I hate Bill Plaske and his holier than thou attuitude / media reaction to Pierce

[ma11l]

I don't know if anyone is watching First Take right now but I have to say Skip Bayless and Jalen Rose are an embarrassment.

They both have come to the conclusion that Paul Pierce was faking and that he has one of the lowest tolerances for pain in the NBA. Maybe someone should point out to these yahoos what Paul Pierce has been through in his lifetime.

Bayless said it reminded him of the Lebron James commercial where the guy fakes the injury. He even had the nerve to compare Pierce to Vince Carter. Bayless is a joke and his degrading attitude towards everyone is really getting old.

Jalen Rose is just an idiot who tries too hard to come off as intelligent.

don't even get me started on bayless....
i watched first take this morning just long enough to hear how they were gonna paint the whole "lakers lose theeeeeeee lakers LOSE" thing, and after last night's espn programming i actually expected some love....
my god....
seriously...
all this crap they sling is going to make 17 sooo much sweeter...
then again, they'll probably say the lakers " stopped playing" or something equally retarded.
and the fact that bayless gets a paycheck for acting like he does....
It's becoming quite clear he knows nothing about basketball

I haven't seen First Take in a while... can you give me a recap on the
Celtics-Lakers discussions, who was the guest also?

The guest with Bayless was Jalen Rose, who I was more upset with than Bayless, who is just a moron that hasn't been there.  The first segment was basically a comedy hour with both of them getting one liners in about Paul Pierce.  Bayless said something along the lines of him having the lowest threshold of pain in the NBA or something ludicrous like that.  It was embarrassing, and infuriating. 

[Nerf MVP]

Bayless said last summer that Boston would regret the KG trade because they were parting with Green; as in Gerald Green.

[bandonox]

I don't know if anyone is watching First Take right now but I have to say Skip Bayless and Jalen Rose are an embarrassment.

They both have come to the conclusion that Paul Pierce was faking and that he has one of the lowest tolerances for pain in the NBA. Maybe someone should point out to these yahoos what Paul Pierce has been through in his lifetime.

Bayless said it reminded him of the Lebron James commercial where the guy fakes the injury. He even had the nerve to compare Pierce to Vince Carter. Bayless is a joke and his degrading attitude towards everyone is really getting old.

Jalen Rose is just an idiot who tries too hard to come off as intelligent.

don't even get me started on bayless....
i watched first take this morning just long enough to hear how they were gonna paint the whole "lakers lose theeeeeeee lakers LOSE" thing, and after last night's espn programming i actually expected some love....
my god....
seriously...
all this crap they sling is going to make 17 sooo much sweeter...
then again, they'll probably say the lakers " stopped playing" or something equally retarded.
and the fact that bayless gets a paycheck for acting like he does....
It's becoming quite clear he knows nothing about basketball

I haven't seen First Take in a while... can you give me a recap on the Celtics-Lakers discussions, who was the guest also?

first...
when i got home from work today, i checked espnews too see how the injury was going and they have this poll...
was pierce exagerrating or is he a tough SOB or something...
58% said he was exaggerating...
well sure, that's cute....
when ALL THEY SAY ALL DAY IS PIERCE IS FAKING, and these mouth breathers that only get their sports info from espn watch it...
dontcha think when you keep repeating something over and over and over, people might begin to think it's true?

Jalen Rose was laughing because "prick" bayless was basically screaming that paul is the new vince carter and he's full of it and.......ugh.
It was AWFUL... it is painfully obvious jalen's just trying to keep a job. cuz we ALL know jalen was ALWAYS such a brilliant basketball player capable of playing through pain, right?
and skip...
you know a couple of years ago, he wasn't THAT BAD. he was a pretty good ying to woody paige's redneck buffoon yang.
now he's just a cartoon character... There is no way that anyone that knows even a little about sports can agree with any of the things he says.. there is no intelligent thought involved...what he says are the kinds of things my wife would say when she wants to push my buttons..
he is paid to make people angry..... just watch him. when he says something extaordinarily awful. he gets this evil little smirk.
UGH....

[bandonox]

Bayless said last summer that Boston would regret the KG trade because they were parting with Green; as in Gerald Green.

ESPN is just like the regular news( on cable )....
It's no longer about news... it's entertainment...
but skip must seriously need a team of bodyguards when he is out in public

[bandonox]

But whether we would have gotten the first or second choice or not,  Paul would have had to have been traded or the roster would have been overhauled as it was.  Because there is no way he could have led his young teammates by example after sitting out those games.  Those games he sat out were as important as playoff games to his teammates.  Budweiser, when your team's best player is willing to toe that kind of company line, you need new leadership.  Danny was fortunate that his buddy was in a position to accomodate that overhaul.  Had McHale not been in Minnesota, Danny would have had real major problems on his hands.

Because clearly Pierce not playing injured for the final games of the season, in a lost season embodies all that was wrong with the Celtics.

"Those games he sat out were as important as playoff games to his teammates." <--- I don't even know why I'm here arguing with you if this is your line of thinking. Get real, AS IMPORTANT? "Hey Paul, I know you're very injured right now, but we don't care about that we want you to play with us despite your injury just to see if we can at the least not be in last place in the whole league. Come on Paul, risk your career, or at the very least your health for next season just to see if we can end in a positive note this miserable season". With teammates like that, I wouldn't want them... especially if they think that those games would be as meaningful as playoff games... stinks of being losers. Obviously that's not the case.

i still get a little mad when the "tanking" thing comes up..
maybe i'm drinking the kool aid, but alot of those games were close and i really enjoyed watching that team improve...
i think the idea that we tanked was started by national talking heads.... the same idiots that thought the lakers were gonna sweep... i think that if there wasn't two potential hall of famers in the draft class, it wouldn't have been brought up... An example of tanking is the 1996-97 San Antonio Spurs.. a team that was in the CONFERENCE FINALS the year before.. then Robinson goes down for the year, so they tank, and whoa..... all of a sudden they get duncan, and the "twin towers" are born. ML Carr's mistake was being so open and unapologetic about tanking....THAT was tanking. And the NBA rewarded us for being so open about it by giving the pick to the spurs.... same with last year. once the "tanking to get oden/duncan" rumor begins to build steam, stern says "whoopsie daisy"....why do you think the heat dropped? Because it was obvious what they had done. Riley wasn't even trying to make it look good..."scouting" and whatnot...you ever pick out someones name in a raffle, and you don't like the person whose name you picked... no one's looking, so you pick again? Larry O' Brien was a HUGE celtics fan.. he let red get away with murder...
Stern, on the other hand..... kind of not. Had the c's not lost 19 in a row, and pulled pierce late in the year, they may have gotten the first or second pick.....but then the media gets going... talking about things they have no idea about, and they say it soooooo many times people start to believe the nonsense.... they did no such thing. They got hosed... and good for them for turning it around anyway...

[Sweet17]

I think it's a crying shame what ESPN is doing. They are trying to take away a great moment from a guy's career, IMHO. If you listen to the stuff they are saying about Paul's its sickening. The whole ESPN/ABC merger stinks and it sucks. They have way to much power in the sports world now..

Pete

[LB3533]

Paul Pierce was not faking. It is illogical to think he did.

1. His 1st Finals and the Celtics' first since 1987.

2. We were losing!

3. Pro Athletes can do extraordinary things while injured....Triple-H tore both his quads on separate occasions and finished each respective match anyway. 

[RockinRyA]

and u know.. these laker fans/media actually forgot about kareem.. u know during that magic jr. skyhook time

[cuckroller]

Well, I am not a fan of Plaske either, even though a Laker fan.  I usually find him too much of a homer, too ill-informed basketball wise, and too given to flights of fantasy to drum up readership.

A lot of you have asked where are the Laker fans.  Well, I am here, though I have been in mourning, at least as much as I can be in mourning for a sports loss. You won't see a lot of the Laker fans that came on here to spew out Laker homerisms coming back here. 

For what it is worth, my take on the tempest in a teacup of "L'Affaire Pierce".  I think that most thoughtful and informed fans in the Laker camp probably don't know what to make of what happened.  I know that I have been confused about it though trying to understand it.  I am sure that when there is some issue close to the hearts of the Boston fans, and that is not understood, that controversy automatically ensues, and everybody gets into the act.  Certainly, the homers will automatically presume anything that would seem to cast the player in a light in which they would prefer to see him (this is unfortunately part of the mind set of a certain fandom - of all fandoms).  Personally, though it would go against my team, I do hope that Pierce has no incapacitating physical problems.  Injuries will happen, and my team has had their share.  I wish them on no one, whatever the stake.

Congratulations on drawing first blood in Game 1.  Well-merited victory.

Anyone interested can take a look at my own take on the game here:  http://lakers.topbuzz.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=180333#180333

[Finkelskyhook]

But whether we would have gotten the first or second choice or not,  Paul would have had to have been traded or the roster would have been overhauled as it was.  Because there is no way he could have led his young teammates by example after sitting out those games.  Those games he sat out were as important as playoff games to his teammates.  Budweiser, when your team's best player is willing to toe that kind of company line, you need new leadership.  Danny was fortunate that his buddy was in a position to accomodate that overhaul.  Had McHale not been in Minnesota, Danny would have had real major problems on his hands.

Because clearly Pierce not playing injured for the final games of the season, in a lost season embodies all that was wrong with the Celtics.

"Those games he sat out were as important as playoff games to his teammates." <--- I don't even know why I'm here arguing with you if this is your line of thinking. Get real, AS IMPORTANT? "Hey Paul, I know you're very injured right now, but we don't care about that we want you to play with us despite your injury just to see if we can at the least not be in last place in the whole league. Come on Paul, risk your career, or at the very least your health for next season just to see if we can end in a positive note this miserable season". With teammates like that, I wouldn't want them... especially if they think that those games would be as meaningful as playoff games... stinks of being losers. Obviously that's not the case.

i still get a little mad when the "tanking" thing comes up..
maybe i'm drinking the kool aid, but alot of those games were close and i really enjoyed watching that team improve...
i think the idea that we tanked was started by national talking heads.... the same idiots that thought the lakers were gonna sweep... i think that if there wasn't two potential hall of famers in the draft class, it wouldn't have been brought up... An example of tanking is the 1996-97 San Antonio Spurs.. a team that was in the CONFERENCE FINALS the year before.. then Robinson goes down for the year, so they tank, and whoa..... all of a sudden they get duncan, and the "twin towers" are born. ML Carr's mistake was being so open and unapologetic about tanking....THAT was tanking. And the NBA rewarded us for being so open about it by giving the pick to the spurs.... same with last year. once the "tanking to get oden/duncan" rumor begins to build steam, stern says "whoopsie daisy"....why do you think the heat dropped? Because it was obvious what they had done. Riley wasn't even trying to make it look good..."scouting" and whatnot...you ever pick out someones name in a raffle, and you don't like the person whose name you picked... no one's looking, so you pick again? Larry O' Brien was a HUGE celtics fan.. he let red get away with murder...
Stern, on the other hand..... kind of not. Had the c's not lost 19 in a row, and pulled pierce late in the year, they may have gotten the first or second pick.....but then the media gets going... talking about things they have no idea about, and they say it soooooo many times people start to believe the nonsense.... they did no such thing. They got hosed... and good for them for turning it around anyway...

Good post.
The idea of tanking was put forth by a team member and was hardly refuted by the coach.  The fact that Rivers is a little more savvy with the press is the only difference between he and Carr's situations.  The closeness of the games was irrelevent.   It would be hard to make a case against what you said against Stern.  What are the odds of the three teams most obviously in tanking mode drafting in the worst possible position?  Putting pencil to paper, I'd say about a half million to one.

What's strange about this discussion is that I agree with everyone who thinks that Paul's injury was real.  I don't know how many times I've turned my ankle and feel it pop.  It isn't any less scary when it happens than it was the first time.  I have no problem with the precautions that were taken.  I don't know how else Paul re-enters.  Is he supposed to wear some kind of disguise?  Is he supposed to re-enter the game on crutches?  How do you overdramatize or underdramatize the re-entry?  I guess Plaske thought the fans should have booed?

The only difference between what I think and most people posting on this think is I have no problem with the other side's argument.  There is an unquestioned history to fall back on for them in making their case.  In this case, they're wro

I think it's a crying shame what ESPN is doing. They are trying to take away a great moment from a guy's career, IMHO. If you listen to the stuff they are saying about Paul's its sickening. The whole ESPN/ABC merger stinks and it sucks. They have way to much power in the sports world now..
Pete

Whenever Smith speaks, I change the channel.  Whenever Rome has that idiot Jamele Hill on, I stop watching.  There are ways to get away from them.  Whenever they run one of those screaming JG Wentworth commercials or one of those stupid MVP commercials, I shut down the channel until the next day.  The invention of the DVR is further proof that there is a God.  ESPN/ABC will run knowledgable, literate commentators when people stop watching.

 

[BudweiserCeltic]

I actually think Stephen A. Smith is one of the best ESPN has over there. I don't like him, but it just shows how poor their "experts" are.

He has been quite positive and honest about the Celtics for the most part this year, so I haven't minded him much as previous years, but man I hate to listen to him talk.

[Steve Weinman]

I actually think Stephen A. Smith is one of the best ESPN has over there. I don't like him, but it just shows how poor their "experts" are.

He has been quite positive and honest about the Celtics for the most part this year, so I haven't minded him much as previous years, but man I hate to listen to him talk.

If that's the most ringing endorsement we're getting of the four-letter network's panel, mo' EJ, Charles and Kenny for me, please!

-sw

[celtic4life]

Saying some really nasty things to him(I cant list what I said here).Also telling him if the same thing happened to Kobe he would call him the 2nd comming etc..

Anyway he emails me back saying he got alot of these emails yesterday and he wants to interview me on a story hes doing on rabid Celtic fans..

I toold him Id do it Im just waiting for him to get back to me...You think the email was BS or what??

[celtic4life]

 I emailed him giving him alot of crap bout what he said about PP.He emailed me back saying he wanted to interview me for an article he was doing on Celtics Diehards.Anyone else email this guy/if you did...did you get emailed back? Was it all a big joke?

[bandonox]

But whether we would have gotten the first or second choice or not,  Paul would have had to have been traded or the roster would have been overhauled as it was.  Because there is no way he could have led his young teammates by example after sitting out those games.  Those games he sat out were as important as playoff games to his teammates.  Budweiser, when your team's best player is willing to toe that kind of company line, you need new leadership.  Danny was fortunate that his buddy was in a position to accomodate that overhaul.  Had McHale not been in Minnesota, Danny would have had real major problems on his hands.

Because clearly Pierce not playing injured for the final games of the season, in a lost season embodies all that was wrong with the Celtics.

"Those games he sat out were as important as playoff games to his teammates." <--- I don't even know why I'm here arguing with you if this is your line of thinking. Get real, AS IMPORTANT? "Hey Paul, I know you're very injured right now, but we don't care about that we want you to play with us despite your injury just to see if we can at the least not be in last place in the whole league. Come on Paul, risk your career, or at the very least your health for next season just to see if we can end in a positive note this miserable season". With teammates like that, I wouldn't want them... especially if they think that those games would be as meaningful as playoff games... stinks of being losers. Obviously that's not the case.

i still get a little mad when the "tanking" thing comes up..
maybe i'm drinking the kool aid, but alot of those games were close and i really enjoyed watching that team improve...
i think the idea that we tanked was started by national talking heads.... the same idiots that thought the lakers were gonna sweep... i think that if there wasn't two potential hall of famers in the draft class, it wouldn't have been brought up... An example of tanking is the 1996-97 San Antonio Spurs.. a team that was in the CONFERENCE FINALS the year before.. then Robinson goes down for the year, so they tank, and whoa..... all of a sudden they get duncan, and the "twin towers" are born. ML Carr's mistake was being so open and unapologetic about tanking....THAT was tanking. And the NBA rewarded us for being so open about it by giving the pick to the spurs.... same with last year. once the "tanking to get oden/duncan" rumor begins to build steam, stern says "whoopsie daisy"....why do you think the heat dropped? Because it was obvious what they had done. Riley wasn't even trying to make it look good..."scouting" and whatnot...you ever pick out someones name in a raffle, and you don't like the person whose name you picked... no one's looking, so you pick again? Larry O' Brien was a HUGE celtics fan.. he let red get away with murder...
Stern, on the other hand..... kind of not. Had the c's not lost 19 in a row, and pulled pierce late in the year, they may have gotten the first or second pick.....but then the media gets going... talking about things they have no idea about, and they say it soooooo many times people start to believe the nonsense.... they did no such thing. They got hosed... and good for them for turning it around anyway...

Good post.
The idea of tanking was put forth by a team member and was hardly refuted by the coach.  The fact that Rivers is a little more savvy with the press is the only difference between he and Carr's situations.  The closeness of the games was irrelevent.   It would be hard to make a case against what you said against Stern.  What are the odds of the three teams most obviously in tanking mode drafting in the worst possible position?  Putting pencil to paper, I'd say about a half million to one.

What's strange about this discussion is that I agree with everyone who thinks that Paul's injury was real.  I don't know how many times I've turned my ankle and feel it pop.  It isn't any less scary when it happens than it was the first time.  I have no problem with the precautions that were taken.  I don't know how else Paul re-enters.  Is he supposed to wear some kind of disguise?  Is he supposed to re-enter the game on crutches?  How do you overdramatize or underdramatize the re-entry?  I guess Plaske thought the fans should have booed?

The only difference between what I think and most people posting on this think is I have no problem with the other side's argument.  There is an unquestioned history to fall back on for them in making their case.  In this case, they're wro

I think it's a crying shame what ESPN is doing. They are trying to take away a great moment from a guy's career, IMHO. If you listen to the stuff they are saying about Paul's its sickening. The whole ESPN/ABC merger stinks and it sucks. They have way to much power in the sports world now..
Pete

Whenever Smith speaks, I change the channel.  Whenever Rome has that idiot Jamele Hill on, I stop watching.  There are ways to get away from them.  Whenever they run one of those screaming JG Wentworth commercials or one of those stupid MVP commercials, I shut down the channel until the next day.  The invention of the DVR is further proof that there is a God.  ESPN/ABC will run knowledgable, literate commentators when people stop watching.

 

smith is insufferable......
he has such an ego.....
but, there is an example of a guy that was normal years ago. i used to watch him on "best [dang]", and he was fine. as soon as he got " called up to the big leagues", he became more show and waaaaaaay less substance....
funny, though... i do the same thing when i see him....click.