CNN/SI users ponder Floyd, fate of
Bulls
Posted: Wed July 22,
1998
CNN/SI asked for your opinions about the Bulls hiring former Iowa
State coach Tim Floyd, and the response—merely hours
after the news broke—has been enormous.
Here are your replies:
I am a Bulls season-ticket holder and lifelong fan. Jordan
has appeared very immature in this whole process. He is
supposed to be a professional. This is not about loyalty
to Phil Jackson, it is about having more power than the two
Jerrys. Jordan
bluffed and lost. Bring on 30-52, the next
generation.
—Craig Simpson,
Chicago
I think it stinks. The two Jerrys should be ashamed of
themselves for breaking up the dynasty. I don't know how
Tim Floyd is going to survive in this city because he will
always be known as the person that drove Michael Jordan
away from the
game.
—Sheila Lapping, Skokie,
Ill.
Before everybody counts Michael as retired, let's see what
the Bulls offer him. My guess is he'll play for anything
over $40
million.
—Jeff Hill,
Milwaukee
The two Jerrys have again displayed their arrogance and
disregard for the public that ultimately generates their
paychecks by the hiring of Floyd. This attitude is typified
by Krause's premise, "Organizations win championships,
not
players."
—Mike Litin, Janesville,
Wis.
What a stupid move! Michael Jordan vs. Tim Floyd? No
contest. Until now I thought the Bulls were a class
organization with good basketball sense. I hope they
finish lower than the
Grizzlies.
—Eric White,
Atlanta
What does the hiring of Tim Floyd mean? It means I can get
tickets to a CBA team at NBA
prices.
—Jason Washington,
Chicago
Let's face it. MJ won't play forever. It was just a matter
of time before circumstances would force him out of the
NBA. As for Floyd, he has built some tremendous teams at
Iowa State as well at New Orleans. His recruiting abilities
are top-of-the-line,
a must for an NBA team under
reconstruction.
—Andrew Wolff, Readlyn,
Iowa
There's absolutely nothing wrong with Tim Floyd. He's a
fine coach. Having said that, it kind of makes you wonder
about the Bulls management, if they really went after the
best possible candidate instead of somebody they were
comfortable with. For example, they could have interviewed
George Karl, even if they didn't think he would fit in with
their plans. Who knows? The interview might have proven
them
wrong.
—Mike Ferguson, Three Bridges,
N.J.
Reinsdorf and Krause are given much credit for being sports
"geniuses", but that credit is undeserved. Their
failures were masked by some of the best players in the
game. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen can make even The
Three Stooges look like a
top-flight think tank. I wish the Jerrys and the Bulls
organization all they deserve. On the plus side, parking
should be easy to find around the UC this
season.
—Tom Yukich, Homewood,
Ill.
As an Iowa State alum and avid college hoops fan, I feel
like this is a lose/lose situation. Iowa State loses a
very talented coach who, despite a poor showing last year,
was clearly taking the Cyclones to a higher level. At the
same time, with the
exception of the financial reward, he is moving into a
near-impossible situation: Bulls fans' expectations
couldn't be higher, Jordan and company appear to be moving
on, and the formula for success in the NBA is very
different than at the college level.
If Floyd is looking for a challenge, I think he's found
nirvana.
—Mike Petersen,
Minneapolis
Phil Jackson was an unknown before he was hired by Chicago.
Maybe Bulls management knows what it is doing. They built a
winner once; perhaps they have a master plan to build
another.
—Roosevelt Bowman,
Philadelphia
If Michael Jordan wants to retire, he should, but only if
he feels he has done everything he set out to do in his
career. If, however, he quits because he does not like the
new coach, then all of his outstanding achievements will
end on a sad and sour
note. I have personally grown tired of players ruling the
roost when it comes to coaches. How does Jordan know he
won't like Tim
Floyd?
—Bill O'Rourke, Slidell,
La.
Big deal. Jordan wasn't coming back anyway and no coach
with any sort of brain in his head would take over this
team at this time. Why not just shoot yourself in the
foot? Pat Riley couldn't make this team into a winner next
year.
—Al
Lindstrom
A very large decision by two very small men. This decision
proves once and for all that the two Jerrys are less
concerned with flaunting their power than with ensuring the
future of Bulls' basketball. Their Waterloo can't come too
soon, as far as I am
concerned.
—Kevin Jon Heller, Los
Angeles
Don't ask me what I think about the Bulls hiring Tim
Floyd—ask me what I think about Tim Floyd going to the
Bulls. In short, he's a liar. He has been recruiting
players on the premise that he'd be here in Iowa for the
remainder of his contract. Believe
me, he'll have no fans in Iowa or
Chicago.
—J. Wood, Des Moines,
Iowa
I guess Reinsdorf is looking for seats to handle the
overflow from White Sox
games.
—Ben Morris, Westfield,
N.J.
I had the pleasure of seeing Tim Floyd while he was at the
University of New Orleans. Year in and year out he was able
to produce a very respectable team, a winning team, at the
division I level. What made this so remarkable was the fact
that UNO is
primarily a commuter college with no fan base, which made
recruiting next to impossible with LSU and Tulane right
down the street. His ability to find hidden talent and
transform this talent into overachievers is
unparalleled.
—Scott Small, New
Orleans
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