Riley, as seen in Schenectady

SCHENECTADY -- On this court, the pride of Schenectady basketball is not an afterthought. Pat Riley is not thought of at all.

On the basketball court in Hamilton Hill's Jerry Burrell Park, where shards of broken glass bottles set and the smell of marijuana periodically wafts, the coach who commands $60,000 for an hour-long inspirational speech is not an inspiration.


http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=489589&category=ETTKIN&BCCode=&newsdate=6/10/2006

 

I read the story. Where do we go with this one?

 

a pointless column. a waste of space. the columnist went over to the school for a couple hours and SHOCKER -- kids are more interested in wade and shaq than the old white guy who coaches the team. i guess the columnist was too lazy to dig through the archives for some stuff about riley when he played there and far too lazy to track down any of his old teammates, coaches or opponents.

 

or, Riley has rarely been back since he left. Too busy with Showtime, etc., to do any good for anyone in the ol' home town.

 

or, like many grown men, he left behind the town in which he grew up and moved on with his life. so he doesn't want to go back to the town in which he was raised. big deal. why is that a reason to rip him?

 

Do something positive in your life.

There is more to life than walking up and down an NBA sideline for 25 years with a scowl on your face.

Build a YMCA building, support Tee-ball. I don't care, do something.

Oh that's right, he knows Johnson.

 

I'm sure Riley, like any other human being with any modicum of self-confidence, enjoys having you tell them what it takes for their life to meaningful.

 

I liked the idea for the column, but I don't think he pulled it off. Show me examples of someone similar to Riley and how he's given back to his hometown. Give me more examples of why the town needs his help. How about talking to Riley himself? If he turns down the hometown paper for an interview that kind of helps make the point.

 

Why SHOULD Riley have some big bond with his hometown. He has created a whole new life. What does he owe Schenectady? I don't get it. I've moved on from my hometown, as many of us have.

I think you're reaching, Upper.

 

The column isn't bad. Quit ripping him. He wanted to show that the youngsters don't relate to Riley. He did that. The ending could've been smoother. Get off Brian's ass.

 

That's another good point. If the author would have showed us how Schenectady helped Riley get where he is it would have been a much better column.

 

Why do you assume he hasn't done anything for his hometown? The article says the school gym is named after him. That might just be because he's famous, but it could very well be because he donated some $$$. There's nothing in that column that gives reason to rip him.