ESPN Ric Bucher: Open Man (Eddie Griffin Article to appear in ESPN The Magazine)

Call me a prick, but I am caring less and less about EG. He is too much a shadow lingering around. I also seriously doubt he will be much a force whichever team he plays. I am more concerned about Boki's development.

So, Eddie, Be Gone & Gone for Good

 

doesn't make me sad - makes me angry.

Eddie says the Rox treated him fair. Sure they treated him fair. It's Griffin who didn't treat the Rox or the fans fair.

The Rox paid him. Throughout his drug abuse, his costly womanizing, his missing workouts, missing flights, missing games, missing practices...

Eddie got psychological help arranged by the Rockets (CD), paid for by the Rockets. He had the support of his teammates, and his fans wanted to see him contribute. And after months of cashing Rocket checks, he is now gonna play for the Nets.

Eddie doesn't deserve sympathy. He deserves to be boo'ed (more than Pippen ever did!).

When we first drafted him, I was very excited. Now I hate Eddie Griffin. Hate him. Honestly and truly hate, loathe and despise him. Just the thought of him makes me nausious. He is the epitome of human trash. And I wish upon him a sudden, painful and untimely young death. It's an insult to humanity that he ever procreated, and I'm sure his illegitimate children will grow up to follow in his father's rotten footsteps. Hopefully, they will quickly squander away the money Eddie will have stolen from the Rockets and other teams, and they will return to the depths of the ghetto where the entire Griffin family came from. I look forward to the day that I learn that tbey are killed in a drug-deal-gone-bad or a gang-related drive-by shooting.

That's how much I hate him.

-- droxford

 

If EG gets his act together I wonder if the Rockets would try to bring him a back after the season.

 

I've been thinking of you (well, your handle). Hope we sign
another Eddie and give him #33 sooner than later.

There's an Eddie Browder, #33, playing for the Olivet College junior varsity team. ... I guess it's a start. And given some of our recent drafts, maybe he'll end up on the roster.

 

Jebus, man. Are you sure about this part?

I'd settle for him cleaning up, becoming a mediocre player for a few years, then being out of the league- then spending the rest of his life as a has-been (or never was), regretting not taking better advantage of what he had here.

 

I'd blame the Rockets for that. After investing all these extras in Eddie, they cut him before they could see the return on the investment. That was just stupid. If they couldn't put up with his crap, they should have gotten rid of him a long time ago; because they didn't they may as well see where the road would take them. I still don't understand why they'd cash out while his stock was in the basement. He was at least heading to a temporary remission they could have profited from. If I booed anyone, it'd be JVG and CD -- but I don't boo the Rockets.

 

Damn, man. You need new things to think about if it pisses you off that much. He's just a freakin' basketball player.

Anger management, anyone?

 

Sure, he'll be on the 1st plane...

 

Finally...that's all he had to say. EG, it's time to move on...

 

I try not to think about him.

Incidentally, I'm not that cruel in person - when I post, I tend to exaggerate my emotions. S'fun.

-- droxford

 

This is a very sad article. It hurts me to read this because of course it's horrible to wish failure on a 21 year old kid but there is a part of me that wants him to fail simply because I hate the idea of him reaching his potential elsewhere after he wasted his potential here and left us minus 3 draft picks and nothing to show for his departure.

 

We should have kept him for this year at least to see if he worked out, I mean we are already PAYING him for the year.

It was an IDIOTIC move to release him...plain stupid.

DD

 

The Rockets had to cut him - at the very least to maintain team discipline. I don't blame them.

But unless you have ever dealt with serious depression, shut up and don't blame Eddie Griffin either. That **** isn't a question of motivation or willpower. When they say he didn't have the energy to tell his dog to shut up, I believe them.

I hope Eddie does well for himself - except for the games he plays against Houston.

 

The Rocket did not HAVE To cut him, they could have let it play out, they have to pay him anyway.

Bad move on CD...hasty IMO.

DD

 

I feel sorry for a guy paralyzed from the neck down. Everyday he lays in bed wishing he could walk. Eddie I don’t feel sorry for, I do hope he gets his life together. He made bad choices in life---alcohol, drugs, and unwed pregnancies, all the while, getting paid millions of dollar the last two only to half-heartily playing basketball. The fans and the Rockets were cheated. He collected millions and no apology to anyone. The reason I am hard on Eddie is in New Jersey he lands on his feet. Millions more and an assistant to follow him around to keep him in line. I would be happy if he gave back half his salary for the past two years for a sub par performance. An apology to Houston and the Rockets for not playing hard. Also the Nets would have to give up a first round pick in the next draft because the NBA should really suspend Eddie. Life is hard for a lot of people in the world. Making millions playing basketball is not a hard life. So I hope Eddie isn’t depressed anymore, and he’s happy but just remember the poor guy in a wheelchair who can never have the ability to walk. Pay the price Eddie and don’t blame anyone but yourself!

 

I agree. If they had to pay him anyway, then why did they cut him? Bad PR? That's the only reason I can think of. Pretty weak.

These articles do make you feel somewhat bad for EG, but he really did not seem like he was as talented as billed. Maybe that's because he wasn't really working on his game due to all of this stuff. We'll find out in the next 2 years. Anyway, I hope he gets his life in order-- with or without basketball.

 

my guess is has something to do with his playing for Seaton Hall... NYers know about him, his one season at college was sensational and got loads of coverage...