I don’t care if my accountant is a jerk. As long as he performs his job well, I am choosing him over a more likable guy, who just isn’t quite as good at accounting.
Why must the media insist on teams fielding likable players? We can pretend we know these athletes all we want, but the fact is, rarely do we truly know one’s character. And who cares anyway?
Hey, I’m as big of a believer in karma as anyone, but give me the choice between Peja Stojakovic, an apparent nice guy, versus Ron Artest, by all accounts a no-good, worthless human being, and I’m taking Artest every single time. Why? I’m glad you asked.
Locker room chemistry and nice guy competitions are great in theory, but realistically unimportant. Talent isn’t. Listen, if attitude becomes so disruptive that DNPs fill up the stat sheet, it is hard to back my stance. All I’m saying is that character is overrated.
Artest is most likely clinically insane, but for all I know, he spends his free time feeding the homeless and rescuing stray kittens. Maybe Peja is the opposite of this. Who knows is the point.
Yes, if the behavior affects the team, then it becomes a problem, but more often than not, the team with the best “chemistry” is the team that is winning. It is a causal relationship.
The Kings pulled off one of the best trades of the decade with their Artest for Peja swap. The Pacers had their reasons, and they were justifiable, but just because the Kings are collectively more malevolent, doesn’t mean they aren’t a much better basketball team.
Before the trade, the Kings were 17-24, and so far after the deal, 16-7; this while not simply adding Artest, but also subtracting Peja – a ridiculous turnaround that warrants MVP talk for Artest. Name more than five other players in the league who could produce such a transformation.
So I’d rather Peja baby-sit my kid than Artest. So what? They play basketball for a living, and their ability in that profession is what should matter most.
Ask yourself this: did the Dallas Cowboys have a better chance of winning next year’s Super Bowl last week, or now, after they signed Terrell Owens? Even my accountant knows that answer.
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