Del Negro: It’s Hard Out Here for a Coach

Vinny, the embattled Bulls coach, snapped back at his critics yesterday: “During his Alfred E. Neuman routine — What, me worry? — Del Negro morphed into another infamous 1970s character — former vice president Spiro Agnew — when he said the media folks calling for his head don’t understand what his job entails. ‘It’s easy to sit back on the sidelines and everyone has these great ideas and people think they know what they’re talking about,’ Del Negro said. ‘But until you live it and do it, no one has an idea. All you guys have to write and do your jobs and come up with stories and things, and that’s all great and you have to do that. But you guys really don’t know what it’s like — you know what I mean? — because you’ve never done it.’ He also didn’t hesitate to respond when asked if he’s received unfair criticism. ‘Oh yeah, absolutely,’ he said. ‘But that’s part of the deal. You can’t take a position like this and not think you’re gonna get criticized. That’s part of the deal. If you can’t live with the criticism and the heat, then you shouldn’t take the job. You shouldn’t be in pro sports.'”