As Nuggets fans we have been inundated with rumor after rumor after rumor. Will Carmelo go? Will he stay? Is he still trying to force management to improve the roster? Is he just biding his time till free agency?
One thing I do know for sure is.....almost every rumor that's been started regarding Melo has been conceived, formulated and spit out by east coast media who....for whatever reason, have a vested interest in seeing Melo out there. More specifically the Knicks. Come with me as we delve into the mysteries of East Coast rumor mongering at it's finest.
Disclaimer: I'm not asking people to make the same assumptions I have made. I've spoken to several people I know around the business (my "friend who works in the Nuggets FO was let go along with most everyone else) and, more to the point, I'm getting sick and tired of these baseless rumors coming from the East coast.
Really, this whole sordid episode was started by Ric "Kobe will never wear a Laker Uniform again" Bucher. In a column that was better suited for the NY Post Page 6 here ....Bucher proceeded to rehash old information regarding Melo's wedding, spin it, and turn what is essentially a non story into a national incident where Stan Kroenke gets humiliated (never happened) and drunken toasts are taken as gospel. Meanwhile Bucher never spoke to anyone in the Nuggets organization (which he effectively burned the bridge so thoroughly that he's most likely no longer welcome at the Pepsi Center) ...and one is left to wonder....what's the motivation? I personally believe that Bucher was so desperate for a breaking story that he was willing to dump that pile of crap all over ESPN where it could be picked up by his buddy and personal favorite of Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Mark Stein. The story was so outlandish that Melo felt the need to tweet about it the very night it came out.
Lets fast forward a couple weeks. All was quiet on the Melo front until Adrian Wojnarowski came out with a column detailing the evils of World Wide Wes, Leon Rose and the inevitable parting of ways with the Nuggets. Which I suppose we can all buy in to on it's face. Here .....yet here's the rub. Shortly after Wojnarowski's column broke, Stan Kroenke was allowed to buy the St. Louis Rams and he handed over control of the Nuggets to his son. We all know that Josh Kroenke flew to Baltimore to meet with Melo. From what I've been told, and what others have followed up with since (and admitted to by Kroenke himself) there was no difficult and awkward meeting with Melo.....in fact...many people have reason to believe that the "World Wide Wes demanding Melo be traded" incident never happened.
Looking at this deeper, I don't blame Wojnarowski for writing the column. For all anybody knows Melo could have one foot out the door as we speak, BUT, there may be reason to doubt Wojnarowski's "source" regarding this for a couple reasons. I have a friend who works as a columnist for the New York Post and Baltimore Sun (not a sports columnist but he is connected). He was telling me that it's well known, at least out there, that Woj is on a crusade to take down World Wide Wes (ever since that scathing column Woj wrote about Lebron shortly after the whole "Decision" debacle) and that it looks like Woj was leaked information because someone has an interest in making the Denver Nuggets look like a weak organization to drive down the Nuggets trade leverage with Melo knowing that Wojnarowski would run with it. Now.....this is only one guy I've spoken to and quite frankly I think that assumption is a bit of a stretch....BUT it would explain why Woj went ahead and reported on something that given his excellent article regarding Lebron and World Wide Wes was along the same lines.
Then we have all the baseless trade rumors that keep popping up. Last week we saw the Nuggets announce through Mark Stein that they are shooting down all offers for Carmelo. Partly because our New GM needs to speak with Melo....and partly also because, well....I suspect all the "offers" that have come through are utter crap. The Nuggets are perceived as a weak organization and THAT my friends was the purpose of all the rumors. We have ESPN, all the New York mags and Newspapers are old hat at this. They tried it with Lebron. Create enough noise and eventually perception becomes an inevitable reality. It really makes me sick. It's important to point out that nothing has come directly from Carmelo, and because of this people and their rumors are running wild. Now, Melo could stamp out these rumors right now and say ENOUGH which he MAY do still....and then again may not do that. The point is no one, not even the Nuggets know. Frustrating to say the least.
A couple further notes. Denver MISSES Travis Heath alot. During times like these he would be out there either tamping down the rumor fire, OR doing some actual reporting and breaking news from the Denver area. Thank god we still have Chris Tomasson who does a great job from AOL Fanhouse....The two stooges that masquerade as Nuggets beat writers have just reacted to everything coming outta ESPN a day late. Reporting on the Report. Not good enough. We as Nuggets fans deserve better and it's dismaying to see us being subjected to the whims of ineffective reporters and ESPN biased rumor jockeys (I'm looking at YOU Ric Bucher) Im in no way saying that Melo DOESNT want to leave....all Im saying is no one knows for sure.
I'm not in any way shape or form pointing this ire at fans of our fellow NBA teams. They come because they desire to see their team acquire Carmelo and it's something I'm sure we would do on other blogs (minus the obvious Trolls who only come by when there's something bad going on with the Nuggets). YES Knicks fans are delusional and have an outdated and outsized view of their team....but they are fans who love their team like we love the Nuggets. Gotta respect that.
In conclusion, remember that everything rumored on becoming inevitable....is just that, RUMORS started by people who want to see their professional basketball team get Melo. Or, good people who have bad sources who have an agenda. Until Carmelo Anthony comes out and says something we are all at the whims of these people. We can choose to let it bother us, or we can get excited about watching basketball and cheering on our team
Its our choice.....I hope we make the right one....just like I hope Melo does the same
