Dickerson will likely go the Hakeem/Brandon route and not actually retire. Thats my guess anyway. I believe the rule is, cap relief comes two years after the date of the original injury. However, I am not sure when Dickerson was originally injured.
Being that this is coming from Vescey, I'll believe it when I see it. That said, if it is true, I feel for Dickerson...he still has a ton of gas in the tank.
Me too. I had gotten my hands on a couple of tickets on the floor for that game. It was, like, the only one I made it to that season. Another highlight was Vince doing a 360 dunk along with an amazing baseline jam.
So what is his actual injury that would force him to retire? I think I remember it was some "groin injury"...
This makes me sad. I really enjoyed having Dickerson as a Rocket... and always favored him to Mobley. I kept expecting him to make the leap... not to superstardom, but to a solid #2 or #3 guy. I liked his attitude, his game, and his talent. I never thought he was lazy, like some here... but he was professional, and not some ******* demanding "props" and respect before it was earned. He was mature, not apathetic. Makes me sad. Hope he succeeds in whatever he choses next.
codell,please forgive me for my ignorance but I don't know who Eric Dickerson is.I'm not trying to be smart.
I have never heard of him either. A quick Google search seems to indicate that he is some football (American football) dude.
Eric Dickerson is a HOFer who played for the Los Angeles Rams and Indianapolic Colts. Went to college here in Texas (SMU). I believe he still holds the NFL record for rushing yards in a season with 2,100 or something like that. Rushed for over 1,800 yds 4 times in his career. I think he is the #3 or #4 all time leading rusher in NFL history.
Don't lie to them, codell. Guys, Eric Dickerson is actually the worst sideline reporter in the history of American football.
One of the top 3 or 4 greatest backs in the NFL......ever even though he played on some mediocre squads.
Oh, while I've got your attention bs, before the Bama games this season, they always let a former 'legend' bring the ball to midfield. On Saturday, Bobby Humphrey was the guy. Since I was standing right next to the fence (and right in front of pathetic Croyle warming up), I get a great view of the field. Next moment, Humphrey has exited the field through the fence and I find myself next to him and shaking his hand. Really strange moment, and he's really huge. Oh, and the game was allright, but Croyle is very mediocre. I suppose I should say something about a Dickerson. How about George?
I feel sad for Dickerson. I always liked him and the main thing that I will remember about him was his amazing quickness. He could accelerate faster than almost anyone.
The real Michael Dickerson: http://www.gomemphis.com/mca/grizzlies/article/0,1426,MCA_475_2299603,00.html Retirement? Dickerson planning on playing No Time for Pain By Ronald Tillery tillery@gomemphis.com September 26, 2003 Michael Dickerson emerged from a Rhodes College locker room dressed in athletic gear and wearing optimism like a bulletproof vest. The man (James Posey) who would replace him in the Grizzlies starting backcourt walked just a few paces behind. The injury (sports hernia) that's interrupted Dickerson's career for two seasons suddenly has created strong speculation that he will soon retire. Just thinking about either notion brought a sense of amusement to Dickerson as he reached the sidewalk, determined and admittedly in pain. "I haven't discussed retiring with anyone. That's news to me," Dickerson said. "This is what I love doing, and I have no intent of retiring. They're basically going to have to tell me, 'OK, this is what we're going to do. See ya.' But I'm not going to give up. That's not in me. I'm going to fight." The 6-5 Grizzlies guard says he is in the toughest situation life has dealt since his grandmother passed away within the past few years. He's played in 10 games since the Grizzlies' move south from Vancouver. Of those appearances, six happened last season and long after Dickerson originally suffered a stress fracture near his right groin four games into the 2001-02 campaign. Nearly two years of rehabilitation characterize Dickerson's plight since that dreadful Nov. 6, 2001 game at Phoenix. Most recently, he's undergone and attempted to rebound from the last resort: An April hernia surgery that placed meshing in his groin and required up to three months of rehab. That's the bad news. The good news, according to Dickerson, is the daunting process of playing saps only energy, not confidence. He returned to Memphis two weeks ago and has routinely attempted to play in NBA-caliber pick-up games. His preparation includes performing exercises for three hours that many teammates couldn't do for 30 minutes. Dick erson also must accept pain in order to resume any athletic activity. "This is a tough kid," said Steve Gordon, a confidant and coach from the Seattle-area where Dickerson grew up. "This has been difficult emotionally but he's not a quitter." Dickerson's condition is not well understood. Sports hernias are most common in soccer, hockey and tennis yet the NBA has seen mild cases. Pain associated with the injury increases with acceleration, twists, turns and cutting. Dickerson's case often is mind boggling because of unexplained movement in pain, from the groin to the back to the abdominal area. So exactly what are the chances of Dickerson actually playing effective NBA hoops again? In Dickerson's mind, the chances are good as long as he's willing to try. "Maybe," he said with a grin, "I'm the one messed up, mentally. Maybe this injury has made me too strong mentally." Griz coach Hubie Brown insists Dickerson's comeback attempt form nothing but admiration and ongoing support. "I'm a major fan of Michael Dickerson," Brown said. "He's my type of player. . . . I've never given any thought to questioning him not being ready. This is a guy who has worked so hard in rehabilitation. When Mike D tells me he's ready, we'll have a spot for him." Dickerson's modest progress still generates caution that has little to do with talent. He is the team's best backcourt defender and a 16-point-a-game scorer when healthy. But his absence essentially adds up to two seasons. Two seasons. This prompted Griz president Jerry West to sign Posey as a free agent after selecting guards Troy Bell and Dahntay Jones in the June draft. However, Dickerson is not concerned with potential business implications. He has five years left on a six-year, $43 million contract extension signed before the Grizzlies' inaugural regular season in Memphis began. Retiring would afford the Grizzlies the chance to pursue the removal of Dickerson's contract from their payroll. Dickerson, one of just two Vancouver leftovers, would still receive pay from an insurance company because NBA contracts are guaranteed. "I can't speak for what they want to do. But I don't want to retire," Dickerson said, flatly. Dickerson's situation is different from retired center Bryant Reeves. A degenerative back condition threatened to cripple Reeves if he continued to play basketball. Dickerson said doctors told him that his condition could get no worse. The issue now apparently is Dickerson's pain threshold. "I'll let pain be my guide, and I'll play through the pain. I don't care," Dickerson said. "I've gone through the pain for two years now. I just want to play basketball." Even as Posey stood merely 20 feet away waiting for a ride to a local hotel, Dickerson put everyone - coaches included - on notice. "They've still got to beat me out in practice," Dickerson said of teammates. "They give me a fair chance in practice and can't anyone start in front of me. The injury doesn't matter. If I get a fair chance, then I'll change what they're thinking. "If they come to me and talked to me (about retiring) then I don't know how I'll take that. I went up the ladder, came back down, went up the ladder, came down. . . . I've been through a lot. It's been tough. God only puts tough things in front of people who can handle it. I believe he considers me tough."
but i thought if the board had the chance to do it over they would have traded Mobley instead of Dickereson... bugger
Are you talking about the NFL hall of famer Eric Dickerson, He was retired since late 80's i think. I think you meant Michael Dickerson. Someone has really need to validate this rumors about Michael Dickerson, for the reason that Vescey is not your normal columnist whose been reliable source in the past.
first of all, i think the eric dickerson reference was a joke. a bad joke. not a bad joke in the way that it was in poor taste, but in the way that it wasn't funny. i'm actually surprised i know who eric dickerson is. i'm a one sport fan. i only like basketball. that's it. next- michael dickerson is a consumate pro and a very friendly, polite man. i'm not going to get into the specifics of my job, but i do greet the grizzles everytime they arrive in houston and have greeted them in other cities as well when my co-workers in those cities weren't available to do so. very seldom do injured players travel with the team. michael dickerson is always there with his team. he isn't somewhere drinking martini's and getting lap dances. he's with his team whether he can play or not. and now you've read that article. if you still feel he has a poor work ethic and a bad attitude, well then that's just madness that goes a bit beyond my comprehension.
