Pooh
09-04-2003, 02:51 AM
September 3, 2003
Let it be noted, here and now, that on Day One of the Rick Carlisle era, the new coach did not insult, infuriate, demean or berate a soul. If he was any sweeter during his introductory news conference, he would have sent all of us into diabetic shock.
We came to see Rick the Ogre.
We got Anthony Robbins.
We came to see Marilyn Manson.
We got Up With People.
He was engaging, funny, smart, thoughtful, even rolling out some self-deprecating humor. The people in Detroit tell me he didn't roll out the self-deprecating material until the day he was fired. And by then, it was too late.
"You should have seen the things these guys wanted in the contract," Carlisle said, explaining why it took longer to draft this deal than the Gettysburg Address. "Donnie Walsh wanted me to go to charm school. (Larry) Bird finally said, 'We'll send him to the Dale Carnegie course and he'll be fine.' I told Larry I took the Dale Carnegie course when I was in 10th grade, and he didn't believe it."
That's Dale Carnegie, race fans. Not Tom.
Later, when Carlisle was asked the inevitable question about the unflattering stories that came out during his final days in Detroit, he offered up Pistons president Joe Dumars and general manager John Hammond as character witnesses. (Isn't this how Gary Hart got in trouble?)
"Or, you could call my mother," he said. "Evidently, she's opened up the lines, she's available for comment and she will give you her take on the whole thing."
I called his mom. She told me to drop dead. (No. Just kidding. She told me she wasn't interested in a subscription to The Indianapolis Star and hung up.)
Now, nobody is suggesting Carlisle was contriving some kind of phony-baloney good-guy act Wednesday. Sources close to people who are close to Carlisle say he really is a nice guy. Bird, a longtime friend, believes his new coach is readily misunderstood.
"Is he one of those guys who's not trying to be brusque or rude, but somehow, it just kind of comes out that way?" Bird was asked.
Bird smiled one of those smiles of recognition.
"Very good," he said. "And I think that's why (the criticisms) don't bother me. I've been with him so long, I know him. He's intense. He's very straightforward and honest. Sometimes, maybe people will look at him and think he's looking down on them or something, but that's not what it is at all."
Of course, nobody is this nice -- not without medication.
Who didn't he thank Wednesday? He thanked everybody associated with the Pacers. He thanked everybody associated with the Pistons, including owner Bill Davidson and some guys from the Fort Wayne, Ind., days. He thanked the guy who towel dried his car this morning. And he thanked Isiah Thomas so frequently and profusely, I started wondering why the heck this Isiah guy wasn't the coach.
If you want to know the Real and Unfettered Truth About Carlisle, here's my version of it:
I don't know. I met him once before Wednesday. What? I'm Dr. Phil now? I peer into men's souls?
The point is, we really don't know where reality and fantasy intersect. We really don't know if the anonymous criticisms were justified, or if they were part of a cynical smear campaign -- or a little bit of both. And at this point, it really doesn't matter.
How about we give him the benefit of the doubt on this nice-guy thing, and he promises not to resurrect The Quick.
Deal?
Anyway, how bad can he be? Remember, we're grading on the Bob Knight tolerance curve here.
It seems to me Carlisle has to possess at least some people skills.
You don't get a bunch of millionaires to play hard and play tough defense every night without having a few powers of persuasion.
If those guys despised him, they had a funny way of showing it.
The ironic thing is, Carlisle will need those interpersonal tools more than anything else with this talented but flammable bunch. He's got to repair the Jermaine O'Neal problem. He's got to get inside Ron Artest's head (and enter at your own risk). Jonathan Bender. Al Harrington. Jamaal Tinsley. Got Tums?
This is not like Bird's and Carlisle's NBA Finals team, whose average age could only be ascertained through carbon dating.
"From this point forward," Carlisle said, "this has to be looked at as a young veteran team."
Like it or not, today's team likely will be the team that shows up at training camp. Bird made it clear Wednesday after the formal news conference that he's very unlikely to swing any major deals before training camp opens.
(By the way, if you don't think Bird is in charge, you should have been at the news conference. Bird and Carlisle sat at the podium. Walsh sat in a chair on the side. He looked like Don Corleone, beaming with pride as his young Michael orders his first hit.)
Now, there's only one question that really needs to be answered:
Is Rick Carlisle just too darned nice?
Let it be noted, here and now, that on Day One of the Rick Carlisle era, the new coach did not insult, infuriate, demean or berate a soul. If he was any sweeter during his introductory news conference, he would have sent all of us into diabetic shock.
We came to see Rick the Ogre.
We got Anthony Robbins.
We came to see Marilyn Manson.
We got Up With People.
He was engaging, funny, smart, thoughtful, even rolling out some self-deprecating humor. The people in Detroit tell me he didn't roll out the self-deprecating material until the day he was fired. And by then, it was too late.
"You should have seen the things these guys wanted in the contract," Carlisle said, explaining why it took longer to draft this deal than the Gettysburg Address. "Donnie Walsh wanted me to go to charm school. (Larry) Bird finally said, 'We'll send him to the Dale Carnegie course and he'll be fine.' I told Larry I took the Dale Carnegie course when I was in 10th grade, and he didn't believe it."
That's Dale Carnegie, race fans. Not Tom.
Later, when Carlisle was asked the inevitable question about the unflattering stories that came out during his final days in Detroit, he offered up Pistons president Joe Dumars and general manager John Hammond as character witnesses. (Isn't this how Gary Hart got in trouble?)
"Or, you could call my mother," he said. "Evidently, she's opened up the lines, she's available for comment and she will give you her take on the whole thing."
I called his mom. She told me to drop dead. (No. Just kidding. She told me she wasn't interested in a subscription to The Indianapolis Star and hung up.)
Now, nobody is suggesting Carlisle was contriving some kind of phony-baloney good-guy act Wednesday. Sources close to people who are close to Carlisle say he really is a nice guy. Bird, a longtime friend, believes his new coach is readily misunderstood.
"Is he one of those guys who's not trying to be brusque or rude, but somehow, it just kind of comes out that way?" Bird was asked.
Bird smiled one of those smiles of recognition.
"Very good," he said. "And I think that's why (the criticisms) don't bother me. I've been with him so long, I know him. He's intense. He's very straightforward and honest. Sometimes, maybe people will look at him and think he's looking down on them or something, but that's not what it is at all."
Of course, nobody is this nice -- not without medication.
Who didn't he thank Wednesday? He thanked everybody associated with the Pacers. He thanked everybody associated with the Pistons, including owner Bill Davidson and some guys from the Fort Wayne, Ind., days. He thanked the guy who towel dried his car this morning. And he thanked Isiah Thomas so frequently and profusely, I started wondering why the heck this Isiah guy wasn't the coach.
If you want to know the Real and Unfettered Truth About Carlisle, here's my version of it:
I don't know. I met him once before Wednesday. What? I'm Dr. Phil now? I peer into men's souls?
The point is, we really don't know where reality and fantasy intersect. We really don't know if the anonymous criticisms were justified, or if they were part of a cynical smear campaign -- or a little bit of both. And at this point, it really doesn't matter.
How about we give him the benefit of the doubt on this nice-guy thing, and he promises not to resurrect The Quick.
Deal?
Anyway, how bad can he be? Remember, we're grading on the Bob Knight tolerance curve here.
It seems to me Carlisle has to possess at least some people skills.
You don't get a bunch of millionaires to play hard and play tough defense every night without having a few powers of persuasion.
If those guys despised him, they had a funny way of showing it.
The ironic thing is, Carlisle will need those interpersonal tools more than anything else with this talented but flammable bunch. He's got to repair the Jermaine O'Neal problem. He's got to get inside Ron Artest's head (and enter at your own risk). Jonathan Bender. Al Harrington. Jamaal Tinsley. Got Tums?
This is not like Bird's and Carlisle's NBA Finals team, whose average age could only be ascertained through carbon dating.
"From this point forward," Carlisle said, "this has to be looked at as a young veteran team."
Like it or not, today's team likely will be the team that shows up at training camp. Bird made it clear Wednesday after the formal news conference that he's very unlikely to swing any major deals before training camp opens.
(By the way, if you don't think Bird is in charge, you should have been at the news conference. Bird and Carlisle sat at the podium. Walsh sat in a chair on the side. He looked like Don Corleone, beaming with pride as his young Michael orders his first hit.)
Now, there's only one question that really needs to be answered:
Is Rick Carlisle just too darned nice?