You've obviously been blinded by some tainted hatorade. If T-Mac had the balls to travel to Darfur, I doubt he would consider New Orleans much of a security threat.
I believe the article as far as TMac dogging it and nursing all these mysterious injuries. Sorry to be a conspiracy theorist, but there it is. Afraid of New Orleans? Who knows. More likely, prefers the vacation time. The recent Sporting News cited players unhappy in their current situations and/or likely to be traded. Kidd topped the list, followed by some others, and TMac was mentioned last. To paraphrase: "A Western Conference scout mentions that TMac doesn't look like he wants to play in Houston anymore. Heck, it doesn't look like he wants to play anywhere."
lol....I'm not "blinded" by anything, last year he came out and said himself that "he did not want to go to new orleans"....this is a FACT.
I got your back Rowdie Brandon (for us real Rocket fans) http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/finkle is einhorn/67455 Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? Filed under: NBA Sporting News - Email this blog E-MAIL Sporting News - Print this article PRINT COMMENTS 4 Sporting News - User Comments Mar 02, 2007 08:16 AM | 337 views [report abuse] Sensitive subject for me, as a former resident of the great city of New Orleans, but wanted to provide a rebuttal to Tracy McGrady's statement concerning on whether he would play in New Orleans next year for the All-Star Game. Essentially, McGrady stated that he would be hesitant to play, and would consider not attending if chosen next year, b/c of concerns of the condition of New Orleans post-Katrina. While I do understand concerns, I imagine this statement comes from a position of ignorance on the conditions in New Orleans. Before the tirade starts, understand this: I am not saying that McGrady is stupid or an ignorant person in general. Rather, I am using ignorance in the original meaning of the word, that he lacks knowledge on the particular subject of which he is speaking, namely New Orleans' ability to host the event. INFRASTRUCTURE First and foremost, the areas which would be involved in an All-Star Game, namely the CBD, French Quarter, I-10, the airport, and Uptown, did not suffer the damage that we normally associate with the damage suffered after Katrina. They were luckier and suffered minimal damage, much of which has been repaired. Today, if you were to fly into New Orleans and take a taxi to the CBD or French Quarter, with the exception of a few blue tarps on rooftops and some impounded car lots, it would be hard to see any evidence of the hurricane. These areas are very much intact and capable of handling a large crowd for the upcoming event. TIMING Let's also not forget that the event is a year away, and would give the city plenty of time to plan and address any problems that may be pending. While there are problems to solve, the more time we pass after Katrina means more ability of the city to return to its former glory and capacity. CAPACITY New Orleans, like Las Vegas, is a city that regularly holds large events which draw crowds and people from all over the nation. In addition to the many conventions, the city is host to Jazz Fest and a little thing you may have heard of - Mardi Gras. Hundreds of thousands of people, maybe even millions file through the city each year for these events, and the city is able to deal and provide services and security for all in a very efficient manner. SECURITY The crime rate in New Orleans is bad right now, and it is exacerbated by a high turnover rate among the city's police department. But let's be honest, the crime rate in New Orleans has always been high due to the exteme levels of poverty that have always existed in the city. Like before, though, the crime levels have always been misleading to some extent in regards to tourism b/c much of the crime occurs in areas where tourists never go. At least not on purpose. NOPD has always been able to provide added security to places which will be occupied by event goers, as shown by this year's Mardi Gras, and the same will be true for the All-Star game. New Orleans will not have to blanket the city during the event, or lower its overall crime rate, but rather make sure the game venues in the area are secure, which it has historically been able to do. Will they be crime free? No. But they will be as safe as any other city in the US. This year's event was held in Las Vegas, maybe one of the safest cities in the world, yet there was still many problems and arrests. N.O. will have similar problems, but will be able to follow in kind with Las Vegas. NBA PART OF THE PROBLEM Part of the trouble facing the NBA All-Star game is the fact that the enemy is, to some extent, on the inside. Not all of the crime committed, by any means, will be from attendees, but the NBA has a specific problem in its following. Many NBA fans are great citizens, if not an overwhelming majority of them. However, the NBA is haunted by a side effect of embracing its urban heritage - namely thugs. Some of the problems in Las Vegas were from the very attendees and members of the respective entourages that accompany the athletes and celebrities that attend. As Las Vegas found out, it is hard to protect people visiting the event b/c in cases they were the very people causing the problem. Certainly, these aren't problems we have seen with the NFL or MLB All-Star events. There is no doubt that New Orleans could use the money that would infuse the city due to this event, and it would go a long way in instilling confidence among the nation that New Orleans was on its way back to normalcy. Given the higher stakes for this city as compared to others, McGrady's comments were a little careless, and he should have been better informed before making them.
... and again, that was over a year ago, and he has since matured, even went into the dangerous Darfur and stayed among the people. In a more serious and dangerous situation than an All Star Weekend could be. So, you have refused to acknowledge that he has matured since then and continue to go on with something that was said a year ago rather than look at what he has done since then, and more recently. I'd say that qualifies you along with your other posts as a hater.
being his girlfriend (one of many) and having the opportunity to lay with him every night probably gives you an advantage, because you get to see tmac's mental and "physical" maturity grow in front of your eyes every evening.
the asg in new orleans is gonna be GHETTO.. its not only the city, (which is awful enough) but all those that are attracted to the all star festivities from around the country. Every rapper and entourage member will be there and more than likely be strapped. Its a recipe for disaster, and the strippers better watch out if pac man decides to make a trip out there. SOMETHING is def gonna happen, hopefully they will leave Yao and Scola alone though!
I don't think he's performing but whoever said its going to be ghetto. You got that right.. lol check out these shirts Lil Wayne made for the ASG
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/nb...od-Benson-Ready-for-New-Orleans?urn=nba,65856 D-leaguers should shut up saying hes gonna hire a 6 year old for security lol
I dont think tmac is afraid of NO He just wants to rest his fragile body for the sake of the Rockets.
Name calling is a good sign of your own immaturity and a sure case that your argument is lost. You don't have much to say really, you're just here because it's a bash tmac thread. goodbye
no kidding.. we need to rest big Yao!! i can't imagine him coming up with a good enough excuse though.. Stern: Yao, what's wrong? Why can't you make it to the ASG? Yao: I got a bad case of sore vagina toe.
you're comparing apples and oranges. first off, T-Mac CLEARLY stated he didn't want to go to New Orleans for security reasons aka he feared his or his family's safety. secondly i'm sure he had loads of security in Dafur, and he would be more unsafe in new orleans than in dafur.
