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| Minnesota isn't the only cold weather NBA city |
Fans of the Minnesota Timberwolves have heard it since the franchise joined the league in 1989... The top free agents won't sign with Minnesota because, of the cold, brutal, frigid winters.
Just last week on another sports blog, Sir Charles In Charge wrote:
"Acquiring star talent is difficult at the best of times – being in a small market, cold-weather city adds layers of difficulty to an equation already problematic."It didn't help when former Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations and arguably the worst Wolves boss in franchise history, David Kahn said after he was fired about the factors involved with the team not drafting Steph Curry...
"The back-channel message would have weighed heavily in my decision-making process under any circumstances, but especially in Minnesota. Immediately after my hire, I was spending nearly every weekday morning in the team’s conference room, listening to team business partners and season-ticket holders lament over coffee and pastries. “You’ll never attract free agents here,” they said, practically in unison. “Players don’t want to play in cold-weather places.” Doomsday all around." -Credit SI.comThat kind of positive thinking coming from within the organization is fitting, considering the team is owned by Glen Taylor (who also owns the StarTribune), possibly the worst owner of any professional sports team. That is another topic for another day, though.
You get my point, though. People around the NBA have always made it a point to mention the cold winters in Minnesota being a main reason for free agents not wanting to sign with the Wolves.
The writers are the ones who keep reminding readers about the cold weather. There are 30 teams that play in the National Basketball Association and an argument can be made that 12 teams play in cities that are considered to be cold in the winter. In addition to Minnesota, they include Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Indiana, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia and Toronto. It is even reasonable to consider Utah to be a cold place to play. 30 teams in the NBA and 43% of them are located in cold weather cities.
Looking at the list of cold weather cities, I wonder why Minnesota is singled out? Chicago in the winter is downright FREEZING! Milwaukee is just 92 miles from Chicago and the wind that blows in off Lake Michigan is downright brutal. Located on the other side of the lake is Detroit... not exactly balmy by any means. Yet no one seems to talk about those cities when it comes to why free agents don't want to play in the cold.
Minneapolis is considered to be a small market and when combined with the cold winters... those are the good reasons writers claim players don't want to sign with the Wolves. To that, I say, "Bullshit!"
Reasons NBA writers are biased against the T-Wolves might include owner, Glen Taylor, Former boss idiot, David Kahn, the Joe Smith illegal contracts, trading away Kevin Garnett and the list goes on but, COME ON! Wolves fans know our team isn't well liked (the team hasn't exactly produced much to cheer about over the years) but, stop making it harder on us to attract top free agents by labeling Minnesota as a place where no one wants to play basketball. After all... not a single NBA game is ever played outdoors. Minnesota has had indoor heating for decades. Ok, ok.... I am done ranting.
-Jim Watkins aka Wolves fan in Dallas
I agree that the coastal media has never been kind to the Timberwolves, using cold weather as a common theme. It is true of course, but it isn't the same for similar cold weather cities. I believe we don't get the best Free Agents because, we are also not as diverse a city as Detroit, Chicago and New York or even Milwaukee and as you mentioned, our owner has been constantly shooting his own team in the foot. Obviously, Glen wants to be successful, and I don't think he is cheap, but you would think just the law of averages would eventually work in his favor. I believe he surrounds himself with people who shouldn't get his trust. Guys like Flip (rest his soul) and McHale gave him mostly bad advice or less than 100% effort. The NBA has given him terrible advice (David Kahn was suggested to Glen by the Head Office, and Thibs was pushed on Glen from the media) He needs Rosas to be legit and then let him run the show. Meddling with team decisions like the Ryan Saunders hire needs to end. If you don't know the game, don't muck it up. Maybe then he can have the same success with his Wolves team that he has enjoyed with the Lynx.
ReplyDeleteThere are several articles I plan to write that will discuss the issues known as: Glen Taylor. For now, just a few things that respond to or add to your comments.
ReplyDeleteI think your take on Taylor are pretty accurate. Your points seem to point out his inabilities as an NBA owner and then prove themselves. Example: Head office suggested Khan. Here we have a billionaire businessman who has to rely on asking the league who would be a good hire. He had no idea. Then he is influenced by media and fans with Thibodeau. I am all over the place here so i'll make 2 points.
1. I think Taylor showed total incompetence with allowing the Jimmy Butler mess to become a public disgrace. Both Butler and Thibs were EMPLOYEE's and in any other business, when an employee brings negative attention to the company, they get reprimanded or fired. I think the Butler exit will hurt the team for several years in terms of how players see the franchise.
2. Joe Smith illegal contracts.
I really don't understand why or how the punishment played out the way it did. Glen Taylor knowingly let McHale go ahead with the illegal contracts. McHale and Taylor were both suspended for their involvement. Bottom line: Taylor CHEATED and did it willingly. He hurt the team in many ways while doing it. He attempted to cheat against the rest of the league and if I am an NBA owner while another owner cheats like that, I want them out. Taylor got his suspension and eventually becomes Chairman of the NBA Board of Governors....TWICE!
He is one of two NBA owners who were suspended more than a few games. The other? Donald Sterling, former owner of the LA Clippers. Compare what Taylor did to cheat other NBA teams to what Sterling did.... Sterling made a very stupid and insensitive racial comment. His punishment? The NBA forced him to sell his team. A permanent banishment from the NBA.
I get so upset every time I think about how Taylor has hurt this team.