Webber: 'New' Kings are tougher

[albeitrue]

as far as i can tell, it has been kept completely in the lockerroom. neither has publicly said anything about the other that the media did not instigate. (ie: "are there really chemistry problems between you and chris/peja?") "chris vs. peja" has entirely been created by the fans and the media.

The media only asks questions or hangs around the lockerroom for comments such as these, it's true. It's their friggin' business, to report anything even mildly controversial. Gives them a name of sorts, which is their intent. Chris just makes it too easy for them. He has been around too long and has been scrutinized up the wazoo far too often to be speaking about other players, whether or not it is vague and the player is no longer here. C'mon, Vlade? Playing the "we're better than that now" card, that was just cold. Sorry, he deserves all the criticism he gets as long as he continues to open his mouth.

Fans who loved Vlade have a reason to be pissed, and that's me. And now that I'm sufficiently ticked, I said some things about Chris. See how this works? Maybe I should offer services for teaching toughness to Peja...

 

[piksi]

*wonders if bobby jackson'd said the exact thing would this thread have reached 10 pages*

they would not come out and say things like this

 

[uolj]

they would not come out and say things like this

Yes, he did, over the offseason, and it was scrutinized, just not nearly as much as Webber's comments are.

 

[VF21]

The media only asks questions or hangs around the lockerroom for comments such as these, it's true. It's their friggin' business, to report anything even mildly controversial. Gives them a name of sorts, which is their intent. Chris just makes it too easy for them. He has been around too long and has been scrutinized up the wazoo far too often to be speaking about other players, whether or not it is vague and the player is no longer here. C'mon, Vlade? Playing the "we're better than that now" card, that was just cold. Sorry, he deserves all the criticism he gets as long as he continues to open his mouth.

Fans who loved Vlade have a reason to be pissed, and that's me. And now that I'm sufficiently ticked, I said some things about Chris. See how this works? Maybe I should offer services for teaching toughness to Peja...

I loved Vlade and I'm not pissed.

If the media wants to talk to the players, the players are bound to answer them. What exactly is Webber supposed to do? Watch every single word so some people don't get their panties in a bunch because he might accidentally slight another player by not praising him?

piksi - Come out and said what?????? Webber did not say one negative thing in that article. Is he supposed to have a checklist of every player so he makes sure not to hurt someone's feelings?

I simply cannot believe the lengths some of you are willing to go to find something to crucify Webber about.

This is just sad. And what's even sadder is I felt honor bound to try and inject some reality into the situation.

 

[KP]

This thread has gotten outa control.

 

[iheartBrad]

i keep thinking whenever i walk away from the computer and then come back to it that this thread is going to be closed.

i keep coming in it though...i dunno why cuz it depresses me each time

::sigh::

 

[VF21]

KP - Out of control? Nah. Redundant and full of implicit and implied bias? Yep.

The equine expired some time ago. It was packed up and shipped back east, where it was rendered into paste. Children in kindergartens all over the US have been joyfully licking it off their fingers for quite a while.

Unfortunately, there are some who will continue to attempt to flagellate it.

 

[uolj]

Personally I'm glad the thread wasn't closed. I was able to read some interesting opinions on the subject, provide my own, and get some good discussion from that. That's one of the reasons I come to this site.

 

[KP]

they would not come out and say things like this

lol. Didn't Bobby at the start of the season say," if Peja wants out, he should leave then." --Can you imagine if Webb said that?

 

[VF21]

I LOVE THIS TEAM - every single one of them!!!!

It's the name on the front of the jersey that gives me goosebumps and takes my breath away, not the name on the back. The names on the back of the jersey change. The name on the front, however, always remains the same - and it's that name to which I give the ultimate loyalty.

And, IMHO, that's the way it should be.

 

[sloter]

Message to Sloter: You're Wrong. The reason they lost was Webber went down. They were on a serious roll that year! The reason they lost "after" Webb went down was NVE. I just lost a lot of respect for you.^

My point was that the Kings could have beaten Dallas even without Webber had they stopped Nick Van Exel. Webber is well known as Mavs killer, but what NVE did in that series was too hard to overcome. The Kings still took them to game 7 and who knows what would have happened with Webber in lineup, but in all honesty that was Mavs best year in the last few.

 

[bozzwell]

lol. Didn't Bobby at the start of the season say," if Peja wants out, he should leave then." --Can you imagine if Webb said that?

You know, that was the best comment of the whole off-season. Now, it is easy for Bobby to be so frank and direct, nobody ever suggested that Pedja made trade request because of Bobby. If Webber was that open/direct he would just seal the deal (on pedja and on himself in the eyes of his detractors).

 

[ReinadelosReys]

lol. Didn't Bobby at the start of the season say," if Peja wants out, he should leave then." --Can you imagine if Webb said that?

Took it a step further to say he didn't want him on his team if thats the way he thinks....But that is neither here nor there. The real issue is, who's going to be the one to tell Jeremy that his site has been renamed and transformed into
" Webber vs. Peja.com?"

 

[swisshh]

*wonders if bobby jackson'd said the exact thing would this thread have reached 10 pages*

I don't think so, but that's because Bobby is tough and when he talks about it I can take it seriously.

 

[Mad D]

The real issue is, who's going to be the one to tell Jeremy that his site has been renamed and transformed into
" Webber vs. Peja.com?"

Well if it does come to that, I'm sure Jeremy could nuke it all if he wanted to.

 

[ReinadelosReys]

My point was that the Kings could have beaten Dallas even without Webber had they stopped Nick Van Exel. Webber is well known as Mavs killer, but what NVE did in that series was too hard to overcome. The Kings still took them to game 7 and who knows what would have happened with Webber in lineup, but in all honesty that was Mavs best year in the last few.

Wow....

::shakes head::

 

[Mad D]

Well if it does come to that, I'm sure Jeremy could nuke it all if he wanted to.

Now that I think of it, the only thing that stopped the Webb vs Peja threads was that time this site went offline for a several weeks.

 

[KP]

There is no conspiracy.

Am I the only one that thinks Peja likes Webb, and Vice versa?

 

[albeitrue]

lol. Didn't Bobby at the start of the season say," if Peja wants out, he should leave then." --Can you imagine if Webb said that?

Good point, but that was just Bobby stating the obvious! Web has a habit of playing dodgeball with what he means, and it seems to get him into trouble. Which is what causes the controversy, imo. Why he even had to make a statement about what ONCE could have been a perception, I don't get. In short, Bobby is not controversial because he says what he means.

VF, I wasn't inferring that all those who loved Vlade should take offense at what Web said about "flopping". That was just my own take!

In the end, the proof is always in the pudding, right?

Let's P-L-A-Y B-A-L-L !!!

 

[bozzwell]

I loved Vlade and I'm not pissed.

If the media wants to talk to the players, the players are bound to answer them. What exactly is Webber supposed to do? Watch every single word so some people don't get their panties in a bunch because he might accidentally slight another player by not praising him?

piksi - Come out and said what?????? Webber did not say one negative thing in that article. Is he supposed to have a checklist of every player so he makes sure not to hurt someone's feelings?

I simply cannot believe the lengths some of you are willing to go to find something to crucify Webber about.

This is just sad. And what's even sadder is I felt honor bound to try and inject some reality into the situation.

It goes both ways. I simply cannot believe the lengths at which _the most_ of kingsfans on this forum will go mitigate for Webber's PR debacles and the sheer number of Webber appologists in general.

He's a top athlete on a top professional team, making top dollar and somehow he's managed to recruit an army of pro bono lawyers to deflect any piece of flack that lands anywhere near him.

So, now it is OK to call out Vlade. If this team is tougher today then before it is precisly becuase of Vlade and Webber who put this team on the map. A number of other combinations of a young stud PF and a veteran NBA player could probably do it too, but it was to a very large extent that Vlade and Webber put the Kings on the map. At the very least (like uolj suggested) Webber made a small oversight and used the word "flop" which immediately suggested to all of us that he is talking (at least in part) about Vlade. Not cool. I don't feel as any less of a Kings' fan for saying it, nor do I feel in awe of Kings fans who can skim over those remarks as if nothing happened.

And yes, as of this year Webber should watch every word that he is saying to the journalists. The more athletic and younger Kings team is being built around him as the focal point. He is being extended an enormous amount of trust and faith by Petrie, Adelman and ownership (by extension). Most of the fans too. EVerything is and will be magnified.

Dead horse indeed. Except that we're talking about two different horses.

 

[VF21]

Talk about the topic at hand and the article: Okay.

Simply posting ANOTHER potshot at either Peja or Webber: Not okay.

Thank you.

VF21
Moderator

 

[albeitrue]

You know, that was the best comment of the whole off-season. Now, it is easy for Bobby to be so frank and direct, nobody ever suggested that Pedja made trade request because of Bobby. If Webber was that open/direct he would just seal the deal (on pedja and on himself in the eyes of his detractors).

Exactly. Web, if you are reading this, just COME OUT WITH IT! If you want to be the leader, TELL EVERYONE (including Peja) WHAT YOU EXPECT!

Hey, who knows that he hasn't already?

Whoa, how many ways can this thread get ugly???

I'm out.

 

[swisshh]

Am I the only one that thinks Peja likes Webb, and Vice versa?

Peja may like Webber and Webber may like Peja, but Webber's mouth doesn't seem to like himself.

edit: I suppose this got eaten before.

 

[bozzwell]

Am I the only one that thinks Peja likes Webb, and Vice versa?

No, I am almost certain of it. I even think that Pedja seeks Webber's approval and looks up to him.

 

[ReinadelosReys]

[A:] Good point, but that was just Bobby stating the obvious! Web has a habit of playing dodgeball with what he means, and it seems to get him into trouble. Which is what causes the controversy, imo. Why he even had to make a statement about what ONCE could have been a perception, I don't get. In short, Bobby is not controversial because he says what he means.

VF, I wasn't inferring that all those who loved Vlade should take offense at what Web said about "flopping". That was just my own take!

In the end, the proof is always in the pudding, right?

Let's P-L-A-Y B-A-L-L !!!

A: A bit of a double standard, don't you think? Who's to say that what Webb says isn't just exactly what he means? I really am starting to believe that if Webb were to say something like " the sky is blue" there would be some people who interpret that as him not liking the other colors in the rainbow, especially the color purple, thus hating the Kings, his teammates and Sacramento.

B: In the end what I've been preaching.

 

[VF21]

It goes both ways. I simply cannot believe the lengths at which _the most_ of kingsfans on this forum will go mitigate for Webber's PR debacles and the sheer number of Webber appologists in general.

He's a top athlete on a top professional team, making top dollar and somehow he's managed to recruit an army of pro bono lawyers to deflect any piece of flack that lands anywhere near him.

So, now it is OK to call out Vlade. If this team is tougher today then before it is precisly becuase of Vlade and Webber who put this team on the map. A number of other combinations of a young stud PF and a veteran NBA player could probably do it too, but it was to a very large extent that Vlade and Webber put the Kings on the map. At the very least (like uolj suggested) Webber made a small oversight and used the word "flop" which immediately suggested to all of us that he is talking (at least in part) about Vlade. Not cool. I don't feel as any less of a Kings' fan for saying it, nor do I feel in awe of Kings fans who can skim over those remarks as if nothing happened.

And yes, as of this year Webber should watch every word that he is saying to the journalists. The more athletic and younger Kings team is being built around him as the focal point. He is being extended an enormous amount of trust and faith by Petrie, Adelman and ownership (by extension). Most of the fans too. EVerything is and will be magnified.

Dead horse indeed. Except that we're talking about two different horses.

Sorry, but I have loved Vlade since he first came into the NBA and I can't argue with anything WEbber said. If you take offense, that's your prerogative. I can't because Webber is right.

People have tiptoed around the basic truth for a long time and I'm tired of it.

Vlade was NOT the Vlade Divac of 2002 or 2003. He was slowing down appreciably and once Webber came back, he seemed to just lose interest entirely. But somehow that's Webber's fault?

I do not apologize for anything Webber has said because he hasn't said anything wrong. He may have not used enough tact to prevent from ruffling some feathers, but big whoop.

The more athletic and younger Kings team is being built around him as the focal point.

And Thank God for that!!!

If Peja and Vlade can't take criticism, then maybe they should take up croquet.

 

[KP]

You don't think Peja is man enough to decide for himself what to do? He's hardly a rookie. Peja is a great basketball player and he will go on a run, because he is a great player. Comments aren't going to derail him.

 

[iheartBrad]

^ehh i couldn't imagine either of them wearing white pants

bahaha

 

[VF21]

I cannot in good conscience participate in this thread any longer because I find myself blaming the players for some things their supporters have said and that's not right.

Peace.

 

[ReinadelosReys]

It goes both ways. I simply cannot believe the lengths at which _the most_ of kingsfans on this forum will go mitigate for Webber's PR debacles and the sheer number of Webber appologists in general.

He's a top athlete on a top professional team, making top dollar and somehow he's managed to recruit an army of pro bono lawyers to deflect any piece of flack that lands anywhere near him.

So, now it is OK to call out Vlade. If this team is tougher today then before it is precisly becuase of Vlade and Webber who put this team on the map. A number of other combinations of a young stud PF and a veteran NBA player could probably do it too, but it was to a very large extent that Vlade and Webber put the Kings on the map. At the very least (like uolj suggested) Webber made a small oversight and used the word "flop" which immediately suggested to all of us that he is talking (at least in part) about Vlade. Not cool. I don't feel as any less of a Kings' fan for saying it, nor do I feel in awe of Kings fans who can skim over those remarks as if nothing happened.

No one has said that it is ok to diss Vlade. First and foremost, most of us in here have this great sense of appreciation for everything that he did for this team, franchise and city, myself included.I do not see one diss at Vlade in Chris Webber's comments. I did not see anywhere in that article where a phrase resembling "Those teams of the past were soft. We had guys who flopped and that wasn't cool. We will never nor do we want to be that team again" come from the mouth of #4. He did say that the team was PERCEIVED as being "soft flopping cats"... I don't know. I don't see how the two are related. If anything, its nothing but the truth. That is exactly what the Kings were perceived as, and not meant as a diss on Vlade, but he was the main culprit and reason behind it. The past Kings were judged on their battles with the Lakers, where Vlade's defensive techniques vs. Shaq were more than documented.