Feb. 2, 2004, 10:11PM Francis lets teammates down with immature act By FRAN BLINEBURY Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle It seems Janet Jackson wasn't the only one exposed on Super Bowl Sunday. There also was much revealed about Steve Francis. Immaturity. Irresponsibility. Unprofessionalism. This is why the Rockets have not been to the playoffs in nearly five years. Because the player who is supposed to be driving their bus couldn't bother to show up for a team flight. Because their All-Star point guard might have been hanging out with some MTV playmates rather than going to work with his teammates. Was the choice P. Diddy, Nelly and Kid Rock over Yao, Cuttino and Kelvin? The Rockets flew to Phoenix on Sunday afternoon. According to coach Jeff Van Gundy, Francis zipped over to watch the Super Bowl at Reliant Stadium. Does anyone think Francis would even have noticed the irony of what he was watching? A close-knit Carolina Panthers team that had the dedication and resolve to get off the floor from a 1-15 record two seasons ago to play its way into the biggest spotlight. A committed New England Patriots club that was a model of proficiency and consistency in winning 15 consecutive games to close out another trophy-raising season. Of course, the player's agent claims Francis was not at the game, but instead at home attending to personal matters. The agent says he was on the phone in the afternoon, making arrangements to fly his client to Phoenix late Sunday night. What personal matters? They're not saying. But how convenient that it would be something that could be tied up soon after Adam Vinatieri kicked his game-winning field goal. How incredible that no one from the Rockets would think to call Francis' home to check on him. How positively amazing that a veteran coach like Van Gundy would make up such a bold lie and go public with it. In short, it just doesn't pass the smell test. Regardless, from what we have seen to date, the only way Francis is ever going to get to a championship game is by riding in a limousine. Remember when we used to call him Stevie Franchise? Sadly, that nickname does still apply to a flimsy basketball team that long ago used up all of the goodwill from the era of Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. The "heart of a champion" motto and all it stood for is packed away in mothballs and covered with cobwebs. Stevie Franchise stands for a team with a winning percentage of merely .471 since a blockbuster 11-player deal brought him to Houston in August 1999 as the symbol of a new age. He stands for a team that has been all flash and no substance in 4 1/2 seasons, the very core of a unit that has been full of promise and short on results. The debate about whether Francis possesses the raw talent or the instincts to be a true point guard for a contending team is one for another day. This is about being responsible, about fulfilling the most basic duties to an employer who is paying you $85 million over six years. This was not a youthful indiscretion but blatant insubordination. More important, at least on the court, is the message Francis conveyed to his supposed brothers-in-arms with this stunt. Does Francis believe he was the only member of the Rockets who would have liked to stay at home to attend the Super Bowl? Couldn't every one of them -- from Yao Ming to Mike Wilks -- have found his way to get a ticket or entry to a luxury suite and rub elbows with the stars? But all the rest -- from Cuttino Mobley to Kelvin Cato to Jim Jackson to Mark Jackson -- were capable of understanding their obligations and met them by showing up for the plane. Francis told Van Gundy he planned to charter a private jet and fly to Phoenix on Monday morning. Van Gundy told him not to bother. Stevie vehemently disagreed with Van Gundy's punishment of a one-game suspension, and there is the crux of his problem. Tom Brady is the 26-year-old quarterback in whom the Patriots have complete faith to maintain his poise, to do the right thing, to lead them late in games to victory. Would anyone say the same about the 26-year-old quarterback of the Rockets? This is a time in which his numbers and performance level are down, when he hardly deserves the starting spot to which he was voted on the Western Conference All-Star team, when a loss at home to the New Jersey Nets on Saturday had the head coach questioning the team's heart. Francis' response was to miss the team flight. Like the Super Bowl streaker at midfield, exposing his shortcomings. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2384449
I think Francis is defitely gone by the offseason at the latest. This was the straw that broke the camel's back and the ammo that was needed to justify shipping the "franchise" out of town.
Francis is a selfish person and this article shows what he is all about. He would rather be with celebrities than his teamates. I would not want him on my team!
I knew before i opened the thread who the author of the article would be. Why doesnt he ever write anything when the rockets do well?
Don't overreact yet; it's not like he's having constant verbal spouts with the front office. Unless Francis drives this stupidity, frustration, and anger into playing hard and coming up BIG on Wednesday, he is gone (later than sooner) and the team is finished. Francis is capable of a career high against the Bucks. He will either be the most selfish (50 points) or most unselfish (15 assists) player out there. Houston fans, Steve haters and faithful alike, go out to TC on Wednesday and b**** at him as much as possible; crush his ego and feed his drive.
I tell you what, I think the Chronicle only has a few writers who cover the Rockets, and Blinebury has written critical articles in the past. If Feigen now went and wrote that kind of article, he would probably have a hard time ever getting an interview from the players again. Blinebury probably already doesn't anyway. It's kind of like a good guy/bad guy thing. But don't think for a second this has not been cleared by the whole Chronicle sports crew. And they/Blinebury are right.
that we've missed the playoffs for 5 years for one. that steve's immaturity made those 5 (really 4) years happen. no, not hakeem and barkley being injured and the rest of the frontcourt. when steve was putting up 21/7/6.5 to carry us to 45 wins and it still wasn't good enough in an amazingly loaded conference, obviously that was steve's fault. when he had meniere's disease and we were 2-23 w/o him, obviously his fault again (oh and we had tmo, cato, and garbage in the frontcourt). last season was the only one, the only one, where a legitimate argument could be made we should've done better. and steve was still busy being one of 2 guys (kg) getting 20/6/6. if you wanna crucify steve for this incident, be my guest. if you wanna say trade him or you hate him, be my guest. if you wanna say he's sucked this year, be my guest. but the incessant, sand in my vagina, whining about the first 3 years of his career and the heat he (and mobley also) take for those years out of the playoffs when they were the only things we had holding the team afloat and not leading us down the 20-62 road other teams have gone down is ridiculous. God forbid we blame the utterly ridiculous lack of frontcourt talent for those years, it must've been our talented and performing backcourt. they held collier and cato and tmo back. i know it's bull****, you know it is, everyone knows it is, even fran's little pea brain knows it is, but it makes for good writing when you can just blame all 4 years on them (or is it 5 now amazingly). it's for lesser minds to say and believe. but other than that, no, i don't disagree with anything.
You make some good points. Perhaps blaming everything that went bad in the last few years on him is not fair. But he drew it upon himself by doing what he did now. And it is pretty clear that he is stubborn and does not understand the consequences of his actions. He shows very clear signs of a strong resistance to learning/adapting/recognizing own mistakes. Don't you think that affects his play with the team as well?
Steve should definatly not be the starting pg on the rockets at this time. Im not sayig we bench him the entire game and let the 38 year grandpa run the game along with the wilks, but make him earn his starting position back. Francis probably sees his spot in the starting line up as an automatic because he is an "all-star". I would like to see how he would react to beinng benched at the begining of the game and not being the starter once he comes back. If he b****es and whines it further exposes what kind of player he is. If he accpets it then i guess its a step in the right direction because I dont think we will be able to get rid of SF that easily through trades.
In Francis's second year in the NBA, Bob Kemp, the former late night radio guy on sporting news radio that I liked and everyone else hated, said that Steve Francis was a selfish guy and even more of a selfish player. when I stated that then, ole Kemp got ripped to shreads here...i guess he was right after all.
Feigan is the beat writer. He is only supposed to recap the game. Guys like Blinebury and Robertson are the opinion-staters, the columnists. They dont need the interviews. considering Feigen's job is to interview players to assist in his recap, he better not say anything bad.
It's quite simple. SF can't be counted on. Yet he is a max player. Solution: Once he has full trade value in the summer, trade him for a stud power forward. Raven
I agree with you except for the power forward bit. We have a lack of depth at the 3 and the 1 as well, which need is better addressed by a new player?
