Double Standards

Bad-Thoma · Post #1 » by **Bad-Thoma** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:32 pm

Why have I read about Gabe Pruitt having *a* DUI so many times lately and how it doesn't bode well for his chances in Boston? What does one stupid off the court move have to do with anything? He's a person for crying out loud. I guarantee most of you, if you haven't had a DUI yourself, have a friend of relative that's had one or more. Do you stop hanging out with them? Disown them from the family? I personally haven't had one (I've was lucky not to when I was younger), but half the people I know have at one point or another.
This double standard tag also applies to the people ripping on Antoine for his gambling debt. He owes a lot of money to Vegas, mistake on his part. Well first all of all **** Vegas, that city was built on stacked odds and stupidity. Second of all it's his money, who has the right to judge how poorly he spends it? It's his business. Gambling is legal. You probably all have an Uncle or neighbor who drops a quarter of their paycheck on scratch tickets and the lottery each week whether you know it or not, it's dumb but it's their right. Get over it,

Myself I don't want 'Toine back and I could give or take Pruitt, 'Toine is done and Gabe hasn't really wowed me at any point. But falling back on irrelevant points about their personal lives when arguing why you don't want someone here is just hating. I'm not a proponent of drunk and driving, and I'm not a proponent of addictive gambling behavior. I just don't think we have the right as fans to judge athlete's personal lives at a higher standard then we judge the people around us.

Rant over, rip away. This is just a pet peeve of mine.

GuyClinch · Post #2 » by **GuyClinch** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:38 pm

Weak Sauce. Teams are a business and they don't like players that hurt the bottom line. If you are a marginal talent and you bring undersirable elements to the equation that does hurt your chances. Maybe YOU want to be friends with them and so on but these teams they want a good image. If your a star and you get a DUI that's one thing. But Pruitt and Walker those are fringe guys. Why not get a fringe guy who isn't a risk for another DUI or a degenerate gambler?

Bad-Thoma · Post #3 » by **Bad-Thoma** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:50 pm

GuyClinch wrote:Weak Sauce. Teams are a business and they don't like players that hurt the bottom line. If you are a marginal talent and you bring undersirable elements to the equation that does hurt your chances. Maybe YOU want to be friends with them and so on but these teams they want a good image. If your a star and you get a DUI that's one thing. But Pruitt and Walker those are fringe guys. Why not get a fringe guy who isn't a risk for another DUI or a degenerate gambler?

So if Kobe was a free agent should teams turn him away because he was charged with rape? No apparently, because he is a star. Ron Artest should have had no suitors because he might run into the crowd and beat someone's head in? No he is a star. Yet Pruitt gets tagged for a dui and his time here should be done because he is a fringe guy?

That's weak sauce. It's a (Please Use More Appropriate Word) double standard.

Post #4 » by **ParticleMan** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:52 pm

It's not family, as much as players will say this. It's a business.
Especially in something like sports where you pay guys based on future expected performance, if there are personal issues that could affect such performance in an unpredictable way, it's just bad business to commit valuable time or money to them.
Pruitt's DUI may be isolated, or may be a behavioral pattern. Maybe he has some issues with alcohol. Not Gin Baker-type issues but just enough so that he doesn't take care of his body as he should, and doesn't improve the way he should. When you're a borderline NBA player there are 50 other guys out there who have the same talent level and are ready to compete for your job.
I don't know if any of this is true about Pruitt. He may be a nice kid who got unlucky, that happens too. But it doesn't help his cause, that's for sure.

cwas2882 · Post #5 » by **cwas2882** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:00 pm

Bad-Thoma wrote:
GuyClinch wrote:Weak Sauce. Teams are a business and they don't like players that hurt the bottom line. If you are a marginal talent and you bring undersirable elements to the equation that does hurt your chances. Maybe YOU want to be friends with them and so on but these teams they want a good image. If your a star and you get a DUI that's one thing. But Pruitt and Walker those are fringe guys. Why not get a fringe guy who isn't a risk for another DUI or a degenerate gambler?

So if Kobe was a free agent should teams turn him away because he was charged with rape? No apparently, because he is a star. Ron Artest should have had no suitors because he might run into the crowd and beat someone's head in? No he is a star. Yet Pruitt gets tagged for a dui and his time here should be done because he is a fringe guy?

That's weak sauce. It's a (Please Use More Appropriate Word) double standard.

Artest's action did hurt him. Teams shied away from him. Off court action will knock a player down a peg. Artest was just about an all-star, and he got knocked down to just good player. If Pruitt (who is a fringe NBA player) gets knocked down a peg, where does that put him? Just about out of the league

Bad-Thoma · Post #6 » by **Bad-Thoma** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:07 pm

ParticleMan wrote:It's not family, as much as players will say this. It's a business.
Especially in something like sports where you pay guys based on future expected performance, if there are personal issues that could affect such performance in an unpredictable way, it's just bad business to commit valuable time or money to them.
Pruitt's DUI may be isolated, or may be a behavioral pattern. Maybe he has some issues with alcohol. Not Gin Baker-type issues but just enough so that he doesn't take care of his body as he should, and doesn't improve the way he should. When you're a borderline NBA player there are 50 other guys out there who have the same talent level and are ready to compete for your job.
I don't know if any of this is true about Pruitt. He may be a nice kid who got unlucky, that happens too. But it doesn't help his cause, that's for sure.

I get this, I really do. The business end is fine with me. As I've said I could really care less whether Pruitt is here or not as well, he's just not that good. But he seems like a nice kid from everything I've read or seen, and this one mistake that tons of people make is still being brought up months later. Or calling 'Toine degenerate, that one gets me. He contributed a lot to charity and was never anything but a good citizen this team. Or Orien Greene gets a speeding ticket, Pierce is out late in the summer, blah blah blah. Why? Who cares?

captain green · Post #7 » by **captain green** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:09 pm

the double standard is they are rich and have been warned tons of times and can afford a ride, i don't hate people who make mistakes rich or poor. but if i'm in a spot light at all I hale a cab, limo whateves.

threrf23 · Post #8 » by **threrf23** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:21 pm

Its also a situation where not all DUIs are equal. My pet peeve is when people view subjects like drunk driving and sex offenders as black and white. i.e. re: drunk driving, some try their best to be safe even when slightly drunk, but are slightly impaired in the same manner someone talking on a cell phone might be impaired. Others are drunk and get behind the wheel and slam on the accelerator without a care for anything in the world. That is immensely dangerous. Some get behind the wheel regardless of a situation. Others will try to at least sober up a slight bit first. Some might get unbelievably wasted knowing they are driving themselves home, others might be out with a friend who is supposed to drive them home but gets too drunk. Some might ring in at .09, someone else .28. Some might be driving less than half a mile, others might be driving thirty miles. Etcetera.

Pruitt was reportedly pulled over due to tinted windows. That in itself doesn't sound immensely incriminating to me. I know people who have gotten a total of one DUI in the past and I would not at all consider them a danger to society in any respect whatsoever. I have come across others who have crashed their cars at high speed after passing out behind the wheel, and I do not have the highest opinion of them.

I just don't think we have the right as fans to judge athlete's personal lives at a higher standard then we judge the people around us.

I tend to agree with this but the bottom line is the public has certain perceptions and when your job puts you in a public light you have added responsibilities. Presenting a perfect image to the public is just one way to make a very small impact on the bottom line. Presenting a flawed image does not necessarily mean that you cannot contribute a lot to the bottom line, but when you are at the end of the bench you do not need to take a lot away from the bottom line to be pushed into negative, or at least negatable, territory.

That said Pruitt has something of a low profile, I do not feel he has damaged his reputation significantly and I would hate to see him let go because of his DUI.

threrf23 · Post #9 » by **threrf23** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:22 pm

captain green wrote:the double standard is they are rich and have been warned tons of times and can afford a ride, i don't hate people who make mistakes rich or poor. but if i'm in a spot light at all I hale a cab, limo whateves.

A guy like Pruitt isn't necessarily rich, and might like the privacy of not taking a taxi. Or maybe his girlfriend is adamant that she needs to get her car home. Who knows. I don't view this as a big factor here.

Dave_From_NB · Post #10 » by **Dave_From_NB** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:53 pm

This is such an odd thread, because without you re-highlighting it again the vast majority of us wouldn't have been giving it any thought.

We've all goofed up at times, and Pruitt deserves some slack. But that being said, the issue with the incident is that he's out there driving an illegal vehicle at 3:15 in the a.m. and, oops third strike, impaired. Celtics coming off a loss, and I expect due to catch an early morning flight back to Boston (since there was only one day off, and their next game was at home). A whole bunch of unprofessional decisions for a guy easily replaceable frankly. Celtics are out there pretty much deciding whether they should pass on his option for a guy (Hudson) who has pretty much scratched and clawed for anything he's gotten. The intensity Pruitt is missing is found in Hudson, and it wouldn't surprise me if Pruitt is gone.

btw the issue with Walker isn't that he gambled. The issue is that he bounced a million dollars of checks, essentially stealing that million buck from 3 casinos. There is no issue with gambling with your own money, when you steal the money to gamble with then it's an issue.

Fencer reregistered · Post #11 » by **Fencer reregistered** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:06 pm

Pruitt certainly hasn't done enough wrong to be bounced just for PR reasons.

Now, any guy who is caught screwing up like that usually has a long history of similar behavior. BUT in Pruitt's case it happened in the city where he used to live and only travels once the whole season.

So I'd say that what's PUBLICLY known isn't enough reason to blackball him from the team.

Bad-Thoma · Post #12 » by **Bad-Thoma** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:23 pm

Dave_From_NB wrote:This is such an odd thread, because without you re-highlighting it again the vast majority of us wouldn't have been giving it any thought.

This is probably true.

Cyclical · Post #13 » by **Cyclical** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:48 pm

Bad-Thoma wrote:
Dave_From_NB wrote:This is such an odd thread, because without you re-highlighting it again the vast majority of us wouldn't have been giving it any thought.

This is probably true.

Hemingway · Post #14 » by **Hemingway** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 12:53 am

I think the OP is referring to some comments I have made. I'm going off that I heard Ainge say on an interview on WEEI last year. He basicly said that sometimes things like this can end the career of a fringe player. I don't remember the exact words but it was right after we got Marbs and I thought to myself, I think Gabe is probably done here.

And as far s family members getting DUIs, yes it happened once. My brother got one a few years back and then when hs contract came up we didn't resign him and instead opted to get a new more seasoned brother through free agency.

Post #15 » by **sully00** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 1:10 am

First off I agree with Bad-Thoma there is no need to kick a man when he is down. DUI's and gambling are human issues if you are better than that then good for you but if you are like 90% of us then STFU it isn't any different becuase they happen to play in the NBA.

To be honest I have always felt for Gabe, his DUI was clearly related to the signing of Marbury, it was the same damn day. He was near home and he is young but he also may not really be cut out for the current situation. I just hope if they keep him that they give him real chance not the half assed situation it has been.

I also wish the best for employee #8 I think we have PF 3pt chucker covered but power to him.

celticfan42487 · Post #16 » by **celticfan42487** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 2:15 am

Double standard?

What puts bread on the table? I'll give you a guess, it involves putting the basket in the hoop and not having someone on the bench making your organization look poorly.

This is life and we don't have to fight everyday to live; this is a privileged existence where we can thrive without having to have to be a war chief. And if you don't like it because someone who doesn't follow the rules doesn't get a pass well too damn bad.

GuyClinch · Post #17 » by **GuyClinch** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 3:53 am

So if Kobe was a free agent should teams turn him away because he was charged with rape? No apparently, because he is a star. Ron Artest should have had no suitors because he might run into the crowd and beat someone's head in? No he is a star. Yet Pruitt gets tagged for a dui and his time here should be done because he is a fringe guy?

Crying because you don't like how the world works is pretty pointless. When you have less talent your given less opportunties. If you the clerk and walmart and you show up an hour late you might get fired. If your Angelina Jolie they just push shooting back.

Pete

Bad-Thoma · Post #18 » by **Bad-Thoma** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 2:49 pm

GuyClinch wrote:
So if Kobe was a free agent should teams turn him away because he was charged with rape? No apparently, because he is a star. Ron Artest should have had no suitors because he might run into the crowd and beat someone's head in? No he is a star. Yet Pruitt gets tagged for a dui and his time here should be done because he is a fringe guy?

Crying because you don't like how the world works is pretty pointless. When you have less talent your given less opportunties. If you the clerk and walmart and you show up an hour late you might get fired. If your Angelina Jolie they just push shooting back.

Pete

Yeah, I'm shedding a big tear over it. :roll:

GuyClinch · Post #19 » by **GuyClinch** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 7:14 pm

Yeah, I'm shedding a big tear over it.

Aww your the internet tough guy now. Well don't start threads decrying 'double standards" for those poor professional basketball players if you want to act tough.

vct33 · Post #20 » by **vct33** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:11 pm

Bad-Thoma wrote: What does one stupid off the court move have to do with anything? He's a person for crying out loud. I guarantee most of you, if you haven't had a DUI yourself, have a friend of relative that's had one or more. Do you stop hanging out with them? Disown them from the family? I personally haven't had one (I've was lucky not to when I was younger), but half the people I know have at one point or another.

I wouldn't disown a friend or family member but I have no problem with an employer terminating employment. I honestly think that a DUI offense doesn't not carry nearly the level of punishment that it should. I personally would vote right now for a lifetime suspension of driving privileges for a first offense.