Poopsworld update on Locker-room-food-gate

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 3, 2009 4:03 PM CST

It's poopsworld (though not the poopiest guy from that site who made up all the summer trade rumors), I know, but they talk about the Bulls locker room enough I'd think they at least have some sources.

Every once in a while you run across a story that makes your jaw drop. This is one of those.

There's a story in the Chicago media today about head coach Vinny Del Negro fining three players for eating in the locker room before a recent home game. HOOPSWORLD has learned that the number of players fined was actually five, but whether it was five or three, this story keeps getting wierder.

We're talking about a team that provides food (at least a fruit tray) to the visitor's locker room before each game and makes food available to their own players as well. It's also a team that has never had an issue with players eating before a game, even at their lockers. Ben Gordon has often taken ribbing for his habit of making - not just eating, but actually whipping out condiments, constructing, and eating - peanut butter sandwiches in his locker before games.

So all of a sudden Del Negro decides to not only go off on a group of players, but also fine them for eating in the locker room before a game. Fines were less than a thousand dollars each, but still it's a strange way to make a point.

It seems to be par for the course for Vinny Del Negro, however, who is going to great lengths to try and establish his authority in the locker room. Given that he's failed to do it in any traditional way, he beginning to do it in ways that make him seem small and petty.

In case you're wondering why it's a bad idea to hand an inexperienced coach the head chair for an NBA franchise, you're starting to see it in Chicago. Del Negro got the job despite his complete lack of experience coaching at any level, and the Bulls are now bearing the brunt of the consequences for that decision.

This is a team that fired Scott Skiles at about this time last season because his shrill, power-hungry ways were alienating players. Now it seems they replaced him with someone equally as shrill. It would be almost impossible for the Bulls to fire him this season without becoming even more of a laughing stock in NBA circles, but don't be surprised if he's one of the first ones picked off next season.

Things are going to get really ugly in Chicago, and that's not a good situation for a team with so many young players seeking identities and veterans who will be walking away as free agents this summer.

(ht: DaBullz)

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Seems like some serious hyperbole

but whatever. It’s clear this team is a mess anyways.

When I watch NBA games I often call the fouls before the referees do. Sometimes it’s a gift. Most of the time it's troublesome. - NBA Observer

by Illini15 on Jan 3, 2009 4:09 PM CST reply actions

Does anyone else get the feeling that Vinny is in the corner of his office crying right now?

by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 3, 2009 4:12 PM CST reply actions

More details needed

The Dabullz post headline suggested that VDN was on the chopping block after FoodGate, which I don’t get from the Hoopsworld story at all. Also, Kendall Gill came down on Vinny’s side on this one last night, saying that this is a rule that players know. Apparently, not all food is banned in the locker room as the team and trainers provide food before the game. My understanding of the event is that players were fined based on their reaction to VDN’s enforcement of the rule and not just for breaking the rule. This Hoopsworld story looks like pure speculation. We clearly do not have all of the details on this one, so it’s hard for me to know what to make of this incident.

by Stay Chisel on Jan 3, 2009 4:35 PM CST reply actions

agreed

DaBullz threw that headline in halfhazardly.

Also, it’s certainly likely that while a lot of players were eating and it normally isn’t enforced, Vinny brought it up and some players snipped back so they were the ones that were fined.

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by your friendly BullsBlogger on Jan 3, 2009 4:39 PM CST up reply actions

Was just reading this

just keeps getting funnier doesn’t it?

This could be a looong, grim stretch. Especially since Joakim Noah is apparently the most qualified to be “Veteren” leadership.

by reprisal on Jan 3, 2009 5:01 PM CST reply actions

almost as petty as when he screams at opposing players when they are shooting threes

Sometimes a player's greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team.

-- Scottie Pippen

by Orlando Woolridge on Jan 3, 2009 5:32 PM CST reply actions

Who does that?

Vinny or Noah?

" I've looked at these numbers and decided the #1 problem

is that Ben Gordon is selfish..." -your friendly bulls blogger

by Dionysus2.0 on Jan 3, 2009 5:34 PM CST up reply actions

Vinny

by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 3, 2009 5:43 PM CST up reply actions

Noah just yells randomly. At everything.

"You remember the first time you picked up a basketball video game and you had no idea how to run plays, so you just gave the ball to your shooter and you ran around the court aimlessly until a defender was far enough away and then you jacked up a shot? THAT IS LARRY HUGHES!"
-Anonymous fan letter, heylarryhughespleasestoptakingsomanybadshots.com

by Prevenge on Jan 5, 2009 11:21 PM CST up reply actions

LOL

by Granny Waiters on Jan 5, 2009 11:32 PM CST up reply actions

Is eating rib tips and barbecue soaked fries different from a game time peanut butter sandwich?

Rumor: I hear a spot in New Jersey has the best Barbecue east of the appalachian mountains.

man up!

by exult463 on Jan 4, 2009 1:25 PM CST reply actions

Hey, Andrew from Dabullz.com.

The “Bulls pondering firing Vinny” was based on the Hoops World article saying to not be surprised if Vinny is one of the first to go next season.

I talked to some people in the Bulls media over the past few days to try to get more of a grasp on what was going on in the locker room. No one is quite sure whether it was just the original three that were fined, or if Ben Gordon and another player were fined. Did get confirmation on Ben Gordon eating PB&J’s before games (not like we didn’t already know this). According to Tyrus in a MPS interview he just did with Sarah Spain, he eats PB&J’s before home games as well. It sounds like Vinny was just being a passive aggressive dick in fining the players. It’s not like Tyrus, Hughes, and Noah had a crave case out in the locker room. The original pregame feast headline in the Trib was misleading.

Also, it looks like the Bulls have decided to let go of Vinny at the end of the season. They just don’t want to get rid of him now because they’re looking at how the other interims are doing, and they feel they might as well just stick with Vinny because an interim won’t do any better.

Although it is pretty self-explanatory that Vinny is getting canned at the end of the season. He’s already lost the team and has no offensive or defensive sets. He is regularly getting hamered by Sam Smith and Norm Van Lier. He will do nothing but harm us in getting free agents in the future, he’s a joke of a coach.

Unless Vinny has an epiphany, he is as Doug said yesterday on Bulls Beat so gone.

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by Andrew7 on Jan 5, 2009 7:00 PM CST reply actions 1 recs