What was Sager doing with the manual on how to hold Kobe and reading it off? It may be useless but it is just the principle. Also Sager's nose is in our business and trying to stir up trouble. I'm glad Morey told him to just report the facts. I'm also glad that Adelman turned around his questions last game...
I had that same thought for about 1 second, and then I realized that Sager obviously didn't steal the packet. If the Rockets cared that he was going to mention it, they wouldn't have given it to him.
Well the Rockets shouldn't have given it to him. Adelman and Battier shouldn't discuss strategy with the media that isn't obvious either as I've heard them do.
From the NYT article earlier this season, the information Battier gets is no real secret. Its all facts and statistics. Battier just uses the information to help him develop a game plan and understand how to react better on court. Trust me, if it were that easy to digest the amount and diversity of information Battier has to deal with, we'd be sending at least five guys to the All-NBA defensive 1st/2nd teams!
Its not the worst thing. Even if it was just a blurb, it gives the other teams a slightly better edge in knowing what to do against Kobe. The more defenders know how to contain him, the less impact he has on the game. Anything to help drop the karma hammer on him quicker. Sager's an idiot anyways.
On a related note... the Bulls used to create DVDs on opposing centers. Bill Wennington would watch the 15min reels before games. Olajuwon's used to be quadruple the length of any other center. Eventually instead of handing Wennington a DVD they handed him a note that said "your F'd"
The real secret is that the whole idea is to piss Kobe off to the point of taking his teammates out of the flow of the offense by getting caught up in punishing Battier's perceived hubris. Better to suffer 50 point games from a ballhog than get steamrolled by the full-force of a 60-win team. Battier should be commended for falling on his sword for us.
lol...i don't think the Rockets let america know what they didn't want them to know. this is mass media push thinking 101. call the rockets "tough", "smart".......
Battier said that the Rockets want him to be a jump shooter. Just by saying that Kobe decides to beat the Rockets with jump shooting. It is better not to reveal intentions/strategy.