Iverson will do 'whatever it takes'

I agree. It's irresponsible to fill in the blanks by assuming a player with a reputation for playing hard and with injuries is somehow dogging it.

Isn't it clear that he came back still hurting? He is playing through some pain and showing a positive attitude.


A reporter who wasn't lazy would base his article on some interviews rather than baseless assumptions. The article is full of misinformation....

Wrong. Rest is most often what is called for after a back injury.

Wrong again. McConduit is making a huge leap in logic.

1) Allen Iverson said he would struggle with a bench role.

2) Allen Iverson is injured and sees his own doctor and isn't around during his convalescence.

Conclusion: Therefore AI is using his back injury as a way to sulk about his bench role.

Absolutely not supported by any facts, reality checks or interviews. It's just using some faulty, conspiracy theory type logic.

Irresponsible article.

Shoddy jounalism...for sure Roscoe.

For a moment I considered a "Fire McCosky" thread. A Campaign even.

For Parker to get fired (excuse me....sore spot for me) while this guy still gets a paycheck cut for him by the Detroit News is reprehensible IMO, especially after this.

agreed.... i thought the question was fair that parker was asking...

but atleast parker has espn spots to fill his time, when HacCosky gets fired all he's going to have is the little league of cow town usa to call....

I know it is. It was a rhetorical question.

Here's an article from 3/15/2004 with the following quote.

USATODAY.com - Iverson 'insulted' by decision to have him come off bench

This is what he said after the game on Sunday.

A.I. adapts to coming off the bench | detnews.com | The Detroit News

The quotes are pretty similar aren't they? He has sat out before instead of coming off the bench.

McClonsky wrote an opinion piece. Why wouldn't he give his opinion? Is he only supposed to write it when AI confirms to him that he was indeed holding the Pistons hostage and decided to come back because he figured 10 games was enough time to show the league that he can play off the bench?

Right. I don't understand the Parker firing either...especially in this context. Parker make one ill advised comment and he is history. McConduit writes this negative babbling garbage and he keeps writing.

Why is Iverson an acceptable target but a loser Lions coach isn't?

Ernie...that's a huge leap in logic to connect AI's honest assessment of his bench status to his injury. It may be his opinion but it's baseless and irresponsible.

What do you mean when you say he has sat out before instead of coming off the bench? If that's true it would connect the dots.

Can we please separate the back injury from the team absence and weird silence?

If AI says that his pinky toe has a boo boo on it, and wants to sit out, that is fine with me. Even if a series of tests show that it's fine. If he says it huwts, the it must huwt. If Arnie's fruity massages don't do it for him, then fine, go get treatments where they will validate your complaint.

But, if he just vanishes for weeks with no time-table and with his teammates wondering what the heck he's doing, then that makes it what we had here.

You guys are really letting your hatred for McCoskey get in the way of your AI critique. AI showed zero support for the team while he was out. Our moderater here didn't even know if the guy would be back this season he was so silent.

How hard would it have been to say, "the Georgetown doctors told me that it was nothing major and that I should completely rest it for 2 weeks to makes sure that I can completely recover from it and not risk reaggrevation in the playoffs... if we make it there"? Show up at a game or two and root for Will Blalock and the depleted squad... cause Lord knows they could have used some encouragement.

It's not like our scrubs were trying to hang on to the #1 seed or anything. They were trying to dig out of the hole that AI and the rest of the Pistons starters put us in this season.

He did once before at Philly when Ford tried to bench him as a punishment I think. Can't remember the full story though.

Actually the article basically says what happened, it was a battle of wills between AI and Ford at the time.

OK..I remember that. He battled with Chris Ford the whole time he was there.

Did his teammates say this? And didn't they say in some games he was in there getting treatment

It's your attitude and stance on the issue that sort of rubs me the wrong way, to be totally honest with you.

It is riddled with misconceptions and illogical assumptions.

You apparently don't have firsthand realization of how many times "nothing major" from an inexperienced and ill advised MD (yes, MD) turns into permanent injury and worse simply because these folks are too proud to admit that, as dba already highlighted, there are some things in which all the tests and text books in the world cannot make you omniscient about.

Once again, this doesn't have anything to do with you personally; however, the opinion you hold is riddled with a ton of misconceptions which seem to hold medical science in the same esteem as the fabled exact science, if there is such a thing.

Yeah, if you read the article, he was benched as a punishment earlier and accepted that. But then was benched after coming of three games injured basically because Ford was trying to prove a point. How many teams would respond to the news that their franchise player can play by saying great hit the bench? IMO they are different situations.

The first quote was AI's response to being asked to come off the bench after returning from an injury. He chose not to play instead.