WOW! I figured this thread would ruffle some feathers, but I didn't expect this. Let's see, I've been called a twit, moron, prick, imbicile, idiot, & hater. That's really mature children. This site used to be a joy to come to & talk Rockets. Clutch & his crew have really worked their tails off to get this site to where it is today. It's a real shame to see how the quality of the posters has declined. I know there must be many quality posters here & I'm sure many of the old timers are bound to be lurking somewhere, but it seems that a handfull of juvenile posters have taken over & are intent on dragging everyone into the gutter to make themselves feel better. Oh well, life goes on. The original intent of the "Dear T-Mac" letter was to project the feelings of some fans that are getting tired of today's players being so fragile & overly sensitive. They get to live the American Dream while the rest of us have to go through life wondering if we'll have a job tomorrow, how we're going to make ends meet, or if we even have enough to put gas in our cars. We have to go to work when we're sick, because we might not have enough sick leave available, if any. Depending upon your job, you only get 1-2 weeks of vacation per year & the bosses cringe when you take that. So, when a player that makes more money in 1 year than the average worker will make in their entire lifetime & works only 8 months out of the year decides to "just shut it down" for 3 weeks, when renowned sports doctors are saying he just needs to work through it, yes, I have a problem with that. Are they going to lower the ticket prices while he's out? I doubt it. Now, normally I wouldn't make a big deal about a player being injured, but I'm getting tired of both T-Mac & Yao being injured every time we turn around. If T-Mac's doctors had decided he needed to take some time off, I would've been disappointed, but I would've lived with it. But, it isn't playing out that way. T-Mac's made that decision in spite of what the doctors have said. Again, life goes on. The only poster that actually made a credible argument counter to my letter was Rimrocker (post #57) & I respect his/her perspective on the subject. Everyone else seemed to try to dismiss the argument all together or blame the rest of the players for not stepping up their games. One thing I have noticed for sure, is the division on this board. You seem to be a Yao fan or a T-Mac fan with just a handfull of truely Rocket's fans. I can't wait until the day comes when both of those players are gone. Let's build this team around one superstar & a mess of quality role players. Maybe then, we can once again, truely see how team basketball was meant to be played.
you have your right to your frustration. every rocket fan should be frustrated with tmac's situation right now for a variety of reasons (but mainly b/c we had high hopes of getting a #2 seed and if we don't do well without him, that's in jeopardy). and he's injured every year. i'm a fan of his, and even i'm very frustrated. but i think once you take a step back and look at the "big" picture, i think it's fine that he sits. tracy's body was never meant to play 82 games and he never has. so he'll probably end up playing 65-66 games like he usually does. but as long as he's capable and ready to go by april when we start the playoffs, that's the key. sure you want your franchise player to play more, but it is what it is. before we came into this season, realistically, we were never going to be injury-free, esp. not with this group. so as long as we have the entire group ready to go once we start the first round, that's the only thing most rocket fans ask for. unless we play the lakers in the first round, we should still have zero excuses, home or away (and our away record is again better than the home record this year).
All I know is that I can't wait to see Morey go crazy with all the cap space he'll have after next season.
the one thing I can't understand is why doctors said that T-Mac needs 6 to 8 months to come back from his surgically repaired knee when this type of operation needs 10 to 12 weeks to come back? Maybe we don't know something about his knee but we talk such as we know everything? If in this 3 weeks he can come back stronger and can play like he knows I don't care much about his rehab and rest, if he return like he was playing this year I will lose a lot of confidence in T-Mac carrying us in the playoff like he usually does. GO ROCKETS!!!
I tell you what, Tmac would not make it in the military even as athletic and physically gifted as he is. Why? He doesn't have balls to push himself. He should be grateful he has the talent to be in the NBA making millions of dollars.I remember I sprained my ankle purple n blue in basic training and had a hard time walking.They told me to suck it up and drive on.I got treatment and fought through it. After hearing the doctors suggest he play through it leaves me disappointed in him as a fan. I'm sick and tired of seeing him put the team and fans through this crap.Keep it simple T-mac!Attempt to play or fricken retire damn it!
I don't have a problem with the opinion of the op, but my problem is comparing a regular job with a pro athelete. If god gave you the gift plus if you wouldve spent a billion hrs in the gym, maybe someone wouldve paid u 21m. The problem is u didn't put in work and god didn't give you the talent. I wish yao wouldve listened to his body last yr. He was having problems 2 weeks before he went down. If that wouldve happened, then he couldve played again last yr. What if Grant Hill wouldve "quit?" We would talk about him as a all time great, a walking triple-double instead of a unfullfilled career.Sometimes u just have to get well. I wish We could get yao minutes down because its clear he's still hurt.
huh? this team is not a title contender and he's not a superstar anymore. like i said they could make the playoffs as a lower seed and might even barely the playoffs
I don't know. I find it hard to trust the Rockets' team doctors. These doctors could not even figure out how to fix T-Mac's back. It took Patterson, who's not even a doctor, only a few sessions to tune T-Mac's back & there were no flare ups ever since. Can he fix knees too? Maybe T-Mac should see him for some more Synergy Release Therapy stuff.
Bottom line, when a player argues with medical staff to take himself out of games, there's a problem.
This isn't slavery. Sponsors pay a lot more of his money than a fan. It's not like the fans have been filling up the arena or keeping it loud anyway. There is nothing structurally wrong with his knee. But mentally he can't play on it. If you're his employer, you make him do it? At what price?
He's arguing with medical staff so that he can take himself out of games. Just a couple of weeks ago he wanted more touches. From what the Chronicle reported he didn't consult with Rockets management/coaching before deciding to take three weeks off. At the very least he's a distraction. Worst case he's got some beef with coaching/management and this is his way of going on strike. Myself, I regret that the Rockets didn't trade him in the off season for somebody like Billups and Prince.
I agree with the OP, because the last guy to have soreness who decided to play thru it ended up needing season ending surgery. Signed, Yao Ming
I'm sick and tired of you quoting that its the same surgery and ergo he should recover as fast. READ THIS CAREFULLY DD - an arthroscopy is merely a preocedure and does not describe the previous damage that was present in the existing knee. Comparing it to other players with who have undergone the same procedure is completely pointless. And before you point out again for the 80th time that it was "merely to remove loose particles", i'd like to point out that unless you're an orthopedic surgeon who did the procedure or have looked at what structural damage or normal wear and tear there is in a joint -- then you don't know squat. To make it more blatantly obvious for you - MICROFRACTURE surgery is also as you would describe "the same type of surgery". I hope you're aware of some of the players that have had the procedure done with various degrees of success. Please don't tell me Penny Hardaway or Chris Webber had the same amount of existing damage in the knee as Amare Stoudamire or recovered as promptly.
Evidence? Proof? Where are the arguments? Who's not title contender? I mean why do you try to post such irrelevant posts? You call yourself a fan? You're a fan? I'm sick of you fakers, coming here and talking crap. Go to Lakers, Jazz or Spurs forum and talk that crap.
It is one thing to be frustrated that a star Basketball player, earning heaps of dough is struggling to recover from injury. However, it is wrong to make judgments on that person's character. Basketball is a team sport, and T-mac playing on a sore knee at less than 100% is not good for the team. It is better for the team to have T-mac recover at home for teh next month, then return. Even when he had those 2 or 3 good games, he didn't seem right at all.
DK, You are correct, we don't know how much damage was found, all we can go by are what the doctors say....and they basically say he should play through the pain to strengthen his knee and gain confidence. Look, the problem is that Tmac has lied in the past...he lied a couple years ago about shutting it down because of his back injury, when the reality was he was dealing with the personal stuff of the woman he got pregnant in Orlando. Then last year he strained some elbow ligaments and called it a "Cracked" elbow. The guy is a flat out liar....you can't believe anything he says......so, I will take the world of the doctors over a guy who is worried about his ego and lies to cover up personal matters. He has done this everywhere he has been, the only thing I am dissappointed in is that I actually believed in him.......now, my expectations are lowered. I know he has enormous talent, but that talent is wrapped up in the body of a man with an extremely weak mind, and lack of fortitude. I am a fan of the Rockets....I can see Tmac hiding behind the curtain, he is the Wizard of Oz....pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...the Wizard will be back in 3 weeks time. Yeah, right, well I hope the rest of the team can carry the torch for the prima-dona faux superstar named TMac. DD
The doctors say it is better for him to play to strengthen the knee..... Let me ask you an honest question, after sitting out these 3 weeks, and doing some rehab, what happens when he comes back and still has the issue because he DIDN'T play and strengthen the knee? Or, what happens if Yao or Artest go down because they have to work extra hard to cover for a guy who has a boo boo but refuses to play. Tmac is what he is......and anyone that cares to look deeper can see......and it is aggravating to some of us. Stop being childish and questioning people's fandom, we are all here because we are fans....what is different is expectations. Some people are just happy to root for the Rockets...others are more critical, it doesn't make either a better fan... SHEESH ! DD
And he needs to see a sports pyschologist. The poor kid just lacks confidence. T-Mac is probably the most gifted athlete in the entire league, but he's one of the most mentally weak athletes in the league. The rockets just have to find some way to deal with it. I have been one of the biggest excuse mongers for T-Mac over the years and I have defended him like no one else on this board, but finally for me it has all gotten so old. At what point does someone say enough is enough.
Actually, I'm very frustrated with TMac as well. Really, beyond frustrated. I just think a few people gave you hard time , because the letter came across as weird. That's why the one poster's "Stan" imitation was amusing. Honestly, when you make a thread about a certain player on this board it seems to bring out one of two things. Either their biggest supporters, or their biggest haters. You really have to pick and choose to find intelligent responses in a "specific player thread." Look at Yao or Rafer. Those are two other good examples. We have people wanting to trade Yao for Brook Lopez (in the post Denver game analysis) , and we seriously have people (and a lot of them) wanting to give one the biggest cancers in basketball history his 10000000000000000000000000th chance by signing him. Just the way it is.
