On the trade with Saints Gutekunst said [multiple times in different ways in his PC Thurs night], “We were going to get the same value player, when that trade came up.”
This is a LIE; a false statement of fact that the author knows is false.
If he believed it, it means he believes that players from #14 to #27 were of equal value. However, the only logic for spending a 3rd to move up From #27 to #18 is to draft a better player. Ergo, if Gutekunst believed what he said, he would not have wasted a 3rd round pick to move to #18.
Obviously, we all know it’s not true and it may appear superficially as a harmless lie isolated unto itself. Here’s the thing: Ted was incapable of standing in front of a mic and saying something he knew was untrue; Ted was a man of impeccable character and respected for it.
Everyone lies during their life, but what separates the honorable from the shameless liar is the level of commitment individuals have to telling the truth. Put another way: liars lie with regularity, sometimes serially; the honorable, no so much. The single most important tool a GM possesses is honor. A GM doesn’t have to be the best scout or the best money manager or possess the best personality. But, without honor a GM won’t be trusted by agents, his own scouts and colleagues, players, other GMs, etc. and this will doom his administration to failure.
And another thing: the lie was 100% unnecessary. Why not tell the truth? He could have said something like, “by moving down 13, we knew there’s a good chance we’d end up with a lesser player. However, we got two extra picks, a valuable one at #147 this year and a critical 2019 1st rounder.” Who would not accept the logic in this?
This unnecessary lie fails to support another important purpose of a draft PC: to flatter the picks. A good GM never insults his picks. The lie renders Alexander as just a guy equal to those taken from #14 to 27. Plus, it makes the Saints look like morons. I bet some loud-mouthed agenda driven GM-hating Saint fan on a forum somewhere is using this lie as evidence to castigate his Ted Thompson for giving away a 1st and 4th for a player they could have got at #27.
This lie added to his chatty way before the draft, his numerous statements about being his own man and other quirky things said evidence a GM struggling with his esteem. I don’t want a GM with personality or oe that gives the fans what they want or a feeling of transparency. I want an honorable, self-assured GM that understands secrecy and shunning public display are an essential part of the job description.