I remember a lot of "Sarver's really a good guy" posts last year. Maybe want to reconsider it? Looks like first impressions are usually the best . . .
Link
Commentary
Sarver treading a dubious path
By Craig Morgan, Tribune
February 28, 2006
Suns owner Robert Sarver is marking his territory.
As the alpha dog, that’s his right. But in allowing Bryan Colangelo to skate to Toronto to become the Raptors’ new president and general manager, Sarver is taking an enormous risk — one that could lead to ruin.
Sarver wants us to believe that things are hunky-dory in Sunsland, that the organization is still sailing on placid waters, pointing toward an NBA le.
His wake suggests otherwise.
In the past season his woefully short NBA resumé has added these bullet points.
• Bungled the Joe Johnson free agency.
• Earned a reputation as a workplace tyrant. And now. . .
• Chased away the NBA’s reigning executive of the year.
(Not to mention making an ass of himself on the court.)
Just what in this man should inspire us to believe he knows what he’s doing? When you have the executive of the year in house — the guy who drafted Amaré Stoudemire and Shawn Marion at No. 9; the guy who signed Steve Nash and magically produced Raja Bell and Boris Diaw after you let Johnson get away — you make every effort to hold onto him instead of haggling over NBA chump change.
You give him a raise and an extension that lifts his salary into the top tier of NBA GMs.
Yet, while Toronto reportedly offered Colangelo a multi-year deal in the neighborhood of $3 million per season, Sarver’s offer wasn’t close.
He balked at the idea of renegotiating Colangelo’s current contract, choosing instead to offer an extension when the current deal expired.
“For me, it was a matter of principle. I don’t like to redo contracts,” Sarver said. “It’s not the precedent I wanted to set for this organization.”
Who said anything about precedent? Workplaces are full of unequal pay. You reward your special employees. To the rest you offer your apologies.
“I want to win a championship. But what I really want is sustainable success,” Sarver said. “At times, that means making tough decisions and responsible spending decisions.”
Does Sarver really expect us to believe he couldn’t afford a few extra million for one of the brightest GMs in the game?
His team is one of the league’s most valuable, having just sold for roughly $400 million. His team turned a profit last season. And his ticket prices just keep rising.
Sarver needs to realize this isn’t the banking industry where executives grow on trees. Precious few GMs have accomplished what Colangelo has the past two years.
After years of growing pains, Colangelo has hit his stride, turning the Suns into an NBA contender.
And Sarver is willing to let him walk away.
Makes you wonder about his motives.
Was this really about a few million dollars? Or was this a power play to eradicate the long and influential Colangelo shadow?
With Bryan now out of the picture, it’s hard to imagine Jerry Colangelo remaining as a paid consultant, despite his obvious talents and potential contributions in that role.
Sarver is wise in one regard. The Suns’ current talent and coaching will mask his foibles in the short term.
As long as Nash, Stoudemire, Marion and D’Antoni are a team, this club will look good on the floor and Sarver can bask in the blinding glow of success.
But what happens four years down the road when Nash’s body wears out? When Marion’s pogo stick breaks down? Or when D’Antoni gets another offer?
Who will rebuild the team, particularly if Colangelo takes many of the current front office executives with him, as is rumored?
And why should those executives feel any loyalty to Sarver after the way he’s treated the most revered family in Phoenix sports history?
By numerous accounts, Sarver’s employees walk on eggs s.
He screams at ushers, blows up at executives and sends memos to his broadcasters forbidding discussion of delicate situations on the air.
He’s George Steinbrenner without the track record.
Sound like the kind of place the best and the brightest will want to come work?
Maybe Sarver will prove us all wrong. Maybe he’s got an ace in his pocket instead of an inexperienced sidekick under his Spurs-taunting chicken wings.
But thus far, his legacy is one of ill will, dumbfounding moves and tragic hubris.
Hardly the building blocks for a sunny future.
Excellent article that will raise eyebrows. I feel sorry for Phoenix considering they have an awesome team. I'm happy for Toronto who has never enjoyed success, but maybe now with Chris Bosh and Mike James leading they can contend for the playoffs in the future.
Last year, during the whole "Chicken-man" fiasco, I'd argued that Sarvar was a goof. At that time he really did seem like just a fun-loving, carefree owner who made a "mistake". Being that he was knew and hadn't really done anything wrong to that point, I was inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.
A year later, saying I have my doubts is an understatement.
I don't blame him for this summer's handling of JJ so much as for the 2004 handling of JJ. Sarvar refusing to give JJ 50 million over six years was the gaff, not him declining to match a six-year, 70 million deal with 20 mill up front.
I can't comment on the workplace tyrant, though it was Colangelo that chased off head scout, Rex Chapman, six months ago.
He has a bad habit of starting negotiations off with a drastic low-ball offer. He's a businessman, trying to negotiate human contracts the same way he negotiated all those business contracts for years. This makes him more cold and calculating and seeminglt ingrateful. Until the Suns personnel realizes that it's nothing personal, that it's just his style for the initial offer, people will get upset.
Moving on from his one main gaff, he has advanced from goof to loon. The final step is from loon to know-nothing ass-clown.
If he fails to resign Diaw and Barbosa and/or trades multiple first-rounders for basically nothing just to save a buck, then the transformation will be complete.
He's toeing the final line right now. Hopefully he realizes some things.
But I'm probably asking too much.
Cuban was an idiot like this at first as well. Then he gained some basketball sense.
IMO, the only difference between the two's early years was Cuban's willingness to overpay for an assumed need. Sarvar won't overpay for anything other than a supertar.
"Sarver?!"
That photo is going to replace Jerry West as the NBA Logo.
Thanks for your thoughts. It seems that the only thing possibly preventing a bright future in PHX may be the guy at the top.
I think it's possible that, for the money, Sarver may think it's just as good an idea to turn over the entire basketball operations over to D'Asani and make it his fiefdom like we have for Pop. Not a bad idea, really. It will be interesting to see how contract talks go with some of the players.
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