"This is a place where we can make a name for ourselves in history," Francis said as he held up a Grizzlies jersey with the No. 23 on it. "We can be the first people who took this team to the playoffs. I feel comfortable about what's going on for me." You people that are denouncing Hakeem should be ASHAMED of yourselves! If you had the slightest intention of being CONSISTENT, you'd want Francis GONE! "If that was something that God wanted me to do, then I would have did it. But obviously it wasn't and I'm here in Houston now." If I was a Vancouver fan, Steve Francis would be the ANTI-CHRIST to me. I would flat out hate the guy. Kinda like most of you with Karl Malone. "It wasn't Vancouver, it was just the fact I was going to be so far from my family, my grandmother, my brothers and sisters." Now you want to rip THE DREAM, the man that we as Rocket fans owe EVERYTHING to, just because he says he's unhappy? What do you think Guy V. would have to say about this? "It's cold, it rains and they take a lot of your money." And Francis just gets a free pass? This guy has done NOTHING so far. Yet he can come out and slam a team and city for doing nothing more than wanting to make him rich and famous, and that means nothing to you people? And you have the nerve to compare the Dream to Scottie Pippen? "I played 2 last year. It wouldn't be that big of a change," Francis said. "I think I'm a player. I can play all five positions if you ask me." -Steve Francis, talking about playing alongside Mike Bibby You people seriously make me sick. "I look forward to it," he told Houston television station KRIV Tuesday night. "Right here is where I feel like is going to be my home. Until that time comes for me to make a decision to do something else, then I'm still a Houston Rocket." -Scottie Pippen, 7/28/99 Sounds familiar, if you're a Grizz fan. "I don't even speak Canadian." -Steve Francis ------------------ "I have to say, I don't understand why these Rockets' fans are booing Scottie." -Calvin Murphy Only on the Clutch BBS will you see Hakeem Olajuwon compared to Scottie Pippen. [This message has been edited by TheFreak (edited January 20, 2001).]
Who are you talking to? Nice. Thanks for stereotyping us all. ------------------ NOTHING BUT .NET CLUTCHCITY.NET
Tacoma I don't see it as two different situations. I see it as two simliar situations actually. Two guys who simply wanted OUT of where theu were...and used any means possible to achieve it. I have no problem with what Francis did...but Freak is right. It is hypocritical to cheer on one guy and whilst cursing the other. It's the sameas if Webber was to right now slag off Sacramneto and force a trade...and he ended up here in Houston...EVERYONE on these boards would be ecstatic. Yet they'd probably all still hate Pippen...even though that's exactly what he did to get to Portland. ------------------
Clutch, It was in TheFreak's other thread: http://bbs.clutchcity.net/ubb/Forum3/HTML/010616-2.html that a Pippen reference was made. Mango ------------------ Lets get the Mo Go working! Test Your NBA Trade Ideas 1. Put new topics in the proper forum. Things happening in the rest of the NBA 2. Use clear wording for new threads. 3. No duplicate threads 4. Conduct yourself as an adult. The Serious Police are watching. Donate Blood or be assimilated!
I'm with you freak. For crying out loud the guy is unhappy he feels he can contribute to a team making a championship run and he probably can. The Rockets are not going to win a championship this year and he cannot and should not be part of our rebuilding. Why should he stay here if he's going to sit on the bench for the rest of his career. Dream has not bad mouthed the city or organisation (ala Pippen) and he gave us his best when he was here. If you are unhappy at a job do you stay there or look for a new job. Dream has the right to ask for a trade or waive, he believes he can still contribute even if you do not. If you don't beleive in yourself who will. ------------------
These are two different situations Freak. Here is why: The Rockets have Hakeem under a contract that pays him 16 mil this season and have PASSED UP trade offers in the past that would have helped the future of their team. The Rockets under the management of Les Alexander have shown significant loyalty to the Dream for his help in the past by awarding him with a huge contract and passing up the Toronto offer. Hakeem pays them back by agreeing to be a part of the team in the offseason then turns full stream during the season by complaining about his role in the offense AND starting to name off potential destinations he would like to play for next season. A player the Rockets had hoped to be a guiding veteran force to a young team sets a horrible example to young players with his antics. Steve Francis in no way is perfect in his situation but it was far less severe than the Hakeem situation. The Grizzlies had not paid a dime to Steve, and he made it 100% clear before the draft that he didnt want to play in Vancouver. This is not a situation where he agreed to play first, started clearing checks and started the season then changed in mid stream. Hakeem's situation smells of a money move to make sure he received his over inflated 16 mil contract whereas Steve's was one where he simply did not want to play in Vancouver. In no way did Steve lead on the fans or management, he made his opinion crystal clear from Day 1. ------------------ Check out the Best Source for Draft Info Draftsource.net
These are two different situations Freak. Here is why: The Rockets have Hakeem under a contract that pays him 16 mil this season and have PASSED UP trade offers in the past that would have helped the future of their team. The Rockets under the management of Les Alexander have shown significant loyalty to the Dream for his help in the past by awarding him with a huge contract and passing up the Toronto offer. Hakeem pays them back by agreeing to be a part of the team in the offseason then turns full stream during the season by complaining about his role in the offense AND starting to name off potential destinations he would like to play for next season. A player the Rockets had hoped to be a guiding veteran force to a young team sets a horrible example to young players with his antics. Steve Francis in no way is perfect in his situation but it was far less severe than the Hakeem situation. The Grizzlies had not paid a dime to Steve, and he made it 100% clear before the draft that he didnt want to play in Vancouver. This is not a situation where he agreed to play first, started clearing checks and started the season then changed in mid stream. Hakeem's situation smells of a money move to make sure he received his over inflated 16 mil contract whereas Steve's was one where he simply did not want to play in Vancouver. In no way did Steve lead on the fans or management, he made his opinion crystal clear from Day 1. ------------------ Check out the Best Source for Draft Info Draftsource.net
Excuse me for interrupting your rant Freak, but aren't you the same guy that got on us because you said Pippen ISN'T as bad as people say? Now you're angry because we're comparing Dream to him? And what Francis did, Francis did in VANCOUVER! Let me repeat, FRANCIS DID IN VANCOUVER! What does that have to do with Houston!? We should run Francis out of town because of what he did in Vancouver!? Freak man calm down, I think you're going to have a freaking STROKE! ------------------ Rocket fans UNITE to bring Pig Miller back home! WE NEED PIG! OINK! OINK! OINK! [This message has been edited by RocksMillenium (edited January 20, 2001).]
I'm sure if a trade was available the Rockets would be more then happy to trade away Dream, but the point is there isn't a team out there that can trade away enough salary for his 16 million. So Dream wants the rockets to just waive him so he can play for someone else while Les continues to pay for Dream's salary. That's just plain stupid, why would anyone want to pay a player money to play for another team? I say we either trade dream or keep him until his contract's over, but you dont just waive him b/c he asks you to and then continue to pay him. The only thing Les owes Dream is what his contract says he owes him, no more, no less. Trade him or keep him for the year, but don't just waive him because he's done so much for the organization. I think 16 million a year is a fair enough way to pay him back for those rings. We don't owe him the ability to tell CD and Rudy how to do their jobs. ------------------ "I am clearly more popular than Reagan. I am in my third term. Where's Reagan? Gone after two! Defeated by George Bush and Michael Dukakis no less." -Marion Barry, Mayor of Washington, DC
I agree with Mmanal, we have done so much for Hakeem, we have passed up opportunities to improve because of our loyalty to him. He could at least shut up until end of season and quit whining about wanting to be waived. he could use a little bit of loyalty to us right about now. ------------------ "Kenny, The Basketball scientist, Whoo Hoo." Charley B, on TNT
The Rockets did NOT show loyalty to Hakeem when they gave him his huge contract extension. They were being smart. Hakeem was averaging 26-12-4, and the Rockets were major contenders when he got that extension. The Rockets would have been pretty stupid to just let him go. Would you say that the Lakers extending Shaq's contract was being loyal, or making a smart basketball decision. If the Rockets hadn't drafted Hakeem, another team would have, so don't start saying that he owes the Rockets anything. The Rockets owe him EVERYTHING. This website wouldn't even exist if it wasn't for Hakeem. The Rockets certainly wouldn't sell more than 8000 tickets a game. In fact, I doubt the Rockets would still be in Houston if Hakeem hadn't joined the team. No matter what you like to think, it was Hakeem that hand-delivered two world titles to the city of Houston. And what Francis did is MUCH worse than what Hakeem is doing. I wont slam it though, because he was simply controlling his own destiny. ------------------ "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning how to put food on their family while being put to death."
Your saying it was a smart move giving him a contract that would pay him 16 million when he would be clearly past his prime? They knew when they gave him that contract he wouldn't be producing towards the end of the contract, but they knew they owed him that big contract b/c of what he did in the past for the franchise. ------------------ "I am clearly more popular than Reagan. I am in my third term. Where's Reagan? Gone after two! Defeated by George Bush and Michael Dukakis no less." -Marion Barry, Mayor of Washington, DC
The Rockets had to offer him a great deal in order to keep him at the time. Obviously the 16 million for this year was incentive to get him to stay with the Rockets. Of course it was a great move. ------------------ "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning how to put food on their family while being put to death."
How has Hakeem quit on the team? He has asked for more playing time and said he was healthy enough to play when the put him on IR. Hakeem is unhappy with the current situation, but has tride to handle it with respect to the organization in the media. When givin the opertunity Hakeem has produced more often than not. Who else in the front court has been as productive? ------------------
I've lost alot of respect for Dream this season b/c of how he's handled everything. I remember a couple years ago when that trade was about to go down with toronto he was threatening to retire b/c he didn't want to be traded and he talked about loyalty. So the Rockets dropped the deal so he could retire as a rocket. Then after that fiasco what does dream do in his final contract year? Demand a trade. I think it's very weak of him to just demand to be moved after 2 years earlier he spoke of loyalty. I think that's the only true hypocrisy involved with the rockets. When the trade fell through both Dream and the organization talked about how Dream was gonna end his career as a rocket and they wouldn't entertain getting rid of him b/c of what he's meant to the city. My question is what happened to that Dream? The one that spoke of loyalty b/c I haven't seen him since this season's started. All I see now is someone that's way past his prime and putting this franchise in a bad spot that he claimed to be loyal to in the past. I dont care what they do with him anymore. I just know that next year I'll be rooting against whatever team he's on b/c I'm not gonna forget his supposed plans of being a rocket for life which was all just BS. Thanks for the championships Dream, if you were a man of your word you'd do the right thing and just retire after this season instead of embarrass urself on a different team in front of a new set of fans that don't care about what you did in the past like the rockets fans do.
The difference is, one is leaving us, the other was coming to us. Wouldn't that make you not a fan to not cheer for the new guy, who's the future of the franchise (provided he's not a bad person off the court like a Vernon Maxwell) or find it all dandy when a guy demands a trade or release while making 16 million? I don't condone what Francis did as right, but it was a thing of immaturity, and the Rockets are now the benefactors. Why would I want to boo the future? Hakeem's been a great player, but his time with us is up. Does paying a guy 7.5 million dollars to lead another team to the playoffs, maybe even the Finals, sound like a good business or PR situation to me? No. I'm a Rockets fan, and then a Hakeem fan. I'd love to see him win another title if he wasn't in our uniform, but not to the Rockets' detriment. Which is pretty much what outright releasing him seems to me. I'd love to do what's best for Hakeem, but only if it coincides with, or is close to, what's best for the Rockets. ------------------ The Serious Police are watching. Follow the rules or be assimilated. Shandon is underrated. [This message has been edited by NIKEstrad (edited January 20, 2001).]
