Jeff Van Gundy should be suspended or banished

[Steak]

What that little creep did was an embrassment. Jeff Van Gundy has said lot of stupid things over the years as the Knicks boss. Jeff has been very manipulative in getting his bosses fired and screwing the writers that cover the Knicks. He was an ultimate asshole to lot of the employees at Madison Square Garden. He quit the Knicks when the going go tough. Van Gundy also was vieing for the other jobs while coaches were still on as a coach. This time, he crossed the line when he insinunated some NBA official called up to him and said that they are going to give calls against Yao. That was as idiotic as it can get. How dare Jeff? Why would officials go talk to coaches? They have no relationship with coaches and players. Officials have other things to worry about than talking to a coach. This was clearly made up by that paranoid coach. Jeff has some gall to go accuse some official calling up to him and make that claim.

Stern has to make Van Gundy an example. He has to give him a 30-game suspension next season for crossing the line. This type of nonsense should not be tolerated by Jeff. Jeff should get what he deserve. He has it coming.
He can not let Van Gundy get away with it.

Rockets should make Stern's decision easy though. They should fire that little twerp. He is not well-liked in Houston. I have known Rockets fans who hate that piece of crap. Van Gundy has done a horrible job in his two years as coach. Rockets have underacheived under his leadership. If the Rockets want to win a title, they should fire him and hire some guy name Phil Jackson. Phil Jackson would die to coach a championship team and the Rockets have that in Yao and Tracy with role players. Plus, Houston is a beautiful city and it has a very nice arena.

Van Gundy needs to suffer and suffer badly. Rockets should do the right thing and fire him to save embrassment to the franchise and the NBA.

[StumpMerrill]

I think a $100,000 fine was enough. VG has done alot of stupid things and this was the topper but I think the $100,000 fine is enough. I wouldn't have a problem if he suspended him but I think Stern did a great job handling the situation.

[Steak]

A fine is a slap in the wrist.

Van Gundy can not get away with this type of antics. He has been doing this garbage for years and it's time for him to get more than just a fine. He will keep doing that for a long time. This guy has been whiner towards lot of refs over the years. Did you know that he accused a ref this year for currying up to Suns head coach Mike D'Antoni? Jeff should just mind his own business and worry about his team.

Like I said, Rockets should take advantage of this situation and use this to fire Jeff and get Phil Jackson. Is it a right thing to do? Definitely not, but Jeff deserves everything that's coming to him and sports is a business.

[Porter]

The Rockets should keep Jeff Van Gundy. I'm not buying Phil Jackson being the Rockettes coach. The Triangle offense would restrict them IMO. Then again i still think Phil is the most overrated coach this side of Seattle. Before you guys go with the 9 rings crap. I still like to see him take a team, like a Cleveland, like the Clippers, Nets, etc. and Work with them.

[StumpMerrill]

A fine is a slap in the wrist.

A $20 or $30K fine is a slap on the wrist but $100K is serious money even for a guy as wealthy as Van Gundy.

[Tedc]

I agree with Stump.

Also, I think that Van Gundy will be replaced by the Rockets if this doesn't go away.

Phil Jackson? Don't be ridiculous.

[rockin500]

methinks this is not really a story. It was only a story because Stern made it one. and the refs really dont give a flying crap either, if you heard some of their responses to their spokesman

[Killah Sith]

Well Van Gundy has apologized and admitted his mistakes, though not all buy his story about his reference of an "offiscial." The NBA considers it over so that's that.


Still though, though it's common and not really that big of a deal because it does happen all the time, I think Van Gundy was right even if he went about expressing it wrong. If the NBA denies that they weren't watching Yao and Mutombo more closely because of Cuban's complaints they are lying.

[McKain]

I'm curious as to whether Steak would be trying to be as overly righteous if it were discovered that Van Gundy was telling the truth.

[love_that_reefer]

Oh please, Van Gundy is not the first guy to say officials are biased. Was it even looked into that a letter from Cuban was sent and received. Fans of the game have thought Stern was a crooked little **** and I have thought that too. A couple of years ago when the Lakers were struggling, what did Stern do? He changed the playoff format during the season. The season was more than half over. Instead of waiting til the following year like any normal commish would do, he did it in mid-season. Coaches complain about officials all the time and officials go by what is being said. They do it during the games all the damn time. And if Cuban wrote a letter about illegal screens and fouls, then the officials are gonna look at it. A fine was enough because he got his point through. Van Gundy lied his way out of more trouble and good for him. This has taken up way too much time on ESPN.

[Steak]

The Rockets should keep Jeff Van Gundy. I'm not buying Phil Jackson being the Rockettes coach. The Triangle offense would restrict them IMO. Then again i still think Phil is the most overrated coach this side of Seattle. Before you guys go with the 9 rings crap. I still like to see him take a team, like a Cleveland, like the Clippers, Nets, etc. and Work with them.

I disagree with you and Ted. If Jackson was there, Yao Ming would start being a better player. Jackson has two stars and role players. The triangle offense would fit well with the role players in James, Wesley, Barry, and etc. It's a very good fit. If Jackson was there, Rockets go to the Finals this year easily. As great as Phoenix and the Spurs are, Rockets are a lot better. Rockets should have beaten the Mavericks in the playoffs. Yeah I picked Dallas to win, but Houston was a better defensive team and a lot more depth. They had a 2-0 lead. Great coaches don't choke on that lead.

Jeff Van Gundy has won nothing in his career. He was a bust with the Knicks. He never brought them a championship. Knicks were better than the Spurs in 1998, but they choked. Knicks were better than the Pacers in 2000, but they choked. Knicks were better than the Raptors in 2001, but they choked. Van Gundy got by because he had a excellent core of veterans who are self-motivators. He also won with Pat Riley's players. Rockets don't have that at all and Van Gundy has to coax, coax, and coax and it hasn't worked out. When I think of Van Gundy, I think of him as a drama queen who makes silly comments for no apparent reason. Who can remember hm calling Michael Jordan a "con artist" and a guy who butters up the refs? Who can remember him attacking Phil Jackson as the "Big Chief Triangle"? To this Jackson has not forgived him for that and he shouldn't. I liked how Van Gundy took all the credit for Marcus Camby's development. This guy was burying him on the bench when Camby cam here. Camby had to play because Dave Checkett, then Knicks president, ordered Jeffie to play him and Camby just started producing. With Van Gundy, it's the players fault when they lose, but when the Rockets win, it's his credit. Knicks were able to ignore Jeffie's stupidity and win in spite of him. Unfortunately, Rockets can't do the same.

Jeff should try to learn a lot more from his brother, Stan.

[Steak]

methinks this is not really a story. It was only a story because Stern made it one. and the refs really dont give a flying crap either, if you heard some of their responses to their spokesman

Some of the refs are furious that Van Gundy mentioned a ref who claimed to have some sort of contact with him. The director of the refs association does not seem happy either.

http://www.cbs.sportsline.com/nba/story/8460849/1

[Porter]

I disagree with you and Ted. If Jackson was there, Yao Ming would start being a better player. Jackson has two stars and role players. The triangle offense would fit well with the role players in James, Wesley, Barry, and etc. It's a very good fit. If Jackson was there, Rockets go to the Finals this year easily. As great as Phoenix and the Spurs are, Rockets are a lot better. Rockets should have beaten the Mavericks in the playoffs. Yeah I picked Dallas to win, but Houston was a better defensive team and a lot more depth. They had a 2-0 lead. Great coaches don't choke on that lead.

Jeff Van Gundy has won nothing in his career. He was a bust with the Knicks. He never brought them a championship. Knicks were better than the Spurs in 1998, but they choked. Knicks were better than the Pacers in 2000, but they choked. Knicks were better than the Raptors in 2001, but they choked. Van Gundy got by because he had a excellent core of veterans who are self-motivators. He also won with Pat Riley's players. Rockets don't have that at all and Van Gundy has to coax, coax, and coax and it hasn't worked out. When I think of Van Gundy, I think of him as a drama queen who makes silly comments for no apparent reason. Who can remember hm calling Michael Jordan a "con artist" and a guy who butters up the refs? Who can remember him attacking Phil Jackson as the "Big Chief Triangle"? To this Jackson has not forgived him for that and he shouldn't. I liked how Van Gundy took all the credit for Marcus Camby's development. This guy was burying him on the bench when Camby cam here. Camby had to play because Dave Checkett, then Knicks president, ordered Jeffie to play him and Camby just started producing. With Van Gundy, it's the players fault when they lose, but when the Rockets win, it's his credit. Knicks were able to ignore Jeffie's stupidity and win in spite of him. Unfortunately, Rockets can't do the same.

Jeff should try to learn a lot more from his brother, Stan.

Yao might be better for the triangle offense, but I still think it resticts their best player Tracy McGrady. I dont like Phil Jackson as a coach and until he takes a team that he actually has to do some work to get them to the next level. I will continue to say hes overrated until them. I will agree with you on Jeff Van Gundy for hes not the best coach with the last name Van Gundy. Its probably Stan.

[Porter]

Yeah I picked Dallas to win, but Houston was a better defensive team and a lot more depth. They had a 2-0 lead. Great coaches don't choke on that lead.

Dallas had more depth and had a defensive minded coach in their own right in Avery Johnson. Yeah i picked Houston but Dallas is the deeper team.

[Steak]

Stan Van Gundy is a very good coach. He got lot out of his young team last year., A class act unlike his brother, Jeff. One of the reason I am rooting for Miami to win it all is Stan Van Gundy. Stan earned a head coaching job while Jeff stabbed then-Knicks coach Don Nelson in the back not to mention kissing up to Ewing to get that head coaching job. Stan knows when to rip his team and when not to while Jeff just whine, whine, and whine even when they are winning. Jeff makes stories out of a mole hill.

It wouldn't suprise me next year if the Rockets have a revolt on Jeffie. Expectations are going to be so high next year as Tracy and Yao are in their second year together.

As for Dr. Phil, why hasn't he accepted the Lakers job if he wants that job. You would think he would take it by now, but nothing doing right now.