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FRAN BLINEBURY: What's a team to do? Cut cord with Griffin

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by vtkp99, Oct 28, 2003.

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  1. vtkp99

    vtkp99 Member

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    Oct. 27, 2003, 10:46PM


    What's a team to do? Cut cord with Griffin
    By FRAN BLINEBURY
    Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

    ANIMALS have rights.

    We know because we've read the T-shirts.

    For 10 years since Leslie Alexander purchased the Rockets, we have been served up this side dish of personal politics along with the slam dunks in the form of a message that ran across the contours of the jiggle dancers.

    Now we can wonder about the women inside those over-tight tops. Are they to be afforded the same entitlement and respect as your pet schnauzer?

    As the Eddie Griffin saga continues to unfold, there are at least as many questions as answers. Not the least of which is: How does the franchise react?

    Predictably, to date, there has been caution and very little comment from management. Yet there is blood on a sidewalk, along with two spent shell casings, so clearly something happened.

    We are beyond errant plays, missed practices and untapped potential, careening headlong into a crisis that might very well be a crime and will in some way define the Rockets and all of us. Do we drive in happily for the season opener and the dawn of a Toyota Center era that is already skidding out of control?

    If discipline, professionalism and integrity are to be trademarks of the Jeff Van Gundy regime, they should stand for more than just catch-and-shoot defense and pulling down the window shades on the street-level practice court.

    If the Rockets are serious about recapturing their place at the forefront of the community -- and maybe selling a few more tickets to the new pleasure palace -- they should move swiftly and decisively to restore their own good name.

    Yes, we need facts and more facts in order to determine where it all fits within the bounds of the legal system. Innocent until proven guilty, in a court of law. But what of the court of public opinion and hero worship and the product that is being sold as family entertainment?

    These are strange and troubling times in which we live. A defendant in a high-profile rape case, the facts of which have yet to be presented, can take the floor for an exhibition game in his own backyard and be greeted by loving chants of "Ko-be! Ko-be! Ko-be!"

    Let's stop for a moment and reflect. Even if we accept every part of Kobe Bryant's story as he tells it as the certified, undeniable truth, do his actions merit adoration?

    NBA commissioner David Stern blew through town last week to give his blessing to all of the posh luxury suites, anointed the Rockets' new home worthy of hosting the league's All-Star corporate shindig and then blamed the media for a summer of bad headlines. He didn't stay around long enough to comment on the call to police from the woman who says she was assaulted and shot at by Griffin.

    What the Rockets have in Griffin is a 21-year-old, would-be power forward with a problematic past and an uncertain future. What they also have staring them in the face is an opportunity to make a statement about who they are in the community. It is about the organization's own citizenship as much as it is about one single player.

    The team has placed Griffin on the suspended list. But that should be just a start. Rather than circling the wagons and hoping things will sort themselves out, the Rockets should be aggressively investigating Griffin's recent bizarre behavior and, if any part of the allegation is true, acting decisively.

    When Julio Lugo's wife told police she'd been struck by her husband, the Astros released their starting shortstop without delay. If that is too drastic a pill to swallow with a player owed guaranteed money, the Rockets should be working the phones to ship Griffin to a new NBA location. That would at least be saying the Rockets consider abuse against women as egregious as the mistreatment of our four-legged friends.

    It is a dark, ugly subplot to sports that doesn't often attract the attention of a $90 million endorsement deal for LeBron James or the uncovering of a new designer steroid used to circumvent the rules. And even when it does make headlines, there is too often a lack of outrage.

    Several years back, when football players were running amok at Nebraska, running back Lawrence Phillips resolved a dispute with an ex-girlfriend by storming into her room, dragging her down a flight of stairs by her hair and slamming her face into the bannister.

    "Maybe she deserved it," said a female caller, who claimed to have daughters of her own, in phoning a talk-radio show I was co-hosting with John O'Reilly and Norm Miller. When we picked ourselves back up after falling to the floor in disbelief, there was nothing we could say that would change her mind.

    It is an insidious thing, a painful, degrading, potentially deadly action often used by "big men" that, in fact, makes every one of us smaller.

    When Griffin was caught with mar1juana, it could be written off to simple immaturity, impetuous youth. When he went AWOL on his team, then repeatedly missed workouts after pledges of contrition to club officials, he crossed the line into irresponsibility. Now the alarm bells are clanging loudly.

    There is blood on a sidewalk and two spent shell casings.

    Put that on a T-shirt and see if anybody feels like dancing.
     
    #1 vtkp99, Oct 28, 2003
  2. AroundTheWorld

    AroundTheWorld Member

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    While comparing animal protection and hitting women is typical stupid Blinebury, I agree with the rest of his article, I will say this:

    The three draft picks spent for Griffin are a sunk cost. We will not get them back. Let's cut our losses. If we cannot trade him:

    Cut Eddie Griffin. Now.
     
    #2 AroundTheWorld, Oct 28, 2003
  3. rhadamanthus

    rhadamanthus Member

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    He wasn't comparing them, he was stating that if Les takes a stand over animal integrity, he should definitely be able to make a stand regarding the integrity of his team. Seems logical, and I agree.

    --rhad
     
    #3 rhadamanthus, Oct 28, 2003
  4. AroundTheWorld

    AroundTheWorld Member

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    I understand the logic, I just think the two issues don't have anything to do with each other. Then again, it is hard to come up with something original every day, so I will forgive Fran ;).
     
    #4 AroundTheWorld, Oct 28, 2003
  5. Gutter Snipe

    Gutter Snipe Member

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    We don't have to pay Griffin if he is on the suspended list, right? If the accusations are true, you can just lock him up on the list and throw away the key by filling his roster spot.

    I'd like to wait until we know more, though.
     
    #5 Gutter Snipe, Oct 28, 2003
  6. Rockets2K

    Rockets2K Clutch Crew

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    that makes sense to me, every articlae that has referred to his suspension says he does not get paid for the games....therefore, he doesnt cost us anything while he is on the suspended list...

    this may or may not be true, Im not familiar enough with the CBA to say for sure.....
    Paging aelliot or GATER or any other poster who has stufied the CBA....

    What is the real deal on this?
     
    #6 Rockets2K, Oct 28, 2003
  7. montgo

    montgo Member

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    In corporate America we would have been termed by now whether working at the Run for the Border or working for Exxon, unless you are a very very very senior person.

    Bottomline, you can drop the ball once, even twice, but then to do it over and over again is crazy. He should be terminated immediately through a trade or just flat out cut....stand up for your organization. What is positive is that someone will give him another shot too. But, not in our organization. This is crazy. On one hand I feel bad for the guy, but the reality is that we all work hard for what we have and know that this is life and when given a huge opportunity like this you get second and third chances...this is heading towards the 4th and 5th chance. Les should drop him immediately.
     
    #7 montgo, Oct 28, 2003
  8. SamCassell

    SamCassell Member

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    So, LA should cut Kobe then? Seems like the Astros reacted this way in the Lugo matter, and he was effectively exonerated of those charges. Maybe you all should give the justice system time to work and reach an outcome in this case before you crucify the kid.
     
    #8 SamCassell, Oct 28, 2003
  9. AroundTheWorld

    AroundTheWorld Member

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    In practically any other job, if you don't show up for work for two weeks (after previous cases of this happening as well) without an excuse, you will be fired. This does not have anything to do with the justice system. The stuff about whether he assaulted that woman or not is just the icing on the cake.

    I was one of the most enthusiastic people here when we drafted Eddie, but enough is enough.
     
    #9 AroundTheWorld, Oct 28, 2003
  10. Rockets2K

    Rockets2K Clutch Crew

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    thats all and fine SJC....
    but by not showing up for work, he is being disciplined. He is on the suspended list, which means he doesnt get paid.

    to be totally cut loose, which would still cost us the cap hit, is a little premature at this point IMO...

    look at it this way...

    Eddie on the suspended list = doesnt cost the Rockets money
    Cut Eddie loose = we are still responsible for his contract = costs the Rockets money
    Trade Eddie = who would want him at this point?
     
    #10 Rockets2K, Oct 28, 2003
  11. AroundTheWorld

    AroundTheWorld Member

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    Yeah, true, but it just makes me angry that he will probably get away with this crap. And do you think he will suddenly come back and play great so that it will be worth keeping him or that he will suddenly have a higher trade value? People will still remember what happened. He would have to play like a franchise player to regain trade value, plus, he would have to be more than a solid citizen for at least a year. I somehow doubt that either one will happen.
     
    #11 AroundTheWorld, Oct 28, 2003
  12. B-ball freak

    B-ball freak Member

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    I was under the impression that there were players who witnessed this incident with Lugo. Maybe my facts are messed up, though.
     
    #12 B-ball freak, Oct 28, 2003
  13. Lil

    Lil Member

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    i just wish you guys would see it not in terms of dollars and publicity, but simply as a troubled youngster having trouble dealing with his chaotic life and responsibilities. He needs guidance and support, not comparisons to rapists and cries to "cut him loose"...

    i seemed to recall akeem have a bad rep back in those days too. i suppose we ought to have followed fran's advice and cut him back them for the franchise's good name?
     
    #13 Lil, Oct 28, 2003
  14. SamCassell

    SamCassell Member

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    I know this isn't news to you, Det, but the NBA isn't "practically any other job". Basketball's a business with guaranteed contracts, and from the GM's perspective the players are commodities. Cutting Griffin would reward him, because he's going to get paid by the Rockets this season anyway. I guarante you someone else would pick Eddie up at the veteran's minimum, so basically you'd be handing Grif another mil or so by cutting him this season. As for next season, from a purely hoops perspective, Eddie is worth more on the open market than the relatively small rookie wage scale extension option the Rockets own. It would be dumb, from a player personnel standpoint, to cut an asset like that.

    In Eddie Griffin I see a guy who's messed up in alot of stuff. It's that peripheral stuff that is no doubt what caused Griffin to miss the practices that he missed. Is that an excuse for him to do it? No, of course not. But I do think he'll end up producing on the court once the rest of his issues are straightened out.
     
    #14 SamCassell, Oct 28, 2003
  15. giddyup

    giddyup Member

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    ... have guaranteed money and the company can go out and hire any warm body it wants. It's not that way in the NBA.
     
    #15 giddyup, Oct 28, 2003
  16. AroundTheWorld

    AroundTheWorld Member

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    Yeah, you guys are right.

    If that guy would at least show some kind of good intentions or remorse...well, then, things would be different.

    Leave him on the suspended list until he does. And try to offer him some guidance.

    Maybe they should switch Colin Pine from Yao Ming to Eddie Griffin and make him his watchdog!!!! :)
     
    #16 AroundTheWorld, Oct 28, 2003
  17. Raven

    Raven Member

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    It's pretty simple.

    The Rockets should make a public statement that if EG does not meet with police by noon Wed then he will be released from the team.

    If EG is serious about turning his life around, and if he has nothing to hide, then he can turn himself in.

    Otherwise cut him.

    Raven
     
    #17 Raven, Oct 28, 2003
  18. GATER

    GATER Member

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    As I understand it....

    Eddie Griffin hits the salary cap (he has a contract) for $2.3m whether he is cut, waived, suspended or plays. However, if he is suspended he receives no pay for each game while under the suspension.

    So, technically he "costs" as long as he has a contract. But the expense is not directly out of pocket until he rejoins the team.
     
    #18 GATER, Oct 28, 2003
  19. Joe Fan

    Joe Fan Member

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    Ive always thought those t-shirts were Les' wife's way of subtly shooting the bird at Houstonians. That message tells you pretty clearly what she thinks of us as a group.

    And Fran has a point that it's ironic that she chooses to deliver her uber-liberal political message on the chests of bouncing cheerleaders. It would be funny to someday see NOW t-shirts on animals protesting the exploitation of women as sexual objects.

    Anyway, the Rockets are in a tough position with this Friday deadline. The timing of having to extend EG could not be worse and they are going to take a beating in the media if they do so. It's a difficult choice and the correctness of it will not be seen for years with the perspective that time gives.

    Where Fran has it wrong is trying to tell the Rockets what to do based upon his own political sensitivities. Les' wife can get away with it becasue she is Les' wife. Other than having a girl's name, Fran doesn't have the same claim. The Rockets need to do and will do what they think is best for the Rockets. That is their job, their role, their purpose. They can't be allowed to be forced into becoming an agent of social change.

    The Astros cut Lugo because they thought it best for the Astros. This was true both for on the field and off the field reasons. You can bet if he had been fielding well and hitting .320 with 15 HRs and 40 RBIs at that point in the season, he would not have been sent packing. It's true the Astros used the opportunity to tout their purported collective virtue but that was just after-the-fact spin and PR.

    The fact is that, in pro sports, there is a sliding scale for different athletes acting badly. If Kobe doesnt end up in jail, no matter what the trial brings out, he will be playing for the Lakers. No one should doubt this. And it's because he is one of the top 4-5 players in the league. At times, the best player in the league. But if it were Brian Cook instead of Kobe, you can bet the rules would change.

    EG is somewhere between Kobe and Cook. Perhaps closer to Cook which may be the ultimate decision-maker.

    Don't like it, put it on a t-shirt. And give one to Fran.
     
    #19 Joe Fan, Oct 28, 2003
  20. Rashmon

    Rashmon Member

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    #20 Rashmon, Oct 28, 2003
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