# LTE to Oregonian: Wallace refuses autograph



## Public Defender (May 5, 2003)

Any comments on the Letter To the Editor from the father of two girls in Brush Prairie, WA, in today's Oregonian? 

To summarize, he was at the airport preparing to leave on a trip, apparently on the same flight as Rasheed Wallace. He pointed out Wallace to his pre-teen daughters and encouraged them to go ask for his autograph. So they went over to him - while he was playing with his boys - and asked if they could have his autograph (also in part for their grandmother - a big Blazer fan, apparently). Wallace said "no, I can't right now." 

The writer says he's been a lifelong Blazer fan, including being a ball boy when he was young. 

------------------

I don't know about anyone else, but I find this truly disgusting, and represents everything that's been wrong with the Blazers for a few years. Sure, Wallace is a great ball-player, but if he's not going to show respect - and simple decency - to the people that pay his salary, do we really need this guy? I'm ready for the excuses for his behavior to roll out from our resident Wallace apologists...


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## bfan1 (Mar 5, 2003)

*question*

Is this LTE online? I don't see it.


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## allenive21 (Jul 28, 2002)

Well the only thing I can say is, after awhile signing autographs has to get annoying, especially when you're somewhere not around the basketball court. I agree that it wasn't the right thing to do, but give him a break, he's gotta have some time to himself to do important things, if you know what I mean.


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## Public Defender (May 5, 2003)

*Re: question*



> Originally posted by <b>bfan1</b>!
> Is this LTE online? I don't see it.


I don't see it on the website. It's in this morning's paper, though, if you're in the Portland area. 

It'd be nice if they'd post letters. They got a rash of great ones when Canzano spouted off about Lance Armstrong not being the greatest living athlete, and those ought to be out there for the entire world to see.


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## antibody (Apr 4, 2003)

I really don't have a problem with it. Sure, it would look better for Sheed and the Blazers if he did sign. Then again, we would more than likely not hear a word about it if he did sign. We only seem to hear the negativity and nothing more. I'm sure someone will turn this into a "what a thug or punk" type of thing. It's not basketball season and he was playing with his kids. He just said no, I can't right now. You have to respect that. He didn't say get out of here or just plain no. I think people turn these kind of things into much more than they are. This is made a big deal to some due to the Blazer image over the last few years. I'm sure he is not the first NBA player to refuse such a thing.


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## bfan1 (Mar 5, 2003)

*bugging me...*

Seems I heard/read once that Rasheed is consistent and insistent on not signing autographs when his kids are present? Has anyone else heard/read that?


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## kultcha (Jul 5, 2003)

He probably doesnt want a lineup of autogaphs to form up while he is at the airport with his family.

I know 2 years ago during the off season Scottie Pippen and his wife were in a mall here in dowtown Vancouver and my friend asked for his autograph and he said no. After that he always told people what a ***** Scottie was....

People blow autographs out of proportion...

And its even worse when people use the 'I'm a lifelong fan thing' - are athletes supposed to ask to see your season tickets and test your Blazer knowledge first before giving you an autograph? Then people would write in and complain that athletes have no right to question fans etc etc


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## Fork (Jan 2, 2003)

Who cares? 

Getting an autograph from a celebrity is not a god given right. I couldn't care less if Rasheed tells every person who asks to piss off. He should be able to expect a right to some privacy.


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## cimalee (Apr 17, 2003)

Here is another thing people are gonna blow up , who cares 
Why dont the paper print stuff about Sheeds Coat Drives. I could see if he cussed the girls out or something .


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

> "I couldn't care less if Rasheed tells every person who asks [for an autograph] to piss off."


Right! Why should Wallace pay any attention to adoring fans who wear his jersey and pay to see him play? What does he owe them? Not a damn thing. The fact that he makes $18 million a year doesn't have anything to do with the people who come through the turnstile at the Rose Garden. That's completely irrelevant, bro! These stupid fans need to get a clue. Wallace is royalty. He's a superstar. He has a rap sheet as long as a Rap Singer. He can't waste his time doing anything that would help improve the Blazers' image. Geez, get off his back, people!


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## FeloniusThunk (Jan 1, 2003)

Count me as an apologist, I guess. I don't have any problem with anyone anywhere refusing an autograph. It's called a favor, and the guy's teaching his kids to be whiners expecting handouts instead of appreciating something nice when it happens. Next up: their birthday presents weren't good enough.


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## Tommyboy (Jan 3, 2003)

my sources tell me that Sheed bull rushed the little girls and started gesturing wildly and screaming profanities at them too.

:devil:


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Talkhard</b>!
> 
> He has a rap sheet as long as a Rap Singer. He can't waste his time doing anything that would help improve the Blazers' image. Geez, get off his back, people!


He has a rap sheet, huh? A charge for misdemeanor possession of marijuana is a rap sheet?

Wow.

Is that like me having a fortune because I bought a lottery ticket once?

Ed O.


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## Swoosh (May 2, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Ed O</b>!
> 
> 
> He has a rap sheet, huh? A charge for misdemeanor possession of marijuana is a rap sheet?
> ...


Way to keep em in line, Ed.


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

His NBA rap sheet is well-documented.

countless technical fouls, ejections, towel-throwing, tantrums, name-calling, rushing his coach in the locker room, threatening a referee after a game, etc., etc.


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## FeloniusThunk (Jan 1, 2003)

Key phrase:



> Originally posted by <b>Talkhard</b>!
> ... the people who come through the turnstile at the Rose Garden.
> ...


You pays your money, you watches your game.

You don't get mad about the President refusing autographs, do you? If you see your doctor walking downtown, is he a bad guy for not answering a medical question for you? Your lawyer? How about a supermarket bagboy at the airport? "Give me a hand with my suitcase, or I'm writing a letter to the editor about how they should fire you."


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

> "Is that like me having a fortune because I bought a lottery ticket once?


Apparently you bought the wrong ticket.


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## antibody (Apr 4, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>FeloniusThunk</b>!
> Key phrase:
> You pays your money, you watches your game.
> You don't get mad about the President refusing autographs, do you? If you see your doctor walking downtown, is he a bad guy for not answering a medical question for you? Your lawyer? How about a supermarket bagboy at the airport? "Give me a hand with my suitcase, or I'm writing a letter to the editor about how they should fire you."


:laugh: Very funny. Some people think Sheed owe's them something because they are a fan.


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

> "You don't get mad about the President refusing autographs, do you?"


Great comparison! Rasheed Wallace and the President. Yeah, they're almost exactly alike.

You ever watch a President working a crowd? He only shakes about a thousand hands. He also smiles and makes small talk with people.


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## antibody (Apr 4, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Talkhard</b>!
> 
> 
> Great comparison! Rasheed Wallace and the President. Yeah, they're almost exactly alike.
> ...


You think maybe it helps to have a large number of secret service agents around? And the fact that he is not playing or sitting around his kids in the airport. Very different circumstances. Then again, working the crowd and shaking hands is a part of politics. He was voted in as president so he has to suck up for votes just like any politician. You don't have to like Sheed or the Blazers...that's your choice. I think fan's sometime take things too seriously and forget that it is a game and the players do have their own lives. They don't live for the fan's. These people think they deserve something because they went to a b-ball game or have been fan's of the team for awhile...I really get sick and tired of these people whining all of the time.


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

Antibody--I don't ask for autographs myself. But when I was a kid, getting a Blazers' autograph meant the world to me. I remember how thrilled I was to hold it in my hand and stare at the illegible scrawl as if it would somehow reveal the secret of the universe. Kids are like that.

The Blazers have an image problem right now. The public feels the players are mostly thugs and potheads. There doesn't seem to be much to root for anymore. Fans are disenchanted. Ticket sales have declined.

If Wallace cared about any of that, he could sign an autograph for a couple of little girls. It would take only 10 seconds, but it might turn those girls into lifelong Blazer fans. It's not a huge deal, but it's a little symbol that most of the Blazers, unlike Bonzi Wells, care about their fans.

Wallace lost an opportunity, that's all. Is it the end of the world? No. But it's definitely a lost opportunity.


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## Yega1979 (Mar 22, 2003)

Still, the guy makes 18 mil a year and he won't sign some little girl's autograph? Athletes have privacy at home, and there are many little celebrity hang-outs to go to where you're just like another person. It's not the the girls came and rang his doorbell and asked.

It just shows a really heartless attitude I think. "We don't give a **** what the fans think, we're BASKETBALL PLAYERS." Ya, a lot of good you've contributed to the world throwing a ball in the hoop; A-hole!


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

> "Still, the guy makes 18 mil a year and he won't sign some little girl's autograph? Athletes have privacy at home, and there are many little celebrity hang-outs to go to where you're just like another person. It's not the the girls came and rang his doorbell and asked.
> 
> It just shows a really heartless attitude I think. "We don't give a **** what the fans think, we're BASKETBALL PLAYERS." Ya, a lot of good you've contributed to the world throwing a ball in the hoop; A-hole!"


Exactly. NBA players are incredibly full of themselves. I'm also sick and tired of hearing how Wallace is such a good guy when you get to know him. Oh, really? Good guys give a couple of young fans an autograph, even if it's a bit of an inconvenience. They do it because it's the right thing to do, and because they realize how amazingly lucky they are to get paid millions of dollars just to make a jump shot.


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## Public Defender (May 5, 2003)

I guess the phrase "one fan at a time" doesn't apply in airports. 

I agree with Talkhard (did I just say that?!)... I realize there's no law that says an athlete has to sign autographs, but to regain the respect of members of the community, one sure-fire way to do it is to make minimal efforts to reach out. I think of the truly great sportsmen of our generation - Cal Ripken, Walter Payton, for instance - they'd never turn down an autograph, and that only added to the respect they've gained. 

As for the "Rasheed doesn't sign autographs when his kids are around" - why the hell not? Do his kids not know he's a world-famous athlete? If not, what kind of absurd existence are they living? And when is he going to "come out" to them? If they know that he's a famous basketball star, what message is he sending to them by turning down autographs from little girls? Come on, it takes five seconds.... it's not like a line was forming.


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## Fork (Jan 2, 2003)

I like to watch the Blazers play basketball. I pay my money and they play hoops. That's pretty much where the contract ends. I don't want to hang out with them. I don't want to ask them what they think of me.  I don't want to have their autograph. Why? Because that's not part of the deal. I don't feel that they owe me anything but basketball, because that's all that I pay for.

Rasheed Wallace is known to be a guy who actually DOES sign a lot of autographs. Maybe he was in a hurry to catch his flight. Maybe he DOESN'T sign autographs in front of his kids. Maybe he was in the middle of a conversation and knew if he signed one autograph it would lead to a line a mile long for autographs. Whatever. The man has a right to sign or not sign autographs at his discretion. Maybe some of us shouldn't jump his *** because he didn't sign one autograph for some kid in the airport. How is this news? Athletes have refused to sign autographs before. I bet even Michael Jordan refused to sign an autograph or two in his day. 

Folks who are up in arms are basically saying: "Rasheed owes us!" But you're wrong. Sheed owes us 82 basketball per year, no more and no less.


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## ilPadrino (May 23, 2003)

I read this "Letter to the Editor" in The Oregonian and nowhere in the letter does it mention that Rasheed had his children or any other family members around him.

It does mention that the young girls went up to Rasheed very politely, told him that he was their favorite player and asked him to please give them an autograph so they could show it to their Grandma, who is a huge Blazers fan.

If this story is true, and I have no reason to believe it is not, there really is no justification for it, regardless of how hard people try to make excuses for this imbecile. Rasheed repeatedly displays how much of an a-hole he is on the court, with the media, etc., so it is certainly no surprise that some of his horrible attitude bubbles up off the court as well.


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## Public Defender (May 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Fork</b>!
> Folks who are up in arms are basically saying: "Rasheed owes us!" But you're wrong. Sheed owes us 82 basketball per year, no more and no less.


Considering he's not giving us 82 games a year, perhaps he should buck up and give some love in the form of his John Hancock? How many autographs do we get for that little ten game suspension? 

You don't have to believe athletes owe fans anything other than effort on the court/ field/ ice/ ring... except that the culture of professional sports for decades has included signing autographs for fans. It's just one of the things you're _supposed_ to do - and it goes back to when athetes weren't making vast sums of cash. And yes, you're right, it can be tough to have to drop everything to sign an autograph... just like it must really suck finding new ways to keep your $17 mil away from the IRS. Sure, it could be that for every little girl who gets turned down there are fifty little boys with leukemia that Wallace has visited in the hospital, but the nature of people and celebrities is you're much more likely to hear about the bad stuff. And celebrities know this. Some just don't give a rip. Hmm... sounds like someone we know...?

As for whether it's news or not, I noticed folks this morning complaining about it being a slow day on the board, and I thought I'd post something that might get people talking. Worked.


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## Public Defender (May 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>ilPadrino</b>!
> I read this "Letter to the Editor" in The Oregonian and nowhere in the letter does it mention that Rasheed had his children or any other family members around him.


D'oh! You're right. I guess I read it a little too quickly. Yet another reason The O should have the letters on the web site: the fallibility of its readers!


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## Fork (Jan 2, 2003)

It just seems like some folks are using any excuse to trash Wallace. And believe me folks, it's not too har to find legit reasons to trash the guy. He's an idiot. 

But to make sweeping generalizations because he refused to sign one autograph is absurd. I can't believe the Snoregonian printed this crap. Does this fishwrap print every piece of garbage sent to them, as long as it trashes one of the evil Trailblazers? Actually, wait...I can believe they printed it. The Oregonian sucks.


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

> "Considering [Wallace is] not giving us 82 games a year, perhaps he should buck up and give some love in the form of his John Hancock? How many autographs do we get for that little ten game suspension?"


HA!! You are so right. If Wallace owned a bank, he'd be deep in the red about now. He owes us big time! If there's one player on the Trail Blazers who needs to repair his image and do a few nice things for the long-suffering fans, it's Rasheed Wallace. But of course he's too dumb to realize that.


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

Hey now, let's have a reality check.

The guy ended the sentance with "Go Lakers".

No self respecting Blazer fan, even in the worse case scenario, can even in jest, say "Go Lakers".

It was a plant.


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

*a guy i work with says Sheed was VERY*

RUDE to him at TOYS R US,and there were no kids involved.
My boss who was a steady game goer said that on numerous
occasions Sheed was approached by fans and he scowled,was rude and treated them like dirt..Didn't have 5 stinkin minutes for them.

This was at the game !!

These folks mentioned are tremendous Blazer fans,they have no
axe to grind at berating the Blazers..or a certain player.

I would say my boss is more than fair as to what he would ask of someone,I don't think that pausing for 5 minutes is too much.
For 18 million dollars,they owe it !

The other guy ran into Sheed shopping and didn't bother him,then saw him in line,standing there..and approached him to
talk about the team.
Sheed was surly and rude..


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## Tommyboy (Jan 3, 2003)

my sources now say the letter was forged!


disregard the Oregonian, they print false letters.


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Talkhard</b>!
> 
> HA!! You are so right. If Wallace owned a bank, he'd be deep in the red about now. He owes us big time! If there's one player on the Trail Blazers who needs to repair his image and do a few nice things for the long-suffering fans, it's Rasheed Wallace. But of course he's too dumb to realize that.


He just doesn't care what people who are willing to call him dumb without knowing him think about him.

I can't really blame him.

Ed O.


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

> "He just doesn't care what people who are willing to call him dumb without knowing him think about him.
> 
> I can't really blame him.
> 
> Ed O.'


You should be a PR flack for Wallace. You have a marvelous talent for putting a positive spin on his wretched behavior.

And you're right. I know nothing about Wallace. I've only been watching him play for about 7 years now. I've probably read a hundred news stories about him, heard teammates and other players talk about him, seen him set records for technical fouls, get ejected from crucial playoff games, attack his own coach, throw towels at a teammate, attack a referee, refuse to talk to the media, get arrested for smoking pot, spurn autograph-seeking fans numerous times, etc., etc., etc. 

I know he refused to lift weights with the rest of the team for years, mocked Ron Harper's stutter, likes to black out Jerry West on the NBA logo, has a problem with authority figures, and has made a fool of himself on national TV numerous times. I know he prefers to shoot 3-point shots rather than play under the basket where he should be, and I know that he often disappears when the team needs him most. Other than that, I don't know him at all.


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## Anima (Jun 3, 2003)

Talkhard- Even though most of the time I don't agree with you that was a 5 star post and as you may have guessed I agree with everything you said.

:yes:


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Talkhard</b>!
> 
> I know he refused to lift weights with the rest of the team for years, mocked Ron Harper's stutter, likes to black out Jerry West on the NBA logo, has a problem with authority figures, and has made a fool of himself on national TV numerous times. I know he prefers to shoot 3-point shots rather than play under the basket where he should be, and I know that he often disappears when the team needs him most. Other than that, I don't know him at all.


I think you forgot his white spot in his hair, the fact that he has small hands, the type of deodorant he wears and that he would have voted for John Anderson in 1980 if he were old enough.

Listing a bunch of stuff that reaffirms you don't know Rasheed Wallace personally isn't very impressive.

Ed O.


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## Peaceman (Jan 15, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Talkhard</b>!
> 
> 
> You should be a PR flack for Wallace. You have a marvelous talent for putting a positive spin on his wretched behavior.
> ...


Talkhard, you may have just added the perfect post IMO of Sheed. He is the definition of what is wrong with the NBA. All I hear when I have been critical of his behavior is that he doesn't owe anyone anything. Why do people say the media is too hard on him? Look at Talkhards post and you see a man ( or so called man) who doesn't repsect much of anything or anyone. Why should the media be nice to him, if he doesn't return the favor? He doesn't follow rules of his job, and may people support that. He doesn't talk with the press, and many say why should he, even though the press/media has helped the NBA grow to pay his salary and provide one of the worlds best jobs. David Stern knows talking to the press and advertising the players is what keeps the league profitable. The day our most talented player leaves will be good one.


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

Peaceman: is Rasheed Wallace a good speller?

I don't know. But I *do* know he's a good basketball player. I watch the Blazers for basketball. Not to see weightlifting or after-game news conferences or so some kids can get autographs on a plane...

I understand why the media is hard on Rasheed. He makes their job harder. He also is from an entirely different world than most reporters, and sensitivity isn't exactly the strong suit of some in the Portland sports media (PERFECTLY demonstrated in the conference call with Travis Outlaw, where, as soon as Outlaw was disconnected, numerous members of the media were making fun of his accent, that he sounded stupid, and that he was so deferential to his father).

I understand why some fans are hard on Rasheed. They expect players to be their buddies and to fit into their conceptions of what is "right" in sports. 

I am not, though, a member of the media and I am not one who attacks players for the way that they are (although I am not afraid to attack how they PLAY)... so I think Rasheed Wallace on the Blazers is a good thing, and while I wish he were better than he is and a person I could more closely relate to, I'm not going to pile on him every time someone doesn't get an autograph.

Ed O.


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## FeloniusThunk (Jan 1, 2003)

I have to admit, I find this fascination with a celebrity's "character" a bit creepy. It's obviously common and popular, or I wouldn't know how Ben and J Lo are doing, but it's still creepy. I don't care what the Dixie Chicks think about the president, or what kind of house Bill Gates lives in, and I most certainly don't care if Rasheed gives more or less autographs than Chris Webber or Kevin Garnett or Bruno Sundov. I've got some issues with him as a player, but unless I'm sitting next to him on a long flight, I doubt I'll ever have much reason to care about his personality. I would hope he's an easy guy to have a conversation with, and more importantly someone who bathes regularly, but I wouldn't demand or expect anything. "Here Mr. Wallace, sign my kid's barf bag or I'll tell everyone you're a jerk." This is a sign of being an ingrate that someone would even think like this, but it's weird that lots of other people care one way or the other. Is he breaking a Good Samaritan law? Do _I_ have to give autographs to everyone to not be labeled "everything that's wrong with", well, computer geeks? Does it matter how much I make?

Now I'm bummed thinking of ingrates and rubberneckers. Can we have a positive thread, like Olden Polynice signing for the full MLE or something?


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## Goldmember (May 24, 2003)

Who cares? Celebrities don't like to stop to sign autographs in airports because they'll end up getting mobbed. I don't blame them.


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## Nightfly (Sep 24, 2002)

Bill Russell, one of the greatest players in the history of the league, and a player loved by his team's fan base (though hated by others) never signed any autographs. His quote, "I owe the public exactly what it owes me, nothing."

On the other hand, Meadowlark Leamon, though not a NBA star, was a fabulous basketball player with the Globe Trotters. He would honor EVERY SINGLE request for an autograph, even if it meant he would stand there for 10 minutes just signing pieces of paper.


I think what we have here is a case of old school Blazer fans thinking one way, while the "new" school fans feel a different way. I'm willing to bet, that for the most part, it's the old school fans, who have followed this team since the Walton era (late 70's), and then the Drexler era (early 90's) feel Sheed should have just taken the time and signed that piece of paper for the girls.

The newer fans, who have followed the team since, say, the 2000 WCF, don't think Sheed should have to do anything at all. He does what he is supposed to do on the court, and it doesn't say he has to sign anything for anyone in his contract.

This has been my experience anyway, and I think it's because the newer fans weren't... uhh... "spoiled" like use long time fans have been in the past.

I've been following this team since I was very young. It was 1990 when I started to love Basketball, and it was because of the great season and playoffs (except for the loss to Detroit) that the Blazers had that year. Every night I would sneak a radio under my pillow, and when I was suppose to be sleeping, I was listening to Bill Schonley.

That team was full of guys that were loved in the community. The team loved the fans, and they showed it by giving it their best on the floor each and every night. Meeting Clyde Drexler (and Bill Schonley) when I was in 2nd grade is one of the greatest memories I have to this day. Young children do remember things like that. Believe me.

I don't think it would have killed Sheed to sign a couple of autographs. He doesn't seem to care much about the fans, clearly demonstrated when he blows up for something stupid on the court. When Clyde Drexler would get pissed off, he wouldn't throw a towel in a teammate's face. Instead, he would channel the energy from his anger on to the court. Suddenly, he's dunking. He's blocking. He's rebounding, just because he got an elbow in the back of the head or something.

Well, this is becoming a rant, but needless to say, it was once a lot easier to support the Blazers then it is these days. Sheed refusing to interact with the fans is an example to why it's hard to support the Blazers.

I tell you what, if there was some way we choose between having any of the Blazers teams from 1988-93 (as they were in 1988-93) or having the present squad, I would take the late ‘80s/early ‘90s teams in a second over this group we have today.

There, that's enough of my rant... I don't know where that all came from, but someone had to say it, I guess.


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## Anima (Jun 3, 2003)

> Folks who are up in arms are basically saying: "Rasheed owes us!" But you're wrong. Sheed owes us 82 basketball per year, no more and no less.


But he didn't play 82 games last year. I think he should give back 1.50 to every blazers fan to make for it.

(note: the 1.50 comes from his salary last year which was 15,300,000 divided by 82 and that number multiplied by 8 and then divided by 1,000,000 and the million comes from the fact that I don't really know how many blazers fans there are)

BTW I am kinda lost here so can someone tell me who said "Go Lakers".


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## Scinos (Jun 10, 2003)

Hmm...While I know Sheed doesn't 'owe anyone anything', is signing an autograph for two girls at an airport too much to ask ?

I think everyone should be entitled to some privacy, but signing autographs and doing press conferences is part of the responsibility that players/celebrities take on when they become famous. It's the people who give Sheed his fame and money, signing his name to a piece of paper for a fan seems like a small favor in return...

My :twocents: anyway.


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## antibody (Apr 4, 2003)

Very good points HearToTemptYou. Not every player is going to be the same when it comes to signing autographs or dealing with the media. Just like none of us would act the same way as each other. 

Scinos - asking Sheed to sign an autograph may not be a big deal to you but maybe it is to him when his kids are around. Maybe he just got done signing some autographs in the airport and you have to stop some time. You can't please everyone. You and I don't know the details so, hammering him for this is very petty. I disagree about the responsibility of signing autographs. He doesn't have any responsibility whatsoever to do such a thing. It doesn't stipulate anything about that in his contract with the Blazers does it? It sure would help the image of the Blazers to some degree but then again who really cares...I know that I don't. I don't like the Blazers any less because he didn't sign one little autograph. Stop being a Blazer fan if it bothers people so much. The constant whining and wimpering about things like this really get old after awhile.


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Epadfield</b>!
> 
> But he didn't play 82 games last year. I think he should give back 1.50 to every blazers fan to make for it.


So he played in 81 games (including playoffs, but not the preseason) last year. Big deal.

And Wallace already lost $1.26m or so during his 7 game suspension, so the notion that he's getting paid for games he didn't play in is just wrong.

The notion that he's pulling a fast one on the FANS is even sillier.

The team lost about $100m last year. I don't know the revenue amounts, but the fans only helped mitigate larger losses, rather than funding the team as most fans like to think they do. Wallace could conceivably owe money back to Paul Allen on some cosmic level, but the fans have a lesser claim.

Ed O.


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

The problem with the "old school" vs "New school" is this.

What about us fans who have not followed the team since the 70's, but the early 80's? I wasn't there during the title run of 77. I was there during the 90's run (after the 88-89 season, when all the sudden being a Blazer fan in school was very unpopular)..

As a kid, I read the media guides like the bible. I also lived and breathed Blazer basketball. When I was younger, my dad actually was friends with some of the Blazers (they'd shop at Tualatin Fred Meyers, where he worked) and he'd be able to go into the Locker room after games.

It wasn't to get autographs, or fawn over the players. it was to say "Hey Calvin, good game!" I've never given a crap about getting autographs, and I actually pittied those who think that getting an autograph means anything. And the ones who PAY for them? I felt sorry for those.

Should a player be respectful towards a fan? I'd like them to be, but at the same time, these guys are humans, and some people just aren't personable people. Some people just don't want to be bothered at the airport, toys r us, or wherever. Some people are just eh-holes and we don't need to constantly be reminded that they are (or constantly remind them that they are).

I'm a Blazer fan NOT because certain players play for the team. I'm a Blazer fan NOT because a player once gave me an autograph. I'm a Blazer fan NOT because of a good deed a player did for me.

I mean, for petes sake, Bill Schonley can be one of the biggest a-holes on the planet but no one seems to care.

For example at the draft in 92, he flat out refused to even acknowledge I was there. I said "Hey Mr Schonley" as he walked by me (he was going slow, and was alone). He just looked at me and kept walking. I didn't write a letter to the Oregonian, and I didn't all the sudden put on a shirt that said "Go Lakers". I just said "eh...big deal" and went on with my enjoyment of the draft.


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## Anima (Jun 3, 2003)

Fans expect to see star players when go to see a game and Wallace was stupid enough to go after a ref which cost his sorry *** 7 games in which the fans expected to see him and paid good money in every arena the Blazers played in well he was sitting at home so yes he should give back some money to the fans who pay his 17,000,000 salary though ticket prices, merchandise, and even stadium parking and and you know if it wasn't for players like him, Bonzi, and Damon fans in Portland might be willing to pay more to come see the Blazers play which means the Blazers would lose less money but then why should they when all that is going to happen is after the game someone asks for an autograph and Wallace tells them to **** off.

Oh BTW Ed players get paid extra money for playing in the playoffs.

"Players were concerned about the wear and tear on their bodies," said Hunter, who opposed lengthening the playoffs as recently as last year. "When we were able to reach an agreement about shortening the training camp and also an increase in the playoff pool, *the revenues that would be paid to those players who participate in the playoffs*, as well as some other concessions the league has agreed to grant us, we were able to reach an agreement.' 

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nba/bkp_sternstateofnba1044757623.html


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## antibody (Apr 4, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Epadfield</b>!
> Fans expect to see star players when go to see a game and Wallace was stupid enough to go after a ref which cost his sorry *** 7 games in which the fans expected to see him and paid good money in every arena the Blazers played in well he was sitting at home so yes he should give back some money to the fans who pay his 17,000,000 salary though ticket prices, merchandise, and even stadium parking and and you know if it wasn't for players like him, Bonzi, and Damon fans in Portland might be willing to pay more to come see the Blazers play which means the Blazers would lose less money but then why should they when all that is going to happen is after the game someone asks for an autograph and Wallace tells them to **** off.


Fan's sure do expect to see the stars on their teams when they go to the games. Yet, why should only Wallace pay back some of the money? Why not state that every player who is supsended in the NBA pays back the money? Wallace is not the only player to be suspended. And fans don't pay Sheed's entire salary. If you decide not to pay the prices of the game, parking, etc. then don't...I guarantee that somebody else will. One fan or one grouping of fans that stop going to games will be quickly replaced by another person or group in a heartbeat. I don't ever remember hearing that Sheed told fan's to piss off. People can say they heard this or have a friend that did that very easily. I sure wish Sheed was more personable with the fan's and media but he doesn't want to be. Not everybody is the same. I can live with it. I go to watch him play the game not be friends with him or take things personally when he says he can't sign an autograph. He doesn't owe you anything.


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## Anima (Jun 3, 2003)

I don't go to games. I have been to one NBA game in my life and that was a Denver Nuggets game and I stopped going after that because two good (15 row) tickets cost me 110 plus 5 for parking plus extra for food and drinks all of which I thought was to much. 

Besides college basketball games are so much more fun because there aren't fans *****ing about how they got ripped off everywhere your turn.


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

> "Peaceman: is Rasheed Wallace a good speller?"


That's a profound question, Ed O. Unfortunately, it has nothing do with the subject at hand. We're talking about the things that Wallace does that affect the Trail Blazers on and off the court. Every NBA player is a representative of his team and of the entire league. That's why they all get involved in "Stay in School" programs, local charities, hospital visits, soup kitchen work, etc. Their contracts STIPULATE that they be involved in the community. So, YES, their job is not just to play basketball--it's to be part of the community and to act as good-will ambassadors for their teams. 



> "I watch the Blazers for basketball. Not to see weightlifting or after-game news conferences or so some kids can get autographs on a plane..."


We all watch the Blazers "for basketball." But nothing exists in a vacuum. What the Blazers say in TV interviews, or what they do in practice, or how they conduct themselves on the road, affects the team and is part of the fabric of the team. Saying that you don't care about any of that is like saying, "I go to Fred Meyer just to buy groceries. I don't care if the place smells bad, or the checkout line takes an hour, or the clerks are rude, or gangs break into my car in the parking lot. It's all about the groceries, man!"



> "I understand why the media is hard on Rasheed. He makes their job harder. He also is from an entirely different world than most reporters, and sensitivity isn't exactly the strong suit of some in the Portland sports media"


What world is Wallace from, anyway? Mars? Jupiter? Uranus? If I'm not mistaken, he's from Philly, which is about a 90-minute drive down the NJ Turnpike from where I live. I've been there a few times myself, and it's not "entirely different" from any other city in the U.S., trust me. Sports writers deal with atheletes from places like Philly and Baltimore and Boston and Birmingham and Atlanta all the time. I can't imagine Wallace is so different from any of them.

(Again, I have to congratulate you. You're really good at making Wallace look like the poor misunderstood victim of a few ******* reporters. You have a career in PR any time you want it.)



> "I understand why some fans are hard on Rasheed. They expect players to be their buddies and to fit into their conceptions of what is "right" in sports.


What a ridiculous notion. No Blazer fan I know expects a player to be his "buddy." All we want them to do is play hard, and conduct themselves in a way that makes us proud--or at least doesn't make us ashamed.



> "I am not, though, a member of the media and I am not one who attacks players for the way that they are (although I am not afraid to attack how they PLAY)...


Gosh! You are such a sensitive, decent person! So you don't attack players "for the way that they are"? I guess that means that if Wallace or some other Blazer were raping women, or beating up children, or running a heroin ring, you wouldn't criticize him. Everything would be just fine with you as long as the guy was hitting his free throws and getting back on defense, right?


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## Storyteller (Dec 31, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Epadfield</b>!
> 7 games in which the fans expected to see him and paid good money in every arena the Blazers played in well he was sitting at home so yes he should give back some money to the fans who pay his 17,000,000 salary though ticket prices, merchandise, and even stadium parking


But don't you see? Rasheed wasn't paid for those games. If a fan has a beef about those games, it's with the Blazer organization. THEY got the ticket money. THEY paid none of it to Rasheed. THEY pocketed the money. If fans want a refund, they need to go to the organization that profited (financially that is) from Rasheed's absence from those 7 games.


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

*Jerome Kersey was always approachable*

I saw him downtown one evening,rolled down my window and 
yelled "HELLLOOOOOO Jerome "

He came over to the car window,traffic was honking behind me,
and I got to shake his hand and say how much I admired his play.

Later,he came to the hospital and stood around shaking hands,
and meeting the patients and the fans.!!

Now that was something else !

A real fan favorite !

He also used to greet folks when spoken to at the car dealers,
store,you name it.

I don't remember ever hearing a negative about him in public.

Talkhard you are right on !!!!!

Sheed is a marketing nightmare..you sound to me like you "know"
him pretty well.


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Talkhard</b>!
> 
> Gosh! You are such a sensitive, decent person! So you don't attack players "for the way that they are"? I guess that means that if Wallace or some other Blazer were raping women, or beating up children, or running a heroin ring, you wouldn't criticize him. Everything would be just fine with you as long as the guy was hitting his free throws and getting back on defense, right?


Did I say that? If a Blazer was doing any of those things, he should be in jail and therefore not a Blazer.

If a Blazer is not breaking laws and is just ticking people off for being different, as Rasheed Wallace seems to be, I have no qualms about rooting for him or appreciating the positive things he does for the team, rather than complaining anything happens away from the court.

Ed O.


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

*ok Ed..try this one on*

You come to the hospital to visit your mother.
You notice the nurse is not only unfriendly,but you can't get any 
information out of her.

You ask her for a little time,you want to know about your mother,
the unit she is in,and just what the plan is.
You notice that even tho she seems to be doing a good job with
handling your mom's iv's,her transfers inand out of bed,etc..
then she is surly,and constantly says she is so busy and 
"just nursin".

You notice that she is rude everytime you are in there,and also,
that she never smiles toward your mom and seems disinterested
in you and her both.

You saw her take one of the bath towels and throw it into 
another nurse's face as she stood at the desk.
The nurse that got the towel thrown into her face was one of your
favorites and it shocked you to see her do that.

As you were leaving the hospital that evening,you saw the nurse
heading for the parking structure,and just to touch base with her
you waved ,and thought maybe you could just have her say some
thing,maybe even apologise for her behaviour.
But instead,she ignored you and glared at you,stomped past you
and said,"just nursin man"

Now when you read this,it's almost unbelievable isn't it,that an
employee would be able to treat you like this?
It surely now has ruined your opinion of the entire unit..
You can't believe at this point that she is even taking care of your mom,let alone EARNED any respect.

How on earth would a hospital tolerate such behaviour?
And can you imagine how the other nurses and therapists feel
after seeing this employee treat everyone rude,except her family.
The other staff members have noticed her rudeness and feel that
it impacts their entire unit..
She says she doesn't care what they think..it doesn't matter
what anyone thinks,and that her family is all that matters..

She says that she will continue to treat the public that way,because.... she can.


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

*Re: ok Ed..try this one on*

the problem with this analogy is that a HUGE part of a nurses job is being polite and interacting with people at work.

Had this been at work, and Rasheed said "not right now, I don't have time", well...it'd be understandable. Since he was on his own time, on vacation, he doesn't owe us nothing.

But to act as tho her leaving work (after working a 12 hour shift, where usually boneheads come in and question her, complain to her, don't listen to her, kvetch to her, and doctors take advantage of the fact she does a lot of the dirty work) is the same as Rasheed..well, thats laughable.

If you had to change bed-pans every day, wouldn't you be pissed off too?


> Originally posted by <b>jackiejackal</b>!
> You come to the hospital to visit your mother.
> You notice the nurse is not only unfriendly,but you can't get any
> information out of her.
> ...


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

ohhhhhhhh i see

"the problem with this analogy is that a HUGE part of a nurses job is being polite and interacting with people at work."

Is that right??

I kinda thought that would apply to anyone who works in or for the public....!!!
ohhh how mistaken I am that it EXCLUDES OUR BASKETBALL
TEAM.


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>jackiejackal</b>!
> ohhhhhhhh i see
> 
> "the problem with this analogy is that a HUGE part of a nurses job is being polite and interacting with people at work."
> ...


a basketball team is not a hospital. Rasheed Wallace plays basketball, a nurse interacts with people who are not nurses as the main part of her job. 

If you can't see the fallacy in your analogy, then I can't stop Ed from tearing it apart.


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

*OK..let's look at this statement*

"a basketball team is not a hospital. Rasheed Wallace plays basketball, a nurse interacts with people who are not nurses as the main part of her job. "


I see his off court/on court behaviour as H U G E.

You don't seem to see the basketball team as a business,and the
players as employees???

How can that not be viewed as same as the nurses day ??

Or standing with them in the elevator as they are leaving??

Or them toking it up out on the highway after work??

Just put your little old mom in that bed and then view Nurse Wallace...


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

*Re: OK..let's look at this statement*



> Originally posted by <b>jackiejackal</b>!
> "a basketball team is not a hospital. Rasheed Wallace plays basketball, a nurse interacts with people who are not nurses as the main part of her job. "
> 
> 
> I see his off court/on court behaviour as H U G E.


I never said it wasn't. But you are comparing his off court antics, to a nurse, as if the criteria is the same. For starters, he is not under the same "rules" of a nurse. A big factor of their job is interacting with people on a daily basis. These people come into her (or his) life on a daily basis. It is not uncommon for a nurse to grow some emotional attatchment to some of the patients. They have a much harder job than a basketball player too. 

I would venture a bet that Rasheed doesn't have any emotional attatchment to us fans. Can't say I care. A nurse doing as you suggested, is not the same as Rasheed, because that IS her job. She HAS to interact with people on a daily basis. Rasheed doesn't, and when he can, he's not at work.

If I went up to my friend Stacey, who's a nurse, and she was surely to me, I wouldn't be all whiney, and write the Oregonian. Thats her private time, and she owes me nothing.



> You don't seem to see the basketball team as a business,and the
> players as employees???


not in the same manner that a nurse is an employee for a health care provider.


> How can that not be viewed as same as the nurses day ??


because a nurse isn't having her life story plastered in the paper, or national TV. If she has a bad day at a hospital, people aren't calling into radio shows, demanding that "that pot head be traded! I bet she's a racist too!"

The only reason why a Nurse can't keep her job after a duii, or a pot bust is that their union probably isn't as strong as the NBA players union.



> Or standing with them in the elevator as they are leaving??


if a nurse, out of uniform after work, is in the elavator, strangers aren't going to come up to her and go "Man, you rule! can I have your autograph!?"

That probably happens to Rasheed, and I'm certain that gets old.



> Or them toking it up out on the highway after work??


I already addressed that regarding their unions. BUt let's say she was "toking it up"....would it become topic #1 on the radio shows? would people be calling the hospital where she works at, some name that incorporates the term "Jail"?

no. 



> Just put your little old mom in that bed and then view Nurse Wallace...


what does this have to do with anything? So what if the nurse is an a-hole? That still doesn't correlate Rasheed Wallace being a dingus.


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

*How do you pick your TEAM??*

"I'm a Blazer fan NOT because certain players play for the team. I'm a Blazer fan NOT because a player once gave me an autograph. I'm a Blazer fan NOT because of a good deed a player did for me."


No but I will bet there are a whole lot of people who USED TO BE
fans BECAUSE of certain players we now have.
My boss sold his long standing excellent seats.

Autographs,I could never understand.
But my only time of asking was the time John McEnroe came to
town for an game against his own brother and another guy.
I waited patiently and presented my expensive program to him,
and said " oh John,it was so much fun to see you,I have been
a fan for so long"
He signed it,never looked up and jammed it back into my face.

Needless to say,whenever I see him on tv,I always think of that.

Well,pray tell,why are you a team of this team???
A good deed???
That's a stretch..
That would probably take in 99.99% of ALL sports fans.

there would be many empty stadiums and Rose Gardens if we
were waiting for that.


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

*THIS WHOLE DISCUSSION DESCRIBES ME TO A T*

I treat everyone I meet in the same way.
I don't care if you are the administrator,or the new housekeeper.

I have been rewarded with this sense of fairness,and was
honored to be the employee of the year 3 years ago.

I give respect,and want respect back,and have many countless times
noted this seems to be the deciding factor on where you stand with someone.
Many people continue to take,but give nothing back.

Interestingly in my background,those who have the least seem
to give the most.

I have always looked at these "goodwill gestures" that some of
these big monied people have performed and some of them are
pretty weak.

I do hold sports folks to a very high standard..
would there be a reason not to?
Are they different?
Are they above it?

By the same token,I have always thought that anyone who works
so few months in a year,sure has alot more time to relax,get away,pamper themselves,etc..
than the average working guy or gal.

During the season..
even in the store,even in the parking lot,in my eyes,they are on duty.
Or in other words,they are "on" for the public.


If I see a player after a game,I don't think Iam out of line to say
"good game,how do you feel about it"
Forget the autograph part..
don'tknow how that piece kept coming up and up.
The two incidences I talked about were during the season,and all
these folks were after was a friendly "hi"

I would not be intimidated by them,I would just be so thrilled to
see them,they play for "my team"!!

If that concept is so foreign and intrusive to some here, they
were brought up differently than I was.
Treat everybody with respect,and they will treat you with respect.

Spit on em,real or imagined,and they deserve every bit of bad
press they get.
I will show no mercy.
The player that represents "our team" doesn't just work from
07:30 to 10:00 pm.

He should be accountable for more than that.

Vacationing in the Alps with his kids is another story..
He is on vacation just as I would be.
I respect that !


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## stupendous (Feb 17, 2003)

*well...*

I asked sheed for his autograph when I was in San Fran one time at a mall... had a blazer schedule ON ME... he flat out turned me down to make a long story short.... I wrote a letter to SLAM magazine about it and it got printed though


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

*SLAM magazine has always liked Sheed*

ok,here is the deal.
Spill the beans everybody.

Name your warm and fuzzy encounters with the Blazers.

I already mentioned mine in another thread.
I saw my sweetheart Mike Rice at Incredible Universe with Steve
Jones one time.

I was gushing and shaking the heck out of his hand,I love the 
guy.
He was so friendly and sweet.


----------



## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

*Re: SLAM magazine has always liked Sheed*



> Originally posted by <b>jackiejackal</b>!
> ok,here is the deal.
> Spill the beans everybody.
> 
> ...


hm...Kermit Washington once came to my middle school (Go Markham go!) and talked about his childhood. My dad knew this and thought it would be neat for me to bring the media guide, and open it to his picture (in the "former blazers" section) and have him sign it.

He didn't, and came up with some bologna story. 

I don't know if I have a 'good' memory per-say.. Good idea for a topic tho.

Meeting (and talking to) Mike Rice was cool. And corrosponding with Mike Barrett (to help get Courtside e-mail friendly) was cool too. I just don't remember a lot of things from my childhood of this genre. I was way too shy as a kid. I was almost as shy with the Blazers as I was with girls.

At least the Blazers never ignored me..8(

heh


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## Blazer Ringbearer (Jan 28, 2003)

I guess I just don't understand the sense of entitlement that many of you possess...

Rasheed Wallace is not your property. He doesn't have to dance for you, he doesn't have to suck up to you, he doesn't have to mow your freaking lawn.

Bill Gates makes way more money, and you don't expect him to smile at you and sign autographs.

It's neat to meet famous people, you see them all the time and you sort of know them in a way. To get a chance to actually interact with them is a cool thing. But their time is their own, they have the choice to do with it as they please. 

If they choose to put their family, their own personal enjoyment, or their peace and quiet over your jabbering about last week's game, then that's their right. 

Sheed happens to be a guy who doesn't feel like making the effort to impress a bunch of people he doesn't know or necessarily care about. He can be a surly dude, but it's perfectly understandable that someone wouldn't react particularly well to having microphones, cameras and sharpies constantly being shoved in their face. I guess some of you wish everyone was like Kobe and pasted on a fake smile 24/7 and worked night and day to keep up some kind of plastic, meaningless image.

It's so easy for us to say things like, "well if I made that much money, I would be totally happy to bend over backwards for a million people..." But get real, maybe some of us would, but I sure wouldn't. I would give back to the community (sheed does too) but I would not be excited to prostrate myself to it. Perhaps some of you would, but I doubt it would be the lot of you...

Sheed doesn't owe you guys anymore than I do.


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## Scinos (Jun 10, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Blazer Ringbearer</b>!
> Sheed doesn't owe you guys anymore than I do.


I realise this...but, seriously...How much effort does it take to scribble his name on a piece of paper ? :whatever:


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

*Isn't this a bit extreme???????????*

"I guess I just don't understand the sense of entitlement that many of you possess...

Rasheed Wallace is not your property. He doesn't have to dance for you, he doesn't have to suck up to you, he doesn't have to mow your freaking lawn."


WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A SIMPLE GREETING HERE..
Do you really equate a smile or hi,thanks it was an exciting game
to this above statement?????


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

*Re: Isn't this a bit extreme???????????*



> Originally posted by <b>jackiejackal</b>!
> 
> WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A SIMPLE GREETING HERE..
> Do you really equate a smile or hi,thanks it was an exciting game
> to this above statement?????


I personally do not, but I've never had to do that potentially hundreds of times a day.

And it doesn't really matter what I equate it as. It matters what Rasheed equates it with, IMO. It's his life and if he's a shy person, an introvert, or someone who just doesn't want to play the PR game because of personaly reasons, I think that's his decision.

Ed O.


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## jackiejackal (Nov 7, 2002)

*translation:sour apple*

"Sheed happens to be a guy who doesn't feel like making the effort to impress a bunch of people he doesn't know or necessarily care about."

That's exactly why on the League Pass the games vs Port
ALWAYS start with "what's the matter with this guy"

The opposing teams ALWAYS say he is a tremendous player,or
to be accurate,he COULD be a tremendous player.
But believe me,other folks notice..
They spend time NOT talking about the team.
They spend time talking about him and his personality.

You don't see this as unusual??
Like,something is wrong here?
And it ABSOLUTELY has gone against THE ENTIRE TEAM getting
calls.
No way on this earth that Sheed /team gets calls compared to
the team of 1991-1992 for example would get.
If you don't see that,I don't know.
The other player that is RAPIDLY following in his footsteps is BONZI. 
Bonzi doesn't get as many calls,and spends time arguing..

THIS HURTS THE TEAM AND THE IMAGE.


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## Fork (Jan 2, 2003)

All of these posts because a guy didn't give an autograph to one single fan. Anybody else think people are reading a little too much into this?


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## Blaze (Jan 25, 2003)

Not every player signs autographs. Some well known players, in fact, didn't even sign after games. When I was in my teens, a long time ago now, I used to wait after games to get autographs. A number of guys would sign, some would even give their shoes away, but there were others who did not sign. Magic Johnson once said, "Since I can't sign for everyone, I won't sign for anyone." The Lakers were notorious, especially if they lost, of not signing autographs, except for A.C. Michael Jordan would duck out of other doors and hop into a limo specifically reserved for him. Bill Russell, who used to do TBS broadcasts, had a policy of not signing autographs. Years later, he would do paid shows for his autograph. I'm sure we all have stories of people who did or did not give us their autograph. Part of the challenge is to get the autograph, not expect it. For whatever reason, Rasheed didn't sign an autograph for this guy. Big deal, get over it.

If Rasheed was at the airport with his kids, leave him alone. I work with a guy who did security at the Rose Garden for a Fight Night and he said Rasheed was there and began talking to him. Very nice, low key conversation. When fans started to surround him, Rasheed felt uncomfortable and left the area. I like Rasheed for his play on the court. Sure, I would like him to be a little more personable off the court, but that is a small part of who he is as a bball player. If this dad wants an autograph so bad, Rasheed does have a fan club where he could get an autographed picture of Rasheed.

Please let some kind of trade happen so we can have something to talk about other than these insignificant problems some "fans" have with the Blazers.


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## Blazer Ringbearer (Jan 28, 2003)

*Re: Isn't this a bit extreme???????????*



> Originally posted by <b>jackiejackal</b>!
> "I guess I just don't understand the sense of entitlement that many of you possess...
> 
> Rasheed Wallace is not your property. He doesn't have to dance for you, he doesn't have to suck up to you, he doesn't have to mow your freaking lawn."
> ...


No, what I equate it to is the sentiment that Sheed needs to smile for the camera and give trite sound bites before and after every game and the next day in practice; that he needs to high five everyone he passes in the crowd; that he needs to make him self accessible to sign hundreds of autographs after every game; that he needs to expect and welcome the fact that every time he leaves his house some stranger is going to approach him and ask something of him; that he needs to pretend to like you and care about what you think; that he needs to live for you and not himself...


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## The Enigma (May 10, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Blazer Ringbearer</b>!
> I guess I just don't understand the sense of entitlement that many of you possess...
> 
> *Rasheed Wallace is not your property. He doesn't have to dance for you, he doesn't have to suck up to you, he doesn't have to mow your freaking lawn.* (...work of art)
> ...


I was about to add a lengthy 2 cents to this thread but you summed up my position perfectly.

I commend you BR for representing the _force_ of reason so well; the _dark side_ had a rather strong showing in this thread (yet as always the _light_ of reason prevails).


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## Athlon33.6 (Jul 31, 2003)

*re:*

Speaking of autographs, how strange. About a month ago I had a dream in which Sheed gave me his autograph. I was at some kind of show and had a Sheed poster with me. I couldn't believe I was in the same building with one of my favorite players. I walk up to Sheed and stated something like, "Hey sign this Sheed" and he signed the poster I had.


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## Terrible (Jan 3, 2003)

Sheed is no ones property except the Blazers and they have made him very wealthy while he's thumbed his nose at the same establishment that's put the best food on his plate. Does he owe any of us anything? Hell no! However he does owe the Blazers quite alot, is he to stupid to figure that out? Hell yes!

BTW- Why would anyone want this guys scribble? Sheeds a paid horse that's all he is, so treat him as such and life is easy. On the court when he wants to he can do some amazing things, off the court he's not the kind of guy I'd associate with ever! You let your accountant do your taxes cause he does them well, do you expect to hang out with him on your free time? How about your dentist? That's about how I look at Sheed. I pay to see him play, if he does his job I have nothing to say, if he doesn't than his worth to me is about the same as a dentist that does a poor job. You find another dentist and move on.


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