If it weren't enough Andre Iguodala may have brought some tension into the locker room with his calling out of Louis Williams, hard-nosed coach, Doug Collins, may have added to the dog-pile with an additional media quote.
Here's what he said (From NBC ProBasketballTalk):
"The one thing about players today is that they're very sensitive, and very fragile," Collins said before his team's game against the Boston Celtics on Easter Sunday. "They didn't grow up with tough coaches. You know, I had my ass kicked since I was six. It's a different time, and so I treat this team very much with kid gloves. I really do, and I'm still looked at as an ogre…
"It's terrible, I mean, it's hard. It really is hard," he said. "I honestly find myself during the games looking at the coach [and asking], 'Was I alright with those guys during that timeout? Did I hurt anybody's feelings? Was I OK?'… 'Coach, you're fine, you're fine'… I said 'OK, OK, I just wanted to make sure I didn't hurt anybody's feelings.' That's the sensitivity, and the younger the guys, it seems like the more sensitive. And that's what you're wrestling with."
My thoughts?
Yes. No kidding. If you follow me on Twitter, you've heard me rant about it time and again. People are just not cut from the same cloth that they used to be. That's no secret. The Philadelphia Eagles players are great examples of what coach Collins is speaking of. Also, two (now one) 76ers players blocked me on Twitter, without me ever saying a word to their Twitter handle.
That and other more serious examples will show you that the quality of what people are made of is spiraling downhill.
Sure, technology is getting better and we're learning a lot more than we've ever known. In that case, we've improved as a human race. But what it's doing (as an unfortunate side effect) is making us a bit less reliant on the resilience of ourselves. Sure, there are still resilient folks on this planet, but resilience now, isn't like resilience of say: slavery times when a certain set of men and women had to endure much more tribulation than someone criticizing you in effort to help you grow.
Today, if you so as much as yell at someone, forget it--you've got a problem.
But, I know, "times are different."
You're right; they are...
But, let's not go off on a tangent. In today's world, as a coach of a young basketball team, you've got to know that's what you're getting into and adjust accordingly. Take for example: If you know the kids on your team are young and come from a time period that isn't as mentally tough as yours, would it be a great idea to--I don't know--call them out to the media as such?
What are you thinking coach?
One of two things will come of this: either it will light a fire under the young team and they'll get a chance to show they've got what it takes to endure a tough word or two, or they'll continue to wither away under tribulation and slight controversy.
This is the wonderful world of sports. Many dynamics and a plethora of different results.
Vincent Heck is a life-long resident of the Philadelphia area, a featured 'Fan View' blogger on Yahoo! Sports, and author of the novel, betterHALF. Follow him on Twitter: @HeckPhilly.
Email Vincent at: vheckphilly@yahoo.com.
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