By Brian Kayser
Jersey Shore

   Apparently, Glen Rice's decreased minutes have nothing to do with his streaky shooting or defense that has been absent. The real reason that Glen Rice isn't playing is because head coach Phil Jackson is getting back at management for not dealing Rice for Trailblazer Scottie Pippen. 
   Said Glen Rice's wife to a North Carolina newspaper earlier this week, "This is his way of getting back at management for not letting him make a trade. This is Jackson's way of showing the people on top who is in control. It's crazy." The only crazy thing here is you, Mrs. Rice. Mr. Rice will still get his minutes, and if the situation doesn't meet your standards, you can go to the cross-town rival, the Clippers, and play 48 minutes a night and throw up as many ugly shots as you want, and not have to worry about hearing any boo's because there will be no one in the seats. 
   Unfortunately, Mrs. Rice still wasn't done. "If the situation doesn't change, I don't see how we can stay here, and it doesn't matter about the money." First off, let's get one thing straight. It is Glen Rice's career, not Christina Rice's career. By saying "I don't see how we can stay here" is a joke. Glen is the one making the money, he's the one practicing every day, and you think you have a say in where your husband plays? If he had a normal job, say, as a shoe salesman at Foot Locker, and a customer didn't buy a pair of shoes, would you run into the store and start badmouthing the customer because he didn't want to spend his paycheck on an overpriced pair of shoes? Hopefully not. 
   Larry Bird commented on the matter in the LA Times, "You know, it's really strange in this league that sometimes when things go bad, you always want to blame somebody else. It's never your fault. And that's just the way it is. These wives sit back and they think their husband is taking a beating. They're going to try to protect them. Whatever they have to do, they do. It doesn't bother me. I've seen wives hit writers on top of their heads with their pocketbooks in Boston. I've seen them swear at officials walking by. I've seen it all. It really doesn't faze me. They're just trying to protect their man. If my man was making $12 million, $15 million a year, I'd be trying to protect him too." 
   Glen Rice should be flat-out embarrassed that he needs his wife to complain about his minutes. Instead of going to the media, Glen, go to Jackson and discuss it with him. Everyone would have a lot more respect for you if you dealt with your problems the right way. You need to realize that your defense is lousy, you're a streaky shooter, and Phil Jackson knows what he's doing. He's aready won six titles in the 90's, which is six more than you've ever won.

6/19/2000
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