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April 26, 2008
'This isn't going to work'
My not-quite-a-year covering Sam Vincent:
The guy wasn’t boring, if simply because you could never predict what might come out of his mouth. If it was Tuesday, he’d cruise into the media room for his pre-game group interview, swearing he’d stop using Raymond Felton so much at shooting guard because that wasn’t in the franchise’s best interest, long-term.
Then a couple of days later, he’d throw Jeff McInnis into the starting lineup and play Felton more at shooting guard than ever before.
He’d gut Emeka Okafor’s playing time, only to wonder why Okafor fell into a unprecedented funk. Then he’d restore Okafor’s minutes and - surprise! - Okafor went back to being the reliable and efficient (if limited) big man who once won rookie of the year.
Understandably, players wouldn’t be quoted grumbling about their boss. But there was plenty of grumbling, some of it from players who are nothing like prima donnas.
One day a player discreetly asked me this question: “What is he doing? Because I can't figure it out from game to game.’’
I told the player that Vincent’s substitutions reminded me of Jim Valvano’s “survive-and-advance’’ approach to the NCAA tournament. Valvano, the late N.C. State coach, meant you coach each game of the NCAAs in a vacuum - don’t worry about rotations, don’t worry about players’ feelings -- because as soon as you lose, you go home for the season anyway.
I told the player you can’t coach 82 regular-season games like the NCAA tournament because it leaves the players so confused and insecure they can’t perform.
The guy nodded knowingly and said, “This isn’t going to work.’’
Posted by Observer Sports on April 26, 2008 at 04:47 PM | Permalink
Comments
yea.
Posted by: Bro D. | Apr 26, 2008 5:08:51 PM
Why does Jordan get a free pass from this Bobcats scribe? Given Jordan's track record, he appears to be in the Elgin Baylor mold, a fantastic basketball player, a really, really lousy NBA front office guy. Jordan's judgment has consistently sucked, it has repeatedly sucked. Hell, in light of his choice to make homoerotic underwear commercials, he can't even do that right.
Posted by: alan t. | Apr 26, 2008 5:28:34 PM
Also, will Johnson require Larry Brown to visit a tanning parlor?
Posted by: alan t. | Apr 26, 2008 5:42:37 PM
Jordan was behind trading for J-Rich and drafting Dudley... I would say that those were good moves.
Posted by: Ok... | Apr 26, 2008 8:52:31 PM
Great news! I was watching the NBA playoffs when a SportsCenter update came up talking about and I jumped for joy. The front office is listening! Now it's time to hire a veteran head coach. When you have a team on the "verge" you need a coach w/ experience to lead them to a place they never been before.
BTW, why are you Charlotte people so backwards and racist???? On every one of these blogs you can always find a racist comment, like the one by Alan T. above asking if Bob Johnson will require Larry Brown to go to the Tanning Booth. Whenever people say that racism is dead I bring them to the Charlotte Bobcats blogs and show them otherwise. You guys also don't care about staying behind. It is so ignorant to wish that the NBA would just leave Charlotte. Do you not know how many cities & people would dream about having an NBA team in their town!!! Yet you guys pray that Bobcats and the NBA leave. Ignorant! Wake up people!! Life is bigger than traditonal southern ways!
Posted by: joshuavbarr | Apr 26, 2008 10:55:22 PM
Hell yeah if Larry gets the job he will have to wear black shoe polish on all parts of his body. I only hire people of my color. I am not racist. I only hire black men. I do hire white women so that proves that I am no racist. I think white women are so hot. I will even go out with a tanned white woman.
I cheated on my black wife with a white tailed woman. I had to pay my ex 1 billion dollars but white ass is worth it.
I AM NO RACIST.
PS I wish I knew something about basketball. I know all of you think that since I am black I should know all about basketball.
Posted by: Bob Johnson | Apr 26, 2008 11:02:40 PM
I heard about the firing and wanted to check things out. I have always been a big Jordan fan being from Chicago. I stumbled across the board and was shocked. I didn't know that many of you people down there in the south are still so racist. Not only are you racist, you a pretty ignorant and crude with it. At least you win one award: The most racist city in the NBA! You almost make me feel like apologizing for being white.
Posted by: J. Milton | Apr 26, 2008 11:24:56 PM
They're not racists, they're just people that can't recognize that NBA basketball is lightyears ahead of NCAA ball in terms of quality and feel threatened when they see players that don't look like Psycho T and Greg Paulus. Pathetic is the appropriate word for describing most posters on here.
Posted by: Bro D. | Apr 26, 2008 11:48:57 PM
Sorry Bro D. but these people in Queen City are downright racist. They've been posting comments like those of "Bob Johnson" above forever. Pathetic Racist would probably be the proper term.
Posted by: joshuavbarr | Apr 27, 2008 12:06:33 AM
"Bob Johnson" has been posting his racist bs here for as long as I've been reading this blog. He seems to feel justified by the (mistaken) idea that the Bobcats only hire black people. Even if it were true, it doesn't justify the garbage he writes. While I can agree that the stadium shouldn't have been built on the taxpayer's dime and that Bob Johnson is, like all billionaires, a jerk, where race and the Bobcats are concerned, I'm a happy anti-racist.
Posted by: BustaCat | Apr 27, 2008 12:32:16 AM
The best thing you can do about the idiotic racist comments is to ignore them, and just talk basketball. The more you respond to them, the more they feel they get attention and they feel encouraged to come back at you (see above: you respond to Alan T. and the sick imbecile who signs today as "Bob Johnson" - he also used to sign "George" and "Michael Jordan" - comes back with an even more stinking post).
Posted by: Sandy | Apr 27, 2008 12:38:14 AM
Uhh .. what's racist about the remark? Racist to whom? Why does Johnson have a history of hiring only black folks to run the Bobcats? Coincidence? I don't care what color somebody's skin is. But apparently, Johnson does. So it's a valid question if Brown's pasty white skin will be able to handle the daily rigors of the tanning parlor.
And I don't know what's so good about the Dudley pick. Seems like any other low first-round pick to me. And the Richardson trade was decent for the simple reason that Johnson doesn't spend, and the team payroll is so low. If he eventually spends on actual NBA talent, then he'll simply jack up ticket prices to pay for it. It's not like a Cleveland or New York situation, or anything like that, Richardson's salary really isn't going to put the team in any long-term salary cap bind to speak of.
Other than that, add up his other Wizards and Bobcats decisions, and he's been pretty much a dismal failure. For Pete's sakes, he's the guy that hired Vincent in the first place, and then promptly fired the guy. It's Vincent's fault that he wasn't qualified to be an NBA head coach?
Jordan is just another great player who foolishly and arrogantly believes his great basketball skills and judgment on the court translate to great skills and judgment in a desk job off the court. A guy who has to remain in the limelight. All to the detriment of people who enjoy watching good NBA basketball.
Posted by: alan t. | Apr 27, 2008 12:41:07 AM
Thanks, "alan t."
Now we know that you are a racist along the lines of Jimmy the Greek or Al Campanis while "Bob Johnson" is one of those slack-jawed, card-board cut-out racist that you'd see participating in a Hollywood lynching.
We've properly defined your bigotry. Nice.
Posted by: ASChin | Apr 27, 2008 2:28:28 AM
Thanks, "alan t."
Now we know that you are a racist along the lines of Jimmy the Greek or Al Campanis while "Bob Johnson" is one of those slack-jawed, card-board cut-out racist that you'd see participating in a Hollywood lynching.
We've properly defined your bigotry. Nice.
Posted by: ASChin | Apr 27, 2008 2:35:02 AM
The reason why this is all going on because it is black owned and if you look else where the majority of the teams are all white in the offices and there is nonthing said.
The problem doesn't seem to be the way the Bobcats play it's all about who own's the team and his color.
why does my city of Charlotte have to be this way I really think if Bob was a white man the
way things are going not much would be said
The Bobcats have given people the opportunity that others would not have given them and is that a problem ?
The observer should screen the post that people make before they post them because it also reflects the way the paper feels
Thanks Bob Johnson for bringing the NBA back to Charlotte. Not all people here are racist
Posted by: Bobcats Fan | Apr 27, 2008 7:14:38 AM
I can safely say that all the people who make comments on this blog are not from Charlotte. These "computer racist" are cowards plain and simple. The Observer should really monitor who post on these blogs. You know people from all over the country can read these comments, and it's a shame really. As Bobcats Fan stated it's not about how the Bobcats play, it's about who owns the team and his color. Very sad indeed.
Posted by: darrylb | Apr 27, 2008 8:14:46 AM
People Please. Why do you get so upset at the comments of these insecure white males? It won't change the fact that Bob Johnson is a black man who could buy off their moms, wives and daughters if he wanted to. An educated and successful black male scares the hell out of an insecure white guy. I'm not talking about all white males, because some are secure and can get laid.
The Bobcats are going to be aroung here for a long time, so I find these rants hilarious. If you hate the team so much, why bother to read the article and take the time to post? Go CATS!
Posted by: NBAFAN | Apr 27, 2008 8:48:03 AM
To some extent racism exists everywhere and it's not just white vs black. That's no excuse for the posters on this site it's just a fact. It's also getting really old seeing it in print on these forums. I think it's a good idea to have post reviewed by a moderator or editor before they are posted. Also, require the post to be associated with an account to reduce or eliminate fake poster signatures.
Another thing, for some reason Charlotte fans hate local sports owners. I'm sure some of it is resentment over owners being "rich". I remember the hate toward the ownership of the Hornets (a white guy) and most said it was because he committed adultry. I'm not condonning adultry but lets face it, let he that without sin cast the 1st stone. He made a mistake but instead of letting him move on you ran him out of town. I didn't like the Hornets leaving but they did. We got a new team, the Bobcats. As a city/state/region do us all a favor and support the team or to quote the lyrics from a great Third Day song, "If you can't say nothing good, don't say nothing at all".
Posted by: gmac | Apr 27, 2008 9:46:14 AM
Jordan drafted Kwame Brown over Shane Battier, one of the best defensive players in the NBA here several years later. Not to mention he has done more NBA Cares Commerical than Kwame has.
Larry Brown seems like a logical, intelligent, corporate/fan friendly choice. Thats why "this isn't going to work" (in the long-run) Hard to beleive the bcatz can go from Vincent with 0 head coaching experience to Brown with Moses-like experience. It will wind up being the same thing as with the Knicks several years ago. (a) Brown will suggest something. (b) A never successful in the front office & insecure former NBA star in the front-office will rail against it; (c) Brown will leave in a tizzy. (d) The franchise becomes a long-term laughing stock. I can see it now. EGO CITY. Forget Brown's NBA & NCAA titles as a coach.
I'm just wondering what Sean'smamma thinks of all this.
Posted by: sf | Apr 27, 2008 10:56:30 AM
The Observer staff are the ones making the "racist" posts so dont expect them to come down. Its common knowledge in the city of Charlotte Rick Thames & Ann Caulkins hate black people. They've commited their staff to slamming the Bobcats in their paper for quite some time now.
Posted by: gastongazetteismuchbetter | Apr 27, 2008 11:24:32 AM
I really wish someone would monitor these posts and delete half this crap. I got on here thinking we'd be talking about basketball... boy was I wrong. If you don't care about the Bobcats, that's fine. Just go away then and don't bother posting.
Bring in Larry Brown! Go 'Cats!
Posted by: PantherDave | Apr 27, 2008 2:08:27 PM
PantherDave do you want me to kick you in the junk?
Posted by: Malcolm Z | Apr 27, 2008 5:06:56 PM
Man, when I saw the headline of this blog I was really hoping it was a quote from Bonnell's boss, delivered to Bonnell as he was being let go from this job in which he only works about 1 day every other week.
Posted by: Peter | Apr 27, 2008 5:08:27 PM
Yeah, because the Bobcats haven't deserved any criticism at all. They had one of the most underachieving teams in NBA history this year, have an owner who blames his business failures on Charlotte's (mostly white) business executives, and tries to shove an urban-ified game day experience down a decidedly non-urban city's throat, complete with step team, drum line, non-stop R&B/hip-hop, and fired a team of excellent white basketball men who had built one of the most successful expansion franchises in history who were replaced with a group of people whose resumes' started with "Mike's my Buddy." Who could want any more than that?
Posted by: Michael Procton | Apr 27, 2008 5:18:24 PM
Ok, you caught me. I am sorry for pretending to be Bob.
The bobcats are a first class organization.
The bobcats lead the league in attendance.
The bobcats support homeless shelters.
The bobcats give out shoes to the homeless.
The bobcats have a respected owner.
The bobcats have a proven management team.
The bobcats will sell out every game next year.
AND THE ONES YOU 15 SEASON TICKETSHOLDERS BELIEVE:
WE WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFF NEXT YEAR.
PEACE
Is that better?
Posted by: Bob Johnson | Apr 27, 2008 6:46:48 PM
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