Chad Shanks appreciation thread (Best of @HoustonRockets)

If you think the tweet was rapey you are a certified moron

 

HE DIDN'T GO PUBLIC WITH THIS, genius.

He responded to a few interview requests AFTER THE FIRING WAS ALREADY KNOWN AND HAD ALREADY BECOME A BIG DEAL.

P.S. Just because you apparently google rape memes and have a weird fixation on the subject doesn't make you the standard and ultimate judge.

P.P.S. If he were smearing the organization, wouldn't he be saying he has a grudge, instead of saying he supports them? And if the "high-road act is unprofessional", is he supposed to take a low blow? Not sure what you want him to do.

 

He was encouraged by the Rockets to be edgy. That's the problem with this. The @HoustonRockets brand became one of the best in social media specifically because it was doing things you WOULDN'T EXPECT from a typical corporate media director. It was relatable to the average fan -- not cold and stiff, corporate drivel. The idea that Chad was conducting "free-willing antics" is absolute bull****. They have an organizational marketing strategy from top-to-bottom that many other teams share -- including the Blazers, Hawks, etc. -- to be more engaging and funny.

Could you argue that this was over the line? Maybe, though I don't think it was. But when your entire marketing strategy is based around going closer to "the line" than traditional corporate norms, it seems rather ridiculous to then fire someone over one tweet that goes over it. It's inevitably going to happen at times if you're OK with being edgy. Just learn from it and move forward.

If the Rockets think their official account is too valuable to try and be "funny" with, that's fine. Change your strategy and be cold. It's their prerogative. But the idea some folks here are pushing that Chad was just freelancing on his own terms -- that's bull****. The organization knew and supported exactly what the strategy was. Someone important just didn't like this particular joke, and the rest is history.

 

Man... glad I don't have a twitter account and probably don't know how to use one.

 

Twitter Usage 101:

1. If you are rich or famous or both, don't use it. What is said on the internet can never be taken back

2. Use hashtags, even when they don't make sense. The more you use, the more legit your twitter post is

3. Due to the character limit (think its like 130 or 160?), take out the vowels for most of your words

 

WOW WOW WOW

The people here implying "rape" and "rapey", what the hell is wrong with you? I don't care if you saw it in a video game or a meme, you're reaching beyond belief. That phrase has been said in different contexts, and when I hear it it's implying what it says, it'll be over. If I saw it with an image of someone in his death bed, then it would imply that person is going to pass away. If it was with a gun, then that person is getting killed. If its tweeted by a sports team during a game, it means we're kicking our opponents ass. I guess with a certain image you can say it implies "rapey" but why the hell would you be looking at that image.

You say you see it on google and in video games, and now that's what it implies to you no matter who says it and where???Well you should probably use the Internet less and play video games less. Get out more.

 

Bizarre post. He's no longer a Rockets employee, and he was very publicly fired. Why shouldn't he defend himself when given the opportunity to do so? And I don't know what statement of his you are talking about when you say he is smearing the organization. How can he be taking the high road and acting noble, as you say, while simultaneously smearing the Rockets? Its not his fault if people dislike the fact he was fired.

 

Clutch needs to ban these Gatorade ads for being too rapey. It says "The Harder It Gets, Be Ready". Jabari Parker should be in jail for advertising rape, too.

On topic, I searched for a story on this when it first was reported. Nothing published yet, but led me to a viral tweet by HoustonRockets when we played the Timberwolves. He was trolling Rubio when Harden crossed him over and broke his ankles. Good stuff.

 

The dumb factor of this story/saga has gone up exponentially I see.

 

Why isnt there more outrage to the clown who tweets out emojii of a rocket and flames? Considering, you know actual deaths attributed to that scenario.

 

A few things

1. If he was let go for an ill received tweet, he probably had previous issues at work.

2. I wasn't offended one bit, actually didn't get much of a response out of me...it's a subjective thing.

3. The Rockets probably did overreact by FIRING the guy.

4. I looked at his previous tweets & am seeing the way he's dealing with it and he sorta seems like a douche.

So really, who cares. Life goes on. It sucks for him but what can any of us do?

 

Not defending either side of the argument but he tweeted about being fired almost immediately after the fact and it was obviously on his own time...no questions

 

Anyone else concerned that we have folks on this BBS who immediately think of rape when they view the tweet? It's like a fat kid who sees nothing but dessert-shaped clouds when he looks into the sky.

 

It was over 2 hours after, and his personal Twitter had less than 500 followers at the time. What is so wrong about that?

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/OrlandoMagic">@OrlandoMagic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SHAQ">@SHAQ</a> <a href="http://t.co/BeapaEraVx">pic.twitter.com/BeapaEraVx</a></p>&mdash; Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/581570558283792385">March 27, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

Who cares? Uh, people who don't want to see a great guy get fired and lose his primary source of income for his family for no legitimate reason.

What can we do? Uh, it's pretty obvious. Express our displeasure with how this was handled and our appreciation for his style of work so that hopefully this won't happen with other great people in the future.

 

For the organization to consider a change, there would need to be more blow back than what's likely to occur.

I wonder if a group like the Rowdies could organize something at the game that might attract the TV cameras?

Season ticket holders call to cancel? (probably not enough would do it)

Calvin Murphy interviews Chad?

Chad starts his own NotHoustonRockets twitter handle that becomes the one that folks actually follow?

I don't use twitter, but probably would if they brought Chad back. Looks like I missed some very funny stuff.

 

Here's how a logical person would think of this situation:

Read tweet. "Ooh, does that sound rapey? I don't know, but that phrase has been used countless times in countless contexts, so it would be a stretch for me to assume he's talking about rape. Of a sports team. On twitter."
See emojis "Oh, the pictures show he is referring to a horse being put down by a gun. Is that advocating animal cruelty?"
Think for about for 30 more seconds. "Oh, the Dallas Mavericks logo is a horse. The Dallas Mavericks are about to be put out of their misery in this series. Am I really saying the use of emojis is advocating violence against animals?"

With two characters, Chad explained that the Rockets dominated the Mavs this series. That's brilliant, not something to be fired over. I can see how it could be construed as "offensive," but there is a broader context to all of this. A suspension for a little while would have been appropriate (but still a little much for me). Firing the guy? That's cruel. He was hilarious and pushed the envelope in a medium that is misused by the vast majority of people. He kept things edgy and lighthearted.

The whole "he should have known better" argument is not valid either. He was clearly given the green light to push boundaries with his other tweets. Someone was encouraging him to be funny and engaging (maybe to... get more followers... isn't that the point of this whole thing).

 

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/28191036/houston-rockets-vs-minnesota-timber-wolves-war-on-twitter-goes-viral

 

Ah, this was a great one!