The Bulls will visit Barack Obama in the White House today, but unfortunately it doesn't sound like they'll be hooping together.
Obviously, Obama doesn't the skills to play in the NBA, but how many of you think he could do a better job coaching the Bulls than Vinny Del Negro?
That may sound like a cheap shot, but seriously, how quickly do you think someone as smart as Obama could pick up coaching philosophies? How many times do you think he would sit Derrick Rose in the fourth quarter?
After Wednesday's loss in New Jersey, during which Devin Harris scored 42 points, Rose even sounded like he may have been questioning his coach's tactics: ''I think we should have trapped the pick-and-roll,'' Rose said. ''But he told us to contain, so that's what we were doing. Somebody going off like that, just trap him.''
Obama has played organized basketball, and he thinks in terms of strategy and problem solving. He's inspirational, motivational and has the respect of his players. How many NBA coaches have that?
Obama is a Bulls fan and as President-elect had scheduled to attend a Bulls game, but he had to cancel.
""The opportunity to visit President Obama at the White House is a great honor for the Chicago Bulls organization," said Steve Schanwald, Executive Vice President of Business Operations for the Bulls. "The President has been a fan of the Bulls for many years and we are very appreciative of this opportunity to say hello to him and pay our respects."
I think Obama would make a good basketball coach. Unfortunately he's facing an even bigger challenge than turning the Bulls into a consistent team.
Oh my god, I have heard it all... Now Obama would be great NBA coach!? The adulation of this guy by the media would be hilarious if it wasn't so scary! Are you guys serious?
Roman responds: Ok, I wrote it with tongue in cheek, but the more I thought about it the more sense it made. Vinny never coached before this season either.
2 things come to mind...
- will the secret service stop Vinnie thinking he's impersonating an NBA head coach?
- will Obama pull him to the side and ask "Vinnie - are you more interested in getting the #8 seed and getting swept or allowing your best player to get playing time and get better"?
Unfortunately Obama has the SAME problem! Making the most out of a bad situation. Vinny better take some notes, because Obama trusts all of his young stars. Hey, they couldnt do any worse could they.
They should have hooped with Obama. Would be yet another terrific photo opportunity for BOTH. I would have had Obama cross Rose and score on the entire front line!! And one!! They way they are playing defense, he probaly could have done it on his own. This is good for the NBA and the Bulls. They better make it happen. Bulls need to return to being America's team, in America's #1 City. Chicago is the #1 city! Second city is a knickname now. At least for the next 8 years.
Will Rose get to go too or is Vinny trying to teach him a lesson on how to be an insignificant guard in the NBA?
If anyone ought to know it would be Vinny right?
When he isn't playing ball, does Pres. Obama do any work except for attempting to bankrupt America?
You know what.... I don't remember Skiles getting this much heat. The drive and kick wasn't the Triangle! I guess you have to have a scowl on your face to get some respect around here. Hey, I frankly think Vinny is doing a better job. Give the guy a chance. He just got rid of the lockeroom cancer, and he has this rookie point guard, a bunch of new guys, and Ben Gordon. Even he is new. Its a whole lot.
I expected more from James Cagney - the seasoned guy. And his record is not all that glamourous considering he has Michael Redd, Richard Jefferson, Andrew Bogut, Charlie Villanueva and a host of veterans. Skiles has players that are the right size for their positions and skilled. But Vinny and the boys still beat them.
Vinny is making a few mistakes, but give him some time and when the smoke clears we will see who has done the best job. It would be fair to compare Vinny to other new head coaches, not the seasoned ones.
An NBA coach is 1/3rd professor & 2/3rds psychologist. Just ask the Zen master himself if you don't believe that. I give Prof Vinny a C-, but Dr Vinny a B .. so far.
Obama should learn the art of compromise as it's a pre-requisite now for an NBA coach. Jobs aren't coming back to America until policies are in place to reduce the cost of doing business here. Taking more from the most productive to give to the least productive is only going to lead to more job cuts.
I just found out that Norm is gone. I am so sad. All I know is if the Bulls don't make the playoffs after this....um going to jail. Because I might just go down there with my baseball bat and cave some skulls in!!!!!! They better play!!! 48 from here on out!!! I am hurting bad.
Keith - we can try to stomach your mis-guided flogging of Skiles but your over-the-top, baseless assessment of the current Bucks roster was a bit much...
Redd - out for the year, since about 30 games into the year
Bogut - out of the year, since early Feb...missed many games before that due to injury
Jefferson and Villanueva - certainly solid players but here is the gallant group of veterans on the Bucks you seem to admire:
Francisco Elson
Luc Richard Mbah
Ramon Sessions
Charlie Bell
Joe Alexander
Keith Bogans
Luke Ridnour
Malik Allen
Eddie Gill
Dan Gadzuric
Maybe Vinnie got a raise after beat this crew. Last time I checked, the Bulls are still looking up at this bunch.
I think people love Gordon more than Obama. Another stellar night for Ben, a minus 21 while he was on the floor. Kirk? a plus 10. Gordon is bringing Rose down and also playing for him in the fourth. And Deng should be on the floor with Salmons and Hinrich rather than Gordon. It's hard to believe that he loses time to Gordon. Gordon has lost two games for us this week(Pacers, Nets). I would much rather take my chance on Rose's defense and scoring than Ben's rainbow shots. Vinnie will lose his job just like Skiles because Gordon doesn't think he has to play like the rest of the team. Enough is enough.....
http://gapersblock.com/tailgate/2009/02/grossman-gone-bears-kickoff-fr.php
Like Bush, so too is Rex gone from our lives.
My question is this? for worse or better? remains to be seen.
I have this other question too? Keith...when does it officially become Obama's problem, and not still blamable on his inheritance?
Roman responds: The answer is obvious. The same amount of time it took to be W's problem and not his inheritance.
6-9 Months?
Looks like the stock market is going to sail below 7000.
That Bush, he really caused a mess huh? Passing all these spending bills that the Market Hates. Gggrrrrrrr....
Bush made more than his share of mistakes - this housing meltdown/financial crisis was NOT one of them. You can thank the liberals like Franks who couldn't get enough of mortgages for people who couldn't afford them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMnSp4qEXNM&NR=1
I need to set the record straight on something. The next time "House of Cards" airs on CNBC watch it & pay attention. The growth of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac under Clinton occured with strict regulation. Because they dominated the mortgage market, they wrote the rules & they were strict. Acorn had little power to bully them.
Then the Enron/Andersen scandal brokeout, & accounting irregularities were popping up all over Wall Street. Fannie & Freddie were part of that. CA led the way by making it easy for startups to bite into F&F's business. These were not GSE's & there was no government oversight for them. That's when the sub-prime market took off.
These startups attracted the major banks of Wall Street & they begun to fund the efforts to accelerate the decline in market share of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac. As you would expect, F&F soon loosened their requirements to better compete.
As housing sales began to slow, Wall Street decided to package the mortgages into MBS & CDO's & sold them like REIT's. Municipal govt's world over bought it. This allowed Wall Street to greatly leverage existing mortgages for greater profits. Banks were showing profits in the 10's of billions then. But even that market was showing signs of a bubble bursting so Wall Street turned to But even that market began to tighthen so around 2003-2004, the next wave occured: re-financing adjustable rate re-financing to increase the value of the existing MBS & CDO's.
In 2004, American's re-financed to the tune of $900 Billion in new mortgage value. Wow! So now America had millions of homeowners living in homes they couldn't afford solely because the value of the home had appreciated.
It didn't take long for demand to fall off w inflated home prices. As they occured, housing values began to decline slowly at first. It was enough for the adjustable rate mortgages to kick in. With less value in their homes, more was expected in payments to maintain the mortgage. The wave of foreclosures had begun.
Wall Street new it would happen, but never believed it would happen so quickly. Greenspan admitted that but he also believed Wall Street was capable of managing it so that the market would decline slowly. They never saw the systemic risk. They never understood how interconnected the mess had become. Even Greenspan failed to see that MBS & CDO's turned a CA housing problem into a national one practically overnight.
So now banks & govts around the world are left mulling over their losses as these MBS & CDO's have become essentially worthless.
There's plenty of blame to go around. Why didn't CA & other states bother to license loan officers? Why didn't the SEC regulate MBS & CDO's better? Why didn't committee's in Congress reign in F&F when they decided to throw all caution to the wind & jumped in bed with Wall Street's way of doing things? Basically blame any one who was in a position to stop this greed from spiraling out of control over the past 20 yrs.
One of the funniest lines I ever heard was "Punks with no heart...must meditate in the dark" - Martin Lawrence. And he was dressed up as a karatee instructor talking to his only student. Bulls need to go meditate in the dark. What an embarrassment.
Maybe the Sun-Times should throw down the cash and hire an editor who can read.