80sballboy wrote:?s=21
This is interesting. If we make the playoffs, there's a little financial payoff for Ted -- not much to tell the truth. But something. &, I suppose, a little non-financial payoff as well -- pride.
But, we are 22-31. The odds are small that we make the playoffs. & if we don't make the playoffs, what difference does it make to Ted whether we are "worse this year?" How does it affect him if we're worse? Not at all.
If anything, in fact, given that we miss the playoffs the worse we are the better our chances of making the playoffs in the future, even if only because we have a higher draft pick in June -- as well as a better chance that we are bumped to Zion. IOW, in a sense, if we do miss the playoffs then the worse we are the better it is for Ted!
For Ernie, OTOH, it's definitely worse for us not to make the playoffs. It might cost him his job. For that reason, any increase in our chance to make them, no matter how small, helps him.
He may even think that if we only miss by a little bit, he has a chance to argue for his future -- "it was just bad luck, not the moves I made." "We did exactly the right thing, but injuries can't be predicted."
Etc. etc. etc. until the end of the bullsh*t -- to which, obviously, there is no end! Ernie has pulled the wool over Ted's eyes for ten years now; he is hoping he can do it one more time!
What I see here, in other words, is a divergence of interests between Ernie Grunfeld & his owner Ted Leonsis.
That's a first. Until now, Ernie's moves have never been questioned by Ted as far as any of us know; in fact some of the dumbest ones were specifically praised by our owner (e.g. he loved the trade for Kieff).
If I'm right, this 'divergence' means that Ernie thinks he's gone if he misses the playoffs!
The thought has me hyperventilating!
