Not sure about your experiences Dave but interesting you should say that- I'll give you a few specifics rather than just saying I don't like the guy/ he's not so popular but not why.
Admittedly I liked the guy and thought he was just unlucky to be in unfortunate circumstances so often til I got to know his character and then I had no choice but to take the blinkers off.
The guy's rap sheet for blatant disregard for others is just too long and I think unless he changes his outlook and takes some responsibility for his life, he will continue to cheat himself out of his massive potential by sleep walking through it.
Between trying to jump from Winthrop to a more successful college part way through and denying it when it backfired, (Winthrop took a big gamble to take him on as it was- as a skinny kid off the back of a random video he mailed them where they had to find someone to convert it just to watch it, figure out who he was and develop his skills to pro level) agreeing to play for Hawkes Bay in the offseason then renegging and claiming his then agent messed it up when he in fact just changed his mind, the constant complaining of his coaches and teammates from Turkey through to Spain where his numbers were less than average and couldn't even do his talking on the court and backstabbing mutual friends without justification, getting a 3 week holiday a month before his playoffs which they didn't have to grant but did so in good faith then he asked for a release from his one year contract, butting heads with his new agent... the guy is his worst enemy.
We all know there are locker-room cancers around however at least they post numbers but like I said, unless he has a shift in his perception and his unjustified victim mentality, we may never get to see how good he can be on the court at least.
For a guy that's 26 but only a year and a half or so out of college, the rap sheet is already getting too long.
As for off the court he's a nice shy-seeming kid.... until you get to know him then he makes you wish you hadn't.
I know a few people but one in particular who helped him through some tough times not so long ago and was treated with utter contempt in return- this person was basically told to go f*** off and die when they spoke up about being hurt and confused about where his dishonesty and sudden hatred came from.... Not good to do that to anybody let alone someone with solid connections in this game then made this person out to be a bunny boiler when NOT getting involved with players has always been a firm policy after 20 years around the game!
We still don't have a damn clue where all that came from but it certainly had some consequences for how he's perceived at a few clubs- no doubt he couldn't care less that it had a bit of a knock-on effect for his career let alone reputation as a person.
I'd like to be proven wrong but unless something changes within himself he will run out of people to blame for it and everything else in his life- the kid can play but he needs to get his head and his heart right.
He has or HAD a few people in his life who were there for the right reasons but seems more intent on keeping the dickheads around and the wolves in sheep's clothing (pardon the pun!) and bitching about the good ones instead.
On the other hand Mystro, the Boomers will be without a few key players also so it could turn out to be a more evenly matched comp.
I still haven't heard when tickets for this will be released- any ideas?
