Still, it's hard to see what Boti is trying to achieve in writing these pieces - perhaps other than to sell newspapers and sorry, but basketball isn't that big a read that people will buy the paper just to see this.

You don't want to see journalists writing warm and fuzzy articles every day as pseudo-supporters of the club, but unjustified (and perhaps even justified?) public vilification of individuals is a little out of order too.

If its the truth then its not vilification.

I believe a similar event happened last year and Lucas held firm.

She's a great player and I dont have any personal knowledge of this or any other incident. But the team must come first.

Moses, if Boti's style is to go hard, then we can can judge that he is prepared to go hard on all paticipants at elite level.

Should Boti take a path that is closer to what your suggesting, the we would get "everybody's happy, what a fun loving sport this basketball is, give us hug beautiful people."
I hope however that this is Journalism (ie has some form of research behind it)rather than something that is written with a view to incite or encourge.

boti writes to incite:
1. incite the players into action
2. incite the fans to react to his articles

I said earlier that she stayed home to be with ivan and some shot me down, but that is what I was told by a contributor to the Thursday Around NBL column in the advertiser - and from this article it looks pretty close to the truth

#111545- Erin listed her occupation prior to her WNBA contact as professional athlete. It appears that you are attempting to supply an excuse based an amount of money. In sport and in business, this wont cut it. "One word for you Kimmy" ... Player Contract.

If the Boti & Benj line is right, then what does this say about all players mentioned. The questions do you lay down? Do you fake injury? Is your pain threshold low? have been asked. This issue is public record now. The response will be interesting.

I want to take another shot at 5 guests for a dinner party.

Sorry.. but the kid has a genuine injury. She has been carrying it. She is as hard as nails.
Im not sure how many of you have played at the highest level with the obsessive compulsive passion some professionals possess.. but there are some who despite injury and pain can push through.
They can keep lifting while denying an issue.
A tendonopathy can come and go. Some days it eases with treatment... other days it flares.
No-one will ever convince me that Erin has ever or will ever fake an injury to miss a trip to take on the league leaders.
If she were not committed to the cause I really dont think she'd be here in Adelaide and play with the absolute fire and committment she does.
No-one knows how much the kid is hurting except Erin. Until that scan result comes through no-one can judge.

i'm with you macca. erin is the heart and soul of the lightening and i find it extremely hard to believe that she would miss a game just to spend time with her boyfriend. why would she miss a game for her boyfriend when I've been told, she see's him nearly everyday as it is.. just doesnt add up. WIthout Phillips, the lightening would be in trouble.

what we need to remember is that Erin Phillips is an outstanding athelete and has done an amazing job for women in sport. How can her own state place an article like that in the paper afer what she has achieved??
When it comes to sport, women get next to nothing written up in the paper as it is and yet when it does, it is negative crap like the stuff we just read today.
How about you write something more positive next time Boti and praise this young lady up? You have to remember that she is one of south australia's very own and an icon for women in Australia.
We dont want to lose her next year to play in Europe if this is what she has to wake up and read in the mornings!

Taya, Lisa and Craig in another thread - please don't change names and keep posting to support your point.

I will admit I read the article with a level of incredulity.

I beleive Erin knew they had a tough draw, and pplayed through the pain, only stopping when the draw eased up (yeah ok, Canberra isnt easy).

I am surprised NO ONE has mentioned the situation with Rasmussen. It would appear the Lightning from top down beleive her injury should be fully recovered, yet apparantley she is limping more and more every day. Either the Lightning are trying to cloak her true injury, or someone is trying to ride the gravy train..

You need to be very careful what you say yogee and Anonymous,...Ras so badly wants to be on the court and would do anything to be out there...Just because boti makes some smart comment in the paper doesnt mean he has an intimate knowlege of everything that happens here in SA...although he would like you to think he does...!!

so... are we saying that this young and eager athlete played a game that she shouldnt through immaturity and a lack of awareness of her body's limitations.... or are we seriously saying she skipped a road trip to play the Caps to stay at home with Ivan.
Seriously.
Sometimes the shi* you come up with is laughable.

Hey Isaac!
didnt know that my friends werent allowed to voice their opinions.. so in response to your last comment NO THERE ISNT ONE PERSON CLAIMING TO BE ONE TO SUPPORT A POINT.. your a tool.

So, you're having a party at home where three different people take it in turns posting on Erin-specific topics on the same computer in a very short space of time. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, but it seems like a stretch.

for your information i am 15 years old and i have a brother and a friend that wanted to have their say too last night.
Is there something wrong with that? Is it only one person per computer thats allowed to write a comment is their?

Taya - This Brother of yours....his name isnt Brad by any chance is it?

hey anon #111729

why should we just make 1 post?
we wanted to show heaps of support so if we'd just done 1 together then it would only show as 1 bit of support when there is stax of support for a champion like Erin.
and no my brother isnt Brad, it's Jayson.

but then again tarausi and sue bird are playing with the caps next season ! right?

you must be kidding right? Suppose you want me to post three different pictures too?.. Get a life cause there is basketball to talk about not the drama that two different people used my computer to voice their own opinion, even if it is the same as mine! loser.

"So, you're having a party at home where three different people take it in turns posting on Erin-specific topics on the same computer in a very short space of time."

Duh - didn't you know that Hoops SA parties are all the rage with school kids during the holidays?

Try to keep up with the younger generation please Isaac!

Thanks #111780,
i dont know who this person is but it doesnt seem like the nicest person going around.

Hey, maybe there was a Hoops posting party and maybe three people with identical posting styles were present - not worth dragging this out.

4th spazzy....I purely speculated, based on information I have.

I wasn't accusing anyone of anything, hence why I put forward the 2 most obvious scenarios.

ok fair enough Yogee...but it is a bit sad if the lightning are voicing their opinion about a players condition and then leaving the door open for speculation and inuendo...this is something that eats at the fabric of the team and doesnt make it an attractive place to play...i hope the club doesnt go down that path or we will not be able to attract players of the calibre of erin and ras...

Boti voiced his opinion, not Lucas. There were no quotes from Lucas in that article.

yes i realise that Issac but i was refering to what yogee previously stated in post (#111671)..."It would appear the Lightning from top down beleive her injury should be fully recovered, yet apparantley she is limping more and more every day"...this is what i was basing my comment from post (#111814) on..

has vince marino commented on this topic??

"Last Monday Phillips did not agree with the return date Lucas delivered for his players to be back after the brief Christmas-New Year recess. On Tuesday, she revealed she had a left hamstring injury she had been "carrying for five weeks".

People believing that this injury should have cleared up by now must be forgetting that she has continued to play and train through this 5 week period. That in itself would hamper her recovery. If she has carried this injury for 5 weeks, it may have been minor at the start that allowed her to keep playing but become aggravated to the point that she had to take a break.

Boti is a great basketball journalist but not a medical authority. Nor is he a skilled scientist who has just uncovered a new disease called "me".