Joe Netsfan Backlash #7 - Were They Tanking It?



		Tanks for the memories, Byron Backlash Addresses Email Us! Send your emails to Joe (joe@joenetsfan.com) or Champagne (champagne @joenetsfan.com) about the Nets, the NBA, our site, or anything at all, and we'll post them here with our replies.		Backlash #7 - February 13, 2004 Were They Tanking It? Joe: I have been saying that these guys were tanking, including Rogers, for about 1 1/2 years now!!! Players don't "all of a sudden" get better... This is basketball, not golf... But then again, how many guys "sandbag it" at your local golf clubs to play in a lesser flight, so they could win a club championship??? It happens all the time, in all walks of life... Salesman drop their sales to get a manager canned and all that crap... Production dwindles mysteriously and bosses get canned... Fact of life, move on... Maybe we should call them "Sandbaggers" instead of "Tankers..." Although "tankers" would be more apropriate!!! It's pretty obvious to anyone who cares or watches the Nets that no coach, no where, could pull off what is going on with the Nets, as far as the players and their "miraculous" play... Frank is and will be an excellent coach but he nor anyone else has the ability to get the players to change their attitudes like we've seen over the past two weeks... Yes, they are better prepared mentally and know what they are in for night in and night out because of Frank... Yes, they are better coached during the game then before... Yes, they trust his decisions... Yes, that all matters... But as far as the "miraculous" turnaround of some of these guys (Harris and Rogers) they simply weren't going to play for Byron anymore nor were Kidd and Martin.. They still had something at stake with the All Star game at risk so they would each take a game off on opposite nights (except the Miami game), Jefferson and Kittles are what they are (inconsistant) and may have taken a few games off and the rest of the guys, played when the opportunity came... They couldn't afford to look bad there livelyhoods depend on what they do when they get a chance to play... I'm happy with the team right now, I feel very comfortable with Frank at the helm and I think Rod Thorn again, is a genius!!! He knew what he was doing all along... I guess he showed us... And as far as the Griffin and Mourning issues, Griffin was a fair shot for the money and Mourning, if healthy would have been a tremendous help come playoff time especially if he was in shape which he was just getting into at the time of his re-occurance... We were just starting to see the "old" Alonzo when he went out... Zo, Kidd, Mutombo, Rogers, Van Horn, Marbury, Martin, Jefferson, Anthony Johnson and Harris all didn't like Byron as a coach... Some got shipped out, some played in spite of him and some just quit on him... That's the way it is in any workplace... This legacy will always live with Byron and he will always be the "Head" coach of the two time "Eastern Conference Champions"... Byron was the coach and I'll never take that from him... I'm sure it will be on his resume and Phoenix along with Kobe Bryant, may be his next destination... I don't think he'll land in LA and honestly, I'll be shocked if he lands another Head Coaching job in the NBA but rumors are already swirling... Phoenix cleared it's cap and is going after Kobe Bryant and Byron is Kobe's "BOY" so the two may end up together... If so, I think it will be good for both of them... The truth be told though, I would rather see Byron as a TV analyst because he will say what's on his mind and I'm sure the "Truth" according to Byron will be aired shortly after his arrival... Especially if they put him alongside Barkley!!! I can just hear Charles now, "The hell with that being nice sht, B., tell it like it is, you ain't goin' back to New Jersey..." Charles won't let up and Byron won't back down... It will be fun to watch... Good ratings too... - The "Always Interesting" NetsNut, February 5, 2004* NetsNut: Not that you need me to point it out, but I'd say the 9 game winning streak for Lawrence Frank proves your point. And then some. Say what you will about Byron not deserving the ax, Netsfans, but the results have been spectacular. - Joe Joe: Now, "The Comfortable" NetsNut is feeling good about what's going on with the Nets... For the first time in DECADES, I can say, the Nets are complete... From the coach thru the players... Frank will continue to make the right adjustments, the players will continue to play for him because of his work ethic and the winning will continue... This team reminds me of Buck Williams... They all go out and do there jobs, night in and night out... Blue Collar!!! This isn't the end of the Byron Scott era, it's the beginning of the Lawrence Frank era... I'm glad that my biggest problem has been removed and that I'll be able to focus more on the game instead of the head coach... That's the way it should be... Wins aside, the game is fun to watch again... The energy and effort is there, the decisions are smarter, the execution is better, the control of the game is controlled by Frank, the players' hot hand is recognized and run till it gets cold... All the things that create TEAMWORK, pride and fun are evident... The key ingredients to winning are all there... "In Rod We Trust" should go back up!!! He finally succumbed to "The Relentless" NetsNut... As all of you know have!!! - The "Happy And Cuddly" NetsNut, February 11, 2004 NetsNut: If only we could. Though I know it's reality, unless the Nets remain in New Jersey, the motto will have to be "No Stranger To Frustration". - Joe I'm Outta Here Joe: I wrote an article on Byron Scott weeks when he got fired. I thought you would like it. This article covers my rant on the way Byron was treated by the organization, players, and season-ticket holders. In that article, I predicted Lawrence Frank would not be good. Now so far, I am wrong since he has not lost a game yet. I think he has done some good things like being active on the sidelines and knowing when to substitute. Byron's weakness seems to be Lawerence's strong points so far. Will it last? I don't know. So far, coach Frank has passed the first hurdle, but his work will mean nothing if the Nets do not go to the Finals. If everyone is going to have a high standard for Byron Scott, it better be the same thing for Lawrence Frank. I also mentioned my thanks to you for the rally under the random thought after the Byron Scott article. As for me paying attention to the Nets, I have not watched a game since the move and even if the Nets move to Newark with the Devils, I would not follow em. I have no second thoughts or regrets. I moved on. Here is the article. I am looking forward to seeing my new team (Timberwolves) play the Nets in a couple of weeks. - Leslie Montiero, February 12, 2004 Leslie: See my comments above in NetsNut's letter. Not only was firing Byron the right thing to do, but if there was ever a time to stay tuned and be a Netsfan, this is it. I understand you're as pissed off about the move to Brooklyn as I am, and I also understand voting with your wallet, but this team is going to be more interesting then ever after the All Star break. Anyway, good luck to you, and let's hope the Nets meet the Wolves in the Finals. - Joe Veal On A Skewer Joe : AHHH! I went to the Magic game and we had tickets RIGHT BEHIND the Nets bench. Oh man, so you know I had to have the "I Heart (it's a pic of a heart) Scalabrine" sign. So anyway I had my jersey and my sign and so I was like "Yo Brian" (kinda like Rocky when he said "YO Adrienne") - well anyways I guess I have like harrassed him enough to the point where he knows me. He knows me Joe! He knows me! I feel as if my mission in life is complete. When i showed him the sign he laughed and then he saw my jersey and yelled "I signed that in Connecticut"...I feel so loved, he kept looking at me after though and nodding his head and smiling, it was kind of weird but whatever, he is Brian Scalabrine I really don't care what he does. The game was good, I must say I was nervous when we were still tied at the first quarter, but when I saw Zoran go in and not have the lead diminish to 2 points, I knew it was safe. Good game, good game, especially when I saw Bill Walton's fat ass sitting acrrss from me on the other side of the court, that made laugh and enjoy the game more. But the poor girl who missed the layup for an LG phone - I felt so bad haha. I mean everyone wants to have to shoot the layup and she missed, she missed horribly. Then there were the poor people who made a sign that said JKidd or something haha and it said "TNT" on it. HaHa! The game was on ESPN, idiots. Then there was another smart kid who put a "Sportscenter is on next", ummm haha - Note to ass - we are the East Coast game, Sportscenter on ESPN goes on after the West Coast game, maybe he got on ESPN2 Sportscenter, but who watches that one? - Binky, February 7, 2004 Binky: HaHa! Great story, stalking Veal never gets old, apparently. Next time, you have to harrass Walton... - Joe Cro-Zo Joe: The choice on the nickname should be simple. Plananic, hailing form Croatia, is simply "Cro-Zo". - Steve Monosson, February 7, 2004 Steve, So maybe "Cro-Zo The Mo-Fo?" - Joe Any Relation To Binky? Joe: I've tried looking everywhere but can't seem to be able to find a Brian Scalabrine T-shirt. Listen, we all love to love Veal, but how can we represent? Thanks for any help! - Rob, February 10, 2004 Rob: I think we have to ask Binky - surely you can find a really expensive one either at the CAA or online at NBA.com? - Joe Smelling A Rat Joe: Contrary what you might think of my previous e-mails, I am opposed to what is happening. Ratner and the rest of State's Cronies are going to use eminent domain in the same form that those bloated Afrikaners used Diplomatic Immunity in Lethal Weapon 2. Also, while public transportation will be utilized to a great extent, it still won't cut back on the already clogged intersections that this area experiences every night. Therefore, I signed the petition. #821. Plus, the only way Jersey's gonna get Xanadu is if the Nets finally win the Championship. - Your Blue And Orange Friend Cap'n Jay, January 22, 2004 Cap'n Jay: Solidarity, my brother! At least Knick - Net games won't be boring... - Joe Archive \| Backlash \| Bio \| Calendar \| Champagne's Blog \| Diatribe \| Game x Game \| History \| Home \| Joe Netsfan's Blog \| Media \| Opponents \| Players \| Playoffs \| Search \| Specials © 2003 Shawn Belschwender and Michael Kozlowski