I don’t exactly want to say this podcast was “fun” to record, but it was therapeutic to talk about all aspects of this Gilbert Arenas situation with two well-thought and highly knowledgeable people, Mike Prada of Bullets Forever and Bethlehem Shoals of Free Darko and as of today, AOL’s NBA FanHouse.

Below is the run down of what we discussed, as ripped from what Mike wrote on Bullets Forever, and a link to play the podcast. Enjoy (I guess).

What did we end up talking about?  It was a long discussion, but we hit at several of the key issues, namely:

• The media coverage and how Peter Vescey’s original New York Post article shaped perceptions of the story.
• How the local reporters (Mike Wise, Michael Lee, Mike Jones) were the guys who took a more measured approach and got the story right.
• How stories like these just spiral out of control as people write before knowing all the facts.
• “Finger guns” and all of that.
• David Stern’s ultimate decision to suspend Arenas indefinitely, and whether the a) timing and b) language of that suspension was appropriate.
• The reaction by the Wizards to basically tear down all remnants of Arenas in the Verizon Center.  Is that appropriate?
• A discussion on why we hold athletes to such a high moral standard when politicians and musicians get in arguably more trouble.

Or click here to subscribe via iTunes.

Previous Dagger Reports:

• The Dagger Report, Episode 1: Season Preview
• The Dagger Report, Episode 2: Wizards-Cavaliers Rivalry
• The Dagger Report, Episode 3: Early Season Struggles
  
• The Dagger Report, Episode 4: What’s The Deal With Gilbert?
• The Dagger Report, Episode 5: Wiz Beat Reporter Mike Jones

Other reads from Truth About It:

• November 24, 2009 -- The Dagger Report, Washington Wizards Podcast – Episode 4: What’s The Deal With Gilbert?
• November 13, 2009 -- The Dagger Report, Washington Wizards Podcast – Episode 3: Early Season Struggles
• February 1, 2012 -- Gilbert Arenas To The Lakers? What Nick Young Thinks

{flickr/Keith Allison}

Episode #4 of the Dagger Report (a Washington Wizards podcast) is here.

This week, Mike Prada of Bullets Forever and I talk about the ways and means of Gilbert Arenas amidst early season struggles. To join us for his conversation, which was recorded on Sunday evening, is Jake Whitacre, contributing editor at Bullets Forever and managing proprietor of Gilbertology.net.

The second segment, recorded on Saturday afternoon, features Jordan Sams of SB Nation’s 76ers blog, Liberty Ballers. Here, we discuss Eddie Jordan’s first year in Philly and the troubles of the Sixers (which aren’t as bad as those of the Wizards).

Enjoy.

Episode 4: The Dagger Report – Washington Wizards podcast

Or click here to subscribe via iTunes.

Previous Dagger Reports:

• The Dagger Report, Episode 1: Season Preview
• The Dagger Report, Episode 2: Wizards-Cavaliers Rivalry
• The Dagger Report, Episode 3: Early Season Struggles
  

Featured Music:

• Survivor – “Eye of the Tiger”
• The Beastie Boys – “Sure Shot”
• The Clash – “Rock The Casbah”
• Billy Idol – “White Wedding”
• The Romantics – “What I Like About You”
• Steppenwolf – “Born To Be Wild”
• Heart – “Crazy On You”
• Iggy Pop – “Lust For Life”
• And of course, the Rocky Theme Song (we are playing Philadelphia after all)

{flickr/Keith Allison}

Other reads from Truth About It:

• December 23, 2009 -- Flip Saunders’ Wholesale Third Quarter Substitution: Wizards Top Sixers 105-98
• November 27, 2009 -- Wizards vs. Sixers in 10 Frames
• October 3, 2011 -- Washington Wizards Suspensions & Fines Since 1995

I knew the Clippers and Kings, two of the other top three worst teams in the league, were playing each other last night. It would be “nice” to have better chances in the draft.

But just as quickly as the thought entered my mind, it left. All along, I’ve been against “tanking” or even hoping for more losses just for the possibility of maybe having a better shot at the top pick/Blake Griffin. It just doesn’t seem like good basketball karma, not like it matters with the Curse O’ Les Boulez anyway. But still, we’re talking principles…..principalities.

So eff the lottery it was, I was pulling for my Wizards to win, because that’s what fans do. And a win is what I thought we were getting when Juan Dixon squirmed for a layup with 47 seconds left, putting the Wiz up 96-90.

But nothing ever comes easy. Two straight Raptor threes later, the few of us on the Bullets Forever game thread were screaming for the ghosts of Anthony Parker, Michael Ruffin and Mo Peterson to be exercised.

So Juan Dixon, as the third option, hit an off-balanced fader in the lane with 19 seconds left….he probably traveled….Wiz up two. Game winner? Nope. Jose Calderon was allowed to saunter right down the lane for a lay-up…..splendid. At least the Wiz would get the last shot, one of the Dagger! variety.

Thank you Caron Butler….

[Wizards Insider]
You thought they were going to blow it, didn’t you?

When they worked so hard to build that six-point lead with 57.8 remaining then watched it vanish in less than 30 seconds, you thought you were re-living another nightmare finish. When Toronto’s Jason Kapono made his second three-pointer to tie the game at 96 with 28.8 seconds remaining, it brought back those horrific finishes earlier this season in Atlanta and Cleveland, when the Wizards watched victories turn to losses in the blink of an eye.

[Washington Post]
Tapscott said there were moments in the second half when he desperately wanted to give Butler a breather, but the Wizards co-captain didn’t want to sit. “I told him, ‘Nah, I’m finishing this one. I got to finish this game,’ ” Butler said. “We really want to get that 20 wins.”

[Washington Times - AP]
Tapscott was overruled when he tried to substitute Butler in the fourth.

“You let the hot hand stay out there and let it stay as hot as it can,” Tapscott said. “He played the entire fourth quarter. I was desperately trying to get him a rest. Every time I turned around to the assistants and said, ‘I think we should get Caron for a minute,’ they said, ‘Let him play, let him play.’”

[Raptors HQ]
But maybe the most disappointing point about this loss was to see Bosh, Marion, and Bargnani logging in 38 minutes, 39 minutes, and 34 minutes respectively. Calderon even logged in over 30 minutes. With this same core a week ago creating some positive buzz going into next year, watching them become ineffective against one of the league’s worst teams was simply disheartening to me.

Other reads from Truth About It:

• April 22, 2009 -- Wizards Fans, The Date is May 19th
• January 12, 2011 -- From The Other Side: A Familiar Sight In The Kings Locker Room
• June 4, 2009 -- The Epic Tale of Eddie Jordan: Connections, Relationships, and the Basketball Community