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Blazers writer about Barkley: "let's not praise him too much"

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Mr. Maloney, Dec 9, 1999.

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Mr. Maloney Member

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I thought it would be interesting to see what people in Portland think about Barkly's injury, so I checked and here's what Ken
Vance have to say about it.
http://www.pdxguide.com/blazers/

LET'S NOT PRAISE HIM TOO MUCH

By KEN VANCE, for pdxguide.com
Thursday, Dec. 9, 1999

Now that Charles Barkley's storied career in the National Basketball Association is officially over, there surely will be no shortage of tributes and tales of how the league was a better place the past 16 years because the Round Mound of Rebound was a part of it. It will be said that the NBA will miss Sir Charles.

But I won't be saying it.

It does seem a little unfair that a celebrated athlete has had his career ended with an injury during a season he said would be his last. Nobody with a heart would wish that on any athlete.

That said, however, Barkley won't be missed by as many people as the press would have you believe. Most people who have come in close contact with him have seen the ugly side of a man known for his individual talent, girth and mouth that seemingly never closes.

Try the 8-year-old girl whom he spit on while aiming at a heckler. There's also the 9-year-old boy who couldn't wait to tell his father that Barkley had used the "F'' word three times during his final appearance in Portland on Nov. 26, again while responding to heckling fans.

And there was Barkley's pre-game three-ring circus prior to that final game in the Rose Garden, when reporters flocked to him because they knew he would say something sensationalistic about his feud with former teammate and current Blazer Scottie Pippen.

During a 30-minute interview that more closely resembled a distasteful stand-up comedy routine, the Houston Rockets' forward showed all of his sides -- good and bad.

He made many reporters laugh at several points in the conversation, but he also he made at least one shake his head in disgust.

At least two reporters drew his wrath. One, because he questioned Barkley's claim of innocence in the Pippen Soap Opera. The other, because the reporter said on television that Barkley appeared to be overweight. And if there was one word that dominated his vocabulary, it was the aforementioned one the young boy was unfortunate enough to hear.

When he thought reporters were taking notes, Barkley would remain somewhat under control. When he thought it was just guys standing around in the locker room, it was an entirely different story -- and an ugly one at that.

That word
At one point, while referring to Pippen, he dropped the racially-taboo "N'' word that he would rightfully condemn others of a different skin color from uttering about those with the same skin color as his. But a man who has fought the good fight against racial injustice during his career shouldn't be dropping the "N" word so casually, in any forum, public or private.

The press will be quick to say how refreshing it was interviewing Barkley, a mainstay on the league's all-interview team because of his colorful, tell-it-like-it-is dialogue. He was always available and always had something to say, though often it was a shoot -from-the-hip soundbite.

If you listened long enough, he might say something worth writing about, yet it was rarely as insightful as it seemed. More disciplined athletes kept quiet.

Some will hail Barkley as a basketball hero. But he wasn't. He was an extremely talented athlete, but he never made the players around him better. He talked about retiring for the past three seasons, but he stuck around to chase that elusive title that he never won, though he did little to improve his team.

Too selfish
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Barkley never played on a championship team. He was too selfish.

A columnist recently talked about how it was the league's dirty little secret that Barkley never worked hard in practice; that he continually ate at the core of a team's chemistry and that his style of play hurt his team more often than it helped.

Sir Charles was the epitome of an individual athlete trapped in a team sport. He sounded off about today's players and how they are ruining the game. What he didn't realize was that was one of them. He was just before his time.

So, appreciate Barkley for what he was, and don't let anyone make him out to be anything more. He was just another talented athlete who failed miserably in the bigger picture of life. And remember, he said it himself in a TV commercial:

"I am not a role model.''

He never spoke truer words.

KEN VANCE covers the National Basketball Association for The Columbian. You can reach Ken by e-mail at ken.vance@columbian.com or by voice mail at (360) 694-3391 Ext. 2351. You can also hear Ken from 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays on "The Big Show" on Sportsradio 910(AM) The Fan.

#1 Mr. Maloney, Dec 9, 1999

TheFreak Contributing Member

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How classy.

#2 TheFreak, Dec 9, 1999
popeye Member

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Is it just me ... or does it seem silly to even worry about what some non-Rocket fan thinks about Charles and his career.

Much less a Quitten Puppet.

Dear Ken:

Write about your years spent digging ear wax from those large appendages on both sides of your head. And I don't mean Scotties thighs!
Now Listen real good. We don't care.

Love,

popeye

#3 popeye, Dec 9, 1999
RocketMan Tex Contributing Member

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What a bandwagon-riding schmuck this guy is. Does anyone other than me think this article would read a little differently if Charles had ever played for the JailBlazers?

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Just Win Baby! More Than Four Times!

#4 RocketMan Tex, Dec 9, 1999
Mr. Maloney Member

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Popeye
I love Barkley, I loved him since I first saw him play - in Philly.
I would miss him, alot.

But I think it's important to know what other people think, it's important to hear opinions even if they're diffrent then yours and even if the man that's writing them is a Blazers fan.

Saying "WE DON'T CARE" (WE??) is very immature.

#5 Mr. Maloney, Dec 9, 1999
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I remember the great question that one of our administrators posed to the Phoenix writer when we read his article. He basically asked if his opinion would have been any different if they hadn't traded Barkley. Now I pose the same question to us. Would we still be singing Barkley's praises if he played for someone else? It's really something to think about.

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Rockets When? Rockets When?

#6 Barzilla, Dec 9, 1999
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I don't care about what he had to say and that doesn't make me immature.

I found the article to be lame.

Vance is merely a short-sighted journalist looking for a little controversey.

I'm sure at some point in time Barkley probably rubbed him the wrong way and this is his chance to try and get even.

Barzilla,
A great player is a great player no matter what team they play on. Barkley is a character that people love to hate. Barkley has always known this and has always thrived on it.

If he were still a Sun, I would be saddened at the NBA's loss but I would have to be pretty happy that we wouldn't have to face him again.

All of the players that made me love the NBA are now gone, except for Dream. It will be a sad time when he leaves but life will go on.

We will always talk about the dominance of Bird, Magic, Jordan, Dream and Barkley back in the day. Our kids will always think that we're crazy to think that there were people better than Kobe, Duncan, Francis and Kidd, to name a few.

Then we will know how our elders felt!

[This message has been edited by SpaceCity (edited December 09, 1999).]

#7 SpaceCity, Dec 9, 1999

4chuckie Member

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This guy is obviously jealous..

Jealous that Houston kept the player with class..

Jealous that they are stuck with the over-hyped, over-paid, migraine getting, bench sitting Pippen. Now he realizes what they have mortgaged their future on.

#8 4chuckie, Dec 9, 1999
Finalfantasy Member

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Maloney's fan? What do you guys expect from a scrub's fan?

#9 Finalfantasy, Dec 9, 1999
Pass 1st shoot 2nd Contributing Member

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Hello all,
I sent Ken Vance an e-mail in which I said that he spent too much time telling readers about Barkley's (many) bad sides, and to open up his eyes and get the larger view of a good hearted man that does things to show his heart. I also said that he does make players aroung him better, and to look at Othella Harrington and Steve Francis for examples; I also called him an ******* and made fun of him by accusing him of being paid by Scottie Pippen to write this article. Anyway, here's his response:

"Thanks for the e-mail. You called me an a@@hole. I don't know how that could
have been meant in a positive way.

I am quite certain that if you saw the side of Charles that I have seen on many occasions, you would feel the same. It doesn't take much for a multi-millionaire to write a big check. It doesn't make them a good person. And, my feelings about Charles has nothing to do with his feud with Scottie.
They are strictly based on my personal experiences with him.

That said, I'm sure there is good in the man. Most of us have at least some good in us. And, no I didn't point that out. But, it was a column. It was my opinion, so I get to make the rules. At least I didn't stoop so low as to call him an *******.

Ken Vance

Well, he's still just a sports writer trying to make a buck by inciting peoples' memories about a man who did some stupid things. Common of sports writers, he failed to tell the other side of his story. Still, you have to wonder about a guy who writes a negative article about a great basketball player the day after his career ends on such a sad, albeit avoidable note. So he is an a@@hole!

Pass 1st, shoot 2nd.

#10 Pass 1st shoot 2nd, Dec 9, 1999
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Hey Pass 1st, Can I have that email address? I want to send him a friendly greeting as well!

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Stevie Wonder says "they call him FRANCHISE because his dunks are for sale at an arena near you."

#11 Stevie Wonder, Dec 9, 1999
Pass 1st shoot 2nd Contributing Member

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StevieWonder,
The address you are looking for is Bigtimeken@aol.com.

Pass 1st, shoot 2nd.

#12 Pass 1st shoot 2nd, Dec 9, 1999
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This guy is full of ....

I just sent him a nice e-mail. I simply stated how wonderful Pippen is and how he's doing soooo much better than last year, and how he just has so much more heart than Charles..... I sprinkled in a few expletives as well. All the more reason to hate that damn team in the northwest.

1/18/2000 Quitten comes to town.... anyone curious to see what he'll do at gunpoint?

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I'll miss you Charles.

#13 Primetime, Dec 9, 1999

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I HATED BIRD WITH A PASSION

ALWAYS HAVE . . ALWAYS WILL
[not the man . . the player.]
I say hate cause they beat my beloved Rockets
My Beloved DR.J Sixers

I But if he went out like that. . . .
I'd be upset . . . Same with Karl malone
same with john Stockton.

So even if Charles was not a Rocket.
I'd feel the same.

ROCKET RIVER
This injure and my feelings about it are beyond the game.

#14 Rocket River, Dec 9, 1999
Mr. Maloney Member

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FinalFantsy:
I don't understand it, have I hurt you in some way? I hope not.

Let me clear up some things:
I didn't like this article at all.
I didn't like it because I love Chuck and Because I think that it's not fair to write something like that after a man is having a career-ending injury, even if you don't like him.
Even if Pippen would get injured in tonight's game and wouldn't play basketball again I would never think about posting something like that about him, because he's a man having tough time and bashing him doesn't seem right.

But... I thought it was interesting, I really did, he wrote some really bad things about Charles Barkley and it made me wonder, why does he hate him so much???

I thought it could be because Chuck did something that offended him or just because Ken Vance is a Blazers and a Pippen fan.

I thought it's important, I thought it was interesting and I posted it.
That's all.

Didn't you find it interesting? if not, I'm sorry.

MR. MALONEY

P.S. about what I wrote to Popeye (maybe you're upset because of this).
I think that a Barkley fan should be pissed of after reading something like that (like many here were) and a Barkley hater would probably agree with that writer.

But I can't unserstand someone that says "I don't care because he's a Blazers fan"

#15 Mr. Maloney, Dec 9, 1999
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Nope you haven't hurt me in any way. Don't worry about that.

It's just hard to see why players like Maloney has fans, sounds like people who likes junks and a reasonably deductive derivation is that the article should be a piece of junk as well.

The article is immature itself, and if people doens't care about it it means they are mature.

Why? Judging a person based on mistakes only while ignoring the good side is immature itself. Charles is not a saint and is subjuctive to criticism, however, not the immature ones. Besides, all the stuff in that article has been chewed over and over on this site so people has right to say they don't care, as there is nothing new really.

[This message has been edited by Finalfantasy (edited December 09, 1999).]

#16 Finalfantasy, Dec 9, 1999
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Who is this Ken Vance guy? Could it be Scotty Pippen in disguise.

#17 IA Rocket, Dec 9, 1999
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Here is the main question: Are we biased?

Many of you have acknowledged that you either love Charles or you hate Charles. So if we are calling an anti-Barkley article immature and sour-grapes, does that make the article immature or does it mean we're biased too.

The problem I see is that every time someone comes up with a negative Barkley article or comment then they must be biased for some reason. What if they simply have a different perspective than we do.

Am I agreeing with the article? No, not necessarily, but I can't buy into the "conspiracy theories" either. The truth is likely somewhere in between. However, even an unbiased observer can reach the conclusions that he made. Even an unbiased observers can reach the conclusion that Barkley is the best thing to ever hit the NBA. But as Rockets fans we need to acknowledge our own bias before we fly off the handle at others' "obvious" bias.

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Rockets When? Rockets When?

#18 Barzilla, Dec 9, 1999

Pass 1st shoot 2nd Contributing Member

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Barzilla,
My problem with the article was that it told only half the story. I know that Barkley has been a b*stard at times, but he is also a good person who plays as good as his intentions. Sure, we're biased. But I respect journalists who tell the whole story, not just "facts" that lean only to one side of an issue. We've all got facts to put in our Barkley stories; it's how we convey those facts that tell others if we are biased or are appraising the situation. Mr. Vance picked and chose his side of Barkley to publicize-it was not until I e-mailed him that he even acknowledged that Barkley has done good things off the court, and even then he dismissed them as uncharacteristic of a man who has done more harm than good. Still, Mr. Vance is entitled to his opinion, and just like Barkley would tell him, when you speak your mind and it's controversial, you're going to hear something about it.

#19 Pass 1st shoot 2nd, Dec 9, 1999
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Pass 1st, I wrote him an email and said exactly what you just stated. That he simply was not stating all the FACTS. If your in the media you have a responsibility to report all the facts. In this case he used poor judgment and poor taste. Barkley deserved a better fate.

P.S. I asked him if he had a personal vendetta against Charles.

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Stevie Wonder says "they call him FRANCHISE because his dunks are for sale at an arena near you."

#20 Stevie Wonder, Dec 9, 1999

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