[CHRONIC] Rockets' free-agency caravan takes a wrong turn

Courtesy of the Queen:

http://blogs.chron.com/jeromesolomon/2010/07/rockets_3.html

Now, I think the Miami Heat's "We Want Wade Week" campaign is a solid, smart team promotion.

The Mavs' "Open Letter to Dirk" and "What Would You Say to Dirk" bits aren't too bad, either.

If Yao Ming had opted out, I would have expected something similar from the Rockets.

Those are about allowing fans to express how much they want the team's best player to stay with the team, as opposed to asking fans to help the team lure somebody else's best player.

The only reason organizations run these gimmicks — especially since they know that fans' input will have no effect on any acquistion — is to get crazed fans thinking "we're all in this together." Cute.

The Rockets' free-agency caravan? Don't get me started.

The idea that such a thing shows the team will do whatever it takes to win a championship is hilarious. But that's what the Rockets are saying.

It's fun stuff for fans, though, which if that was all they sold it as would be fine.

(Side note: the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers — that would be Spurs and Lakers, who have won nine of the last 12 championships — make no mention of the start of NBA free agency, nor are they running any promos to convince people that they want to win championships on their Web sites.)

Anyway, I bet Jason Friedman and those on the trip didn't expect to not be where the Rockets were when they met Chris Bosh.

On Darryl Morey's command, they drove to Miami, where they though Bosh would be last night. Instead, Morey ended up meeting Bosh in Dallas.

Poor caravan.

Still, South Beach would be what I call a good mistake.

• • •

You know I like to have fun at the expenses of rich beggars, so I got a nice chuckle out of the Chicago Bulls' Web site.

Instead of any of its own players on display, what you find is a huge display with the faces of the top free agents spread across the Chicago skyline.

Weak.

• • •

The Knicks have a group of top free agents on their homepage, too, with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Bosh and Joe Johnson in a photo graphic. Also in the pic is Rudy Gay, with Johnson and Johnson holding down the two center photo slots. Hmmm. Is that a hint?

• • •

Did the Knicks really complain to the NBA about a billboard near Madison Square Garden featuring Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and minority owner Jay-Z? Jeez.

There is even word that the Knicks were upset that the Nets held cheerleader tryouts in the city. Hilarious.

Fighting for territory in this sense is quite petty, but if a team thinks something will cost it a few dollars, it'll respond to anything.

It is why you can't hear Dallas Cowboys games on the radio in Houston.