I know there has to be some. I mean Sterling may be dumber, but I don't know about being a bigger jerk. Carlisle should have gotten a bonus and contract extension for what he's done in Detroit. Instead he gets fired. Dumars is a first class jerk
FB, From some of the stuff I have read today, this may have been more of an owner decision, rather than a Dumar's decision. More about this should leak out in the coming days. Joe has always been a class guy (from his playting days mainly) and I would be suprised to learn that Joe himself, went to the owner's and recommended this, rather than the other way around. Here is an article that was posted by Ric Bucher: http://espn.go.com/nba/columns/bucher_ric/1561441.html
You know, when the guy that got fired was nice and friendly and thanking the guy that fired him at the newsconference... maybe it wasn't a "jerk" move, but a mutual parting.
is dumars getting the full credit for obtaining memphis' 2nd pick? i thought it was their previous manager (who's now working for the sonics) who set it up.
He's the guy who bribed Orlando to delay sending their pick to Memphis that would've fulfilled the trade requirement from Otis Thorpe. Orlando recieved a 2nd round pick from Detroit just by waiting a day.
If it was the owner then the owner is a big jerk. I had thought it was Dumars. Either way the thing was an amazingly unjust move. It's not often that people get fired for doing a superb job. I had always thought that Dumars was the one good guy from that badboy team, but this changed my mind. If it was the owner then maybe Joe D is still a-ok.
"Jerk" has a secondary meaning: sucker, mark, one who got played. I don't think Dumars, or whoever made this call in Detroit, is the first kind of jerk. There's nothing wrong with doing what you think you have to do to get to the next level, as long as you honor your contracts. But the only way Dumars/Davidson doesn't look really stupid here is if: 1. They sign Larry Brown 2. The Pistons make it to the finals If they sacked Carlisle only to lose Brown, then no comment necessary. But if they fire Carlisle, pay Brown $6 million more per year, and still win 50 games and don't make the finals, then they still look like jerks.
I don't know the decision to axe Carlisle was Dumars' alone. If it was, that's pretty damn cold. But Dumars has proven himself to be a BRILLIANT basketball mind -- so if he thinks the team is better off without Carlisle, maybe they are. Dropping Carlisle the way they did, though, is pretty bush league.
From the articles today, the owner was fed up with Carlisle's attitude toward everyone except the team. Carlisle was a total jerk to everyone (owner, front office, etc) apparently. Chauncey Billups echoed this in an interview saying that with the players, Carlisle was fine, but he couldn't treat the other people the way he did and not expect consequences.
You do realize the NBA named their sportsmanship award after Joe Dumars and he was named Exec of the year this year. I don't think saying he's considered a class act and brilliant is a particular stretch.
By the way, Carlisle will now get a higher paying gig with more power right away. By acting quickly, it allowed both sides to get what they really wanted. That's why Carlisle was at the press conference and cracking jokes. He didn't want to get fired, but he was put in the best possible position he could ever hope for to get the job he wanted.
That award was given prior to Carlisle's firing. I would bet that if the award were to be voted on right after that firing Dumars wouldn't have come in first. I think Carlisle was part of the reason Joe got the award. If I'm an employee, and I come in and get more out of limited resources than anyone thought popular, go further with the business than just about anyone expected, and out perform a higher profile company, I don't expect to fired. I certainly don't expect to be replaced by an exec from the high profile company I just out performed. The bosses who do that kind of firing, are jerks.
And maybe, just maybe, you're ill informed. Carlisle wasn't a saint. Dumars isn't the anti-christ. Read this: http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/5992778.htm
If he was fired because he was a headache that's one thing. But the CNNSI article said that Carlisle wasn't fired until they knew they could get Brown. That means that the was fired because they could get Larry, and not because of Rick's poor people skills. In other words if Larry had stayed in Phily Detroit would have been comfortable keeping Carlisle, headaches and all, as their coach.
I bet Carlisle wishes he hadn't gone in to talk about that extension now! The thing about Carlisles success is that he did it <b>again</b> with at least three new players (Rip, the Turk and the Prince) playing major minutes.