No heed to 'Sheed.

[MavKikiNYC]

Why?

Comments?


Leave the loser alone to suffer in silence

08/12/03

STEVE DUIN

He's a sullen jerk. He has no class, no grace, no empathy. He represents almost everything that's wrong in pro sports, the details of which have been chronicled in these pages for years.

Yet for all that, people still march up to the Trail Blazers' Rasheed Wallace with pens, hearts and expectations in hand, begging him for a small piece of his miserable self.


While Wallace and his wife were waiting in the Honolulu airport for a flight to Portland on July 26, at least two parents and their children approached him, asking for an autograph.

Wallace blew them off, they said. What a surprise. That's what Wallace does. That's who Wallace is.

I say "at least two parents" because two have written letters to The Oregonian. One was printed July 30. Christy Pulley's letter is next to my keyboard. Hers is a more compelling story, although she and I may have reached different conclusions on what it says about Wallace and the rest of us.

The Pulley family was returning from vacation that Saturday. Pulley's 11-year-old son, Chris, glimpsed Wallace when they checked in. Because the Hawaiian Air flight was delayed, the boy had three hours to get psyched. He even bought a special permanent marker.

If her son recognized Wallace, Pulley didn't. Oh, she recognized the name, but she couldn't have pinpointed his transgressions. She didn't know whether he was the Blazer who is forever smoking dope or the Blazer who threatens referees or the Blazer with the domestic abuse rap.

She saw only an NBA player. She saw only the stars in her child's eyes.

When the 11-year-old approached Wallace, she said, Wallace shook his head and waved the kid away. The boy was disappointed. A nearby flight attendant, Pulley said, was "incredulous."

And Mom? "I lose it," Pulley wrote. "I can't believe how insensitive, how arrogant, how spoiled this man is whom my son has walked around and thought of exclusively for an entire afternoon. How dare he hurt my little boy's feelings when all my son did was adore him and want a simple autograph to show all his friends and keep forever."

As Pulley admitted Monday, she was reacting emotionally, not thoughtfully. "The funny thing about this," she said, "is he (Chris) wasn't as affected as I was. I think I projected my feelings onto him. My adrenalin was running so high."

Which explains, I suppose, what happened next. Pulley confronted Wallace in the gate area, telling him, "You just broke my little boy's heart." ("I'm on vacation," she said Wallace replied. "If I'm going to do that, I'm going to break my wife's heart.")

And she got "right in his face" on the plane, throwing a crumpled photo and the black marker at his feet and yelling, "Shame on you."

At that point, Hawaiian Air escorted Pulley off the plane, leaving her family to fly home without her. "While Ms. Pulley may believe that she did not act in a threatening manner," the airline's Rose Harman wrote in a letter to the family, "the other passenger felt threatened, and the flight attendants believed her actions to be abusive."

Let's sort through the wreckage. At least two families approached Wallace as he returned from vacation. If you are of a mind to be charitable, you could argue he decided that he'd have another two dozen in his face if he signed even a single autograph.

But why is anyone still asking for one? Wallace is bad news, and that's old news. Why are any parents still allowing their kids to approach him, thus giving Wallace permission to dismiss them?

He may be traded, but Wallace isn't going to change. Because he refuses to grow up, his "fans" have to. They have to stop chasing him around airports. They have to stop treating the guy's signature like a keepsake.

Wallace hasn't earned our respect, much less our adoration. Accept it. Get over it. Share this stunning revelation with your child. It will be a lot easier if the poor kid figures it out now, rather than standing embarrassed and disappointed in an airport with a permanent marker and a lasting stain.

[Drbio]

There are many things wrong with this at so many levels. Very unfortunate.

[Nash13]

This article is BS to me. One reason is because most NBA players do the same type of thing as was described in that article. So that part is nothing new to me. And another reason is because whenever Rasheed comes back to North Carolina for charity games, he's the first one to come out of the locker room to give out autographs. He even comes back out on the court after the game to sign some more.

Also, for the last two season, no one was really talking about Wallace's attitude until he made that speech in a press conference after a Mavs playoff game.

[MavsFanatik33]

Who cares, half the blazer team are crack smokers anyways.

[one long blue sock]

Originally posted by: Nash13
This article is BS to me. One reason is because most NBA players do the same type of thing as was described in that article. So that part is nothing new to me. And another reason is because whenever Rasheed comes back to North Carolina for charity games, he's the first one to come out of the locker room to give out autographs. He even comes back out on the court after the game to sign some more.

Also, for the last two season, no one was really talking about Wallace's attitude until he made that speech in a press conference after a Mavs playoff game.

Exactly right, I don't think anyone would be able or want to sign every single autographs that come up to you

He does have a personal life, and people need to respect his reason to not sign autographs.

[MFFL]

Originally posted by: one long blue sock

Exactly right, I don't think anyone would be able or want to sign every single autographs that come up to you

He does have a personal life, and people need to respect his reason to not sign autographs.

If it was an adult I'd agree with you. But it was a KID.

Plus Wallace is an entertainer - he gives up his rights to a "personal life" when he starts cashing those large paychecks.

[one long blue sock]

The article said the kid wasn't all that mad, and it is not like he would keep it longer then a week.

I have gotten a Deke autograph, lost it.

Gotten a Cuban autograph lost it.

Gotten a Ro autograph, lost it. Although he gave me a little speech, that guy talks fast.

And Finley has rejected me once, I didn't care, and I was like 10 or something.

[MFFL]

My little boy's favorite baseball player is Rusty Greer. We saw him at the mall once and he was kind enough to take a moment out of his life and sign his name.

My boy TREASURES that scrap of paper.

[one long blue sock]

You got me

MFFL:1
Sock:0

[Usually Lurkin]

Originally posted by: MFFL

Plus Wallace is an entertainer - he gives up his rights to a "personal life" when he starts cashing those large paychecks.

Wow. I disagree with this. I agree with OLBS. Sheed has to have time alone with his family, time to say 'no' to work. Without that, anyone would go insane. A true 'fan' (or a parent of a fan) should respect his right to conduct his life in the way that has gotten him to the level of play which the fan finds admirable.

On the other hand, to create a scene on an airplane, and throw stuff and yell just because someone wouldn't do something you wanted them to is just nutty. And then to call them "insensitive, how arrogant, how spoiled" is pretty much insane.

[German7Footer]

I don't know if this is true or not, but one of my favorite stories along this line is when Shaq was in HS in San Antonio and got snubbed by David Robinson when he asked for an autograph. If that is true, that is classic.

[Big Boy Laroux]

who in the hell do you think allows wallace to cash those big paychecks? the fans.

now, i don't agree with what the woman did. if he refused to sign, suck it up and bitch about it in private. don't make a freakin' scene.

the fans have every right in the world to ask for an autograph. rasheed has the right to refuse (although he should realize who makes it possible for him to get huge paychecks). the woman has NO right to get in his face about it. and thus she was removed from the plane.

[MFFL]

Originally posted by: Usually Lurkin
Originally posted by: MFFL

Wow. I disagree with this. I agree with OLBS. Sheed has to have time alone with his family, time to say 'no' to work. Without that, anyone would go insane. A true 'fan' (or a parent of a fan) should respect his right to conduct his life in the way that has gotten him to the level of play which the fan finds admirable.

On the other hand, to create a scene on an airplane, and throw stuff and yell just because someone wouldn't do something you wanted them to is just nutty. And then to call them "insensitive, how arrogant, how spoiled" is pretty much insane.

The lifestyle is clearly defined before he EVER steps onto an NBA court. He undoubtable HUNGERED for that "glory" when he was in high school and college. He is an entertainer - suck it up and entertain. If he doesn't like it then quit being in the entertainment industry.

But having said that, the players should be allowed privacy when at home. Many restaurants and shopping spots cater to the privacy that stars want.

And the mother was out of line in her reaction - two wrongs don't make a right.

[Nash13]

[quote]
Originally posted by:

Originally posted by: MFFL

The lifestyle is clearly defined before he EVER steps onto an NBA court. He undoubtable HUNGERED for that "glory" when he was in high school and college. He is an entertainer - suck it up and entertain. If he doesn't like it then quit being in the entertainment industry.

But having said that, the players should be allowed privacy when at home. Many restaurants and shopping spots cater to the privacy that stars want.

And the mother was out of line in her reaction - two wrongs don't make a right.

The players deserve privacy outside of Restaurants and Shopping centers. But if you think Rasheed Wallace is bad, try getting an autograph from a NFL and MLB player.

[Usually Lurkin]

Originally posted by: MFFL

He is an entertainer - suck it up and entertain. If he doesn't like it then quit being in the entertainment industry.

What do you think: When a fan pays to go to a game, are they paying to watch Sheed play basketball, or are they paying for his vacation time? His contract probably has specific times outlined for signing autographs and interacting with the fans. Outside of those times in which he is contractually obligated to entertain, then he can be whatever he wants to be, and it's pretty much useless to demand of him to do a job during his off hours. If some fan thinks he's not doing enough for them, they should write to the owners, who presumably represent the fans during contract negotiations.

[MFFL]

Originally posted by: Usually Lurkin

What do you think: When a fan pays to go to a game, are they paying to watch Sheed play basketball, or are they paying for his vacation time? His contract probably has specific times outlined for signing autographs and interacting with the fans. Outside of those times in which he is contractually obligated to entertain, then he can be whatever he wants to be, and it's pretty much useless to demand of him to do a job during his off hours. If some fan thinks he's not doing enough for them, they should write to the owners, who presumably represent the fans during contract negotiations.

Then it shouldn't matter if Rasheed gets drunk every night and smokes weed every day in the offseason. After all, it IS his vacation time.

[one long blue sock]

Originally posted by: German7Footer
I don't know if this is true or not, but one of my favorite stories along this line is when Shaq was in HS in San Antonio and got snubbed by David Robinson when he asked for an autograph. If that is true, that is classic.

Thats true, Shaq wrote it in his biography.


Well I don't think refusing an autograph is as illegal as smoking pot.

[MFFL]

Smoking pot will be legal in Canada this year or next year. It is currently legal in several countries.

So let's say that Sheed is vacationing in Canada. Is it still alright for him to smoke and drink?

[one long blue sock]

Well if it is legal, and he is doing it in his own business, sure.