It's nice to see the astros doing so well - waking up the town again. I moved from Houston just days before the Rockets' championship days. Is the buzz in town being generated by the astros similar to the Rockets in 94, 95? Or is it more because the Astros have never gone this far? Or is it less because the Rocket teams were doing something no Houston team had done before (win a championship)? I guess Houston has grown up a lot since the Rockets' championship years (new stadiums, superbowl host, etc)...It's probably a whole nother ball game now. In any case, I hope the Astros can do it....I guess the best way to compare would be to have the astros win and then Yao Ming and T-Mac get the Rockets another championship too.
The way the astros are making their run from the Wild card to now has been amazing and you seem to get that buzz that you had with the Rockets. It's a great feeling and it's great to be a part of it.
They usually have so much momentun going into the post season cause they have been playing hard all year to keep their wild card or win it. Instead of sitting around after they have already won their division like the rest of the teams.
I doubt the euphoria of a World Series win can match the feelings the city felt after the 1st championship, but I could be wrong. The ticket-buying population definitely supports the Astros moreso than the Rockets in the championship year. However, I think the general populace (includes non ticket buyers) will not go wild on Richmond if the Astros win this year.
you are correct - ever since the Rockets broke it open, Houston has been a football first (of course), basketball second - town (I don't see a first-round-andoutcity.com BBS anywhere around The Astros have their fans and they are always a cheap ticket - but I don't think the Houston sports community overall puts them above the Rockets (although, if they win the World Series - that might change for a year or two... but then people will remember that this is a football town and basketball is more exciting - and the Stros support will fall off again)
On a related note, sport entertainment dollars are being funnelled to teams in the order of 1. Texans 2. Astros 3. Rockets I remember when Les Alexander was interviewed by 610 during Rockets media day. He was somewhat enthused by the Astros rising up from the dead. Every dollar that is spent on the Astros may be a dollar that is not spent on the Rockets at least in the city of Houston. Les knows this. He's trying to diversify his revenue sources via Yao's presence on the team. I think Yao as a revenue maker for a team owner is going to dwarf the financial impact of any player in the NBA including Lebron. It will pan out in the coming years. The trade deficit with China is massive. A lot of those dollars have to go back to the United States somehow. Les wants some of those dollars to go into his bank account.
I think you are way off. The Rockets have for the last 5+ years always been third string. On the radio, in the paper, amongst most Houstonians. People have always loved football first, generally, though the loss of the Oilers and entrance of the Texans elevated the Stros, who at the same time started going to the playoffs regularly. Clearly, RIGHT NOW, it is Stros, Texans, Rockets. In general, I'd say Texans, Stros, Rockets. But if any team is doing well while the others suck it varies.
I'm actually pretty unaware of the buzz about the astros. I heard they won their first playoff series or something, but other than that, I know nothing. I only follow basketball, but I follow it religiously.
There is always something special about the first. The Rockets gave the city its first and that will always be special for Houstonians. The Astros represent something unique: a chance for a long-suffering team to break out. As long as the Rockets suffered, they had opportunities. They went to the finals twice before they finally won. They had good playoff runs and hall-of-fame talent. The Astros are as noted for their shortcomings as they for anything else. No playoff series wins EVER. Three outs away in the 80's only to blow it. That overall ineptitude makes for a bigger payoff now. I don't personally see the galvonizing effect the Luv Ya Blue Oilers had in the late 70's or the Clutch City days for the Rockets. But, it is great to have winning teams.
still early. you didn't see that kind of effect the first time the Rockets won the championship, in the early rounds against the Blazers or Suns. if this team hits the World Series, this town will go nuts. i think it will have every bit the galvonizing effect of the Oilers or the Rockets. the downtown celebrations will be great.
exactly...they're already having the Main Event type parties on Main Street...the spillout from the crowds of 43K into the streets of downtown from World Series games will be amazing, if we find ourselves winning those games. much more so than in the summit, where your option was to go get in your car. downtown provides an instant party right at the doorstep of the stadiums.
While we're at it, I am going to predict that Astros win the World Series and the Rockets win the NBA Championship this year. Let's see which celebration is better.
sounds great....where do i sign up? frankly, though..i'm not sure i could survive that all in the same year. not sure my heart would keep beating.
Exactly! The Houston community is currently living and dying with EVERY single Astros postseason game, ever since the Atlanta braves series. It's a big underdog story. From big expectations, to underachieving them horrendously, to coach changes, to everyone labeling them as finished. To re-emerging, fighting hard, climbing back up inch by inch with never say never attitude and STILL being declared as unlikely to none playoff contenders. Then to go against the odds, get in the playoffs, then win their first ever postseason series against a team that had for recent years dominated the Astros in the playoffs, disqualifying them for years in a manner that made the Stros look as mere warm ups for the playoffs. If this team gets to the world series, it will be highly praised, cherished, cheered and applauded more than the Rockets' have ever been in any post season game. And IF they win the world series, trust me it will be more the 'galvonizing effect' of the Rocket's first championship.
The problem is that the Astros don't have any cool gimmick songs promoting them. Back when Bum was the Oilers coach, there was Luv Ya Blue, The Wabash Cannonball one, and one that was to the tune of Big John. There was also the Houston Oilers number 1 song. During the Rockets championship season, I don't think there were any special songs, but that was the first championship for Houston. Now they have the Yao Ming song. The Astros need a corny song to get everyone going, and the enthusiasm will be there.
The eras are completely different, and are thus effecting the overall landscape of the two events. The Rockets played in a time before the internet was really mainstream, ESPN was not a hype-machine, pre-PTI, pre-Stadium booms, pre-commercialization of sports (there was some... not as much as it is now). Also... at the time, the overall sports landscape around the country, for pro sports leagues was: 1. NFL 2. NBA 3. MLB Now... a lot has changed, and that is definitely going to effect the emotions felt from an Astros run. First of all, MLB has come back in a big way since 94, and sits a firm second amongst the national interests in pro sports. It will never get back to 1st, because the NFL is just a beast, but the fact that it overtook the NBA was a combination of the end of the Jordan/Bird/Magic/Barkley/Olajuwon era and the start of the new stadiums/home run chase/evil empire/moneyball era of baseball. As the national media percieves it: 1. NFL 2. MLB 3. College Football/NBA (the former has REALLY made a big push in the last 5 years). 4. College Basketball The NBA isn't the national marketing juggernaut it was during the Jordan years, but it has gained worldwide... which is more important to Stern, especially since he knows he won't beat the NFL or MLB. Also, as Charlie Pallio pointed out today, last night's Kent HR may have been the best single sports "MOMENT" in Houston sports history. The Rockets championships still stand alone as the best Houston sports acheivements, but to define a single MOMENT from those events that created the overwhelming sense of euphoria that a walkoff HR after the greatest game ever played in franchise history, would be hard to do.
Who can forget: Here come the Astros, burning with desire Here come the Astros breathing Orange Fire. Here come the Astros with winning on their minds, Here come the Astros, number one every time. Goooooooooooooooooo, Astros. And then the Spanish version would play ending with the line Vamos, vamos los Astros!
