As the Paul Westphal firing saga unfolded last week, it was interesting to see how the Seattle media handled the event.
Keep in mind that as with most superstars in most cities, Gary Payton has been fawned over in Seattle to an almost obscene extent. Many media types grumble off the record about what a jerk he is, while extolling his playing virtues in print.
Of course, they have to deal with him on a daily basis, so they're caught between a no-doubt ardent desire to reveal him for the arrogant punk he is and the necessity to get along with him enough to milk him as a news source.
Anyone who has covered professional sports has experienced that pressure.
But some of the spin in print as Westphal was being shown the door was truly stomach-turning. Among other things, it was said that he:
— was "too player-friendly." As the flip-side of "the coach was too strict," this is Player Cop-Out No. 1. When players simply refuse to acknowledge they aren't getting it done, this is their most-often cited reason.
— "didn't communicate" with players. Was he a coach or a psychiatrist? What players usually mean by the coach "didn't communicate" is that he didn't say what they wanted to hear. Then they whisper to the media, "Man, this dude just can't communicate."
— didn't understand hip-hop culture. Heck, who does? So now he's supposed to be an anthropologist, too. Does anyone imagine for a moment that Jazz coach Jerry Sloan understands hip-hop culture?
— didn't emphasize defense. This is another line disgruntled Sonics certainly whispered to friendly media types. But one, Emanual Davis, put the blame where it belonged. "(Westphal) talked about defense at practice," he said. "It's up to the players to respond." If players had wanted to play defense, they could have.
— never cursed at players or officials. Excuse me? What I heard was that his telling Payton to shut up was the final nail in his firing coffin. Maybe he should have cursed at him instead. And since when has cursing at officials been equated with coaching success?
— got nothing out of Vin Baker, who under George Karl was an All-Star. Ridiculous. Westphal didn't tell Baker to eat six meals a day for an entire offseason. Baker got a mega-bucks contract after a subpar season and promptly added head problems to his burgeoning weight issues. Baker has to take the rap for his own failings.
— lost respect of players when he un-suspended Payton. Forget that "lost respect" stuff. Westphal was doomed when he dared to suspend Payton in the first place.
— was the wrong choice in the first place. This argument contends the Sonics should have picked someone Payton could respect. What that really means is they should have picked whomever Payton wanted them to pick. He wanted Paul Silas, and he got annoyed when Westphal was chosen instead. Forget respect — Westphal never had a chance.
All the propaganda aside, what the events in Seattle show all too clearly is how one selfish, egomaniacal player can spoil the game for everyone — coaches, teammates, fans.
Payton is a marvelously talented player, arguably the best point guard in the league when he goes all-out. But he tanked Westphal right out of a job, probably a career.
Last spring's playoff series against the Jazz showed Payton's true colors. In Game 1 he fired up 29 mostly awful shots, missing 18 of them. In Game 2 he had one assist and seven turnovers, then whined that he didn't have the ball in his hands enough. The Sonics lost both games.
Of course, what will happen now is that Seattle will play better. Payton will go on an absolute tear and make sure that everyone understands this is what the Sonics could have been all along, if only they'd listened to him.
And it won't last. The Sonics will implode again, if not this season, then next, because Payton is ultimately uncoachable. He refuses to recognize that anyone knows more than him, that anyone can teach him anything about basketball.
He's the real coach of that team, and he's a crummy coach.
E-mail: rich@desnews.com