# Sweetney Trimmed Down? (pics)



## nanokooshball (Jan 22, 2005)

Bulls Media DayPictures


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## GB (Jun 11, 2002)

nanokooshball said:


> Bulls Media DayPictures


That vertical bar next to 50 shouldn't be changed to lie horizontal, Nano. A horizontal bar should <I>be added</i> to it.


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## Nobull1 (Oct 6, 2002)

Still fat


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## Sham (Dec 2, 2002)

Looks to be as fat as before. Maybe some more bicep muscles, but the dude's still fat.

Here's hoping he has some stamina this year.


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

He looks bigger


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## paxman (Apr 24, 2006)

his belly is sticking out despite him possibly trying to suck it in
when curry lost weight, there wasn't any doubt about it no matter what angle you looked at him from


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## MikeDC (Jul 16, 2002)

Not a flattering picture.


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## TomBoerwinkle#1 (Jul 31, 2002)

looks like it should be followed by a profile shot and a set of fingerprints.


and yup -- not a picture that inspires hope for a breakout year for the Sweetster.


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## McBulls (Apr 28, 2005)

I'm amazed. 

When you are looking for a job, a spouse or a multimillion dollar contract you get the weight off. 
It's really not that hard. People do it all the time. I've done it, you've done it. Why can't Sweetney?

This guy had a personal trainer and a first rate gym available for free. He could have hired a dietician if the Bulls didn't provide one for him. I can't believe he couldn't drop 30 lbs or so in 4 months, and added a little muscle to boot. The failure is going to cost him millions of dollars.


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## Sham (Dec 2, 2002)

I'm not willing to say that Sweetney didn't try. We don't know that.

I'm more willing to concede that the guy's just......fat. No matter what he does, he'll be fat. If he eats well, works hard, and does a good amount of exercise and that.....he'll still be fat.

It's not like he's ever NOT been fat. With players that have had weight fluctuations, like Mo Taylor, Eddy Curry or Jamaal Tinsley, they've been both in good shape and bad shape. They get fat because they don't take care of themselves. When they do, they're in decent shape.

But Sweetney doesn't fluctuate - he just always has been, and probably always will be, a bit fat. Tisn't good.


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## PC Load Letter (Jun 29, 2002)

Sham said:


> I'm not willing to say that Sweetney didn't try. We don't know that.
> 
> I'm more willing to concede that the guy's just......fat. No matter what he does, he'll be fat. If he eats well, works hard, and does a good amount of exercise and that.....he'll still be fat.
> 
> ...


That's not true at all. When I saw him in college, he was quite noticeably slimmer. He wasn't skinny by any means, but it had to be a good 20 lbs lighter. Put it this way, you looked at him and you never considered him "fat." Go figure, he was at his best during this period.

I'll venture a guess that Mike Sweetney's problem is laziness/lack of desire/denial. I remember him saying before last season, when asked about losing weight, that he didn't want to lose weight because he feels it would actually take away from his game. He's clearly missing something here and I can't believe it hasn't gotten through to him, especially before a contract year. Having size helps a player like him bang down low, but 20% body fat is not the right kind of size.

(Unless he's developed some thyroid disease or something similar since that is preventing him from losing weight)


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## Sham (Dec 2, 2002)

PC Load Letter said:


> That's not true at all. At one point during his college years, he was quite noticeably slimmer. He wasn't skinny by any means, but it had to be a good 20 lbs lighter. Put it this way, you looked at him and he definitely wasn't fat. Go figure, he was at his best during this period.


If he was 19/20 at the time, it's entirely possible that he hadn't finished the development of his own body yet. I certainly hadn't at that age.

Don't think I'm trying to make excuses for the guy, though. I'm not. He's fat, and this is bad for us and bad for him. I wrote him off several weeks ago - I don't think this photo has really surprised any of us.


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## PC Load Letter (Jun 29, 2002)

Sham said:


> If he was 19/20 at the time, it's entirely possible that he hadn't finished the development of his own body yet. I certainly hadn't at that age.
> 
> Don't think I'm trying to make excuses for the guy, though. I'm not. He's fat, and this is bad for us and bad for him. I wrote him off several weeks ago - I don't think this photo has really surprised any of us.


Well, it didn't surprise me only because we had already heard grumblings of him not having slimmed down. The fact that he didn't slim down, though, definitely _does_ surprise me. Even Eddy did whatever he could to lose a bunch of weight going into a contract year.

It's really too bad because Sweetney is very skilled and could put up a ton of points if he had the stamina to do so. As it is now, he's going to end up being a 1-year contract guy the rest of his career.


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## McBulls (Apr 28, 2005)

Sham said:


> I'm not willing to say that Sweetney didn't try. We don't know that.
> 
> I'm more willing to concede that the guy's just......fat. No matter what he does, he'll be fat. If he eats well, works hard, and does a good amount of exercise and that.....he'll still be fat.


Trust me, if he consumes no more than 1500 calories a day, does 1 hour of aerobic exercise and lifts weights 4 times a week he could lose 3-4 lbs per week, minimum. The laws of physics require this to occur.


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## RoRo (Aug 21, 2002)

ah well, if he can't keep up on defense then it'll mean more minutes for tt and victor


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## ScottMay (Jun 15, 2002)

I am genuinely shocked that Sweetney looks like he hasn't lifted a finger this summer. 

I mean, between the Bulls' cream-of-the-crop training staff and the Parris Island-atmosphere at Camp Berto, I thought we had a diamond-in-the-rough on our hands. I mean, it'd be one thing if the Knicks had had trainers and nutritionists and their front office folks give up on Sweetney as a hopeless cause, but we all know that wasn't the case.

I need to reevaluate my worldview. This is hugely surprising.


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## LegoHat (Jan 14, 2004)

I'm as surprised as the rest of you... If the chance of a huge paycheck can't motivate Sweetney to get in decent shape, I don't see what will.


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## gregorius (Apr 26, 2005)

I saw that pic yesterday He looks just the same. A damn shame


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## ztect (Jun 12, 2002)

come on people , you're all forgetting how good all those donuts taste!

especially the jelly and custer filled ones :clown:


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## paxman (Apr 24, 2006)

i predicted him to be the bulls darkhorse. contend for MIP.
why mike? why?


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## Sham (Dec 2, 2002)

The guy does look like he has a bit more arm and shoulder muscle. His arms look less wobbly than last year.

So maybe he did, uh, something.

I'm just trying to be positive. :usa:


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

LegoHat said:


> I'm as surprised as the rest of you... If the chance of a huge paycheck can't motivate Sweetney to get in decent shape, I don't see what will.


Skiles' left boot.
Chasing TT around.
Wallace kicking his [email protected]#$ in practice

Just trying to stay positive.

I'd like to see some more pics and hear some comments from Skiles/Pax on the matter.

We'll know after training camp.


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

Chunkycheeses is truly an enigma. Maybe he can use that weight in the post. Like someone mentioned though, this is going to cost him some millions


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## The ROY (Nov 11, 2004)

C'mon now, we all know Sweets won't be a Bull past THIS season. He'll be a RFA this summer and if he does get an offer from another team, chances are, we won't match it. With P.J. & Michael gone, that'll be what? 11 million off the cap?

G Hinrich / Duhon
G Gordon / Sefolosha
F Deng / Nocioni
F Thomas
C Wallace

'The Core' + our NY pick next season

I'm also sure Paxson will see if he can move P.J's contract, Duhon, Sweets, etc. for someone at the deadline.

POTENTIAL big's that teams may look to move by the deadline :

Kenyon Martin (SERIOUSLY doubt it)
Kevin Garnett (say what you will, but I think there's a huge possibility that he'll become a Bull if things don't get better in Minne)
Shawn Marion
Zach Randolph (Rasheeed pt. 2)
Carlos Boozer (Can get you 20 a night)
Jermaine O'Neal (Maybe the answer but I doubt they'd trade him to a rival)
Lamar Odom

I listed those players because they seem to stay amongst trade rumors every year.


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## LIbeRTybOY123 (Aug 30, 2005)

looks pregnant


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## step (Sep 19, 2005)

> Kevin Garnett (say what you will, but I think there's a huge possibility that he'll become a Bull if things don't get better in Minne)


I'm deluding myself into thinking that he'll choose to opt out early, makes less demanding and more agreeable for us working a S&T afterwards rather than trying to work around his $20M+ odd salary.


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## The ROY (Nov 11, 2004)

step said:


> I'm deluding myself into thinking that he'll choose to opt out early, makes less demanding and more agreeable for us working a S&T afterwards rather than trying to work around his $20M+ odd salary.


understandable...


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## Salvaged Ship (Jul 10, 2002)

HB said:



> Chunkycheeses is truly an enigma. Maybe he can use that weight in the post. Like someone mentioned though, this is going to cost him some millions


I look at him and see a cheeseburger guy, not pizza. He looks like one of those guys who orders 3 triple quarter pounders and a few gallons of coke to wash it down.

Shame. He really did have an opportunity with this team and it's lack of a post scorer. He will likely end up a 10th man on a roster for a few years until being out of the league all together. Throwing away millions and millions of dollars because he has no self control and dedication. How many of us would do anything for an opportunity like he has.

Enjoy those BK quad stacks Sweetney, you may actually be cooking them in your new career in a few years....


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## BeZerker2008 (Jun 29, 2006)

He looks fatter imo. I think he tried to work on his arms, those look big but he should have tried to lose the fat first. He should have taken cues by watching the celebrity fit club & use their diets. I guess he'll be good trade bait if we need someone near the trade deadline.


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## Bulls_Bulls_Bulls! (Jun 10, 2003)

From today's Sun-Times:

Michael Sweetney has felt the effects of the first few two-a-day practices. Sweetney, who appears heavier than the 270 pounds listed on the preseason roster, was dehydrated to the point of needing intravenous fluids Wednesday night and did not practice Thursday. 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/86132,CST-SPT-bull06.article


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## LegoHat (Jan 14, 2004)

Bulls_Bulls_Bulls! said:


> From today's Sun-Times:
> 
> Michael Sweetney has felt the effects of the first few two-a-day practices. Sweetney, who appears heavier than the 270 pounds listed on the preseason roster, was dehydrated to the point of needing intravenous fluids Wednesday night and did not practice Thursday.
> 
> http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/86132,CST-SPT-bull06.article


The camera, apparently, does not lie...


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## Hustle (Dec 17, 2003)

Bulls_Bulls_Bulls! said:


> From today's Sun-Times:
> 
> Michael Sweetney has felt the effects of the first few two-a-day practices. Sweetney, who appears heavier than the 270 pounds listed on the preseason roster, was dehydrated to the point of needing intravenous fluids Wednesday night and did not practice Thursday.
> 
> http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/86132,CST-SPT-bull06.article


The missed practice that costed millions? I think this officially makes this Sweet's last year here.


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## rosenthall (Aug 1, 2002)

Hustle said:


> The missed practice that costed millions? I think this officially makes this Sweet's last year here.


Weirdly, in some way, you might actually be right. Considering how Skiles manages' his players (ie. if he decides you're not with the program, it can take you a long time to get back in his good graces), and the fact that he's got two new players in front of him who are pretty much the paragon of preparation and professionalism, as well as Tyrus and Noc to contend with at the 4 spot as well, Mr. Sweetney, perhaps more than anyone, can ill-afford to have a lackluster training camp and something like this puts him completely on the wrong foot.


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## ScottMay (Jun 15, 2002)

The good news is that this means there'll be an extra 18-20 mpg available for Thomas and Khryapa. 

The bad news is that we are going to be the worst (by a mile) halfcourt post scoring team in the NBA.

The Bulls already play at one of the quickest tempos in the league, but I say we look to take it up a notch, even play lots of full and 3/4-court pressure.

And let me just say again that I am hugely surprised this has happened to Sweetney. Never saw it coming. Didn't see the exact same thing happen in his tenure with the Knicks. Nope.


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## PC Load Letter (Jun 29, 2002)

ScottMay said:


> And let me just say again that I am hugely surprised this has happened to Sweetney. Never saw it coming. Didn't see the exact same thing happen in his tenure with the Knicks. Nope.


OK, now I think you're just being sarcastic!!! 

Seriously, I understand seeing it coming because of his past penchant for slacking, but he's never been in a contract year, especially one that should be viewed as possibly his only chance to make big bucks on a multi-year deal. For that reason alone, it's surprising. I mean, he could have gone on Atkin's for a month and a half, lost 20 lbs, come into camp in much better shape, took advantage of an opportunity to be the only real post scorer on a good team and end up with a nice, big, fat (pun very much intended) contract in 10 months. That would have been really, really easy. Somehow that still couldn't motivate him. Quite a waste of an opportunity.


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## ScottMay (Jun 15, 2002)

PC Load Letter said:


> OK, now I think you're just being sarcastic!!!
> 
> Seriously, I understand seeing it coming because of his past penchant for slacking, but he's never been in a contract year, especially one that should be viewed as possibly his only chance to make big bucks on a multi-year deal. For that reason alone, it's surprising. I mean, he could have gone on Atkin's for a month and a half, lost 20 lbs, come into camp in much better shape, took advantage of an opportunity to be the only real post scorer on a good team and end up with a nice, big, fat (pun very much intended) contract in 10 months. That would have been really, really easy. Somehow that still couldn't motivate him. Quite a waste of an opportunity.


There were way too many red flags re Sweetney for me to think the contract year would be an effective carrot: 

--he's played for two teams that were absolutely starved for post offense and would have played him 40 mpg if he could have shouldered the workload. Remember, there's one thing that's a lot better than showing up for your contract year, and that's making yourself valuable and indispensable as soon as you can.

--he is the only player I have ever seen in my life who has actually gotten fatter during the course of the NBA season. Seriously. When he was with the Knicks, during those brutal days in Feb and March, where guys like Tyson Chandler and Kirk Hinrich are down to 1% body fat and get knocked over by a stiff breeze, Sweetney would just pack on the pounds. Walt Frazier expressed his bemusement about this on a daily basis.

It's not a great loss in the long term -- he just isn't a very good basketball player. But for this season, it's going to sting a little bit. I simply don't see Skiles playing him with all the hard-working front-court options he has.


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## Ron Cey (Dec 27, 2004)

This is very disappointing. I'm a sucker. I really believed he'd come into camp in better shape this season. 

One can tell just by looking at the nature of his build that he has a genetic predisposition towards being heavy, and that is unfortunate. But its not like he's an accountant struggling to shed a few pounds around his busy work schedule. He's a professional basketball player on a lottery pick's contract with the luxury of dedicating literally 4 months, all day every day, of offseason time to conditioning, diet, and weight loss. 

Some guys have it tougher than others due to the unique physiology of the human body. Sweetney is one of them. But there is no excuse for this, to my mind. 

I'm personally disappointed because I really like the guy and enjoy watching him work in the post.


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## DengNabbit (Feb 23, 2005)

Skiles will play people when he needs to, even when they havent completely all the steps towards absolute jibtastic jibness that he would ideally want. last year, he played Sweetney in big moments, because he was necessary. he probably felt this way about Gordon in his rookie year, and a little still last year.


still played them though, because he had to. what they offer is unique to anyone on the roster. so i think Sweetney, against certain teams, is still going to have some guaranteed minutes coming his way.




also, not to get in a debate about what factors into being overweight..... but I think Skiles (despite what we assume about him from interviews) would probably categorize Sweetney as someone who is battling his circumstances, as best he can. he pointed out as much to reporters with the small rash of Sweetney taking charges late last year... point is he's someone who is trying, even if he's not an excitable guy outwardly. i think we'd all agree, he's not a doghouse worthy guy who is absolutely letting himself be as unprofessional as possible, i.e E-robbery.


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## McBulls (Apr 28, 2005)

DengNabbit said:


> Skiles will play people when he needs to, even when they havent completely all the steps towards absolute jibtastic jibness that he would ideally want. last year, he played Sweetney in big moments, because he was necessary. he probably felt this way about Gordon in his rookie year, and a little still last year.
> 
> 
> still played them though, because he had to. what they offer is unique to anyone on the roster. so i think Sweetney, against certain teams, is still going to have some guaranteed minutes coming his way.


The counterexample is Tim Thomas. The Bulls could have used him last year, but they didn't because Skiles didn't like his attitude. Nobody has indicated that Sweetney has a attitude problem or a work ethic problem or a practice problem. He's just overweight and apparently incapable of doing anything about it. Maybe he has a mild thyroid deficiency.


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## PC Load Letter (Jun 29, 2002)

ScottMay said:


> There were way too many red flags re Sweetney for me to think the contract year would be an effective carrot:
> 
> --he's played for two teams that were absolutely starved for post offense and would have played him 40 mpg if he could have shouldered the workload. Remember, there's one thing that's a lot better than showing up for your contract year, and that's making yourself valuable and indispensable as soon as you can.
> 
> ...


You've clearly watched a lot more Michael Sweetney basketball than I have. First of all, I'm sorry. Secondly, based on what you've said, I trust had I seen all the same coverage over the years, I would have not gotten any hopes up for the man.

Thirdly, I remember hearing that he actually did get fatter during the season, amazingly. He either has the metabolism of...well, of someone who has really bad metabolism, or he has the worst diet in the history of man. Or both. By the way, I swear this in-season weight-gain happened to Eddy a few years ago (the year before he lost all the weight), but maybe that was just because for each pound Tyson lost, it made Eddy look that much heavier?

Ahh, the trials and tribulations of the fat-man athlete...always entertaining, never pretty.


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## ScottMay (Jun 15, 2002)

DengNabbit said:


> Skiles will play people when he needs to, even when they havent completely all the steps towards absolute jibtastic jibness that he would ideally want. last year, he played Sweetney in big moments, because he was necessary. he probably felt this way about Gordon in his rookie year, and a little still last year.
> 
> 
> still played them though, because he had to. so i think Sweetney, against certain teams, is still going to have some guaranteed minutes coming his way.


I don't see it this year, DengNabbit. There are too many bodies. We have, at least to Skiles's way of thinking, many better options along the front line:

--Brown and Wallace. Say no more. Skiles probably has difficulty pulling on his trousers in the morning while thinking about the prospect of having these two on the floor for 70 minutes a night.

--Tyrus Thomas and Victory Khyrapa: two youngsters acquired specifically for their aggression, right-way tendencies, and length and athleticism. 

--Nocioni. He came on like a locomotive at the 4 and is probably pencilled in for 20 mpg there.

I see Wallace and Brown basically splitting all 48 minutes at center, and then a bunch of guys fighting for those 48 power forward minutes. 

If by this dehydration news we can assume that Sweetney is in significantly worse shape than he was last year, I figure he's our third-string center at best, and he is in danger of falling off the depth chart entirely.



> think we'd all agree, he's not a doghouse worthy guy who is absolutely letting himself be as unprofessional as possible, i.e E-robbery.


I don't agree. Why is he not doghouse-worthy, because you like him?

Pretty tough for me to accept excuses on "Sweets's" behalf. Yeah, he's fighting an uphill battle, hereditary-factors-wise. But if not being anything close to being physically prepared for the season doesn't constitute a worthy reason to throw a guy in the doghouse, I don't know what would.


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## Ron Cey (Dec 27, 2004)

ScottMay said:


> But if not being anything close to being physically prepared for the season doesn't constitute a worthy reason to throw a guy in the doghouse, I don't know what would.


Unfortunately, (because I really do like the kid), I completely agree with you. There is no excuse. Hopefull things aren't as bad as they seem.


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## MikeDC (Jul 16, 2002)

I'm not sweating this at all. I didn't think he'd be relied on to contribute and he's pretty obviously not going to. The Bulls seem to have expected this and made other plans. I wish those plans had included another big, but at least they made plans.


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## GB (Jun 11, 2002)

His weight doesn't bother me.

Even at his slimmest, he'll never be quick, and he'll never be explosive. He always has, and he always will get his points by footwork and shiftiness (if that makes sense). He'll probably always be the same player whether he's +15 or -15 pounds.

I'd worry more about his conditioning, as that is something that he can do something about.


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## 7RINGS? (Sep 28, 2004)

nanokooshball said:


> Bulls Media DayPictures


HEY LOOK MOMMY ITS GRIMMIS!!! BADA BA BA BA I'm loving it!! :clap:


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

MikeDC said:


> I'm not sweating this at all. I didn't think he'd be relied on to contribute and he's pretty obviously not going to. The Bulls seem to have expected this and made other plans. I wish those plans had included another big, but at least they made plans.


Bingo. I really didn't have any expectations of Sweetney, except that he'll be part of a deep rotation, and he still will be. 

6'8 post players have it hard enough, but to throw fat and unathletic on top of it, you're just too limited. That's why the Elton Brand comparisons were ridiculous from the start. Elton Brand is a gymrat and it shows. Sweetney is a McDonalds-rat...and it shows.


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## Hustle (Dec 17, 2003)

I don't know if he'll completley be in the doghouse, he still has a role to play on this team. This certainly doesn't help his chance at rotation minutes.

Anyone remember when Sweetey had a tooth knocked out last season (was it Dirk that did it?), he just handed it off to the trainer and play for a couple more minutes, thats when I became okay with Sweetney as a Bull. I hope he gets in better shape by regular season and contributes on at least the same level he did last year, if we need him to, I'm hoping Thomas outplays him and takes all his minutes.


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## johnston797 (May 29, 2002)

GB said:


> His weight doesn't bother me.
> 
> Even at his slimmest, he'll never be quick, and he'll never be explosive. He always has, and he always will get his points by footwork and shiftiness (if that makes sense). He'll probably always be the same player whether he's +15 or -15 pounds.
> 
> I'd worry more about his conditioning, as that is something that he can do something about.


I see you point and felt somewhat similar when Curry kept getting goals via the media about getting down to 280. Weight and conditioning are very closely related. IMHO, when we hear about weight via the media is most often used as a shortcut for body fat\conditioning. 

And it's all a moot point with Sweetney.

Too much weight. Too much fat. Too little conditioning.

I see weeks going by without him playing. Maybe he will ride the stationary bike while the Bulls play.


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## Cyanobacteria (Jun 25, 2002)

I'm not expecting anything more out of Sweets this season than spot minutes for match-up purposes or to keep opposing defenses honest (in the post).

Pax: The camera adds 10 pounds.
Skiles: So exactly how many cameras are on him right now?


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## blinkofaneye (Mar 3, 2004)

I was listening to the score about an hour ago and they a Bulls update and they said Sweetney was so dehydrated after yesteday's practice, he had to be put on IVs, and did not practice today. They also said he came to camp over weight. What a shame. He just doesn't get it. I was really hoping he would get it together this year, because if he were in shape, he could help us.


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## such sweet thunder (May 30, 2002)

This isn't a question of "getting it" but a manifestation of some deeper problems.

Sweets has eating issues -- it's not just a question of being lazy and bad diet. You don't get that fat if you regularly exercise. I'm not trying to be easy on him, or explain away the issue. But this is the reason for why, after four years in the league, he struggles so mightly with his conditioning. 

I hope he gets this under control before he retires for his own health, if not for his ability to garner a better contract.


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## Sham (Dec 2, 2002)

.......and I bet you all still wouldn't trade him for Luther Head.


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## GB (Jun 11, 2002)

such sweet thunder said:


> You don't get that fat if you regularly exercise.


Not true.


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## LegoHat (Jan 14, 2004)

His diet must be the problem, with all the exercise he is getting there is just no excuse for being as big and out of shape as he is. I can just see him wolfing down 6 burgers and fries, while he is chugging a gallon of milkshake...


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## paxman (Apr 24, 2006)

LegoHat said:


> His diet must be the problem, with all the exercise he is getting there is just no excuse for being as big and out of shape as he is. I can just see him wolfing down 6 burgers and fries, while he is chugging a gallon of milkshake...


no doubt about it.
the genetic excuse has some merit in that for some people it's harder to lose fat or 
maintain their weight, but nobody is so genetically disadvantaged that they can't lose 
fat. that's a biological imposibility. 

say your daily food consumption for the past 6 months has been X per day.
if you change your daily food consumption during the next 6 months to 
X minus one cheeseburger per day (while not not changing your exercise at all), 
you are going to lose weight, plain and simple.


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## Nobull1 (Oct 6, 2002)

:banana: I thought it was John Hot Plate Williams but it is oprah :banana:


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## step (Sep 19, 2005)

> Thirdly, I remember hearing that he actually did get fatter during the season, amazingly. He either has the metabolism of...well, of someone who has really bad metabolism, or he has the worst diet in the history of man. Or both.


Most definitely the latter, with my money being on the fact that he goes for the easy option all too frequently, being fast food.


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

step said:


> Most definitely the latter, with my money being on the fact that he goes for the easy option all too frequently, being fast food.


I do find it amazing all these guys don't just hire a chef or something. Kirk and Shaq have done it at times. When your getting paid millions of bucks as an pro sportsmen surely it's a godd investment.


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## paxman (Apr 24, 2006)

maybe he has a mcdonalds inside his house, richie-rich style.


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## rlucas4257 (Jun 1, 2002)

McBulls said:


> Trust me, if he consumes no more than 1500 calories a day, does 1 hour of aerobic exercise and lifts weights 4 times a week he could lose 3-4 lbs per week, minimum. The laws of physics require this to occur.


Not always. 

Why is it when a player is fat, he has no desire, work ethic or he is just plain lazy? Was Charles Barkley any of the above?

The issue here is possibly genetic or medical, and perhaps one of the reasons the Bulls havent been as critical of him as they were of Curry. There is a thyroid condition that causes obesity among people, no matter what their food/drink intake and caloric outake are. From what I understand, its not an easy thing to fix either. I wouldnt be shocked if Sweets has that condition. Its not entirely uncommon, particularly among african americans (or so I am told). I would lay off Sweetney about his weight. 

There is nothing to indicate that he doesnt give it 100% and while I dont like his game (which wouldnt matter if he were 100lbs lighter or heavier), we could do worse then him as a rotational reserve in our system.


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## rlucas4257 (Jun 1, 2002)

paxman said:


> no doubt about it.
> the genetic excuse has some merit in that for some people it's harder to lose fat or
> maintain their weight, but nobody is so genetically disadvantaged that they can't lose
> fat. that's a biological imposibility.
> ...



People can actually be that genetically disadvantaged.


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## paxman (Apr 24, 2006)

rlucas4257 said:


> People can actually be that genetically disadvantaged.


so you're saying i can keep the same level of activity as before, eat less than before, and
have the exact same figure. senseless. i may not lose as much as somebody who's more
genetically blessed, but mass will be lost.


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## rlucas4257 (Jun 1, 2002)

paxman said:


> so you're saying i can keep the same level of activity as before, eat less than before, and
> have the exact same figure. senseless. i may not lose as much as somebody who's more
> genetically blessed, but mass will be lost.


Again, not exactly. There is a thyroid condition that slows your metabolism to the point where your predisposed to consistently gaining body mass and weight. I know its hard for you to believe mate, but it is true, and not entirely rare either. I am saying that Michael Sweetney might have this condition. And perhaps the Bulls know about it, which would explain why they are less harsh on him than they were on Eddy Curry. Its not an easy problem to fix either, from what I have read. Its not life threatening to do it, but the success rate in getting this condition fixed is less than 50-50. So again, its always easy to look at a fat guy and call them lazy, or undisciplined, or just plainly a bad person, but lets also realize that there are events beyond the persons control that can predisposed them to this condition. Again, Shaq and Barkley were not lazy, but they are fat. So why is it that every fat guy doesnt know how to work? There is nothing to indicate that Sweetney doesnt work hard (from what I understand, he never misses a practice and is a regular in the Georgetown summer workouts). That leaves 2 answers, perhaps he has an eating disorder (which is mental, and less likely since I presume the Bulls monitor diets of each of their players) or he has a thyroid disorder which slows his metabolism to the point of not mattering what he does. Either way, I dont believe Sweets is lazy and its proven that there are conditions that exist that predispose an individual to weight issues and that shouldnt be discounted. Call it senseless, but it is true. I dont like Sweetneys game, and it doesnt have anything to do with his weight, but to bash the guy over his weight, is the senseless thing here, if you ask me. 20-50 lbs lighter probably doesnt help him much as a basketball player since his biggest attribute is also his biggest downfall, his mass. Without his mass, he becomes a skinny kid with probably a little more lift. But without mass, he is a 6-8 post player who probably cant carve out a place for himself in the lane. So I just dont like his game. But to pick on his weight and call him lazy (as though we know him or his habits personally) is just beyond me.


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## Hustle (Dec 17, 2003)

Some may have genetic predispositions that contribute to being fat. But personally all the fat people I know eat like crap and don't exercise. When you see pictures of people in a starving thrid world country, you don't see a bunch of people with their rib cages poking out with an occasional fat person mixed in. Genetics just aren't as big as a defense as some people like to think. Thyroid condition? I'm pretty sure Sweets gets plenty of evaluations and I seriously doubt it's the case. It wouldn't explain going dehydrated like he did, he got dehydrated from working harder than his body is used to (not enough exercise). I actually like what Sweets brings to the floor with his play and attitude, but off the court he has issues that there is not likely a good excuse for.


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## McBulls (Apr 28, 2005)

Hypothyroidism is not the only condition that could lead to a predisposition to obesity, there are many other factors that are involved in weight maintanence, and problems with any of them can make it difficult to keep low body fat. For example, recent studies have shown that animals and people who are predisposed to become obese tyically have a lower body temperature than normals. The temperature difference can be very small -- as little at a few tenths of a degree -- but, because the majority of the calories you burn are used to maintain body temperature, even a small difference can have a huge effect. 

There are many hormonal and metabolic factors that play an important role in weight maintanence (which is the real trick the body works hard to do). It's would be remarkable if there were not a lot of individual variation in these systems. The function of the systems in part is to prevent starvation and autodestruction of vital organs that goes with it. It's true that everyone gets thinner in a famine, but some people survive a lot longer than others. Sweetney might have the genetic disposition to be a survivor.


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## rlucas4257 (Jun 1, 2002)

McBulls said:


> Hypothyroidism is not the only condition that could lead to a predisposition to obesity, there are many other factors that are involved in weight maintanence, and problems with any of them can make it difficult to keep low body fat. For example, recent studies have shown that animals and people who are predisposed to become obese tyically have a lower body temperature than normals. The temperature difference can be very small -- as little at a few tenths of a degree -- but, because the majority of the calories you burn are used to maintain body temperature, even a small difference can have a huge effect.
> 
> There are many hormonal and metabolic factors that play an important role in weight maintanence (which is the real trick the body works hard to do). It's would be remarkable if there were not a lot of individual variation in these systems. The function of the systems in part is to prevent starvation and autodestruction of vital organs that goes with it. It's true that everyone gets thinner in a famine, but some people survive a lot longer than others. Sweetney might have the genetic disposition to be a survivor.


Jeez, this is really intelligent stuff. Hopefully its not labeled senseless by the intelligensia.


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## McBulls (Apr 28, 2005)

rlucas4257 said:


> Jeez, this is really intelligent stuff. Hopefully its not labeled senseless by the intelligensia.


I'm not an expert on the subject, but if you do a google (or, even better, a PubMed Medline) search on key words body temperature & obesity, or leptins & obesity, you'll get a sample of what experts are thinking about in terms of developing therapies for obesity.


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