Phil Jackson's Christmas Day Game comments

[ben]

Yeah, i just realized that they bother me a lot.  Considering he makes more money for coaching a single game than most people make in a year, heck maybe two... 

So he has to work on christmas...  I get to watch him earn twice my salary in 48 minutes on my "day off" (I'm using a personal day this christmas).   

I'm not usually a complainer, but does anyone hear where I'm coming from?  I think he needs to realize he entered the entertainment business, and stop complaining.  It's  a free country, he could skip that game if he wanted to, lose pay and face discipline.  The league isn't forcing him to work for them. 

Having the opportunity to coach an NBA team on ANY day of the year is a dream come true for a lot of NBA fans. 

Merry Christmas !

[PosImpos]

Yeah, you make millions of dollars for playing / coaching a sport for other peoples' entertainment, you can suck it up and work on Christmas.

[TerreHaute]

I will at least give Phil credit for having the guts to say something politically incorrect. He is right in saying that society has gone overboard with the inability to celebrate Christian holidays in this country.

[housecall]

Phil Jackson should try putting hisself in the opposing coachs'shoes sometime.When was the last time the Lakers had to go across country on this holiday or any holiday?I can't remember any xmas day they had to leave LA.

[hpantazo]

This must be the twilight zone, yesterday I agreed with Lebron's comments about contraction and now I fully agree with Phil Jackson. I have to go check my celtics jerseys and make sure they didn't turn yellow or red overnight.

[Eja117]

I don't think Phil Jackson gives a darn about Christianity 364 days a year till they want him to work, and tons of people work on Christmas

[angryguy77]

I agree with him(I'm going to be sick). I've had to work a a couple of Christmas' and it sucked big time. I know these guys make a lot of $, but that doesn't buy  back time with family  that was lost working. 

[PosImpos]

I agree with him(I'm going to be sick). I've had to work a a couple of Christmas' and it sucked big time. I know these guys make a lot of $, but that doesn't buy  back time with family  that was lost working. 

Still, they work in the entertainment industry, and entertaining people on Christmas comes with the territory.  That's why they are paid so much money.

[housecall]

I don't think Phil Jackson gives a darn about Christianity 364 days a year till they want him to work, and tons of people work on Christmas

I think you might be on to something here,he does give you the feeling that he might worship a bottle of red wine moreso than a book of scriptures.tp

ZenMaster=Buddhism

[Finkelskyhook]

Who the hell cares what Phil Jackson thinks?  If he doesn't like working Christmas day, maybe he should retire.
 
I open my business on Christmas day because I provide a product and service that customers want...So it's profitable to do so.  I had no employees volunteer to work it for double-time so I'm working it myself. 

The commissioner obviously thinks it's profitable to schedule games on Christmas day....Therefore they schedule games on Christmas day.  Taking a look at Madison Square Garden as we speak....Obviously NBA management is right.

The class envy gets really old.  I could care less that Jackson makes more in today's game than I do in a year....Or what his faith is..  Makes no freaking difference to me.  He's nothing more than an employee of the Lakers and the NBA.  Instead of whining to his fellow idiots in the press, maybe Jackson should lobby for Stern's job.  He'd be able to affect the changes he wants if he did that.

[Finkelskyhook]

I wonder if Jackson's idiotic stance on Christmas day games rubs off on his players.

Sure looks like it.

[Snakehead]

I wonder if Jackson's idiotic stance on Christmas day games rubs off on his players.

Sure looks like it.

haha seems that way.  But that Miami defense sure was stifling I have to say.  LeBron and Bosh really played well and Wade was solid on O but did a great job playing Kobe on defense.  I was impressed.


Also, Kobe's post game comments: he was saying "we" and "us" in regards to saying they played bad and need to play better and with more intensity, but when he says things like: "It's going to get through, beat them in the head until it gets through.'', what does he mean them?  He got shut the hell down by Wade just like everyone else got shut down.  It's not like he was playing well out there and everyone else wasn't. 

I mean, Artest for example looked more interested in trying to p--- off LeBron and crash into the Heat bench while bobbling a routine pass than play basketball and if I was Kobe I would slap him upside the head after the game.  But otherwise most of the guys just got shut down like he did.  But that's just Kobe blaming his team and not himself, same old Kobe.  Love how it gets spun into him being a great leader and how he needs to motivate the other guys.  You sucked too Kobe, sorry to break it to you.

[Finkelskyhook]

I wonder if Jackson's idiotic stance on Christmas day games rubs off on his players.

Sure looks like it.

haha seems that way.  But that Miami defense sure was stifling I have to say.  LeBron and Bosh really played well and Wade was solid on O but did a great job playing Kobe on defense.  I was impressed.

I think it's reasonable to assume that when an elite team, who's outspoken coach makes similar idiotic statements two years in a row....Who's team lays an egg in that game two years in a row...That their performance is a reflection of their organization's approach to a Christmas day game.

[Snakehead]

I wonder if Jackson's idiotic stance on Christmas day games rubs off on his players.

Sure looks like it.

haha seems that way.  But that Miami defense sure was stifling I have to say.  LeBron and Bosh really played well and Wade was solid on O but did a great job playing Kobe on defense.  I was impressed.

I think it's reasonable to assume that when an elite team, who's outspoken coach makes similar idiotic statements two years in a row....Who's team lays an egg in that game two years in a row...That their performance is a reflection of their organization's approach to a Christmas day game.

I agree with you but if you watch the game it certainly wasn't like the Lakers were not trying.  You can't tell me Kobe didn't want to beat the Heat badly yesterday.  I have to give the Heat credit for playing a really good defensive game.  To hold the Lakers to 80, even if they take a bad approach to Christmas games, is impressive.