Does It Matter That Rick Carlisle Acts Like A Jerk?

Like Sports Sturm, I’m doing some Internet research tonight on the Mavs. (Unlike him, I’m doing it to avoid work, specifically the feature I’m writing for the May issue.) And I just came across a couple of things that reminded me about how caustic and thin-skinned Mavs coach Rick Carlisle can be. My question is, as a sports fan, should I care? Does the coach of the team of which I’m a fan need to be likable? The answer is, of course, yes and no. Jump ball:

Update: Big Byron has the audio, and a hot sports opinion. Listen to it, be amazed, then return and read.

Double update: Both Fish and MavsMoneyball take up this topic today, and they are in disagreement with my take. Read ‘em hard, read ‘em strong.

Some background: About a month ago, I was listening to Carlisle  in a post-game interview and I was struck by how the most banal questions seemed to irritate him. Not because they were boring, but because he construed them as negative. I chalked it up to him being tired or annoyed or whatnot. Then I read Richie Whitt’s column over at Sportatorium where he details another Carlisle incident, this time with official voice of the Mavs (VOTM) Chuck Cooperstein. Then, last night, on Carlisle’s Wikipedia page, I saw (but didn’t copy, dang it; now it’s gone) an entry about what a jerk he is, referencing a Bob and Dan segment on The Ticket that discussed this.

So, Bob, can you recount for us the thrust of that conversation. Because I don’t think it’s a big deal if a coach is grumpy or surly so long as they’re not dopey. (Sorry. Couldn’t resist.) I think Phil Jackson spends as much time mocking the media as anyone. But the difference is that his mocking, nearly disgusted demeanor doesn’t carry onto the court. It seems to me that Carlisle’s uptight, I’m-smarter-than-the-room attitude is evident on the sidelines. It even smacks of late-era Avery at times, which is quite scary. And if you haven’t proven yourself, I do think the troops are less likely to cut you slack if it appears you can be derailed by a simple question regarding the negatives to be addressed in an ugly win against an inferior team. (Which is what happened with Coop.)

So, questions for Zac and Bob and others: Will Carlisle’s attitude and cockiness become a problem, like it was with Avery? Also, does Mark Cuban have a soft spot for overly cocky people when he first interviews them? (Don Nelson, Avery, Carlisle … that’s a top-of-the-lineup group on Team F-U.) Thanks for taking my call, and I’ll hang up and listen.