AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2005 > December > 30
Friday, December 30, 2005
Rumor mill cranking out rubbish
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So we’ve come to this every day now waiting for NBA teams to make trades. Rumors and speculation from even the most “prestigious” of media outlets have become routine over the years.
But with cyber forums (websites I refuse to mention here, no need to contribute to the circus) filled with complete nonsense, NBA fans are left with little else to do but follow the Enquirer-like rubbish that is dished out daily. Ninety percent of the trade scenarios mentioned wouldn’t even work under the league’s rules. And the other 10 percent are simply wishful thinking on the part of folks like us, who give these things life.
The trades that usually get made are the ones you hear little or nothing about before they go down. Remember all those rumors about Rasheed Wallace being traded to the Hawks before it became real, for a game at least? When Shaq demanded to be moved in Los Angeles, he was rumored to be going everywhere from Dallas to New York and New Jersey, because of his ties to the area, before the Heat came from out of nowhere to pull off the deal.
Ron Artest is being traded to 15 different teams (sorry folks, the Hawks are not in the mix right now). I know this stuff provides fuel for what has become the fan’s favorite daily ritual. But it’s getting tired.
Here’s one man’s plea to the Pacers: Trade Artest already. Send him to the Clippers, T’Wolves, Nuggets or whoever. But just do it already so the rest of the league can get on with its business. There’s quite a bit of player movement that will be upon us soon enough, 10-day contracts can be signed next week. But until the Artest saga is resolved, the focus for people from coast to coast will be on a guy who isn’t even playing.
Complete and utter nonsense.
Oh, and someone asked why Tony Delk isn’t playing. The official reason is a sore heel. But after watching Delk play lights out at the end of practices, it’s clear to anyone watching that he’s not injured. He’s not playing because the Hawks have decided that Salim Stoudamire is going to get those minutes. At the top of Delk’s wish list for Christmas was a zip code change. We’ll see if he gets it by the trade deadline.
