Starkiller wrote:Personally I feel the whole "image" bs is dumb, IMO. I really don't think it was THAT big of a deal. I honestly don't care what my teams "image" is, unless it's something completely outrageous, which it wasn't. Look at Stephen Jackson now, don't really hear much trouble from him, and he's gotten way better since leaving Indiana. Ron Artest is just a lost plain and simple. JO had a bad contract, but was a great player, and other than throwing one punch which was justified IMO, he's a model citizen.
I would also venture to guess you aren't a suitwearing businessman who buys courtside season tickets or rents out a suite for the season. If so my apologies, you are one of the few of that stature in Indiana who doesn't care about his team's "image".
And to say "unless it's something completely outrageous": I agree with you, what all those guys did in their personal time wasn't that "outrageous", but you have to remember we are in Indiana. We don't allow Sunday carryout liquor sales, so yes rolling around town with weed in your car while firing guns in the air is "outrageuos" by Indiana standards.
You don't hear much trouble out of Stephen Jackson? What is your definition of trouble? Quiting as team captain isn't "much" toruble? Forcing a trade isn't much trouble? (Please note I like Jackson's game and his passion for the game, but he is fairly unstable)
And JO was a great player? Do you mean from '01 thru '04 when he was playing more than 70 games a season for us and average 19+ points? Or do you mean from '05 thru '08 when his numbers were showing decline, he seemed to be injury prone (playing in only 65% of the games), he had seemingly given up on us and was become a shell of his former "greatness"
