Several times during his tenure in New York (1995-2002), Van Gundy would address the gathered media after a particularly inept Knick performance and shame-facedly assume the entire blame for the embarrassing loss. He hadn't prepared the team properly, hadn't motivated them, hadn't made the appropriate in-game adjustments, etc. Naturally, the media scurried over to the players to record their reactions. And, just as naturally, all of the players dismissed Van Gundy's mea culpa and claimed the onus for themselves. What was Van Gundy's agenda here? To force his players into giving him a public vote of confidence, thereby securing his job while the Knicks were wallowing at the bottom of the league. At the same time, Van Gundy also "proved" to his players that he was protecting their backsides. Wow. That really is an interesting take on all the 'loyalty' Gundy has supposedly engendered in all his former players. After 1 year in Houston, I kinda got the feeling that that was some b.s.
I remember that Charley Rosen had written a very similar article before. I guess he thinks that the more often he repeats it, the more people will believe it. I guess he's right...
Interesting article. So basically it states that Houston should watch their backs because what they got in a coach is a manipulative, secretive, arrogant, closet egomaniac suckass, who brown noses his superstars and back stabs everyone else. Yeah that sounds about right.
I can't comment on some of the other claims, but this to me seems like a very reasonable (and I imagine very basic) PR tactic. Aren't we always complaining about players or coaches (cough, *LARRY BROWN *cough) who trash their team to the media? We expect that good coaches and players will keep problems within the team and work it out within the team, not slug it out unproductively in the media. I don't know; maybe having been brought up by Chinese parents, I'm very comfortable with the idea of self-effacement as politeness (or PR).
That is what is expected of good coaches. Unfortunately, Jeff Van Gundy did not exhibit this tendency last season in Houston.
The same Charley Rosen that said T-Mac Won't Make the Rockets Better and also said we should Pity Poor Rudy T . Next.
The pity poor rudy article that Jeff is talking about is probably this one: http://msn.foxsports.com/story/2902176
