Sptsjunkie
Starter
The following passage and link is from ESPN's Truehoop the other day and it struck me as particularly meaningful to our current situation:
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-38-84/Monday-Bullets.html
"Optimism is a critical survival tool, but only when it's balanced with realism. This concept is known as the Stockdale Paradox, named after Admiral James Stockdale, the highest-ranking American prisoner of war in Vietnam... When Jim Collins asked Stockdale to explain which American prisoners did not survive captivity in Vietnam, the admiral replied, 'Oh, that's easy. The optimists.' Collins was perplexed, but Stockdale explained that the optimists 'were the ones who said 'we're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go; and then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.' Stockdale went on: 'This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end - which you can never afford to lose - with discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.'"
So here we are. Terrible, but headed in the painfully correct direction. With a little more luck (Webber staying healthy) we might have been able to trade for better rebuilding pieces. With a little more realism (the Maloofs wanting to rebuild sooner) we might have gone through this sooner. However, Petrie is not making short-sighted moves, we will get good picks, we will have a good chance to get 2nd/3rd tier free agents.
By next year we will be more competitive, by 2010 we should be a frisky non-playoff team, by 2011 we should be a lower level playoff team and by 2012 it is probably realistic for us to be a contender again.
So here is to realistic optimism. We have some good, young players. We have a GM who is good at evaluating talent. We will have good draft picks. We will have cap space to trade for assets or to use. We have a realistic faith that we will prevail in the end, even if the next couple of months are going to be brutal with the occasional flash of optimism from our youth.
Let's not lose our faith just because some of us hoped we would be out of this rebuild by Christmas 3-4 years ago.
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-38-84/Monday-Bullets.html
"Optimism is a critical survival tool, but only when it's balanced with realism. This concept is known as the Stockdale Paradox, named after Admiral James Stockdale, the highest-ranking American prisoner of war in Vietnam... When Jim Collins asked Stockdale to explain which American prisoners did not survive captivity in Vietnam, the admiral replied, 'Oh, that's easy. The optimists.' Collins was perplexed, but Stockdale explained that the optimists 'were the ones who said 'we're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go; and then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.' Stockdale went on: 'This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end - which you can never afford to lose - with discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.'"
So here we are. Terrible, but headed in the painfully correct direction. With a little more luck (Webber staying healthy) we might have been able to trade for better rebuilding pieces. With a little more realism (the Maloofs wanting to rebuild sooner) we might have gone through this sooner. However, Petrie is not making short-sighted moves, we will get good picks, we will have a good chance to get 2nd/3rd tier free agents.
By next year we will be more competitive, by 2010 we should be a frisky non-playoff team, by 2011 we should be a lower level playoff team and by 2012 it is probably realistic for us to be a contender again.
So here is to realistic optimism. We have some good, young players. We have a GM who is good at evaluating talent. We will have good draft picks. We will have cap space to trade for assets or to use. We have a realistic faith that we will prevail in the end, even if the next couple of months are going to be brutal with the occasional flash of optimism from our youth.
Let's not lose our faith just because some of us hoped we would be out of this rebuild by Christmas 3-4 years ago.
