It would be extremely ironic if the Rockets move elsewhere. Remember when the Oilers left, we all knew that the nucleus was super bowl bound. Now the Rockets are Championship bound. But do the Rockets leave just as the Oilers left. I've heard a rumor that the Baltimore move is almost a sure thing. Les is going to make a ton of money with guaranteed sell outs for a number of years. As you read this the details may be being ironed out. Sad, but hopefully not true. But, this Yankee Les Alexander brought the Enemies upon himself. Lesslie made Watson his enemy, Watson wasn't going to take it lying down. So, the big money spent by Watson would have been a huge loss to Watson had the referendum passed. A better deal was so stupid!!!!! But, there are a lot of people who do not think sports franchises should receive the amount of money they do get. There are a lot of people who think that the Rockets are worth it. But, in all reality there was never that sort of panic that the Rockets were leaving. So, in all actuality was never a threat until after!!!!! Let's see if this rumor is true!!!! Hope that it is not!!!!!!1
I'm from Baltimore, and I'd love to have the Rockets, but I hope it doesn't happen. Although I'm currently living in Boston I began following the Rockets last summer when they traded for Francis. I'd hate for Baltimore to have to steal another team with great fans, as it did with the Cleveland Browns. There is still a backlash against the Ravens because of that, and I wouldn't want that to happen with an NBA team as well. Besides, cluthcity is the best site I've seen for any sports team, and I'd hate to see the end of it because the team leaves. Let's hope the Rockets find a way to stay in Houston.
The Chronicle ran a story a few days ago (linked to from the CC main page) about how keeping the Rockets in Houston was more hopeless than ever. I, for one, don't believe it. (I knew the Chronicle buying the Post was bad news!) I remember the Chronicle running pro-Arena editorials before and after the referendum. That had each of a hlaf-dozen writers telling Houstonians we had to vote for the Arena and that there would be no second chance. So, of course they're going to be telling us now that there is the jig is up. I feel like they can't be trusted (-- an attribute to be admired in a newspaper).
Baltimore is not clutchcity, so what happens after the team moves. What becomes of www.clutchcity.net Houston Rocket fans have been among the greatest through thick and thin. If anybody here has access to Les, tell him to ignore his ego. When a vote counts, the Rocks WILL get their arena. The support is there if he wants it. Oh, and the lack of sell outs is largely attributed to those horrible uniforms. Please change the uniforms, it's not pleasing to look at the Rocks with those things on. So my cry is "Change the uni's before you change the city".
The city of Houston doesn't deserve any sports, they are such pathetic bandwagoning fans its crazy, I lived in Houston for the first 16 years of my life and I still like to say its my home(I live in Ca) but the fans in Houston are so apathetic towards sports that its crazy. They care only AFTER they lose the team. Houston built a stadium for the Astros when they were moving, a team which has never done anything for the city of Houston, the Rockets brought us National attention, something we never had other than us being that city from, "Houston we have a problem." Houston in my oppinion doesn't deserve $hit. Bob Watson was trying to leach off of Les and thats that, Les tried to bring the NHL to us and Watson had everything to lose with this going down, brought himself into a duel with Les for the NHL's attention and pretty much did the same thing as LA with the NFL, thus Nashville got another one of our teams. Then Watson funded millions of dollars to use on an anti-stadium campagin. The arena deal was not even that favorable to Les who would have to cover most of the cost, which is out of the norm in the recent trend of new arenas and Stadiums in other cities. All in all Houston emmbarrased themselves to the point of their image has been tarnished so much that next to LA we have the worst fans. I took pride making fun of people from LA when the NFL team was going on saying I was from Houston, now I'm kind of emmbarrased. Oh well, at least we are all true fans here. ------------------ "We need to fockass".....Dream back in the day [This message has been edited by Scarface (edited January 25, 2000).]
Well, if I'm Les Alexander, I'm probably gone myself. Money talks and Bu!! **** walks!!!! Remember that before Les bought the Rockets, he was in negotiations to buy the Spurs, but the city government got wind that Les was a no BS type of guy and blocked Les from purchasing the Spurs; fear of him moving the team caused this. Then came the Houston Rocket opportunity. Les bought the team, then the team won its first championship that very first year. Sell out crowds abound for 170+ games in a row. Now the team is in a rebuilding mode. The fans money-smart think it better to keep their money rather than go see the team lose. Now let's not criticize the fans, Houston fans are anything but stupid. Houston has among the the most savvy business people in the nation. We pay to see, not pay to be screwed. If the team does leave, just don't change the name!!!!! I still can't afford to go to the games, then I'll still watch them on TNT and NBC.
I have to agree, If the Rockets would of kept their orignal uniforms the outcome may have been diffrent. It took the mystique of the Rockets history away suddenly. Especially after all the long hard fought years, then to finally win back to back championships, it had a great effect upon the city, Rocket Red was the one thing you thought about when considering the Rocket topic. Then all of sudden BOOM! It was like looking at an expansion franchise with the horrible new colors and stripes, and the circus like floor. Can you imagine the Boston celtics changing their colors too blue with pinstripes, or the Bulls. Lets just hope that They retire Hakeem and Clyde's number in the orignal uniforms. [This message has been edited by ROCKETBOOSTER (edited January 25, 2000).]
with respect to the rockets uniform change: this was not an overnight decision, generally there is a 2 year wait on radical uniform/logo changes...the changes were put into motion PRIOR to the rockets 1st championship..again, prior to the championships rocket merchandise was way down the list...changing the uniforms was thought to be a way to change that...i would suspect that had the future been knoen, there would not have been drastic changes...
Bobrek, you're right that they make it a long application process, but I thought they applied to change after the first championship. In any case, the problem wasn't so much that they changed the uniforms (though I was perfectly content with the old ones), the problem was they botched the design aspect badly.
I heard at the time of the uniform change that Les's wife was instrumental in selecting the appearance of the new look. Why mess with a good thing? I know the old red & yellow looked a bit boring, but when was the last time the Lakers or Celtics changed their uniforms? Um...never! That uniform change destroyed much of the small amount of tradition the Rockets had built. I would have preferred an update with the same colors, not an entire overhaul. Along with the 'stros nearly annual uniform changes, Houston sports franchises look like the reject bin for bad uniform ideas.
I am not convince that Les will actually move the team. When he was considereing buying the Edmonton Oilers, he said at the time that he would do everything possible to keep the franchise in Edmonton. I suspect that Les will use Baltimore et al to jack up his Houston deal. We may have our last chance stadium vote this fall on the presidential election ballot. We will see if a larger voter turn out helps the cause, especially if the local Republicans help broker the deal which will no doubt be much sweeter than the one they help defeat. We will see.
