Peter Vecsey NY Post article:

[DJlaysitup]

This isn't worthy of being posted in the regular forum...Vecsey is a known pot-stirrer. But it is an interesting read.

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April 10, 2007 -- THE NBA must be thrilled about the graceful 24 hours it experienced Sunday/Monday. Aside from Miami Beach police playing ring around (James) Posey in the early a.m., the Hawks suspended Josh Smith two games yesterday after Mike Woodson banished him to the locker room during Atlanta's loss in Philly for calling him names he'd only heard from rappers.

My first thought? What took the coach and GM Billy Knight so long to crack down on this remarkably skilled, exceptionally infantile and exceedingly selfish 21-year-old?

For three seasons I've written about Smith's vulgar disrespect for Woodson, his assistants and a teammate or two. Yet, for the most part, his boorish behavior has been unchecked. As far as I know, there has been no loss of significant minutes or money. At the very least, he's been privately docked some insignificant dough.

Last year, Smith's belligerence got so out of hand, I'm told, Zaza Pachulia pinned him to the Hawks' locker room wall after a game.

"Talk to me like you just did on the court," the 6-foot-11, 250-pound Georgian warned, in essence, "and you'll miss the rest of your career."

This season the league fined Smith 25G for saluting heckling fans with a finger on each hand up while walking off the court after being ejected from a Bobcats game. His apology the next day maintained such conduct was uncharacteristic. I maintained it was completely characteristic.

I maintain he's perfectly understood. From what I know, he's trouble looking for trouble.

Two summers ago, a source swore he was in a club when the under-age Smith was asked to leave after acting up when a bartender refused to serve him. That's when things almost got of hand.

"Josh kept threatening he was going home to get his gat and was coming back with his peeps," the source asserted. "Thank goodness Josh Childress was there. He kept calming down Smith and telling him to chill. Finally, he got him out of there before anything physical or worse happened."

Yup, if I'm the Hawks, Smith's the guy I want to bankroll this summer as my franchise player. The predicament is, if they don't, we all know there will be at least one team (and all it takes is one) who'll be more than willing to take a five-year, $50 millions-$60 million guaranteed gamble the season after next (when he becomes free) on such a talented head case.

In the meantime, I'm left wondering why the Hawks finally decided to discipline Smith. Was his obscene outburst so public that Woodson and Knight had no other choice? Or was it his new vocabulary words that sent management over the edge?

[Plastic Man]

Peter Vescey needs to retire. He hasn't been a credible source in about 10 years imo.

[capstone21]

Well I hope we don't have another Artest on our hands. So much talent but so much of a headcase.

[TroyMcClure]

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Two summers ago, a source swore he was in a club when the under-age Smith was asked to leave after acting up when a bartender refused to serve him. That's when things almost got of hand.

"Josh kept threatening he was going home to get his gat and was coming back with his peeps," the source asserted. "Thank goodness Josh Childress was there. He kept calming down Smith and telling him to chill. Finally, he got him out of there before anything physical or worse happened."

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If there is any validity to this, I want Smoove gone NOW!!!!

I will take his side when talking about Woodson. This? No way!

[AHF]

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Two summers ago, a source swore he was in a club when the under-age Smith was asked to leave after acting up when a bartender refused to serve him. That's when things almost got of hand.

"Josh kept threatening he was going home to get his gat and was coming back with his peeps," the source asserted. "Thank goodness Josh Childress was there. He kept calming down Smith and telling him to chill. Finally, he got him out of there before anything physical or worse happened."

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If there is any validity to this, I want Smoove gone NOW!!!!

I will take his side when talking about Woodson. This? No way!

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Vescey sources are less reliable than those of posters on this board. I am not worried about anything he writes under a legitimate member of the media confirms it.

[DJlaysitup]

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...Vescey sources are less reliable than those of posters on this board. I am not worried about anything he writes under a legitimate member of the media confirms it.

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Yeah AHF, Vecsey has a reputation for quoting "sources" (yet he seldom gets sued for libel).

Whatever the case lets hope Smoove isn't getting into that whole gangsta/clubbing lifestyle for real.

This is the wrong time to be heading in that direction...case in point:

Pacman Suspended for Entire Year

NEW YORK (AP) - Adam "Pacman" Jones of Tennessee was suspended for the 2007 season Tuesday and Chris Henry of Cincinnati for eight games—both for numerous violations of the NFL's personal conduct policy.

"It is a privilege to represent the NFL, not a right," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement announcing the suspensions. "These players and all members of our league have to make the right choices and decisions in their conduct on a consistent basis."

Jones' off-field conduct has included 10 incidents where he was interviewed by police. The most recent took place during the NBA All- Star weekend in Las Vegas. Police there recommended felony and misdemeanor charges against Jones after a fight and shooting at a strip club paralyzed one man.

Henry was arrested four times in a 14-month span, resulting in two benchings by coach Marvin Lewis and a two-game league suspension. He was one of nine Bengals arrested in nine months.

Both the Titans and the Bengals said they supported the suspensions.

"While we regret the circumstances that called for it, it's good for both Chris and the Bengals to have the matter resolved," said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. "Our team will move forward, and now it is up to Chris to acquire a more mature understanding of his responsibilities as a player for the Bengals and a representative of the NFL."

[AHF]

Unless I am mistaken, the next time Josh Smith gets in trouble with the police will be his first.

[Popeye]

If Salim did what Smoove did he would be called PUNK by the whole board. I remember when Salim got into it with Woody everyone was blaming Salim for his attitude. But Smoove the FAN FAVORITE won't get any hate for it because everyone is in love with him. He should be thanking Woodson for where he is right now not cursing him out. Woody gives him the ball way more than he deserves the ball and he is still not happy. 2 years ago he couldn't shoot nor dribble at all, but he still played a lots of minutes. He couldn't hit a rim with his shot, but Woody told him to keep shooting. Nice way to thank the coach who gave you the oppurtunity to be in this position where he is.

He wants the last shot, WTF who you think you are??

That is selfish and i bet his teamates like Marv and Chill changed their opinions on him if they didn't already. That just shows you how a class act like JJ is such a great person and a player. He never complained when someone else took the last shot.

[DJlaysitup]

Don't get me wrong AHF...I'm not making a direct comparison. I'm saying I hope he doesn't go down that "path"...and I don't think he will.

The point I was trying to make is that pro sports are trying their best to get away from that kind of image. It would be a bad time to develop a reputation that is in the opposite direction of the one the league is wanting to move in. Let's face it, flipping off fans and cussing like a rapper at your coach at courtside isn't going to go un-noticed by Stern.

[AHF]

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Let's face it, flipping off fans and cussing like a rapper at your coach at courtside isn't going to go un-noticed by Stern.

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No arguments here. He needs to grow up relating to those issues. I just wouldn't lump him in with Artest, Pacman, etc. by any means.

[DJlaysitup]

Agreed...and that was not my intention.

[AtLaS]

lmao at cussing like a rapper, as if Vescey actually knows what was said..

[lawman]

in jsmith defense; has anyone in here worked under an incompetent supervisor? it has to be very frustrating playing your heart out and having the coach blow the games on a repeated bases. he and salim are probably so tires of losing because of wodoy's dumbass!i am not saying what he did is right. what i am saying is we need a new coach like a.s.a.p

[Popeye]

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in jsmith defense; has anyone in here worked under an incompetent supervisor? it has to be very frustrating playing your heart out and having the coach blow the games on a repeated bases. he and salim are probably so tires of losing because of wodoy's dumbass!i am not saying what he did is right. what i am saying is we need a new coach like a.s.a.p

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Dude this wasn't a situation of Woody being incompetent, it was Smoove bitching about wanting the last shot and Woody telling him he wasn't getting it. Maybe if this situation was one where Woody was blatantly wrong then I could accept Smoove cussing him out but its not. Its Smoove making a mistake and then exploding after he wasn't given the last shot.

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correct :Handshake_emoticon_-_UPDATED:

[AmishBoy]

Let me just say that I think Smoove was wrong for blowing up like that. Let me also say smoove was punished for taking that bad shot against Dre Miller by not receiving a chance to shoot the final shot. I wonder what punishment Lue received for taking the horrible shot he ended up taking.

[DJlaysitup]

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Let me just say that I think Smoove was wrong for blowing up like that. Let me also say smoove was punished for taking that bad shot against Dre Miller by not receiving a chance to shoot the final shot. I wonder what punishment Lue received for taking the horrible shot he ended up taking.

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The true punishment - 2 game suspension without pay (which is nothing to sneeze at, pretty solid punishment)...wasn't for the shot...it was for the behavior afterwards.

Granted, TLue gets to take shots and lose games - but in reality - who else would you give it to at that point? Our post game is non-existant.

I really think we need to trade Lue if possible - but as it stands now we don't have squawt to replace him with.

That said...there is a good chance JS will be a good citizen. I think he loves the game and what he feels is his future in it is too important not to come around when he has to. My guess - he'll be OK if he stays away from the (bad parts of) the hip-hop crowd.

I'm not saying "don't have fun"...heck, I did at that age.

I just hope Josh doesn't get a $60million dollar contract and hire a possey and make an ass of himself. Maybe a guy like Warrick Dunn could give him a call if it's necessary and talk about what his legacy could be with that kind of money.

[AmishBoy]

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The true punishment - 2 game suspension without pay (which is nothing to sneeze at, pretty solid punishment)...wasn't for the shot...it was for the behavior afterwards.

Granted, TLue gets to take shots and lose games - but in reality - who else would you give it to at that point? Our post game is non-existant.

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Yeah. I got the first part. Reread my post. On the second part I'm conflicted. While I'm on the tank wagon and not really upset at the result, I think Josh realized he was wrong and you give him a chance to make it right. Under normal circumstances that is. F**k it. Woody was right.

[frosgrim]

In the AJC this morning, Childress calls this article a complete fabrication. The altercation at the bar never happened. PV needs to be sued a few times to get him to stop writing fiction as "news". The image-i-media of New York is just out of control at times.

[Sothron]

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Two summers ago, a source swore he was in a club when the under-age Smith was asked to leave after acting up when a bartender refused to serve him. That's when things almost got of hand.

"Josh kept threatening he was going home to get his gat and was coming back with his peeps," the source asserted. "Thank goodness Josh Childress was there. He kept calming down Smith and telling him to chill. Finally, he got him out of there before anything physical or worse happened."

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If there is any validity to this, I want Smoove gone NOW!!!!

I will take his side when talking about Woodson. This? No way!

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Vescey sources are less reliable than those of posters on this board. I am not worried about anything he writes under a legitimate member of the media confirms it.

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Vescey was using Jaywalker as a source back during the Deke trade rumors to the Knicks, true story. And by source I mean almost copying word for word some of jay's posts. Classic.