Post: For Gilbert Arenas and Wizards franchise, latest incident sheds light on entitlement
The two highlights:
- During Andray Blatche's rookie season, Gilbert left a "present" Andray's shoe.
- According to Nick Young, he and Gilbert planned on one-upping Gilbert's "finger guns" by acting out a draw at ten paces, John Wayne style.
I'll have more on this later, but I just wanted to get this up right now to give you a place to react to the article.
about 2 years ago
Jake Whitacre
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Maybe it is a good thing Stern suspended him now
To keep him from himself. With all of the outrage from the pre-game picture in Philly (which I think was a little much), if he had pulled off that John Wayne thing with Nick Young, all heck would’ve broken loose. However, it would’ve been very entertaining to see lol
by SkinsWizStangs on Jan 10, 2010 12:31 AM EST reply actions
problem is
his “entertainment” started to be more about what he did before and after games rather than during the games.
So they did get him professional counseling-
that changes things for me in trying to figure things out for myself. thank god this John Wayne thing didn’t come off.
I think they meant Jack Palance
John Wayne didn’t actually do a ton of gunfights. What he did was a bunch of fake macho hooey, including a ton of military roles which he got precisely because he was among the Hollywood stars who didn’t serve in World War II, but the classic gunfight wasn’t so much Wayne’s thang.
Actually if you watch a movie or two, you’ll find that the mature Wayne was an oddly effeminate big fellah, shimmying around with his legs too close so that his large hips were oddly prominent…. When he punched someone, the guy did it with his wrist cocked most of the time.
Now, Jack Palance, in movies like Shane? Menacing. And he did gunfights.
What I’m trying to say is, if only our sports heros chose the right role models they wouldn’t get into these troublesome situations.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
by feral on Jan 10, 2010 8:42 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Total tangent
But it’s funny and I agree, so it’s cool. Or maybe we should suspend you indefinitely…you do seem to be promoting gunfighting.
Andray Blatche
Cannot be happy that this got out.
by Palace of Good Play's Golden Toilet on Jan 10, 2010 1:05 AM EST reply actions
I think GIl was trying to show hilarity of the whole situation.
Media, writers, and Stern blew it out of proportion. Its 2010 people own guns. It was a bad decision but nothing that should have recieved anymore punishment than Delonte West.
I still support and love the guy, I met him and was able to speak with him for quite awhile very nice guy.
by Unxpekted on Jan 10, 2010 1:18 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
There is a sentiment among people close to the Wizards organization — few of whom spoke on the record, given the sensitive nature of the situation — that the team’s upper management, team President Ernie Grunfeld in particular, covered for Arenas and coddled him for too long. “There are a lot of people responsible for this, other than” Arenas, one person familiar with the situation said on condition of anonymity because the individual could not speak on behalf on the Wizards organization.
That sentiment wasn’t just in the organization.
HE SHIT IN HIS SHOE!!!
HAHAHAH
But in all honesty, I feel bad for the guy. I’ve always been a big Gil fan and wish we could just turn back the hands of time and say “Gilbert, laying out a gold plated desert eagle in front of your teammates locker is just not a good idea at all…”
Poo
Pranks are funny in good measure and in good fun, but c’mon, pooing is somebody’s shoe is borderline mentally disturbed. And I’m not terribly interested in hearing ‘bout how others helped create this type of behavior. He’s responsible for his own actions, period. Or did Ernie Grunfeld take over Gil’s body when he squatted over ’Dray’s shoe? I think not.
The shoe thing really gets you, doesn't it...
The carjacking was inspired madness, but the shoopoop was junior high school gym class stuff at best and, as the reporters knew when they wrote it, it was the one concrete example that would drive home the point that Gilbert really was more than a bit out of control and being coddled beyond belief.
I really want Gil to get straightened out (it will NOT be easy) and back on the basketball court doing what he does best while he is still in his prime. He is not a bad guy and his self-serving nuttiness has never truly endangered anyone but himself (think about someone like Robert Downey, Jr). No question Gil has been enabled something fierce and now the Crack-Up (hmm think about someone like F Scott Fitzgerald) has come to pass…. Think also about the 50s Red Sox baseball player and later radio color analyst, Jimmy Piersall… who got straightened out in time and did get past it.
In respect to EG as enabler, I wonder how all this relates to his past… the Bernie and Ernie Show at the University of Tennessee? Bernard King (a player whose court skills I greatly admired) was in constant trouble with the law in Knoxville, and probably doing a fair bit of cocaine, but there is no question that the school’s athletic department protected him totally so long as he helped bring UT to near basketball parity with Kentucky for a while. How did this life lesson affect a then 20-year old EG?
ernie the enabler
i think it’s fair to be annoyed with ernie with regard to gil’s lack of defense and lack of leadership, mostly with regard to lack of setting the tone as a serious team.
so if we’re struggling with our record and people here start harping on ernie that he’s helped create this culture of mediocrity with respect to gil’s tone and behavior (which there is approximately a 0% chance you would have gotten that perspective here). yes, for sure. but to deflect blame to ernie for gil exposing himself to four felony counts and a 20+ game suspension by the league? it seems pointless to me.
yes, maybe there was a bit of an overcorrection here, but c’mon, how was the team realistically going to wean the fool out of gil? i think there’s a chance that this incident could be the best thing that could have happened to this organization and gil.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Jan 10, 2010 11:52 AM EST up reply actions
it is the best thing
my criticism of Ernie wasn’t his use of carrots (coddling) as much his use of sticks (punishment). He should have been harsher, maybe even considered trading him. Sure, it would have hurt the team’s performance, but the GM is supposed to think long-term.
If anything, the hammer should have come down after the shoe incident. It’s technically a biohazard. I remember when I was living on campus and some joker decided to use one of the laundry machines like the toilet. He figured the cleaning staff would take care of it, but they are not supposed to handle that type of “waste.” When he was identified, he was promptly booted off campus; the RA tried to get him suspended from school for a semester, but that never reached the judicial board.
it's all fun and games until body fluids are involved
It wasn’t harmless joking . . . it was showing who was boss. Crittenton knew the score . . . Sleepy eyed slackers like Blatche and Young were game, though.
by ReturnofBillyJOe on Jan 10, 2010 7:48 AM EST reply actions
I think we've all know the bully
Who will taunt you and then say “hey I was just joking. what’s your problem?”
by ReturnofBillyJOe on Jan 10, 2010 7:51 AM EST reply actions
lets see the next story
the wizards mngt pr machine decides to roll out.
they are running from the playbook now…..since they have decided to bury Gil, start to periodically feed out the stories that back up your intended actions – voiding the contract.
pathetic.
not really any new information in here
wise is so funny tho, an “unnamed prominent player on the wizards”. why not just use his name? it’s one of three guys…
new post by mike jones up. i also think the wiz went too far by taking down all the jerseys. but hey, maybe it’s the right message to send to gil. don’t take it for granted. things can change in a hurry.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Jan 10, 2010 10:26 AM EST reply actions
actually check that
should have said it doesn’t really help to further inform my opinion of anything related to this incident, but there is new information
i wonder, after the backlash from the stunt at the sixers game, do you think gil still would have done it at the cavs game? if so, wow.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Jan 10, 2010 10:43 AM EST up reply actions
def not crittendon
80% sure it’s haywood
by DarrellWalkerFan on Jan 10, 2010 11:15 AM EST up reply actions
Someone has to say it, so ...
At least this explains why Blatche has often played like shit.
by disgrunted on Jan 10, 2010 11:31 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
only about 1/2 the time
depends which shoes he is wearing i guess
now I know how Ernie must have felt
If I “tsk-tsk,” I’m a prude.
If I “LOL,” I’m an enabler.
Can’t win.
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