EXACTLY. If you guys really think that JVG, given his nature, didn't make it expressly clear what the team rules were long, long ago, you're kidding yourself. Players are suspended all the time for "violating team rules", I fail to see any reasonable, logical explaination behind the rabid defense of Francis by some here. The thought that the Union's going to take this to court & get Stevie's game check back is utterly ridiculous.
Hello <knocking on Juugie's head> anyone home? Hey, I love SF. But why defend him when he himself KNOWS he did wrong?? Why else would your agent say "He was not, I repeat NOT NOT NNNNNNOOOOOOTTTTTTTT at the Super Bowl."?? Steve's 1) embarassed because it's ridiculous what he did 2) feels the PR hit and 3) KNOWS he did wrong. I feel an apology coming. (Please let there be an apology coming)
That's why we have a leagal system. To let fair, impartial people decide. By the exact RULES, Yao could be suspended for every flight he missed in preseason, every scrimmage, every meeting and every game. It's the coaches rules and no one is above the rules and like all of you have said, no matter what you have going on in your life you have to put the Houston Rockets first and do what the coach has the team to do. And what kind of message does it send when you let Yao show up to camp when he feels like it and the rest of the guys have to go through grueling two a days. If I was MoT or JJ, I'd be completely pissed that the so called "focus" of the team doesn't even put the team first. Like all of you have said he needs to put the Houston Rockets first and foremost 24 hours a day 7 days a week. And to allow that Yao can have circumstances that allow for him to miss practice, scrimmage, travel, game time and to not allow others the same is discriminatory and on that basis unconstitutional.
Well I guess thats there story and there sticking to it. 610 sports just reported the Rockets canceled pratice today after the loss to Phoenix and after mondays conflicting reports regarding Steve Francis.
Practice cancelled? Yao-za, that can't be good at all. This team needs to at least have about 3 meetings if they are not gonna practice before tomorrow's game. 1) Meeting between Steve Francis rep's & Rockets management 2) Meeting between Steve Francis and the rest of the his teammates. 3) One last Superbowl postgame party/ meeting at Treasures to eliminate all the negativity and get focused on other things. 3b) Meeting with Francis to discuss what time he needs to report to work tomorrow for the Milwaukee game.
Whatever the Rockets rules were when he signed his contract are different than what they are now. Since neither of us have actually read the contract nor do we know what's in it, we don't know if the Rockets could demand that Yao make all practices that don't conflict with Chinese games.
You don't follow the Rockets do you? Otherwise, you'd know that Yao is from CHINA - a country that REQUIRES (they're funny like that) him to play for them 1st. They made this part of his contract before he was given the OK to play in the US. We agreed. If you want to take up a stupid arguement for arguement's sake, take it up with CD for drafting him and agreeing to this - you could argue that we could have had Jay Williams instead!
Yes, I do follow the Rockets ArtV, and I know about the agreement with CHina. What I am saying that you can't have a different set of rules for different players. And by the way, I am just playing devil's advocate. I agree that Steve should have been punished. I alos think that Jeff Van Whiny should have kept everything in house instead of running to the media,
PRESS RELEASE - HOUSTON All Star Guard Steve Francis has been suspended 1 game for breaking a team rule. The team has no further comment. That's a lot classier than "Steve decided to go to the SUperbowl instead of flying with the team so we suspended him. If you want your player to be professional, you have to be professional as well.
Juugie, BULL HOCKEY !!! Not if you are trying to change that players attitude. If he is blatently ignoring team rules....call him out PUBLICLY. Embarass him, since he won't listen to reason. DD
I understand where you are going DaDa, But once you set the precedent that it's ok to go to the media and knock members of the team. What's to prevent Steve from saying to the media that he feels Yao is a wuss? He may think it, but wouldn't you rather it all be worked out behind the scenes than in the media? Or maybe Jim Jackson goes to the media and says that JVG has no idea how to coach offense. Or maybe Cat goes to the media and says that Boki was a wasted draft pick. Or mayby Yao goes to the media and says that a true coach would learn how to use him - not bench him all the time. Once you start by airing your didrty laundry out to the media, you'd better get ready for ALL of it to come out. Not just the small parts that you think helps your case.
