Petrie takes Vivek to the woodshed:
http://deadspin.com/geoff-petrie-lambastes-vivek-ranadives-sophomoric-atte-1787717438
http://deadspin.com/geoff-petrie-lambastes-vivek-ranadives-sophomoric-atte-1787717438
Interesting Vivek article.
- Thread starter Siranthony
- Start date
Not really taking anyone to the woodshed. He defends Smart in that Smart wanted to stay on. Smart said so at the time of his firing and Malone's hiring. Amick wrote that article himself.
Petrie did help the transition and care about things. I think that is worth stating, but I felt that was already known. Vivek explained his rushed situation in bad terms. Some read it as throwing people under the bus, but I don't read it that way.
However, Petrie admits he wanted out and that he was done. He dodges the question about his horrible record at the end of his tenure.
I think Geoff wanted to make clear that he helped the transition. I already knew that but I don't take issue with clarifying that. I also think he wanted some of the old regime to have a chance to stay. However, a major overhaul and new people coming in with new ownership is hardly a surprise.
Petrie did help the transition and care about things. I think that is worth stating, but I felt that was already known. Vivek explained his rushed situation in bad terms. Some read it as throwing people under the bus, but I don't read it that way.
However, Petrie admits he wanted out and that he was done. He dodges the question about his horrible record at the end of his tenure.
I think Geoff wanted to make clear that he helped the transition. I already knew that but I don't take issue with clarifying that. I also think he wanted some of the old regime to have a chance to stay. However, a major overhaul and new people coming in with new ownership is hardly a surprise.
Just ONCE I would like to be able to approach opening day of a season without freaking drama. I would truly like it if Vivek stuck to talking about the new arena and the future. I am disappointed in USA Today for running a 2-part fluff piece on Vivek that even the writer is now picking apart.
I want basketball. I want to enjoy the new arena. I want to see Demarcus and the others thrive in the now venue under the leadership of Dave Joerger. The rest of it? I don't give a freaking damn.
I love this team and I love the game of basketball. I'd just as soon NOT know about the rest of the bullcrap, just like I don't want to know what's in hot dogs.
I want basketball. I want to enjoy the new arena. I want to see Demarcus and the others thrive in the now venue under the leadership of Dave Joerger. The rest of it? I don't give a freaking damn.
I love this team and I love the game of basketball. I'd just as soon NOT know about the rest of the bullcrap, just like I don't want to know what's in hot dogs.
What is Amick supposed to do. He gave Vivek and opportunity in the interview to correct himself with how he asked the questions, yet Vivek doubled down repeatedly and blamed others. Does Vivek not understand that Sam is a local and knows/knew all these people very well?
Of course he's going to get contacted immediately after posting that piece.
Lastly, how pissed off does MUMS THE WORD PETRIE have to be to speak out. It's literally the most I have every seen him say on any subject.
@JohnGalt - Did Leslie Moore get fired? Is that what you were insinuating earlier?
If it makes you feel any better VF, you just have to think about what it would feel like to watch our team preparing for this coming season up in Seattle in Sonics jerseys. Anything is better than that. That always makes me feel better anyway. You'd think we'd have earned some kind of karmic respite from the "joys" of terrible ownership, but as we've already seen with the draft lottery there's nothing fair and balanced about being an NBA fan. We just have to roll with the punches. Some teams have a golden wheelbarrow with which to wheel that water up the hill to a championship and we have a leaky bucket and a limp. Or something. 
There are certainly easier gigs in sports fandom, but this is what unites us after all the arguing and finger pointing. We're all still here watching, proving that we can survive pretty much anything.
There are certainly easier gigs in sports fandom, but this is what unites us after all the arguing and finger pointing. We're all still here watching, proving that we can survive pretty much anything.
I think your whole post is spot-on, and a good review of Vivek's indefensible blunders that have no realistic explanation other than his incompetence.
But you used the term "self-aware" to refer to Vivek. (I'm poking fun here, not disagreeing with hrdboild)
Have we so quickly forgotten the colossal lack of self-awareness Vivek demonstrated through his Twitter account posted by him and that hack PR college girl he had working for him?
My god, that was some of the most embarrassing and aggravating crap I've had to put up with as a Kings fan (and we've had to put up with a lot!)
Between his gushing over the Warriors team and his self-promotions, patting on the back, his clueless photo ops that rubbed Sac fans noses in his drooling over the Warriors, and his insulting of Kings fans, actually having the balls to say that WE wanted a more up-tempo exciting team (instead of one that was beating the NBA's best in early 2014 with apparently a boring defensive approach), Vivek's complete and utter LACK of self-awareness has been a long-proven flaw.
But you used the term "self-aware" to refer to Vivek.
(I'm poking fun here, not disagreeing with hrdboild)Have we so quickly forgotten the colossal lack of self-awareness Vivek demonstrated through his Twitter account posted by him and that hack PR college girl he had working for him?
My god, that was some of the most embarrassing and aggravating crap I've had to put up with as a Kings fan (and we've had to put up with a lot!)
Between his gushing over the Warriors team and his self-promotions, patting on the back, his clueless photo ops that rubbed Sac fans noses in his drooling over the Warriors, and his insulting of Kings fans, actually having the balls to say that WE wanted a more up-tempo exciting team (instead of one that was beating the NBA's best in early 2014 with apparently a boring defensive approach), Vivek's complete and utter LACK of self-awareness has been a long-proven flaw.
It also seems me that Petrie may have wanted to carry on, despite earlier reports, and still may be slightly pissed over that.
I will say, it's been awhile since I've had assured confidence in our FO,?awhile. Having a Presti here would change the entire scope. With that said, Petrie had too many down years at the end to continue IMO, and the graces from his earlier work may have kept him around a year or two past expiration
I will say, it's been awhile since I've had assured confidence in our FO,?awhile. Having a Presti here would change the entire scope. With that said, Petrie had too many down years at the end to continue IMO, and the graces from his earlier work may have kept him around a year or two past expiration
Vivek SHOULD have stuck to basketball and the new arena instead of trying to whitewash his role in the last three years of dysfunction. I can't blame Amick. He writes an article based on an interview with the team owner and only afterward is he going to hear the responses of other people who were around at the time and know that some of what was said isn't true.
If I were in Ranadive's position I'd say, "the last three years have been humbling. A lot of bad decisions were made and as the owner I'm ultimately responsible for that. I'm hoping this season is the beginning of a better future for this franchise". Easy. The fact that he didn't and went out of his way to apparently misrepresent things to take the heat off of him bothers me. A lot. Because it means he really hasn't learned anything. That he can still meddle if he wants to and then turn around and revise history again to absolve himself. That's frustrating.
Because quite honestly I put a lot more faith in what Petrie said than what Vivek said. Part of that is just the impression I formed of Geoff over years and years of him being the Kings GM. but also because quite simply what Petrie said matches up with my recollection of what the Bee was reporting in those early days of the transition.
I love what Chris Granger has done on the business side but there's a part of me that wonders what the basketball side would look like today if Burkle & Mastrov had remained the primary owners and Burkle had allowed Mastrov to be the acting owner in terms of basketball operations. From reading up on him during the Seattle saga he certainly seemed like much more of a team oriented consensus builder.
Que sera sera. Let's just hope things get better in terms of Kings ownership.
If I were in Ranadive's position I'd say, "the last three years have been humbling. A lot of bad decisions were made and as the owner I'm ultimately responsible for that. I'm hoping this season is the beginning of a better future for this franchise". Easy. The fact that he didn't and went out of his way to apparently misrepresent things to take the heat off of him bothers me. A lot. Because it means he really hasn't learned anything. That he can still meddle if he wants to and then turn around and revise history again to absolve himself. That's frustrating.
Because quite honestly I put a lot more faith in what Petrie said than what Vivek said. Part of that is just the impression I formed of Geoff over years and years of him being the Kings GM. but also because quite simply what Petrie said matches up with my recollection of what the Bee was reporting in those early days of the transition.
I love what Chris Granger has done on the business side but there's a part of me that wonders what the basketball side would look like today if Burkle & Mastrov had remained the primary owners and Burkle had allowed Mastrov to be the acting owner in terms of basketball operations. From reading up on him during the Seattle saga he certainly seemed like much more of a team oriented consensus builder.
Que sera sera. Let's just hope things get better in terms of Kings ownership.
What a clown Vivek is. Petrie is the last guy to come out and add fuel to a fire, but Vivek had to go and throw everyone he could think of under the bus. Still can't own up to his failures or be gracious or humble. All of this of course on the heels of running his mouth about how he was going to change the game. And were stuck with him, so I suggest he sticks with the approach he took last season of being seen and not heard.
I am surprised nobody else fingered this:
That's gotta leave a mark. And is kind of a haha summation of the interaction between the old guard and the arrogance of the analytics newbs. I suspect similar incidents may be why our two previous franchise players of the 90s/00s are essentially estranged from the organization.
But in any case Petrie is not here any more. And if Smart had stayed I would probably now be in jail for flying into town and running him over with my rental car. So Petrie's response here isn't helpful or positive for us at all. In fact my concern would be that it could make things more difficult for Vlade.
That's gotta leave a mark. And is kind of a haha summation of the interaction between the old guard and the arrogance of the analytics newbs. I suspect similar incidents may be why our two previous franchise players of the 90s/00s are essentially estranged from the organization.
But in any case Petrie is not here any more. And if Smart had stayed I would probably now be in jail for flying into town and running him over with my rental car. So Petrie's response here isn't helpful or positive for us at all. In fact my concern would be that it could make things more difficult for Vlade.
Very telling article from Petrie's point of view. Lots of backstabbing, arrogance, disloyalty, etc. It's headline after headline, spinning in an endless cycle we all just want to get out of. It's the big Gorilla that's on this franchises back and until they finally start winning and establishing some continuity, professionalism and loyalty, that Gorilla won't jump off.
To be fair, Petrie was horrible in his last few years with the Kings. Couldn't tell that he wanted to be here.
Look at his last 2 years....
2011
1) Trading down from 7 to 10 for Salmons. (Kemba Walker and Brandon Knight were still on the board)
2) Using that 10th pick for BUST Jimmer
3) Trading Omri Casspi AND a future 1st round pick for JJ Hickson.(1st round pick that we now STILL owe to Chicago)
4) Cuts JJ Hickson 1/4 way into the season.
2012
1) Hires Keith Smart
2) Drafting bust Thomas Robinson
3) Proceeding to trade bust Thomas Robinson 1/2 way into the season
Yeah he did some good things, but this team was absolutely horrible after the firing of Adelman. Petrie had 6 tears to rebuild. What did he do instead for the final 2 years? Drafted busts and mortgaged a future 1st round pick.
Remember the Eric Musselman era? *shutters*
I still think Petrie did a great job with managing our team. His last round after Adelman was arguably complete crap though. The only bright side was that we came out with a former ROY winner and Cousins.
Look at his last 2 years....
2011
1) Trading down from 7 to 10 for Salmons. (Kemba Walker and Brandon Knight were still on the board)
2) Using that 10th pick for BUST Jimmer
3) Trading Omri Casspi AND a future 1st round pick for JJ Hickson.(1st round pick that we now STILL owe to Chicago)
4) Cuts JJ Hickson 1/4 way into the season.
2012
1) Hires Keith Smart
2) Drafting bust Thomas Robinson
3) Proceeding to trade bust Thomas Robinson 1/2 way into the season
Yeah he did some good things, but this team was absolutely horrible after the firing of Adelman. Petrie had 6 tears to rebuild. What did he do instead for the final 2 years? Drafted busts and mortgaged a future 1st round pick.
Remember the Eric Musselman era? *shutters*
I still think Petrie did a great job with managing our team. His last round after Adelman was arguably complete crap though. The only bright side was that we came out with a former ROY winner and Cousins.
"I only had about an 8 or 10 minute little meeting with him. I found him to be a very arrogant and dismissive little chap. He doesn’t seem to understand that he owns it. He was the one that came in with Basketball 3.0, and changing the culture, “I have the smartest guys in the room, they’re four steps ahead of everybody else, I have 80 gigs of data, nobody else has that.” Well, okay, you know?"
rofl go petrie. slap that irritant w/ a smelly trout.
i forgot for a second his interview how he said math will trump something in his nba 3.0 vision
rofl go petrie. slap that irritant w/ a smelly trout.
i forgot for a second his interview how he said math will trump something in his nba 3.0 vision
it's rather surprising to see geoff petrie airing it out like that. i'm sure there's a freedom in not being professionally tied to the kings--or any other nba organization--that's loosened up his famously tight lips. but still, he's never struck me as the type to hold a grudge. he must have been really put off by the new guard when they came in and cleaned house. there is definitely a cold, arrogant efficiency with which a lot of silicon valley types operate, and i can appreciate that GP seems to be corroborating the suspicions of many kings fans regarding the ranadive regime. and it definitely stings to hear that petrie had the greek freak lined up for a work out before he was let go. man... what a front line DMC and giannis would have made together...
Here's the thing about Petrie - he's incredibly loyal. Always has been. So he wasn't necessarily saying Smart was a great coach - just that he wasn't given a chance. Petrie dissed Vivek and praised the Maloofs by saying that when the Maloofs came in they didn't fire everybody. He was upset that people he fought with were fired summarily.
And this interview with Vivek just reopened that wound and made him upset.
To Brick's point, Petrie's comments aren't going to make Vlade's job more difficult. Geoff is loyal and he's not petty - he's already been a sounding board for Divac and he's never criticized Vlade. Airing the truth about Vivek only hurts Vivek. What COULD make Vlade's job more difficult is if Vivek is still meddling under the guise of not being involved.
And this interview with Vivek just reopened that wound and made him upset.
To Brick's point, Petrie's comments aren't going to make Vlade's job more difficult. Geoff is loyal and he's not petty - he's already been a sounding board for Divac and he's never criticized Vlade. Airing the truth about Vivek only hurts Vivek. What COULD make Vlade's job more difficult is if Vivek is still meddling under the guise of not being involved.
geoff confirms what a slime bucket vivek is. can't trust his lip flapping. i would've respected him if he said, yeah i had my hand in the cookie jar and the results weren't good. learned my lesson and i've decided to cede that responsibility to the professionals who i'm paying.
greek freak & cousins? that is a true #1 and #2 option.
greek freak & cousins? that is a true #1 and #2 option.
i don't know that i'd call vivek a "slime bucket." i've certainly not been his biggest fan since he started flashing hang ten's around sacramento, but mostly that's because i think the silicon valley set massively overrates their innovative prowess. i like my smart phone. i think the internet is a transformative technology. but let's not pretend like these people are the saviors of the world. ex-techie bill gates famously derided mark zuckerberg's desire to bring internet access to the third world, calling it a "joke" to prioritize connectivity over, say, a cure for malaria. i tend to agree with gates, and i'm not overly fond of an increasingly digital culture that prizes efficiency above all else, including humanity and loyalty.
petrie was on point in saying that a guy who claims to surround himself with the smartest people who are four steps ahead of everybody else probably shouldn't be throwing those same people under the bus while ducking responsibility for decisions made during his still-young stewardship. now, does that make vivek a "slime bucket"? i don't think so. but it certainly makes it seem as if he's in way over his head, and personally, i don't want to hear another single goddamn mention of "jazz bands" and "nba 3.0" from vivek, especially before he's proven that he has even the most basic grasp of nba 1.0.
petrie was on point in saying that a guy who claims to surround himself with the smartest people who are four steps ahead of everybody else probably shouldn't be throwing those same people under the bus while ducking responsibility for decisions made during his still-young stewardship. now, does that make vivek a "slime bucket"? i don't think so. but it certainly makes it seem as if he's in way over his head, and personally, i don't want to hear another single goddamn mention of "jazz bands" and "nba 3.0" from vivek, especially before he's proven that he has even the most basic grasp of nba 1.0.
The part that appeared to set off Petrie was a comparatively innocuous one paragraph throwaway Vivek used just to start off his tale of woe. It is kind of amusing to see it drawing so much attention compared to the rest, but Petrie felt maligned. It did feel inaccurate, but in that sort of benignly generalized way that unimportant things are quickly summarized. I guess unless you are the person being summarized.
Last edited: