The Heats already on Walker

Miami - After Dolphins camp yesterday I made my way down to the "Triple A" arena to cover a mundane preseason opener for the Heat. At least that's what I thought, don't get me the wrong the game was very boring and I don't know or care who won. After the game is when things got interesting.

As I strolled into the media room for Pat Riley's press conference, I'm thinking this is going to be boring and probably not even worth using later. Boy was I wrong, Riley walks in and makes a few "blah,blah,blah" comments about the game, Riley then turns his attention to a reporter.

It's important to keep in mind that there are about five of us there when I tell you this. Riley starts lecturing the reporter about an article he wrote for the Sun-Sentinel about Antoine Walker's weight problem. Riley believed that the quotes, although accurate, were used in a context that was not in tune with how he said them. Riley was smug, saying that he did us a favor and decided to be candid about Walker...and this is how we repay him. And how as reporters we take things out of context and use them the way we want...and so on. After his lecture Riley walks out and we make our way to the locker room.

The locker room was a little hostile, way to much for a preseason game, as soon as we walk in J-Will yells at a reporter for shooting him in his "drawers" (FYI, when was the last time you saw anything but a head and shoulders shot of an athlete).

Walker did the stand up thing and talked to the media, resulting in a confrontation with the reporter about his weight. Walker again was polite but was upset at the constant shots this reporter had been taking about his weight. The tension got to a point where the interview was stopped, but again Walker was a professional and continued to talk.

I'm not a Walker fan, I don't think he is a good player anymore but I will give him credit for being a professional and acting with class in a tough situation.

After hearing the pre-game press conference Riley was referring to I feel that the article is somewhat inflammatory and misleading and the headline is ridiculous.

As for the game:

Shaq played and played well, he looked healthy and ready to go.

Smush Parker played alot of two guard with Wade out.