# Sheed's version of "dumb and dumber"



## Trader Ed (Jun 17, 2002)

*Sheeds version of dumb and dumber*

read the article about young players being exploited 

according to Sheed


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## Trader Ed (Jun 17, 2002)

*and on getting smarter*

He credits his wife for saying how his off court actions are affecting his family, and he is listening.

Our little Sheed is growing up :banana:


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## ABM (Dec 30, 2002)

> "They try to glorify stuff with the media being there when they do things in the community, but that's not me. I don't need a TV camera to let me know on the inside that I'm doing something good."


 :clap:


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## barfo (Jan 2, 2003)

Kind of a mixed bag here for a big Sheed fan such as I.

Nice feel-good quotes about living in Oregon and charity work, but then we have the conspiracy theory.

Yes, Sheed, the NBA is a plot by a bunch of white guys to make money. That's not any big secret, is it? 

I think Sheed needs to start reading the newspapers or something. Or possibly there was context to the quote that was deleted...

barfo


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## ABM (Dec 30, 2002)

From a friend...



> I think this is exactly what Scottie Pippen will write a book about one of these days._ I can remember times when he had to hold his tongue and in some instances didn't._ And it just got him into hot water._ It's ridiculous._ I've said it before._ The NBA has become nothing more than the WWF._ This article supports that theory and one day soon this theory will become fact._ The team that wins the championship will not be based on talent, it will be based on who the league wants to win._ The biggest bang for the buck._ Just ask Nash after he got his mouth smashed the other night and no immediate retribution._ Malone should have been ejected immediately._ Instead, the league had to review the tapes, blah, blah, blah.
> 
> Maybe the United States will be blessed with a new league.....I love the professional European leagues._ They are so refreshing to watch._ Reminds me of the NBA glory days...._
> 
> There are some great College games, too._ That's where my head is at....


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## MercyKersey (Jul 22, 2003)

Nice read..
Its about time Wallace stepped up and started letting people know how he feels and what he thinks about. I hope he starts doing more of these type interviews.. I like it..:yes:


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

I figured this out (about the "favorites" in the NBA) years ago. Superstar calls, no calls, non calls, "reviewed" tapes, flagarant elbows that usually result in an ejection that doesn't, travelling not being called, phantom fouls, makeup calls, refs holding a grudge, obviously blown calls that makes you wish the leauge had a review setup...and this isn't just against the Blazers. This is a league wide problem.

The NBA is no longer my favorite sport anymore. MLB is. 

Outside of the Blazers, if you gave me the chance to see a free NBA game, or free MLB game, for the first time ever, (outside of going to a World Series game) I'd pick a MLB game.

Unless Portland is in the finals, I'd rather go to a Stanley cup finals, or the World Series 7 days a week and twice on sunday, over an NBA finals game.

Sure, MLB (and NHL) players get their fair share of "superstar calls", but not nearly to the degree that the NBA does.


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## barfo (Jan 2, 2003)

Actually the O version of the article is longer and more interesting.

Full sheed article 

barfo


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## ABM (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>barfo</b>!
> Actually the O version of the article is longer and more interesting.
> 
> Full sheed article
> ...


Arnold's Black, right? 

It's a sham - I mean, the exploitation of naive, young Black kids, exposing them to millions of dollars, only to throw them to the "wolves" of public concern and debate, and corporate White America? :no:

Is there no shame?

Heh, 'Sheed should have been a Cavalier, 'cause he sure imitates one.


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

now that I've read the whole article, I have to say, to some degree he's right about the exploiting black athletes bit.

Sure, the guys benefit by getting millions, but the NBA itself, markets the living hell out of these guys, and gets a lot more than the players do.

I actually have more respect for Rasheed now, after reading the articles. He is who he is. Does he get a bum rap sometimes? Sure. Is it deserved sometimes? Sure. Do some people continually gripe about him to the point where they out-gripe the people who constantly praise him? Yah.

I think Rasheeds defense is now his best part of his game (partly because he's not playing great offensively (% wise only) and partly because he's no longer expected, imho, to get 18+ ppg). 

I know it's easy to just throw out his claim of using black athletes as paranoid or whatever, because those guys make millions, but the amount of money someone makes doesn't all the sudden exclude them from being the victim of a racist idealogy. 

I'm not saying the owners or league are racist, but it does have some validity to it. I could see where someone would think that there are a lot of guys drafted who aren't "smart", and the owners/league take advantage of them. It's the same mentality in which some high schoolers get passed on through high school because they're an athlete. No one ever says no to them because they see $$, or gravey train. I dont know if it's exclusively a black thing, but I think there's probably a better safety net for white athletes than black athletes.

Think about this. the MVP a couple years ago was Iverson. He was made into a good boy by the league. Their PR group was working overtime on him. This last years finals, (as someone else said recently) both teams were "full of good guys" despite the fact that Kenyon Martin had some bonehead fouls the year before, and Jason Kidd got in trouble for hitting his wife.

In the NBA, it's all about the $$, and who agree's to be exploited.


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## STOMP (Jan 1, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>ABM</b>!
> Arnold's Black, right?


Is he? Reading the various O writers covering the Blazers, he has seemed the least on board with the overt bashing. Still he did embellish around Sheed's quotes to push the public's buttons here. Where does Sheed say he's not a role model as Arnold says he doesn't see himself as? He seems to be saying that everyone can be a role model in their community and you don't have to be a Bball player to do something nice that kids appreciate. 

I liked this quote on leadership and the media... "What they want as a leader is guys out on the court pointing fingers in people's faces," Wallace said. "No. I do my talking out there on the floor, with the help defense and trying to shut my man down and trying to help my teammates help shut their man down. *Whatever I have to do to get the win*. I'll say it when we're by ourselves. When it really matters is in the locker room or at practice. That's when the leadership comes up." 

...since this was said before Damon started publicly pointing fingers at him recently, it's not a direct response of DS's latest examples of "leadership" that he's been recieving positive press for  

In past years when Wallace has done an interview, it's been sliced and diced in the national press to make him appear as bad as possible. I wonder if history is about to repeat itself.

STOMP


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## Reep (Jun 4, 2003)

Two interesting conradictions:

First



> "It's as if we're just going to shut up, sign for the money and do what they tell us."


followed by all the stuff about CTC.

Second,

He talks about



> Wallace acknowledges he's made some mistakes but says he has learned from his errors and is a better person.


after saying earlier



> "I still say the same things I said before. I still do some of the same things I did before," Wallace said. "I haven't changed, and I'm not going to change. Why should I?"


Overall though, I did appreciate his honesty. I still wish he could grow up a little so we would have a good reason to resign him as a non-leader. But that doesn't sound likely


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## bfan1 (Mar 5, 2003)

What a blast of reality. In this day and age where truth is jailed behind the bars of "political correctness" it is wonderful to see that some people are not afraid to say it like it is. (or at least how they believe it is-regardless of how PC incorrect it is). I LOVE IT!

I wish Sheed and other players (Pip) would speak out more often. His words are rough but truthful in nature. My world is nothing like his but I'm not blind to what he is saying. He may be attacked for speaking out, but his attackers will only be doing so because their feathers have been ruffled. 

The truth can be downright shameful.

Some may say we've come a long way...have we really?

I am sure Stern will weigh in on this one very soon. I'd put money on it if I were a betting person. I want to hear how Stern spins this one. 

I can't help but wonder if this will be the time Jason Quick puts out his "report" saying that Sheed won't talk to him because he is white. His "report" that says Portland is not "black player friendly". 

I fully expect that a result of all of this will be fingers across the nation pointing at us-at Portland. I don't like it because I don't feel anything close to this stuff...but I can sure see where a guy like Sheed has reason to have a chip on his shoulder. Just take a good long look at the league.

I wrote to Nash about Jason's impending article-I know he got it. I suggested they prepare to respond should Quick choose to go down this road. I also reminded him of the comments made by local media the day Outlaw was drafted. Was it Jason? I don't know-but my understanding is that he was there. I asked Nash to see if it was Quick that made the remarks and if not, was he one of the ones laughing? Those of you that know what I am talking about should easily see that what was said that day about Outlaw is a direct reflection of what Sheed is talking about. It's sickening. (I am not accusing JQ-I am merely pointing out where he seems to fit in) It's worthy of scrutiny.

I HOPE I am wrong. I hope I am dead wrong, but to me-the writing is all over the wall.

:nonono:


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## mook (Dec 31, 2002)

what an intense guy. man. 

interesting that he brought up his "inner circle" again. he focused on it a few years ago in another interview. the guy seems to have serious, serious issues with paranoia. I can' help but think of Robert DeNiro in Meet the Parents. "Circle of trust." heh. 

good interview, though. he's a little like Charles Barkley, or any other human being without even a slight internal mental filter. just blurts out whatever happens to pop into his head, to hell with what you might think about it.


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## Yega1979 (Mar 22, 2003)

*RAW SHEED is right!*

The NBA drafts black athletes because of how stupid and compliant they are. I mean, just look at the BLAZERS as a prime example! They obey and do whatever coach tells them.

Let's face it, white players just have a bad rep in this league. From Sabonis, "dirty" steve Nash, Stockton, "bottoms up" Nowitski, Stoyakovich, Kirkilenko, and our infamous Matt Carroll, the black apple amongst the Blazers.

I really think it's high time this explotation STOP! The league should enforce equal opportunity and mandate that at least 50% of ball players are white. This explotation if giving young african american high school athletes millions of dollars should end here and now.

Rasheed complains that the commisionor makes more than most of the players(uh humm...more than YOU 17 million dollar"exploited black athlete" rasheed)

Well Rasheed, do you realize that you and your teammates make more than 100% of the FANS who come and watch your sorry butts play? Most of whom are WHITE.


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## bfan1 (Mar 5, 2003)

I think the "inner circle" thing is something that celebrities of all sorts are taught (or learn the hard way). When you make a lot of money-it's wise to be careful of people "outside of your circle"...


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

I guess it's all akin to slavery where the plantation owner only makes more than 75% of the slaves.

BTW I don't mean to offend anyone. I just think that a lot of "minorities" are conditioned to find who is holdiong them back and to point fingers. In a lot of cases racism is an underlying and overwhelming factor, yes even in proffessional sports.

But in the case of the NBA I seriously doubt it is. I typically don't see exploitation being a factor, based on the fact as Sheed pointed out that David Stern makes more than 75% of the players. Most organizations the person in Sterns position would be the highest money earner. If it were exploitation it would be like the WWE where that red faced dude makes more than all the athletes combined.

Anyway I was a little upset by Sheeds "feel sorry for us we are exploited, but I'm too smart for that" mentality, but the rest of the article, but at the same time I actually took more from the other part of the article about Sheed as a person.

I know racism is alive and thriving, but I don't feel that the NBA is a place where it is prevelant, it was at one time no doubt, but times have changed, society is changing. 

Then again I personally am not black, I am not a member of the NBA and I don't make millions, so maybe I only see what I want to see, instead of the underlying conspiracy, to exploit people by paying them more than most people will ever see.


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## ABM (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>bfan1</b>!
> I think the "inner circle" thing is something that celebrities of all sorts are taught (or learn the hard way). When you make a lot of money-it's wise to be careful of people "outside of your circle"...


Back in "the day" when I lived in Lake Oswego, I was personal friends with a friend of Sydney Wick's pot dealer.  

So, I guess I was on the outer fringes of Sid's inner-circle.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Hap</b>!
> Sure, the guys benefit by getting millions, but the NBA itself, markets the living hell out of these guys, and gets a lot more than the players do.


If that's the case then everyone is exploited.

Everyone profits for someone else, I guess the only people not being exploited are people on wellfare.


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Schilly</b>!
> 
> If that's the case then everyone is exploited.
> 
> Everyone profits for someone else, I guess the only people not being exploited are people on wellfare.


there's a difference in being exploited because you're labor, and being exploited because you don't know you're being exploited.

Are the people in sweat shops not exploited?

Their bosses benefit a WHOLE lot more than they do. But so does everyone else.


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## Yega1979 (Mar 22, 2003)

*Rasheed and the Blazers are just po' exploiting black boys*

If you are truely that, Mr. Wallace, [strike]WHY DON'T YOU FOLKS LEAVE[/strike]? Get out of the NBA if you truely "exploited". This just proves that Rasheed doesn't believe his own BS. He's more than willing to make 450 times more in a year than a young professional college grad would.

The truck phrase could be construed as racist-Schilly


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## tlong (Jan 6, 2003)

Rasheed is blowing smoke. He is pulling the exploitation card because he doesn't know what the hell he is talking about. The players agreed to the CBA which slots rookies into certain pay scales which I believe is what he's getting at when he mentions the high school cats being exploited. The players didn't have to agree to the CBA, but they did.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

BTW I wish someone would exploit me the way young NBA players are exploited. Fame Moeny etc etc...

From Websters

*exploit*: 
*1:*_to earn ecconomic account._
*2:*_to use unfairly for one's own advantage_


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## kultcha (Jul 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>theWanker</b>!
> good interview, though. he's a little like Charles Barkley, or any other human being without even a slight internal mental filter. just blurts out whatever happens to pop into his head, to hell with what you might think about it.


To be honest my feeling is that he gave that interview WITH his internal filter on pretty high. I think he has a lot more feelings and theories and ideas about the whole situation and he knows what he said is already controversial enough without adding to it further.


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## bfan1 (Mar 5, 2003)

This kills me. Just because you (generically) don't fall into the "mega bucks" category and Sheed (or anyone else) does...doesn't mean that the exploitation of the "mega bucks" person is OK.

How do we know? We aren't in his shoes. Stern DOES make a LOT of money off of the players...A LOT...the entire league supports him. We have all seen first hand what a "stern" grip he has....if thou dareth to not conform to my rules I shall penalize you greatly. etc. etc.

From underpayment to over fining ( a VERY subjective practice I might add to which there are no checks and balances)...it IS a model of exploitation. Conform and perform or pay the price.

This isn't true in every instance but no one will convince me it isn't alive and well in the NBA.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>bfan1</b>!
> This kills me. Just because you (generically) don't fall into the "mega bucks" category and Sheed (or anyone else) does...doesn't mean that the exploitation of the "mega bucks" person is OK.
> 
> How do we know? We aren't in his shoes. Stern DOES make a LOT of money off of the players...A LOT...the entire league supports him. We have all seen first hand what a "stern" grip he has....if thou dareth to not conform to my rules I shall penalize you greatly. etc. etc.
> ...


It's a business, in a business everyone is exploited to an extent. And at the same time it could be said that the players are exploiting the league, by using there talents to be paid what many people feel is an unfair ammount of money. I don't bite on the players earn too much bit, but I do feel that if anything the players exploit themselves.


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## kultcha (Jul 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>tlong</b>!
> Rasheed is blowing smoke. He is pulling the exploitation card because he doesn't know what the hell he is talking about. The players agreed to the CBA which slots rookies into certain pay scales which I believe is what he's getting at when he mentions the high school cats being exploited. The players didn't have to agree to the CBA, but they did.



I don't agree thats what he is saying. 

I think he is saying they are clueless kids who are given money and told what to say. And since they are clueless, immature, and haven't had time to learn about life yet they do what they are told.

Lets look at this example to illustrate. Do you know how many people win the lottery and go bankrupt within 2 years? Its something like 70%. And do you know why? Its because they have NO idea what to do with that money but they are sure they are set for life.

Yo take a kid out of highschool, you give them a million dollars and lots of attention. Do they know what to do with it? Now take a kid out of highschool who has never had much money, whose family has never had much money, and they've struggled their whole lives. Now you've got a messy situation. And you can see that all aroudn the league.

I feel Rasheed is saying that these kids are being exploited because they're not being forced or even encouraged to get an education, learn how to think for themselves and pull their **** together. They are just being brought in and molded to how the NBA wants to market them.

I never saw him say in that interview that the high school kids were being underpaid. Just they were being used for other peoples benefit not their own. He DID say that the money wasn't being distributed fairly - but he didn't directly tie that to the high school students not being paid enough. He said that the Commissioner was making more then most of the top athletes - and I agree that doesnt make sense to me.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

kultcha I agree with alot of what you have said.

But at the same time he didn't say what you said either. So essentially he spewed a controversial subject without clarification. Not a good move IMO.


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

*Rasheed Article*

Article I saw on ESPN.com about how Rasheed feels that the NBA is drafting a lot of HS players because they want to keep the league dumb. If this was posted already, disregard.

Rasheed Article


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## bfan1 (Mar 5, 2003)

your avatar is completely out of line


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## Fork (Jan 2, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>kultcha</b>!
> 
> I think he is saying they are clueless kids who are given money and told what to say. And since they are clueless, immature, and haven't had time to learn about life yet they do what they are told.
> 
> ...


But the league does have a program where the incoming rookies are given 'the talk' on a variety of subjects from money management to STD prevention to how to keep out of trouble to everything else you can think of. 

There's tons of help for these kids. They all have agents, right? The agent has it in his best interest to watch out for his clients and make sure they're not getting screwed. 

And the kids that are drafted out of high school are either so marketable that they have a team of PR people, marketing people and agents who will ensure that they are never exploited. (eg. Lebron James) or they are absolute nobodies and nobody in the league office could exploit them even if they wanted to, because there's nothing to exploit. (eg. Travis Outlaw)

Rasheed has a lot of free floating anger and he's directing it at the nearest rich white guy he can find.

And BTW, the CEO generally makes more $$$ than the factory worker. That's how it works. If Sheed ran the NBA...oh my goodness. I'd give him about 6 months on the job before the whole league was bankrupt. Stern has made a ton of guys rich. I think he's earned every penny he makes.


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## STOMP (Jan 1, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>kultcha</b>!
> I think he is saying they are clueless kids who are given money and told what to say. And since they are clueless, immature, and haven't had time to learn about life yet they do what they are told.


Just stand over there, look into the cameras, smile and say you couldn't have done it without eating fast food, drinking cola, and Body Solutions...

http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=211&xlc=1097445

STOMP


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## The Enigma (May 10, 2003)

*Wallace Speaks Out on...*

Bonzi Wells' suspension and trade:



> "I know (Memphis president) Jerry (West) is sitting back, laughing."


The Bonzi/ Cheeks situation:



> "As a player, you have to have that fine line of respect. He's (Maurice Cheeks) the coach. No matter how you see it, no matter what you say, no matter what you do, he's the coach. If you go out there on the floor and you're messing up and he pulls you, so what? I might be mad, but he's the coach."
> 
> "As it looks right now, Memphis did (better). But you can't knock it yet. But they got what they wanted. To get him out of here."



There is more...


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>bfan1</b>!
> your avatar is completely out of line


How so? Because I like to look at beautiful women. She is fully clothed. Don't like, don't look.


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## Blazerfan024 (Aug 15, 2003)

*Re: RAW SHEED is right!*



> Originally posted by <b>Yega1979</b>!
> The NBA drafts black athletes because of how stupid and compliant they are. I mean, just look at the BLAZERS as a prime example! They obey and do whatever coach tells them.
> 
> Let's face it, white players just have a bad rep in this league. From Sabonis, "dirty" steve Nash, Stockton, "bottoms up" Nowitski, Stoyakovich, Kirkilenko, and our infamous Matt Carroll, the black apple amongst the Blazers.
> ...


LMAO White People are exploited now. Get out of here lol


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## Blazerfan024 (Aug 15, 2003)

*My favorite Qoute*



> "If it was true that I just cared about the money, then my whole attitude would be different. I want to win every game, and I want to go out a winner. If I retire from this league and I haven't won at least one championship, I'll feel like all my years in the league would be a failure," Wallace said. "As far as the CTC goes, it's a business and you can't put your personal feelings before that.



Good Quote! Here Is Your CTC Answer. So Please leave Him Alone!


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## bfan1 (Mar 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>GQStar10</b>!
> 
> 
> How so? Because I like to look at beautiful women. She is fully clothed. Don't like, don't look.


I would love to not look. Unfortunately since you are a mod I don't have that ability.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>bfan1</b>!
> 
> 
> I would love to not look. Unfortunately since you are a mod I don't have that ability.


In all fairness she is not indecent (maybe a little fake and plastic looking) and this is not the only avatar on the site featuring a woman. I think our own Blayza has had several featuring women.

Sorry Bfan I know it bothers you but it is not outside the realms of the site guidelines.


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Schilly</b>!
> 
> In all fairness she is not indecent (maybe a little fake and plastic looking) and this is not the only avatar on the site featuring a woman. I think our own Blayza has had several featuring women.
> 
> Sorry Bfan I know it bothers you but it is not outside the realms of the site guidelines.


Exactly. That's why I don't think there is a reason to get all bent out of shape about it. Sounds like someone is just a curmudgeon.


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## bfan1 (Mar 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Schilly</b>!
> 
> In all fairness she is not indecent (maybe a little fake and plastic looking) and this is not the only avatar on the site featuring a woman. I think our own Blayza has had several featuring women.
> 
> Sorry Bfan I know it bothers you but it is not outside the realms of the site guidelines.


It isn't fair when my ability to put it on ignore is taken away.


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## mook (Dec 31, 2002)

You are trying to establish your own definition of white beauty on my psyche with your blatantly scandalous avatar! Help! Help! I'm being oppressed! Come see the violence inherent in the system! Violence inherent in the system!


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## pavlo11 (Jul 8, 2003)

Rasheed Wallace is a fool. If he thinks young black males are exploited by the white establishment he is a bigger fool than I thought.


> Wallace thinks that the white establishment of the league is exploiting young black athletes to enrich itself, and he doesn't mince words in talking about it.


 If this statement is true. My boss makes money from the sweat of my brow and I am not being exploited.


> "They look at black athletes like we're dumb-*** ******s. It's as if we're just going to shut up, sign for the money and do what they tell us."


 Listen Rasheed for what your boss is paying you, you owe it to your employer to do what he says. Just because you are a pro athlete doesn't allow you to act like your better than that real exploited worker that picks up after you in the locker room. Both players and the NBA recieve positives from an NBA contract.THAT IS NOT EXPLOITATION Another thing Rasheed don't contradict yourself in the same interview.


> It's the night after the Blazers suffered an 81-80 home loss to Washington, a game in which Wallace took six shots and finished with three points. Someone earning nearly $17 million this season should be taking more than six shots a game, critics say. Even his teammates have been frustrated: Damon Stoudamire said Wallace needs to take more shots and display more aggressiveness if the Blazers are to win. "I'm not worried about my shots," Wallace said. "I know if I wanted to, I could shoot the ball every time I wanted. I know I could shoot 50 times if I wanted and not get cussed out. But what good is that? What's the result in that? A, I don't hit more than half the shots, and B, we lose."


 Then about winning.


> "What they want as a leader is guys out on the court pointing fingers in people's faces," Wallace said. "No. I do my talking out there on the floor, with the help defense and trying to shut my man down and trying to help my teammates help shut their man down. Whatever I have to do to get the win.


 You are an overpaid fool. 

This post is not from a Blazer hater I am an NBA fan and I feel sorry for the "true" Blazer fans that don't buy into his lines of crap! Will Portland managment get it together and start looking out for the fans instead of the cancers that have shamed a once great NBA francise?


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## Storyteller (Dec 31, 2002)

Hmmm...very interesting...



> Why he has an adversarial relationship with the local media:
> 
> "One thing that sparked it off was a teammate of mine, and a reporter kept digging and digging and digging and came with stuff. That whole little ordeal had me hot, because I'm thinking, 'Give the man a break.' Granted, he might have made a mistake and did this or did that, but you can't go prying into his business. Instead of being news reporters, they want to be private investigators.
> 
> ...


Any guesses as to who "a reporter" might be??????


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## Tommyboy (Jan 3, 2003)

rasheed is fraudulently exploiting the city of Portland the the entire league by masquerading as a $17 Million per year superstar when he's actually a $6 Million per year role player.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>pavlo11</b>!
> Rasheed Wallace is a fool. If he thinks young black males are exploited by the white establishment he is a bigger fool than I thought. If this statement is true. My boss makes money from the sweat of my brow and I am not being exploited. Listen Rasheed for what your boss is paying you, you owe it to your employer to do what he says. Just because you are a pro athlete doesn't allow you to act like your better than that real exploited worker that picks up after you in the locker room. Both players and the NBA recieve positives from an NBA contract.THAT IS NOT EXPLOITATION Another thing Rasheed don't contradict yourself in the same interview. Then about winning. You are an overpaid fool.
> 
> This post is not from a Blazer hater I am an NBA fan and I feel sorry for the "true" Blazer fans that don't buy into his lines of crap! Will Portland managment get it together and start looking out for the fans instead of the cancers that have shamed a once great NBA francise?


I value outside sources. Sometimes as Blazer fans we get too wrapped up in defending our team to see through to the obvious.


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## Oldmangrouch (Feb 11, 2003)

Let me see if I understand the rules of this game.

If Sheed doesn't talk to the media, he is a bad guy.

If Sheed does talk to the media, he is a worse guy. How dare he hold an opinion contrary to what you think!

Sheed may not understand the word "exploitation"........but some folks here are equally weak on "fairness." :sigh:


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## dkap (May 13, 2003)

Just putting together a response while reading through this thread, so I apologize if some of it has already been touched upon...



> The team that wins the championship will not be based on talent, it will be based on who the league wants to win._ The biggest bang for the buck.


This is nonsense. As Hap said, there is plenty of evidence that the league and officials favor certain players -- even admitted by the league at one point, as they're aware fans want to see the marquee players on the floor, not fouled out -- but only a very, very weak case can be made for them favoring actual teams. Malone got his share of calls while in Utah, too. Who thinks Utah and San Antonio are at the top of the league's "favored" list??? The most talented, toughest teams usually make it to the Finals. It's coincidental that the glamorous, big city teams generally get the most talent.



> Maybe the United States will be blessed with a new league.....I love the professional European leagues._ They are so refreshing to watch.


Yeah, too bad a lot of them don't even pay their players when all is said and done.



> Sure, the guys benefit by getting millions, but the NBA itself, markets the living hell out of these guys, and gets a lot more than the players do.


There's nothing wrong with that at all. Works that way in every industry. The people running the show put their money on the line to make the overall enterprise profitable, and they get rewarded with the biggest payoff when it works. No one's being taken advantage of here. They choose whether or not to enter the NBA, and they can leave pretty much any time they want. If it weren't for the NBA's structure and marketing, they'd basically be playing street ball for no pay. How can there be any complaint?



> From underpayment to over fining ( a VERY subjective practice I might add to which there are no checks and balances)...it IS a model of exploitation. Conform and perform or pay the price.


No more subjective than the level of salaries. Each is roughly indicative of the plus/minus value to the league of various actions. We may not agree with certain league decisions, but they're all made for a reason ... league profitability. Everyone involved benefits from a profitable league, the players especially.

Overall, nice to see Rasheed speaking candidly, but boy does he need to smooth out the wrinkles in this conspiracy theory. Can you say swiss cheese?

Dan


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## Trader Ed (Jun 17, 2002)

*Re: Rasheed Article*



> Originally posted by <b>GQStar10</b>!
> Article I saw on ESPN.com about how Rasheed feels that the NBA is drafting a lot of HS players because they want to keep the league dumb. If this was posted already, disregard.
> 
> Rasheed Article


Yes, it was what I started this thread with



By the way.... who changed the name of my thread from Sheed's version of dumb and dumber" to "RAW SHEED is right" ??? 

Its part of the article



> _Wallace added that teams are drafting high school players because they want athletes who are "dumb and dumber."_


Please change it back!


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## Storyteller (Dec 31, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Oldmangrouch</b>!
> Let me see if I understand the rules of this game.
> 
> If Sheed doesn't talk to the media, he is a bad guy.
> ...


It's pretty clear that the team has asked Rasheed to interact with the media more. It's also clear that he's taking steps to do just that.

Interaction with the media during training camp.
The interview with John Thompson.
The interview with Geoffrey Arnold.

Plus, I heard Mychal Thompson on the radio yesterday (he's a co-host on local talk radio down here in LA) saying that he's hopeful of getting an interview with Sheed during the radio broadcast on Friday. If it happens (and if I get a chance to listen), I'll post a recap.

All along, the media's argument has been "we're just trying to be a conduit by which the fans get to know the real Sheed." I for one would say that I now know where Sheed stands. And I'm glad that he's agreed to do the interviews. I don't need for each and every reporter in the world to have an "exlusive interview" for me to feel that Wallace has lived up to his part of the bargain - he's compliant with the 25 points. Now, the only reasons I want to hear for trading him or letting him go should be for his performance on the court (unless, of course, he has a major off-court incident).


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## RoddneyThaRippa (Jun 28, 2003)

Well, a lot of what Rasheed said is somewhat mind-boggling but I don't think his comments about exploitation are completely out of line. I just think rather than blaming the NBA, it reflects on society as a whole. How many CEOs of big companies are white? The vast majority. Say what you want about why that is but it's no secret it has something to do with the way blacks have been and are treated in this country. I'm not saying it is impossible for black people to become CEOs or that it is no fault of their own, but there is certainly a deeper truth to be discovered in the fact that white people control most of the money in the country. But does this necessarily mean the NBA is intentionally trying to exploit blacks? I would say no, but I'm not in Rasheed's position so I have a limited viewpoint. But I would definitely say there is some weight to the idea of a white guy controlling a league in which the revenue is generated mostly by black guys. I think it is a snapshot of our society as a whole, but not something that can particularily be singled-out for anything other than a microcosm of the complete picture.


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

> "If it was true that I just cared about the money, then my whole attitude would be different. I want to win every game, and I want to go out a winner. If I retire from this league and I haven't won at least one championship, I'll feel like all my years in the league would be a failure," Wallace said. "As far as the CTC goes, it's a business and you can't put your personal feelings before that.
> 
> "I would like to be out here, my wife likes it out here, and she's established out here. My kids have friends out here and go to school out here. I would say we're intertwined in the community. But if I have to go somewhere else and play, I'm not going to sit up here and boo-hoo about going. No, because at the end of the day, I will still be able to do the things necessary to take care of my family.
> 
> "That's what the CTC means, whoever cuts that check, that's who I have to play for."


Finally, he explains it properly, putting lie to the idea that what he meant was that all that mattered to him was the cutting of checks.


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

> "I know the commissioner of this league makes more than three-quarters of the players in this league."


Why shouldn't he? He actually graduated from college, unlike most NBA players. He also went to law school and worked his way up through the business world. He has to know the intricacies of the law on issues like TV contracts, sponsorship deals, licensing agreements, promotional events, the draft, the rights of foreign players, and so on. He also has to deal with the media constantly and be knowledgeable about all issues related to the NBA. He is the driving force behind NBA expansion, NBA promotion, and the collective bargaining agreement. He probably works at least 9 or 10 hours a day, every day of the year. He is, in short, the driving force of the league, with all of the pressure and responsibility that that entails.

The players, on the other hand, merely have to show up for games on time. If they get arrested for smoking pot or beating up their girlfriend, it's no big deal. They've got a guaranteed contract! (Unlike the commisioner) A player doesn't have to be a college graduate, or even be smart enough to complete an English sentence or know why "ain't" is not proper English. And, unlike the commisioner, every summer they're on a beach or a golf course somewhere. 



> "In my opinion, they just want to draft ******s who are dumb and dumber -- straight out of high school."


Or, straight out of UNC without a college degree, in Wallace's case. Poor guy, he's terribly exploited. He gets to run amuck to his heart's content, spurn the media, sleep through practice, attack his own coach, attack the referees, and lolly-gag through games, and still he gets paid $17 million a year. Tough life. Almost as bad as slavery, I guess.

But apart from that, why isn't Wallace rejoicing about these young guys getting well-paid jobs right out of high school? Tell me one other organization in the world that would have given Travis Outlaw over half a million dollars to sit on the bench and watch NBA games? That's affirmative action and civil rights and the gravy train all rolled into one. Wallace should be praising the NBA for giving these poor young brothers such a big handout at an early age.



> "They look at black athletes like we're dumb-*** ******s. It's as if we're just going to shut up, sign for the money and do what they tell us."


So what is the NBA telling its players? Play hard, be good citizens, respect your coach, don't use illegal drugs, show up for practice, talk to the media, etc. Yeah, that's brutal man. Totally unreasonable. No wonder Wallace is so upset. 

What do you expect the NBA to do, Wallace? Give you $17 million a year and tell you to go out and do anything you want to? No company in the world would do that. With great wealth and fame and privilege comes at least a little responsibility!



> "What they want as a leader is guys out on the court pointing fingers in people's faces," Wallace said."


No, you won't point a finger in your teammate's face, but you sure don't mind pointing it at a referee and screaming at him. 



> "I'll say it when we're by ourselves. When it really matters is in the locker room or at practice. That's when the leadership comes up."


Like the time you tried to attack Dunleavy in the locker room? Or the time you were watching a game on TV and whooping it up right after a tough Blazer loss, and Scottie Pippen had to come over and turn the TV off? Yeah, that's leadership in the locker room, Wallace.




> "I'm not scared of the NBA. I'm not scared of the NBA officials."


Who said you were? Who said you were supposed to be? The NBA pays you tons of money every year--why should you be afraid of them? They are your best friend in the world, Moron! They enable you to live a life of luxury and do something you enjoy. Or are you just beating your chest like a 10-year-old on the playground? If so, we're all very impressed. It makes us feel so good to know that our best player isn't afraid of the referees. Of course, we'd prefer it if you weren't afraid to play in the paint and get a little banged up, but apparently those bruisers down there frighten the bejesus out of you.



> "[The officials] came messing with me, in the beginning, when I was with Washington."


How dare they!? What gall? Didn't they know that the NBA belonged to you even when you were a rookie, and you got to decide the rules you were going to play by? Good grief! What were those referees thinking? 



> "They can say what they want, but it doesn't matter. It's not like it's going to make me go into my room and cry."


Sniff, sniff . . . I'm sorry life has dealt you such a crappy hand. Everybody is against you, aren't they? Nobody understands? Life is so unfair. 



> "I still say the same things I said before. I still do some of the same things I did before," Wallace said. "I haven't changed, and I'm not going to change. Why should I?"


Because you're generally regarded as an A-hole and a jerk? Other than that, no reason.


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>kultcha</b>!
> 
> You take a kid out of highschool, you give them a million dollars and lots of attention. Do they know what to do with it? Now take a kid out of highschool who has never had much money, whose family has never had much money, and they've struggled their whole lives. Now you've got a messy situation. And you can see that all aroudn the league.
> 
> I feel Rasheed is saying that these kids are being exploited because they're not being forced or even encouraged to get an education, learn how to think for themselves and pull their **** together. They are just being brought in and molded to how the NBA wants to market them.


Excellent points.


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## RoddneyThaRippa (Jun 28, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Talkhard</b>!
> 
> 
> Why shouldn't he? He actually graduated from college, unlike most NBA players. He also went to law school and worked his way up through the business world. He has to know the intricacies of the law on issues like TV contracts, sponsorship deals, licensing agreements, promotional events, the draft, the rights of foreign players, and so on. He also has to deal with the media constantly and be knowledgeable about all issues related to the NBA. He is the driving force behind NBA expansion, NBA promotion, and the collective bargaining agreement. He probably works at least 9 or 10 hours a day, every day of the year. He is, in short, the driving force of the league, with all of the pressure and responsibility that that entails.
> ...


You made SOME good points but you've totally misinterpreted Rasheed's definition of exploited.


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>dkap</b>!
> 
> If it weren't for the NBA's structure and marketing, they'd basically be playing street ball for no pay. How can there be any complaint?


I don't see how it's a choice between having an "NBA structure and marketing" or *nothing* for NBA players.

With no players, there would be nothing for the NBA to market, so truly, for the Stern and the league, it's the NBA or no pay (except in another sector).

However, with no league, is it really true that NBA players couldn't organize their own games, with paid tickets? Sure, they wouldn't be as good at running an organization as the NBA currently is, but all profits would go straight to them.

This definitely should be a highly unequal relationship, but in the player's direction. There's no business without the players but the same can't be said with no NBA.


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## Samuel (Jan 1, 2003)

I'm laughing my butt off at people trying to defend Rasheed. Let's face it, he has no clue what he is talking about.


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## RoddneyThaRippa (Jun 28, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>tblazrdude</b>!
> I'm laughing my butt off at people trying to defend Rasheed. Let's face it, he has no clue what he is talking about.


Why is that? Are you an NBA player? I'm not defending Rasheed but I think some of his opinions do hold some weight, but for different reasons.


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## dkap (May 13, 2003)

> However, with no league, is it really true that NBA players couldn't organize their own games


Is there any example in the history of this country that would indicate such a venture would not lead toward an equally "exploitive" organization in time?

Dan


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## Samuel (Jan 1, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>RoddneyThaRippa</b>!
> 
> 
> Why is that? Are you an NBA player? I'm not defending Rasheed but I think some of his opinions do hold some weight, but for different reasons.


He seems to have no concept of logic. He opens his mouth and a series of contradictory rants comes out. If his theories about the NBA were a reasonably unified line of thinking, I'd consider thinking about what he has to say.


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## RoddneyThaRippa (Jun 28, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>tblazrdude</b>!
> 
> 
> He seems to have no concept of logic. He opens his mouth and a series of contradictory rants comes out. If his theories about the NBA were a reasonably unified line of thinking, I'd consider thinking about what he has to say.


Again, the way he said it may be askew but that doesn't mean there is no truth to the base of his argument. Rasheed is a weird cat, no doubt, but that doesn't negate everything he has to say.


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## Samuel (Jan 1, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>RoddneyThaRippa</b>!
> 
> 
> Again, the way he said it may be askew but that doesn't mean there is no truth to the base of his argument. Rasheed is a weird cat, no doubt, but that doesn't negate everything he has to say.


It certainly does in my book. I look at Barkley the same way.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Minstrel</b>!
> 
> 
> I don't see how it's a choice between having an "NBA structure and marketing" or *nothing* for NBA players.
> ...


But the chances are that they would eventually realize that they need to hire a commisioner at some level, and that person in all likelyhood wouldn't do it for free, so he would nedd to be paid. Then they would realize that there needs to be som sort of protection for the individual players built in, so a union would need to be implemented. Without the organization you have the And1 tour or the Harlem Globetrotters.

While in theory you are 100% correct the odds of such a league being actually successful are very very low IMO. THink of who the league would appeal to.

It's a partnership, the league and the union and it needs to be in order to work.


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## BEEZ (Jun 12, 2002)

I'm shocked more than anything that he has a 16 year old son


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## yangsta (May 14, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>BEEZ</b>!
> I'm shocked more than anything that he has a 16 year old son


Say What?


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

He adopted a former girlfriends son.


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## Oldmangrouch (Feb 11, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>RoddneyThaRippa</b>!
> 
> 
> Again, the way he said it may be askew but that doesn't mean there is no truth to the base of his argument. Rasheed is a weird cat, no doubt, but that doesn't negate everything he has to say.



Personally, I find it refreshing that a player actually expressed an honest opinion, rather than just spewing pablum. I don't agree with everything he said - so what! No where in his contract does it say " only say things grumpy old (white) men want to hear!"


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## dkap (May 13, 2003)

Let's look at this from a slightly different angle. If I'm not mistaken, Rasheed has his own record label, correct? Do we know what percentage he makes from that enterprise? (I doubt it.) Unless he's running it as a charitable business, it wouldn't reflect terribly well on his views of the league. Now, _that_ is a candid interview topic I'd love to hear.

Dan


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

*Re: Re: Rasheed Article*



> Originally posted by <b>Trader Bob</b>!
> 
> 
> Yes, it was what I started this thread with
> ...





I'm not sure it happened, but somehow I might have merged the threads in the wrong order.


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

I'm glad Rasheed spoke his mind, I guess. I don't agree with much of what he said (in terms of the exploitation issue), but that's OK by me. 

I don't really care that he gives interviews at all, so whether he says something incredibly inane or insightful isn't very important to me.

Ed O.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

To be honest I was offended about his concept of exploitation, but that doens't make me think he should be traded or he has to go, just that maybe his perception of reality is a little skewed.


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## BEEZ (Jun 12, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Schilly</b>!
> He adopted a former girlfriends son.


That right there is a reason to like Rasheed


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>dkap</b>!
> 
> Is there any example in the history of this country that would indicate such a venture would not lead toward an equally "exploitive" organization in time?


It *is* worth exploring whether Capitalism is inherently exploitive. Certainly, very knowledgeable economists have made statements to that effect, the most famous I can recall being, "The wheels of Capitalism are greased by the blood of the workers."

We grow up in it, it's ingrained as a tremendous system (which it is, in certain ways). But just because "this is not much different" from other industries and situations doesn't necessarily mean it's *not* exploitive.

In fact, Capitalism was tremendously exploitive from the start, forcing unions to be necessary to reign it in. Did that make it entirely even? It's a good question.

While I doubt Wallace has done a comprehensive study of the Capitalistic system, he may be tapping into similar problems in the NBA, which could be generalized to much more of the society.


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## Tommyboy (Jan 3, 2003)

as some of you know, i work on a 100% commission basis, therefore my paycheck each month is based 100% on how much money I earn. I split every dollar I earn with the company (the EXPLOITER) they get 55% and I get 45%. 

so if I make for sake of argument $100,000 this year, the company made $122,000 off my business. However they did nothing except provide a phone, a computer, an office and some support staff to generate that $122,000. I suppose they are making a handsome profit off my business. DAMNIT I'M EXPLOITED!


what these players fail to understand is that the owners in the NBA (and in my case the owners of my business) take a very large risk, and in the case of the NBA the risk is in the multi millions of dollars, every year. What if they pay too much for players and team revenue goes down and they lose millions? What if one of their star players is injured severly and his career ends and they lose millions on his contract? What if they build a new stadium and spend millions of their own money and then find in 8 years they cannot generate enough revenue to make the payments on that loan? What if leaguewide television and marketing revenues take a huge drop in the next round of negotiations (leaving teams with less shared revenue)?

all of these things have happened in the past in the NBA and will most likely happen again. I wonder if the players even understand these risks. The players have very few risks, they are guaranteed contracts. They get paid no matter what. You would have to practically kill a person to have your contract nullified in the NBA. Latrell Sprewell choked his coach, had his contract voided, sued the NBA and got his money back, then re-signed with NY Knicks and got ANOTHER huge guaranteed contract. These players don't understand risk at all. They live in a cocoon.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

I think Rasheed's error in judgement was bringing race into the issue. On average I would suspect that the African American players in the league make more money than the Caucasian players. I may be wrong, but it would be interesting to see. If that were the case it would blow Sheeds theory as long as it has the race label attached to it. With out the race label it may be an topic that has more merit.

But as far as players being exploited they don't have to enter the draft, they don't have to sign contracts, they have lawyers that represent them, to make sure they are taken care of.

Actually in thinking about it, if anyone is exploiting these players it is the agents. The ones who are bribing them and contacting them against amatuer guidelines, why? so they can make a buck, not so the league does better.


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Schilly</b>!
> 
> But as far as players being exploited they don't have to enter the draft, they don't have to sign contracts


On the other hand, unlike other industries, there aren't very viable options. If you leave school with a Computer Science degree or Business degree clutched in your hot little hand, you can look around and make some decisions about who you want to work for.

There's not just one organization that you must work for, where your work environment will be decided for you.

Now, mind, I'm not saying, "Poor little athletes, they don't get to decide where they go play." But there *is* more opportunity for exploitation when you have no real employment choices within your industry.

Of course, "exploitation" needs context. It's not like they're going to end up with $12k a year. They will be highly-paid, but quite possibly much less than they "should" be (and no, I don't know what they "should" be paid...my training is not in economics). And while none of this may matter for the max contract folks, who pull in double digit millions, it could very well matter for the peons who "only" make a few hundred thousand a year.

A few hundred thousand a year sounds great, except that they don't pull that paycheck until they're 60. The average athlete has a pretty shot career span. So, for the non-superstar, it can have fairly serious ramifications *if* the league is pulling profits that ought to go to players.


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## Fork (Jan 2, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Minstrel</b>!
> On the other hand, unlike other industries, there aren't very viable options. If you leave school with a Computer Science degree or Business degree clutched in your hot little hand, you can look around and make some decisions about who you want to work for.


Europe. Australia. China. 

There's plenty of leagues out there. If Sheed doesn't want to play by the NBA rules, he doesn't have to. He could even start his own league. 

All companies have rules that their employees have to follow. If an employee doesn't like it...there's the door. Lots of luck buddy. Hope you make 17 million per year in the league that you start where players get to abuse the refs to their heart's content.


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

I'm trying not to get drawn into this, but I'd say that Rasheed questioning the capitalist nature of a system that's made him so much money is about as worthwhile as him questioning why the NBA has 12 minute quarters or why the rim is 10 feet high with a net. That's just the way the game is. 

I question, too, whether Rasheed's comments are even factually accurate... do the owners "exploit" the players in the sense that the owners make more than the players do? When Paul Allen lost $100m last year, who was exploiting whom?

Ah, well. Rasheed can make his statements and I'm sure that there's an emotional consistency in that he constantly feels pressure to shut up and play... except when the league wants him to talk...

Ed O.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Ed O</b>!
> Ah, well. Rasheed can make his statements and I'm sure that there's an emotional consistency in that he constantly feels pressure to shut up and play... except when the league wants him to talk...
> 
> Ed O.


I almost wonder if Sheed is going to the "Alright you want me to talk well here ya go" kinda road.


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## Terrible (Jan 3, 2003)

Sheed talking about exploitation is just :laugh: :laugh: !!!!!

Does he realize if he wasn't 6'11 he'd be pumping gas for a career?

Oh it's true! They published a copy of his GPA and SAT scores his first year at UNC in a DUKE paper and let's just say he reads on about a sixth grade level at best.

Do any of you know how hard it is to get into UNC out of state? Damn hard. 1200 SAT will get you wait listed and that's if you have had a full high school career and AP classes while working part time in an old folks home. 

Ya think Sheed did that? 

How many NBA players have gotten to go to great schools on lowered admission levels? Most of them! How would they have fared if they had to apply like every other college student did? Well?

I played football and I can tell you this, our team would have been very different if the guys playing were in because of their grades first and talent second. Was I exploited? You bet, I played ball and got a degree from a school I would not have gotten into on my own 1100 SAT scores out of state and being of color.

The NBA and NFL would be white and asian if it went by college grads and grade point that's for damn sure.

Sheed has now made himself untradeable. Who in the hell wants this type of cancer on their team who has openly called out the NBA top brass while bringing in 17 mill of their racist dollars?

When the race card is used the debate is already lost!

Way to go Sheed, it's not just your underachieving you'll be remembered for now!


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## ABM (Dec 30, 2002)

Did anybody happen to catch the ESPN _Pardon The Interruption_ bit on Sheed?

I was at the club working out and could see it, but the sound system was out, so I couldn't hear it. I was just curious as to their (outrageous) veiwpoints! :laugh:


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Fork</b>!
> 
> 
> Europe. Australia. China.


Yeah, I said "real options." Other industries don't force you to decide between one organization and a tenth the pay anywhere else.


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## Fork (Jan 2, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Minstrel</b>!
> Yeah, I said "real options." Other industries don't force you to decide between one organization and a tenth the pay anywhere else.


Well, then if he hates the NBA so badly, I guess it's time for him to fall back on that sweet BA in Communications that he sweated so hard to earn. Or did he even graduate?

I'm not buying the 'exploitation' thing and I don't get how anybody could.


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## Terrible (Jan 3, 2003)

PTI was brutal on Sheed! They said he's a cancer and an embarrassment for Ptown, the league and nothing that comes out of his mouth is worth a crap, pretty much.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Terrible</b>!
> Sheed talking about exploitation is just :laugh: :laugh: !!!!!
> 
> Does he realize if he wasn't 6'11 he'd be pumping gas for a career?
> ...


Terrible you make some very valid points here. At the same time you made the exact same mistake Sheed did, you played the race card. If you had simply left it as athletes in general it would have been valid. If you had said the quality of play would be lowere you would probably be right.

One factor though, last time I checked the major differences had to do with studius behavior as far as graduating with high enough GPA's, which usually leads to higher SATS, to get into college. If Athletes in general were held to the same accademic standards I imagine they would achive higher grades on a whole.

Alot of it ties to the ego attached to a celebrated athlete at any level.


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## ABM (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Terrible</b>!
> PTI was brutal on Sheed! They said he's a cancer and an embarrassment for Ptown, the league and nothing that comes out of his mouth is worth a crap, pretty much.



Interesting! Thanks for sharing.


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## Terrible (Jan 3, 2003)

No it's just me being as usual a HUGE Sheed basher.:grinning: 

No they actually did say that.


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## dkap (May 13, 2003)

> I said "real options." Other industries don't force you to decide between one organization and a tenth the pay anywhere else.


Every job has pros and cons. Other than prison work release programs and perhaps some forms of blackmail, I'm not aware of any jobs in this country where employees do not have a choice whether or not to enter. Sheed chose to enter a very lucrative profession. He probably _could_ find someone willing to play by his rules if he in turn chose to look elsewhere and take a significant pay cut.

Where there's a clear choice, there is very little case that can be made for exploitation.

Dan


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## Blazer Ringbearer (Jan 28, 2003)

Terrible (and others),

How much money does the average 1200 SAT scorer put into the pockets of the university? I can guarantee you it's a lot less than star athletes...

The NCAA might be a better example for Sheed's ire when it comes to the exploitation of star athletes. Personally, I don't really think it's an issue of race, or if so not much of one. It just so happens that most star athletes in this country are black.

I don't really agree with a lot of what Sheed said, but I can see why he might think that way. To each his own. I liked the personal stuff, made him look better than I'm used to seeing from the big O. Regardless, I like him as a ball player and probably always will.

Honestly, for those of you who generally dislike Sheed, would you prefer he tell you his opinions or not? Pick one and stick to it, please...

Cheers


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## trifecta (Oct 10, 2002)

1. I really am glad to read a Rasheed interview.

2. I think the issue is that Sheed and many others have no idea how much of their salary comes from the marketing and guidance provided by ownership and the league. The mistake many people make is that they figure that players are earning that kind of dough because they play basketball. Obviously I have no numbers and I doubt there is any real accurate way to come up with such numbers but my guess is that if there was a way to separate dollars earned for playing the game and dollars brought to the table by the 'exploiters', Sheed would be more than a little surprised. I was about to say 'embarassed' but fortunately I remembered who we're talking about.


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## Bwatcher (Dec 31, 2002)

I'm generally with OldmanG on this one. For us locals, I think that this window into Sheed's world is probably better than no window at all. It will play to Portland's disadvantage on the national scene, but the Blazers won't get any breaks there for years to come anyway. It might have lowered the trade prospects for Rasheed, but I kind of think they haven't changed all that much.

For me, I think that Sheed 
-- is a really emotional guy
-- really has problems trusting people
-- feels under attack, and this heightens his usual defensiveness even more
-- is still pretty bitter about the loss to the Lakers in the WCF Final
-- hasn't yet had to compromise his "natural" inclinations very much to make a living, and he probably won't have to
-- is much more defensive than he needs to be
-- isn't really that much into money; his idea of being independent, of being his own man, are much more important;
-- really wants to be liked for being himself, despite his many human frailties and faults

I think I understand him a little better, and why his play is inconsistent. I don't like it any better, but I will have more accurate expectations for his play. For me, I wish this article had appeared about 3 years ago. I would have understood right away, that he would never be successful in the role of primary scorer. He doesn't want the pressure, as it to much makes him feel that he loses his independence, his own natural self.


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## BEEZ (Jun 12, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Bwatcher</b>!
> I'm generally with OldmanG on this one. For us locals, I think that this window into Sheed's world is probably better than no window at all. It will play to Portland's disadvantage on the national scene, but the Blazers won't get any breaks there for years to come anyway. It might have lowered the trade prospects for Rasheed, but I kind of think they haven't changed all that much.
> 
> For me, I think that Sheed
> ...


Great post


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

> It is worth exploring whether Capitalism is inherently exploitive . . . "


I guess it is if you have nothing better to do. Maybe you should ask the millions of people from all over the world who try to get into this country every year just for a chance to be "exploited." 



> " . . . Certainly, very knowledgeable economists have made statements to that effect, the most famous I can recall being, "The wheels of Capitalism are greased by the blood of the workers."


Who said that, a Marxist? Those were the guys who built the Soviet Union, that shining example of a utopian socialist state that went out of business a while back.


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## Backboard Cam (Apr 29, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Bwatcher</b>!
> For me, I think that Sheed
> -- is a really emotional guy
> -- really has problems trusting people
> ...


I think that's why I still like Rasheed- he's a lot like me. Er, I mean I'm a lot like him- sorry Sheed.

Part of being your own man is needing to feel like you have control over your own life. Dealing with it by lashing out is one way, and for Wallace maybe he sees that as his only choice.

But he affects other people. IMO if you're in his position you need to think about what kids think. They will repeat your actions. Maybe Rasheed thought at an early age than the nba was his "only ticket out" and he needed to help his mom, and he couldn't be a rapper.  But now he has money, so if he doesn't want to give up a bit of control over certain parts of his life, maybe he needs to think about retiring. 

And when he retires, I don't want to hear any "oh, they wouldn't accept me for who I am," I think Rasheed knew what the world of an nba player would be like. Maybe he didn't know it at age 8 or whenever everyone told him he was going to be an nba all-star someday, but he had time to _really_ take contol of his life and do something that would make him happy.

Playing in the nba does not make Rasheed Wallace happy, and it's his own damn fault.


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Talkhard</b>!
> 
> 
> I guess it is if you have nothing better to do.


I don't look to you, Talkhard, for discussion simply in the name of intellectual inquiry. I know to you everything is black or white.


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

> I don't look to you, Talkhard, for discussion simply in the name of intellectual inquiry. I know to you everything is black or white.


No, it's not. But saying that Capitalism exploits workers is just nonsense. The U.S. provides workers more opportunity and chance for advancement than any nation on earth. That's why scientists and inventors and intellectuals flood into this country all the time. We not only have the highest standard of living in the world, we also have more personal freedoms than about any other people on the face of the earth. Even the "poor" in this country are better off than the middle class in about 150 other countries. People have been coming here since we were founded to escape poverty and oppression and reap the benefits of their brains and their brawn. That's not exploitation: that's OPPORTUNITY!


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Talkhard</b>!
> 
> No, it's not. But saying that Capitalism exploits workers is just nonsense.


Saying "No, it's not," and then following it up with a statement that clearly shows you wouldn't even *consider* an alternate viewpoint doesn't precisely jibe.

I think claiming something as complex as Capitalism is a pure good or pure evil is silly...therefore, the answer quite clearly lies somewhere in between, and I'm receptive to arguments for anywhere in between.

But, yes, arguments like, "This is great and any other position is nonsense," *does* leave me cold.

I never said I agreed that NBA players are exploited...just that Capitalism as an exploitive force has been postulated many times, by perfectly good economic thinkers, and it remains a perfectly worthwhile discussion. Perhaps not here, but Wallace isn't an *** for bringing up the idea.


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

> Saying "No, it's not," and then following it up with a statement that clearly shows you wouldn't even consider an alternate viewpoint doesn't precisely jibe.


I'll consider your viewpoint, but I'll also state my opinion. I have a strong opinion on this topic. I'm sorry if that offends you. I assume you hold some strong opinions yourself, and can't be swayed from them. And that's fine. 

I know there have been cases of worker exploitation in this country. In the early part of the 20th century, children used to work very long hours in factories, under unsafe conditions. There are other examples, as well. But to indict the system of capitalism as being inherently exploitative is a sweeping generalization that I think is provably wrong, for the reasons I already stated.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on Wallace. I think he IS an *** for talking about the "exploitation" of young black basketball players. These guys are getting the ride of their life, making more money than they ever dreamed of, playing on TV, getting their picture on the cover of magazines, and signing endorsement deals. How is that exploitation? That's a kid reaping the benefits of his natural abilities in a way that isn't possible in most other countries. Look at Travis Outlaw sitting at the end of Portland's bench. He contributes almost nothing to the team, yet he is right now making 10 times as much money as his own father, who has been a policeman in Mississippi for many years. 

Pretty remarkable, eh?


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## Gym Rat (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Talkhard</b>!
> These guys are getting the ride of their life, making more money than they ever dreamed of, playing on TV, getting their picture on the cover of magazines, and signing endorsement deals. How is that exploitation? That's a kid reaping the benefits of his natural abilities in a way that isn't possible in most other countries. Look at Travis Outlaw sitting at the end of Portland's bench. He contributes almost nothing to the team, yet he is right now making 10 times as much money as his own father, who has been a policeman in Mississippi for many years.
> 
> Pretty remarkable, eh?


Remarkable indeed! And, if that is exploitation, can someone please exploit me?


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## bfan1 (Mar 5, 2003)

I just read the article again. I don't see where Wallace says the He has been exploited. i see where he refers to the young kids coming out of high school...but not he himself....????

It was on the news and has been bugging me so I read it all again...it says pretty much that the NBA is a business and that there is a lot of number crunching but no where does he say that HE HIMSELF is or has been exploited....he seems to think its a crooked business...well-is he wrong? But this crap about exploitation isn't there. Not like people are saying.


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## STOMP (Jan 1, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Schilly</b>!
> He adopted a former girlfriends son.





> Originally posted by <b>BEEZ</b>!
> That right there is a reason to like Rasheed


I believe this is the same son that after Wallace was granted custody of him, the girlfiriend kidnapped the child and went on the run. Wallace made several pleas to the Portland community to ask for help finding him. A tip led to his boy's discovery just before Christmas, and us fans got to see a very happy family reunited. 

That said, I'm with Ed on this...



> Originally posted by <b>Ed O</b>!
> I don't really care that he gives interviews at all, so whether he says something incredibly inane or insightful isn't very important to me.


... I tune in to watch basketball. Wallace is a very good player who seems to get along well with his teammates and coaches. Combine that with staying out of bigtime trouble (like a felony), and I have no problem clapping. Why should I care what some dumb jock I'll never meet or know says or thinks? I care more what the people around me have on their minds. The star athletes I grew up with were not *people* I wanted to emulate in any way, but I still like to watch sports. If Wallace (or any player) was a menace to society (a criminal) I'd have a problem cheering for him. He's not, so I don't. I'm much more concerned about when DA is coming back, and how Nedzad is progressing... heck, if my laundry is done, then any player's opinion on the league or whatever... 

TalkHard- were you happy to find out that Wallace does so much charity work? That was a big complaint of yours that you started a thread on this offseason. I'm curious, do you feel better about him now that you've found he does give so much back to the various communities he's lived in, or have you just found new and more compelling reasons to hate him more then ever? 

STOMP


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## Goldmember (May 24, 2003)

Two words: Dumb jock.

Go work a real job for once in your life Sheed and try not to have a heart attack when you find out your boss makes more money than you do.


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## trifecta (Oct 10, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>bfan1</b>!
> I just read the article again. I don't see where Wallace says the He has been exploited. i see where he refers to the young kids coming out of high school...but not he himself....????
> 
> It was on the news and has been bugging me so I read it all again...it says pretty much that the NBA is a business and that there is a lot of number crunching but no where does he say that HE HIMSELF is or has been exploited....he seems to think its a crooked business...well-is he wrong? But this crap about exploitation isn't there. Not like people are saying.


Perhaps you should read the article one more time....




> "I ain't no dumb-*** ****** out here. I'm not like a whole bunch of these young boys out here who get caught up and captivated into the league," Wallace, 29, said. "No. I see behind the lines. I see behind the false screens. I know what this business is all about. I know the commissioner of this league makes more than three-quarters of the players in this league.
> 
> "There's a whole lot of crunching numbers that, quote-unquote, me as an athlete and me as an NBA player should know. In my opinion, they just want to draft ******s who are dumb and dumber -- straight out of high school. That's why they're drafting all these high school cats, because they come into the league and they don't know no better. They don't know no better, and they don't know the real business, and they don't see behind the charade.
> 
> "They look at black athletes like we're dumb-*** ******s. It's as if we're just going to shut up, sign for the money and do what they tell us."


If he's not saying the NBA exploits black NBA players, I really have no grasp of the english language.


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## Blazer Ringbearer (Jan 28, 2003)

Sheed was definitely right about one thing...

It doesn't really matter what he does or says, half of the people are going to hate him, half of them are going to love him.

I don't think anywhere does he say that he's being exploited. Probably the reason he brought it up is to say that he gets flack from the league because he refuses to be exploited, doesn't play the game, etc... they don't like him because he won't help them push Sprite or Thighmasters... right or wrong, I think that's his viewpoint.

Cheers


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## STOMP (Jan 1, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Talkhard</b>!
> I think he IS an *** for talking about the "exploitation" of young black basketball players. These guys are getting the ride of their life, making more money than they ever dreamed of, playing on TV, getting their picture on the cover of magazines, and signing endorsement deals. How is that exploitation?


Maybe some of the guys he is refering to are not the guys who go on to enjoy the ride of their life and so on, but the other guys who don't make it chasing their unrealistic NBA dream? In college these guys are made promises and are asked to make sacrifices of their time and personal developement for a future that never happens for most, all while generating major $ for their institutions. 

IMO the article doesn't get into nearly enough depth on Wallace's opinions for the reader to come to real conclutions of what he's truely speaking towards when the exploitation stuff is brought up. I'm not clear what his point is. It's entirely possible that lots of this interview hit the editing room floor so as to better fit the O's goals of creating controversy as a means to sell more papers. There could have been a long diatribe about wanting some sort of guarentee for guys to be able to go back and graduate after their eligability is done that never made it to print. Selective reporting is a common publishing technique used to spice up stories that I've personally been subjected to twice. As usual you were somehow able to fill in the gaps with the worst possible senerios... which according to you is just good fun. I think its boring and tired, but thats JMO.

STOMP


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>STOMP</b>!
> 
> 
> Maybe some of the guys he is refering to are not the guys who go on to enjoy the ride of their life and so on, but the other guys who don't make it chasing their unrealistic NBA dream? In college these guys are made promises and are asked to make sacrifices of their time and personal developement for a future that never happens for most, all while generating major $ for their institutions.
> ...


dangit stomp, who told you to *think*?


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## bfan1 (Mar 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>trifecta</b>!
> 
> 
> Perhaps you should read the article one more time....
> ...


again-he does not say that HE is exploited-in fact he makes a point to say he isn't "dumb" enough to be exploited-he does say that many of the younger players being pulled from high school are....


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## trifecta (Oct 10, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>bfan1</b>!
> 
> 
> again-he does not say that HE is exploited-in fact he makes a point to say he isn't "dumb" enough to be exploited-he does say that many of the younger players being pulled from high school are....


Um...OK. We're all entitled to our own interpretation.


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## Blazer Ringbearer (Jan 28, 2003)

especially if the interperetation happens to make sense, like bfan's...


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## trifecta (Oct 10, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Blazer Ringbearer</b>!
> especially if the interperetation happens to make sense, like bfan's...


OK. I can certainly be as wrong as the next person but you've caused me to re-read the article yet again. As far as I can read, I feel he's saying he is being exploited just like the dumb high school kids....only he's smart enough to see it - unlike some of the young cats who come in and get captivated by the money.

If I'm wrong then I really do apoligize. No big deal.


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## STOMP (Jan 1, 2003)

BTW, It's also possible that Wallace is so inarticulate (or even stoned) that he's unable to make a defendable point on a complex issue. Thats not my opinion, but it's possible. I just don't think it matters enough what his opinion is to really care. I'm a fan who wants to see him hoop because he's one of their best players. I trust that the guys hired to judge him, who choose whether to stick with him or not, who see him behind the scenes working or not, day after day, and have a personal relationship with him... the guys formiliar with NBA culture for decades, who have studied and operated under the current CBA for years and who are first hand formiliar with whats being offered in trades... those are the guys I'm looking towards. If the seasoned NBA experts hired by my team's fabulously wealthy owner are sticking by him, and feel that it's not in their best interest to make a deal, I need much more evidence then Wallace has supplied to doubt them. I'm just a guy on the sidelines hoping my team will win.

I'm also hoping he starts making some shots. I bet he'd benefit with some more love back from the fans... he sounds like he could to me. They say thats all you need... 

STOMP


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## Tommyboy (Jan 3, 2003)

i finally read the whole article and came away with a couple thoughts

-Sheed is not real bright
-Sheed lives in a fantasy world
-Sheed is selfish
-Sheed is immature
-Sheed has a major victim mentality for a guy making $17 Million per year and being in the highest 99% percent of wage earners in the entire world
-Sheed has a serious authority issue
-Sheed desperately needs mental health counseling
-Sheed has a lot of growing up to do.


i used to want to hear what Sheed had to say, now I don't. What's that quote, better to have people think you're a fool then to open your mouth and remove all doubt? Something like that, yeah that's how I feel now.


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## FeloniusThunk (Jan 1, 2003)

I listened to the Seattle sports radio station guys rant about Rasheed's interview this evening, then saw a couple different espn programs mention it tonight. The lesson I'm learning is that I waste my time doing these things. The opinions here on this board are more diverse, insightful, and informed than the bland cliches of the chattering hacks who are only marginally more literate than the dumb jocks they make their living spouting psychobabble about. If they don't have trade news or a highlight reel, I'm much better off with a boxscore and maybe a recap.

I thought Rasheed's interview was a little interesting, though not terribly, and nowhere near the fuss. As has been pointed out, Bill Walton said much more extravagant things. This is another "the president doesn't eat broccoli" story to me. Critics will take it as proof of the devil in him, everyon else will shrug.

Wallace looks around his industry and sees a lot of folks who don't play basketball making a lot of money by telling folks who do play what to do. They're mostly white on one side and black on the other, and he concludes racist exploitation. Not really a far-fetched conclusion to reach, I would think, especially from a dumb jock. He may even be right, though it looks a bit ridiculous to me. I don't really care what his opinion is about many things, including this. I actually would care if they asked him things like how to guard Duncan or Shaq, or beat a zone. He has opinions about other things, though, and that's apparently what his critics wanted to hear, so they're happy now at least.

I was a little surprised to hear that he seemed to like Portland and want to live there. It's not the kind of town I expect east coast city kids to go for. Strangely, none of the media outside of Portland mentioned that part. Bringing up the pot in Damon's car every time there's a story on Rasheed is ok, bringing up the adoption story is not.


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## Anima (Jun 3, 2003)

> THE END OF CIVILIZATION AS WE KNOW IT: In an exclusive interview with the Oregonian, Portland's Rasheed Wallace, among other gems, declared, "I ain't no dumb n----- out here. ... I know what this business is all about. I know the commissioner of this league makes more than three-quarters of the players in this league." He added that "They just want to draft n-----s who are dumb and dumber - straight out of high school. That's why they're drafting all these high school cats, because they come into the league and they don't know no better."
> 
> *It might interest Wallace to know that his $17 million salary this season is nearly twice that of David Stern, who has stated dozens of times he is in favor of an age limit of 20 for NBA players. It also might interest him that by calling fellow black men in his profession by perhaps the worst word in the English language, he sounds pretty dumb to us.*


http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=bkp.nbanotes&prov=st&type=lgns


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## FeloniusThunk (Jan 1, 2003)

> It might interest Wallace to know that his $17 million salary this season is nearly twice that of David Stern, who has stated dozens of times he is in favor of an *age limit of 20* for NBA players. It also might interest him that by calling fellow black men in his profession by perhaps the worst word in the English language, he sounds pretty dumb to us.


http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=bkp.nbanotes&prov=st&type=lgns 

Aargh, idiocy on top of idiocy. I'm pretty sure the writer meant age minimum rather than limit, but heck, why would a professional writer actually check their writing? That's just sloppy, though. What's annoying is that later down, there is this quote from Shaq:


> "...We've got balanced scoring, and on any given night, any one of the 'Fantizzle Fizzle' can go off."
> 
> Excuse us?
> 
> "For white people, it's the Fantastic Four," O'Neal explained.


I guess if it's said with a smile, this writer gives a free pass. Never mind that Shaq has different teammates facing rape and assault charges, and another teammate suspended for yet another flagrant foul, they're nice guys.

Genius.


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## kultcha (Jul 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Backboard Cam</b>!
> Playing in the nba does not make Rasheed Wallace happy, and it's his own damn fault.



I definately agreed with a lot of your post but this part here I felt misrepresented Sheed. He never said he doesnt like or even love playing basketball. I think its the opposite from his interview. He loves playing basketball - he just hates all the pressures put on him outside of the game. He just wants to play the game (his way).


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

> Aargh, idiocy on top of idiocy. I'm pretty sure the writer meant age minimum rather than limit, but heck, why would a professional writer actually check their writing?


Maybe you should check yours. Your last sentence should read, "Why would a professional writer actually check his or her writing.? "Their" is plural, and has to refer back to a plural antecedent.


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## FeloniusThunk (Jan 1, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Talkhard</b>!
> 
> 
> Maybe you should check yours. Your last sentence should read, "Why would a professional writer actually check his or her writing.? "Their" is plural, and has to refer back to a plural antecedent.


Incorrect, school marm. You're thinking prescriptive linguistics, like a grammer teacher trying to teach students the way they should talk. I'm a former student of descriptive linguistics, which is learning how people actually do talk. Reality vs. lectures. 'They' as a gender-neutral third person pronoun is becoming more common and will be in even the most conservative dictionaries within a generation or so. Basically as soon as the old farts die off and the new generation tells their kids the right way to talk. Becoming a fossil is a bummer, but on the bright side, you can tell the kids to get their bikes off your lawn and no one will think it unusual. They might even fix the blinking clock on your vcr.

If your grammar and rhetoric are not up to par, though, you can always try picking on things like typos, taste in music, or my overfondness of diet coke and potato chips.


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## barfo (Jan 2, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>FeloniusThunk</b>!
> 
> 
> Incorrect, school marm. You're thinking prescriptive linguistics, like a grammer teacher trying to teach students the way they should talk. I'm a former student of descriptive linguistics, which is learning how people actually do talk. Reality vs. lectures. 'They' as a gender-neutral third person pronoun is becoming more common and will be in even the most conservative dictionaries within a generation or so. Basically as soon as the old farts die off and the new generation tells their kids the right way to talk. Becoming a fossil is a bummer, but on the bright side, you can tell the kids to get their bikes off your lawn and no one will think it unusual. They might even fix the blinking clock on your vcr.


Heh heh. After they steal it from him, that is... 

barfo


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## CatchNRelease (Jan 2, 2003)

*It's Also Possible...*

...Sheed knew what he was doing. IMO, Wallace meant what he said, and that he said it with the intention of causing just the fuss we've been seeing. He was probably pressured into doing more interviews, likely by both the team and the league. He didn’t like having to compromise his principles, so he gave an interview; taking shots at the NBA, playing the race card, jabbing the rich fat cats. So he gave the NBA a Bonzi salute of an interview. Not too different than last year when he was pressured to talk with the press. The 'bof teams pla’d har' interview.

Motivation? If he makes the team/league look bad when he talks to the press, the team will stop pressuring him to do more interviews. Not a bad plan if you have a guaranteed contract and don’t care what your fans think. He probably doesn’t even increase the (already significant) odds that he will be dumped by the Blazers, since he probably decreased his trade value by popping off like he did.

I’ve never given a rip whether Wallace ever gives an interview or not. I defend his right to say this stuff, and I’ll just have to trust that he would defend my right to disagree with him on most of it.

Go Blazers


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## Skelton (May 18, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>bfan1</b>!
> 
> 
> again-he does not say that HE is exploited-in fact he makes a point to say he isn't "dumb" enough to be exploited-he does say that many of the younger players being pulled from high school are....


Jim Rome had an interview with Jermaine O'Neal this morning, and Jermaine totally refuted Rasheed's statement about high schoolers and the league. He defended Rasheed's right to an opinion, but he didn't agree with it.

Is Rome's morning radio show national, or only SoCal regional? I'm surprised nobody's talking about that interview. It was interesting, and it showed that Jermaine is pretty damn thoughtful and articulate.


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## Fork (Jan 2, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Skelton</b>!
> Jim Rome had an interview with Jermaine O'Neal this morning, and Jermaine totally refuted Rasheed's statement about high schoolers and the league. He defended Rasheed's right to an opinion, but he didn't agree with it.
> 
> Is Rome's morning radio show national, or only SoCal regional? I'm surprised nobody's talking about that interview. It was interesting, and it showed that Jermaine is pretty damn thoughtful and articulate.


It's national.

Jermaine's opinion doesn't surprise me because Jermaine is not an idiot like Rasheed Wallace.


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## Trader Ed (Jun 17, 2002)

From Willis Reed


> _"I know this: it has nothing to do with the NBA policy, it has to do with the NBA trying to get the best players," Reed told The Post after watching the Knicks practice. "That's all everybody's trying to do. This is a talent league." _


NY Post 


From Scott Williams, Phoenix Suns


> _My only comment is that Rasheed only stayed at North Carolina for two years," Williams said. "*Had he stayed for the entire four years*, maybe we wouldn't have seen those type of comments in the newspaper."_


Arizona Central 


Gee, did Wallace exploit himself by coming out early for the NBA, and taking their money :twocents: as a young black athlete? He seems to be a bit hypocrtical to me.

kind of the pot calling the kettle black theory


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