Kidd on the hot seat? WOJO

[niko]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/jason-kidd-losing-support-within-nets--locker-room-223432794.html

When Deron Williams returned to the lineup, pushing the Brooklyn Nets to four victories in five games, the players publicly marched with the coach on his self-indulged explanation for the sudden success: Lawrence Frank was gone, and Jason Kidd's refurbished defense had been an immense difference.

Privately, the Nets understood this idea was complete garbage. The defense hadn't changed much, except it was funny how much better it looked when the franchise star returned and the ball began to go into the basket. Simplified defense, Kidd pushed. One voice. If the coach said so, sure, the players responded to reporters. Whatever.

While the Nets knew it was nonsense, they had Kidd's back anyway.

The Nets had tried to be supportive of Kidd, but patience is running low on the belief he can deliver the structure and organization desperately needed. As the Nets have devolved into chaos, Kidd has increasingly isolated himself within the locker room and organization, sources told Yahoo Sports. From management to players, Kidd has shown an inability to manage crisis and keep the respect of his players.

Rifts exist between old players and new, trust eroded with every humiliating loss in this 9-19 season.

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Jason Kidd is in his first season as head coach of the Nets. (USA Today)
And yet, somehow, Kidd believes he can keep publicly eviscerating his players' character and desire and spare himself blame and responsibility. For those around the Nets with a sense of history and irony, they remember Kidd running ex-coach Byron Scott out of his job for offenses born of this failed playbook.

Here's the question management is grappling with: Does Brooklyn start unloading its star players and stay the course with the coach, or unload the coach and let someone else manage these star players?

The loss of center Brook Lopez doesn't deliver Kidd the guarantee of surviving his first season. Whatever the dismal Atlantic Division standings say about the Nets trailing first place by only three games, Kidd won't reach the All-Star break without restoring order to his team.

More than once, sources said, players have stood in the locker room and told Kidd they don't understand their roles, that there's confusion about their principles. When the Nets players keep insisting they don't have a team identity, they're offering code words for Kidd's inability to give them clear structure, organization and vision.

Long before training camp in September, the coaching staff met for hours, discussed a defensive system and Kidd then worked with Frank to implement it in the preseason. Soon, Kidd changed his mind. Suddenly, the authority he had given Frank to be a strong voice had been rescinded.

Suddenly, Kidd the player was back with the Nets. In crisis, he wanted a scapegoat. This was such a players' mentality: Trade Frank, cut him

[niko]

Bill Simmons ‏@BillSimmons 32m

Guy who should be getting more blame - Deron Williams, who made DJ Augustin look like a stud on XMas Day. Keep cashing dem checks, Deron.
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Bill Simmons ‏@BillSimmons 39m

I don't think PP + KG should be blameless though. PP lost a full step and KG has fallen off a cliff. Check out KG's stats, he cratered.
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Bill Simmons ‏@BillSimmons 43m

Also keep hearing that a big stickler for the Nets vets with Kidd is that he doesn't wotk hard. Like a Steve Spurrier/Redskins situation.
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Bill Simmons ‏@BillSimmons 45m

PS: Nets will fire Billy King before they fire Kidd. He's the one who hired Kidd and made all these trades. Kidd will be no. 2 fall guy.
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Bill Simmons ‏@BillSimmons 47m

Check out Woj's Nets/Kidd column. This will only get worse when PP asks for a trade or buyout (and that's coming).

[#number6ix#]

What the hell took so long... Fire the guy and hire someone who gives a damn

[niko]

My take, i think King goes first prior to any sell off of assets. I think when either KG or PP ask for their inevitable trade, buyout or retirement (Garnett) that will push mgmt over the edge. i think an internal person takes over with the russian mgmt looking over their shoulder. I think Kidd has a very long leash.

[Jameerthefear]

Took them long enough. Article was well written.

[GreatHILL]

there is no secret that he gets fired soon and we never hear anything from him anymore lol

the dumbest coach ever!

[Real Men Wear Green]

I disagree with Simmons about blaming KG and Pierce (yes, I am predictable). He's right when he points out their decline but this is effectively blaming old players for getting old.

[niko]

I disagree with Simmons about blaming KG and Pierce (yes, I am predictable). He's right when he points out their decline but this is effectively blaming old players for getting old.
It's not their fault but they aren't part of any solution either. Pierce trying to get ejected. Garnett parking himself 20 feet away and not moving. I can't think of times i thought they aren't trying but they aren't exactly giving huge effort.

The people I know who work there said Pierce seems relatively happy and is dealing with the situation best he can but Garnett practically runs in and out of the arena with his head down and music blaring. Note: These are not people who see them in a game/coach setting, just around the arena.

[jdm_dc_fan]

You know something is wrong with the defense when last season the celtics where a lottery team with KG on the bench and fast forward to brooklyn and KG is a liability on the court? WTF

[Real Men Wear Green]

It's not their fault but they aren't part of any solution either. Pierce trying to get ejected. Garnett parking himself 20 feet away and not moving. I can't think of times i thought they aren't trying but they aren't exactly giving huge effort.

The people I know who work there said Pierce seems relatively happy and is dealing with the situation best he can but Garnett practically runs in and out of the arena with his head down and music blaring. Note: These are not people who see them in a game/coach setting, just around the arena.
This is what happens when teams lose. I'm not saying that Pierce is justified when he flagrants Hill. I'm just saying that can be the downside of the hyper-competitiveness that made him great to begin with. Now that he can't do the things he used to and is losing he's going to act out of frustration from time to time. No, they can't save the Nets but they didn't design this team, they were just traded to it. There are a number of people in the Net organiztion who the finger should be pointed at before it's pointed at two guys that will be retired in one or two years.

[k0kakw0rld]

What the hell took so long... Fire the guy and hire someone who gives a damn
He can't make them play. KG is old and a non factor, offensively and defensively.
What if they change coach and it is still the same thing? Who are you going to blame?

Paul Pierce & Joe Johnson are both inconsistent.

LEAVE COACH KIDD THE FVCK ALONE.

[k0kakw0rld]

there is no secret that he gets fired soon and we never hear anything from him anymore lol

the dumbest coach ever!
explain to me how dumb he is? :confusedshrug:

[niko]

This is what happens when teams lose. I'm not saying that Pierce is justified when he flagrants Hill. I'm just saying that can be the downside of the hyper-competitiveness that made him great to begin with. Now that he can't do the things he used to and is losing he's going to act out of frustration from time to time. No, they can't save the Nets but they didn't design this team, they were just traded to it. There are a number of people in the Net organiztion who the finger should be pointed at before it's pointed at two guys that will be retired in one or two years.
Oh they are not first, or second, or third. But you seem to indicate often you think they aren't a problem at all. I don't agree with that. If you get super props (like Garnett does) for being the uber warrior uber teammate, if you stand in the corner and wait hopefully to be shipped out, you need to have that acknowleged i think.

Garnett had books written about him when this trade went down about how he was going to change the culture and he's basically given up with everyone else. Essentially if the nets were good he was going to get an enormous amount of credit, i think it's a bit disingenuous that since it's not succeeding, it's others fault.

[niko]

Saying that though if Garnet or Pierce asked out, I have trouble (besides critcizing it and moving on) blaming them for it.

[Real Men Wear Green]

Oh they are not first, or second, or third. But you seem to indicate often you think they aren't a problem at all. I don't agree with that. If you get super props (like Garnett does) for being the uber warrior uber teammate, if you stand in the corner and wait hopefully to be shipped out, you need to have that acknowleged i think.

Garnett had books written about him when this trade went down about how he was going to change the culture and he's basically given up with everyone else.
We see him talking to teammates, coaching up from the sideline. What are you expecting? Since when do we expect roleplayers to change everything? Deron Williams is supposed to be in his prime. Kidd publicly said that JJ, not Pierce, is the go-to guy. Pierce, in fact, is coming off the bench and has not publicly complained about it as far as I know. What more are they supposed to do? What are they failing to attempt that the coaches are asking of them?

[veilside23]

explain to me how dumb he is? :confusedshrug:
explain to me how great Kidd is as a coach?

[niko]

We see him talking to teammates, coaching up from the sideline. What are you expecting? Since when do we expect roleplayers to change everything? Deron Williams is supposed to be in his prime. Kidd publicly said that JJ, not Pierce, is the go-to guy. Pierce, in fact, is coming off the bench and has not publicly complained about it as far as I know. What more are they supposed to do? What are they failing to attempt that the coaches are asking of them?
Garnett stands 20 feet away and shoots jumpers. He almost never attempts to post up, even with Brook out. His defense is shitty, his rebounding. His effort isn't what it was last year. He looked so tired last year against the Knicks and he was battling. He's not battling this year.

And you saw Pierce try to get tossed the other day. I'm sorry, how is that leadership?

The fact that they are minor problems on a huge mess doesn't mean they aren't problems. However you are right, they are minor problems, if we made a list, they aren't anywhere near it.

You don't think they are going to ask out? Real question. If the ship sinks, will they stay on it?

[BlackVVaves]

This is what happens when teams lose. I'm not saying that Pierce is justified when he flagrants Hill. I'm just saying that can be the downside of the hyper-competitiveness that made him great to begin with. Now that he can't do the things he used to and is losing he's going to act out of frustration from time to time. No, they can't save the Nets but they didn't design this team, they were just traded to it. There are a number of people in the Net organiztion who the finger should be pointed at before it's pointed at two guys that will be retired in one or two years.

Well said. PP and KG were brought in to be complementary players at this stage of their careers. The blame has to be dispersed to management, coaching, and their star player.

Low and behold, the Nets have become the mirror image of their cross town rivals.

[Real Men Wear Green]

Garnett stands 20 feet away and shoots jumpers. He almost never attempts to post up, even with Brook out. His defense is shitty, his rebounding. His effort isn't what it was last year. He looked so tired last year against the Knicks and he was battling. He's not battling this year.

And you saw Pierce try to get tossed the other day. I'm sorry, how is that leadership?

The fact that they are minor problems on a huge mess doesn't mean they aren't problems.
Garnett wasn't posting up here either. He lost a ton of athleticism when he was injured in '09 and the 4 years since haven't made things better. If they want to post him they can still run the play of course. At which point they will see the limitations of a guy pushing 40 with bad knees.

Pierce got tossed. So? He's been ejected before. In a playoff series, no less. He's not perfect. They were losing before his ejection, that one incident really isn't the core of the team's problems.

[Real Men Wear Green]

You don't think they are going to ask out? Real question. If the ship sinks, will they stay on it?
How would I know? I think they'll play out the season and afterwards Pierce is let go and KG retires.

[niko]

How would I know? I think they'll play out the season and afterwards Pierce is let go and KG retires.
I'm asking your opinion as a Celtic fan. I know they aren't on speeddial, but you have watched them for years. Especially Pierce.

[Godzuki]

the team personnel is horrible. its like they gathered the most overrated biggest names in the NBA and overpaid all of them. everyone knew Joe Johnson was way overpaid, way overrated, and a inconsistent chucker from game to game where the NBA for some reason considered him some top 10 all star...even people here knew he was way overrated a long time ago. Its nbelievable how dumb NBA teams can be sometimes.

Deron has always been streaky. KG looks like the oldest man in the league, i don't even know if he could beat Bynum in a foot race. Lopez is good and i think PP still has game left in him. and if Deron really pushed management to sign some of these dudes or threatened to leave, then he deserves as much blame as anyone. the Nets need to blow it up and start all over, this roster is hopeless, and way worse without Lopez.

and hiring Kidd as a first time coach for these guys has to be one of the dumbest ideas ever.

[El Kabong]

I disagree with Simmons about blaming KG and Pierce (yes, I am predictable). He's right when he points out their decline but this is effectively blaming old players for getting old.
Simmons also made the point that Pierce could have made the effort to show up in shape, which he didn't bother doing.

[Real Men Wear Green]

Same shape he's always been in, been accused of being fat his whole career.

[magnax1]

Same shape he's always been in, been accused of being fat his whole career.
This. He came in slimmer one year. Either 09 or 10. Every other year he's been exactly like this. I don't think slimming down even did much. He's not really fat, he's just not conditioned to an insane level like AI or Lebron or Kobe were/are.
I have to say, I don't know what people expected of Pierce though. He's not going to be a 20 ppg scorer when Joe Johnson has the exact same role and a very similar skillset and is clearly getting more plays called then Pierce.

[magnax1]

It's interesting that players bring up that they don't know what their roles are. That's clearly an issue. No one except Brook really seemed to know what they were supposed to be doing.

[miles berg]

Would love to give KG a run in Dallas.

[bdreason]

Who would hire a rookie coach in a win-now situation anyways? This situation was doomed from the start.

[stephanieg]

I don't understand how teams can hire coaches with zero coaching experience. What happened to working your way up? Kidd must know where the bodies are buried.

[mattvNJ]

Who would hire a rookie coach in a win-now situation anyways? This situation was doomed from the start.
im a nets fan, and ive been saying this to my buddy since the signing. He loved it just seeing kidd involved with the nets again. Still a rediculous call to sign him in a win now like you said. Just unbelievable. They should of hired my boy Lionel, then made kidd the assistant till ready.

[gigantes]

i'm open to the idea that kidd is a dreadful coach, but this article was pablum.


no, if the players are this unhappy, i expect someone to rebel and speak out to the media. create a war of words in public. put kidd on the hot seat. even just some obvious gestures and frictions on the bench would send some huge messages.

audience-pleasing puff pieces by woz do little more than reinforce groupthink.

the nets are stuck from top to bottom. there's just no easy solutions. no trades, no firings... no re-shuffling is going to make much of a difference.

[Nets fan 93]

People give the two former celtics too much credit. Basketball is a team sport. The two former celtics don't have to demand a trade because I'm pretty sure if anyone wanted them they would have offered billy king something by now and billy would have accepted because they both are playing AWFUL

[Harison]

It was expected Kidd experiment would fail, he has zero experience and Kidd even removed the coach who was suppose to be helping in transition. No offensive or defensive plans which suits the Nets whatsoever, its a hot mess.


Garnett stands 20 feet away and shoots jumpers. He almost never attempts to post up, even with Brook out. His defense is shitty, his rebounding. His effort isn't what it was last year. He looked so tired last year against the Knicks and he was battling. He's not battling this year.

KG was never a post player, not even in his prime. Now as an old guy on bad knees its absurd to expect him to start battling in the post.

His defense is the best on Nets, and he was personally helping Lopez to improve as a rim defender (and Lopez did seem better at it, until his legs gave out). Who else plays defense? AK is out, Lopez is out. KG unlike on Celtics cant anchor D, since he plays 20 mins. only. Celtics D also sucked with him on the bench.

Garnett's rebounding is actually the best per minute since his prime days in Minny, 11.7 rebounds (per36). And Knicks can testify KG can pull it off in longer minutes too, when he was grabbing 17-18 rebounds in multiple games just half a year ago in the Playoffs.

Speaking about Pierce, he played many games with an injury, plus he never was a consistent scorer, one game he shoots lights out, and another 0-7. It happens, especially with advancing age.

[BlackWhiteGreen]

People give the two former celtics too much credit. Basketball is a team sport. The two former celtics don't have to demand a trade because I'm pretty sure if anyone wanted them they would have offered billy king something by now and billy would have accepted because they both are playing AWFUL

Two Celtics still doing the business for the Celtics and our future firsts :cheers: :cheers:

[niko]

i'm open to the idea that kidd is a dreadful coach, but this article was pablum.


no, if the players are this unhappy, i expect someone to rebel and speak out to the media. create a war of words in public. put kidd on the hot seat. even just some obvious gestures and frictions on the bench would send some huge messages.

audience-pleasing puff pieces by woz do little more than reinforce groupthink.

the nets are stuck from top to bottom. there's just no easy solutions. no trades, no firings... no re-shuffling is going to make much of a difference.
Woj says he has sources. He also was the person early on who said the Frank/Kidd dynamic was bad (which i also told you and you scolded me, i believe you said i believed in sesame street or something?). Woj doesn't usually rush to judgment and write things.

The other day when Kidd scolded the team (for lack of a better word) Garnett and Pierce left without talking to the media, and Deron said it wasn't true. I'd hope they wouldn't come out and say they hate Kidd, that would be terribly unproffesional, and honestly terribly strange.

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

Kidd is not the problem on the Nets.

[knickballer]

Oh look the OP's posting about the Nets again....

[niko]

Oh look the OP's posting about the Nets again....
Yes, i follow them. I live a 10 minute drive from the arena. I have friends who aork in the building. And their fanbase never posts anything. This isn't news? It's an interesting article. It's about Jason Kidd, one of my favorite players even when he was a Net.

So what's the issue? I made four threads on the NBA forum in the last few days, the Knick game threads, the Net game thread in XMas day, and this.

I actually live in NY and follow the team and post about it. Sorry if it offends you.

[Vancouver-Grizz]

I just don't understand what Kidd wants to do with this team. I understand there are injuries and all but he still needs to build consistency with his rotation.

when he starts Garnett and play him only 15mins a game, how he is suppose to get a good feel on defensive assignments and some flow in the offense? Pierce plays off the bench and starts games here and there. Mirza, Blatche, and Reggie has been playing inconsistent minutes the entire season.

Go with what you have. BKN is not San Antonio and they do not have the luxury of playing all the starters under 25 mins at this moment. San Antonio has been able to establish his rotation because of the culture they have built. BKN have not established anything that resembles anything in Basketball chemistry.

Bite the bullet and play Garnett an extra 10 mins a game. Put the ball on Pierces hand and get him to start creating again.

Long rant but it kills me watching this high paid team playing worse then Toronto.

[gigantes]

Woj says he has sources. He also was the person early on who said the Frank/Kidd dynamic was bad (which i also told you and you scolded me, i believe you said i believed in sesame street or something?). Woj doesn't usually rush to judgment and write things.

The other day when Kidd scolded the team (for lack of a better word) Garnett and Pierce left without talking to the media, and Deron said it wasn't true. I'd hope they wouldn't come out and say they hate Kidd, that would be terribly unproffesional, and honestly terribly strange.
sources, sources, sources. and i'm still not impressed by anyone thinking the frank - kidd dynamic was bad early on. there just wasn't sufficient evidence, and over-magnifying a spat is not enough to build a solid theory on IMO. to be right for the wrong reasons is not much different from flipping a coin.

if kidd had been able to work through the difficulty, frank would still be on the bench and the coin would have bounced the other way. so what? i'm sure this stuff happens all the time in the game, especially in pressure cookers like this. yea, still not impressed.

anyway, sorry if i insulted you in a previous thread. passions of being a fan, i guess, although you do have some talent for needling. :P

PP and KG and whoever don't have to say anything ridiculous. actions and demeanor will speak sufficiently over time.

NI has said that kidd does need help, and that's about 10x more significant source than woj. but woj may be right in pointing out that a lot of that revolves around kidd's stubbornness. if so, then let him be called out on it by someone he can't ignore. in life it's natural to have growth spurts out of situations on the verge of breaking you. kidd better understand that, else turn in to an alcoholic.

anyway, it's not that i think woj's theories are poor, it's just that they're not accounting for the situation enough. as in, kidd -should- be expected to struggle and make mistakes, and any team that's badly injured and underperforming should almost always look flawed and full of holes.

most of the stuff he's reported is pretty unremarkable when you examine it through the correct filters, and needling doesn't always have a point or some grand level of insight behind it.

[niko]

sources, sources, sources. and i'm still not impressed by anyone thinking the frank - kidd dynamic was bad early on. there just wasn't sufficient evidence, and over-magnifying a spat is not enough to build a solid theory on IMO. to be right for the wrong reasons is not much different from flipping a coin.

if kidd had been able to work through the difficulty, frank would still be on the bench and the coin would have bounced the other way. so what? i'm sure this stuff happens all the time in the game, especially in pressure cookers like this. yea, still not impressed.

anyway, sorry if i insulted you in a previous thread. passions of being a fan, i guess, although you do have some talent for needling. :P

PP and KG and whoever don't have to say anything ridiculous. actions and demeanor will speak sufficiently over time.

NI has said that kidd does need help, and that's about 10x more significant source than woj. but woj may be right in pointing out that a lot of that revolves around kidd's stubbornness. if so, then let him be called out on it by someone he can't ignore. in life it's natural to have growth spurts out of situations on the verge of breaking you. kidd better understand that, else turn in to an alcoholic.

anyway, it's not that i think woj's theories are poor, it's just that they're not accounting for the situation enough. as in, kidd -should- be expected to struggle and make mistakes, and any team that's badly injured and underperforming should almost always look flawed and full of holes.

most of the stuff he's reported is pretty unremarkable when you examine it through the correct filters, and needling doesn't always have a point or some grand level of insight behind it.
I think some of the thing he says though do point to Kidd's character flaws as a player, flaws that were not only offset by his talent, basically just washed away. He falls in and out of love easily with his team and his teammates. Remember early Dallas days fighting over Toni Braxton? Phoenix beginning and end. NJ beginning and end. Dallas end, NY end, the end is always negative. I'm not sure his personality is conducive to this job if it keeps going south.

One of the things Wojo said (in radio, not print) was that Kidd was great at riding you as a teammate, and hten building you up. Essentially he'd be honest, you suck, you're not doing enough, get your head out of your ass. Then he'd get you 30 pts on his assists, take you out for a beer, and you'd love him and trust him next time.

He can't do that so far, he need to figure out a new way to motivate or he's toast.

[R.I.P.]

KG 18 years
Pierce 15 years
Terry 14 years
J. Johnson 12 years
Kirilenko 11 years
Evans 11 years
Deron 8 years
Blatche 8 years
Livingston 8 years

Maybe Kidd is too innovative since B. Lopez has by far the highest PER and Plumlee the rookie is 5th on the team, while all the veterans are confused by the system or they are just old, always injured and don

[gigantes]

I think some of the thing he says though do point to Kidd's character flaws as a player, flaws that were not only offset by his talent, basically just washed away. He falls in and out of love easily with his team and his teammates. Remember early Dallas days fighting over Toni Braxton? Phoenix beginning and end. NJ beginning and end. Dallas end, NY end, the end is always negative. I'm not sure his personality is conducive to this job if it keeps going south.

One of the things Wojo said (in radio, not print) was that Kidd was great at riding you as a teammate, and hten building you up. Essentially he'd be honest, you suck, you're not doing enough, get your head out of your ass. Then he'd get you 30 pts on his assists, take you out for a beer, and you'd love him and trust him next time.

He can't do that so far, he need to figure out a new way to motivate or he's toast.
that's interesting. hadn't really heard it that way before. well, bravo to woj on that one.

i agree with everything except kidd's allegedly rocky exits. other than jersey, all of his exits were pretty average and unremarkable. i could go through every one of them, explain them simply to a neutral party, and they'd probably say "so?" except for asking to be traded as a net. which itself is not exactly unheard of as a star player.

i'm guessing the reason so many people are obsessed with kidd's slight flaws as a human being is because they appear at odds with his generous personae as a player. but i've never seen a player nitpicked over such tiny shit before.

you gotta love how he sweared at his wife, threw a french fry at her, and for the rest of his career he's dogged as a 'wife-beater.' the fact that she revealed herself to be nuts over time didn't seem to make a shred of difference, haha.

[niko]

that's interesting. hadn't really heard it that way before. well, bravo to woj on that one.

i agree with everything except kidd's allegedly rocky exits. other than jersey, all of his exits were pretty average and unremarkable. i could go through every one of them, explain them simply to a neutral party, and they'd probably say "so?" except for asking to be traded as a net. which itself is not exactly unheard of as a star player.

i'm guessing the reason so many people are obsessed with kidd's slight flaws as a human being is because they appear at odds with his generous personae as a player. but i've never seen a player nitpicked over such tiny shit before.

you gotta love how he sweared at his wife, threw a french fry at her, and for the rest of his career he's dogged as a 'wife-beater.' the fact that she revealed herself to be nuts over time didn't seem to make a shred of difference, haha.
Kidd's domestic problems are that he's hideously bad at picking partners and that he didn't know when to escape. If you want to smack someone, you need to leave. That woman was nuts. And like Wade's wife, she was using the kids as leverage to keep him around to make herself relevant. I'm not sure the current woman he married was a good choice either, running off shortly after getting married to escape your wife strikes me as a negative sign.

[ProfessorMurder]

[QUOTE=R.I.P.]KG 18 years
Pierce 15 years
Terry 14 years
J. Johnson 12 years
Kirilenko 11 years
Evans 11 years
Deron 8 years
Blatche 8 years
Livingston 8 years

Maybe Kidd is too innovative since B. Lopez has by far the highest PER and Plumlee the rookie is 5th on the team, while all the veterans are confused by the system or they are just old, always injured and don

[gigantes]

Kidd's domestic problems are that he's hideously bad at picking partners and that he didn't know when to escape. If you want to smack someone, you need to leave. That woman was nuts. And like Wade's wife, she was using the kids as leverage to keep him around to make herself relevant. I'm not sure the current woman he married was a good choice either, running off shortly after getting married to escape your wife strikes me as a negative sign.
agree, agree.