This really goes out to the Clutch City old school(i would call yall elders, but that seems offensive ) Ive been posting for about 5 months now, but I read for longer. Really I started regularly reading around the time of the playoffs against the Lakers last year. Sooo, Ive never really read this BBS while the Rocks were having a winning season. What was it like? Were the topics just about the same? More "cheerleader" threads? More trolls? Was it as comical? Cuz rite now tank 2000, reading people's rantings about how every rock sucks and all is just too funny. Right now its hard for me to even imagine. Anyways, just a curious CriscoKidd. ------------------ "Round 1 of Walt vs. Odom goes to ... Wizard!" Not only am I president of the WaltWizFanClub, I'm also the member. Oh yeah, and DoctorofDunk, Houston Rocks, RM95, Rocket Fan, TexSalsa, AzimdaDream, Johnny Rocket and Shanna.
Yeah...I want to see some '96-97 threads from Barkley's first year when he got us off to a 22-2. Isn't that when Clutchcity started? ------------------ The farther the Rockets move down the standings, the farther I move down the bleachers.
The board was way cool back then. It really felt like a big "family" then. While there were many disagreements, it never really got out of hand. The biggest issue was usually concerning Charles. Before there were "cheerleaders" and "realists" you were either pro-Barkley or anti-Barkley. Back then if anyone said anything even slightly negative about Hakeem, then it was war. Just ask Almu! Back then, AntiSonic's name actually meant something! Back then, Rocketman Tex was Rocketman West. Poor guy was trapped in La-La land and was hating every minute of it. Back then, hating Utah actually meant something. Back then no one had a "source". There were no casual fans then because the casual fans didn't really know about the site. We were just a group of hardcore fans expecting another Championship. We all "knew" each other. There was definetly more love in the air. Now cc.net is tha bomb. Everyone knows about it and there are too many posters to keep up with. That's not necessarily a bad thing, just different. I, personally, blame Pippen. That was the turning point. That's when cc.com blew up. Now he's gone and much of the negativity stayed behind. While CC reamins my most viewed and visited site, I don't seem to post as much. I guess my usual optimistic views aren't as well-received as they once were. Criticizing and attacking players seems to be the norm now. Anyway, that's how i remember the "good ol' days". ------------------ SpaceCity of RocketFuel
I vote for SpaceCity's post as the best I've read in a long, long time.... man it's cool to hear from someone who remembers the page since the beginning. ------------------ NOTHING BUT .NET CLUTCHCITY.NET
I believe in the beginning it was only about 30 of us. No more than that, if I am not mistaken. Early on, there was alot of division in the ranks when it came to Chuck. I was dead set against the trade. Alot of people were also because we just recently removed from the championships. And SpaceCity was right. I posted a thread that "Hakeem was not a legend" and that was the biggest mistake in my internet life. Not only did I have to repair my relationship with the crew after I calmed down from a loss to the Sonics again, but it help me realize that I have to watch what I say because there are hard core fans here who know there stuff about the Rocks. Also, I believe that there was a big get-together with the crew at some bar. They took pictures and there was this hot babe in there(I can't remember her name) and all the single guys in the BBS went loco over that. She took the picture with SpaceCity if I am not mistaken. There was also the entrance of the now famous LHutz who once again, in my opinion, created the best and funniest thread so far in the BBS. I hope that Clutch brings that up one day if he has it because the new guys would wet their pants reading that. In the beginning, there was .com and things were family. Now, its more like a small kingdom. You got your good neighbors. You got your bad ones. You got the wise ones. You got the crazy ones. You got the one weird one that boards up his house with plywood and constantly looks over his shoulder thinking someone is following him while he talks to himself about conspiracies. You have the other neighbors who are just plain friendly and open. You have your elders. You have the new people seeking their opinion about the good old days. And you have the few who rule with a fair and just hand. They let some of the elders post opinions in featured articles in their town newspapers while others lead certain marches of protest when the kingdom comes under fire. Ahh, we've come a long way, my friends. I am truly amazed at how big this became after Pippen got here. It really blew up. Hopefully, this site will continue to grow and prosper with more fans of the team I love the most. ------------------ Live Rocketball. Breathe Rocketball. Die with Rocketball. [This message has been edited by Almu (edited March 30, 2000).]
speaking of boarding up yourself with conspiracies...i've been emailing mantronix for the post 2 months after scoring him a poster for the Drexler jersey retirement. He insisted on sending me one of his video archive tapes in exchange. I liked his flame-throwing posts about "you never really were a rockets fan if you dis any rockets". But it seems his rantings wore down others. He told me a couple of days ago that he got banned for the third time....seems there is an inner circle...he says. If you don't belong, then you get kicked out. Oh boy! read more about it at: alt.conspiracies.black.helicopters
I started reading clutchcity over the summer (when therocketguy made a reference to it(thank you Calgon)), which I assume was on the cusp of the ClutchCity explosion, probably at the same time that you did Crisco. I remember the first time I felt that I needed to post. I was angry over some Barkley hater's comments, but ended up replying to some other thread just to wet my palate. When I read some of the archived posts that HeyPartner brings up, I get all nostalgic and reminiscent of a promising (okay it looked bad in the beginning) year for the team. Back then, when there were far more users than a time that SpaceCity speaks of, everyone was nonetheless 'sided' and apprehensive. Although I am sad that there is a positive coorelation with the team's output and the levity of the site, I'm glad that the site seems to have a looser (sp?) fit to it now. I suppose that for those of us still here, you have to approach all of this losing somehow, because if you can't laugh about it... whoa. Hopefully next year, we'll have the record to pull back so many of those posters I loved to disagree with. p.s. Thanks Again Clutch. ------------------
heypartner, Who does mantronix think are the members of the "inner circle" on this BBS? Mango ------------------ It could be worse ....... you could have been born a Jazz fan!!!!
Anyone still remember when Jeff use to give us the inside info? My how things have changed... ------------------ Check out the best source for draft info. Draftsource.net
HeyPartner, How you know I am talking about Mantronix? And that "inner circle" theory is something only Manny can come up with. We will see him in a few months with a new theory on why the NBA and Stern "fixed" the draft so that the Rocks get screwed out of the first 3 picks. I am gonna miss those wild and crazy ref stories, though. ------------------ Live Rocketball. Breathe Rocketball. Die with Rocketball.
Wow, you guys are nostalgic. Of course, I would be too if I had started started in the early days. I found out from a friend about this site last summer. I said, "What? There is a Rockets site that is not a personal homepage of some guy who also likes bootleg cd's from Milli Vanilli?" So, I was shocked. But I did not want to post because I did not want to fall into the trap. I, however, posted after a few months and have enjoyed it. I do not really care if the Rockets are winning or losing I am too far gone (being a fan) to not enjoy their games. See it is like the NBA veterans always saying that the rookies don't respect the "history" of the game (it always offends me when a player or the press talk about someone being a student of the history of the game - that is dumb - do they read about Neismith and the evolutionary progression. No, they just have heard of Chamberlain and maybe know that West was actually a player). Sorry... So all of the new and middle-length posters need to find out from the elders about the humble beginnings so that they may keep that tradition and spirit alive or the next winning season. Why did Pippin lead to more activity here? Was there some mention of CC.net when he came? ------------------ rimbaud post-a-thon 2000
Mango, He specifically said "not mentioning any names". You know, he's got a tape of every playoff game since like '93. I have visions of a video-walled living room with 4 TVs and JFK frame 215 (?) postered on the wall. Actually, if my girlfriend leaves me over this BBS, I just might turn into a mantronix myself and start keeping tape archives, getting a dish, 4 TVs and get sour on this BBS. [This message has been edited by heypartner (edited March 31, 2000).]
Wow, I would have loved to see what CC used to be like. I started visiting this site a couple of weeks before pippen got here and man, the site just blew up! I don't post alot because I just like to see everyone's views, but I visit this site evry single day at least twice. I just wonder what it will be like 3yrs from now. ? ------------------ www.rocketzone.web.com
Hey Spacecity I have not seen a post of yours in quite a wile , where u been man ? , as Almu stated there was a nice get together by some of the members of clutcity.com (back then) and we all had a great time and on that perticular game we won (against the Lakers !) too bad we did not get together again after that so we could bring the Karma back....maybe that is why we lost the series... I sure hope not ! anyways , Spacecity was there so was Rocketman tex and a very nice nice looking gal , she hasn't posted here since we lost against the lakers last yr..... what was her nickname guys ? i totally forgot ! anyways a couple of other folks were there and we all had a freaking blast ! (got drunk as hell , the pictures tell the full story ! ) by the way Clutch , if U still have those pictures can you email them to me ? at blastoff31@onebox.com I would truly appreciate it !!!! well , CC has truly exploded and the vibe is not quite the same but alot of the old posters still read it but may not necesarily post as much , just look at spacecity , a perfect example. This site is by far the best rockets site there is and without going overboard in compliments all am gonna say is that "it kicks ass!!!!" GO ROCKETS !!!! ------------------ Please give us an excuse to party on Richmond street once again!
I still hit the site several times a day but my posting has drastically dropped this year. I'm just laying back and watching the young team grow. I'm actually having a blast watching the new Rockets. I'm already pumped up about what can be. We definetly have the potential to be a contender again real soon. In the past I could come in after a loss and criticise or praise the Rockets with pure confidence in what I was saying. I knew each players potential and the potential of the team. The old team and system was one that i felt I knew quite well. If I felt that a certain player or the whole team really sucked, I could say so and know that it was true. Most of my posts were upbeat and optimistic. If we lost I could come in here and say the it was cool, knowing that the team wasn't up to par that night. Back then we knew that we could beat any given team on any given night. Just like the current team, I'm having to learn a whole new system and philosophy. I'm getting to know all of the new player's potentials and limits. I never claimed to be an expert but I knew the old team quite well. Now everything is new and I'm just taking it all in. ------------------ SpaceCity of RocketFuel
DUKE has been here from the begining. I did not post for a LONG TIME because I was like the wiley baboon surveying the landcape WAITING for the opportunity to strike like the wiley wild boar. THEN I saw Almu being very misinformed so DUKE struck like thunder and laid down the SMACKERs. DUKE loves this site, after I divorce my ex wife the ho I begged and pleed for Clutch to let me make THE COMEBACK because I had nothing to do, lucky for your guys CLUTCH said "OK, just stop emailing me. You can come back." DUKE loves this site, it reminded me of that movie with Forrest Bump, I forget what it was called. THE SITE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCLATE. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS INSIDE, that is how it goes. ------------------ A HOUSE is not a HOME if it is ON FIRE.
