[Flordia Today]T-Mac revives Orlando feud http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050319/SPORTS/503190328/1002 March 19, 2005 T-Mac revives Orlando feud BY JOHN DENTON FLORIDA TODAY SEATTLE - Even now, nine months after the blockbuster trade that dramatically reshaped the Orlando Magic, the feud between general manager John Weisbrod and Tracy McGrady lives on. McGrady went to Weisbrod following last year's 21-61 and informed Weisbrod that he wanted to be traded. The Magic GM obliged him on June 29, shipping McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue and Reece Gaines to Houston for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato. The two had their differences last season and have sniped at each other at times since the trade. But McGrady unloaded on Weisbrod in a big way recently, this time during an interview televised Friday night on ESPN. Asked if there was anyway he might have returned to Orlando this season, McGrady said: "Honestly, as long as John Weisbrod was the GM there was no way, no way I'd step another foot in a Magic uniform. It was just his whole demeanor and the whole way he goes about doing business and doing things. I don't know if I can say this, but I'm gonna say it, 'He's an (expletive).' " McGrady said that he was infuriated when Weisbrod took shots at him in the weeks after the trade. The day the trade became official, Weisbrod was asked if McGrady was his type of player and he responded with a terse, "No!" "I was so (expletive) because I was sitting back and listening to everything that was going on in the offseason," McGrady told ESPN. "He calls me up because I told him basically that I wanted out and he says, 'We're going to take the high road on this.' I was like, cool, because I'm not going to say anything bad. I'm going to be a professional about this and be quiet. I wake up a couple of mornings later, man, and he's just going off on me, straight blasting me." Weisbrod said Friday before the Magic's game against Seattle that he didn't want to respond to McGrady. Said Weisbrod, "I promised (Houston general manager) Carroll Dawson that I wouldn't take any more shots at the kid." DAVIS DISAPPOINTED Johnny Davis continued to express his disappointment Friday over being fired as the Magic's head coach. Davis was promised months earlier by Weisbrod that his job was safe through the end of the season, but he was let go with just 18 games left. Davis still finds that hard to believe. "With only 18 games to play, why do it now?'' Davis asked. "Let's see if we can make (the playoffs) and then make your move. If we make it, OK. If we don't, it's justified. As we speak we're right there (in the playoff race). "We all started the process of the season together and that's how I thought it would end. I was honoring the contract. I never went and asked for an extension when things were on the upswing. I thought we would talk at the end of the year.'' Davis was coaching in limbo with his contract up at the end of this season. He received a two-year deal last November when he took over for Doc Rivers. But he never got the extension he was looking for this season. Davis has had many coaches call him the past few days to offer their support. The message was basically the same: There is little to no loyalty in coaching ranks these days. "I think that's because of the 'Right Now' part of it,'' Davis said. "Years ago, there was a loyalty factor. But that loyalty factor's gone, and that's from the top down. "For coaches, I mean, look at it _ there's no security unless you (have won a couple of championships), which only makes you attractive to someone else. But if you are striving to be an elite coach and you stumble along the way, you're gone. You're out. Next!'' ETC: Magic point guard Steve Francis missed the Friday morning workout because he was having MRI tests performed on his ailing lower back. There was no damage revealed and Francis was in the starting lineup Friday night. He has been bothered by back pain for more than a week and has worn a flak jacket each of the past two games. . . . Francis, the starter at shooting guard the past 11 games, was moved back to point guard Friday night and DeShawn Stevenson was promoted to the starting lineup. Rookie Jameer Nelson was moved back to the bench, but said the change didn't bother him. Said Nelson: "I've just got to find a way to make an impact during the game the way I was trying to make one at the start. Whatever they do to me, I'm fine with it.''
That guy is going to trade Francis this year, or make a strong effort in trying. His two faced actions shows that he's loyal to none of his subordinates and that he forces bad decisions based on a need for unrealistic results. If Steve isn't gone by the summer, expect him to kiss even more Franchise ass and look for a quick fixes to accomodate him and his weaknesses.
this weisbrod character does sound like an a**. of course, it's all hearsay, but still....he seems to have bad practices.
"I promised (Houston general manager) Carroll Dawson that I wouldn't take any more shots at the kid." wow, this really puts CD in a good light, and you just know weisbrod had to call tracy 'the kid'.
The guy's a typical suit. Unfortunately, he's like most of the "executives" I've worked with over the years. You'll note that when he fired his coach he stated something to effect that this (basketball) is a must-win game and that if you don't perform then you're going to be fired. Hmm. You'll notice the lack of acceptance on his part regarding the fact that he's the coach's BOSS!! Or that he's the one making the trades. Funny how the accountability bit only goes as far as one level below the real decision maker.
Not once would you ever hear CD taking shots at Francis or any other player he has traded. In public at least, he always takes the high road and says positive things if anything. That shows you the difference between our GM who is a true professional, and Weisbroad who is a true a-hole.
I don't think weisbrod will be around long enough to trade Stevie. They had a good thing going, they just needed time. This guy is a joke.
Weisbrod is not a typical a hockey guy: the players and executives in the NHL are usually pretty quiet and respectful. Whatever the reason, perhaps the reserved Canadian and Scandinavian character of the game, the fact is that trash talking is very unusual. So go ahead and despise Weisbrod (I certainly do), but please don't blame hockey.
I just don't see how any players would want to sign or play with the Magic and Wisebrod. It's obvious that this guy has a ego problem w/ his players. I don't see them getting full value for Francis (even though its not that much).
As for Weisbrod's character, I think he has reached the "3 strike" limit as a GM: 1) Traded one of the best players in franchise history, and told McGrady that he would "take the high road" (we all know what happened instead). So he backstabbed T-Mac and went on a vicious campaign to destroy his character in the league. STRIKE ONE! 2) Was trying to be all nice and hospitable to Steve Francis at the beginning of the trade, and instead of keeping the nucleus together of Mobley and Francis to maximize the team's success, he backstabs Francis (giving him no incentive to care anymore about the team) and got rid of Mobley in an apparent attempt to take Francis out of his comfort zone, so he can player better; it was supposedly good for him. This made Francis arrive at the conclusion that Weisbrod was not truthful to him and therefore he dropped one of his "it is just a business" bombs on Weisass. STRIKE TWO! 3) Coach Davis was assured by Weisbrod that he would be given a chance to at least finish the season off and then reevaluate the situation then. Davis agreed to that and honorably did not request an extension of his contract during the season, opting to rather wait till the end of the season so as to not be a distraction for the team. Instead, Weisass (again) broke his promise and fired Davis prematurely, just when his team was in the middle of a playoff race. Apparently, Weisbrod wanted to preempt the blame that would be placed on him if the Magic don't make the playoffs, and instead wanted to fire Davis just before the season ended in order to have a proper scapegoat. STRIKE THREE! I think the T-Mac interview with Steven S. Smith will ONLY further diminish whatever little credibility Weisbrod has. I think the Orlando media (yes, the Me-Mac crowd) will hang him to dry if the team doesn't at least reach the playoffs. I really believe that Orlando fans are starting to see the light, and are understanding now that the real problem lies in their GM and the dishonorable way he does business (backstabbing, lying, etc.). Let's just wait and see. I don't think he will last past this off-season...
I wonder if that reporter knows that JVG ripped Weisbrod, without specifically naming him, just the day before?
Holy crap, I just have to say again, this guy is a joke. It's amazing to me how horrible some GMs are. J
I highly doubt CD would ask Weisazz not to take shots at Tmac in a serious way. A typical Kobe Bryant tactic.
