Comments on: The sad saga of Richard Hamilton http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/ Your Go-To Source For Pistons Coverage Thu, 23 May 2013 19:12:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Laser http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/comment-page-1/#comment-14830 Laser Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:13:46 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/#comment-14830 @feldman: honestly, your article is less damning than most of the other ones out there; this just happens to be the blog i comment on regularly. but the issue isn't about "appeasing" anyone. the bottom line is that fans want what's best for the team. if i go out on the internet and bitch about the team and root for losses in the interest of the long-term benefit of the team, it's different than throwing the one player under the bus who can help this team the most by getting traded.   i assume you want what's best for the pistons, since you spend a significant portion of your time blogging about them. i don't run a pistons blog, and i certainly want what's best for them. i wouldn't be so passionate about them (for now) if i didn't care. i don't want you to be disingenuous about them for the sake of trying to make them look good, but i don't see the benefit of shooting the team in the foot by (unfairly, in my opinion) throwing the one guy under the bus that everyone wants gone. and the reason i want him gone has nothing to do with rip. but joe dumars, for some stupid reason, thinks stuckey and gordon are untouchable, so that just leaves rip for trading. you can complain about the guy, and that's fine, but to do an entire piece turning him into a scapegoat for <strong>JOE'S BLUNDERS</strong> is bad for the pistons.   rip is a very good basketball player and could be an all-star as the primary scoring option on a team with solid bigs and a great passer who knew where and when to find him. disgruntled as he was, being a scapegoat and all, he came out and carried the offense with 35 DAMN efficient points. meanwhile, gordon laid an egg in his first chance as a regular starter, and stuckey just played like a shooting guard again. there's always going to be a scapegoat here until we just point the finger squarely at joe, who constructed this DISASTER of a situation.   the <em>situation</em> is the problem. joe created the situation single-handedly. why bother pointing the finger at the guy who happens to fit in the least in a system joe built? so he sat out a game for mysterious reasons. BFD. the guy needed one game to man up in a season that was over before it started, and we won the damn game anyways. we know who he is, he's a stubborn, prideful hothead, and he wants to start. joe knew who he was when he extended and overpaid the guy until age 35. was rip supposed to know joe was going to add a THIRD shooting guard to the roster for some insane reason? his worst crime BY FAR was trusting joe dumars.   judging from last night's result, and probably based just on logic, it makes more sense for t-mac and rip to start and stuckey and gordon to come off the bench. god knows why you'd put a starting lineup on the floor without a single playmaker, or why your captain would come off the bench. but nothing about this team makes sense.   if you want rip to ride out his contract here and retire a piston, which all but guarantees two more losing seasons after this one, god bless you. keep burying the guy. he makes a wonderful scapegoat, after all. "in joe we trust," or whatever. or you could focus on the problem here.   missing one game is bad. fine. we read about that speculation already. he shouldn't get a free pass, and he didn't once the story about that anonymous source broke. but piling it on is not good for anyone who cares about this team. a little discretion will go a LONG way here. nobody has to heap praise on the guy to try to add to his perceived value, but <em>you're hurting all of us</em> by writing his obituary now.   write a piece about how joe dumars should be drowned and set on fire for what he did to this team, and you'll hear no complaints from me. ever. he's the one who messed up. he's the one who deserves ALL of the blame for this mess. every last bit of it. and if his name gets dragged through the mud, so be it. he's the proper target of our frustration, and he's not on the books for $30+ million until 2013. @feldman: honestly, your article is less damning than most of the other ones out there; this just happens to be the blog i comment on regularly. but the issue isn’t about “appeasing” anyone. the bottom line is that fans want what’s best for the team. if i go out on the internet and bitch about the team and root for losses in the interest of the long-term benefit of the team, it’s different than throwing the one player under the bus who can help this team the most by getting traded.
 
i assume you want what’s best for the pistons, since you spend a significant portion of your time blogging about them. i don’t run a pistons blog, and i certainly want what’s best for them. i wouldn’t be so passionate about them (for now) if i didn’t care. i don’t want you to be disingenuous about them for the sake of trying to make them look good, but i don’t see the benefit of shooting the team in the foot by (unfairly, in my opinion) throwing the one guy under the bus that everyone wants gone. and the reason i want him gone has nothing to do with rip. but joe dumars, for some stupid reason, thinks stuckey and gordon are untouchable, so that just leaves rip for trading. you can complain about the guy, and that’s fine, but to do an entire piece turning him into a scapegoat for JOE’S BLUNDERS is bad for the pistons.
 
rip is a very good basketball player and could be an all-star as the primary scoring option on a team with solid bigs and a great passer who knew where and when to find him. disgruntled as he was, being a scapegoat and all, he came out and carried the offense with 35 DAMN efficient points. meanwhile, gordon laid an egg in his first chance as a regular starter, and stuckey just played like a shooting guard again. there’s always going to be a scapegoat here until we just point the finger squarely at joe, who constructed this DISASTER of a situation.
 
the situation is the problem. joe created the situation single-handedly. why bother pointing the finger at the guy who happens to fit in the least in a system joe built? so he sat out a game for mysterious reasons. BFD. the guy needed one game to man up in a season that was over before it started, and we won the damn game anyways. we know who he is, he’s a stubborn, prideful hothead, and he wants to start. joe knew who he was when he extended and overpaid the guy until age 35. was rip supposed to know joe was going to add a THIRD shooting guard to the roster for some insane reason? his worst crime BY FAR was trusting joe dumars.
 
judging from last night’s result, and probably based just on logic, it makes more sense for t-mac and rip to start and stuckey and gordon to come off the bench. god knows why you’d put a starting lineup on the floor without a single playmaker, or why your captain would come off the bench. but nothing about this team makes sense.
 
if you want rip to ride out his contract here and retire a piston, which all but guarantees two more losing seasons after this one, god bless you. keep burying the guy. he makes a wonderful scapegoat, after all. “in joe we trust,” or whatever. or you could focus on the problem here.
 
missing one game is bad. fine. we read about that speculation already. he shouldn’t get a free pass, and he didn’t once the story about that anonymous source broke. but piling it on is not good for anyone who cares about this team. a little discretion will go a LONG way here. nobody has to heap praise on the guy to try to add to his perceived value, but you’re hurting all of us by writing his obituary now.
 
write a piece about how joe dumars should be drowned and set on fire for what he did to this team, and you’ll hear no complaints from me. ever. he’s the one who messed up. he’s the one who deserves ALL of the blame for this mess. every last bit of it. and if his name gets dragged through the mud, so be it. he’s the proper target of our frustration, and he’s not on the books for $30+ million until 2013.

]]> By: Rodman4Life http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/comment-page-1/#comment-14775 Rodman4Life Thu, 23 Dec 2010 06:37:24 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/#comment-14775 Rip could be in Detroit for a while, despite the fan base being "against" him.  He is such a scapegoat, and your article is predictable, Feldman.  I tend to agree with Laser, this team is just put together poorly, but this constant garbage about the old guard Pistons is giving us all blinders.  That aspect is over-rated, and besides, star athletes are always taught to impose their will, why wouldn't older Pistons try to do what they know?  If you go out and play pick-up ball when you get older, yeah you may not try to dunk and topple opponents with your athleticism, but what competitive player doesn't still want to determine the outcome of the game?  This expectation that Rip should just recognize his new limitations and submit/defer to Ben Gordon are just plain ridiculous.  Are we listening to ourselves? Being the team captain, Rip should take a lot of heat.  But I would like to know the source that called him out.  Seems pretty weak and un-leader like.  I don't want Rip's attitude to change, I just want his performance to change.  I personally think his attitude gives him a swagger that, in the past, has helped his performance. Rip could be in Detroit for a while, despite the fan base being “against” him.  He is such a scapegoat, and your article is predictable, Feldman.  I tend to agree with Laser, this team is just put together poorly, but this constant garbage about the old guard Pistons is giving us all blinders.  That aspect is over-rated, and besides, star athletes are always taught to impose their will, why wouldn’t older Pistons try to do what they know?  If you go out and play pick-up ball when you get older, yeah you may not try to dunk and topple opponents with your athleticism, but what competitive player doesn’t still want to determine the outcome of the game?  This expectation that Rip should just recognize his new limitations and submit/defer to Ben Gordon are just plain ridiculous.  Are we listening to ourselves?
Being the team captain, Rip should take a lot of heat.  But I would like to know the source that called him out.  Seems pretty weak and un-leader like.  I don’t want Rip’s attitude to change, I just want his performance to change.  I personally think his attitude gives him a swagger that, in the past, has helped his performance.

]]> By: detroitpcb http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/comment-page-1/#comment-14758 detroitpcb Thu, 23 Dec 2010 01:58:29 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/#comment-14758 the reality is that Joe Dumars is probably fielding a lot more calls inquiring about Ben Gordon and Tay than about Rip. it wouldn't surprise me to see both those players traded by the deadline and see Rip still on the team. the reality is that Joe Dumars is probably fielding a lot more calls inquiring about Ben Gordon and Tay than about Rip. it wouldn’t surprise me to see both those players traded by the deadline and see Rip still on the team.

]]> By: Dan Feldman http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/comment-page-1/#comment-14750 Dan Feldman Wed, 22 Dec 2010 23:27:22 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/#comment-14750 <p>Laser, I hope your view of the media isn't that shallow that you think it's in the best interest of writers covering the team to write what would appease fans. Fans want many different things. That's an impossible game to play.</p> <p>Did I write once Rip wouldn't have a chance to get back on track? I said he's been on the wrong track, and it's helping nobody.</p> <p>And by your logic, everyone on the team -- players and coaches -- are in a tough spot because of Dumars. But Rip is the only player who has even drawn the suggestion he sat out because of it.</p> <p>I won't touch the hilarity of you defending Rip for having a bad attitude.</p> Laser, I hope your view of the media isn’t that shallow that you think it’s in the best interest of writers covering the team to write what would appease fans. Fans want many different things. That’s an impossible game to play.

Did I write once Rip wouldn’t have a chance to get back on track? I said he’s been on the wrong track, and it’s helping nobody.

And by your logic, everyone on the team — players and coaches — are in a tough spot because of Dumars. But Rip is the only player who has even drawn the suggestion he sat out because of it.

I won’t touch the hilarity of you defending Rip for having a bad attitude.

]]> By: Dan Feldman http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/comment-page-1/#comment-14748 Dan Feldman Wed, 22 Dec 2010 23:21:19 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/#comment-14748 <p>Gordbrown, I debated writing more about Prince having his best game when Hamilton was out, but I decided against it because I don't know what to make of it. I really have no idea whether it's coincidence or there's something there, but tonight should give us another clue.</p> Gordbrown, I debated writing more about Prince having his best game when Hamilton was out, but I decided against it because I don’t know what to make of it. I really have no idea whether it’s coincidence or there’s something there, but tonight should give us another clue.

]]> By: Michael http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/comment-page-1/#comment-14746 Michael Wed, 22 Dec 2010 22:27:12 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/#comment-14746 This is sad. Pros are conditioned their whole life that they are the best and have worked the hardest. The fall from the top must be awful. This is sad. Pros are conditioned their whole life that they are the best and have worked the hardest. The fall from the top must be awful.

]]> By: Ryan http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/comment-page-1/#comment-14745 Ryan Wed, 22 Dec 2010 22:15:47 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/#comment-14745 I just hope Rip doesn't do anymore of this kind of thing and make himself absolutely untradeable.  Joe has to be just shaking his head even more right now. I just hope Rip doesn’t do anymore of this kind of thing and make himself absolutely untradeable.  Joe has to be just shaking his head even more right now.

]]> By: Laser http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/comment-page-1/#comment-14743 Laser Wed, 22 Dec 2010 21:39:09 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/#comment-14743 sorry, in the heat of the moment i typo'ed. that last post should posit that joe extended tayshaun. so there was someone younger and better knocking on his door. still not the most apt comparison, but it should make a little sense as to why rip's not entirely to blame. sorry, in the heat of the moment i typo’ed. that last post should posit that joe extended tayshaun. so there was someone younger and better knocking on his door. still not the most apt comparison, but it should make a little sense as to why rip’s not entirely to blame.

]]> By: Laser http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/comment-page-1/#comment-14742 Laser Wed, 22 Dec 2010 21:37:54 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/#comment-14742 if joe extended rip until he was 35 (or close to it) and then went and signed, say, a young, talented small forward to that contract instead of gordon, these articles would be about how prince is a bad apple and washed up and a distraction and blah blah blah. i know prince is more versatile, so it wouldn't be quite the same issue, but the bottom line is that joe made a bunch of foreseeably bad moves, and rip happens to be the greatest casualty.   is anyone surprised that rip needs a particular system to be efffective? or that rodney "shoot it again" stuckey and rip aren't particularly compatible? or that we don't have the right big men to set double screens for rip to come off of? or that rip and gordon can't play together? or that as a result of being predictably awful, gordon is getting a chance to start over rip? he was signed to play with stuckey? is anyone surprised that nobody in the league wants to pay rip almost $13 million a year until he's 35? all of these are foreseeable problems, and they're all on joe. every last one of them. so give rip a damn break. so he sat out a game because his ego needed some time to adjust to reality. we WON the damn game anyways! in part due to his absence. that's all i'm saying.   write a piece about how he probably messed up by probably missing that last game due to being a baby, but give him a chance to come off the bench with some poise before you bury him. unless you want to see him retire a damn piston, and i don't think ANYONE wants that... rip included. if joe extended rip until he was 35 (or close to it) and then went and signed, say, a young, talented small forward to that contract instead of gordon, these articles would be about how prince is a bad apple and washed up and a distraction and blah blah blah. i know prince is more versatile, so it wouldn’t be quite the same issue, but the bottom line is that joe made a bunch of foreseeably bad moves, and rip happens to be the greatest casualty.
 
is anyone surprised that rip needs a particular system to be efffective? or that rodney “shoot it again” stuckey and rip aren’t particularly compatible? or that we don’t have the right big men to set double screens for rip to come off of? or that rip and gordon can’t play together? or that as a result of being predictably awful, gordon is getting a chance to start over rip? he was signed to play with stuckey? is anyone surprised that nobody in the league wants to pay rip almost $13 million a year until he’s 35? all of these are foreseeable problems, and they’re all on joe. every last one of them. so give rip a damn break. so he sat out a game because his ego needed some time to adjust to reality. we WON the damn game anyways! in part due to his absence. that’s all i’m saying.
 
write a piece about how he probably messed up by probably missing that last game due to being a baby, but give him a chance to come off the bench with some poise before you bury him. unless you want to see him retire a damn piston, and i don’t think ANYONE wants that… rip included.

]]> By: Laser http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/comment-page-1/#comment-14741 Laser Wed, 22 Dec 2010 21:27:25 +0000 http://www.pistonpowered.com/2010/12/the-sad-saga-of-richard-hamilton/#comment-14741 @feldman: they may not owe the team any favors, but what about their readership?? i'm all for honest journalism, but a flurry of personal attacks on rip hurts <em>ME</em>. i want this guy <strong>GONE </strong>and they're not helping. that's all.   the guy can still play, but he's in a system that <em>MINIMIZES</em> his effectiveness and perceived value. i don't like that he "mysteriously" missed the first game where he was set to be benched, and a report that some anonymous source inside the organization accuses him of quitting on the team is fine, but it pisses me off more than a little to see a dozen opinion pieces today burying the guy when he's STUCK here. if someone's upset about the guy, this isn't going to help get him elsewhere, and this is all joe's fault anyways! sure, rip signed that extension even though chauncey was gone, but do you think he signs it AFTER gordon's been locked up for half a decade?? fat f*cking chance.<strong><em> it's all joe's fault.</em></strong> rip is a scapegoat. and if these local journalists are so pissed off at the guy, they should realize that all this bad press is helping to guarantee he rides out his contract here. that's my problem.   i feel bad for the guy. he probably messed up by missing that game. upset stomach or not, he should have toughed it out. heck, even if he didn't feel good enough to go, he should have still suited up and played just to make a statement. but this mess is NOT his fault. nobody knows what rip does on the basketball court better than joe, and he built a system where everyone loses... especially rip. and since he's hurt the most, he's the focus of all the blame. so the guy's got a bad attitude. so does everyone else! most of us here, included.   i'm not going to say people aren't free to say what they want and spin things however they want, but if you want the pistons to move forward and be good again, FOR YOUR OWN SAKE why not try a piece about giving rip a chance to man up, learn from his mistakes, embrace his new role and eat opposing benches alive??? that's all. pieces like this (and there's more than a few just like it, most more strongly worded) hurt the pistons, and they hurt the <em>fans.</em> @feldman: they may not owe the team any favors, but what about their readership?? i’m all for honest journalism, but a flurry of personal attacks on rip hurts ME. i want this guy GONE and they’re not helping. that’s all.
 
the guy can still play, but he’s in a system that MINIMIZES his effectiveness and perceived value. i don’t like that he “mysteriously” missed the first game where he was set to be benched, and a report that some anonymous source inside the organization accuses him of quitting on the team is fine, but it pisses me off more than a little to see a dozen opinion pieces today burying the guy when he’s STUCK here. if someone’s upset about the guy, this isn’t going to help get him elsewhere, and this is all joe’s fault anyways! sure, rip signed that extension even though chauncey was gone, but do you think he signs it AFTER gordon’s been locked up for half a decade?? fat f*cking chance. it’s all joe’s fault. rip is a scapegoat. and if these local journalists are so pissed off at the guy, they should realize that all this bad press is helping to guarantee he rides out his contract here. that’s my problem.
 
i feel bad for the guy. he probably messed up by missing that game. upset stomach or not, he should have toughed it out. heck, even if he didn’t feel good enough to go, he should have still suited up and played just to make a statement. but this mess is NOT his fault. nobody knows what rip does on the basketball court better than joe, and he built a system where everyone loses… especially rip. and since he’s hurt the most, he’s the focus of all the blame. so the guy’s got a bad attitude. so does everyone else! most of us here, included.
 
i’m not going to say people aren’t free to say what they want and spin things however they want, but if you want the pistons to move forward and be good again, FOR YOUR OWN SAKE why not try a piece about giving rip a chance to man up, learn from his mistakes, embrace his new role and eat opposing benches alive??? that’s all. pieces like this (and there’s more than a few just like it, most more strongly worded) hurt the pistons, and they hurt the fans.

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