After Jeff's post, I thought it would be an appropriate time to pull this thread out. It is a thought that has been bouncing around in my skull for a couple years now, but it has really been reinforced by the events of the last three games. We have been through some major highs and lows recently. The LA game last week was the second most watched regular season cable television game in history. With Yao doing pretty well against Shaq, and Steve having a record breaking game, it was just amazing. Two games later the Rockets are exposed by Dallas for everything that is wrong with them. The Rockets have been through a lot since their last championship. Hakeem and Company raised the standard. Then came the trade for Barkley. It didn't get us back to the finals. Then the trade for Pippen. It didn't get us back to the finals. Then we rebuild and have several losing seasons. Many franchises would have lost their confidence. There wouldn't be that link to the past that made them still feel like champions. Rudy, with his previous playing and coaching successes, and Steve, with his (sometimes blind) faith, have made this team more confident than they have a right to be. The Rockets are still a playoff mentality team. They are still a team that takes pride in themselves. They are still a team that is respectable. Throughout the bad years, there has always been the attitude that it was only a matter of time before they were contending again. How many teams can walk into any arena and confidently say, "I remember well when we beat you to win two championships, and if we don't today, we will next time"? After Dallas kills us, Steve rattles off some cocky comments about how basketball should be played. He believes that come playoff time, the Rockets have an edge. If he can do what he did against LA, then he may be right. Our coach has won it all before. Rudyball usually takes a turn for the better in the playoffs, so he may be right. Personally, I love it. Too much confidence can hurt you, but you have to believe in what you are doing, or it isn't worth it. You have to think you know something that they don't. You have to believe that the Rockets would have beaten the crap out of the Bulls had that bum, Michael Jordan, not temporarily retired. You have to believe that you can accomplish anything.
And this morning we're only TWO games back in the loss column from being 3rd in the West. It ain't over 'til it's over. I just wish Steve and Cat would start "getting it" (see the other "Doc's" thread). The Rocks keep making things hard on themselves and making us nutty. Nice post, Doctor Robert.
Top 10 thread titles that would have generated 50 times the response this thread had..... 10 - Insider Info... Rudy's brain never recovered from "The Punch". 9 - Rudy inserts head back into his own sphincter right after the LA game. 8 - Hey Rudy, the 72-73 Sixers called and they want their playbook back. 7 - Fire Rudy, bring in Parcells! 6 - Francis and Swoopes are having sex change operations, and are going to be swapped between Rockets/Comets. 5 - I saw Steve put salt on his hamburger over the weekend at Burger King! 4 - Yao is a robot sent from China to blow up Madison Square Garden. 3 - Cat is the cancer. 2 - Francis for (insert Dallas player's name here), would you do it? 1 - RUDY SUCKS!
No one is as intelligent as you. Well doctor, look at the Dallas Mavericks. They are VERY confident, but they have a right to be confident. I would like the Rockets to be as confident as the Mavericks. All the players are confident. Even Walt Williams is shooting well. After being destroyed by the Kings and blowing a victory in Los Angeles, they are still very confident. None of them are hesistant. I like how they are. I think the Rockets can play excellent if they play like they play at home in the Compaq Center. They are much more comfortable at home....just like most other teams. They are kinda arrogant.....even though they haven't made the playoffs. They are always SUPPOSED to make the playoffs, but they don't. This year is the year to prove themselves.....HOPEFULLY. Rudy wasn't fired and Rudy still has hope! When was the last time he was just MAD?
Great post. It is nice to have a little optimism and the attitude of a ROCKETS fan around every now and again. About the title--around here recently it seems like the worse or more rediculous your post is, the more people will respond because people just want to argue. Excellent post, well said. Just wanted you to know it was appreciated to have a sane thread around here.
And for a limited time, you can buy bottles of ROCKETS BELIEVERS CHAMPIONSHIP WATER, only $19.95 per six pack! ...sorry, couldn't resist. Great post. Very inspiring.
...it wasn't THAT inspiring. But no one has said anything BAD to him and there have been no useless posts, so he succeeded. I believe!
