To me, Dream's situation is different. I did not mind him wanting to leave because of the circumstances surrounding an aging star. What irked me at the time was Dream's animosity against Rudy. I just couldn't accept how after all these years with the coach, he would blame Rudy for it.
The Commish needs to shut this down. It is no class and bad for the NBA which is kind of on the upswing after a few down years. The NBA has a lot of good young players and I sense excitement in the fans perception over the coming years. Spurs are loaded. The soap opera in LA is over. The Jazz are a solid team in the west. The Blazers have rebuilt. Suns are back up. Yao and Tmac. The East is on the way back. Pistons champs. King James. Watching Zeke flounder in NY is fun. Celts have solidified. Magic have mad talent. Shaq and Wade. There is a lot going good for the NBA now. Weisbrod and Francis need to be shut up!
Weisbrod is getting more and more out of control. Check out this Orlando Sentinel article(you have to register to see it,but I'll post the link anyways). No phones or food in the locker room? Good ship Magic now a tight ship Published November 9, 2004 RECENT COLUMNS E-MAIL Brian Schmitz The larger changes within the Magic are obviously visible. Smaller, subtle ones extend off the court, too. The franchise, a Jay Leno punchline last season, has demanded a disciplined, professional approach from its players and employees. Call it post-T-Mac stress syndrome. Teams often reflect the attitude of their leader, and the Magic mimicked Tracy McGrady's laid-back, frequently lax approach last season. With T-Mac shipped out, General Manager John Weisbrod and Coach Johnny Davis were determined to reshape the franchise's image from the inside out. They're apparently sticklers . . . for winning. Players, for instance, can't hang out in the trainer's room unless they're actually injured. It's no longer a lounge. A television was removed. Weibrod forbids food and cell phones in the locker room. "We want them ready to go when they get here," Weisbrod said. "I don't want guys eating energy bars and talking on their phones." At a team meeting last week, players learned of Davis' dress code on the road: Jeans can be worn but not with sneakers. And no hip-hop skull caps (a T-Mac fav), headbands or Deion Sanders bandanas. No throwback jerseys, either, especially of another team. "That's disrespectful to the organization," Weisbrod said. Some players -- mostly youngsters who consider themselves fashionable -- grumbled. Even the club's radio and TV broadcasters are toeing the line. Unlike regular media types, they're allowed to watch mid-morning practices and shootarounds. But the broadcast boys can no longer bring in doughnuts, coffee or newspapers (no Sentinel?!) because the sipping, munching and rustling of paper might distract players and coaches. They must all but keep their broadcasting voices on mute. If they are late, they will not be admitted into practice. Not even on tippy toes. During camp, the media couldn't congregate for post-practice interviews until players finished their timed stretching routines. Even stretching is being taken seriously. Discipline. Details. Focus. This is a club Tom Coughlin would love. Felix Unger, too. "It's both Johnny and I," Weisbrod said. "I've always believed if you pay attention to the little things then you'll become more discipline in dealing with the big things. Some people may think the stuff I worry about is meaningless. "But I think people really want discipline, to be a part of something bigger than themselves." Also a couple of other 'tid-bits' from the same page No introductions John Weisbrod refused to allow any Magic player to welcome fans before the home-opener last Wednesday. He expects the club to be fined by the league. Traditionally, a player addresses the crowd on a microphone. The Magic did it several times during the preseason. But Weisbrod -- he's the no-frills guy, remember? -- didn't see the need. "I don't know how many years they want us to do this," Weisbrod said. "But that's how many years we're not going to do it." The last word "What we have in common is we're both unorthodox. ... Mark Cuban doesn't give a hoot because he has a billion dollars. I don't give a hoot because I don't give a hoot." -- John Weisbrod And Steve thought JVG was tough. Link
Some of that seems over the line like no sneakers, but I can understand the no other team jerseys. Can you imagine Yao or McGrady walking around in a Laker uni?
I can imagine Yao in a Sabonis jersey... or T-Mac in a Pippen jersey (God forbid)... The Magic are going way over the line on discipline because their club has an image problem. Weisbrod clearly has the perception that fans believe the team to be lacksidaisical about winning, and lazy. That's quite evident from his myriad comments about T-Mac. By instituting all these bizarre rules, Weisbrod is trying to send a message to his team and organization that professionalism is now the standard, not luxury. Maybe not a bad idea when your star is Stevie "Super Bowl" Franchise. The Magic were without a doubt the league's worst team last year. Drastic steps are typically needed to reverse something like that. They took the drastic step of trading their franchise superstar (not by choice, of course) and now they're taking the drastic step of yanking on the players' leashes. Who knows if it will work, but it can't be any worse than what they were trying before. Thus far into their history, the Magic have been a totally incompetent franchise. Not sure if Weisbrod is the guy to change that, but he's sure trying.
Fake, fake, fake. Anyone that has to constantly talk tough like this is really a p***y disguised as a militant. Please, Johnny, more soundbites! More criticisms about McGrady! More "tough guy" routines! Michael Corleone, Henry Hill, Jake LaMotta, and Clubber Lang all better beware!!! Heeeeeere's Johnny!
