From: Snoopy the Celtics Beagle <snoopy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: celtics@xxxxxxxx
Subject: who's running teams, anyway?
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2003 22:13:03 -0400
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
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