Sources: Astros Blocked a Potential Deal That Would Have Brought Rockets Games to DirecTV

I'm guessing that the NBA has some oversight of their franchises local media deals. After all, the media availability of its franchises is crucial to the NBA in terms of moving merchandise and tickets. I would be surprised if NBA attorneys weren't included in that discussion and given a chance to review before things were finalized.

How in the world did the NBA and the Rockets allow this to happen...where literally an owner of an entirely different business in an entirely different league is now calling the shots over whether Rockets games are televised? That's insane.

I understand the deal was made when McLane was still the owner of the Astros...but by that time he had made it very well known that he was selling, and Crane's name was already being thrown about as a likely purchaser. No matter the relationship between McLane and Les, we're talking about millions and millions of dollars here and the Rockets understanding that McLane was very clear about not being around much longer.

Crane isn't the only owner of the Astros...he has lots of investors to whom he owes fiduciary duties. He can't take a deal simply because it helps the Rockets or else he runs the risk of alienating and perhaps being sued by investors. His job is to maximize profits for those investors.

I get the temptation from fans to blame the Astros for the fact that the Rockets aren't on the air. But if the sources informing Jeff are correct, then the Houston Rockets, and perhaps even the NBA, were ridiculously negligent in taking care of their business entering into an agreement where their entire TV media package is controlled by someone else. I would love to hear directly from the guys who approved this deal (particularly, Les) to understand exactly how something like that happens. How in the world that contingency went unaddressed is just beyond me given the significance of this both in dollars and good will.

 

FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK!!!!!

 

Tad Brown said the same thing about the Dynamo back in November.

 

While I put almost all the blame on Crane at this point, I also would like to here what Les has to say about this mess. I think Les has to be furious, and probably wonders how he could have been so dumb to have put himself in this situation. I suspect that there is a lot of tension in the relationship between Les and Crane at this point, and Les probably doesn't want to speak publicly in fear of making their relationship even more sour.

 

Astros 2013 - New Kids on the Cockblock.

 

I'm not a big Jim Crane fan. But in no way is Jim Crane responsible for making sure Houston Rockets games are televised.

 

Maybe I've missed it in the past, but Alexander rarely discusses the business side of the Rockets publically. I'm not surprised that he hasn't spoken out about this bizarre situation, which is leaving the fans of his team unable to watch the games, unless they live somewhere like Austin (where I live), and get them on LP and NBAtv. On a side note, as Clutch has said more than once, he lived in Austin when he started what became ClutchFans, and had trouble watching the games. Now, if you live in Austin and are willing to pay for LP and NBAtv, you can see all of them. How weird is that?

I want to add something I've said here before in other threads. I've been a fan of the Astros since their first season, when they were the Colt 45's and played in the temporary stadium next to the hole in the ground that became the Astrodome. Last I heard, that temporary stadium was in Mexico somewhere, but the Astros remain in Houston. What doesn't remain, at least right now, is me feeling like a fan of that team. They are going to start playing for a league that I only watched during the World Series, the league the Rangers play in, and I don't give a damn about the Rangers.

That the ownership of the Astros, who sold Houston's baseball fans down the DH river with this obscene move to the AL, would be behind my friends, relations, and fellow Clutchfans members who live in Houston not being able to watch the Rockets isn't a huge surprise, or wasn't after I thought about it. Crane will do anything to pad his wallet and feed his hobby. He'll rape and destroy decades of Astros tradition by embracing the brand of baseball they play in the AL, which isn't really baseball, in my opinion, because it makes a mockery of the game I grew up with, and he's done that to buy his play toy, the Astros, and their sandbox, the stadium Houstonians paid for. So why should we be surprised that he's screwing over the Rockets and the fans of the Rockets for a few extra bucks in his bank account?

Crane and his American League abomination can kiss my arse. I usually agree with you on most things, Max, but not this time.

 

I don't disagree with your problems with Crane. I'm not a Crane fan either.

But Crane has not and does not own the rights to the Houston Rockets media package. It's ridiculous to blame him for the fact the Rockets aren't on TV. That's misplaced blame...and Crane can't make decisions for the Astros based on what's best for the Houston Rockets. It should never have gotten to that point.

I wish I could see the contract. That would be really interesting. My firm gets paid to deal with major transactions all the time, particularly centered around buying/selling businesses....part of our job is pointing out the contingencies. Dealing with the risks and the "what if" questions. Missing something this major would have me alerting my malpractice carrier. It's insane.

 

the fact that les was stupid enough to go into the season with this situation makes me think he is stupid enough to let the astros control his tv rights

 

Les is likely getting commissions or kick backs of some sort from the Astros/Crane for letting this happen. Hell, it's likely that he's ok with all of this knowing that if the Astros were on instead of the Rockets, NO ONE would be demanding to watch an uninteresting and terrible baseball team, or putting any pressure on the TV providers like we are. Rockets interest creates a much more useful leverage point. It's still Les' investment afterall, as well as Crane's.

The irony is that both of these owners are using the Rockets and their fans,the only good team in all of this, to put pressure on DirecTV, Dish and AT&T... and we kinda all fell for it. I signed that stupid petition which I regret at this point. Signing that, and calling your provider and clamoring to them only reinforces Les and Crane's behavior.

So thanks Les, for now officially making the Texans my favorite team and football my favorite sport. You had me for 14 years. Now go politely screw yourselves.

 

For the few who are interested in voicing their displeasure with the Astros (and CSN Houston) and asked for contact info., I posted it in the Comcast thread, here. I don't expect miracles but you can say you let somebody involved know how you feel.

 

To summarize - Don't hate the Astros; hate Les for allowing this to happen. While the Rockets will still make revenue, the fans are the real losers. This deal with Comcast has put FOX Houston subscribers in a real cluster f.uck.

 

...and once more, greed has taken something away from us that's priceless.

 

Fox Houston?

 

FSN Houston? I'm trying to make a point

 

David Barron takes issue with the story about the Astros declining a deal.

"Well, I hesitate to critique the work of another reporter, but I’m not convinced of the veracity of that particular report. The story you mention portrays the situation as if the two teams are negotiating separately. They’re not. The carriage talks are for the network, not for each team’s individual games. The subscriber fee during Rockets season isn’t different from the subscriber fee during Astros season. And they both benefit financially from subscriber fees and from any income that comes into the network. I just have a hard time believing that things transpired in the manner in which they were described in the story that you cite. It makes no logical sense to me. It portrays the Rockets and Astros as adversaries. They’re partners."

Down in the comments on this page...http://blog.chron.com/sportsmedia/2...sday-espn-has-rockets-mavericks-on-wednesday/

 

I have NBA all league pass so i'm good

 

We were all wondering if you were able to watch Rockets games. Thanks for enlightening us.

 

pretty funny...yet so truthful.