The Orlando Magic's Struggles (Weisbrod Pink Slip Watch)

Picking Howard was a gutsy gamble which turned out to be ok. But it could have easily back fired.

And justifying defense as one of the reasons for trading Cuttino was either BS or he just simply didn't know better. I remember last year Cuttino was tasked to defend opponents number 1 option.

3. His handling of McGrady trade. Don't think players trust this guy.

4. Traded Gooden and Verajao for Battie

5. Probably paid too much for FA Turkgolu and Stevenson

6. Firing Davis. Don't think coaches trust this guy.

 

Nick Anderson missing four consecutive free throws in game one of the 1995 finals...

 

"Puck" will keep his job now even if the Magic miss the playoffs. Losing Turkey Glue will allow him to argue that much of what happened this year was beyond his control.

 

That was the official end of the Orlando Magic, and Nick the Brick for that matter.

 

The Tmac deal wasn't that bad for orlando had they kept mobley. Cato and francis are doing well there. Look what toronto got for carter and lakers got for shaq. Those deals make Weisbrod look like a genius for getting what he got for Tmac. Unfrotunatly he made some bad moves, but what GM doesn't. Orlando should give him more than one year even if the guy is an ass.

 

Here's a snippet I don't believe I've seen here yet:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...ic24032405mar24,1,944080.story?coll=orl-magic


Francis, the team's leading scorer, is serving the final game of his three-game suspension. He will be available for the Magic's next game against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night.

Weisbrod met Wednesday with Francis and his agent, Jeff Fried, to discuss Francis' on-court temperament, among other things.

Weisbrod said that Francis is appealing to the league to recoup lost wages from the suspension, which total more than $377,000.

"People makes mistakes. I'm not an exception," Francis said after practice. "Do I feel like I let my team down? I won't say I let them down. It was just something else we had to deal with."


I agree with Steve. I don't think being the team leader and letting your emotions take over your judgement and drawing a 3 game suspension when your team is fighting for their playoff lives qualifies as letting your team down, either. And I think he's also right in spending his "down time" preoccupied with trying to convince the NBA that a suspension, with pay, is enough to teach Steve-O a lesson. A fine without the fine. Hmmm...I wonder if that would work in traffic court?



Can someone start a poll on who loves themselves more, Steve or Weisbrod?

 

I don't know about that, But I know for a fact that steve loves another person almost as much as he loves himself

 

While it's true that lots of GMs make bad trades, and many have made more poor trades than Weisbrod, Weisbrod isn't just an ass in the normal sense of the word. In a business where GMs are supposed to sit quietly behind the scenes and let the players and coaches get most/all of the credit, Weisbrod is taking "being an ass" to a whole new level. This guy pissed off a multitude of people before the season even started and alarmed many others to his shady business tactics.

Had he just gotten off to a bad start and made some poor trades and taken responsibility for them, then I'd say you might should give him another year to learn the ropes. But Weisbrod has gone out of his way to lay the blame for this season at ANYONE'S feet other than his own. That kind of weasly crap does not inspire confidence. If I owned the Magic, I'd fire his ass (right after I had sex with three chicks at one time on top of a pile of money).

 

ROFLMAO!!!!!!

 

And a little more about the suspension, the fine, and the real meaning of leadership. Question for Steve-O---if "the money isn't an issue" and "you're willing to step up and face the consequences", then......why are you appealing?

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050324/SPORTS/503240342/1002

Francis spoke publicly Wednesday for the first time since he was suspended three games by the league. His agent, Jeff Fried, told FLORIDA TODAY on Monday that they would be appealing the suspension in hopes of getting back some of the $377,540 he will be docked. Weisbrod, who met with Fried and Francis on Wednesday night in Orlando, said that the All-Star point guard has submitted a formal appeal to the league and is awaiting word from NBA senior vice president Stu Jackson.

"The money isn't an issue; I'm more focused on my team," said Francis, who is set to return Saturday when the Magic host Phoenix. "It was a mistake that was made and I'm willing to step up and face the consequences. The way to get over it is to come back and help my team get better.

"People make mistakes and I'm not an exception. I wouldn't say I let my team down, but it was just something else they had to deal with besides the injuries that we've been having. They understand. It ain't like after I got suspended that I just left. I was on the road with those guys and supporting them all the way."

 

I'm pretty sure the players union makes everyone appeal basically every fine.

 

Everybody make fun of the Magic while they're down, they just lost to the bobcats for the second time in a week... I HATE ORLANDO AND THEIR DUMB MEDIA TOO!!!!

 

What kind of sorry ass team loses twice to the Bobcats?! The Magic should be ashamed of.......oh wait.

 

True, but that was early in the season and it wasnt twice in the same week...

 

Well, isn't it kind of obvious?

Shaquille O'Neal leaves Orlando for the Lakers. Orlando tried to soft play him, because they didn't think anyone else would have the money to get him - a local newspaper ran a poll that showed 90% of Orlando residents didn't think he was worth a nine figure contract - essentially Orlando blew it's chance at a dynasty.

 

This thread has looked at Steve and Cat, but check this out...

Last night, in a loss to the Bobcats, Kelvin Cato did this:
30 min.
0 pts. !!!!
0-4 from field (only attempted 4 shots in 30 min.!)
1 OREB
3 DREB (total of 4 REBs in 30 min.!)
0 assists
1 STL
2 BLK

That's pretty lousy, especially for a guy of his size and especially against the Bobcats.

-- droxford

 

Let's start talking about how terrible James Posey and Kenny Thomas are... Oh, Boki, Pike and EG all suck!

 

What do we expect from an outfit whose mascot is Mickey Mouse?

 

Weisbrod's club has image of expansion team
Published March 25, 2005

by Mike Bianchi

If I knew who he was, I might just call for Chris Jent's firing.

And I'm not sure, but I think I saw Magic General Manager John Weisbrod on the phone with ousted coach Johnny Davis midway through the fourth quarter Thursday night. I believe the first words out of Weisbrod's mouth were: "Just kidding, Johnny."

I'm joking, of course, because what else can you do after watching the withering Magic get blown out 108-94 by the expansion Charlotte Bobcats? The Magic have become so bad that courtside photographers will soon start kicking the players when they fall into press row.

Playoff team?


Puh-leeze.

The Magic are much closer to an expansion team. Actually, they are now officially an expansion team's tackling dummy. The Magic are 1-3 against the Bobcats, who came into Thursday night with an 0-19 road record in the Eastern Conference.

There was talk before Thursday's embarrassing, humiliating, wretched defeat that the Magic were embarking on their own version of the NCAA Tournament. Jent (he's the anonymous guy in the suit standing in front of the bench) said every game would take on do-or-die implications.

You want a postseason Cinderella? The Magic are wearing glass slippers but, unfortunately, Steve Francis is using them as a weapon to kick courtside photographers.

You want March Madness? How about an angry Stacey Augmon assaulting reporters with projectile body lotion?

You want the Final Four? How about the number of NBA-caliber Magic players remaining who haven't either been suspended, fined or injured?

You want a bracket-buster? The University of Orlando Fighting Magicians are a 16 seed in the NBA Albuquerque Regional, which is where the Magic might be relocating if the team continues its downward spiral into oblivion.

Who needs Wisconsin-Milwaukee when we've got Orlando-Dysfunction right here?

"We're on the bubble," Magic star Grant Hill said before Thursday's loss.

The bubble burst Thursday, and the Magic have Bubblicious all over their faces. They lost the play-in game. They are Alabama A&M losing to Oakland (Mich.).

When last we saw the Magic at home, they still bore a faint resemblance to a playoff team. But since their last home game on March 13, a coach has been fired, two players suspended, another player fined and still another injured and lost for the season.

"We've had a season-full of misfortune and turmoil in one week," Hill said. "This has been one of the toughest stretches I've ever been through."

Honestly, this was like expansion team versus expansion team. Without Francis (suspension, out for three games), Hedo Turkoglu (broken wrist, out for the season) and Doug Christie (hurt feelings, out until his wife tells him he can come back), the Magic starting lineup Thursday night was made up of Hill, two rookies, Kelvin Cato and DeShawn Stevenson. Chris Jent, Johnny Davis or Red Auerbach couldn't win with that lineup.

By the way, will somebody please tell Christie to phone home? With the lineup the Magic had on the floor Thursday night, they could have used Christie -- bone spurs and all. In fact, they could have used Christie with bone spurs, shin splints and one arm tied behind his back.

In the last week, the Magic have had games at Sacramento (where Christie played for six years), Los Angeles (where Christie was supposedly getting a second opinion from a doctor on whether he needs surgery) and Seattle (where Christie and his wife own a home). And Christie wasn't at any of the games. Can you say AWOL? Can you believe the Magic are actually paying this guy $8 million a year to not be part of the team?

Memo to Rich Crotty: Can the Magic at least have $413.37 of the tourist tax money to maybe get some new carpet in their locker room?

 

!
I think he's accusing the Magic players of being carpet-munchers!

Scandel!