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Home > Jeff Schultz > Archives > 2008 > May
May 2008
Hutts death still surreal to Tech coach
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Athens — Sitting in his hotel room hours before a game Friday, Danny Hall was reminded of something he really didn’t need reminding of. The name on the lineup card that he needs to scratch out before every game — that’s enough. The black wristbands worn by his players — enough.
Now words are rolling across the bottom of his television screen.
“I’m sitting there watching ESPN and I see the ticker going across the screen, saying ‘heroin and morphine,’ ” Hall said.
Seven weeks after the accidental drug overdose of Georgia Tech pitcher Michael Hutts, the medical examiner’s toxicology report was released as the team opened play in an NCAA regional. Call this an unfortunate intersection.
Cause of death: Heroin toxicity. Manner of death: Accident. Age: 21. In matters such as these, bad timing is really no more than an afterthought.
Good kid. Good student. Dean’s list. Dead.
“Never,” Hall said, “was there even a moment where you thought, ‘Something is going on here. We need to check on this guy. We need to watch him closely.’ That’s what has made this even more shocking.’ “
Seven weeks later, he said, and the whole matter still seems “surreal.”
Somehow, Tech has endured. While honoring Hutts in their own way — with black wristbands stamped with his name and number, and “40” on their hats — they’ve also tried to move past the tragedy. Road opponents have asked about having a moment of silence during games for Hutts. The Jackets politely have asked them not to.
With the constant reminders, it’s no wonder Hall was concerned about his players’ mind-set Friday after news of the toxicology report hit, and he planned to speak to them before their game against Louisville. Tech has mostly held together since Hutts’ death, something their coach wasn’t certain of. (“To be honest, I thought it was 50-50.”)
Ryan Tinkoff, Hutts’ roommate, who found him dead in their apartment, has struggled the most. He hasn’t played since a series against Maryland immediately following the incident. He no longer makes road trips. He still practices with the team but has declined to speak publicly. Hall acknowledges, “We’ve all tried to protect his privacy a little.
“He had been friends with Michael for a long time, so he probably feels it and deals with it daily more than anybody. I’ve never found anybody dead. So put yourself in that kid’s shoes — not only finding somebody dead but finding one of your roommates and one of your best friends dead.”
College coaches often are like parents to athletes. They know their habits, their needs, their personalities. Hall thought he knew Hutts, but he didn’t know everything. After her son’s death, Vicky Hutts told investigators that Michael had been involved with drugs before. Hall was blindsided.
“Part of me understands why a parent wouldn’t want a coach to know that because it might jeopardize their son’s status or standing on the team,” he said. “But the other part of me, as a parent myself, is I would’ve liked to have known that so maybe I could help the kid or be on the lookout. That bothers me.”
Seven weeks later. Still so many emotions. Sadness for the loss. Anger for not knowing why. Frustration for realizing he doesn’t really know if he’s learned anything from being able to prevent it from happening again.
The team has been drug-tested twice recently. Everybody came up clean, Hall said, calling this, “an isolated incident.
“It’s just one kid making a bad decision.”
Hutts’ name and number are still on the lineup card. The coach must draw a line through it. “There’s also a [space] for reserves, so when I start writing down who my lefthanders are, I know I’m one short,” he said. “Every time we have a game, we know we’re missing a teammate.”
Some things, you can’t move past.
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Sund: Better than the alternatives
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you are not sure what to think of Rick Sund, look at it this way: He is better than any realistic alternative.
Jerry West: Wasn’t going to happen.
Chris Grant: Didn’t want it to happen.
An outside-the-box hire of a former player with no or little front office experience: Bold. Interesting. Infinitely more entertaining than Billy Knight, with the added advantage of not being Billy Knight.
But Rick Sund: not bad. He has had success in the NBA, even if most of that success has not been recent. He is solid, even if short of spectacular. Did you expect spectacular? Was spectacular even available?
Rick Sund: Been there, done that, several times over. He won’t fly blind. That’s a start, because this might be the most important off-season in Hawks’ history. The drafting of a gem in Al Horford and three playoff wins over Boston has put this franchise on the brink — of either becoming very good for a long time, or in danger of falling back into a pit.
A decision has to be made on Mike Woodson. Decisions have to be made on Josh Smith, and Josh Childress, and a lineup that remains slightly mismatched. Decisions have to be made because this market appears eager to embrace this team, or is quite willing to go back to ignoring it.
“From my perspective, I’m thrilled,” owner Michael Gearon Jr. said. “The guy we hired was the most qualified and the most experienced general manager we could have hired. He’s really good at the things for where we need to be with the franchise. He can take this team and help us move to next level.”
If there was any question that ownership will let Sund runs things, Gearon somewhat doused that when he asked if hi new general manager will go through an evaluation process with Woodson: “I look forward to all questions related to the franchise and personnel being directed to him.”
It’s all in Rick Sund’s lap now. Things could be worse. Chris Grant — he would’ve been worse.
A lot of names were thrown against the wall in the Hawks’ search. We may never know truth from fiction, although an ESPN report of Grant turning down the Hawks — gee, can’t imagine the unnamed source on that one — ranks somewhere between dubious and Sasquatch.
Grant is with Cleveland and worked for the Hawks. The problem with hiring assistant GMs is you can never be sure whether they had significant input in decision-making. In this case, another problem is Grant worked for Pete Babcock, Billy Knight and Danny Ferry — not quite the Mt. Rushmore of general managers. If you’re Grant, what makes you look better: Admit you had input in past Hawks and Cavaliers decisions, or claim to be a wallflower? (Wallflower, by the way, is far more likely).
Rick Sund: definitely not a wallflower.
In Dallas, he was the flavor of the month, almost every month. He was hired as the NBA’s youngest director of player personnel (28) and worked his way to the top. He helped form a base for one of the league’s best teams for several seasons. One fatal flaw: He hired Quinn Buckner as coach.
In Detroit, Sund took over a team that went 28-54 in 1994-95. In his first two seasons as general manager, the Pistons made the playoffs and won 100 games. One fatal flaw: He wasn’t Joe Dumars, whom ownership wanted to promote (for good reason).
In Seattle, he went only 240-252 over six seasons. But he made one of the best trades in franchise history, dealing an aging Gary Payton for a young Ray Allen. His drafts: not so great. But still the Sonics went 52-30 in his fourth season. But coach Nate McMillan wasn’t re-signed, and that mistake was compounded by the hiring of Bob Weiss. Then ownership put the clamps on payroll in preparation for a franchise sale. Sund was toast.
He turns 57 next week. He’s been around. Some look at such hires and think, “Retread.” But that would be shortchanging Sund. He should help stabilize an organization that badly needs it.
Maybe he doesn’t wow you yet. But he’ll have his chance.
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Cox’s passion for game, team hasn’t diminished
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two days after agreeing to manage through at least his 68th birthday, Bobby Cox sat and watched as his best player was lost to back spasms, his starting pitcher surrendered two homers and six walks, his pitching staff walked 11, his catcher left with heat exhaustion and his team lost, 9-3.
But, just for the record, he didn’t change his mind.
“I’m still here,” Cox said Sunday. “I’m just really tired right now.”
He asked for this. From spring ‘07 to spring ‘08, he went from almost certainly retiring to almost certainly returning. Why? Because of what changed (his wife, Pam, gave her blessing). Because what didn’t change (his passion for the game). Because of what he senses from this team (Sunday notwithstanding).
It’s Memorial Day, the first important turn of a baseball season, and the Braves are in a pennant race — despite having their rotation and bullpen wrecked by injuries, and two of their biggest run producers struggle (Mark Teixeira and Jeff Francoeur). They trail only Florida in the division.
“I love this team,” Cox said. And, yes, he always says that.
But players can either wear a manager down or cause him to rethink retirement.
“A team can keep you going,” he said. “It’s not just the game, it’s these players. I love their spirit, the way they go about their business. It’s a fun bunch to be around. It’s kind of like the ‘91 team.”
Sunday wasn’t fun. Tom Glavine missed the plate. Chipper Jones couldn’t stand straight. But Cox suddenly feels like that vacation in Prague can wait. Go figure. It wasn’t that long ago when he saw the end. He spoke the end. He wanted the end.
“When you talked to me in the spring [a year ago], my mind was pretty well made up that day,” he said. “I had pretty well decided I was going to retire. But why announce it when you may still want to manage? Always wait.”
What changed?
“Nothing, really. I was thinking about it. My love of the game has never changed. That’s never gonna change. My wife is allowing me to do it. That’s one of the real determining factors.”
He had said he wanted to spend more time with family. He had said, “I’d like to start doing the things I need to do instead of the things I want to do.”
When reminded of those comments, Cox smiled.
“That’s exactly right. That’s always on my mind.”
But his energy hasn’t diminished. His health is fine (he has back issues, but welcome to the 90-percentile). If the Braves win the World Series this season, he promises that he won’t look around and think, “That’s good enough. I’m done.”
“I love the day-to-day of baseball,” he said. “Whether we win, lose or draw, there’s still a game to play, and it’s still fun. The game will keep you going. When I do retire I’ll probably still show up in spring training. I could never completely walk away. John [Schuerholz] is the same way. There’s a lot of pressure and expectations on a daily basis. That never goes away. But John thrived on it and so do I.”
In November, general manager Frank Wren approached Cox about an extension. In the spring, the two spoke again. By the end of camp, Cox had pretty much made up his mind.
“At the end of spring I indicated [to Wren] I probably would come back,” he said. “And then Frank asked me four times during the season.”
But that was more about hammering out details. Cox’s mind had already been made up. Or, re-made up.
And after 2009?
“Don’t ask me that,” he said.
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Dream’s ultimate goal: Survival
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The graveyard that is this city’s minor-league — or lesser league — sports franchise history does little to instill confidence in the long-term health of the Atlanta Dream.
But there is this for the new WNBA team to fall back on: While the Braves own Atlanta’s only major pro championship, past obscurities have won at least four — in soccer, minor-league hockey and team tennis (twice). Chiefs, Knights and Thunder: Rest in peace.
It follows that the Dream’s ultimate goal is survival, and why, when owner Ron Terwilliger was asked why he was confident the team will survive, he said: “I wouldn’t use the word confident. I would say hopeful.”
Women’s basketball and soccer has failed here before. They had the Olympics as a launching pad. Terwilliger is counting on the growth of the sport, the city’s diversity and low ticket prices.
His past venture into sports, an indoor soccer team (Attack), lasted only two seasons. That team also was started in a recession. “I didn’t pick a great time to start this,” he said. “As soon as you see me investing in a sports team, you can be sure a recession is coming.”
He looks ahead with hope. We look back on the souls of the departed.
In memory of: Atlanta Beat Lifeline: Three seasons (2001-03) in the Women’s United Soccer Organization (WUSA), which also lasted three, give or take a bounced check.
Vitals: The league’s $40 million in seed money was gone in the first year. There were $100 million in losses in three years, this despite players agreeing to a 25 percent salary cut and voiding the last two years on guaranteed five-year contracts (blow that out your Marvin Miller). Most important, the league was underwritten partly by Cox Communications, which pretty much killed any chance I had of getting a significant raise. League officials labored to try to build excitement for the “Founders Cup” championship game in Atlanta in 2002. They failed. The good news: The league gave me a “Freedom vs. Courage!” decorated cookie cake after I risked employment by writing it would take Kroger making “Founders Cup” decorated desserts, a la the Super Bowl, to make me believe enough people cared. That $10 cookie figures somewhere in the $100 million.
In memory of: Men’s soccer Lifeline: Multiple. Mostly short. Indoor, outdoor — either way, few walking through the door. Names include: Express, Steamers, Lightning, Apollos and Attack. Most successful: Chiefs (outdoor, first edition).
Vitals: The NASL was born in 1968, in the heyday of “all these kids in AYSO will grow up to become soccer fans.” (Right.) The Chiefs played one year in the NPSL, then changed alphabets. They won the title in ‘68. The league celebrated after the season by folded 12 of 17 teams franchises. The Chiefs changed owners in 1973. They were renamed the Apollos, moved to Bobby Dodd Stadium, lasted one season, folded, were reborn in ‘79, played three years outdoor, folded, two years indoor, folded. So that’s three folds for one franchise, an Atlanta record.
In memory of: Atlanta Knights
Lifeline: Four seasons (1992-96) before moving to Quebec in the International Hockey League (IHL), which had several mutations before eventually folding.
Vitals: The sad truth is that the minor-league Knights did more to grab attention in Atlanta than the Thrashers have. Fans still yell “Knights!” during the National Anthem at Thrashers home games. That’s when they’re not yelling, “Hit somebody!” John Paris was the sport’s first African American pro head coach. Goalie Manon Rheaume, her sideshow status notwithstanding, was the first woman to play NHL games (albeit exhibitions). Co-owner Richard Adler was a marketing whiz. And there’s this: They won a championship! But the Omni was set to be imploded, the city’s depth chart didn’t go two-deep on hockey arenas, and Ted Turner kind of had the inside track on an NHL franchise. (Side note: Adler also owned a roller-hockey team, the Atlanta Fireants, which lasted one year before moving to roller-hockey heaven, Oklahoma City).
In memory of: Atlanta Glory
Lifeline: Two seasons (1996-97). The women’s American Basketball League filed for Chapter 11 midway through its chapter three (but you knew how the book would turn out).
Vitals: Twelve years ago this month, 600 players tried out in Atlanta for the new ABL. The Glory rode that high for one year and 10 months. First problem: The team played in Forbes Arena. I had to look it up to know that was the Morehouse gym. The league had better players than the WNBA, which started a year later (Teresa Edwards and Saudia Roundtree were on the Atlanta roster; 10 league players were in the Olympics). But the ABL didn’t have the NBA’s backing, or corporate tie-ins, or TV revenue, or marketing arm. The ABL folded with $25 million in debts. The WNBA still survives, at least for as long as the NBA wants it to.
In memory of: Atlanta Thunder Lifeline: six seasons (1991-96) in World Team Tennis.
Vitals: Two championships, but no love. The Thunder, led by Martina Navratilova, won titles in 1991 and ‘92, its first two seasons. Bjorn Borg also played for the team. So much for success and stars drawing. Attendance dropped to a cartoon-like 600 at the DeKalb Tennis Center, which would be considered really good for an ALTA match. Maybe if the players had brought snacks (home: sweet; visitors: salty). File this one under quotes to remember from WTT founder Billie Jean King: “We definitely plan on coming back to Atlanta, no question.”
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Glavine still has Mets’ number
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In hopes of shifting the balance of power in the National League, the New York Mets signed Tom Glavine in 2003, paid him $50 million over the next five seasons and somehow hoped that Flushing would morph into the Caribbean.
Never quite happened. Glavine went from mediocre to pretty good to Wile E. Coyote at the bottom of the canyon. The Mets won one division and little else, starring in one of the greatest collapses in baseball history.
Should we be surprised at what happened Tuesday?
Glavine looked like a premier starting pitcher again.
Of course.
He was pitching against the Mets.
He allowed only a run and three hits over six innings. He retired the last 17 batters he faced. Bobby Cox took him out after the seventh inning, I’m guessing because he doesn’t have the SEC-stomp-on-them-until-they-ooze-death gene.
The Braves won the first game of a doubleheader 6-1. More important, Glavine proved again he’s got a little something left, off-season obituaries notwithstanding.
“There’s always a drive to prove people wrong,” he said later. “There were a lot of naysayers about me coming back and pitching again after the way the year ended. But I felt like I could still pitch. I feel good.”
Welcome to the Mets’ perfect little nightmare.
The Braves gave Glavine $8 million for one season, ostensibly because they believed he could still chew up innings as a third or fourth starter. He has done just that — he’s third on the staff in innings — and with the exception of a couple of bumps, he’s also been pretty effective. This makes two straight wins after a string of no decisions and one loss. His ERA: a hardly horrific 3.98, most of the damage coming in single innings of two starts against Cincinnati and Philadelphia.
The Mets touched him for a run in the first inning but left the bases loaded. Then it was all over.
“He’s not overpowering,” said David Wright, who struck out looking in the sixth. “But it’s frustrating facing him when he’s like that — hitting his spots, black to black, up and down. He knows what he’s doing.”
Glavine is now 17-7 with a 2.82 ERA against the Mets.
He was 4-11 with a 5.15 ERA against the Braves.
Excuse New Yorkers if this take this a little personally.
“Well, it’s only one [this year],” Glavine said after his first start against the Mets since his return. “I pitched well against the Mets for some reason before I left here. I didn’t pitch well against the Braves when I was there. I don’t know why. There’s a different feeling pitching against a team you were with for 16 years vs. one you were with for five.”
Last season, he saw the best and worst of being a New York athlete. The city embraced him when he won his 300th career game and he started the year 13-6. Then somebody pulled the plug and everybody circled the drain. The Mets held a seven-game lead on Sept. 12 but lost 12 of their last 17. Glavine led the collapse. He went 0-2 with a no-decision in three dreadful starts (composite ERA: 14.82).
In the final game of the regular season against Florida, Glavine was drilled for seven runs in one-third of an inning. The Mets lost 8-1. Philadelphia won the East by a game. Glavine boarded a plane and never came back — if for no other reason than his own safety.
If Tuesday somehow qualified as payback, it probably wasn’t what Mets fans had envisioned.
“It gives me bragging rights for one game,” Glavine said.
He struggled early. His right knee had been bothering him since he woke up Tuesday and the soreness lingered during warm-ups. He said he “felt out of sorts,” and admitted: “Probably some of it was the adrenaline of facing these guys.”
But he survived the first inning. The rest seemed easy. We shouldn’t be surprised.
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The Tuesday Countdown
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
10: NFL owners are opting out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement early. Because CBAs can be convoluted, confusing and boring, let me bring this down a level everybody that can understand. Owners: Oink.
9: I know professional athletes tend to get thrust to the front of the Pig Line by a lot of people. But players are so a distant second to owners in the NFL. According to deep research, which took, like, two minutes of Googling, CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN pay the NFL a combined 3.735 BILLION (that’s with a “b”) per year. That equates to $116.7 million per year per team. That’s before any owner sells a sponsorship, ticket, a luxury suite, a jersey, a $7 program, a $12 beer or a $20 parking space. And what do the owners want? More.
8: They have created the NFL Network, which is fine, it’s good business, but they’ve put increasing restrictions on - and squeezing out - non-NFL electronic media outlets. Now, they are opting out of the current CBA because they believe they’re giving the players too big a piece of the pie. You’re going to hear other issues from them that cloud the issue, but that’s really what this is all about.
7: How much pie can 32 billionaires eat!?! Unlike basketball, baseball and to a certain degree hockey (which has split contacts), NFL contracts are not guaranteed (except for the signing bonus). That’s why I never have a problem when a football player wants to hold out. The owners have a hard salary cap with non-guaranteed contracts. They already live in CBA nirvana. They want a rookie pay scale. Know what? I have no problem with that. More importantly, neither would veterans. But does anybody really believe players are going to make up the lost salary on the back end of their career?
6: Owners are upset that they pay the players about 60 percent of the pie. But Suits: They are the product. Yes, the NFL is the most successful, most powerful entity in pro sports on the globe. But didn’t owners discover who was really important several years ago when they played games during a strike with replacement players? Remember? Nobody came. Nobody cared. And if set the tone for another work stoppage, don’t look this way for support.
5: Andruw Jones reportedly has torn cartilage in his right knee. His personal trainer has suggested he start cramming the cheeseburgers in his left cheek instead of his right, in hopes of shifting the weight and alleviate the pressure.
4: I wish I could’ve seen the look on Bill Parcells’ face when Jason Taylor - part-time football player, full-time dance star - said he hopes he’s known for something other than football in 10 years.
3: All’s quiet on the Hawks’ hiring front, but Sacramento’s Geoff Petrie did not deny to a Sacramento Bee reporter that he was contacted about the front office opening. “My commitment is to the Kings,” he said. “It always has been ever since I’ve been here, and nothing has changed.”
2: Went to Sugarloaf over the weekend. I asked Stewart Cink a few questions about golf. He asked me several about the Thrashers. I think we agreed the franchise was over par.
1: Question for Odell Thurman: Why would you expect anybody to give you the benefit of the doubt now?
Permalink | Comments (35) | Post your comment | Categories: Braves/MLB, Falcons/NFL, Hawks/NBA
Families in Japan lose sleep
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The reactions on the 18th green were just as you would expect. The golfer raised his hands. The wife broke down in tears. The section of the gallery roped off for human Dogs woofed.
But the real celebration presumably was a half-world away in Hiroshima, Japan.
“Oh, it’s, um, I think
5:15 in the morning,” the wife, Kanae Imada, said Sunday as she wiped her eyes. “Most people are sleeping. Except for my family, and his family.”
“I’m sure they were watching on TV,” the golfer, Ryuji Imada, said. “My dad is probably still up. He’s probably still drinking.”
It has been a while since that whole, go-to-America, land-of-opportunity thing. But you wouldn’t know it by charting Ryuji Imada’s career. At 14, he left Hiroshima to attend a Tampa golf academy. He learned English. He become one of the nation’s top amateurs and attended Georgia for two years. His game graduated to the Nationwide Tour and then the PGA Tour.
On Sunday, 17 years after the move, Imada won his first tour event, in a playoff over Kenny Perry. If the AT&T Classic were going to fold without much in the way of attention or marquee value, at least the closing act came with a pretty good story line.
“When he made the putt, I remembered everybody’s face in Japan,” Kanae said. “Everybody — so happy.”
Now, how this translates in Duluth is anybody’s guess. But if a Japanese native and a former Bulldog winning the 40th Classic doesn’t prompt some combination of Sony, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Nissan and Steverino’s Pizza to buy sponsorships, something is seriously wrong.
It was a nice end to a strange week. The tournament lacked stars. The conversation mostly centered on the title sponsor’s exit.
But that’s kind of the way things have been going at Sugarloaf. The club’s highest-profile residents have lost their revenue streams: Michael Vick, Lisa Ann Taylor, the golf tournament.
The finish was not without some irony. Imada finished second in last year’s Classic, when he lost in a playoff to Zach Johnson, his second shot on the 18th landing in the drink. This time, he watched as Perry’s approach shot sailed high and wide right of the green, bounced off a pine tree and rolled back across the green and into the water.
Even stranger was Perry’s comment later, “I hit a good 5-wood.”
No, Kenny: That wasn’t a beautiful 5-wood. That was just wood.
Perry’s gaffe, which resulted in a bogey, allowed Imada to lay up with his approach shot and play for a conservative par.
“That’s the normal way to play, I guess,” Imada said.
There was nothing nor- mal about his week. Imada opened with a rain-soaked 71 on Thursday, this despite forgetting to bring rain gear. He followed that in the next three days with a 69, 66 and 67, totaling 15 birdies and only one bogey.
There was a crowd of fourth-round leaders, most notably Parker McLachlin, who had a three-shot lead after an eagle on 13 but bogeyed three of the last five holes.
Perry birdied 13, 15 and 16 to take a one-shot lead over Imada. But on 18, Imada hit a 3-wood just to the right of the green, just missed an eagle when his 70-foot chip rolled past the cup, and tapped in for the tying birdie, sending it to a playoff.
“Last year it was the same scenario, but I was actually the chaser instead of, you know, being chased,” Imada said. “It was easier this time.”
He now has a win. He also has an invitation to the Masters. “It’s the tournament I always dreamed of playing as a kid,” he said.
English comes easily now. So does golf. He came over at 14 but never felt overwhelmed.
“All I ever wanted to do was play golf, so this has been fun,” he said. “To learn English, to learn a culture, it has been great.”
There’s something for the tournament to sell.
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Ex-Dog Bolli 182nd but closing in
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There are certain things that don’t take an economics degree to figure out.
Ranking 182nd on the money list? Not going to get you very far.
Ranking near the top of the leaderboard but having confused fans wonder aloud, “Who’s the guy playing with Stewart Cink?” Easy. Cable didn’t pick up the 2004 Chattanooga Classic on the Nationwide Tour.
It could be worse for Justin Bolli. It has been worse for Justin Bolli. Getting a Tour card, only to lose it after one year. Making eight of 12 cuts but finishing 66th, 49th, 48th, 80th, 57th, 72nd and 40th. But a corner might have been turned this week.
The former Roswell High School and Georgia walk-on is making a run of it in the AT&T Classic. His 68 Saturday at Sugarloaf left him with a 9-under-207 through three rounds, just four shots back of leader Charles Howell III. People might even know who he is today.
“This is a great thing,” Bolli said. “It’s a lot better than finishing in 57th place.”
This will be progress, both career-wise and economically. Regardless of what happens today, Bolli will not step so far out of obscurity that he will surpass Cink. (“He has a house here. My income’s not quite there yet.”) But there’s little reason to believe he’ll fall off the pace.
Even Cink, his more famous playing partner Saturday, said: “He’s really consistent. He doesn’t do anything to get himself into big trouble. He’s not the longest player but he’s also fairly accurate off the tee. So he’s always going to be in the game. I don’t see him shooting a lot of 77s.”
And then this: “He’ll stick.”
Cink meant on the Tour. Bolli earned his card in 2005. But he made the cut in only nine of 24 tournaments, had three top-25 finishes and found himself back on the Nationwide Tour. He won his PGA Tour card back after finishing eighth on the Nationwide money list.
This year, he said, he has “made cuts, but missed putts,” leaving him 182nd in earnings.
“I’ve gotten my card twice and I’ve lost it once, so I’d have to say keeping it is harder than getting it,” Bolli said. “Hopefully I can keep it a little longer this time. I feel a lot more comfortable.”
In 2005, there were times when he found himself somewhat overwhelmed by the moment, the competition and the surroundings. Not now. Cink remarked how Bolli’s temperament didn’t change Saturday when he got to within one shot of the lead.
“He didn’t look nervous at all,” he said. “The experience of being in the thick of things is really going to help him down the line.”
Golf is no different from other sports in this respect: Jumping from the Nationwide to the PGA Tour is the same as transitioning from the minors to the majors. Strengths get neutralized. Weaknesses become magnified.
When asked why he believes he struggled in 2005, Bolli mentioned better competition, and then added: “You’re playing with guys who know the courses, they know where to go, they know where to eat. It makes it so much easier to just go out and play when you know where everything is. A lot of the time I was just trying to find my way around.”
Not a problem this week. He bounced back from an opening-round 72 to shoot 66 Friday. He opened the third round with birdies on six of the first 13 holes, dropping to 10-under, one shot back of Howell. But he bogeyed 15 and missed birdie chances on the final three holes.
His cheering section consisted of his parents, fiancée and a couple of friends, not quite matching Cink’s gallery.
It’s not every day a Georgia man finds himself so outnumbered by Tech fans.
Asked about the pairing of rival schools, Bolli smiled and said, “There wasn’t too much ribbing. I can just remind him of the game every year.”
It’s his hope that bragging rights will carry over from football.
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Difficult to punish greedy amateur athletes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Imagine that you have a gift, but you are surrounded by ruin. Bad neighborhood. Little money. A single mom who works three jobs and does the best she can in the 30 minutes a day she sees you.
Then one day somebody in a nice suit, let’s say with a hint of brimstone, shakes your hand and leaves you with a roll of bills. He slips you an ATM card, a phone, a watch. A plasma TV lands on your doorstep.
It’s all against the rules. But you figure this part of your life is only a brief stopover.
Nobody cares.
Everybody does it.
Nobody gets hurt.
Check that — you don’t get hurt. And really, does anybody else matter?
It’s happening again.
Strong allegations have been leveled against a young college athlete, this time former USC basketball star O.J. Mayo. They involve the usual schemes and payoffs and circle of leeches.
If any of what has been charged is true, USC, which already is under investigation for similar allegations involving former Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, almost certainly will go on probation. But blame is being spread everywhere. Agents. Advisers. Shoe companies. AAU basketball. The NCAA. The NBA. The lame one-and-done rule that doesn’t fix anything as much as it further exposes a gifted, hungry teenager to the underbelly of “amateur” athletics.
Everybody at some point will take a hit. Everybody except O.J. Mayo.
If Mayo is found to have taken some $30,000, as was outlined in an ESPN report, the NCAA won’t be able to touch him. He’ll be in the NBA by the time the investigation concludes. The NBA certainly couldn’t do anything. No league rule would have been broken.
Mayo falls into that gray zone, like Bush, like so many others. Chris Webber initially lied about taking money from booster Ed Martin at Michigan. The school eventually was forced to vacate victories, went on four years probation and took down banners from two Final Fours. Michigan also was told to disassociate itself from Webber and three former teammates for 10 years.
This isn’t to suggest that the student-athlete should be the prime target for punishment. All parties should share blame. But only one party can operate without any threat of ramifications. Schools get probation. Agents can lose accreditation or even face criminal charges. Coaches can lose jobs. Sanctions can follow them from school to school (as was the case with Kelvin Sampson).
But the kid? He only gets rich.
He is not breaking any law. But he is pulling out the bottom brick, causing an entire structure to collapse. Something is wrong with that.
The NCAA said it is concerned but is essentially powerless.
There might be a way to solve this. Scholarships essentially are one-year grants, renewable if an athlete is in good academic standing. It sounds an awful lot like a contract. Contracts can have clauses. Clauses like: “If you take money and we find out and then land on probation, we can come after you for damages.
But for the NCAA to take the step of signing student-athletes to contracts would mean acknowledging that they are employees. That would mean they couldn’t maintain this farcical notion of amateur athletics — TV contracts, jersey sales and all evidence to the contrary.
Georgia Tech athletics director Dan Radakovich acknowledged a problem exists but isn’t sure what can be done, short of a school filing a civil suit in an effort to claim damages.
“The people at West Virginia are basically saying they were damaged by the fact Rich Rodriguez left,” Radakovich said. “But if they went to court, it would be difficult for West Virginia to prove damages in the short run. They’re still playing games. They’re still selling tickets. How do you prove you’re damaged by $4 million?
“If an athlete does something in the NBA, they can fine him, suspend him, terminate his contract. About the only thing a college can do is throw him out. But if a student-athlete is leaving anyway, that’s not going to do much good.”
USC figures to pay a price. But Bush already is swimming in riches in New Orleans. Mayo will be a lottery pick. Their fingerprints could be everywhere, but it wouldn’t matter. When the NCAA holds a news conference, they can watch it on a plasma.
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The Tuesday Countdown
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
10: Joe Horn signed an $18.5 million contract. He must be paid by the word.
9: I was standing on the sideline at Falcons minicamp Monday when I heard Horn grousing about his lack of action. Moments later, he told our Steve Wyche he wanted to be traded. It was his most productive day as a Falcon.
8: Horn will rank as one the franchise’s worst free agent signings ever. He had 27 catches last season. That’s 27 more than he’ll have this season because my guess is the Falcons will punt the guy before training camp. He’s right about not being a significant part of the game plan, but he’s wrong in thinking he should be. He’s got a starter’s ego but an old man’s legs. The Saints were smart to dump him when they did. The Falcons gave him $7.5 million in guarantees in the first two seasons. No guarantees back the other way.
7: Just went to the AJC.com cover page. There’s a link to a “Dress Carrie” page. Look, if we’re just going to throw journalism into a food processor and come out with something like this, that’s fine. But I’m making a few changes. In my game, it ain’t Sarah Jessica Parker, and it sure ain’t dressing.
6: O.J. Mayo has denied taking gifts at USC. Really, it was more like salary and incentive bonuses.
5: These allegations against Mayo come on the heels of Reggie Bush’s parents supposedly living in a home rent-free — among other “benefits” — while he was at USC. If the Trojans skate, it’s the NCAA that should be investigated. If this was Alabama, Auburn or any school in the SEC, we’d all be screaming.
4: The Celtics, who lost 10 regular season road games all year, are 0-5 on the road in the playoffs. It doesn’t mean they can’t win the NBA title. But this isn’t a team for the ages. Aged, maybe.
3: I was hoping to weigh in on “Spygate” before being wrapped up this week’s countdown. But Goodell and Walsh must be taking in a double feature.
2: SI.com and ESPN.com have both listed the Falcons No. 32 in their power rankings, which means, of course, nothing. But I figured it would be nice to give coach Mike Smith equal time. So I asked him where his team should rank. “That’s a loaded question,” he said. His answer: no so loaded. “Somebody’s gotta be ranked No. 1 and somebody’s gotta be ranked at the bottom. It’s not where you start, it’s where you end up.”
1: Question for Joe Horn: After the Saints and the Falcons tell you that you’re not good enough, where can you turn?
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New head coach has Falcons’ respect
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Flowery Branch — The Falcons’ first full minicamp wasn’t unlike that first spring training scene in the baseball movie “Major League,” except that I’m fairly certain owner Arthur Blank and general manager Thomas Dimitroff did not replicate this exchange between members of the Indians’ front office.
Rachel Phelps (owner): “I want to put together a team that will help us relocate to Miami.”
Charlie Donovan (GM): “What do you mean? Some of these guys are furniture movers?”
Falcons players wore logo-less helmets for three days, which seemed appropriate because nobody can be sure whether they belong here or Bekins. But there is this: By this time a year ago, Bobby Petrino voodoo dolls already would’ve been a hot seller in the locker room. This season, players are at least following Petrino’s successor, Mike Smith.
“He’s a guy you want to fight for,” said Lawyer Milloy, one of the few veteran holdovers. “It’s like night and day. When you create a positive atmosphere, when you don’t mind coming to work, you just do more. That was a little bit of a problem last year. Guys still worked hard last year, but it’s not the same as when a guy comes over and pats you on the back.”
Milloy was a rarity in the three-day camp. People actually recognized him.
When players first walked onto the field Saturday, there was such a high degree of who-are-these-guys that former Falcon Gerald Riggs mused: “It looks like some sort of virus came along and took everybody out.”
Anonymity seldom is a good thing in sports. But the NFL is a strange league. There aren’t that many great teams. Even most of the good ones are just an injury or two north of mediocre. It’s remarkable what an even unspectacular team can achieve when it stays healthy, plays smart and is willing to fight for its head coach.
Petrino lost this bunch early. The same will not happen under Smith. That’s a start.
“If you’re doing something wrong, just tell me — don’t MF me and curse me out,” said Milloy, one of the most outspoken critics of Petrino after his resignation. “Just tell me what I’m doing wrong, and then it’s up to me to be a pro and get it right. Just to curse me out and turn your back on me, that’s not productive. That’s not how you get results. I think [Smith] gets that. And he’s really trusting the few veterans that we have to make his job easier. He asks us what we think about certain things. Any time you have open lines of communication, you get results.”
The Falcons won four games last season. Some would find that a fair over/under for this season.
Smith isn’t thinking that way. He wore a safari hat the last two days of camp, which was his practice as a defensive coach in Jacksonville. “I used to tell them, ‘We’re going big-game hunting, boys,’ ” he said.
But the mind-set now is not about win totals — it’s about attitude. The Falcons haven’t had a winning season since going to the NFC title game in 2004. When a franchise has such a pronounced slide, goals need to be a bigger picture than, “We need a better pass rush.”
“The biggest challenge,” Smith said, “is changing the culture in the whole building. When you change the culture, you change the behavior. When you change the behavior, you change people’s habits. We want to create a winning culture. We want our guys to have the habits that winners have.”
It’s so basic. But it’s no revelation that the Falcons underachieved last season. That’s not all on Petrino. Too many players tanked it, early and often. They didn’t like their contract. Or the game plan. Or the coach. Veterans were as guilty as rookies, even if they wouldn’t admit it.
Losses and discontent are a lethal combination in any locker room, particularly in the NFL, where the season is only 16 games long.
Players fought for Jim Mora in his first season. But Mora lost them during year two when they sensed he started playing favorites. He lost his edge. They lost theirs.
Milloy realizes most don’t expect much from these Falcons. But he said, “After what we went through last year, anything this year will be a cakewalk.”
Most would probably choose other words for the outlook next season. But in May, it works. Let somebody else prove they should be moving a fridge.
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Why promote Waddell?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For the past several weeks, rumors have floated through the offices of the Atlanta Spirit that Don Waddell was about to step into an executive position similar to that of the abruptly departed Bernie Mullin.
This prompted two immediate reactions from most rational, clear-thinking beings close to (or within) the Thrashers and Hawks: 1) Why promote somebody whose only previous position in Atlanta is largely viewed as a colossal failure? 2) Isn’t the aforementioned Mullin position the same job that led owner Michael Gearon to comment: “Even though we set it up originally to have [general managers] reporting to Bernie, that never really happened. We quickly realized we didn’t need a person between us and them.”
So. Pay an executive salary to a failed executive to fill a position that you’ve previously stated really doesn’t need filling. Perfect.
You want things to change.
We all want things to change.
Hey, maybe they are changing — and just nobody wants to admit it yet.
Gearon finally admitted late last week that promoting the Thrashers’ general manager to a high position within the Spirit group was being discussed. He also suggested that help might be brought in before the draft. He stopped short of saying Waddell would be stripped of draft duties. When asked directly if Waddell was definitely going to be the general manager next season, Gearon said he hadn’t thought about titles yet.
Sorry. Not buying it.
A story posted on ESPN.com Friday night reported Waddell already has been asked to give up his GM duties and accept another management position. Gearon refuted the story. Sort of. But in an e-mailed statement to the AJC’s Craig Custance, Gearon never clearly outlined Waddell’s role with the franchise or the company. It closed by saying: “We are focused on finding a coach, and getting ready for the draft and free agency.”
Nobody, not even Gearon, is disputing that the
Thrashers need fixing. Nobody is understating the importance of this draft (the Thrashers have two first round picks) or that the franchise is at a crossroads (they’ve failed to make the playoffs seven out of eight seasons, haven’t developed talent and their lone superstar, Ilya Kovalchuk, is understandably frustrated).
The Spirit owners probably believe firing Waddell doesn’t make them look good, given how long they’ve defended him. So if Waddell has time left on his contract — which has been reported but not confirmed — they could rationalize it doesn’t look as bad if he is kept in the company (albeit somewhat neutered). And Waddell? He still gets a nice office, a big salary and avoids public humiliation, biding his time until a real hockey job opens up.
Regardless, Gearon is doing all he can do to douse this story. He denies anybody in the Spirit has not spoken to any potential general manager candidate. But a Toronto newspaper already has reported that the Thrashers have made preliminary contact with David Nonis, the former Vancouver general manager.
A lot of people sure seem to be making up a lot of stories.
The Spirit never asked me for a game plan. But if Waddell is out, here’s a starter kit:
• 1) Call Brian Burke. He rebuilt Vancouver. He was the architect of Anaheim’s Stanley Cup. He recently flirted with Toronto, then said he’s returning to the Ducks for another year. But the plans seem murky. (Interesting history: Burke was a finalist for the Thrashers’ job in 1998. He desperately wanted it. But former team president Harvey Schiller was twiddling his thumbs on a decision, and Burke felt compelled to take the only offer on the table — from Vancouver.)
• 2) If Burke says no, phone Scotty Bowman. Offer him the world. If he says no, pay him to draw up a blueprint and suggest candidates.
• 3) 0-for-2? Contract any assistant general manager or personnel director from a franchise with a history of finding and developing talent: Detroit, Minnesota, Montreal, Buffalo, New Jersey, San Jose, Ottawa.
Here’s what you don’t do: Nothing.
Gearon’s statement included this gem: “Don is very highly respected in Atlanta, in NHL circles, and certainly among our ownership group.”
I’d like to see his polling numbers in Atlanta and NHL circles. Eight seasons of numbers don’t support that.
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Defining offseason awaits Atlanta Spirit
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In the four years since taking ownership of the Hawks and Thrashers, the Atlanta Spirit too often has stumbled into implausible scenarios, like executive slapstick, only to work hard at convincing everybody that its days as a punch line were ending.
Unfortunately, as these owners have found, it’s difficult to make a convincing argument after you introduce yourself to the public as “an all-star team of owners,” but then you can’t stop suing each other.
But there is good news.
Or bad news.
Well, either way, significant news.
If ever an offseason was going to define an ownership group, this is it. Hunker down, Spirit boys, because this is when you either step up and convey some sense of stability within your franchises, or once again pull a Curly and confuse the blast powder with the pancake mix. (Boom.)
The Atlanta Spirit employs two general managers, Billy Knight and Don Waddell, with cracked track records.
It employs one basketball coach, Mike Woodson, whose regular seasons have been fairly decisive but whose recent postseason has left everybody confused (three huge upsets at home; four revolting losses on the road by 101 points).
The Spirit fired its hockey coach, Bob Hartley, six games into the NHL season, a swift and decisive, even if short-sighted, move that really accomplished nothing, unless you count forcing Waddell to form lines with his own mistakes.
OK, Spirit boys, are you tired of getting beaten up? What’s next?
It has been stated before, but it’s worth repeating. Sports franchises can be successful in a number of ways. Great players can overcome average coaching. Great coaches can succeed with average players. General managers can build winners by accruing solid, even if unspectacular, players. Or they can pick up just enough All-Stars to compensate for the duds.
Trades can make up for bad drafts, and vice-versa.
But there is one thing a sports franchise can’t overcome: bad ownership.
Fans don’t need their team to win every season. They just need to know that owners are trying to do things correctly, smartly. They need to know that they care. They don’t want to hear excuses. They don’t want to sense arrogance from the basketball GM or witness infantile outbursts by the hockey owner.
Fans want accountability.
You want to fix things, guys? Fix it now.
Waddell presumably has convinced owners he has things under control and that this season was an aberration (not to be confused with the other years of aberrations). I say “presumably” because only Bruce Levenson has publicly expressed confidence in Waddell. Michael Gearon, the other most active, non-ex-communicated owner in the group, has stayed in the background on hockey matters.
Waddell’s latest bit of amusing scrambling came in Craig Custance’s examination of the dysfunctional relationship between the Thrashers and their affiliate, the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. At one point, Waddell suggested the Thrashers were in an advantageous position over the Detroit Red Wings because Atlanta’s prospects were in the AHL playoffs and the Wings’ prospects weren’t. The problem: The Thrashers’ prospects are in the playoffs every year and it doesn’t seem to make a difference in the Thrashers’ season. The Red Wings? They win Stanley Cups.
Waddell has yet to hire a coach. The bigger concern is that owners have yet to state their plan for the franchise. They have yet to hire an outside hockey adviser, as had been suggested. The Thrashers played their last game a month ago. If owners were waiting for the basketball season to end before deliberating on hockey matters, doesn’t that make you feel a little uncomfortable?
The Hawks also have significant issues. They actually have time on the player decisions. But Gearon’s comments Monday after wanting to “take a step back for several days” are unsettling. The Knight and Woodson issues have been on the table all season. Good owners always have a Plan B. If there were thoughts of firing Knight, there must have been thoughts about qualified replacements.
If the owners decide to fire Knight but keep Woodson, what would that say about Knight’s replacement, who wouldn’t be allowed to hire his own coach? What GM would take this job under those circumstances, and would you trust his ability to grab what the Hawks accomplished in the last playoffs and take it the next level?
The easy answer is to fire everybody. But the bigger issue is whether these owners can reach clear and logical decisions that put two franchises on solid ground. We’re still waiting.
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The Tuesday Countdown
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
10: If I seem a little down today, I just read that Scarlett Johansson is off the market. Feel free to Google, then return. We’ll wait.
9: The monthly meeting of “Women Who Haven’t Slept with Roger Clemens” will meet this evening at Applebees. A table for six has been reserved.
8: On the open market: Avery Johnson. Mike D’Antoni. Jeff Van Gundy. Rick Carlisle (though reportedly close to the Dallas job). Please, state your case. How does Hawks coach Mike Woodson makes you better than any of them?
7: That said: This should be the general manager’s call. The new general manager’s call. If Billy Knight is fired and Woodson is kept, which is possible, what respected general manager will want this job, knowing the coach’s contract already has been extended?
6: A leftover from a chat with Falcons owner Arthur Blank last week: “When I bought the team in 2002, Michael [Vick] was already here. People credited me for drafting him, but that was before I got here. I always gave credit to the Smith family. Now when I say that, the Smith family probably doesn’t want to hear it.”
5: I’m guessing Arthur isn’t in the mood to drop any one-liners this week. Without presuming either the guilt or innocence of linebacker Michael Boley, having a player charged with spousal abuse obliterates any chance of the franchise completely cleansing its image and Blank getting any sleep this off-season.
4: Question: Do divorce attorneys go prospecting for business or do they just want for women to come to them? Because I’m just wondering how many might be contacting Debbie Clemens. You know. Just in case.
3: PETA tends to go overboard on several issues, becoming almost cartoon-like. But the organization is correct in mandating changes in thoroughbred racing.
2: You would never have known this from NBC’s coverage of the Kentucky Derby, because the network apparently didn’t want to ruin the glorious moment of Big Brown’s win and rich people with six drinks and funny hats celebrating. But second-place winner Eight Belles fractured two ankles, leading to the horse being immediately euthanized. First place goes to the Preakness. Second-place is dead. Thoroughbreds are beautiful animals. But they have Godzilla-like torsos and are running on toothpicks, and injuries and deaths are too easily accepted.
1: Longtime NFL writer Peter King of Sports Illustrated just ranked all 32 NFL teams, and guess who’s last? I don’t agree with the rankings but this analysis is dead on: “When you need 12 to 15 new starters, you’re basically dealing with a construction job like an expansion team.”
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BCS refuses to see it’s obsolete
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Several years have passed since the BCS and its mutant forefathers first proved itself to be a pox on college football.
Four months have passed since the NCAA’s board of directors punted an eight-team playoff proposal from Georgia President Michael Adams.
A week has passed since the BCS commissioner creatively spun that the system was “in an unprecedented state of health.” This ignores evidence that it’s actually the sport in an unprecedented state of health, not the postseason structure, which is closer to Randall P. McMurphy’s bunkmate.
But there is good news: It has been 65 million years since dinosaurs roamed the Earth, and we still don’t really know what happened to all of them. So as slow development goes, the BCS is not alone.
“If I’ve learned anything, it’s that nothing happens quickly in higher education,” Adams said. “But I certainly believe there’s still a chance that something could happen within a couple of years.”
Adams’ remarks run counter to the general belief that college football’s logically challenged bowl system won’t change for at least six years because of existing television contracts. But his sense is that the majority of college presidents aren’t nearly as resolute in their defense of the BCS as they would have you believe.
“There’s still going to be discussion — but I want to know what went on at that meeting before I go any further out on the limb than I already am,” said Adams, who was attending Georgia’s annual athletic meetings at Lake Oconee when BCS officials were in Florida on Wednesday rejecting a “plus-one” playoff format. “I would be surprised if we had a period of six years where the BCS worked at a level where we were all pleased.”
Of the six major conferences, only the SEC and ACC openly endorsed the plus-one scenario (effectively a two-tiered, four-team playoff). Opposing: The Rose Bowl’s two linked conferences, the Pacific 10 and Big Ten, as well as the Big 12 and Big East.
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said he “felt vindicated” by the overwhelming opposition, given his conference has been viewed as the primary obstacle. But if that bothered Adams — alum of a Big Ten school, Ohio State — he wasn’t showing it.
“I can tell you that most of these people are friends of mind and sometimes what they say in private and what they say to the press are two different things,” he said. “Again, I want to wait to find out what happened before I say too much. But I can simply tell you that like most things in higher education, there’s not unanimity.”
Traditionalists have long opposed a playoff system, partly in the belief that it would diminish the importance of the regular season and the tradition of the bowls. It’s a legitimate argument.
The flaws in their argument are twofold: 1) Any BCS system eats into the bowl tradition, and bowl games had matchups before the current structure. 2) College football’s leveling landscape, which has made for an increasing number of “upsets” and unprecedented debate over polls, makes this a logical time for a more exact science.
In retrospect, Adams’ eight-team proposal might’ve been too big of a leap for college presidents who are worried about perceptions that they speak out of both sides of their mouth, which, of course, they do. (Breakfast meeting: Pass legislation to strengthen academics. Lunch meeting: Approve 12-game football schedules.)
But sticking with the status quo seems nonsensical. A plus-one is the best compromise. There would be debate about what four schools belong in the semifinals, but certainly no more debate than there is now over the rankings. And in the end, there would be clarity.
ACC commissioner John Swofford is walking a tightrope. He’s a proponent of a plus-one system, but he’s also the coordinator of the BCS. Therein lies the reason for his convoluted remarks last week: “We have decided that because we feel at this time the BCS is in an unprecedented state of health … we have made a decision to move forward in the next cycle with the current format.”
When asked about Swafford’s comments, Adams actually laughed.
And then: “John’s a friend of mine. Generally I think he’s a good guy and a good thinker.”
Just not in this case.
“I don’t agree with John that everything is working well in the system. I respect John. But when 80 percent of the public [according to polls] thinks there’s something wrong with it, that says something to me.”
There is hope. Millions of years from now, scientists will debate whether the BCS ran out of food, was hit by a meteor or just fell into a tar pit.
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Young Hawks handling things better than coach
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In more ways than we ever could have guessed, say, a week ago, this season has been an unexpected gift for the Hawks.
They have re-ignited this city’s pro basketball fans. They have seen what Joe Johnson can do when a team really needs him to do it. They have identified a young player who is a certain building block for the future (Al Horford) and another who may have significant issues (Marvin Williams). It doesn’t matter what happens tonight or for the rest of their playoff lives. None of that is going away.
The problem is the undercurrent. Mike Woodson can be a nice enough guy. He just hasn’t been a particularly smart guy of late, in large part because of speculation on his job security.
This isn’t a subject that ever should come up in the middle of a playoff series, let alone a franchise’s first playoff series in nine seasons. It wasn’t a subject any member of the media likely would have ever broached Wednesday when the Hawks, in the most remarkable story of this or most postseasons, were coming off consecutive wins over the 66-win Boston Celtics and were preparing for Game 5.
But Woodson, even if unintentionally, kicked open the door to the subject. Responding to a question about Josh Smith’s future, Woodson, for no apparent reason, began, “At the end of the season, if I’m the coach …”
Oops.
Now. Why are we going there?
This was sort of like a prosecutor hearing a defense attorney mistakenly bringing up an issue in a defendant’s past and thinking, “Well, now I can ask about it.”
The next few questions focused on Woodson. Not the Hawks, not the two wins in Philips Arena, not any of his suddenly resilient players — unless you count the time Woodson responded to one question with: “You guys think this team should be the greatest thing since sliced bread, and I don’t see it that way. We’ve got some good pieces but we’re young.”
First of all, I don’t ever remember anybody in this town drawing parallels between the Hawks and sliced bread. Stale bread, maybe.
Secondly — huh?
I’m trying to recall the last time the Braves were wrecked by injuries or considered an underdog in the postseason and Bobby Cox saying, in so many words, “You know, we’re really not that good.” Or, “We’re kind of lucky to be here.”
He might think it. But he wouldn’t say it — certainly not when his team was coming off two dramatic victories and, as an unexpected bonus, had panicked the sports fans of Boston.
But Woodson has been doing this sort of thing for weeks now. As the focus on him has increased, he has increasingly alluded to the Hawks’ youth and personnel deficiencies, indirectly pointing the finger at general manager Billy Knight. (Safe to say both sides have ammunition in that debate.)
In one recent radio interview, Woodson remarked, “Personally, I think I’ve done an unbelievable job,” strange words from a man with a four-year regular season record of 106-222.
Woodson fumed Thursday when he read media accounts of his comments in Boston.
When asked Thursday — by a reporter he likes — if he could clarify his remarks, Woodson gave an angry, “No comment.”
A few minutes later, he was asked by somebody he doesn’t like (me).
Question: “I understand you’re upset about …”
Answer: “I have no comments. Turn off your recorder. I’m done.”
Question: “Are the quotes accurate? Were they misrepresented in some way?”
Answer: “I have no comment.”
Question: “I’m giving you a chance to clarify your …”
Answer: “No, I’m not gonna give you a chance. For what? I’m done. Thank you.”
Lost on Woodson: If he hadn’t opened the door, nobody would’ve walked in.
Oddly, those young, inexperienced Hawks players Woodson has alluded to are handling the post-season far better than their coach.
Josh Childress (granted, well-schooled at Stanford) said: “Stuff like that shouldn’t come up in the middle of a playoff series. But I don’t think it’s a distraction to the players. Maybe coach is thinking about it a little more than we are. The focus should be on us trying to win, it shouldn’t be on: Is he secure in his job for next year? This is a big time for all of us in the organization.”
Yes, it is. It was a wonderful way for Childress to answer a question and yet defuse a topic. Woodson might want to take notes.
Friday night, the Hawks play Game 6.
A win would be even bigger than Game 4, which was even bigger than Game 3.
A loss, and this still would have been a sweet ride.
Would’ve been a nice thing to focus on.
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