No, I don't want the next Bobcats Coach to wear a "?" mask all the time

With apologies to former Boston Celtics coach, Rick Pitino:  ”Bernie Bickerstaff is not coming through that door!  Larry Brown is not going to be walking through that door!  And Sam Vincent isn’t walking through that door!”  Sam can’t walk through that door because he can’t figure out how the handle works, or if it’s a push or a pull.  Actually, the only guy welcome to walk through any door at 333. East Trade is Paul Silas, and that’s because he’s actually still a member of the franchise, in some undefined role.

Paul Silas won’t be coaching the team again next season.  As discussed at length, you can’t keep the CEO of Lehmann Brothers around after the great collapse of 2008 and you can’t keep the head coach of a team that went 7-59 around for another year.  I appreciate what all those names above did for the team in their time.  All, except of course, for Sam “Ham Biscuit” Vincent.  Bernie got things rolling as head coach and general manager and actually never let the team finish in last place.  He was integral to the roots of development that the franchise started out with.  He was around for 4 years, but coached for 3 seasons.  He wasn’t Michael Jordan’s guy, so his contract wasn’t renewed.  He was sent on his way, given a very awkward “retirement” party after the final game of the ’06-’07 season.  Awkward, because he didn’t retire.  He went on to be an assistant coach with both Chicago under Vinny Del Negro and Portland under Nate McMillan and whoever the hell replaced Nate when he got the axe.  

During a solid 2009-10 season for the Bobcats, we had our first All-Star in Gerald Wallace, we had our first winning record, and we had our first playoffs birth.  With all of that momentum, great things were expected for the future.  Then things fell apart.

Before the 2010-11 season even began, Raymond Felton left in free agency and Tyson Chandler was traded for dust and bad contracts.  Then Larry Brown finally weaseled his way out of town after a poor start.  Gerald Henderson, Tyrus Thomas, and Gana Diop were hobbled with injuries, and fan favorite Gerald Wallace was traded to Portland.  The season ended with a 34-48 record and no discernible direction as a franchise.

And just like that, we began our rebuild.

Lincoln... "Still Loved"

Allow me to reintroduce myself, my name is HUGH, H-to-the-U-G-Uh, never mind.  Anyone who visited this site in the mid- to late-aughts might angrily recall my lame jokes and entirely fact-free analysis—mostly about my dog, Lincoln, but occasionally about the Bobcats as well.  However, right around the time that Larry Brown announced he’d fallen in love with Alexis Ajinca at the draft, I decided that I needed to spend more time with my family and retreated to a remote hamlet called Brooklyn, NY.

Things were going well.  My marriage produced another dog and two cats.  Lincoln (pictured) recently came out to me that he was gay, but he knows that I love him anyway, and that I just want him to be happy.  Occasionally Ziggy would ask if I was interested in blogging again, but by then I’d grown a beard and spent most of my time chopping wood and saying things like, “My war is over.”

But through it all, I never lost my love for the Orange & Blue!  Or the alternative blues, or the pinstripes, or even the alternative NASCAR-themed racing checkers.  So when Ziggy approached me last week, I decided to hear him out.

This NBA Lockout has sapped the will to write completely out of me. When I think about the very real possibility that I may not being able see my beloved NBA until possibly November of 2012 it’s enough to  make me physically ill.

With that being said, I would like to recognize those that are able to stay motivated and pump out quality Bobcats content during this very jacked up lockout.

Here are a few very good recent articles from those that have not succumbed to this David Stern inspired malaise.

Roberto Gato – Stephen Jackson slams Larry Brown

Bobcats Baseline – Kemba Walker: Expect Big Things

Rufus on Fiyahhh – The Bobcats Offseason To-Do List

BobcatsPlanet Radio #204

Steven and TJ discuss all the latest happenings since the last show, including the dismissal of Larry Brown and subsequent hiring of Paul Silas, the trade of Gerald Wallace, and the playoff push. Taped 3/13/11.

Post All-Star break/ Wallace & Nazr trade

First off Gerald “Crash” Wallace, You will be missed. Any true Bobcats fan has appreciated your effort which has continued from day one after the expansion draft. So my inaugural blog pooping goes to the Bobcats front office. But this poop I might just seal in a bag and wait on throwing. No TheGayKid but I love Gerald Wallace. He has been my favorite Bobcat since day one. He’s the working mans player. Blue collar basketball skills. Basically this teams skinny Oakley. But getting two 1st rounders from a team thats going through it’s own type of rebuild without Brandon Roy in their future. Those picks depending how structured, could end up pretty high. I know for one I will be rooting against Portland like they are Duke for the next couple years.
And I F*CKING HATE DUKE!