Overall, there are some teams with too many national TV appearances (*cough* the Knicks *cough*) and others with too few. We'll get three Christmas games this year - Detroit-Orlando on ESPN and Nets-Celtics and Kings-Lakers on ABC. Here's the breakdown of national TV games by team: Lakers - 24 Kings - 24 Sixers - 22 (why? do we feature wanted criminals on natl. TV now?) Mavs - 22 (including 5 straight at midseason) Celts - 19 Nets - 16 Spurs - 14 Wizards - 13 Blazers - 13 Sonics - 13 Knicks - 12 (about 40 times too many for a lotto team) Magic - 11 Clippers - 10 Pistons - 8 Raptors - 8 T-Wolves - 7 Rockets - 6 (at least you all beat the Jazz) Hornets - 6 Nuggets - 6 (6 times too many, if you ask me) Bucks - 5 Jazz - 5 Bulls - 4 Pacers - 4 Warriors - 4 Suns - 3 Heat - 2 Grizz - 2 Hawks - 1 Cavs - 0
http://www.nba.com/rockets/schedule/Rockets_Announce_20022003_Sch-49439-34.html - Rockets Announce 2002-2003 Schedule July 18 (HOUSTON) - The Rockets will tip off their final season at Compaq Center on Saturday, November 2 in memorable fashion as Yao Ming, the No. 1 selection in the NBA draft, makes his regular season home debut against long-time Houston center Hakeem Olajuwon and the Toronto Raptors. The Rockets will open the 2002-2003 season with road games at Indiana on Wednesday, October 30 and at Denver on Friday, November 1, the NBA announced today. “The fact that Yao Ming will have a chance to make his regular season home debut playing against the very player he grew up watching and emulating during his youth makes it a special event,” said Rockets Chief Operating Officer George Postolos. “We are thrilled at the opportunity to have Hakeem, who created so many special memories during his time here, present for the opening of our final season at Compaq Center.” Other season highlights include a nationally televised game on TNT at Dallas on Nov. 21 and a New Year’s Eve home game against the Milwaukee Bucks on December 31 that is slated for a 9:00 p.m. start and will be followed by a special midnight celebration. The final Rockets regular season home game at Compaq Center will be held on April 15 against the Memphis Grizzlies. The regular season wraps up the following day at Denver on April 16. The Rockets’ 41-game home schedule will also feature Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards’ lone appearance in Houston on Friday, November 22. Midwest Division rivals San Antonio and Dallas each make a pair of appearances with Tim Duncan and the Spurs visiting on December 3 and March 2, while Steve Nash and the high-flying Mavericks come in for games on January 29 and February 21. Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers will visit on December 7, followed by Mike Bibby and the high-scoring Sacramento Kings on December 10 and again on February 2. The three-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, featuring Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, will make trips to Compaq Center on January 17 and March 26. The Rockets will be featured on national television a total of six times. In addition to the TNT contest on November 21, ESPN will broadcast games against Phoenix (11/15), Seattle (11/29), Indiana (12/18), Los Angeles Lakers (1/17) and Dallas (1/29). Season ticket packages, which include preseason and 41 regular season home dates, are available in all price categories. A $250 deposit (per seat) reserves a seat for this season and also ensures a priority placement for seat location in the Rockets’ new downtown arena scheduled to open for the 2003-2004 season. Call 713-627-DUNK (3865) for details.
I can see, based on last years performance, why the Rockets didnt get too many games on national tv. But, If they step it up early in the season, more televised games may show up during the latter part of the year.
Don't get so bent out of shape about the lack of national games...if their play deserves it more game can be added just as easily as games were taken away last season. Btw, when does the preseason schedule come out? os
Don't forget that that National TV Schedule does NOT include the "FOUR games a week" that will be shown on NBA.com TV. If you have digital cable or a dish you probably have this channel. So those that don't have access to league pass but DO get NBA.com TV might be able to catch even more Rockets games on TV. I have no clue when the NBA.com TV schedule will come out, but my guess is that their TV schedule will be pretty "loose". Chris
I live near New Orleans and have always been able to get all (almost) of the home games on Fox Southwest. My biggest fear is that as the season comes around, Fox Southwest (down here) will become Fox Coonass, and I will only get the Hornets games.
All I want to know is how many games there are where I'll have to get my butt off the couch to adjust the antenna because only to find out that Calvin's suit really is that bad...
I think this tv schedule is pretty stupid. There are a lot of teams that don't deserve quite as many games on tv. The Sixers sucked last year, no way they deserve 22 games. The Knicks didn't even make the playoffs, why would they have 12 games? The Clippers didn't make the playoffs last year and the Rockets will be a better team than them this next year, so they deserve 4 less games, Houston 4 more. Whats with the Nuggets and their six games? They are horrible they deserve just as many as the Cavs. The Bulls might deserve one game because they suck too. How could the Pacers only get 4 games? They nearly beat the Nets in the first round. I guess the schedule is supposed to be less biased against the bad teams (which is good), but they need to fix a lot of kinks in their schedule. Granted, we sucked last year and don't even deserve one game, but we will prove ourselves worthy this year, and hopefully pick up 8 games or so along the way.
Listening to those games would be so funny. I used to live in louisiana all i can say is listen to their radio host and you will understand.
Although it is only 6 games to be televised, everyone knows that they change the games on TV all the time. If MJ decides to retire half-way thru the season, you can scratch any Wizards games...When the Knix fall to 20 games under .500 (probably sometime around the All-Star break), you can scratch all the Knix games too. AND, once the national media realizes that the Rockets are good, then they should fill in some of these other teams with Rocket games. I'm just glad that Yao's first TV game isn't against Shaq or something. I like him going against Jake Tsakilialsididas much better!
I agree that we didn't do ourselves any favor with our sh!tty play of last season in order to get games on national TV for this season, but I have to agree with DaneB on some of these other teams. The 76ers getting 22 games is a f*cking joke! But I'm sure that number will go down if AI continues to implode (hell, he may be in jail by the time the season starts...something tells me that is where he needs to be anyway, but oh well). And what about after the all-star break?? No games at all?? That is the biggest crime of all. However, maybe if the Rockets make a push or show that they are definitely making the playoffs, we'll get to see some nationally televised games near the end of the regular season. Looks like another year of shelling out $160 bucks for League Pass. BTW - bayou rocket - I think that is a given that all you will see is Hornets stuff. I know from experience how frustrating that is. I used to count on seeing my favorite NFL team the Broncos like anywhere from 6 to 10 games a regular season. Now, thanks to the damn Titans (I live in TN), I'm lucky to see the Broncos maybe 4 at the most 5 times a season. That truly sucks.
You know what? BRING IT ON! This Rockets team hung with the "elite" teams in the West, but eventually because of injuries and no depth up front got killed. Now with Ming, a physically mature Griffin, a healthy Rice and Mo, and Cato and KT, and Nachbar chipping in here and there the Rockets are ready to bang with the big boys. I'm ticked about not having national T.V. games but you know what? It makes it sweeter. Because it allows the Rockets to sneak up on people, and if they're on T.V. a lot it means they're playing some great basketball.
I guess I'll be having a talk with Human Resources at work. I see an ultimatum on the Horizon... "Move me to Houston or else...."
Wait, let me clarify something hear. All the home games will still be televised on Fox Sports Southwest right? And road games on UPN, or whatever....right??
Why you guys crying over national t.v.??? Who cares! Bill Warrell and Calvin Murphy are still holdin it down on Fox Sports Southwest! They are the best commentators in my mind especially when they make cheap shots on eachother its so funny. Anyways calm down guys. Was gonna sk that UPN question myself though.................
