I hate to be a party pooper, but heypartner is dead on accurate in what he was trying to get across in his post. The Rockets have not reached an agreement with Cuttino Mobley. The team can not sign Cuttino until August 1st. The Rockets have responded that this is 100% false. Perhaps Mobley told Francis he'd be back or word got out he plans on re-signing with the team in August. As for myself, I'm not saying it's entirely false but the Rockets themselves have not reached an agreement with Cat nor spoken to him on this. The league takes these issues seriously. It's no secret the Rockets want Cat back and the salary they can offer is pretty cut and dried (given Mobley's 2-year status and the restrictions via the CBA), but the Rockets are not allowed to speak with Cuttino on a contract. If they do and get caught, it's trouble. I'm sorry to get "serious" about this particular one (really I am), but this is a sensitive matter and look around... There's a reason the .CON being run at our old domain name has lost 96% of its traffic since the original site moved to clutchcity.net. A big part of that is because the site, along with people like popeye, HP, grummett, Doc Rocket, Jeff, Puff and many others, deliver the goods and many people hang on what is said and come here for legitimate information before it breaks officially. Over the last 4 years the clutchcity.net fan base has grown to be tremendously big and if you knew some of the people that come to this site (honestly) on a daily basis you would understand how something like this, true or not, could get many into some hot water. I don't want to spread something that is false, illegal or potentially damaging. If this were true it could do nothing but get the team in trouble, and subsequently the site. I'm like everyone else and want to get as much inside info as possible, but to say the Rockets themselves have reached an agreement with Cuttino, that's just not right. Sorry and I hope this doesn't offend anyone but it's important that the air is clear on this one. ------------------ NOTHING BUT .NET CLUTCHCITY.NET
Top 10 Reasons why Popeye is better than Peter Vescey? 10. He is intelligent, 9. He knows basketball, 8. He knows talent when he sees it, 7. He hates Karl Malone, 6. He is a diehard Rocket's fan, 5. He can write, 4. He can make you cry/laugh with his writing, 3. There are people who actually listen to him. 2. If you are choking on something Vescey said, he knows the Hiemlich, and 1. He writes to cc.net FIRST! Sorry Popeye, I didn't mean to cause a stink. I'm just losing patience with rumors, cries for more rumors, and people racing to be the Mitch Lawrence and Peter Vescey of cc.net. Rise above that riff-raff. Call me the Rumor Police. And for everyone who peppers Popeye with "What about this", "Did you hear this", "Feed me,,,Feed me,,,I'm addicted to speculation". Shame on you all!! Do not Tempt our best posters down the devil's path. Otherwise, our glorious cc.net will become a silly espn chat room and Popeye will be turned into a Peter Vescey. Heed my warning....Speculation is the Devil!<font color="#f7f7f7"> [This message has been edited by heypartner (edited May 30, 2000).]
HP , Clutch Totally understand this issue and how it can become a total mess if it is read by the wrong people and word gets around the league , I hope that this doesn't happen as it can jeopardise what the rox are doing.. Clutch if I were you I would put some sort of disclaimer out in the frontpage to try to give this site some sort of leagal protection. I just hope that Popeye don't take offense to this........... ------------------ It's all about marketing !
How many nanoseconds went by after popeye's post before the Rockets contacted you? ------------------
grummet: Actually, it was the other way around. Always better to be proactive! ------------------ "No one gets out ALIVE!" SaveOurRockets.com
.con i'm guessing was no typo. i know it's a sensative issue but i stopped going to that site once i figured out that the two sites were most likely not working together. i totally agree clutch that it is important to make sure site gives out no false info. even though it's just a BBS i have had the feeling for a while that people who work with the rockets or players or someone must come to this site. i know you can't tell us who clutch but is it possible that we may have had actual rockets post here before? [This message has been edited by Rocket Fan (edited May 30, 2000).]
Heypard, if there is going to be no speculation on this board, you better get those plays in flash done real damn quick 'cause we won't have a single thing to talk about this summer. There is nothing but speculation to discuss- our season is over! It only became dangerous this summer when we suddenly started getting amazing (and accurate) inside info on trades. I've been here for years, and I don't believe we ever had the insider action happening on the board like we do now. I remember the days when Clutch dedicated an entire page to the Damon Stoudamire rumors, but that was still stuff he scoured from other news sites. It's pretty tough for us to sit still and wait and discuss whether Steve and Chamique are really dating or not, when the supposedly "busiest offseason ever" for our team is now commencing. The fact that we've got a possible inside track here, that in fact even the board admin is sitting on hot info he can't disclose except in tiny cryptic hints, makes the BBS flat-out addictive.
I'm just saying...to each his own. On that note: I have stopped participating in the board's rumors and speculation. I had fun battling it for a little bit and stating how much I loved Fortson. Personally, it is not something I do away from this board. Waiting for articles from Murphy and Feigan is all I need for the summer, and cc.net reports from camps/try-outs. To each his own. As for my warnings, they are real. Popeye's posts are read by people whose task is to look for league violations and internal leaks. No joke! Popeye is probably correct about Mobes. But, the Rockets could equally have just nabbed one of his sources via a sting. I am just suggesting that their are reasons why Murphy and Feigan rarely scoop trades; much of it is that they choose to strive for truth-only, but some of it is to protect their sources. Either you take the riff raff road and try to out-scoop the NY Post, Mitch Lawrence, and Vescey and end up becoming a pawn used by mgmt and agents in misinformation and stings or you protect your sources and wait to write more humble but thorough news the day of the trade like Murphy/Feigan. I think Popeye is riding the fence, and this board is pulling him to the Vescey side. Popeye adds so much flavor to this board. He is our Edge reporter, with freedom that Murphy and Feigan don't have, but that is a thin line to walk. Especially as cc.net becomes more and more popular. Popeye: keep it up. I read all your posts. Especially your "Do you guys cry" post. You help cc.net maintain the "Loud, Proud, Original" slogan.
drama.....controversy..... ------------------ HOOP-T Hey Shaq, Acme called, and they want their bricks back!
Clutch, I think you may be giving yourself too much credit. Maybe a few players and some people in the front office check this site every now and then, but I doubt that any check on a regular basis. I can understand your worry, I could be totally wrong, but something tells me that people working for the Rockets wouldn't consistently go to a site run by fans. ------------------ [This message has been edited by DaFranchise (edited May 31, 2000).]
There's another site??? First, while the "info/rumors" we hear are amazing, nothing is accurate just yet. We are still in that time period where players and teams can not discuss trades or contracts. Nothing can be deemed accurate until a move is made. Second, we all, including NBA "whatevers", know that every team in the league has contact with their players outside of the "official" signing periods. Do ya'll really think that teams hammer out numerous contracts with their players in only a day?! Sure there is contact where they may work out the foundation for a contract, but its never official until the actual signing day. I do agree with HP and others that this "Popeye, give me a scoop" crap has got to stop! Comparing it to any Peter Vescey situation is dead on. Some of ya'll act like a bunch of shoolgirls with all of the gossip and heresy!! What I am saying is the more rumors, trades and signings we demand, the more worthless trash that is going to be thrown at us. Let those other boards have the gossip. It WILL make for a better and truthful BBS for us. I think if we just let the chips fall where they may, Popeye will stick around. ------------------ We need some meat in the post!
Howzabout we just shut the board down until the draft? Then shut it down again until August? ------------------ ?
Ah, political correctness rears its ugly head. Come on, this is a fan web site. There are rumors reported, and rumors speculated on, but they are just that RUMORS. We should not be paranoid about big brother Rocket taking offense. They should support the speculation and realize that it is a fan base that CARES. All the Rockets have to do is deny any rumor strated here or elsewhere, people need to chill out and relax. The Rockets are just a business organization, and you know the saying...ANY PRESS, GOOD OR BAD...is GOOD ! Clutch...lighten up, and Popeye, keep posting. DaDakota ------------------
DaDakota, Say you are the Rockets who feeds Feigan information so he can prepare thorough and exclusive converage of a trade/signing. Say Feigan wants more than the Rockets can give him, so he seeks out other sources, all in preparation for full coverage without scooping the Rockets. Now Michael Murphy spits out the scoop. (Just for a second assume the Chronicle is the NY Post where writers back stab each other.) How do you think that effects Feigan's sources? Do you think they will trust him as much as before, his fault or not? We don't know anything here except both Popeye and Clutch have sources. Don't you think just maybe Clutch wants to protect his sources. This has nothing to do with the Rockets IMO. Rather, it is two different philosophies on when and how to use insider information that doesn't lower the reputation of the site throughout the insider community. I think it is very presumptuous of any of us to tell Clutch to light up. We just don't know what goes on on the other side of the board, nor should we downplay it. Because Clutch deserves to dream big about his site. [This message has been edited by heypartner (edited June 01, 2000).]
HeyPartner, I understand about protecting a source, I was a Sports Anchor on KGNS TV in Laredo right out of college, and interned on KSAT 12 in San Antonio. However, it was Popeye's source, not Clutch's, unless Clutch is Popeye's source. My point is that this is a fan site, and even though we all love it here, and I truly enjoy the material posted and the BBS comraderie, it is still just a site. If you have inside info, you need to decide FOR YOURSELF, whether to post it or not, if you are protecting a source, then simply keep it to yourself. I think we are taking it entirely too seriously, and need to lighten up, and realize that this is a fan site, and as such, has a (please don't take this the wrong way) VERY SMALL impact on the Rockets organization, if it has any impact at all. How presumptous of us to think that what we post on a FAN based Web site, has any effect at all on the NBA or the Rockets Org in general. I am privvy to all kinds of inside info on some High Tech companies, and you just have to keep quiet. If Popeye spilled the beans on the Rockets, then shame on them for leaking it. However, if you view this page as fan based press, then it is the press' job to ferret out the info before anyone else does, thus the term scoop. If you don't believe me ask Clinton and Lewinsky. DaDakota ------------------
DaDakota -- please don't take this the wrong way, but you have no idea what you're talking about. ------------------ NOTHING BUT .NET CLUTCHCITY.NET
Clutch, True, I guess I do not know all the particulars of this deal. Just 2 things. 1. Popeye is a great poster, and will be missed. 2. If his info was false there would be no uproar. I do not like seeing free speech, or freedom of the press squelched for any reason. It is your site Clutch, but hopefully you don't want a bunch of mind numbing clones on here that have the same point of view. That would be boring ! DaDakota ------------------
Clutch-Has popeye filled you in with a little more info/motives? Could you pass some of it along? ------------------ Rockets fans wanted at hoopsboards.com Draft Chat, NBA Chat, Team Chat, and more!
I'm reluctant to keep this thread going, especially when the only people who know anything are forced to tiptoe around the subject. However, it seems important to me that it is widely realized that what Popeye reported was that the Rockets were tampering with a free-agent. In the eyes of the NBA, that is illegal and can cost the Rockets, if proven. Someone mentioned that we all know that all teams do it -- frankly, I personally do not know that and actually think it is possible if not likely that tampering is more the exception than the rule. Whether Popeye's report is true or not, it is our duty as Rockets fans (if we have any duty at all) to keep quiet about their misdeeds. Coming to terms with Mobley during the moratorium is unethical and we certainly should not publicize the Rockets engagement in such activities. Miami lost Juwon Howard and a first round pick (and maybe more, I forget) for tampering. Can you imagine next season without Mobley and the #9? ------------------ http://www.gaffordstudios.cjb.net/
