TFD: Sam Mitchell?
Posted on December 3rd, 2008 – 5:03 PMBy Michael Rand
Proving the shelf life of coaches just isn’t that long, former Timberwolves player Sam Mitchell was fired as head coach of the Raptors today. We’ve long been a big fan of Mitchell, for his throwback style on the court (he basically called his own fouls, like he was playing a rec game at the YMCA, by flailing with every shot) and we thought he had shown himself to be a tough-but-fair coach. Nonetheless, from ESPN.com:
“This is a difficult but necessary step the franchise must take,” Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo. “We appreciate all that Sam has done for the organization, applaud him for his successes and wish him nothing but the best with his future in basketball.”
Mitchell will be replaced by Raptors assistant coach Jay Triano on an interim basis. He is in his seventh season as a Raptors assistant. A native of Niagara Falls, Triano coached the Canadian men’s national team from 1998-2004, posting a 52-42 record.
Triano’s first game as head coach will come Friday when the Raptors visit Utah to play the Jazz.
Expected to challenge the Celtics in the Atlantic Division this season, Toronto is 8-9 and already eight games behind Boston.
Mitchell is in his fifth season with the Raptors, posting a 156-189 record. He was named the coach of the year in 2006-07 after guiding Toronto to a 47-35 record and a playoff berth. The Raptors regressed to 41-41 last season but still made the playoffs, losing in the first round.
We’re guessing he’ll get another chance. Not sure where, not sure when, but he seems to have earned it.
16 Responses to "TFD: Sam Mitchell?"
How about with the T-Wolves? I hear their current coach is awful.
Unless the new Wolves coach gets to make personnel decisions it won’t make a difference.
WE interrupt this program to give you an update on Adi Pose, known originally as Phat Williams, the future coronary. It seems a certain misguided sportswriter going by the name of Reusse, somehow a survivor of the Star’s night of Timmy’s Bloody knives wrote an article about steroids today but spent most of it attacking a Union instead. Strange what a man will do when he knows he doesn’t know his a..from a hole…
Anyway, Mr Reusse with no chemical training, this one is for you…
After reading his rant against the Union and his unquestioned support for the local boyz, let me explain a touch of organic chem. that he either left out of his Wed. post of bias or simply did not know…(choose option #2)
a) Bumetanide, the infamous chemical found in StarCaps that he wishes to pardon players who have taken it, since players “do not carry along warnings against them in a 2 leaf notebook” (forgetting for the moment that trainers and agents can read even if players like da Felon Kevin cannot) is one of many diuretics, both over and under the counter, have two effects….one he knew of, one he quite obviously did not by this article..
First, as for the common knowledge, unlike most diuretics it has as a supposed “accidental” side effect, it’s ability to “mask” steroids in the system, and if anyone does some real research instead of normal rah-rah booster nonsense, he might wonder why this one diuretic, of the few manifesting this side effect would be chosen by these guys.
Hmm.. Could it be then that the “side effect” was no side effect at all but simply the effect intended…this being a question Reusse did not pursue…Hmmm again..
and Secondly, not only does StarCaps/ Bumetanide have a relatively unique contraindication/side effect of “masking” steroids, but it’s effectiveness or efficacy in the lit. is also unique in that most other diuretics perform this function better…but do so without the “accidental” masking function as well…a last long Hmmmmmmmmm there
It’s finally interesting to note that except for the Bear’s game (but in Tampa and the 2 games before that), this beloved Wiliams Wall had already crumbled since their steroids had likely already been absorbed into muscle tissue with the NFL knocking on their door with no replenishment available since they had already been outed weeks before this time and their case was coming soon. And all this also about the the time Reusse and Mpls. started wailing at that wall and the mean ol’ bad NFL and Union.
Point is….Reusse, do your homework next time…open a book or go to the ‘net, and write a more informed article about these pharmaceuticals, and quit your blame game. Articles like yours on Wed. only portray prejudice in your inbred private Purple light. Be a sports writer, not a Viking writer, in other words.
Borrrrrinnggg. If you want to shoot at Reusse, do it on his comments page.
I knew this would bring him back. There’s a silver lining to everything!
Who needs a diuretic? Just buy them a few pints of Leinenkugel’s and they’ll be well on their way to the same end.
just wanted to keep you boys on your toes. In your eyes, anything short of using a machete in a tackle would be fine…unless another team used it. But relax, you only need 2 wins. Lions are a slam dunk, but beat only the Cards, Falcons or Giants and you are in.
Thus my prayers that the high flying Adipose Men are grounded, but did anyone notice, despite the Bears game, that from the Tampa game and the 2 games before that, they already had gaping holes blasted through them ?
Hmmmm …might that have to do with the factoid that steroids are metabolized quickly if not replenished and these lard boys have been running scared of the mean ol’ commish for so long, they are probably doing nothing more toxic than handfuls of Vicodin they got from Favre.
So, let’s wish them a comfy stay riding the plastic WombDome pines, and hope as well that the Bears catch them in the end. Team caught playing dirty (with the psycho Allen in the lead) deserve no better…
That’s not trolling we can believe in, P3. That’s more of the same.
Vote Roberto El Doucho for change
Translation?
Packers are still not making the playoffs!
jama..never said they would, but at least their “rookie” has a future, does your “veteran” ? …maybe acting in some community theater. One day he won’t get up and all the announcers (and my gruesome friends) will talk of the skinny boy/man who cried wolf once too often…and remember your team of the hot 3 you face isn’t the only overzealous (dirty) team you will face…So, one play, da bloodied Beast may limp to the shore and just not come back. Too bad, since he’s the only bona fide player on your team.
Who exactly is my “veteran”? What dirty team is my team facing? The Packers?
Frenchie Flip Flop !!
Who? Does he play for the Bears? Otherwise he isn’t a “veteran” for the team I follow.
jama, if you are for the Bears, why are you here ? At least I, a Pack fan who can’t stand these perpetual also rans, take a break now and then, usually long breaks, but you ? Why hang around with Dawgs ? You’ll know you’ll get fleas…
Jama, by the way. Why should I remember you are a Bear man ? You rarely trumpet your support. Such men are not to be trusted
