Re: Re: Here's what I see

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

You're right, Paul. I don't have a lot of tolerance for players who quit on their coaches, and I probably used too strong a word there. With Pitino, they were actively trying to get the guy fired. I don't think that's true here. I think it's just a case of Obie's message wearing thin. When you stop winning, the players don't buy in so completely. 

But there's another difference - these players have won something. They've been to the Eastern Conference Finals. The players quitting on Pitino - who had won a national title in college AND taken a team to the playoffs in the NBA - hadn't won a damn thing. 

But as much as I want Obie gone, I'd lose a lot of respect for these players if they started actively trying to make that happen. Maybe it doesn't make sense, but that's the way I see it. I want him gone, but I don't want the players sticking a knife in his back to get it done. 

Paul, we know how you feel about Antoine and Danny, but do you honestly believe Obie is doing a good job? Everyone gives him credit for hiring Harter and improving the team's defense, but has he really done anything else? Do you think he's getting the most out of his players? I'm really curious. You know I respect your opinion.

Mark  


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Paul M. wrote:

This is interesting. Let's all turn our minds back to the last days of
Pitino. If I remember correctly, Mark, you were ripping the players,
especially that guy currently in Dallas. A lot of us were arguing at the
time that it was actually the right thing for the players to do. Pitino was
a loser, an ego freak, and proved himself incapable of winning in the NBA.
You weren't buying it. You continued to make a lot of references (over a
long period of time) to how Walker selfishly quit on Pitino and got him
fired. I certainly hope you're going to rip Paulie if this team quits on
O'Brien. You certainly don't think that it's good in "this" situation that
the team quits on O'Brien, do you? There is one big difference between
O'Brien and Pitino. O'Brien actually has shown he can coach a team and they
can be relatively successful.