If they lose tonight, they will be out in the first round. This will be the first time that a defending Champ did not repeat since 1986 (Boston). They will also be the first defending Champ to go out in the first round since 1984 (Philly). But the big thing is something that we have and will always have to deal with: "*". That's right. The dreaded asterix. With us, as Rocket fans, we know deep down inside that we would have beaten the Bulls at least once, if not both times, had MJ stayed. But the * that SA will carry is much worse. They won their title in a strike-shortened season. While I'm not trying to take anything away from them, you have to agree that last year was chaos. There was nothing normal about last year except the playoff schedules. The season was way too shorrt and there were way too many games crammed in such a short amount of time. Teams just didn't have to normal amount of time to come together. Clearly the teams that had little change from the previous season benefited most. SA added Elie and Kersey to toughen up their core. NY added Spree to their established mix of Houston/LJ/Childs. While I wouldn't wish the curse of the * on anyone, I am quite happy that SA will not repeat. This will ensure that Houston will remain the most successful team in Texas as well as the MidWest Division as far as Championships go. ------------------ RocketFuel is taking the summer off!
Their asterisk could diminish the perception of ours. ------------------ stop posting my damn signature
Good point, Pole. That should also increase their respect and appreciation of the 95 team. Being able to repeat is hard enough but to have done like we did it is downright unreal. 6th seeded, plagued with injuries, mid-season aquisition of Drexler, fallout of Maxwell in the first round, several elimination games..... Man, that was a kick-ass year. ------------------ RocketFuel is taking the summer off!
The Spurs should have an asterisk, no doubt about it. Just because they should have an asterisk doesn't mean that they weren't far and away the best team last year, it just means that the season was officially changed from normal years. The Rockets should not have an asterisk by theirs, they played two full seasons, I don't care who was in the league. If our championships are tainted in any way, what does that say about the rest of the league those two years? ------------------ Get your proper swirve on...visit www.swirve.com (coming in late May, for now visit www.eesite.com)
I'm sure there is something about every championship that will make you say "what if???". The truth is, there are a lot of good teams out there, every year, who could win, and that deserve to win. The breaks go both ways. There is always a certain amount of luck that goes into every game and every championship -- that's the nature of the game. But the fact remains that they performed over the season well enough to get into the playoffs. They then went through the playoff process of elimination to claim victory. They won the game with the cards they were given. They deserve it period. ------------------ Stay Cool...
I don't think if the Spurs lose tonight there should be an asterick. I feel very sorry for the Spurs, because they never got the chance to defend their title because Duncan was out. I really felt like the Spurs would win it all again about a week or two ago, and if somehow they can survive without Duncan for this series and he can come back, I still do. But I don't think they can do it tonight without Tim. Most likely, tonight is the end for the Spurs. ------------------
I think all this asterisk stuff is stupid. The Rockets don't deserve one and neither do the Spurs. Just because conditions changed somewhat for that season does not mean the champioinship is somehow less valuable. Baseball victories do not get asterisked if they were won in homer-friendly fields. The adversity is the same for all teams playing. Just because conditions have changed does not mean competition has. As for the Spurs playoff hopes, I think they'll win tonight and they'll take the series. Hopefully, Duncan will be back for round 2. They can't win that one without him. ------------------
Screw the Spur-holes! To me, they are our biggest rivalry. Forget the Jazz, the Spurs make me sick. I'm glad they lost, and I hope that the Knicks win it all now. Hakeem got his, Patrick hasn't. Why not a Western Conference Team? Here's why: Kobe and Shaq speak in 3rd Person, and the Kings are fun but Williams gets too much hype; Pippen's a waste of sperm, and the Timberwolves are out; I don't care about the Suns, and see above for the Spurs; I don't need to say a word about the Jazz, and I hate the Sonics from as far back as 1992. Why not the rest of the East? Here's why: Charlotte has Derrick Coleman; the Bucks-who cares about the Bucks?; the Pacers are getting old, and I'm not talking about age; the Heat are Knick rivals and I prefer the Knicks; the Raptors have Mc Grady and I want him in a Rockets uniform; and the Pistons are a going nowhere team. Anyway, unless Ewing goes down, I predict a LA-NY final. And unfortunately, I see Kobe and Shaq saying how great we are without refering to the rest of their teammates. ------------------ Wanna play in the clutchcity.net game? Got some ideas? E-mail me at philip_w_moore_jr@hotmail.com and I'll send a batch e-mail with details as they develop.
BobFinn, LOL! More on the game coming soon. ------------------ Wanna play in the clutchcity.net game? Got some ideas? E-mail me at philip_w_moore_jr@hotmail.com and I'll send a batch e-mail with details as they develop.
I didn't feel bad for them at first, but now that they've lost in the first round I sorta do. I didn't want them to win the back-to-back championship, but I would've at least liked to have seen Duncan play in the playoffs. Like P1, S2, I too want to see a Knick/Laker Finals with the Knicks beating the juggernaut LaLa boys. I think Phil Jackson is overrated, I don't want Shaq to win a ring yet, and although my dislike of Kobe is growing smaller, I still don't want him to win yet either.... they are way to damn cocky. So, why N.Y.? I guess, I don't like any other team.... or more correct I don't like as many players on any other team. I think Jeff Van Gundy is an underrated coach. I like Ewing's workhorse performance this year. I like Marcus Camby. I think Alan Houston is a good player. And, as most people know, I'M A HUGE LATRELL SPREWELL FAN. I think it would be such sweet revenge for Spree to win the NBA's biggest reward. ------------------ I have a dream.........his name's Hakeem.
Please note that I predicted a Spurs victory without knowing that Kidd would play and Duncan would not. The Spurs were my favorite in this post-season and it is too bad they didn't have a proper chance to defend their championship. More importantly though, I want the Lakers to lose, and I don't think the Suns -- even with Kidd -- can make that happen. Of course, maybe the Kings will manage an upset now. I guess I'm hoping against hope, but wouldn't it be sweet if the Lakers were knocked out in the first round? Then I could see a Jazz-Heat finals. I'd predict 8 career-ending injuries from that series! ------------------
As for the Spurs, I've always liked respectable, classy teams; that and they're from Texas. P1 S2: You're opinion is exactly that, but I don't see how you could hate the Spurs more than the Jazz. I respect Utah's skills, but I hate them for their flopping (which I consider borderline cheating) and for Karla's elbows. I could never hate a team any more than I hate the Jazz. ------------------ I need a new signature. 302
What if Bob Cousy or Nate Archibald were off the 6 times Chicago got rings? Oh wait, they were! Quick someone call the league office and get some asteriks thrown on the Bulls championship years!!! It's all poop. A team wins the title fair and square back-to-back proving that they were the best team on the planet two years straight and get tagged because one guy decides to take a couple seasons off?? Poop I tell ya. All POOP! Had it been been the other way around the league wouldn't of said squat about the Dream's absense causing someone else to win. Hey, I'm not going to bathroom right now... so that's why you're takin' a dump at your house this instant... even though the two are totally unrelated seeing as how similar events and results are NO indicator of the means by which they were acheived. I was born, but that doesn't mean my parents are yours. We won Titles, but it don't mean Jordan allowed us to. We earned it. Asteriks = POOP ------------------ Proud Father of the Rockets' future point guard. [This message has been edited by IROC it (edited May 04, 2000).]
No offense, but that whole astrisk thing is all BS, or poop as IROC so eloquently put it. We don't have one. SA doesn't have one. Boston doesn't have one. No team has one unless they cheated to get the title. We were the best team in the league because we rose over the competition and claimed what 27 other teams were fighting for as well. Just because one particular player did not play that year doesn't mean a damn thing. He did nothing to help or hinder us. The same thing applies to SA, shortened season or not. Every team played the same number of games and all had the same screwed up schedules. Hell, teams made adjustments and learned to play together...especially SA(I can't believe I am defending them!). They started off the season terribly and when most people thought they were down, they came together as a team and dominated for the rest of the year. They proved they were the best team last year. Astrisk, spastrisk! ------------------ We're going to miss you Chuck! Thanks for all the memories!
I just don't think that people are going to remember the circumstances surrounding the Spurs title in say, 5 more years. Does anyone put an asterisk by the Redskins' Super Bowl in '83? If you'll recall, it was an 8-game strike-shortened season. Does anybody ever talk about that, or even remember it? If they do, I've never heard them. All people will remember will be the ring in the Spurs case. The thing that makes it hard for the Rockets is that Jordan won 3 in a row, took two years off, then won 3 more. People look at that gap in the middle where the Rockets won and wonder why the Bulls didn't win 8 in a row. People will always at that point bring up that Jordan sat out those years. In the Spurs case, no one will remember, most likely. ------------------ "Okay KG, next time down, you give Cousin Billy his turn, then he'll give Uncle Joe his turn, then we'll give Shaq a turn." -Rudy T, in the Dream Team 2000 huddle
