WHAT DOES AL SHARPTON DO FOR A LIVING?

it was only a matter of time before sharpton would protest. at least sharpton waited till after the trial to bring his latest agenda.

......gotta wonder how many drinks zeke and dolan are having over this next chapter

Oh gee, amazing how Sharpton isn't immediately calling for his firing. At least he's doing something, so I'll give him some credit for consistency in taking action, even if there's no consistency in requested penalty.

Sharpton to protest Knicks unless Thomas apologizes

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Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Al Sharpton on Saturday vowed to lead protests against Madison Square Garden unless New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas apologizes for a remark that suggested he holds whites and blacks to different standards when it comes to using a derogatory term for women.

"If, in fact, that's what Mr. Thomas said, he's wrong," the activist minister said at the weekly Harlem gathering of his National Action Network.

Thomas responded that he has nothing to apologize for, and hopes Sharpton will come to the same conclusion.

In a videotaped deposition introduced at his sexual harassment trial, Thomas said: "A white man calling a black female 'bitch,' that is wrong with me. I am not accepting that. That's a problem for me."

But, asked whether he would be as angry if the same words came from a black man, Thomas said, "Not as much."

"I'm sorry to say. I do make a distinction," Thomas said.

Thomas has since sought to clarify his comments, saying it is wrong for any man to hurl the insult. But he found himself responding to the issue again after Sharpton said the Action Network would picket Madison Square Garden during Knicks games unless Thomas apologized, or explained himself.

The coach and the activist said they spoke on the phone about the issue Saturday morning.

Thomas said he told Sharpton his words had been misinterpreted. He said his wife, Lynne, also participated in the call.

The deposition tape was played to a jury during a three-week civil trial that ended Tuesday in Manhattan. A jury ordered the owners of the Knicks to pay $11.6 million to a former team executive, Anucha Browne Sanders, after finding she endured two years of insults and unwanted advances from Thomas.

The Garden fired Sanders from her job as the team's vice president of marketing after she complained about Thomas's behavior.

Sharpton said that during their conversation Saturday, Thomas complained that his videotaped deposition had been edited in a way that took his comments out of context.

"I said, 'Why have you not made that clear?' He said, 'Well, I've not been able to make it clear,'" Sharpton said, recounting the conversation.

At a news conference at the Knicks' training camp in Charleston, S.C., Thomas said he hoped Sharpton would judge him based on "the facts" and not "the edited, spliced video that was leaked."

"I know what I said and what I was talking about, and how I said it was taken out of context and spliced in the video that made it say something else," Thomas said.

Sharpton's National Action Network is spearheading a nationwide effort to discourage use of words offensive to women -- even if they're used in songs by popular black hip-hop artists or rappers.

"Our position has nothing to do with whether the person using the language is black or white, rich or poor, friend or foe," Sharpton said on Saturday, reiterating what he has been saying since the trial ended. "We cannot have different standards for sexism or racism."

Tamika Mallory, a director of the campaign, said the organization would wait until the end of the week to take any action to give Thomas time to explain the nature of his comments.

When asked whether he felt there was anything for which he should apologize, Thomas insisted on Saturday: "I never said it. I never said it."

When asked to elaborate, Thomas declined, suggesting he frequently had his comments misinterpreted by the media -- including an infamous case in which he was quoted as saying that Larry Bird would be considered "just another good guy" rather than a mega-star, if he were black.

"You can't say that. You can say what you didn't say because if you say what you didn't say, than y'all print what is said. That's how you got me on the Bird stuff," Thomas said. "Whenever you say something, it just twists it."

Just another good guy?

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:: Larry Bird Bio
(Scroll down for Career stats)

How Acquired: Celtics first round draft choice in 1978 - 6th pick overall.

College Career: Consensus All-American in 1978 and 1979 and the Sporting News Player of the Year in 1979 ... TSN All-America First Team in 1978 and 1979 ... graduated as the fifth all-time leading NCAA scorer (30.3 ppg) ... ISU compiled a record of 81-13 overall and 50-1 at home in his three years ... led ISU to the 1979 NCAA Finals ... John Wooden Award winner in 1979 ... also attended Indiana University, and Northwood Institute, but did not play. Scored over 40 pts. 15 times, 30+ pts. 49 times, 20+ pts. 87 out of 94 games.

Professional Career: Drafted by Boston on the first-round of the 1978 draft, as a junior eligible, the 6th pick overall ... voted the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1980 and was a member of the league’s All-Rookie Team ... a member of the All-NBA First team his first nine years, and to the Second team in his 11th ... named to the all-star team 12 times ... named the all-star game MVP in 1982 ... All-Defensive Second Team in 1982, 1983, and 1984 ... playoff MVP in 1984 and 1986 ... regular season MVP in 1984, 1985, and 1986; one of only three players in NBA history to achieve the feat in three consecutive seasons ... Player of the week 15 times ... Player of the Month 7 times ... NBA ft% leader in 1984, 1986, 1987, and 1990 ... Boston has never had a r/s losing month with him in the line-up ... whenever he plays 3,000 minutes, Boston advances to the NBA Finals; whenever he doesn’t, Boston does not advance ... only Celtic to score 2,000+ points in three consecutive seasons ... 69 triple-doubles, including 59 in the r/s ... 40+ points 52 times, 46 in the r/s ... 50+ points 4 times, all in the r/s ... was held scoreless on 1/31/81 at Golden State ... grabbed 21 rebounds in Game One of the 1981 NBA Finals vs. Houston; his sensational left-handed flying follow-up of his missed 22-footer came in the middle of the 4th quarter (Boston then trailed 87-86, then won 98-95 ,,, Bird-Erving fight, 11/9/84 ... set NBA playoff record for most points in one year, 1984 ... tallied 34 points in game five win over the Lakers in the 1984 Finals, despite 97 degree temperatures inside Boston Garden ... scored 10,000 career point on 1/11/85 vs. Washington ... consecutive game-winning buzzer beaters on 1/27/85 ... named AP Male Athlete of the Year for 1986 ... named The Sporting News Man of the Year for 1986 ... won the long distance shootout in the first three years of its existence ... triple-double in 1986 title clincher vs. Houston ... consecutive 40+ point games on 3/20/87 (Seattle) and 3/22/87 (New Jersey) ... achieved a triple-double at halftime on 4/1/87 vs. Washington ... on 5/23/87, was ejected with Bill Laimbeer for fighting ... made miraculous steal of Isaiah Thomas’ inbounds pass with five seconds left to give Boston a win in Game Five of their 1987 playoff series ... on 11/7/87 at Washington, game-tying 3-pt. fg. With 4 seconds left in 4th; hit game-winner with no time left in OT ... on 11/11/87, he registered Boston’s first 40/20 game (42 points and 20 rebs.) Vs Indiana ... on 5/22/88, in 7th game vs. Hawks, scored 34 pts. Including 20 (9-10 fgs) in the 4th ... first player in NBA history to register 50% fgs. And 90% fts in the same season, and he is the only player to do it twice ... missed all but six games in the 1988-89 season due to surgical removal of bone spurs in both heels ... had the second best (Calvin Murphy, 78) free throw streak in NBA annals snapped at 71 on 2/12/90 in Houston ... achieved his 5,000 career assist on 11/14/90 vs. Washington; became the 5th NBA player to reach both those numbers (Jabbar, Robertson, West and Havlicek) ... in Game Five clincher vs. Indiana on 5/5/91, he made a Superman-like return after a serious fall to the floor earlier in the game; had a game high 32 points and sparked a key 39-25 run.

1991-92 FINAL SEASON: Became the NBA’S twelfth all-time scorer, as he surpassed Walt Bellamy on 11/5 ... snatched 36 rebounds in two consecutive games on 12/28 - 12/30 ... from March 1 to the rest of the season he played 17 games, 627 (36.9) minutes, 323 (19.0) points (123-267, 21-55, 55-60), 166 (9.8) rebounds, 132 (7.8) assists ... moved into the eleventh spot on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, surpassing Hal Greer ... played 54 minutes vs. Portland on 3/15, recorded 49 points (19-35, 2-8, 9-10), 14 rebounds, 12 assists and 4 steals; had 16 fourth quarter points and made a 3-point field goal with 2 seconds left in regulation to tie the game ... in 9 games from 3/4 - 3/18, he grabbed 79 rebounds of which 78 came off the defensive glass ... 10+ points 42 times ... 20+ points 24 times ... 30+ points 5 times ... 40+ points once ... 10+ rebounds 22 times ... 10+ assists 4 times ... 23 double-doubles ... 1 triple-double ... finished 8th among league leaders in 3-point field goal percentage and ranked second in free throw percentage.

USA COMPETITION: ... Played for USA World University Games Gold Medal Team at Sofia, Bulgaria. The USA Team in the World Invitational Tournament and the 1992 Gold Medal Olympic Team "The Dream Team" in Barcelona, Spain. Was co-captain of the Dream Team.

PERSONAL: Larry Joe Bird is married to the former Dinah Mattingly; has two children, a daughter, Corrie and a son Connor ... has four brothers and one sister ... avid outdoors man ... likes Kenny Rogers’ music ... major fan of the St. Louis Cardinals ... returns to Indiana during the summer ... owns "Larry Bird’s Home Court Hotel", a hotel/restaurant in Terre Haute ... on 8/2/84, a street in French Lick was named in his honor ... holds the annual "Larry Bird Pro All-Star Scholarship Classic" during the off-season in Indiana ... shoe size is 13 and a half. Announced his retirement from the NBA Boston Celtics from his home in French Lick, Indiana on August 18, 1992.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _



LARRY BIRD #33

Birthdate ............................... December 7, 1956

Birthplace .............................. West Baden, Indiana

High School ........................... Spring Valley High School

College ................................... Indiana State ‘79

Height .................................... 6' 9"

Weight ................................... 220 lbs.

NBA Experience ..................... 13 Years




Regular Season Record


Years G Min. FGM FGA Pct. FTM FTA PCT. Off Def Tot Ast PF-Dq St Bl Pts Avg
13 164 6886 1458 3090 .472 901 1012 .890 360 1323 1683 1062 466-11 296 145 3897 23.8


3-Point FG - 649 for 1727 (.376)


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Playoff Record

Years G Min. FGM FGA Pct. FTM FTA PCT. Off Def Tot Ast PF-Dq St Bl Pts Avg
13 164 6886 1458 3090 .472 901 1012 .890 360 1323 1683 1062 466-11 296 145 3897 23.8

3-Point FG - 80 for 249 (.321)


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Larry’s Legendary Games

10 Best Games Celtics Opponents Points Rebounds Assists
2/11/81 - at L.A. Lakers 105 91 36 21 6
2/28/82 - vs Milwaukee Bucks 106 102 16 6 4
2/26/83 - at Phoenix Suns 103 101 38 4 5
5/13/84 - vs N.Y. Knicks 121 104 39 12 10
6/08/84 - vs L.A. Lakers 121 103 34 17 2
3/12/85 - vs Atlanta Hawks 126 115 60 7 3
6/08/86 - vs Houston Rockets 114 97 29 11 12
5/26/87 - vs Detroit Pistons 108 107 36 12 9
5/22/88 - vs Atlanta Hawks 118 116 34 4 6
3/15/92 - vs Portland Trail Blazers 152 148 49 14 12


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Awards & Achievements

1979 College Player of the Year - Indiana State University
1979 June 8th signs with the Boston Celtics - 5 year $3.25 Million
1980 NBA Rookie of the Year
1980 - 92 (12) time NBA All Star
1982 NBA All Star Game MVP
1981 - 86 (3) NBA World Championship
1984 NBA Playoff MVP
1984 - 86 (3) time NBA MVP
1985 Scores 60 Points vs. Atlanta
1986 NBA Playoff MVP
1986 - 88 3 Point King - NBA All-Star Weekend
1987 "Bird Steals the Ball"
1990 71 Consecutive Free Throws - ended on Feb.13, '90
1990 20,000 Points
1992 Co-Captain, The Dream Team
1992 Retires - Announced August 22, 1992 from French Lick, IN.
Career 40+ Points 52 times (5 in the Playoffs)
50+ Points 5 times

Posted by islesfan:

Isiah is an even bigger piece of **** for bringing his wife into the conversation with Al.

Isiah: "Come on Al, I swear I'm not really like that and I don't believe that it's more tolerable for a black man to call a black woman a "bitch", than a white man saying it. Just ask my wife, she'll tell you. Honey, you on the phone now? Tell Al that I would never call you a "bitch".

What an a-hole.

Papabear Says
This is from the NY POST
Thomas now insists the videotape played in court was misleading. "It was a seven-hour deposition. They played parts of a discussion that was edited and spliced together."

Lawyers for Browne Sanders, with the judge's approval, played excerpts from Thomas' taped deposition in the case, prompting furious backpedaling from Thomas when he took the stand.

"I am highly offended by any male referring to any female as a bitch, and I said that in my deposition," Thomas said on the stand.

Thomas now claims that in the full deposition - which has never been furnished to reporters - he explained his feelings that it is more offensive for a white man to call a black woman "bitch" because of the racial overtones.
Papabear Says I'm not trying to start anything but I think that the full video should be seen and if Ms Browns Lawyers did in fact splice the tapes in thier favor the appeals court will throw this cass out and rule for a new trial.

Papabear
All I want is the truth to come out and I do not want to offend anyone.

Posted by Ira:

Someone should start a permanent boycott of Al Sharpton.

We can start by closing this thread!

Sharpton is a peace of ****. As much as I dislike IT, I don't like him as a GM. Sharpton is just a terrible person in general. I'm taking IT's side on this one.

If Al Faker wanted to call everybody who uses the words he is supposedly crusading against, he should be speaking out against 99% of rappers out there.

And by the way I do not condone that at all. Free speech should allow an artist to say whatever as long as the label is rated appropriately, with the exception of obvious racism, but black rappers get away with that, too.

wow. some of you guys are seriously wilding.

al sharpton has a very mixed history of negative acts and positive acts. he's a very interesting complex figure. he also carries a lot of clout. for him to speak out in a case like this that features a major clash between high-profile african-americans, and to take such a hard stand that he's going to organize a boycott of the knicks if he doesn’t get what he wants, is a fascinating twist in this story. This is worth checking out and discussing it as it plays out, venom and vitriole aside.

Posted by islesfan:

Isiah is an even bigger piece of **** for bringing his wife into the conversation with Al.

Isiah: "Come on Al, I swear I'm not really like that and I don't believe that it's more tolerable for a black man to call a black woman a "bitch", than a white man saying it. Just ask my wife, she'll tell you. Honey, you on the phone now? Tell Al that I would never call you a "bitch".

What an a-hole.

A S S I A H