Tag: New York Times

Former NBA Player Anthony Carter’s Agent Lost Him $3 Million Because He FORGOT to File Some Paperwork

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New York Times – After the 2002-03 season, Carter, then 27, was planning to exercise a $4.1 million player option to remain in Miami. Picking up the option was a no-brainer. Carter was coming off a disappointing season in which he averaged 4.1 points on .356 shooting in 49 games. For a player with that stat line, $4.1 million was a fortune.

Except Carter’s agent, Bill Duffy, failed to notify the Heat by the June 30 deadline that Carter was coming back. Instead of locking in another season in Miami, Carter accidentally became a free agent.

The mistake cost him at least $3 million. Carter had to settle for a minimum contract with the San Antonio Spurs — roughly $750,000 — the next season, rather than the $4.1 million he would have locked in by exercising his option.

The fact that Bill Duffy is still a licensed NBA agent, let alone Luka Doncic’s agent, after losing Anthony Carter $3 MILLION dollars because he forgot to file some paperwork is legitimately unbelievable.

Not only that, he’s still Anthony Carter’s agent! (Or at least still “looks over” Carter’s contracts) That is a ride or die friend, folks. If Carter gets pinched and needs a fall guy, Duffy better be first in line to take the bid. Carter must have had Duffy on speed dial as his gopher for anything and everything like Sean Boswell in Tokyo Drift.

To be fair he did pay Carter back for the lost wages over the last 17 years, which is not to be minimized because that is some honorable stuff right there. But my god, imagine being the agent and realizing what you’ve done? Must have felt like the mom from Home Alone except instead of committing a light bit of child abuse, you just punted on $3 MILLION dollars.

In an old ESPN article from Marc Stein, Duffy blames an unnamed staffer for a “clerical error,” which is the least believable thing I’ve ever read. You don’t entrust a $4.1 million contract to a paper pushing intern, you make sure that shit gets signed, sealed, and delivered. If that really is the case though and that is a true story, I hope Duffy walked into the guy’s office and fired him Ari Gold style.

If nothing else, I suppose this is a feel good story that should remind us that money isn’t everything. Duffy screwed up, paid Carter back, Carter went on to make $17 million in the NBA during his career and is now an assistant coach for the Miami Heat. Duffy for his part got some goodwill for doing the right thing and landed the next great NBA mega star in Doncic as his top client. See? Everything works out in the end.

Millennials Are Now Being Blamed for Killing….Canned Tuna?

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New York Times – Why are we suddenly talking about canned tuna and millennials? The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that overall consumption of the packaged fish has declined by more than 40 percent in the United States over the last three decades, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Among the reasons that people are less inclined to reach for a can of Bumble Bee: It isn’t convenient enough for younger consumers. Many people “can’t be bothered to open and drain the cans, or fetch utensils and dishes to eat the tuna,” The Journal reported.

But the rationale that cut hardest, it seems, was a quotation from a vice president for marketing and innovation for StarKist, one of the big three tuna purveyors.

“A lot of millennials don’t even own can openers,” he said.

It’s my duty to call out these “Millennials Killed x” articles every time I see one. We’ve been blamed for killing the economy, tipping, home ownership, SEARS, personal health, and now millennials are getting blamed for killing CANNED TUNA. Look if this were 11 years ago then they may have a point with that last line because when I was a freshman in college, as sad as it is to admit, I didn’t own a can opener. Hell if I knew how to work one.

I was like a wounded baby deer wandering through the woods, blacking out 2-3 times a week just trying to find my way in this world.

But I also didn’t own silverware, cups that weren’t plastic and red, or a fridge that could fit more than one Red Barron pizza and 4 cans of beer soda. So I probably wasn’t the best test case as a kid living on his own for the first time. Except, I am on record as being a huge tuna guy so you know what I did in that strange time of my life? I bought those little bags of tuna that you walk by in the grocery store and ask who the hell would eat those?

I bought the shit out of those little bags of fish. They were delightful in the absence of a can opener. So Big Tuna can go screw with this attempted defamation of character. Millennials may be too poor to buy anything, but don’t you dare say we killed tuna.

Papa Giorgio and I took a picture with Tuna HQ in Pittsburgh for christs sake. Said picture was unfortunately lost somewhere between my iPhone 4 and now though.

If they want to blame anyone they should really blame Keenan and Kel. One episode on Nickelodeon Splat in the mid 90s and everyone between the ages of 25-35 will never eat tuna ever again.