As we have seen last year, and in the first game of the preseason, many of us think its not enough to have the best players or the team that is the most skilled one, its equally important to have the media and the refs on your side in order to win. Let us brainstorm ideas on how can the rockets win the championship or even better, become a true dynasty by getting the media and the refs on their side. So let us get started!
the Houston Rockets will never have the media and refs on their side unless Bron came here or something like that Harden, CP3, D’antoni, and Morey...yeah, the media isn’t embracing all that
Get a really compelling narrative that Silver & ESPN want to see succeed. Also, start selling a crap ton of player merchandise.
I really want to write a sarcastic reply, but I think the real answer is (and I hate this, and don't want another stupid thread about it): Fill up Toyota Center on time every night and be loud.
I disagree because filling up the TC doesn't directly help the NBA, merchandise sales and hype stories do. (They use ESPN as their propaganda machine). Secondly, arenas being filled up is usually an effect of the narrative, not the cause. I personally think the NBA just has to want your team to be relevant for some ulterior purpose.
I understand your point, but look at some of the smaller market teams that tend to get good press. OKC, Portland, Utah--all have rowdy and loud fan bases. I think there is an inherent bias toward a team that can get their base excited. Houston isn't a smaller market like those teams, but we still have a heck of a time getting the base pumped up. It becomes just one more easy narrative for people who want to criticize the Rockets.
In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women. Or in our case we get nba on our side
turd brown has been here so long and all this time it still hasn't hit him that maybe he needs to put out a decent jersey design. the league gets $ off of jersey sales. so one of the issues here is they don't wanna waste their time showcasing our crappy red china uniforms on their biggest stage in june. another issue is nike. when harden was at okc the national media had absolutely no problem with him and that beard was gold. after switching to adidas, overnight they turned him into osama-satan. and houston is not a place the media whores want to visit in june. not enough pizzazz & glamour, plus the dishwasher weather. reggie miller and sas both actually openly said on the air this past postseason they'd prefer working games from cali than houston. lastly, F silver.
So what you're saying is Tilman needs to invest in a sugar company?? I happen to know of a sugar factory that's been sitting idle for decades basically right in my backyard......
With the NBA, sure, I'm willing to risk being labeled. I watch a lot of sports, NHL primarily, NFL for fantasy football, MLB when I was younger. NBA playoffs since the early 2000's have always put off a very weird vibe. You don't have the same confidence that you're watching pure competition as you do in an NHL series or NFL matchup. MLB officiating is probably the only other league with as much power as the NBA - they can directly influence the strike zone and screw batters and pitchers - but they don't seem to do it as much. In hockey and football, refs can throw flags or blow whistles all day and definitely screw teams; but in the end there's still a defense on the field / penalty kill unit on the ice. Free-throws are a helluva drug for refs. They have a direct method to influence playoff series, and I've seen too many weird series over too long of a time to say there's no influence. Kings-Lakers, Suns-Spurs were two of the worst playoff series I've ever seen. Then there's Bucks-Sixers, Mavs-Heat, .... Warriors-anyone. There are just way too many series that calls aren't interpreted correctly on both sides of the ball, for a sport that's built on that as a requirement. Recently, the league goes out of its way to protect Draymond Green from discipline, and to protect Curry and Durant from contact sports. If Patrick Beverley was doing what Draymond Green does on a regular basis, the league would be 'making an example out of him'. Tim Donaghy is the fall-guy for the refereeing scandal but we quickly assume that was dealt with and didn't have far-reaching effects. What a HUGE problem that is - there hasn't been anything remotely approaching that in the other major sports. Adam Silver just exudes creepy, slithery snake. And not because of his looks. Those are like a nocturnal bat. And we haven't gotten into the NBA's intimate relationship with Nike, Disney, and ESPN. If I get branded as a conspiracy theorist for doubting it, I'm good with that. When I need to cleanse my pallet of BS, I go watch hockey.
