.com days and earlier...

[Bailey]

Here's a blast from the past:

Old school cc.com

Can anyone remember the original URL of the site? I want to go even further back!

[BobFinn*]

Good find Bailey. Did you check out the front page at that time? Webber for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe trade.

http://web.archive.org/web/199812021...om/frames.html

[Sonny]

That is awesome. Thanks!

[arkoe]

From the quotes page:

"I turn to my left and I'm kissing Clyde Drexler's ass, and when I turn the other way, I'm kissing Matt Maloney's ass. Not that they don't have nice asses, don't get me wrong. But the locker rooms are kind of snuggly."


Charles Barkley, on the lack of room in the Summit's locker rooms
--------------------------------------------------------------------

That got a laugh out of me after his recent ass kissing. I miss the old days.

[AntiSonic]

Oh man, that is friggin' AWESOME. Thanks! :D

Too bad the old board isn't up there. I'd like to go back and check out "Hakeem Is No Legend" and see some more stuff from Almu, Space City, Rocketgirl, Rockfan etc.

Memories...

[Bailey]

Come on people, do any of you older guys remember the original address of the site? Before it moved to clutchcity.com.

Clutch?

I want to go right back to the beginning...

On a similar note, does anyone recollect when Clutch first introduced the flash intro? I remember thinking that it was so cool!

[Dr of Dunk]

Someone posted the Wayback Machine URL last year (?) and went back quite a ways looking for CC.?, but I'm not sure how far they went back. I can't remember who originally created the thread, though. rockHEAD?

[Bailey]

OK, I found the old URL:

http://lynx.neu.edu/home/httpd/b/bchriste/rockets.html

But the WayBack Machine doesn't seem to have anything archived, apart from a redirect...

[Jeff]

Damn, look at my brilliance...look at it, damn you!!!

May 9, 1998

2. Make Charles Barkley commit to next year soon or release him.

With $14 million at stake and many prize free agents on the market, the Rockets can ill afford to wait long on Barkley's recovery. They have made it clear they want him back, but they also need the flexibility of cap space. If he intends on waiting until the fall to declare his intentions, the Rockets need to move on.

3. For God sake, don't trade Kevin Willis!

Kevin Willis was Houston's best player this year. With his strength and resistance to injury, they will need him again as a presence up front. This isn't exactly the year of the free agent big man and Houston will need all the help for Olajuwon it can get.

4. Wave goodbye to Mario Elie.

It has been a good run, all the way to two titles. The "Kiss of Death" will remain as the greatest single moment in Rocket playoff history. Mario, we will miss you, but it is time to get younger.

5. Let some young guys move on.

As much as I love Othella Harrington, his days as a Rocket are over. He needs playing time to develop and he won't get it here. I would love for him to stay, but he deserves a shot at some real minutes. As for Matt Maloney, he has done his best, but don't fool yourself about these playoffs. His defense against John Stockton was better only because Stockton is hurting and Maloney needs to be a permanent backup. Remember Eldridge Recasner. Ditto for Emanual Davis.

6. Bring a couple of old guys back.

You can never have too many shooters especially with the Rockets post up offense. Enter Matt Bullard and Eddie Johnson. Johnson said he would only play in Houston next year and Bullard wants a raise from the minimum. Even if they were your 11th and 12th guys, they can shoot the ball and with the likelihood that Houston will bring in a slashing point guard the Rockets will need the outside threat from a different position, which brings me to...

7. Go out and sign a big time point guard.

Unless the Rockets can miraculously move up in the draft to get Mike Bibby, they have to go after Damon Stoudamire or Rod Strickland. Strickland wants a lot of money and Stoudamire will get a huge offer from Portland, but the Rockets must get stronger in this area. The most glaring weakness over the past two seasons other than age-related injury has been the point guard position. Rudy is as sick of it as the fans are and he knows it's time get better at the point.

8. Do not sign Scottie Pippen.

Some might call me crazy, but the Rockets cannot afford to sign a 33-year-old small forward to a five-year deal worth nearly all their cap money. As great as Pippen is, the Rockets need to get younger! It is time for this team to move in a totally different direction. They may or may not be able to compete for another championship next year, but they have to start building so they can get back there at some point. Pippen would not only drain the Rockets' cap money, he would likely leave Houston to foot the bill when he is too old to contribute. He is a great player who has been underpaid for years, but Houston shouldn't be the team to compensate him for his efforts.

9. Improve the team defense.

As much as the tired legs of the Rockets hurt them when trying to score down the stretch this year, the lack of ability to stop anyone on defense was the dominant factor in their downfall. The Rockets tried to rest their legs at the defensive end of the floor and paid for it dearly. Signing some young legs and some defensive-minded players will help Olajuwon to stay fresh on the offensive end and get the team some easy baskets in transition. Creating turnovers and turning Olajuwon's blocked shots into fast breaks only work when you have guys running the break who aren't too tired to finish at the other end.


10. Above all else, strive for chemistry and team unity.

The turmoil that was the Rockets locker room last year should never be repeated. It is one thing to argue and disagree. It is another to let it deteriorate into bad team chemistry. The retirement of Clyde Drexler should lessen this problem, but it is up to the rest of the players to keep their problems off the floor and the coaches to keep everyone on the same page.

Damn, I'm good...uh, oh, but ignore this...

1. Somebody get Rodrick Rhodes a jumper!

This is a kid who has the potential to be a starter and, maybe, a star. He should be shooting several hundred outside shots per day and doing ball handling drills until sunrise. If he wants a shot at more significant minutes, he's got a lot of work to do.

:D

[Turbo]

Good to see some of the old-timers remembering the olden days. Bailey, wasn't it hosted by a college or something? I'll go back to lurking.

-Turbo