If Berkman comes back as a coach for either Rice or the Astros in the future, you have to consider him in the top 10. He cares a lot about Houston.
I'd run Calvin Murphy, Rudy T, Jimmy Wynn, Jose Cruz, JR Richard, and Larry Dierker belong on that list. Add in Elvin Bethea, and hall-of-famers Muchak and Matthews from the Oilers.
Andre can't compete with Hakeem for the heart of Houstonian's. Not only did Dream play for the local school but he brought the city it's first title and is one of the best players in league history. Dre can't compete with that. However, if the Texans bring this football crazed town a title then they will be more beloved than the 94/95 Rockets. This place will go nuuuuuuttttttssssssssssssss if the Texans win.
Hakeem was undoubtedly the best player on the championship teams. You can definitely argue that Andre is not the best player on this Texan team. He'll have a lot of franchise records and hopefully a ring but in Houston's eyes he'll be more like David Robinson in San Antonio not Hakeem in Houston.
Remember this http://youtube.com/watch?v=vKUDWO0BkxA There is no 1A or 1B. There is just Hakeem Olajuwon. I think even Dre would say the same thing. Dre is a great and whats important a loyal guy. Not matter how bad things were he was loyal to the Texans. So was Hakeem to the Rockets. Dream played for the Cougars and the Rockets and brought 2 Championships to Houston.
That is true, I think he'll be a little more loved then David Robinson but there is no question before he turned it on last game, many folk have already started gravitating toward Foster or Watt as the new face of the franchise. AJ would have to take over a playoff game or make a sick catch to seal a Super Bowl victory to regain complete legendary status where he could be held up even as a potential 1 contender in Houston.
Didn't Berkman after winning the world series say he wished he could have done it in Houston? He also said he was/is still an Astro at heart.
Hakeem Olajuwon defaults to #1 because of the championships. But for those of us who lived through the era - nothing ever has, nor ever will compare to the hold Earl Campbell had on this city from 1978-1980. The Rockets were huge in 1994 and 95; the Astros owned the city for brief stretches (80, 86, 04-05) - but none of it (maybe 80 for the Astros because we were such a giant sports town at that point) is in the same ballpark as the Luv Ya Blue era. The Rockets filled the Dome twice after winning championships - the Oielrs filled the Dome twice after *not* winning championships. The official rankings are as follows: 1. Hakeem Olajuwon 1a. Earl Campbell 3. Bagwell and Biggio 4. Everyone else
Andre is a great player, classy guy, one of the best in Houston athletic history, BUT Hakeem is in a class by himself largely because he helped win two championships. If the Texans win two Super Bowls with Andre, then I think there is a conversation.
I love how some people talk noise about the Comets and Sheryl Swoopes and Cynthia Cooper when during their heyday they got the city more excited than at almost any other time and unlike teams from the so called real sports THEY actually came through in the clutch and dominated like no Houston sports team has before or since (the 1993-95 Rockets were clutch but didn't dominate). No one is gonna brag about WNBA titles but it's funny people act like they weren't squarely on the bandwagon when it was hot. Coop and Swoopes deserve some love in this conversation granted not to the degree of Olajuwon.
Not exactly sure why you think the city got so excited about the Comets. I consider myself a pretty big Houston sports fan, like many here...and I dont remember watching one of the finals games. I was happy they won, but I didnt care to spend more than 15 minutes seeing how they were doing. Win or lose, it didnt affect me at all. The Rockets losing today to Toronto affects me more.
Are you nuts? Nobody gave 2 ****s about the Comets (aside from the city's lesbian community), and there were only like 8 teams in the league. I think i saw like 10 combined minutes of Comets basketball, and in it was that half-court shot that woman on the new york team made to win Game 2 of the 3 game finals. that was pretty impressive. would have been a top 5 shot in nba history if the equivalent happened. irrelevant to the debate, i know. cool story bro.
