Dwight Howard's antics

[RockCoCougars]

I was going to post this in the Bucks forum, but I think that I deserves a separate topic. Is anyone else sick and tired of hearing about this Dwight Howard nonsense day in and day out? It's been dragging on for months now. This whole saga basically highlights everything that is wrong with pro sports today. First, he wants his 'friends' as teammates, then he wants to go to New Jersey, LA or Chicago, then he doesn't want to go to Chicago, then he will stay in Orlando if he can choose the GM/coach, now not so much. I don't care how good that he is, why would anyone want this diva on their team?

[trwi7]

What's wrong with pro sports? There's only one league that this happens in.

[NievesNoNO]

Sometimes the owners I think just need to sit these guys down and say, "You know what, I realize you want to win. We're not trading you. You're not going to request a trade and you're going to play out your contract. When the contract is complete you can go ANYWHERE YOU WANT TO GO. Until then, it's in your best interest to play hard if you'd like a big payday from a different club."

 

To be fair, and I don't really follow the NBA closely enough to know for sure but it feels like a lot of the Howard trade talk is media fueled.

[jerichoholicninja]

Only NBA'ers can pull this off for some reason. And to a much lesser extent NFL players with holding out.

[RockCoCougars]

Agreed that this is mostly the NBA, and it's getting worse. I'm not completely up on the new labor agreement/salary cap, but it seems pretty far fetched for Howard to be able to go to another team of his choosing (with another star 'friend') for a max deal without a trade. If that's the case, and I'm the Magic, I'd tell him to pound sand as opposed to doing a sign and trade deal.

[davego]

I didn't know Farve was an NBA star. Certainly no dramatic NFL stars. And I'm pretty sure the Twins had Mauer-issues. ESPN thrives on the Red Soxs/Yankees soap opera.

[GAME05]

when there's only maybe 10 superstars to divide between about 30 NBA teams, i suppose that gives the superstars a lot more license to act like children and keep getting NBA GMs to bow to their every whim.

[CheezWizHed]

I didn't know Farve was an NBA star.

 

There are divas in each sport, but when Favre acted up, he was told to take a hike... by two different teams...

 

There are so few true stars in the NBA and NBA basketball is built around needing a star to win (unlike football that is much more a team sport), it leads to massive egos by the guys that are the stars and owners that kowtow to them.

[homer]

I didn't know Farve was an NBA star.

 

There are divas in each sport, but when Favre acted up, he was told to take a hike... by two different teams...

 

 

If Favre had been 26 years old it would have been different.

[jerichoholicninja]

Favre situation was little bit different as they already had a capable QB to replace him. To me, it was obvious that Packer management was trying to get rid of Brett for a while and his antics just gave them a reason to trade him without fans burning Lambeau to the ground. When the Magic trade Howard they will have nothing.

[CheezWizHed]

Even if Favre had been 26 and no replacement behind him, stars in the NFL aren't given as much sway as they do in the NBA. Terrell Owens and Randy Moss are good examples of that. They started mouthing off, their team put up with it for a little while, then shipped them out.

 

When you have 5 guys playing at one time and maybe 8 in a game, it really emphasizes any one person on the team. Then play "NBA-style" basketball and it super-emphasizes one or maybe two players on the team.

[RockCoCougars]

I see that after another couple of flip flops from Howard and his handlers in the past 24 hours, now finally signed something that says he won't opt out of his deal. Hopefully after today we don't have to start hearing about this nonsense again until the summer. I agree that it's largely been fueled by the press. After all, with the death of Linsanity, what other NBA news is there to report?

[trwi7]

I'm still trading Howard if I'm Orlando. If he had any intention of staying, he would sign a 5 year max contract. All he's doing is not opting out of his deal.

[RockCoCougars]

As far as I can tell, Orlando holds all the cards here. Assuming that Howard would like to go elsewhere to play with one of his star buddies, a max deal would be almost impossible unless the Magic caved and gave him a sign and trade. I don't really see the point in sign and trades in the NBA, because even if you get draft picks, you have to take garbage salary matches back. If I'm them, I'd kindly tell Dwight and his representation that he won't be traded and if he wants to leave, he is free to do so under the constraints of the current bargaining agreement. End of discussion.

[homer]

Even if Favre had been 26 and no replacement behind him, stars in the NFL aren't given as much sway as they do in the NBA. Terrell Owens and Randy Moss are good examples of that. They started mouthing off, their team put up with it for a little while, then shipped them out.

 

When you have 5 guys playing at one time and maybe 8 in a game, it really emphasizes any one person on the team. Then play "NBA-style" basketball and it super-emphasizes one or maybe two players on the team.

 

 

I think QB's get treated with kid gloves a lot of the time. Heck Michael Vick was in prison and just signed a huge deal. You can't win without a good one. Other than that I agree with you.

[berniebrewer4life]

Even if Favre had been 26 and no replacement behind him, stars in the NFL aren't given as much sway as they do in the NBA. Terrell Owens and Randy Moss are good examples of that. They started mouthing off, their team put up with it for a little while, then shipped them out.

 

When you have 5 guys playing at one time and maybe 8 in a game, it really emphasizes any one person on the team. Then play "NBA-style" basketball and it super-emphasizes one or maybe two players on the team.

 

 

I think QB's get treated with kid gloves a lot of the time. Heck Michael Vick was in prison and just signed a huge deal. You can't win without a good one. Other than that I agree with you.

 

http://ts3.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4597685676343982&id=cd478ef82b37b5720e26f8fbd2f2d8a5&index=newexp&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm2.staticflickr.com%2F1098%2F1245584382_68ec52f182_z.jpg

 

"i beg to differ good sir"

 

 

It's hard to win without a good one, but game managers like Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer can win, if you don't make them the focus of the offense. However, you are right that Qbs are the faces of the NFL.

[endaround]

Stupid athlete wanting to control the direction of his career!

[Invader3K]

Stupid athlete wanting to control the direction of his career!

 

I think the Dwight Howard situation goes well beyond that, though I admit I haven't followed it too closely. Trying to handpick your teammates and coach are issues that seem to go well beyond "controlling the direction of their career."

[CheezWizHed]

I think QB's get treated with kid gloves a lot of the time. Heck Michael Vick was in prison and just signed a huge deal. You can't win without a good one. Other than that I agree with you.

 

I'll ditto what berniebrewer4life said about average QBs. Which fits in what I said earlier about being able to win in different manners with different teams (average QB+good RB+good defense has won plenty of SBs). The easiest way is to have a great QB, no question there. But it isn't a requirement.

 

And I'll disagree with Vick. Note that I'm NOT a Vick fan (I applauded SD for trading his draft rights to pick up LT and Brees).

 

Atlanta cut him immediately. He went to jail. Served his time. Came back as a backup QB with a pretty small contract. Played his way back in (while saying and doing the right things). Then got his big contract. That actually shows me that the NFL handled it correctly. There was no entitlement.

 

Contrast that with the joke that was Latrelle Sprewell...

[homer]

http://ts3.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4597685676343982&id=cd478ef82b37b5720e26f8fbd2f2d8a5&index=newexp&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm2.staticflickr.com%2F1098%2F1245584382_68ec52f182_z.jpg

 

"i beg to differ good sir"

 

 

It's hard to win without a good one, but game managers like Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer can win, if you don't make them the focus of the offense. However, you are right that Qbs are the faces of the NFL.

 

 

I think with the rule changes favoring the passing game those days are gone. And let's be honest, even when QB's could get pummeled there were like three "game manager" QB's since the advent of the West Coast offense that have won a Super Bowl. Each had a devastating defense.

[RockCoCougars]

OK. After a quiet few weeks, word on the street is that Howard has been campaigning to get Van Gundy fired. If I'm the Magic, I say enough is enough and trade this guy for the best offer this summer. Addition by subtraction if you ask me. The only way this guy is going to win is by riding someone else's coattails.