Sorry, Peter Vecsey. You were wrong. Again. Pax is still on the job.
From the Chicago Sun-Times Sports Staff: “Before I talk about the last couple of days, I do want to make one statement about the story that was out about a week ago. I have no control over stories and rumors that are printed, and I don’t feel the obligation to have to respond every time something comes up about me or a trade or anything like that. And so I left it alone. I’m the GM of the Bulls. I’m not resigning. I’m here. I’m going to be here. So that puts an end to it. I’m not going to answer any questions about that. It’s over. I’m the GM of the Bulls. That takes care of that.”
It certainly does.
Well, I guess. Maybe. Possibly.
According to Peter Vecsey of the New York Post– whose first line is “Do I know this to be fact? No.” — claims Pax will resign as Bulls GM after the trade deadline expires next Thursday and that Assistant GM Gar Foreman will take over for the rest of the season.
Vecsey’s unnamed source also said that “he wouldn’t be surprised if Doug Collins were approached again at the season regarding the coaching job (currently held by Vinny Del Negro) and as GM, or both.”
I’m not quite sure what to make of this. Vecsey has a long and storied history of being wildly, epically wrong. In fact, he was once dubbed “the Isiah Thomas of sports journalism” for incorrectly claiming that Derrick Coleman needed a heart transplant. (Coleman, often thought to be missing during his career, turned out to be fine). Vecsey’s had plenty of other blunders too, like when he insisted that the Pacers were going to trade Ron Artest to Seattle for Brent Barry and guaranteed that Steve Francis (then with Houston) was “going to the Denver Nuggets in the next 48 hours.”
Vecsey was also sued a while back by Danny Fortson for defamation after he wrote in a column that Fortson was a “thug,” a “thugged out player,” a “vacant lot,” a “meaningless mass,” and “gangsta or a wanksta.” I’m not saying that Vecsey is wrong…I’m just saying his credibility, with me if not the Post, is pretty much nil.
I’ll keep watching the situation, though.
Update! The Chicago Sun-Times has supposedly confirmed Vecsey’s story. Meanwhile, Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune remains dubious. Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald says that the Bulls are denying the rumors: “…a Bulls insider told the Daily Herald Friday that the report is ‘the farthest thing from the truth’ and Paxson isn’t planning to go anywhere.” Now the Associated Press has stated Pax is still “on the job” and that “team spokesman Tim Hallam said Friday that Paxson had not resigned and was in Phoenix for the league’s competition committee meeting.” NBA.com is running a report that: “Several league sources told TNT’s David Aldridge that Chicago general manager John Paxson has said that health concerns have caused him to consider quitting. Two sources said that they had been told Paxson had an ailment that threatens to become more serious.”
The Latest! Mike McGraw now says it’s all a false alarm. Stay tuned.