Your Loyalty to the Wizards

[bulletproof_32]

Unintentional comedy FTMFW.

I do agree on the 2-3 though.

[Tyrone Messby]

This has been a tougher year to follow just because of the expectations. I'll always be a Wiz fan but the way the organization has treated this Gil situation is disgusting. I'm praying Leonsis comes in and buys the team and rebuilds it the same way the Caps were rebuilt. The Wiz don't need a "superstar" ala Ovechkin, but a potential top 10 player needs to be found somehow through the draft to make it work. Also, in general the NBA has really tested my patience with their blatant favoritism. I do believe this league is more corrupt than any other in America.

[ErikChowbay023]

I agree with you Messby..

Maybe I am taking this a bit to far, did the Cleveland -Utah game looked fixed? Seriously. Its kind of strange that they had video footage right after the game of Gaines being called up, and showed him on the phone with his mother and all..

Also the Chicago -Celtic game looked kind of fixed.. Tyrus Thomas jumped into Marv Albert and Doug Collins, and it just happened that Albert was already standing up about 8 to 9 seconds before Thomas jumped right where they were..

And also the 3OT game with Rockets and Minn. It all happened within days of each other... Maybe I am reaching to much, but it all seems odd to me.

[Lucrazi28]

lets face it folks; sometimes the NBA is just plain.... well; you get the point.............

[Hoopalotta]

Nice post by Lu' there with excellent use of Emoticons.

[doclinkin]

Hey Ted, friend and total stranger.

I'm just writing to say hi. I'm a firebreathing Washington Wizards fan who has hit a rut in my optimism while still grieving for the passing of good old Abe Pollin. This latest gutpunch has left me stunned if not quite yet despondent.

Look, to be a fan of this franchise we true Bullets/Wizards fans have had to develop pretty tough skin, there's always hope, there's always some way to strip mine storm clouds for silver ore and all that.

But Gilbert Arenas was my guy. And while I understand that the kid once again made an idiotic choice based on his usual irrational exuberance and trickster nature -- still that's in part what we all loved about the guy. It hurt me personally to see the franchise jettisoning his merchandise and talking about moving on, voiding contracts, etc.

Are guns funny? No, not especially. But as a film producer (for instance) you recognize that our country our media glorifies gunplay. You can show raging gunbattles with no consequence on primetime TV, where you can't show, I dunno the naked breast of a woman breastfeeding or whatnot. Just part of the upside-down priorities of our country. Guns become a symbol of our rugged individualism and Lone Ranger swagger and whatnot. It should be understood to some extent when we as a culture occasionally get it confused. Treat guns lightly, and not with the grave seriousness they represent.

Seems to me Gilbert as a spokesman has opportunity to help teach kids who look up to him that this is a serious matter. If he spent an afternoon, a week, working with the guys up at Walter Reed coping from the aftershocks of being on both sides of the violence equation, well, seems to me a caring and empathic guy like Gilbert would come to understand that you don't joke and play with an instrument of death. Seems to me he could translate that message to kids and folks in the larger culture..

I understand it's a terrible time now for the current majority ownership of the franchise, where previously Mr Pollin carried a certain moral authority and adamantine loyalty that helped both protect his employees and give them a certain guidance. Seems to me people didn't want to disappoint the old man and his gentle censure could almost sorta shame them into making amends and doing the right thing.. I can understand how now of all times his family might not have the reserves of goodwill to see the team he loved founder, struggle, and now and be featured as a laughing stock, punching bags for the Al Sharptons and Pete Vesceys out there.

I just hate to see the team begin to surrender to the undertow. There's a powerful need for leadership right now. I dunno.

I know there's a hundred and a half small steps that have to be taken before you yourself can have any real say-so. The Value of the team has to be established, contracts drafted, you have to put people in place to give you advice how to assemble a supersteam of stat samurais and the like to mimic the hypersmart front offices of the Huston Rockets, OKC Thunder/Sonics, Portland Blazers. It takes time to build or re-build a team.

I just recall how your influence drew MJ out of retirement and breathed a spark of life back into the team, and I've seen how your personal care has re-invigorated the Caps franchise. And mattafact I've been impressed by every documentary that I later discovered was produced under your watch. So while I understand you're just one guy who cares, still, it seems to me you've often had a good read on how to do the right thing ,with a natural sense of good timing. Maybe it's luck, maybe good parents fine training, I'm just saying, my team could really use all of the above: luck, good parenting, timing.

You probably can't really comment much. Just saying 'hey' anyway since otherwise I'd probably just bitch to co-workers most of whom don't really understand. But I'm just saying this is one fan who feels nothing but deep sorrow right now, and I can't remember a time when as a fan I felt this low.

A message board friend has as his signature "Help me Obi-Wan Leonsis, you're my only hope". Now I'm no princess Leia myself, but hell it would be nice if we had a sage of common sense or wisdom to give guidance to the young heroes.

Appreciate ya,

-doc.

Re: Trying not to despair...
Saturday, January 16, 2010 8:28 AM
From: "washingtoncaps@aol.com" <washingtoncaps@aol.com>
To: doclinkbox@yahoo.com

I cant comment much right now--hand are tied--hope it changes soon--time will tell. Thanks for nice note. Ted

So there's that, anyway.

[barelyawake]

As a lifelong laker fan, I just have to say I think it's awful what is happening to your franchise. My sympathies to Mr. Arenas and your fans.

[hands11]

This has been a tougher year to follow just because of the expectations. I'll always be a Wiz fan but the way the organization has treated this Gil situation is disgusting. I'm praying Leonsis comes in and buys the team and rebuilds it the same way the Caps were rebuilt. The Wiz don't need a "superstar" ala Ovechkin, but a potential top 10 player needs to be found somehow through the draft to make it work. Also, in general the NBA has really tested my patience with their blatant favoritism. I do believe this league is more corrupt than any other in America.

Perception is everything.

People are mad at the organization for how they have treated Gil.

How about being mad at Gil for how he has treated the organization. Holding them hostage at every moment possible. Anything to draw attention to himself and do what he wanted. Unwilling to step up and be a leader. Unwilling to play D and be a complete player. Over working his knee so he missed another year. etc. Gil is a DRAMA QUEEN

They signed up and drank the Gil koolaid for the tune of 111M . That's real dollar people. Someone pays it and Gil gets it.

Most of us if we are lucky might see a 200K year and for that we would keep our noses clean. We would at a min. not bring guns to work and lay them out in front of our other workers and tell the guy to pick one. You can say he was joking.. But what he was really trying to do was punk Crit. New flash. Gil is like that. He likes to give digs to show he is the man. Some people with low esteem feel the need to dig at people to pull them down to how they feel about themselves inside. I'm sure we all know someone like that.

Gil played his cards. He wanted to do it his way. He wanted to call all the shots (so to speak)
Tell the organization who to keep, shoot when and where he wants, make 50 prediction while playing PG, rehab how he wants, leave for China while a contract is waiting, etc, etc.

He played the power game and got in over his head. Very few players can do that and get away with it. New flash.. Gil... Your not Kobe. Your not Shaq

Live by the sword.. Die by the sword.

[sashae]

I love watching Gil play, and there was nothing more exciting than having him come back and look like... Gilbert Arenas this season. The joy we all felt in the '05-'06 era when the whole team was healthy and we looked like we had a shot to be a winner, it just seemed like this season would finally be the year that health and the Basketball Gods would shine their light on the team's face and we'd see some success.

Gilbert's stupid, stupid prank (along with the inevitable injuries and shenanigans) blows up the team yet again. I'd love to have him back on the team from a talent perspective -- we've never had such a transcendent player on the team during my time as a fan -- but I can understand that he's most likely not going to be here. The shame of getting an Eddy Curry-Jared Jeffries puu-puu platter for Arenas (and then having to watch him blow up here in NY) would be too much to bear.

At least 400 level seats at the Garden are cheaper this season.

[gesa2]

Thanks, doc. Both for your words in the email, and the glimmer of hope that Leonsis may still right this ship. More than anything else, certainly more than anger or scorn, I just feel disappointed right now. Disappointed with GIl for not seeing the line between goof and reckless, even criminal behavoior. Disappointed with Ernie and/or whoever is calling the shots in the Front office, for not steering us through this with some sense of measured approach, not condoning Gil's mistakes but not purely CYA either. it just seems that no one who is influencing the public response for the Wizards values anything other than what the immediate response in the next day's sports pages will be. Disappointed that after all of these years, we still don't have a true floor leader on the team either. Antawn and Caron are professionals and take care of themselves, but they are being revealed as more good foot soldiers than commanders. We have desperately needed one of our most talented players to take forceful leadership and demand commitment from their teammates for how many years? I can't say Jordan did that for us - the whole team was about gratifying his immense ego when he was here.

I spent a couple of hours last night trying to convince myself that I could switch allegiances, pick a team that seemed to have front office, coaching and floor leadership and run with them. I tried out the Heat for a bit, tried to convince myself that I could ROOT for Wade getting ridiculous calls from the refs, ROOT for Riley's corny slogans and corporate speak. Because they at least have a plan, have a defined style and theme. But I couldn't. I hate being a Wizards fan right now, but I still am one. I don't have much hope left; it's really hard to imagine the future with a well organized Wizards front office giving us a team that contends for a title.

[AceDegenerate]

Thanks, doc. Both for your words in the email, and the glimmer of hope that Leonsis may still right this ship. More than anything else, certainly more than anger or scorn, I just feel disappointed right now. Disappointed with GIl for not seeing the line between goof and reckless, even criminal behavoior. Disappointed with Ernie and/or whoever is calling the shots in the Front office, for not steering us through this with some sense of measured approach, not condoning Gil's mistakes but not purely CYA either. it just seems that no one who is influencing the public response for the Wizards values anything other than what the immediate response in the next day's sports pages will be. Disappointed that after all of these years, we still don't have a true floor leader on the team either. Antawn and Caron are professionals and take care of themselves, but they are being revealed as more good foot soldiers than commanders. We have desperately needed one of our most talented players to take forceful leadership and demand commitment from their teammates for how many years? I can't say Jordan did that for us - the whole team was about gratifying his immense ego when he was here.

I spent a couple of hours last night trying to convince myself that I could switch allegiances, pick a team that seemed to have front office, coaching and floor leadership and run with them. I tried out the Heat for a bit, tried to convince myself that I could ROOT for Wade getting ridiculous calls from the refs, ROOT for Riley's corny slogans and corporate speak. Because they at least have a plan, have a defined style and theme. But I couldn't. I hate being a Wizards fan right now, but I still am one. I don't have much hope left; it's really hard to imagine the future with a well organized Wizards front office giving us a team that contends for a title.

^-- This guy says what I feel, but in a much nicer and better thought out way.

[LyricalRico]

I went into this season with great expectations that haven't been realized. Maybe it just hasn't sunk in yet, but I'm not down on the team at all. The Gil situation has completely derailed the organization's plans, but that may turn out to be for the best. I'm waiting to see how this whole thing eventually plays out and reserve judgment until I see what direction this team is headed when they open camp in September. Anything can happen between now and then so I'm going to put my reaction on hold until I see this movie all the way through.

[Munson79rip]

I'm almost to the point that I'm over this whole Arenas mess. The dude saved the franchise after MJ left. He was the only reason I kept my season tickets after MJ left. He was a great player before getting hurt. The game winners against Chicago, Utah, and Milwaukee are moments as a Wizards fan I'll never forget. I remember when he was 23 and 24 I'd argue with folks that he was better than DWade, as good as Lebron, etc. Was he really at that time probably not, but watching him play in person for 30-40 games a year was special and he had the potential to be one of the best ever.

So what has happened over the past few years as painful as it is to say, it is time for Arenas to go. Otherwise we'll just be holding onto something that will never be what we remember it or want it to be.

1) He'll never be that player he was at 23 or 24
2) Not a leader. What he lacked back then which DWade and Lebron had was mental toughness and the ability to lead by example. They are natural leaders who people follow and when they speak people get in line and listen.
3) This one is personal but is a big one for me based on what I've seen and experienced for last six years. He is selfish, cares only about himself. He doesn't give a rat's ass about us, the fans of the Wizards. For that I say FU Gilbert
Here are two examples:
1) Read the account of what happened per the prosectors in the case here (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/16/sport ... renas.html): If these facts are true or mostly true why didn't Arenas take the court before his suspension at say the Spurs game and apoligize to the fans much like Jamison did at the Magic game.
2) As a season ticket holder the Wizards allow us to get our pictures taken with two players from the team during the preseason, as well as offer many autograph sessions during the season. These events are packed with young kids, many wearing Arenas jersey's. Not once did Arenas ever show after a game. I have 3 pictures of my son with Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, the other with Buler and Haywood, and autographs from everyone except Arenas. Sure he doesn't have to do this, but neither to his teammates but they do and seem to enjoy the smiles it gives some of the young kids. The Wizards also stopped sending out autographed jersey's a few years back because Arenas had the most requests and no longer wanted to sign them.

[Hawaii]

They're my home team, so I've always been a fan of the Bullets/Wizards. I think we're going to have to do an overhaul this season/offseason, but I think we should hang on to Caron. It hurts to part with Jamison, but if we do it, we do it. Just get something decent in return, like the David West thing I keep hearing about. Butler to me is a rare talent in the league, and we'd be better to keep him. Is Roger Mason a free agent this year? If so, I'd love to see him come back home. I think Haywood's splitting, so we'll need a big man. I think the organization is done with Arenas, they realize that was a horrible contract and they'll try to get out of it. We'll get jack for him, and he'll probably go somewhere else and be the comback story next season. But I think it has to happen.