All the signs were there
by TheMicrowave
Lindsey Hunter couldn’t have picked a worse time to be suspended.
Energy is low. Shot making is inconsistent. Rasheed Wallace is nicked up.
And now the rotation is compromised, with Coach Flip Saunders uncomfortable playing Carlos Delfino and Flip Murray together.
The Pistons have a brutal March schedule, one that many fans hoped would be a playoff tuneup. With a tough home loss to Cleveland Wednesday night, and recent losses to Golden State and Miami, the Pistons need to get everyone playing at a high level.
But Lindsey took “the pills”.
Pills that were prescribed to his wife. Pills that contained a banned substance. And we still do not understand why he took them.
If Lindsey had a head cold, a weight loss pill wouldn’t help.
The local media softballed us with reminders of Lindsey’s character. I don’t doubt he is a good man. A good husband and father but with one careless act, he lost the right to call himself a consummate professional.
“My bad” won’t cut it if the Pistons go .500 or less while Lindsey cannot play, practice or travel with the team.
So with that I present, Lindsey Hunter - “All the signs were there”.
Laughter is the best medicine.
PistonsForum.com wrote:
[HVC] All the signs were there…
All the signs were there
by TheMicrowave
Lindsey Hunter couldn……
Posted on 09-Mar-07 at 8:17 pm | Permalink
Matt W. wrote:
He didn’t travel with the team, but it’s not like he wasn’t allowed to.
There’s no rule saying suspended players can’t travel or practice with the team, he just can’t be in the building two hours before game time.
But yeah, that’s quibbling over details, I agree with the point of the post.
Posted on 10-Mar-07 at 5:35 pm | Permalink
It’s all so clear in hindsight at Detroit Bad Boys wrote:
[…] Human Victory Cigar wonders why we didn’t pick up on Lindsey Hunter’s pill-popping problem earlier. […]
Posted on 10-Mar-07 at 7:53 pm | Permalink
themicrowave wrote:
Hey Matt,
http://detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070308/SPORTS0102/703080423/1127/SPORTS0102
“Hunter, accompanied by his wife, discussed his suspension before Wednesday’s game and then had to leave. A suspension bars a player from being around the team. He will not go on the Pistons’ nine-day, five-game West Coast trip, which begins today.”
Posted on 10-Mar-07 at 9:28 pm | Permalink
Matt W. wrote:
Joanne Gerstner is wrong. (I know, surprising.) I knew it as soon as I read it because I remember reading about Artest and O’Neal practicing with the Pacers after the fall-out of the Palace thing.
But if you don’t believe me, Krista Jahnke addressed this in her latest blog entry:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070309/BLOG15/70309038/1051/SPORTS03
“A note of clarification: suspended Pistons guard Lindsey Hunter is not barred from any and all contact with the team. He can attend and participate in practices and even be at the arena until two hours before tip-off.
He didn’t join the team on this five-game trip out west, though, because he’d have no where to go when the team plays its games. The team always leaves for the airport immediately after each away game, so Hunter would end up sitting and waiting at the airport each game night.
And that’s no fun.”
—-
Also (and this is me talking, not Jahnke) I’m guessing Hunter didn’t travel because there’s probably no scheduled practices during the 5-game, 8-day trip.
Posted on 10-Mar-07 at 9:42 pm | Permalink
themicrowave wrote:
Guess I should know better than to take Joanne as gospel!
Thanks for the correction Matt!
Posted on 11-Mar-07 at 12:08 am | Permalink