Can someone help me understand what the Red Rowdies were supposed to be, how they came to be, and if they accomplished the goal they were formed to achieve?? From what I understand, that was a JVG creation that he bankrolled out of his own pocket(mostly, I understand some of the players helped). I was under the impression he bought 200(??) season tickets, and gave them away to the "rowdiest" fans, to create excitement for the home games, and help the players feel appreciated. To help them feel appreciated at home, and inspire them to play "championship" basketball. We are out of the play-offs, but we had a great season. We were the 4th seed in the West, and finished the regular season pretty strong. We've got a great core basketball team, with McGrady, Yao, and Battier, and a bunch of young talent to develop, Hayes, Head, Snyder, Spanoullis, Novak. I think JVG has done a great job with this basketball team, especially considering his "star" players have yet to play a majority of games together. I seriously don't understand why there would be "so much" interest in getting him out of Houston. If I were a coach, and I saw the way the fans treated a winning coach in JVG, I wouldn't want to come to Houston, unless I was desperate.
They are a section where the fans are the "rowdiest", kind of like the student section of a college game. With that said, JVG most likely had little to do with it. Les had always been b****ing at him to get more in attendance by playing a faster pace of BBall, i.e. Phoenix. I really think this was JVG's way of getting Les off his his back. Now personally, its not that I want Jeff gone, I just think we can attract more players with honey and not salt. Jeff is a bitter coach, nothing is ever good enough for him, thats why the pkayers have no spirit, no concept of Clutchness. I mean, lets compare Rudy. He gave his superstars more freedom, and really believed all that stuff about the heart of a champion. I don't think he was nearly as hard on his players, and that gave them more drive to win, because they weren't so tired from being yelled at. Thats why, when Rudy was around, it could be Game 4, we could be down 3-0, and people would still watch, knowing Houston might break that streak of the only team to come back. I don't believe with Jeff on the Roster. Clutch is dead in Jeff.
Jeff really isn't a bitter guy. The players all adore him (excluding Bonzi Wells) He's been a good coach, it's just his style that's the problem. And if you think JVG is bitter, wait till you see Adelman (if he chooses to comer here)
It's a shame houston even needs red rowdies. Golden State had 20,000 rowdies. That place was nuts all playoffs!
i have a feeling half of these JVG haters will be crying next year and hoping we hadn't let JVG go.... you will miss him alot more than you think..... the players like playing for him...he teaches good defense but not the greatest offense..but what coach (adelman)?? can do both so well?...adelman doesnt' do defnse but he does offense...so how does that mkae us better?
I think JVG's greatest contribution to the Rockets, was the Red Rowdies. They helped generate excitement in one of the deadest arenas in the league. I also think JVG is a good defensive coach that can take an experienced team beyond their expectations. What he cannot seem to do is see the big picture and prepare a team for the next step. It was obvious to me that JVG let his ego get in the way of developing young players and getting bonzi's fat-ass on to the court. I really believe if JVG would have just played Bonzi early in the season when he was out of shape, eventually bonzi would have come around and we would have had a better chance in the post-season. Not playing Spanoulis (at point guard), Wells, and Novak so that they would be ready for the playoffs was his biggest mistake and is probably going to cost him his job.
It actually began in the second half of the season two years ago (early 2005), when the Rockets marketing/ticketing guys approached Clutch and the site about doing a discounted tickets for loud diehards. It went over extremely well, there were at least 5 games if not more were they did this, and that led to the summer tryouts for a permanent section. JVG and later McGrady helped make this year's crew possible, but it would be incorrect to say they created the Rowdies. Evan
The first Red Rowdy game was Feb. 24th, 2006 against the Golden State Warriors. Somewhere around 50 of us got a group discount for seats that were almost the same seats that the Rowdies got this year, albeit on the opposite side of the arena. We were extremely loud, very energetic, and brought so much to the arena that a couple of players (David Wesley for one) made comments about us after the game, as did JVG. There were several games that followed this one, where CF.net people got group discount tickets and went to the game. Then, JVG announced that he was buying 50 season tickets to give away to the rowdiest fans he could find. Nobody really knows how much he paid or how much the Rockets organization ate, but on August 26th, 2006, there were 58 auditions for the 30 seats they gave away that day (I was the second audition and won my seat that day). 10 tickets were reserved to upgrade upper deck fans and 10 were supposed to be given away outside the arena every game. During the first preseason game, the original Rowdies were so loud and energetic that TMac decided to up the ante by paying for 20 more seats. On opening night, during the loss to the Jazz, there was a viewing party at Dave and Busters where over 300 people showed up to vie for the 20 seats that they gave away that night. My buddy, who was unable to attend the original audition but came to three preseason games with me, won his seat that night. Several Rowdies were dropped during the season, and replacements (like ron413) were brought on. We were required to be at every game (we were allowed by contract to miss three), and the vast majority of us fulfilled that contract. We had a couple of parties, made some good friends, and had an absolute blast this year. There is a brief history.
That is correct the seed of the idea started during the injury riddled season, a game vs. the Warriors in the 2nd half of the season was the first time they did it and then it got more polished and sponsered this season
okay and then by the second round, going to a basketball game in the bay area became the cool thing to do so family's were taking their sons and daughters to games as seats began costing $250 bucks, and the enthusiasm in the arena didn't even compare with the mavs series.... every stadium needs red rowdies except for MSG.
I would add Energy Solutions Arena in Utah to that list. It is waaaay loud in there and Don Nelson admitted in postgame that the crowd was the loudest...even more so than the GS fans. The Red Rowdies are definitely needed in Htown but in Utah they dont have to give tickets away in order to bribe the fans into supporting their team and making noise. Every game I have been to there even during the regular season...has been near sell out and very loud.
