Thursday, March 4, 2009
This has not been the kind of week the Wolves wanted it to be. Sitting in on meetings to publicize and reach fans regarding amazing the team's new "Run with the Pack" promotion, there was amazing optimism and excitement regarding the fan outreach. The team's been playing better. Fans have liked the improvement and the direction in which the team was heading. It is a team headed in the right direction despite what happened on the road the other night involving the franchise's top player.
Safe to say, being well known and that good ol' publicity that goes with it are crazy things. In fact, many professional athletes will tell you they really don't care if they get on TV or if they are in the spotlight. I once had an old, respected colleague of mine tell me that "it's better to be damned than ignored". Right now, you can bet that Al Jefferson wants none of the limelight and would love to back up the clock and do some things over.
Big Al's been in the news for the wrong reasons and is dealing with a suspension handed down for fourth degree driving while impaired after his arrest by the Minnesota State Patrol. Just so you know, I'm not condoning what happened the other night. No way. I've lost friends in alcohol related accidents and I know, first hand, how deadly all that can be. I agree with David Kahn, SO glad there was no accident and no one was hurt.
However, in this season of struggle for this very young team, it's tragic this has happened and turned so much of the attention away from the team's and Al's work.
I know this has hit Big Al hard. He's one of the hardest workers in practice, he's truly happy to play in Minnesota and he enjoys being a T'Wolve standout. Jefferson also knows he makes a boat load of money and knows that this kind of action carries consequences.
One reason fans will roll their eyes and have a fit is that it wasn't that long ago the Wolves had a very talented player who did the same thing, off the court. Eddie Griffin wasn't Al Jefferson on the court but he had his moments. Griffin was a very troubled person and lost his life a few years ago and alcohol was part of the problem. One of the notes I received brought up this very point. From Wolves fan Josh..."Well obviously A-J shouldn't have been driving around drunk, but I do not blame the guy for wanting to go out for a few drinks after a bad loss. The problem is, it brings back memories of Eddie Griffin - someone Jefferson definitely doesn't want his name linked with".These are important days for the franchise and every single player on the team. The organization is trying like crazy to win back fans. On the court, many of these guys won't be back next season as Kahn and Coach Rambis look for better combinations on the court to return the Wolves to the playoffs. There is now concern that, with his actions, Jefferson might be one who could go or wants out.
Whatever the case, I do know that Jefferson's a good man. I've been in the crowd that watched him give Christmas presents to kid's who would have gone without had he not been so generous with his time and money. I've watched Jefferson struggle with loss after loss and then put on a "good face" even though he wanted to scream into the TV camera.
Losing takes it's toll on these young players. They work hard every day to be successful and losing basketball games plays against that effort, at least in their minds.
Jefferson's season of struggle continued to play out tonight. Quietly, he was not part of his team as the Wolves lost by three points in Dallas without him. Big Al wasn't part of the effort and having a good seat to his play over the past few years, I know that Wednesday was a very blue night. He knows what he did was wrong and he's remorseful. He was reminded with this three point loss.
But it will pass.
For the record and in case you missed it, Al Jefferson's apology and official statement was, "I want to apologize to the entire Timberwolves organization, owner Glen Taylor, my teammates, coaches and Wolves fans everywhere for my actions last night. I made a very poor decision and I am truly sorry for that. As a leader on this team, I know that more is expected of me, and I am disappointed in myself. I will learn from my mistake so that it does not happen again. I fully understand and support the organization's disciplinary action. I will continue to work both on and off the court to be the best person I can be."
I'm one of those guys who believes that every now and then we get reminders that pop out in front of us. Reminders that help us, emotionally and professionally. Jefferson's is playing out in public, right before us. It should make him a better player but more importantly, a much better person.
Bits and Pieces:
>Congratulations to Lynx guards Lindsay Whalen and Candice Wiggins. They're now part of the USA Basketball Women's National Team that already had Lynx teammate Seimone Augustus on the roster.
>Wolves standout Kevin Love is one of six NBA players who have teamed up to raise funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, one of the world's premier pediatric cancer research centers. "Hoops for St. Jude" Week is on right now (March 1-7) and K-Love joins Shane Battier, Steve Blake, Pau Gasol, Rudy Gay and Danny Granger in donating to St. Jude for each point they score throughout the season, with a season-end minimum total donation of $20,000. Love served as a spokesman for St. Jude and helped in fundraising efforts last season so this is part of his gameplan.By the way, fans can join K-Love and the Hoops team during this week-long celebration by logging on to hoopsforstjude.org and donating to St. Jude. All funds raised will help children battle cancer and other deadly diseases.
>I mentioned it earlier and don't forget, you can be part of the new foundation that rocks Target Center next season. The Wolves "Run with the Pack" campaign is on and it's an aggressive fan development program that will reward loyal Wolves fans during the month of March with unprecedented season ticket pricing and unbelievable prize giveaways. Really good buys too! Fans willing to pledge their support during March to the Wolves' goal of creating a fantastic home-court advantage will enjoy discounts on all lower-bowl season ticket pricing, with some seats discounted by as much as 50%. For more information, log on to www.timberwolves.com/pack.
If you like good shows on TV, it’s time to catch SPORTS FINAL before you call it a night. Sports Final is now at 10pm on Sunday night’s and it’s moved to a new home on the CW/Twin Cities-23. Sports Final will bring you inside your favorite teams, including the T’Wolves, with exclusive interviews, team notes and as always, offering you the best guests and a full interactive website. I’m back with longtime colleague “Coach” Dean Dalton and we couldn’t be more excited about the Vikings strong showing this season and all the possibilities surrounding the Wolves in this new NBA season.
