoopy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This all goes back to when Bill Fitch was coaching another team after 
Boston.  I don't remember the details anymore, but it was some rookie that 
was holding out for more money, or he'd sit out the season.  Fitch 
basically told him if the offer was good enough for Larry Bird, the kid 
should shut up and do what he was told until he showed he was actually 
worth the money he was demanding.

The owner of the team caved in to the demands and Fitch was quickly 
gone.  I don't even remember the name of that idiot kid, but I hope he had 
a quick exit from the NBA after all the trouble he caused.

I don't like Byron Scott.  I didn't like him as a Laker, and I don't think 
he's a good coach.  But Jason Kidd, so long as he's an employee of the New 
Jersey Nets, should not be trashing his coach like that.  Even moreso, 
whoever leaked that story to the press should be fired.  This was obviously 
a private meeting.  It's possible--assuming the remarks are accurately 
quoted, not a given--that Kidd was just annoyed at having just gotten 
smoked in the Finals again.  He's human, and most humans occasionally lose 
their temper--and their common sense along with it.

But frankly, if I had a choice between Byron Scott and Isaiah Thomas, I'd 
make friends with Byron real fast.

Which brings up Waltah.

I like him, as a player, and a person.  He's right when he says he took 
less money last year.  But he was wrong to blow up at them for not offering 
him more this year.  The C's finances are NOT a state secret.  They don't 
have the money.  The measure of the C's respect came from Danny Ainge.  He 
didn't take the opportunity to make a public broadside right back.

He said he didn't blame Walter for being angry, and if they had the money, 
they'd give it to him.  I give Ainge credit.  He could have said, "Hey, 
Walter, Tommy might love you, but I don't.  Goodbye."

I think Walter got frustrated.  The veteran's minimum in the NBA isn't 
exactly minimum wage as we mere mortals know it.  He won't starve, and he's 
with a classy team.  Nobody tried to finesse him with false 
promises.  Nobody fired him without mentioning it to him first.  They told 
him up front what they could do and apologized they couldn't offer 
more.  How much more respect does a person need?

Calm down, Waltah.  Apologize for speaking in haste and sign the 
contract.  I've said before, if someone offered ME the minimum, I'd sign 
before they realized their mistake.  :>)))

Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
Please visit the <http://www.celticsbeagle.net/>Celtics Beagle Website