The only reason Mike Sweetney is here...

[Scalablob990]

i honestly dont understand how if you have the chance to make millions of dollars you cant stay in shape. Higher a trainer and nutritionist. Its a once in a lifetime opportunity and its sad to see it blown.

I just feel bad that he's THAT fat....I can't envision anyone that big being "happy" even if you have millions of $'s.

[celticsclay]

i honestly dont understand how if you have the chance to make millions of dollars you cant stay in shape. Higher a trainer and nutritionist. Its a once in a lifetime opportunity and its sad to see it blown.

Maybe there are exercises you can do to develop empathy so that you can understand.

If he has an undisclosed glandular problem or other medical condition then my comments are not warrented. However, I don't really where the empathy should develop.... The guy (see before and after pic from other thread) has put on a high percentage of body fat in his middle twenties. It would be one thing if he did not enjoy basketball and did not want to play in the league. However, the fact that he is still signing on for training camps shows he has some interest. My question, remains if he has that level of interest, why would he not take the other steps to keep himself in reasonable shape? Im not saying he has to turn into a gazelle, but it does not look like he has been trying from his appearance. I would like to hear some other explanation

[Bahku]

i honestly dont understand how if you have the chance to make millions of dollars you cant stay in shape. Higher a trainer and nutritionist. Its a once in a lifetime opportunity and its sad to see it blown.

Maybe there are exercises you can do to develop empathy so that you can understand.

If he has an undisclosed glandular problem or other medical condition then my comments are not warrented. However, I don't really where the empathy should develop.... The guy (see before and after pic from other thread) has put on a high percentage of body fat in his middle twenties. It would be one thing if he did not enjoy basketball and did not want to play in the league. However, the fact that he is still signing on for training camps shows he has some interest. My question, remains if he has that level of interest, why would he not take the other steps to keep himself in reasonable shape? Im not saying he has to turn into a gazelle, but it does not look like he has been trying from his appearance. I would like to hear some other explanation

Well said. More important than his weight, is what is the state of mind that would allow a player to let himself get so out of shape, especially if he is serious about a career in the NBA? If it is truly that important to someone, wouldn't that someone do everything he could to be in the best shape possible? To me, his weight is an extension of his attitude, and it looks as though this guy is just not that committed to his health OR a career in the NBA. Let someone else deal with those things ... the Celtics' money can be better spent on someone with dedication and perseverence. Sorry, but his weight problem just screams of apathy, and that's the last thing the C's need to add to the mix.

[lon3lytoaster]

You know, I think his dad died and he went into a deep depression because they were really close. He ate as a way to cope.

Emotional eating is “the tendency to eat in response to negative emotions”. Empirical studies have indicated that anxiety leads to decreased food consumption in people with normal weight and increased food consumption in the obese.

Many laboratory studies showed that overweight individuals are more emotionally reactive and are more likely to overeat when distressed than people of normal weight.

Sweetney has always been a big boy, and losing his father just made him bigger. People are willing to cut Delonte West slack around here and wish him well with his depression, and that's cool, I wish him the best, too. The same should go for Sweets.

[celticsclay]

You know, I think his dad died and he went into a deep depression because they were really close. He ate as a way to cope.

Emotional eating is “the tendency to eat in response to negative emotions”. Empirical studies have indicated that anxiety leads to decreased food consumption in people with normal weight and increased food consumption in the obese.

Many laboratory studies showed that overweight individuals are more emotionally reactive and are more likely to overeat when distressed than people of normal weight.

Sweetney has always been a big boy, and losing his father just made him bigger. People are willing to cut Delonte West slack around here and wish him well with his depression, and that's cool, I wish him the best, too. The same should go for Sweets.

If this really the case, then that is outside factor I was not aware of. I can understand how that can happen and definetely have a lot of sympathy for the guy. At the same time, you would hope he would have those close to him really pushing him and reminding him of the opportunity he has. You would also hope that he would have had the resources available to get any other outside help he needed. Apparently this does not appear to be the case. I wasn't trying to rail on the guy or kick while he was down, it just seems like such a wasted opportunity. Either way, I wish him the best of luck. Thanks for the inside information.

[greenwise]

You know, I think his dad died and he went into a deep depression because they were really close. He ate as a way to cope.

Emotional eating is “the tendency to eat in response to negative emotions”. Empirical studies have indicated that anxiety leads to decreased food consumption in people with normal weight and increased food consumption in the obese.

Many laboratory studies showed that overweight individuals are more emotionally reactive and are more likely to overeat when distressed than people of normal weight.

Sweetney has always been a big boy, and losing his father just made him bigger. People are willing to cut Delonte West slack around here and wish him well with his depression, and that's cool, I wish him the best, too. The same should go for Sweets.

TP for you. Delonte goes out there with weapons, misses practices, etc...and there seems to be little problem for some fans here. Sweetney at least hasn't been a danger or a distraction for the team or for people so far. It was known that he had depression problems since the moment he worked out with the Celtics in Summer League, but some people here still believe he's just so lazy that he simply got fat for lack of passion for the game...

Last night Tommy predicted Sweetney would make the team in the end, so who knows? Maybe he ends up making the team and proving himself valid to be on our squad

[greenwise]

BTW, the start of this thread is kind of cruel, don´t you think? To bring him ONLY to prove things to Big Baby... There is something not right in that logic

[gustusias]

Sweetney is here because he is a very good player underneath all that fat and Danny is not dumb. Give Ainge credit for looking into our future trying to pick up talent anyway and anywhere. The price is right, the risk is low, like read Giddens into this equation. Once the fat rolls off of that body we might have a very good power forward on our hands with above average back to the basket offense., something not too easy to find and lacking on this team. One day KG and Wallace will be gone. Go and find a player like a trimmed downed Sweetney1 It doesn't happen at all on most of the days.

[ThaPreacher]

i honestly dont understand how if you have the chance to make millions of dollars you cant stay in shape. Higher a trainer and nutritionist. Its a once in a lifetime opportunity and its sad to see it blown.

We all have our El Guapo's in life,(Three Amigos)  his happens to be a weight issue! While yours is ignorance.  Deal with it!

[P2]

He needs to change his jersey number to BBD's old "11" - the vertical lines are slimming!

Old "11"? Baby still has that number.

[Hila]

BTW, the start of this thread is kind of cruel, don´t you think? To bring him ONLY to prove things to Big Baby... There is something not right in that logic

Even if it were hypothetically true that the Celtics brought him in ONLY as an example for Big Baby, I'm not sure I'd call it cruel.

He's still getting paid.

Regardless of why he came in, he's still getting a chance to prove to the Celtics-- and other observing teams-- that he belongs in the NBA. There are lots of fringe NBA players whose agents are desperate to get them that chance.

And it's entirely possible that he likes having the opportunity to say to someone else "We have the overeating thing in common, and I know how you feel. Don't make the mistake I made."

[GreenFaith1819]

Well whatever the case is with him I wish him well. He obviously has considerable talent. Wouldn't it be awesome once he overcomes these issues that he ends up in Celtic Green?

People like him seem to always play harder for teams that give him the opportunity and show some faith in him.

I just don't see how he makes the team, though. We have too many players. I am sure that Doc brought him in for a reason.

The recent cases with Beasely and Delonte West remind us that even NBA players with the millions they make are just people.

If I remember correctly, isn't Ron Artest on some medication?

[Eja117]

BTW, the start of this thread is kind of cruel, don´t you think? To bring him ONLY to prove things to Big Baby... There is something not right in that logic

Even if it were hypothetically true that the Celtics brought him in ONLY as an example for Big Baby, I'm not sure I'd call it cruel.

He's still getting paid.

Regardless of why he came in, he's still getting a chance to prove to the Celtics-- and other observing teams-- that he belongs in the NBA. There are lots of fringe NBA players whose agents are desperate to get them that chance.

And it's entirely possible that he likes having the opportunity to say to someone else "We have the overeating thing in common, and I know how you feel. Don't make the mistake I made."

I agree. It's the decision he and his agent made, plus what if someone like Baby gets hurt for the year? Then suddenly his agent looks like a genius and instead of going to Turkey or something he gets to play in the NBA

[Master Po]

If Ron Artest isn't on some medication he needs to be

[hwangjini_1]

lonelytoaster brings up a good point on sweetney's weight. it is hard and hazardous to assume you know the motivation of anyone. guessing is about all anyone can do.

so in that vein, another way to look at sweetney's weight is not that he came into camp simply overweight and out of shape nor that he does not care.

maybe he does care and right now, is weight is down from 1 year ago. that is, maybe ainge saw someone who is willing to lose weight and has demonstrated it by working hard to become "relatively" slim.

ha, ha. i doubt this is the case, but who knows? he may weighs 300 now, but 1 year ago maybe he weighed 400. if so, then maybe ainge thought there is hope.