It seems that part of watching a Rocket game is to hear Calvin Murphy going ballistic over every mistake our guards make. He makes intelligent comments about how to avoid getting trapped on the sideline, how to run the fast break and decision making as a point guard. Last night, while on a verbal rampage, Murphy said that although he is not supposed to do so, he is going to have a talk with the Rocket guards. I just want to know if anyone knows whether or not he is helping advise the guards or if there is some rule or someone not allowing him to do so? Despite being completely full of himself, I think Murphy could be a valuable asset in helping out guards develop. Is it possible that he too could help the team in the way that Kevin McHale, Isaiah Thomas and Magic Johnson have helped their respective organizations in the past?
He has helped in the past. He goes to their practices sometimes. He was specifically asked to work with a couple of the guys on Free Throw shooting. You saw the improvement last week and this week. 62% to 79% He usually has to be invited by Rudy. He sounded last night like he was going to invite himself, though! Bill W, is his most immediate supervisor, but his contract is owned by Les, so it obviously isn't tampering or any other NBA league rule.
Bill is Calvin's immediate supervisor? Sakes alive. ------------------------------------- MEMORANDUM Date: 11/22/99 To: Calvin From: Bill Re: Perfomance Review Calvin - I have come up with your quarterly goals; pls sign and return. Need to give to Les by the afternoon. Goal #1 Stop referring to music no one has heard of ("James Brown") and start talking about music people are familiar with ("Judy Collins"). #2 Schedule a preliminary meeting with my plastic surgeon (chins and cheeks are his specialty, discount rate to Rocket employees, I will receive a discountt for next visit) #3 Wear pants on air at all times unless notified by immediate supervisor #4 Stop distracting Charles Barkley while he should be playing #5 Watch game when on air ----------------- Calvin Murphy, Color Commentator - ----------------- Bill Worrell, Sr. Analyst [This message has been edited by CBrownFanClub (edited November 22, 1999).] [This message has been edited by CBrownFanClub (edited November 22, 1999).]
Was at a party back in the '70s (I was just a teen) and Rudy and Calvin were there. They seemed like best buds (they hired a singing telegram...pretty amusing). I would be surprised if that relationship had grown apart at all. It would seem safe to speculate that Calvin probably gets to impose himself as he sees fit.
Wait a second, Cohen, I would only like to hear every single detail of 'being at a party with Rudy and Calvin in the 1970s.' You cant just drop that and leave! Holy nuts, that sounds incredible. CBrownFanClub PS Please go answer the trivia question in the "Good Time To Be A Rockets Fan" thread, just to assure me that someone around here watched the Rockets pre-1994.
Sorry CB, It's not that exciting. It was an anniversary party for some relatives of mine who were friends of the owners. I guess they got to know some of the players. Rudy and Calvin had a great sense of humor...more than anyone else at the party (thank g*d that they were there). The singing telegram that they hired was a little risque, and most of the crowd was too stuffy to laugh. FWIW, oddly enough, Clyde moved in next-door to the same relatives years later (I believe he sold that house a year or two ago, though). The only other Rocket that I ever met was Charles. He was in Houston the summer before his rookie season to play in Moses' summer league. I was a manager of the apartments (it was another life...long long ago) where he lived for the summer. He was 'Charles' even back then. He totally humiliated his agent/attorney, but he treated everyone else there (and ESPECIALLY the children) with utmost etiqutte and respect. Ever since, when I see Charles 'act-up', I think about his other side and how he would treat a stranger on the street. It certainly tempers any crticism of him.
I grew up playing in many of Calvin's TYA basketball camps. I have played against his sons and such. His eldest was really good, about the same size he was, another kid was pretty chubby but still managed to have a lot of game. That's why Calvin's always cracking the fat jokes. Calvin used to be the Rockets shooting coach, though I am unaware of his status in this area now. If there was ever a guy to coach shooting it was him. He would give us long lectures about free throw shooting, and then could easily go and hit like 30 free throws in a row. An absolutely amazing shooter. To entertain the the parents somtimes, he would walk to the corner, put a foot on each baseline, and lean outward at the basket. It too my freinds was automatic. He had his own basketball he used to call Big Bertha. It was one of those ABA balls blue, white, and red. He loved it cause you could see the rotation. I attribute my ability to shoot from his stressing of fundamentals. At my peak in high school before injury, I could often hit about 70 percent threes when I was warming up in practice. Believe me, Calvin can still shoot better than anybody the Rockets can put on the floor. It's true. He can teach anyone to improve their shooting. When he critiques the shooters during the game, listen up. He knows WELL what he is talking about.
Yeah, but Rudy still had to teach Calvin how to take a leak at night without waking him up...hahaha... (If you didn't catch that reference, read Rudy's biography done with Robert Falkoff "A Rocket at Heart : My Life and My Team".) ------------------ Rocket fuel pumps through these veins...
I distinctly remember watching Calvin drain shot after shot in the Summit. He was so quick, quick release, and then all net. You wouldn't often see his shots do the toilet-bowl spin-on-the-rim that seem so common now (at least from our shooters).
Please no. Anything but more Calvin. He is the most annoying television commentator that I have ever heard. Instead of talking about the game, he talks about himself. (I mean, how many times can we listen to him talk about the number of blocked shots he had in his career.) If the Rockets give Calvin any official coaching duties, the man will become insufferable on the air. The Rockets should fire Calvin and Bill Worrell and hire real broadcasters. The fact that the Rockets such is not the only reason why watching Rockets basketball has turned into a painful experience.
Anyone remember him in the legends game. He was launching threes from all over the place. One year he just dominated the game.
TodBod, There certainly are a number who share your opinion, but I am not one. We thoroughly enjoy Bill and Calvin, and are disappointed when DirecTV has the other team's announcers. Other team's announcers are BAD. The only ones worth sh*t are Chick-n-Stew (gotta love that) for the Lakers. Chick knows his BB. Does anyone recall last year when Bill made a comment that Clutch was wearing Calvin's pinstripe suit....how d*mn funny was that? I don't understand why everyone takes Calvin so seriously.
Right on Cabbage, I love Calvin as a person, but as a commentator, he's all giggles. When I watch a game I want unbiased coverage. Now they block out simulcasts of TNT and TBS so that you must watch WB, or FSW. I used to always favor the TNT and stuff. Get me away from Lisa Malosky, and that Kevin Eschenfelder ***, with his in the "Club house" routine. Neither can provide decent game analysis at half-time. I'd rather watch Ernie suck up to Kenny "The Jet" Smith. "The Jet", that's so silly.
I hate watching Bill and Calvin. Every time the Rockets get called for a foul: Where was the call? I don't know Calvin, I think the officials missed that one..HeeeHeeeHeee. Every time the other team gets called for a foul: Good call. That was a definite foul. Notice how they look so innocent when they get called for a foul, Calvin? HeeHeee, that was you when you were a player. HeeeHee, pass me the cookies. Let's not even get into the halftime reports.. NBC: The Blazers are sizzling, they are 10-0 in the month of December...our own Ahmad Rashad caught up with Scottie Pippen earlier in the week.. WB: He's one of the best three-point shooters in Rockets history. He also enjoys fishing and playing on his guitar. He is Matt Bullard and he talks about his latest return off the Rockets injured list. How long until NBA on NBC starts? [This message has been edited by thacabbage (edited November 23, 1999).]
christmas. Are we comparing multimillion dollar corporations or the crappy Wb and Foxsports? I must agree I can't stand the gay rights movement with Eshenskellter and Malone...I mean Maloney...err Bartowski..... Mogadishu...um however u spell her name. But if you want to listen to people even worse then listen to any other teams broadcasts, there all dry and old. ------------------ "We need to fockass".....Dream back in the day
Mad props on the post Cabbage. NBC: The Blazers are sizzling, they are 10-0 in the month of December...our own Ahmad Rashad caught up with Scottie Pippen earlier in the week.. WB: He's one of the best three-point shooters in Rockets history. He also enjoys fishing and playing on his guitar. He is Matt Bullard and he talks about his latest return off the Rockets injured list. You captured the style perfectly. You could have interjected the bold waivering pot smoking opinions of Bill Walton. The way he's always hopping to the hot bandwagon, and often b.s.'s so passionatly. "The poise, fire, and winning that Scottie Pippen has brought to this ball club, can not be underestimated." You bet you are going to here a lot of wacky statements from him about his beloved Blazers, and some sickening staetments about Scottie's happiness in Portland. Do we have any assasins on this board who we can pay assassinate this long winded dork?
Cab: Come on, WB would never run anything like that, because Bullard plays drums, actually. He was in a band called the "Anita Singer" band, as in I-Need-A-Singer. They played Ted Nugent and stuff like that. Othella played the trumpet Brent Price sang Maloney played the guitar, like U2 crap. Trade those guys for master P, and it looks like we get the good end of the deal. CbrownFanClub
