Why should fans care about how great Jerry is at maximizing profits? Businessmen looking at how to maximize profits in a sport franchise might admire Jerry Reinsdorf, but Bulls fans shouldn't.
As far as I know, 99.99999% of Bulls fans are concerned with the enjoyment that comes from watching the basketball team on the court. You're apparently in the other group, that are concerned with how much money the owner is trying to make. Reinsdorf's actions are against what puts the best basketball product on the court, and rightfully, fans are upset.
Yes, we're in a recession. But signing Gordon to the contract the Pistons signed him to wouldn't put the Bulls in the red. It wouldn't put the Bulls anywhere close to being in the red. Bulls fans were never asking Jerry to lose money, they were asking him to retain the Bulls' best player, in a move that would help the Bulls build toward a championship.
What's worse, is that Reinsdorf had his spokesperson go out and lie to fans that it was a top priority to re-sign Gordon.
When we are kids and dreaming of being rich, I'm sure most of our fantasies were not to be an old miser like Mr. Burns. I think most people wanted to be the cool rich guy, who isn't all about profits, but for bettering society, or if they were to buy a sports team, to try to make that team win a championship every year.
Actually, Mr. Burns isn't as bad as Jerry Reinsdorf. Mr. Burns spent big to put together the best softball team he possibly could.
Bulls fans have gone on with their lives, you should either move on or go to Detroit.
Do you not realize that it is about dollars and cents, you know what a salary cap is? you know what luxury tax is? Do you know the penalty for luxury tax? If not, find out, and quit bitchin about a mediocre player.
We were talking in general about Reinsdorf's business practices. Not just about Gordon. Gordon is not that important in the big picture.
They went after Amare at the trade deadline, Steve Kerr pulled back at the last minute, after recent health problems they don't want him anymore. There is something going on there that you don't know about and neither do I. The fact is Amare will never be what he was, and he does not play defense. They don't want to give him a max deal. So they are checking other options.
This is really about BG. And that is what makes this all so sad. Because at the same time your anger started, they were offering their players very nice deals. Now some say they offered BG below market money, that was the dumbest thing I have heard in a while. KC Johnson talked about it yesterday. BG lost money. He could have signed the deal, made 50mil, he would have been well into that contract by now, and sign another top contract at the prime of his career. Don't blame Reinsdorf for that. Just get over it for crying out loud. Someone else offered him more money than he is worth and now he is gone, what Shakes is saying in a more classy way is if you are going to cry over BG and accuse Reinsdorf of every misdeed under the sun, go follow the Bucks. And don't act as if it is a geographical issue because its not, just because you live in Chicago doesn't mean you have to be a Bulls fan. I like the Rockets and I have never been to Houston. I have been an Olajuwon fan for years going back to the 1980's.
Not because you don't have a right to complain...you are complaining about stupid shit. He can pay BG, he offered to pay BG, TWICE! BG didn't want it, so BG can go suck eggs. Damn! what is so hard about that. He has been written out of the storyline, if you dont like it, change the channel. Sox fans at one time had major complaints about Reinsdorf, I know, I had complaints too, and I am a Sox fan. The famous fire sale in the 1990's was horrendous. But I got over it. I had a choice, get over it, or sit and cry because they let some players go while only 3 games out of first place. I am a Sox fan to this day because I got over it.
I didn't accuse Reinsdorf of cheapness, and hope he die so someone else could run the team. Would I have said that if he let Frank Thomas walk? Maybe, doubt it but maybe, not because Frank was the best player, but because Frank was a great player. I was upset when they let Ellis Burks go, he was a decent player with loads of potential, negotiations fell apart, he went to Colorado. I was upset, hell, I know Burks' uncle for crying out loud! I got over it, Burks was a 2x allstar but he was not that good. Why would I boycott over him? They replaced him with an older player who was not as good named Darrin Jackson, and they did fine. Although Reinsdorf loves the Sox so much that he spearheaded the lockout that year when his team was the best in the AL and could have won their first World Series, instead of cancelling it for the first time in MLB history. I understand that he was taking care of business. Life goes on, this is not unprecedented, so quit whining and complaining and slobbering over a decent at best player leaving town, especially when you have two capable players that can replace him.
I basically wrote a much more angry version of your article in my JR is a greedy bastard thread with less numbers and more guesstamates. I was a bit upset about BG.