Webber: 'New' Kings are tougher

[bozzwell]

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

Webber calling Pedja out in private - cool. Webber (maybe) calling out Pedja in an interview - still cool if not perfect, acceptable and within his rights (the rest of us can debate whether "the call" was right or wrong but not his right to make "the call"). Webber calling out past teamates - not cool.

Your suggestion that Pedja and Vlade take up croquet if they can't stand the criticims = me suggesting that maybe you should start following a team with a less polarising superstar.

Am I banned yet?

 

[KP]

Webber calling Pedja out in private - cool. Webber (maybe) calling out Pedja in an interview - still cool if not perfect, acceptable and within his rights (the rest of us can debate whether "the call" was right or wrong but not his right to make "the call"). Webber calling out past teamates - not cool.

Your suggestion that Pedja and Vlade take up croquet if they can't stand the criticims = me suggesting that maybe you should start following a team with a less polarising superstar.

Am I banned yet?

lol.

 

[6th]

"There is more intensity and maturity. (And) we're not the flopping soft cats we were perceived to be."


Okay, I have read page after page of this thread. I have re-read the above quote (Webber's) time and time again. And, here is my perception:

Nowhere...no time does Chris Webber dis Vlade in this comment. If there is a dis here it is of those who saw (perceived) the Kings as soft because of Vlade's reputation as a flopper. Did he flop? Heck yes! We all admit that. Some of us even give Vlade a lot of respect for refining flopping to an artform. He sure got what he wanted from those refs, now didn't he. However, I hear Chris saying, "they thought (as in perceived) we were soft. Now, with this group of guys we are no longer perceived as soft." That is on those who did the perceiving. It has nothing to do with Vlade himself.

Now, I hear that many of you disagree with me. I also think that with your "perception" of Chris you will hear what you want to hear.....no matter what he says. So, it is all about perception and maybe, just maybe, reading something that is not there.

 

[bozzwell]

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.

I accept that my comments are biased towards blaming Webber for "a diss" even if the "diss" is only faintly implied becuae I am adjusting for "history". I hope I made that clear earlier. I love Chris Webber as a King and as a Basketball player and always will. He just drives me crazy with that macho BS and I will always jump on him because of that.

 

[KP]

I accept that my comments are baised

lol

 

[bozzwell]

Nowhere...no time does Chris Webber dis Vlade in this comment. If there is a dis here it is of those who saw (perceived) the Kings as soft because of Vlade's reputation as a flopper. Did he flop? Heck yes! We all admit that. Some of us even give Vlade a lot of respect for refining flopping to an artform. He sure got what he wanted from those refs, now didn't he. However, I hear Chris saying, "they thought (as in perceived) we were soft. Now, with this group of guys we are no longer perceived as soft." That is on those who did the perceiving. It has nothing to do with Vlade himself.

OK, we're splitting hair now, but team cannot be tougher if the porevious team was only perceived to be soft. So, team is as tough as before but the perceprtion has changed. Ooooh, head ache coming on...

 

[swisshh]

At least the Lakers lost to the Hawks.

 

[KP]

At least the Lakers lost to the Hawks.

Yeah that was nice.

 

[Entity]

Maybe Webber is looking out for Peja's best interest. Don't forget peopld Chris is a very smart person. He is pumping the bench and some of the starters up to give them confidence. Notice he pumped Brad up. Thats the same guy the didn't mention in this summers article. Now as far as Peja goes. Peja got so pumped last year of how great he was and MVP candidate and he couldn't handle it and lost his edge. Maybe Webber not praising him and putting him on a pedistal give Peja reason to fight and try harder.


Either way it goes. The Kings don't give a damn about what goes in here or in any of the fans heads as to what is going on behind the scenes. They know, that is all that counts. Hell Chris and Peja are probalby chating online right now laughing at how ignorant ppl can be in arguing over which member of the team is this and that.

 

[VF21]

Am I banned yet?

Not yet...

 

[bozzwell]

Maybe Webber is looking out for Peja's best interest. Don't forget peopld Chris is a very smart person. He is pumping the bench and some of the starters up to give them confidence. Notice he pumped Brad up. Thats the same guy the didn't mention in this summers article. Now as far as Peja goes. Peja got so pumped last year of how great he was and MVP candidate and he couldn't handle it and lost his edge. Maybe Webber not praising him and putting him on a pedistal give Peja reason to fight and try harder.


Either way it goes. The Kings don't give a damn about what goes in here or in any of the fans heads as to what is going on behind the scenes. They know, that is all that counts. Hell Chris and Peja are probalby chating online right now laughing at how ignorant ppl can be in arguing over which member of the team is this and that.

Nice post. I like the idea. But no reason for us to stop is there?

BTW, I don't see this thread as Pedja vs. Webber anymore. For once, Pedja in is many a doghouse (trade request + luckluster performances) and Webber's making a real strong case on the court at the very least.

 

[bdouble013]

Bye peja16. Did you really wanna pick that post to get banned with? At least go out in a blaze of glory.

 

[iheartBrad]

i feel like im inside of an episode of Around the Horn

 

[Bballkingsrock]

i feel like im inside of an episode of Around the Horn

you got that right......

 

[6th]

Whoa! You are fast!

 

[bozzwell]

i feel like im inside of an episode of Around the Horn

At least you have the Patriots to fall back on. If Kings don't do it soon enough, all I have to fall back on is Da Bears and the Cubs.

This is as good as it gets for me as a sports fan.

 

[Bricklayer]

I don't think the "war against softness" has EVER been about Peja v. Webber because quite frankly nobody follows Peja. Peja may or may not be soft, but it doesn't spill over. He's not a leader and the team is not going to fall in line and be soft because of him. Its a personal failing for him, not something that spills over to the team.

IF there was/is a conflict in the anti-softness movement, it would logically have been about Vlade's low key, relaxed, jocular leadership style, because Vlade WAS a leader, and his attitude DID help set the team's attitude.

But its not about Peja. He may not "fit" -- that's possible. But he's just one player + the team is clearly looking to Webb for leadership right now. They are going to take their cues from Chris regardless of how hard Peja plays, and its only a question of whether Peja plays hard and maintains his status on the team or whether he gets left behind in the "toughness" movement.

In any case though, as somebody else mentioned, if you're the leader why not try to invent a then/now myth? Convince yourself and the team that everything's changed now. That we are a new incarnation different from the teams which fell short before. Leaders have been creating myths since the start of time to inspire belief. And maybe its not a myth -- we DO have more scrappers on this team than at any time I can remember. I'm not convinced we are better, but we have a higher percentage of "tough" scrappy players than we have had.

 

[Entity]

Fact is alot of team in the NBA would LOVE to have Peja or Webber. Here we are with both. Not to mention Mike Bibby, Brad Miller, and The Cat. KINGSFANS step back take a look at your team. Lean your head back and say out loud. DAMN I LOVE THIS TEAM!!!!!!!

WE have got THE best frontcourt in the leaguy. One of the best point guards. And a 2 guard that averages 16 pts a game. 16 pts a game and that is 4th best on our team. How good is that.

 

[iheartBrad]

At least you have the Patriots to fall back on. If Kings don't do it soon enough, all I have to fall back on is Da Bears and the Cubs.

This is as good as it gets for me as a sports fan.

HA! let me also mention then that im a Yankees fan

Yankees
Pats
Kings

wohoo!!

 

[iheartBrad]

Fact is alot of team in the NBA would LOVE to have Peja or Webber. Here we are with both. Not to mention Mike Bibby, Brad Miller, and The Cat. KINGSFANS step back take a look at your team. Lean your head back and say out loud. DAMN I LOVE THIS TEAM!!!!!!!

WE have got THE best frontcourt in the leaguy. One of the best point guards. And a 2 guard that averages 16 pts a game. 16 pts a game and that is 4th best on our team. How good is that.

we've got arguably the best starting 5 in the league

I LOVE THIS TEAM!!!!!

woot woot!!

 

[Bricklayer]

HA! let me also mention then that im a Yankees fan

Yankees
Pats
Kings

wohoo!!

You are disgusting.

If you're going to pick Yankees + Pats the team you normally pair with them is "Lakers" not Kings.

 

[Entity]

Not even arguably. We HAVE THE best starting 5.

 

[6th]

HA! let me also mention then that im a Yankees fan

Yankees
Pats
Kings

wohoo!!

Yankees? Oh, too bad. You have just lost my undying allegiance, iheartBrad. Yankees......blech!!!

 

[iheartBrad]

oh c'mon 6th you know you love my boys...heh

and you are right Entity i misspoke we have THE BEST starting 5 in the league

 

[KP]

So who's dreamier Brad or Jeter?

 

[6th]

oh c'mon 6th you know you love my boys...heh

and you are right Entity i misspoke we have THE BEST starting 5 in the league

Well, actually, there is no major league sports team that I dislike more....even the Lakers.

 

[iheartBrad]

You are disgusting.

If you're going to pick Yankees + Pats the team you normally pair with them is "Lakers" not Kings.

i know its weird isn't it? you would definetly think that...but that is certainly not the case

but i love my Yanks
and my Pats
and my Kings

 

[ReinadelosReys]

HA! let me also mention then that im a Yankees fan

Yankees
Pats
Kings

wohoo!!

Eh...sports wins are in cycles, it all comes back around... It does!

Sincerely

A Raiders/49ners and A's/Giants fan.

 

[iheartBrad]

So who's dreamier Brad or Jeter?

thats a toss up

but im gonna have to go with Jeter

im use to people asking me Jeter or ARod...in which case the answer is still Jeter...lol

 

[Entity]

Dreamier??? what have i slipped back to the 50's. I thought in todays language it would be hotter. My vote would have to go with. HMMMM pretty much any woman with cheeky shorts and belly shirt.