http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20090115/COLUMNISTS0306/901150327/1065/SPORTS Houston, they've got a problem McGrady having issues with Rockets January 15, 2009 Post a CommentRecommend Print this page E-mail this article Share Del.icio.us Facebook Digg Reddit Newsvine Buzz up! The e-mail popped into my in-box and I laughed. Really, I laughed. A guy named Lance Zierlein wants me to come on his Houston radio show. Why? To talk about Tracy McGrady. "I would love to get you on my sports talk show here in Houston, to discuss your article regarding T-Mac from 2005," the e-mail said. "We gave you grief back then, but you look like a soothsayer these days." Soothsayer? I don't think so. I'm just a guy who applied a little common sense back when Me-Mac was with the Orlando Magic. If you looked beyond McGrady's enormous and inarguable talent -- difficult to do, I know, as his talent is intoxicating -- you see things. I saw things. There's a reason why we called him Me-Mac. I guess I've played and been around sports long enough to be able to pick up on things. I call it my "Wizard of Oz" test. It's how I try to determine what is missing in an athlete. Heart? A brain? Courage? With Me-Mac, I noticed deficiencies in all three. You see, at the elite athletic level, where the talent is so equal, it's often an athlete's heart, head or drive and determination that makes all the difference. The great ones -- like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Derek Jeter -- have it. Tim Tebow has it. And if you don't have it . . . well, the Wizard isn't going to be able to give it to you. Some athletes develop those traits. Most, like Tracy McGrady, never do. So, judging by the e-mail, I guess they're finally fed up with Me-Mac in Houston, the team Orlando traded him to in 2004. Evidently, there are fresh questions as to whether he's malingering again. Shocking, I know, given his track record in Orlando. Houston should've known better. The Rockets should've done a little more due diligence. Or just applied a little more common sense. In his last season in Orlando, McGrady openly admitted he tanked on his team. He also openly complained about his teammates. Finally, he demanded a trade when the Magic told him they were going to draft a high school kid named Dwight Howard. In other words, no heart, head or courage. Back then, I went way out on a limb in writing that the Magic should -- no, needed to -- trade McGrady. Here's what I wrote: "He doesn't work hard, doesn't play defense, rarely practices, routinely criticizes his teammates, quits, and is turning into a one-dimensional perimeter shooter who doesn't like to mix it up in the paint." Once again, no heart, head or courage. Have you noticed now that when the NBA's best players are discussed -- guys like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade -- Tracy McGrady's name is no longer in the mix? He is the Penny Hardaway of his generation. Houston, you have a problem. Me-Mac has never led a team beyond the first round of the playoffs. That's saying something for a guy who's been in the league since 1997. He turns 30 on May 24, so there's still time. But one thing's for sure, if the Rockets or any other team McGrady might play for in the future, does win a playoff series, it won't be because he led them. He just doesn't have it in him to lead. But he does have it in him to whine. When Houston was losing to the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs last season, McGrady threw his head coach, Rick Adelman, and his teammate, Carl Landry, under the bus, the former for not having bigger players in the game and the latter for not grabbing a rebound. It prompted Houston Chronicle columnist Richard Justice to call McGrady clueless and unprofessional. It also produced a spate of bloggers in Houston, raking Me-Mac over the coals. The honeymoon was obviously over. Now a Houston radio station wants me to talk more about it. I will, if they want. But I don't think they need me to tell them what they now already know. After all, it's not like I'm a soothsayer, or a wizard. Contact Kerasotis at HeyPeterK@aol.com
The writer from Orlando wrote this back in 2004: "He doesn't work hard, doesn't play defense, rarely practices, routinely criticizes his teammates, quits, and is turning into a one-dimensional perimeter shooter who doesn't like to mix it up in the paint." Wow, talk about hitting the nail on the head. Not much has changed.
Well, T-mac says he responds to criticism and thrives off of it and he'll be back.... Maybe it's the kick in the butt he needs....but I guess the next month will tell. One thing is for sure....if he fails here is there anyone who would pay 22 million a year for a mental-case superstar who will never lead his team to glory.... Besides NY?
is he talking about the 03-04 season or EVERY season? b/c you cannot practice and be mentioned as arguably the best player.
tmac apologists complaing how mean we are to Mcgrady in Houston don't realize how patient and nice we are instead. The local media have treated Mcgrady with kid gloves compared to what he saw in Orlando and especially the Sentinel. They created the term Me-Mac, Mc-Quitter, and T-back Orlando was a lot less patient or forgiving then us. The fans in Toronto to this day booo the heck out of him everytime he comes to their stadium.
I make no apologies for anyone that doesn't play hard, I also know its impossible to do what he did without hard work or practice. You don't take the then orlando magic to the playoffs on sheer talent. Tim Thomas and JR Rider were very talented players that didn't do that. I have a cousin who used to be in nike commercials that when we played pro am, he used to kill rodney mccray, micheaux, and a lot of those guys playing in the league. He had chances to play in the league, but he didn't love hoops, but he was really talented and could play. Point is, Orlando hates tracy. The hockey gm didn't like him and was going to trade him no matter what. Indy had the best deal, but they didn't want tracy killing them in conference. If you look back, they have nothing to show for trading tracy. If he wanted a reason to quit, he had it last yr once yao went down.
This column isn't even that nasty compared to what they use to say about him in Orlando. It just seems nasty to us because the chronicle treats Mcgrady with kid gloves for the most part. Richard Justice, Jerome Solomon, and Jonathan Feigen write so many homer pieces for Mcgrady, even now.
What has the Rockets management been doing all these years? Shouldn't they know better than an Orlando columnist? Or they just didn't have the guts when Detroit was shopping Chancey? Fxxk it, I'm beyond angry just to think that Chancey could be in Rockets uniform instead of Me-Mac.
Enjoy your two weeks in the sun, Mr. Kerasotis. Let's see what you say a month or two from now. (hopefully) I don't quite remember things being that bad, but whatever.
Gadzooks, it all makes sense now. There is a reason why he is called Me-mac, and it aint cause he shoots a lot. He asked to be traded when they wanted to draft Dhoward? Wow. I think the only reason why he has been able to keep himself in houston is because Yao is such a passive guy, the fireworks never flew, until now.
But BrooksBall, T-Mac in Orlando is like Michael Jordan except no championships..or 2nd round playoff series He was so good. He scored so many points. Its not how many points your team scores, its about how many points you score!
That's not how they got the cap room to sign lewis. McGrady had a early termination option for the year after the drafted howard. They got francis off in the trade. That yr, they traded mobley. The following yr they traded francis and cato for the expiring hardaway contract. Then yr before, grant hills max contract ran out. Hedo was a mle as well as pietrus. Nelson and howard were drafted and lewis was the big free agent signing. If they wanted to, they couldve kept tracy and let him opt out and get the same 0 they have to show for him. The hill max deal was killing them. Now, they have Hedo with a eto, which he's going to exercise because he's making 6m per. I think nelson is coming up also.
the only people i care to hear talk about the rockets on houston radio are matt jackson, adam clanton, adam wexler, and craig ackerman. they're genuinely fans of the team, and pretty much limit all of the garbage that comes their way in regards to the rockets. lance calls a dude in florida who wrote articles about tracy and wants him to mouth off some BS on his show so he sparks good conversation? do any of you guys want to listen to a florida sports writer (who has no reason to be angry anymore) come on a houston show and talk about how the then worst-team-in-the-league magic compare to the now guaranteed playoffs with or without t-mac rockets? i would want my 15 minutes back.