After a very frustrating two-game road trip where my team was defeated by the Oklahoma City Thunder...

After a very frustrating two-game road trip where my team was defeated by the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, I made some comments that were misconstrued. If you didn’t catch it, I basically said that everyone on our team needs to check their egos at the door and play as a team. I thought it was a simple comment but some media outlets made it sound like my comments were directed toward Gilbert Arenas. I just wanted to let all Wizards fans know that’s the furthest thing from the truth. Please don’t believe or buy into that. Gil and I are friends and we communicate all the time off the court through text messages. If I ever had a problem with him, I’d take it directly to him and not go through the media. My comments about people needing to check their egos at the door was not directed at one person but to my entire team – myself included. Because, at different points in this season, we’ve all let our egos get in the way of what we’ve needed to do to be successful.

Brendan Haywood on his Yardbarker blog.

about 2 years ago Mike Prada 22 comments 0 recs |

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Better late than never

Still, it’s good that he cleared it up.

by Pryme on Nov 24, 2009 10:02 AM EST reply actions

Eddie, Eddie, Eddie

Let’s get focussed.

by Izman on Nov 24, 2009 10:09 AM EST reply actions

If you haven’t read Michael Lee’s latest blog post (“Arenas, Butler talk”), do so. Arenas’ two paragraph long quote is the most interesting part, as he pretty accurately describes the current situation.

Also, it occurred to me that although Nick Young spent all summer working with Flip to become more of a catch and shoot player, it was Caron that most needed to be getting that work.

by disgrunted on Nov 24, 2009 10:15 AM EST reply actions

Yeah, Mike beat me to that

I asked Gilbert the question that prompted the response, plus a follow-up that didn’t make it. If I get a moment, I’ll put the full quote out there.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Nov 24, 2009 10:26 AM EST up reply actions

I feel better after reading this-

I’m glad they can resolve things and talk about how to make the team better since that is what is important. As other posters have been saying – the team needs to win the next few games and things will get better.

by ooba on Nov 24, 2009 11:12 AM EST up reply actions

Part of me feels bad at hearing this

Because I think there was a lot of truth in what Haywood said and to see him moonwalk off of it is unfortunate.

"Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home." --- Daffy Duck

by George Templeton on Nov 24, 2009 12:17 PM EST reply actions

yeah i see that

but i think they all realized that this is best kept in house, and that they are fundamentally ok with eachother even though they are frustrated.

"a crab dribble is when you travel" - caron butler

by little stevie colter on Nov 24, 2009 12:43 PM EST up reply actions

Agreed

I think Haywood did have at least one specific player in mind when he made those comments (and that player was NOT him), but now that the speculation has run rampant, he is trying to backtrack from them by saying he was speaking in general.

Still, the only thing that counts is that the person(s) he was talking about get the message and they can get their differences worked out so that they can start winning games. Let’s hope that happened.

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

by cuppettcj on Nov 24, 2009 12:53 PM EST up reply actions

There just seems to be a difference

b/t most players and Gil – Brendan has good opinions, Butler refuses to get negative, Jamison has said all the right things…Granted, its a team problem, but I just don’t see that sense of taking responsibility from Gilbert…I feel like he GENUINELY thinks he isn’t the problem, whereas his play probably the biggest issue we have right now…

by DynaMix on Nov 24, 2009 2:16 PM EST reply actions

I disagree

He points fingers, but he’s blaming himself too. I’m telling you, ask him about his struggles, and he’ll talk about them wayyyy more than he talks about other people.

They come across as excuses sometimes, but he always answers questions about his own performance very thoroughly.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Nov 24, 2009 2:33 PM EST up reply actions

If anything, Butler's the one that doesn't take responsibility with his words

Because it’s not his way. But still, Butler rarely gets self-critical in interviews.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Nov 24, 2009 2:33 PM EST up reply actions

"Always?"

I remember a short “I did fine” answer from Gil when he was asked about his play on Halloween night … of course, that was a different context … but I’m just facetiously saying.

The point is, Arenas hasn’t come out and said, “As the point guard, it is my responsibility to lead this team and make things happen.” And it’s disappointing that he hasn’t owned up to his responsibility.

Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It.net and Bullets Forever.

by Kyle Weidie on Nov 24, 2009 2:35 PM EST reply actions

That was the mopey Gilbert

That doesn’t count. He didn’t talk about anybody.

How many more times does he have to say how he’s struggling to figure out how to get everyone involved while still attacking until people actually listen to it??? He’s been asked about that every day since he started chirping again and literally every time he has answered it respectfully and thoroughly with a smile on his face. It would be very easy for him to pull a KG, for example, and say “I don’t want to hear any more questions about that,” but he never does that.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Nov 24, 2009 2:45 PM EST up reply actions

The problem is Gilbert's brain has no filter

So he’ll blame others just as he’s blaming himself. Media just only cares about when he blames others because leaders only blame themselves.

I’m just saying he blames everyone, himself included. A more appropriate criticism would be to say he should stop blaming others, not that he needs to start taking responsibility for himself. He does the latter, he just also does the former.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Nov 24, 2009 2:47 PM EST up reply actions

fine, but do we really want a guy who's brain has no filter

to be the primary decision maker and captain of the team?

or do we want gilbert to get a filter?

until that happens, it’s hard to imagine he’ll ever be a steadying presence. and i don’t see how that is the media’s fault.

or do we just want gilbert to be who he is? i think even gilbert is hinting that he just wants to go back to being agent zero in the “i drop 30 a night” sense, not in the “relative to my contract i contribute close to zero” sense.

by DarrellWalkerFan on Nov 24, 2009 4:14 PM EST up reply actions

I mean, I don't know

Clearly, there’s something that’s off about Arenas’ temperament. I’m just saying it’s not that he denies responsibility for the teams’ problems.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Nov 24, 2009 4:18 PM EST up reply actions

now that is stepping up and being a man

like to see that

by les boulez bomber on Nov 24, 2009 2:38 PM EST reply actions

iamse7en said 14 hours ago:

But what’s up with Arenas going back into the shower after seeing you talk to reporters, and what’s up with you singing something about “ego” as Arenas is talking to reporters? Was it all BS?

BrendanHaywood replied 4 hours ago:

Iamse7en, That never happened. Straight bs!!! I would never do anything that disrespectful. I don’t sing beyonce song’s anyway, that’s not masculine at all!!! lol

Pradamaster, can you verify if the Beyonce singing actually happened?

by nate33 on Nov 24, 2009 4:14 PM EST reply actions