Okay, this post isn't going to win me any friends, or surprise anyone farmiliar with me by virtue of it's length, but I am becoming increasingly annoyed with the consistency of nba internet fans inconsistency... *** This is a general rant, and addressed at no one in particular ( I swear, I have no specific BBS poster in mind here) and I'm sure some of you are as frustrated as I am at what I'm about to talk about... *** The degree, frequency, and rapidity with which fans of the nba jump on and off bandwagons, decide that player A, the darling of last May, is now so much dog food ,etc. blows my mind. While this is probably less true in here than on, say, the ESPN boards, it is pretty endemic throughout nba internet discussions...For example, Steve Francis...It just so happens that I had some personal problems during the period when a lot of people in here turned on Francis, but when I came back in I couldn't believe the change...Some of you will remember that I was ripped late last year for posting a thread which merely asked whether Francis had greater trade or team value, and when I came back the Trade Steve! or Francis is no PointGuard! threads were rampant...and we're talking about maybe a month and a half here...Now did Steve really change that much in that short a period of time? I find it hard to believe... I stated at the All Star break, when Eddie Griffin was at his peak, that it wouldn't take long for the bloom to come of the rose...that those saying he was already as good as some All-Stars would, given time, start to notice/complain about weaknesses he had yet to reveal...and I will now make another guarantee...WHile I think Eddie will continue to grow, and become a great player, it will not be enough for many in here, and calls for his trade will become more and more frequent in the years to come unless he A) becomes perfect, or B) leads us to a ring next year or the year after...SOme are already starting to question him.... The closest comparison to Steve, although at a higher level, is the incredible reversion of perception about one Vince Carter...Let's review...He comes out early, is drafted by a terrible team torn apart by dissension and trading their only 'stars', and immediately turns them around, jumps them into pseudo playoff contention his first year, wins rookie of the year, and becomes the nba's poster boy... Next year, he improves all his statistical categories, fulfills his promise of getting them into the playoffs, but is suffocated by a Knick defense that focuses entirely on him, and is swept, amidst his coach's absolutely insane mismanagement ( lawsuits of opposing players, coup attempts within the organization, etc.) The next year, the team loses Doug Chrisitie, Tracy McGrady, adds Corliss Williamson and Marc Jackson, both of whom are gone by midseason, and they still improve, as does Carter virtually across the board...This time he fights through the pounding the Knicks gave him ( which even Oakley said was the worse he'd ever seen a star get in a series) wins game 5 in MSG, and then fights the MVP tooth and nail, coming within an inch of sending the Answer home for the year... This year they make a huge push, and , amidst much fanfare, resign all their free agents,extend Carter's deal, and bring in Dream...the team starts slowly, nagging injuries, and trying to find out how to fit Davis and Dream together is awkward at first, and it takes time, but by around the All-Star break they're really clicking, at about a 60% w pct., and within a few games of the top overall seed in the East....THEN Carter blows out his knee...tries to play on it, is ineffective, and is put on the IR...the team proceeds to lose their next 8 straight games...More out of desperation than wisdom, Carter comes back on one leg, is nowhere near the player he is when healthy,and the losing just keeps on rolling along...but the guy is trying his heart out, and when seen off court, he can barely walk...so finally, the season seemingly gone, the Raptor doctors and officials INFORM Carter that they are shutting him down, against his wishes, and a scope reveals that surgery is necessary...and the team goes on a team-play oriented tear to get into, and lose, the 1st round of the playoffs... And what is the fallout? Carter is soft...the Raptors hate Carter...Raps looking to trade VC...He was just a product of hype...What has he won yet?They're better without him... Everybody and their brother is better than Vince...etc..etc... It's all ridiculous...Carter was very popular because of his talent, his style, and his on-court charisma...He DIDN'T ever recieve a lot of media hype, as he was perceived to be a poor interview, more concerned with not saying the wrong thing, shrugging a lot for answers, etc..He did recieve a lot of media ATTENTION, by virtue of the fact that, on any given night, he is very likely to produce one or two plays that you've just got to have in the highlight reel...his game is simply the most exciting in the league( Think of the best dunks/plays you've seen in the last few years)...But does he get substantially more National tv games than a young playoff team should? No...in fact less. Does he get Jordan-like ref-protection? No, in fact he has an on-going feud with them... So, what's the truth? True, he's only ever won one playoff round...but how many had Jordan won by his 4th year...and Carter's 4th doesn't count, as he was out...so 3 years..How many series had Jordan won? Or Iverson? Or many others..It takes time...He is already at least the dunker Jordan was, and a WAY better outside shooter than Michael at similar stages of their career, and Jordan wasn't seen as a top defender until the middle of his career...Iverson? Before last year the SIxers tried to send him to Detroit...But somehow Carter's accomplishments either have to equate Jordan's career in under 4 years, or he's a dud...wierd. He has gone from the leading vote getter the last 2 years to blasted everywhere you read about him. Does he have weaknesses...sure, you bet. So did Michael and Shaq, and Iverson, etc. at similar early stages of their careers...and VC will never consistently win until he gets his Kobe or Pippen, etc..you can't win with just one Star... Iverson...Suddenly he's an idiot. Reigning MVP, the talk of last year's playoffs...now he's a stiff. I don't get it...Do I think he's an idiot? Yes, I do...DO I think he's a team player off the court? No, I don't...but do I think he was any less of an idiot or more of an off-court team player at this time last year when he was being hailed as the toughest, gamest player in the league? no, I don't...He still has the same weaknesses and strengths...Would I want to build my team around him? No, damn no! Would I want to face him in an important game or series? No, double damn no! This idea that guys like Stevie and Vince have substantially regressed, by virtue of injury plagued performance is so without solid foundation it's laughable, but it's these sophomoric opinions we hear more and more these days...The idea that Iverson has less value now than before he showed the rest of the world what an idiot he can be is also assinine...He was the same idiot last year, and he damn near won everything... I often call management decisions into question, but for God's sake, at least they take the longview more than the general nba fan populace...Love him...trade him..wait, get him back...Guys have bad games...bad weeks...bad months...bad years...Babe Ruth had bad years...Wilt Chamberlain had bad years...Tiger Woods will have bad years...Wayne Gretzky had bad years...it happens. To measure up to the ridiculous standards of the Fairweather Fan, every superstar would have to win every game every year...I saw Ray Allen's stock, in fan circles,drop from MVP candidate to trade bait in less than a month! I mean, is this for real!?!? And this brings me back to the Rockets...and Steve...and Eddie...Steve will have better years, health providing, and Griffin will grow blemishes on his so far pretty clear record...And the Fairweather Fans will jump on the wagon and jump ship with as much dexterity then as they do now... I used to LOVE Rudy T...It has taken me over 3 years to come to the point where I think his strengths do not, or at least have not latlely, fit this team. I think it takes that kind of time for a substantial shift of opinion, else your opinion wasn't based on much... So please, the next time Glen Rice scores 12 in a quarter, don't start raving about how it was a good trade afterall..and the next time Stevie scores 40, remember your latest request that we trade him...it goes on and on...
Don't know why it took you so long to realize that Rudy T. is not the coach for this team, but I'm glad that you are on board with that. (Wasn't that the main part of your post? I believe that the Rockets have more pure talent than almost any other team in the league right now (and they are going to have two top players from this year's draft). The problem is that they are poorly coached so their talent isn't being properly utilized. I believe that if the Rockets would get a new coach, we wouldn't be hearing complaints about Steve Francis, or Eddie Griffin, or even Kelvin Cato. The Rockets are awful fundamental ballplayers, which stems largely from the fact that many of their marquee players did not play much college ball. And these players certainly did not learn fundamental basketball when they were in high school.
It is interesting that you rant about fairweather fans and you close your post complaining about the coach. You said that you used to 'love Rudy T', but now that the team has continued to do poorly you think it's time for him to go. In other words, when the team was doing well, you liked the coach. Now that they have fallen on tough times, you don't like the coach. You are the very thing you are ranting about. You wrote that it took you 3 years to come to this decision, but isn't that the same amount of time that Carter has had in Toronto and Francis in Houston? What is so different about your feelings as the Toronto fan who (after 3-4 years) does not think Carter is right for their team. Or the Rocket fan who doesn't think Francis is right for Houston? Why are they 'fairweather fans' and you're not? Or did I misread your post and you are ranting about yourself as well?
I live in Dallas, the Fairweather Fan Capitol of the World. Try to find more than a handful of Cowboy fans right now. Conversely, try to figure out where all these Mavs fans came from all of the sudden. Oh, and in fair weather, all of them will say the same thing: "I was a fan when the *Insert Dallas Team here* were *insert pitiful losing record here.* Blah blah blah!!! Anyway, my Houston Rockets love runs deep. There will always be fairweather fans. Rudy is a great coach, and I think we should reserve judgement on his time to exit until we see what this team can do with their starting PF and SF, and with the upcoming draft. Remember last season's record...45-37. Not bad for a team of young fellas.
We are not talking about one's religious faith, mother's day, or even friendships; this is sports-entertainment, it is the nature of the beast. Aren't you sick of Britney Spears? Entertainment is about what's new, popular, and successful. This year's Rockets weren't even interesting much less entertaining. And despite all the MOONBEAMERS on this board, big changes are needed.
Agree with Solid 100%. Call it sports if you want, but it's more of a business......if you're not entertaining[winning] who cares.
No, you just missed my point...My last point was an acknowledgment that opinions aren't dogma, they CAN change, but it takes time...My questions about Rudy started 3-4 years ago, and have consistently gone unanswered for 3 years...And I said as much...The Carter/Francis time comparioson completelty missed my point...It isn't that fans have been questioning Carter/Francis for 3 years, and have finally said, "ok, I think my opinion about this guy has changed." It's been 3 years of " Love him...like hime...hate him...love him..."etc... The fact that Carter and Francis have only been around that long would specifically NOT allow for a 3-4 year time of evolution of opinion, as I said has begun to happen with me re: Rudy, as the whole point was that you, as a fan, had taken time to formulate opinion A, then had problems with it after time,and when 3-4 years have gone by and opinion A seems to hold less and less water, have come to the conclusion that opinion B might be more valid...NOT 3 years in which opinions have gone form opinion A in year 1 and 2, opinion B in the 1st half of year 3, opinion C in the second half, opinion D just after the season, etc, with many permutations in betweeen the larger shifts... I would only apply to Toronto fans who loved Carter ( or Rockets fans/Francis) after his 1st handfull of games ( a little quick to formulate a valid opinion ) , then saw things they questioned, and for 3 years after saw those same things go unresolved...and the same applies to Francis..But that scenario is not representative of what I'm talking about, nor is it very common...Most loved Carter/Francis up to, what a few months ago..at most, a year ago...then each had an injury plagued season wherein their teams had losing records without them, and suddenly opinions have done 180 degrees...and next year, when they each come back healthy and perform, watch another massive flip-flop happen...
