Chicago Bulls on 'The Mole'
by BullsFanInSeattle on Jun 6, 2008 4:18 PM CDT
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PrintThe more this charade of a coaching search goes on, the more that John Paxson makes me long for Jerry Krause. And I didn't think that would be possible. Nobody is a bigger Paxson supporter than me, nobody is rooting for him to succeed more than me.
But Paxson and the Bulls front office have a Mole. That's all there is to it. How can these constant news reports keep showing up in the media, when the local beat writers (like the incomparable KC Johnson) couldn't find a story if one fell out of a building onto their parked car?
Say what you will about Jerry Krause - he ran a closed-door shop and kept things close to the vest. The stories about Doug Collins' firing 20 years ago were all about how it was such a surprise, and how his firing came about in a 'cloaked atmosphere'. We all joked around by calling Krause 'The Sleuth', but he never would've allowed his team and his candidates to be dragged through the media and embarrassed like this.
Collins NEVER should've had to appear in front of the microphones, answering questions on the Bulls' coaching gig while he hadn't yet really interviewed. Now we're treated to the 'fact' that he's no longer part of the process going forward. WTF? Why do we know these things? As much as I love the Bulls, I find it totally counterproductive to have our laundry done in front of the rest of the NBA and the world.
If Paxson is waiting to interview coaches who are still coaching (in the Finals), then he should've said so and set this expectation weeks or months ago. After he fired Boylan he should've said that he didn't anticipate hiring a coach until after the Finals and before the draft. Maybe he did actually say this but it's been lost in all the noise coming out of the Berto Center for the past month or so.
Pax, you have a mole. Find them and deal with them accordingly. Stop allowing them to embarrass you, your coaching candidates, your owner, your players, and your fans. We want you to find your soulmate, John. We just don't want to read about all the dalliances, one-night-stands, and messy break-ups until then.
Do we? Maybe I'm only speaking for myself.
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I think at least in Collins' case
the leaks came from his end. He was calling current players without even having the job yet!
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by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jun 6, 2008 4:52 PM CDT reply actions
I don't think it would seem like such a big deal
if Pax handled it differently. The story just gets bigger the more irritated he acts. I think he could use a little of that old Skiles’ sarcasm to diffuse the rumor situation.
Here's to the most exciting offseason in a VERY long time!
Agreed.
I miss Skiles sarcasm, and I think it was entirely useful. he gave the media a soundbite they could use and never actually said anything newsworthy.
I did seem to backfire with the Eddy Curry “jump” comment and the TT “never sprinted up the floor” comments. But overall, I think he handled the media fantastic.
Pax seems to be having a hard time.
Have you thought about
applying for the Job? ;-)
Dum spiro spero! (While there is life, there’s hope!)--Leon Trotsky
When they create the sarcasm division in PR, I'll be first in line.
Seriously, if he could just fake a little humor occasionally. I wish instead of getting all snappy about Joey Dorsey’s stupid draft predictions he had just said something like “I’ll have to thank Joey for making my job easier.” Or maybe, “Yes, as soon as we made that decision I place a call to Joey right away.”
I do miss Skiles for stuff like that. Yes, he went too far occasionally given that he was talking about his own players that he needed to maintain a working relationship with, but he was still pretty damn funny!
Here's to the most exciting offseason in a VERY long time!
Might as well wait.
It would be nice to have a coach, but until the finals are over. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to not have one in place.
I think that for a young team (us) it would be a nice way to get the players attention if the new coach just coached in the finals, and maybe even won a ring.
Especially if your going to hire somebody with no / very little head coaching experiance. You need to get the players attention and respect, so if Tom Thibideau or Brian Shaw win a ring this year, then I think it helps them get immediate respect. Last year, one of the main issues was a lack of respect for the coaches.
Not saying you hire them just because of that. But you should at least wait to have a couple good interviews with them.
Never thought Id miss Krause
..but after looking like laughing sticks for the last year, I do think that Pax has about a year to get this ish right…
How bout Jerry West? Always respected his decision making in LA and some in Memphis..
There is a mole but that is a minor problem
I agree that is bad because it distracts the team. But the real problem is Pax total inability to make decision. He thinks too much, hesitates too much – that is why we lost the possibility of trading for Garnett, Gasol or Kobe. That is why we can’t get a coach. And that is why the Bulls won’t get as good as he could with the pieces it has to use to play or trade
20 years ago
There was no internet, no blogging, no real time news. Its just the Bulls, its all sports franchises. With player blogs, fan blogs and 24 media coverage even the littles of things spread like wildfire.
You either deal with or you don’t.
"If you're not going to compete, then I'll dominate you." MJ
There were still journalists desperate for a story
Sam Smith was still able to find hundreds of pages of inside information for “Jordan Rules.” Tons of journalists were able to travel with teams and dish out NBA gossip. It’s the same now, the same information, it’s just that more mediums are able to digest it. Before, we relied on newspapers to tell us what was going on with the team on a day to day basis. Now? We can follow 100 different blogs, papers, NBA official releases, etc etc.
Rusty Longley v 2.0
by Ozzie Montana on Jun 7, 2008 1:30 PM CDT up reply actions
Nice playoff
So how many stories would there have been about the “Kobe Video” 20 years ago? Here is a prime example of the technology that just didn’t 20 years ago.
The Kobe video would have amounted two dudes in a mall with a cool story to tell friends. Instead it was the subject of thousands of blog posts and became a national sports headline. Why? cause some average joe had a cellphone in a shopping mall and because there was the internet to promote it.
I followed the Bulls 20 years ago and as a fan I didn’t know or have access to nearly the amount information I do now. Its not even close. 20 years ago was like a fart in a tornado compared to what is out there now. It has very little to do management. It was a different time and a different era.
"If you're not going to compete, then I'll dominate you." MJ
Haha that's a funny comment about our carousel...
It’s just the state of sports right now. Maybe there are moles in a lot of franchises. At the beginning of last season, the Lakers had their dirty laundry aired with the whole Kobe debacle. It might seem like the pits now…but it will just force us to make some tough decisions or be a laughingstock. Just look at Kupchak – he looked out of control, if not incompetent for the state of his franchise at the beginning of last season. His bright young star (Bynum) was being attacked by his best player. We saw Kobe demanding a trade on a amateur’s camcorder.
And look at the Lakers now…
I don’t think this scrutiny and “airing of our dirty laundry” will have a lasting negative. It will just put the microscope squarely on Paxson and our front-office. We’ll see if they rise to the challenge. We have to hire a respectful coach. Soon. And the team has to at least show they’re heading in the right direction this season.
Kupchak got bailed out
by Memphis. Its not often that a team in the same conference is going to give a young all star who fixes the biggest hole in your team for a bunch of expiring salaries with no talent.
Its more of a case where the owner was too cheap to pay out and choose pocketbook over talent.
"If you're not going to compete, then I'll dominate you." MJ
That, and deny it as he may,
I’ll never believe Jerry West had nothing to do with this trade.
Dum spiro spero! (While there is life, there’s hope!)--Leon Trotsky
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