Let's face it, the Rockets are a good team, but they're not a great team. I'm more content with them staying in the 6 spot, and facing the Sonics in the first round, anyway. We match up better against them, compared to going up against the Mavs, if we move up to the 5 spot. Dirk would have a field day on us. Furthermore, in a 7 game series, I seriously doubt the Sonics can outshoot us, as that's pretty much their offense. Yao could exploit their frontcourt. I'm not saying we should throw games away or anything, but we know what this team is capable of, when they're at full strength. This team isn't at full strength, so let's not all fret just yet. Now of course, if Howard doesn't manage to come back playoff time, then it's time to hit the panic button..
I agree that its not the end of the world but we need to start winning to hold on the the 6th seed. Memphis is right behind us and Denver is the hottest team in the West (only 3.5 back).
Yes it is the end of the world, the fan base for the Rockets (especially with the new addition of a class of fans that are enamored by one player, Yao) are becoming and more and more fair-weather than ever before. The fans are just not into it as much anymore, if in ANY other town with "real" b-ball fans had a fun team (with excellent potential) playing for the possibly of a championship this year, they would have backed them up and filled up the arena every night, while at the same time (once there) cheering their asses off for the team. None of that has happened this year, it is really quiet shameful. So with every loss, it is "what have you done for me lately". You go on a win-streak, and the expectations sky-rocket. The guy who has (many times this season) put on single-handed performances to carry the team (I could count them, but it would take a while) is now being scapegoated by some, who want him to do all sorts of things differently to help the team win, because apparently the same style that has saved the team numerous time before is all of a sudden in question by some. But this is just my opinion. I am not panicking, I never have even with the crappy start this season, and I am not about to now when (hold on to your seats) the Rockets have a 2-game or 3-game losing streak! (How could this possibly happen to two good teams in the league like T-Wolves and Celtics?!!!) Yah, well. If anything, I could bank money almost every single time this team loses a game, by betting that the 5 newest threads started after the loss are predicting doom and questioning the decisions of the coach/players.
Critisizing, discussing, debating, or even fighting on the BBS is not fair-weather fan action. Those are real fans, they spent time here because they care. After a win-streak, we are a championship caliber; after a couple of losses, we are garbage. Now, that's fair-weather fan. Interestingly, as you mentioned, "especially with the new addition of a class of fans that are enamored by one player, Yao", that class of fans will still like Yao, even if he has a 2 points and 2 boards and 6 fouls night. some of them might still argue that Yao should get more touches. But, they will continue to follow Rockets games, whether to see yao or the team, they care. They are loyal fans. BTW, your special attention to that "class of fans" in every single one of your posts, is getting tired.
I don't mention that "special class of fans" unless it is relevant to my argument, and it is not used in an offensive manner in this post, so sorry if it bothers you, I will continue to use it when relevant to the topic of discussion. Some people are just too sensitive to that topic for some odd reason, and I don't understand why, I am not labeling any specific poster/fan as such, so your argument is baseless. I don't care if you think it is "tired" or not. It is not a "Red scare". Anyways, back to the topic, my REAL point in that post (which you ironically highlighted in your reply but did not really discuss) was mainly about the fans who can afford to go to the TC to watch games there, and yet when they get there, they are dead silent and don't give the team any REAL homecourt advantage to help the team win. I mean JVG and T-Mac and Jon Barry have repeatedly talked about this issue (the fact that playing at "home" in Houston does not help the team at all, since the fans are passive and silent for the most part). Don't you agree that the problem of a "homecourt disadvantage" is a REAL issue, especially coming down the stretch at the end of the season and needing a good atmosphere in our arena for the April home games, which we need to win to end the season on a high-note and carry that momentum into the playoffs? Would like to hear your thoughts on that
Dude this I take offense tooo...I have attended EVERY home game the past 3 seasons I have not missed one yet and your assumption of dead silent fans is BS, Fans are not gonna be wild throughout the entire game and with the new rules in play you can't even fart in a players direction without subject to ejection.....
Since you want to hear my thoughts on the home court thing, I would like to offer my opinion. TC is not the loudest place in the whole league, as I read from other posts. Because of Geographical reason, I never went to TC. I can only say from what I hear, which I hate to do normally. But since you said which I should or should comment about your post, I will give it a try. Rockets had missed playoffs for 5 years, before they came back last year. With TMac and Yao, and a winning record, and great chance to be in playoff again, or even go further, normally, the attendence should have been higher, and the place could have been louder. But it's just not the case right now, maybe becaue as others mentioned, fans need time to have faith in this team again; Houston has other major sports quality teams etc. Not much I can do, except for hoping the best for it. But I do believe, coming playoff time, the fans will show their support in home games. Now, since I fulfilled my "obligation" to comment on the point you wanted me to, I still want to say a few words regarding your other points in your previous post, although they might not be the real or main point, according to you. I simply said that Yao fans are not fair-weather fans, they support yao no matter how. According to my understanding, fair-weather fans are fans of good times not bad times. Therefore, your statement of that "the fan base for the Rockets (especially with the new addition of a class of fans that are enamored by one player, Yao) are becoming and more and more fair-weather than ever before" is wrong. I also said that I am getting tired of "Yao fans this or that" in most of your posts. Then you told me that i am too sensitive, and you can't understand, and you didn't mean it in an offensive way. People get uncomfortable about different things for different reasons. If I care about somebody's feeling, I would not say something gets him uncomfortable, without asking about reasons or argue about whether or not he should. If I don't care about that person's feeling, I might still say it even he complains about it. But I would NEVER critisize him for being uncomfortable about my comments, that he should not complain about it etc. Because that would be too far for me to go. Many posters expressed their unpleasant feelings regarding certain labeling. You said you don't care it is tired or not, you just use it as you want to. It's a free BBS, nobody can really stop you. But, trying to stop people from complaining about labeling, that's really far-stretched. People are just different, and lots of people do different things "for some odd reasons", you don't have to understand all of them, and you don't even have to respect that. But I guess you don't need to dismiss their "odd reasons". It reminds me of last year, when Steve Kerr called yao a "China Man" mistakenly. Some posters pointed out and most of them agreed that he might not know. He indeed apologized to Yao, but some of the posters kept arguing about bunch of over-sensitve guys about the "China man" thing. They went on and on, said they would not mind being called "such such Man". I didn't get it, why? Why would they try to determine whether other people should or should not be comfortable with certain things?
as long as they don't hit the 9th seed in the playoff race I don't care. Now I'd like to see them really hit a good stride going in, I just want to see them play well. As long as they don't stink it up
If Yao was black , white, purple...would we still be getting 100 threads of pass the ball to yao , xxx shoots too much, xxx doesn't like yao, or something of that matter? would they be rockets fans, would they even be on this board?
I have gone to games as well to do my part. I am sticking to my opinion that the TC is as dead as it can get. They only cheer during certain stretches of the game, while during the other 80% they are just silent drinking their beers, eating their nachos. Who said anything about being disrespectful? I am talking about simple cheering for your team, making some noise, that is all.
Thank you for making the point, real-egel apparently doesn't understand that point. Yao is a special player, coming from China and carrying the hopes of millions of his people, something NO other player in HISTORY of the league has had. He does have his special fans, who will root for ANY team he is on, plain and simple. Is there anything wrong with that? Absolutely not! It is just a game, not politics. There are fans who root for teams just because of players. That is rather normal. So when someone mentions "Yao fans" there is NOTHING offensive about that! It is very acceptable and understandable phenomena. As for real-egel's assertion that in "most" of my posts I bring this up, that is pure horsecrap, and apparently he hasn't read many of my posts. I only mentioned this topic in the last two game thread BECAUSE it came up, and there were so many rediculous posts in those two threads. In one of them Texas Stoke started the whole thing, and people started commenting on his posts and replying to them. I shared my two cents on that, so did many others, and R2K, so apparently it is a widely shared sentiment, and not just my own. I guarantee you it will be mentioned in the next game thread, with the obligatory "Yao doesn't get enough shots, Yao this, Yao that, T-Mac is selfish, he doesn't pass the ball, etc." crap. Have you been in those game threads? The b****ing is at an all-time high, and you are mistaken if you think that doesn't annoy the majority of the posters. But everyone lets those people say their opinions, and I will say mine just as well. But make no mistake about it: If you are a fan of aNY single player (Yao, McGrady, Barry, Sura, etc.) and you ONLY care about the well-being of ONE player only, and not the team, then there is no way in hell you are a "real" Rockets fan, and you are delusional if you think otherwise. But do I care? No, the Rox don't pay my salary, so I don't give a damn if someone roots for them because they love the team or because they love one player. But sometimes when you love only one player and place him above all else, that usually means that you dislike anyone that you percieve is getting in the way of his glory (coach, other players, etc.). So that is how I see things, nothing disrespectful about it, nothing personal about it, I am not labeling individual posters anything, but it is a reality, and to assume it ain't there is ignorant to say the least.
Cheezes! Don't you fans ever pay attention to whats goin on around the league? Every damn team goes on a losing streak every once in a while, even the very good team...Suns,piston,Spurs,Seattle and Dallas . I don't see anyone saying those team sucks or arn't good anymore b/c of their losing streak but when it comes to the Rockets...oh, we ain't good anymore, we're not a contender or we just plain sucked. If we have lost 5 or 6 in a row, its understandable to be concern and question our success or lack there of. We're just goin on a mini slump right now and I'm sure they will snap out of it and maybe win the next 5,6, or 7 games in a row and everyone will jump back on the bandwagon again and acted like the two loses didn't even exist and began to praise how good we are. You guys just need to stop focusing so much on the Rockets and see that this is normal for a team to go through a slump like this. Just be happy that we're not the same team that started the season 6-11.
What's your point? Which tiger said I didn't get? Just because some people become fans because of Yao, their opinions don't count? But if someone becomes a fan, because his/her father was one, or because he/she lives in Houston, or because of Dream or MJ or any other particular reason, their opinion should be respected, and they are the true and real fans. They have your recognition, right? You can become a Rockets fan because of anything, just not Yao; otherwise, it's just a crime, it's a slap in the face of this great sport, this great club, this great team, and this great BBS, and on top of that, those great "REAL FANS"? Without Yao, some of them won't watch Rockets games, but some of them were Rockets fans before Yao. What's the difference? You set an official timestamp to decide, before certain time fans counted as real fans? As for tiger, what exact point I didn't get? I simply showed you fact, and said your claim was wrong. YOu just came up with those really old copied and pasted claims about certain fans don't care about the team, but Yao's stats. How did you know? Did they tell you? Or you just assumed, then why would any believe you as you claimed you mentioned those "class of fans" without any offensive intention etc? If people say something about Yao, anything, whether it's shots, touches, fouls, etc, and if that poster joined the BBS after 2002, he must be a member of that "class of fans"? He MUST only care about Yao's stats? Great logic! Your original post has two points, one regarding Yao fans make the Rockets fan base more fair-weather; another about homecourt advantage or disadvantage. Your second point was dismissed by another poster, and I dismissed your first one with simple logic - fair-weather fans are fans only at good times, but Yao fans stay with him no matter what. Now you say I don't get it that you have problem people become fans because of Yao, but not if become fans because of another player if he's black, white, or purple. You are right, I don't get it, why would you have a problem with that?!
Never said that... Again, never mentioned anything about a "timestamp", again you are making it up, and look at when I joined the BBS. Again, you are missing the point completely, and no I don't have a problem with anyone rooting for any one player, and apprently you have not read my previous post, so here, let me quote what I said above: Fine real_egel, we will agree to disagree. I think we have derailed this thread enough.
