12/03/24
November 10, 2004
Artest asks for time off to promote rap album: Pacers forward Ron Artest said Wednesday that he asked coach Rick Carlisle for as much as a month off because of a busy schedule that included promoting a soon-to-be released rap album. "I've still got my album coming out Nov. 23," Artest said. "After the album comes out I'm going to make sure all of my time is focused on winning a championship."
posted by dusted to basketball at 09:14 PM - 26 comments
BWAAAAAAA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
posted by Ufez Jones at 09:51 PM on November 10, 2004
One can only hope that Artest's album will be at least half as good at Shaq's album from years back.* * - god help us all.
posted by NoMich at 10:05 PM on November 10, 2004
How is anyone supposed to take these guys seriously?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 10:10 PM on November 10, 2004
Cut him some slack, He's gotta make extra dough on the side to feed his family.
posted by justgary at 10:31 PM on November 10, 2004
What a coincidence! I'm looking to retire from my struggling musician job to become a multi-millionaire professional athlete!
posted by Stan Chin at 12:03 AM on November 11, 2004
What an asshole...
posted by StarFucker at 01:07 AM on November 11, 2004
Trade him! Now! Package his ass off to Utah or Memphis and see how well his album does. Goddamn.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 06:58 AM on November 11, 2004
they should put all these spoiled brats on one team and stick them in vegas or something. the rest of the league would probably enjoy wiping the floor with them.
posted by gspm at 07:00 AM on November 11, 2004
I'm going to try the same thing with my boss today.
posted by 86 at 07:52 AM on November 11, 2004
To somewhat play devil's advocate (and resist the knee-jerk "all professional atheletes are selfish" reaction), would this in any way impact the Pacers negatively? The NBA season is essentially meaningless anyway, and maybe a month off from basketball would help Artest be more rested for the playoffs. On second thought, maybe he is just a selfish asshole.
posted by schustafa at 08:08 AM on November 11, 2004
and I thought Spree said some silly things! Where do these guys comed from???
posted by daddisamm at 08:21 AM on November 11, 2004
I am a little bothered by the fact that Artest didnt know what "integrity" meant. That's the scarey aspect of this whole thing!
posted by daddisamm at 08:59 AM on November 11, 2004
i miss hockey
posted by garfield at 09:07 AM on November 11, 2004
i miss hockey I do too, and I don't even watch it. Forget the NBA -- more ski racing!
posted by lil_brown_bat at 09:31 AM on November 11, 2004
I am a little bothered by the fact that Artest didnt know what "integrity" meant. That's the scarey aspect of this whole thing! And the NCAA would tell you he was a student-athlete at St. John's University. Or something like that.
posted by 86 at 09:33 AM on November 11, 2004
All the stuff I said defending Artest in the Sprewell thread last eek? Uh, never mind. (i miss hockey too)
posted by chicobangs at 12:17 PM on November 11, 2004
Trade him! Now! Package his ass off to Utah or Memphis and see how well his album does. Goddamn. There's an old, possibly apocryphal story about a player that asked Vince Lombardi for a raise, whereupon Vince rose from his chair, left the room, a returned in about a minute with the news that he wasn't able to negotiate with him anymore, as he was now the property of the Philidelphia Eagles. I may have some details mixed up, but a coach who could generate cautionary anecdotes like that . . . wow.
posted by jason streed at 12:20 PM on November 11, 2004
I hate stories that celebrate the days when players didn't have freedom of movement and could be served up a shit sandwich whenever they protested. It's like honoring the rat bastard Charlie Comiskey for doing everything he could to screw his players out of money.
posted by rcade at 01:09 PM on November 11, 2004
That's fine, rcade. Weedy's remark reminded me of the story, and celebrating Lombardi's mean streak wasn't really the point of the "wow." Just amazement that the system works so differently now. Even if the story isn't true, Lombardi probably would have been glad to know it was making the rounds--keep 'em scared to hazard the smallest demand.
posted by jason streed at 04:09 PM on November 11, 2004
I wander what was his coach thinking after he heard artest's petition, dispite knowing that this is one of the ugliest players in the NBA. That really shows all of us the kind of respect this kind of player has for the game. I miss the all days and I wish they sit him down for some games without pay...That will be a statement for the rest.
posted by LROD at 05:07 PM on November 11, 2004
I just think it's funny that because the word "rap" is in the headline for this thread, the first Google ad reads "Is Eminem Gay?" Oh, yeah, and Artest is an idiot, too.
posted by thatweirdguy2 at 08:06 PM on November 11, 2004
Indeeeeeeee! In-tro-duc-ing the hoops/rhyming renaissance baller, TruWarier. (sp?) And the story is a little more complex, although I still think the porn-mustachioed tall guy is a jerk.
posted by dusted at 08:20 PM on November 11, 2004
I'm actually more less with rcade on this as well, though. Players are not high priced slaves, though in this case the issue isn't a contract amount or percieved lack of compensation. It's the picture of a man so committed to himself beyond his team that he doesn't even see the controversy in making the request. That is a man I do not want on my team, no matter how talented he is.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 07:06 AM on November 12, 2004
I'm going to try the same thing with my boss today. So...how's the unemployment line these days? Unless your name is Eric Sermon, then here's hoping that you successfully revive your career. Why oh why didn't Artest say that he wanted a month off to be the next John Peel?
posted by NoMich at 08:28 AM on November 12, 2004
Even if the story isn't true, Lombardi probably would have been glad to know it was making the rounds--keep 'em scared to hazard the smallest demand. Yup. I just wanted a chance to bring up that rat bastard Charlie Comiskey.
posted by rcade at 07:40 AM on November 15, 2004
Wow, what a moron. This is the one time I wish Bobby Knight was coaching in the NBA. He would have rammed a chair up Artest's ass.