Jefferson - a new man?

[Kim Malo]

At 09:02 AM 9/28/2006, Berry, Mark  S wrote:
>I have no doubt they're still shopping for that impact player to add to
>the mix. If it doesn't happen before the season (it probably won't),
>then I think the trade deadline is likely. You can't force these things,
>Egg. You do that and you end up with Iverson.
>
>As for Al, you're right ... I'm sure the team talked to him about
>conditioning. But they talk to everyone about that stuff. Al did it.

It's also one of the few times I'll accept his being so young as a 
legit semi-excuse, especially because he seems to be growing up about 
it so it's not a lingering excuse. I mean come on, how much attention 
did any of you pay to any of that sort of advice at his age before 
heading out to McDonald's. He'd never had a problem (in his eyes) 
before and always been in good enough shape (again in his eyes) and 
had even dominated to a degree his rookie year as he was. Worrying 
about that was for old guys at the end of their career trying to hang 
on. Even people like Bird, never someone whose work ethic was 
questioned, had to learn the difference.

>Check out this interview with Wally, which includes clips of Al. He
>looks like a different guy. It's amazing -- almost like the
>transformation from drunk Vin Baker to sober Vin Baker. (Great, now
>you're going to suggest Al's a drunk ... )
>
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRdKiIvGlbo

Thanks for the clip. Could have been just the camera angles, but it 
was interesting to me that for someone who probably was just doing 
some working out, his left knee - the one that needed surgery - 
looked more defined and less as if it might be slightly swollen than 
the right one. Reading too much into it perhaps... (hey you guys get 
cheerleaders, I get not much more than Wally's knees to look at <g>)
Kim