Fears Skiles-esque firing
During a postgame press conference after the Bulls blew a 35-point lead against the Kings this week, a reporter asked head coach Vinny Del Negro what his plans will be for the Christmas holiday. A visibly shaken Del Negro shrugged.
“No idea,” said Del Negro. “No idea what I’m doing on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I mean, do I look like the kind of guy who makes plans and follows through on them? The only thing I know for sure is that I’m not going to be anywhere near my phone or the Internet.”
Added Del Negro: “Don’t Tweet me, either, whatever that means.”
The reporter followed up the question by asking why Del Negro would not be answering his phone on Christmas Eve, the day that former Bulls coach Scott Skiles was ruthlessly fired by team owner Jerry Reinsdorf three years ago.
“I just want to spend the time with my family without any interruptions or terminations. We’re going to burn the Christmas ham, knock out electricity for the whole neighborhood, and somehow infect Santa Claus with H1N1. You know, the usual Del Negro family traditions.”
From the December 2009 issue by Tim Weaver
