Wizards in the Media Thread

[lupin]

A gay man has the same equipment between his legs as the straight man he's standing next to in the locker room. It's not the same between a man and woman, no matter the status of their sexuality. Do not forget the Western/American taboo against nudity, particularly in mixed company.

Here's an interesting back-and-forth from the comments in Haywood's blog:

adtjones said 3 days ago
I can see where, from your public platform, it doesn't help things to have you joke about being gay like it's a bad thing, but I agree that what you said is a far cry from Tim Hardaway, who was basically preaching hatred. But think of it this way: don't you think someone can be racist without being hateful? If you were a kid growing up gay and having a hard enough time as it is, and you were a Wizards fan, and you heard the one of the players say what you said, you'd probably feel pretty hurt by it.

Anyway, I'll gladly forgive you if you sign a big extension at a bargain rate that gives the team flexibility to keep adding quality pieces. Love to see you in a Wizards uniform until you're Dikembe's age.
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BrendanHaywood

Verified_athlete BrendanHaywood replied 3 days ago
adtjones, when you put it like that I have to agree. Glad you put thought into your post instead of just trying to attack me. as far as the contract goes, I wanna be a wizard for life but the bargain price just aint gonna happen, this is a business. keep supporting us my man!

[LyricalRico]

as far as the contract goes, I wanna be a wizard for life but the bargain price just aint gonna happen, this is a business.

[JWizmentality]

as far as the contract goes, I wanna be a wizard for life but the bargain price just aint gonna happen, this is a business.

Why surprised? We seriously need to shed some salary ala Mike James and DeBrick. I'm not really worried...unless Haywood really thinks he commands major coin.

[nate33]

as far as the contract goes, I wanna be a wizard for life but the bargain price just aint gonna happen, this is a business.

What else is he supposed to say?

Haywood will get market value. The question is, what is market value for 30-year-old defensive center in a terrible economy?

A full MLE deal would be about $32M over 5 years. Maybe if EG can offer just more than the MLE for one additional year, something like 6-years, $40M would be nice. At least it's high enough to not be an insult. Hopefully, if Haywood gets a higher offer elsewhere, he'll give EG a chance to match. (Although, some teams will only extend a high offer if the free agent will agree to sign immediately without consulting their existing team.)

[dlts20]

I love Wood and I think he's about to start beasting but honestly, I dont want to even give him the MLE. I think he's going to be a top 5 or higher Center this year and alot of teams will want him. I would then let him go because I think McGee's ceiling is sky high and he should be ready after next year. You start McGee at Center with Gil and he will get about 15 dunks per game. I think the rest of his game will develope after that. He will be the biggest highlight machine in the NBA

[doclinkin]

Curious why I never saw this Elie Seckbach video of the guys clowning in the locker room.

on Andray Blatche saying he never cares about 'Match Mardness' since he never went to college... Funny clip though.

[Kanyewest]

It would have been even funnier if they talked about how Juan Dixon and the Terps eliminated Caron Butler and the Huskies in the NCAA tournament in 2002.

[JWizmentality]

Curious why I never saw this Elie Seckbach video of the guys clowning in the locker room.

on Andray Blatche saying he never cares about 'Match Mardness' since he never went to college... Funny clip though.

LMAO at Caron "He's the only guy in the NBA from USC...and he on his way out."

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I love Wood and I think he's about to start beasting but honestly, I dont want to even give him the MLE. I think he's going to be a top 5 or higher Center this year and alot of teams will want him. I would then let him go because I think McGee's ceiling is sky high and he should be ready after next year. You start McGee at Center with Gil and he will get about 15 dunks per game. I think the rest of his game will develope after that. He will be the biggest highlight machine in the NBA

I think the Wizards would be wise if instead of letting him walk for nothing the Wizards at the very least signed and traded Brendan.

The Wiz should at least consider an in-season trade of Jamison's contract to accomodate re-signing Brendan. That's what I think it might come down to.

[Dat2U]

I love Wood and I think he's about to start beasting but honestly, I dont want to even give him the MLE. I think he's going to be a top 5 or higher Center this year and alot of teams will want him. I would then let him go because I think McGee's ceiling is sky high and he should be ready after next year. You start McGee at Center with Gil and he will get about 15 dunks per game. I think the rest of his game will develope after that. He will be the biggest highlight machine in the NBA

Huh? That makes no sense whatsoever.

No one loves McGee's upside more than I do, but to an offensive minded team such as the Wizards, losing Brendan's ability to challenge shots would definitely be a gigantic step back.

[closg00]

Nice article on Caron.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2411 ... terthought

[keynote]

Well, well. What do we have here: a Tom Knott article that didn't make me want to roll my eyes with each annoyingly short paragraph.

This is a nice little story on Haywood's offseason dabbling in the media, and his preparation for a post-basketball career in the field. Here's the link.

[dorianwrite]

I've been away from the board for a few days and missed the Haywood discussion.

What Haywood said is equivalent to "I don't support or condemn black people. But I wouldn't want my sister around one." It's ignorant and playing on stereotypes.

What is it with straight guys who think gay guys all want to jump their bones?

But honestly, gay people have got a lot more to worry about than what some jack-off athlete thinks about us. You know, that I can still be fired from my job for being gay without legal recourse, that our youth are still being harassed, bashed, and killed,: small matters like that.

And a special note to CCJ: Straight people can think whatever the hell they like about us. But we're way past the point where gay people are going to sit back and take it when ignorant or offensive **** gets spouted about us in public. We've got as much right as anyone to counter stereotypes, educate people, and yeah, call morons out when they make moronic statements. It's gonna keep happening, so get used to it.

[montestewart]

^
Darn! I was hoping we were back to basketball. Sometimes real life intrudes.

Chances are Haywood has already shared a locker room with a gay man, who was likely more concerned with his own play on the court or with getting out of there than with looking at Haywood.

I don't know too much about Haywood, but I like to believe that an ignorant comment doesn't necessarily make an ignorant person, and confrontation can sometimes enlighten.

"Political correctness" has resulted in a number of absurdities; more chilling than absurd is the term's use in characterizing the evolution of language/ideas/society/human rights/etc. as "politically correct" shallow fluff.

I prefer discussing basketball at this board, but I pretty much agree with the above post.

[montestewart]

I see Caron swore off soda during the offseason. Am I crazy or did he make the same claim last year?

[cage]

well, good for butler. soda (coke, in my case) can be pretty damn addictive and it's just unhealthy. i don't drink as much of it any more, but i do get cravings for it every now and then

[doclinkin]

I see Caron swore off soda during the offseason. Am I crazy or did he make the same claim last year?

No he swore off drinking a 2 liter Mountain Dew _in-game_ as was previously his habit. Now he's cutting all soda, year 'round.

Cutting both caffeine and sugar will definitely tend to help his stamina and ought to actually help prevent injury/allow for quicker recovery time. Nutritional studies have even shown that a high sugar intake diet tends to weaken bone strength, so Caron's propensity to take MASH-unit leave for a few games per season may also be seen to alter.

Very positive news. If I was the billionaire running the team, I'd have a chef on staff and lay out a training table with the tastiest best schnacks, most well-stocked fridge, etc in the league. If you're providing weights etc to help them build, why not provide the fuel as well?

[doclinkin]

At least one blogger ranks our logo effectively last league-wide.

Link.

Nbcwashington picked it up and agrees.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I've been away from the board for a few days and missed the Haywood discussion.

What Haywood said is equivalent to "I don't support or condemn black people. But I wouldn't want my sister around one." It's ignorant and playing on stereotypes.

What is it with straight guys who think gay guys all want to jump their bones?

But honestly, gay people have got a lot more to worry about than what some jack-off athlete thinks about us. You know, that I can still be fired from my job for being gay without legal recourse, that our youth are still being harassed, bashed, and killed,: small matters like that.

And a special note to CCJ: Straight people can think whatever the hell they like about us. But we're way past the point where gay people are going to sit back and take it when ignorant or offensive **** gets spouted about us in public. We've got as much right as anyone to counter stereotypes, educate people, and yeah, call morons out when they make moronic statements. It's gonna keep happening, so get used to it.

Black is something you are definitely born with and it's a condition you generally can't hide. Gay is something at least a few choose to or not choose to be, and that most can choose to keep private. I get offended at the notion homosexuals wish to categorically be considered a minority group.

dorianwrite, I respect your right to call Brendan a moron. I don't think he was stereotyping or speaking in ignorance, therefore needing education. We just don't agree on this one.

I think you are being oversensitive to one guy's honest opinion of Stephon Marbury.

I am against any discriminatory action or derogatory or demeaning remarks directed against gays. At the same time I know reactionary angst and foment. Getting mad at Haywood is just hypesensitvity on display.

SO WHAT about Haywood and his opinion? Mine, too. And yours, for that matter, dorianwrite.

As for the whole locker room issue, I believe it's got to be a non-issue. John Ameachi isn't the first or only homosexual ever to play in the NBA. He caused no stir in the locker room nor has any other player to my knowledge. So, Haywood's whole bit was pretty specious.

I respect his right to speak his mind and think others offended are bordering on being against free speech, and are on a soapbox of their very own hypersensitivity.

As it keeps happening I'll get used to it but I'm stiill probably going to feel the very same way.

If somebody says they don't support or condone or condemn blacks they aren't hurting my feelings. If they hate blacks they aren't hurting me. If they hate men they aren't hurting me. If they hate Christians and even Christ that's thir business. That despite me identifying myself as a black, male, Christian. They can speak their mind and I'm not getting on a soap box, dorianwrite.

Haywood's not running a thing and what he said wasn't hateful or derogatory toward anyone except Marbury.


HE DID retract what he said but you seem to be upset, based on you calling it "ignorant ****".

[dorianwrite]

So, CCJ: you agree that neither John Amaechi nor any other gay player has been hovering, leering, or doing anything else (except for existing; "go straighten your hair and lighten your skin; it's upsetting me") that would make their teammates uncomfortable in the locker room. You agree that Haywood's "take" on Marbury was "pretty specious" -- or, indeed, that the idea is specious that gay players are sitting around lusting after their teammates. Yet you don't see any problem with a specious argument being aired publicly, and you do see a problem with the group of people who are slandered getting upset and reacting publicly? You support the bigot speaking his mind, but not those offended by his bigotry?

Are you thinking this situation through clearly?

Haywood's retraction, as you know, was half-hearted, insincere, and probably team- or handler-written. (In a way, it would be great if athletes who were bigoted -- and yes, Haywood's comments, even if they seem silly, are bigotry -- would stick by their claims rather than issuing these crap apologies. Then we could really have a sincere debate and maybe educate more people.) Still, there's a sign of potential progression in Haywood's response to the blog posting that was cited earlier in this thread; it was a sincere and reasonable criticism of him, and he responded in a reasonable way. Do I think that Haywood is going to lose his prejudices overnight? Of course not, but as long as we're able to acknowledge our prejudices, feel embarrassed by them, and attempt to change, that's progress. I hope Haywood gets there.

Last point for now, since you asked "so what about Haywood and his opinion?": as much as I've never looked to athletes as models of thought and behavior, many people, especially kids, do. By continuing to air these tired stereotypes of predatory gays in the locker room, Haywood serves to perpetuate hostility toward gay people, especially among the young. As someone who works with kids all the time in his job, I see the negative effects of homophobia on both gay kids who are harassed and feel under attack and straight kids, mostly boys, who feel it necessary to try to live up to some arbitrary standard of how their gender "should" act and think. It's harmful and it needs to stop.