Sorry haven, the 'Satan' that I was referring to is not Les. I was referring to the other devil that was telling lies and swaying voters to vote down the referendum. Satan did not like the idea that Les would be the one controlling the stadium where his potential NHL hockey team will play. During Clyde's ceremony, I was kind of hoping that Clyde would say something to the effect of "Les is a great owner for Houston, I wish the Rockets will be here for anyother 25 years." Oh well...
The Rockets, Comets, & Arena Football. Will they all leave? Lose the Rockets and he has to move them all. Les has three years before his lease expires. There will be another referendum and it will pass. Everyone just assumed that the last one would fail. Now all the couch potato's will get off their asses and vote. I just wish that Drayton McLane, Steve Patterson, Bob McNair, & Les Alexander would quit f*cking with eachothers business. It's really screwing Houston sports fans. But I think if all of you pessimists would spend as much time encouraging others to vote as you do spinning tales of the Rockets departure, then this would be a moot point.
Clyde kinda turned up the heat last night with his comments to Les, at the ceremony, about what Les has brought to the city, the good things he has done, Les' belief in the Rockets, aud nauseum. For sure Les isn't going to do or say anything publicly without coming off as old man Scrooge.
if the rocks move to baltimore, hell i'll move with them, i can always find a new girlfreind and job. ------------------ johnny "red" kerr:i'm glad the bulls did'nt draft steve francis. dan roan: why!!!!! johnny red kerr:because he would forever be compared to michael jordan. [This message has been edited by brahma rocket (edited February 04, 2000).]
Ahem. The white Republicans that voted the referendum down hopefully will PAY if the Rockets and Comets leave town! It was wrong and stupid to not pass the referendum in the first place. If they stay, WE WILL PAY MORE AS TIME GOES BY! However, if Les leaves that quickly after only one try, I think he is wrong too - but not stupid. WAY TO GO HARRIS COUNTY. Really helped our city's reputation with the vote down. If they go to New Orleans, I am going with them. If they go to Baltimore, I will hold a grudge forever. I KNOW, WHO CARES! HOUSTON! FIND A WAY TO KEEP THE ROCKETS AND COMETS!
I have contacted Cancer Man and he has agreed that drastic times call for drastic measures. He said that if Les decides to take the Rox out of Houston that it is "a problem quickly resolved". (God he's scary!) ------------------ The truth is out there.
If Les decides to leave Houston, can't the fans of the Rockets fight to keep the name "Rockets" here in Houston just like the Cleveland fans did with the Browns. I mean... he can take the uniform, but if we can fight to keep the Rocket name.. I'm all for him leaving the city and we'll just acquire another team and give them that name. If he really wants to leave, there is nothing we can do.
Maybe if he gave us a FAIR deal we would stay. Im sorry but Mayor Brown in houston and les need to think of a better strategy. We just voted and are building the enron stadium, we will have to wind up paying something on the football stadium, and now we need a brand new spankin bball stadium.GEez.why dont they just expand compaq center? Not to mention the location was rejected once before the rockets wanted to vote on it. o yah and a note on that deal. it was goin to be ok in the first place but then right before everyone voted les alexander decides he didnt want to pay as much and the deal became alot more expensive on the taxpayers. its easy to say vote for the arena when u live in another city but som students like myself and other young people dont want to have a zillion extra tax paying items. i definetly dont want the rockets/comets to leave but les shouldnt take it so personally. ------------------ --TEX
I see people are jumping to conclusions that the rockets are going to leave. I think you can't say they are going to say/ or that they are going to leave. As far as a NHL expantion team, its not going to happen the league has already passed Houston by, BUT les wanted to bring a canadian team here. Anyways...I really dont think that les will leave without talking with the HCSA about what can be done to keep the team here first. I would not be surprised if there was some close door meetings going on right now. As far as B-more getting the rockets....doubtful. In my opinion if the rockets leave they will go to dare I say it.... Nashville check out nashville arena NBA And NHL approved http://www.nashvillearena.com/overview.html I will say one thing is certain if the rockets leave dont expect to get another NBA team!!! Even with a new arena, I say if the rockets leave then you really dont need a new arena. Build it and they will stay ---------------------------------------------"How do LA and Houston feel now" Quote from commercial during the super bowl.
If les does move the Rockets, he really is a JackAS$!!!! He should know that nobody is really willing to hand another guy beaucous of money just like that. Look at the Astros, their stadium deal barely passed; but it was a given that if it failed the 'Stros would be in Virginia. Then the Spurs also had their fans franting and panicing about the Spurs going to some other city. Come on, was there ever that real threat that the Rockets were going to leave. Les, at least give us a threat that you are leaving before you take our team away. (now that is funny our team)
vince, you're confusing me. Are people hesitant to give away huge amounts of money... or did the Spurs get exactly that? If Les announces that the teams are leaving (short of another referendum), then he'll do so soon. The vote is still relevant right now, and his decision to do something would be portrayed in that vein (meaning: wouldn't it look silly if noone addresses the issue for another year and then they move w/o another referendum?). at your leisure sir I'd be cautious about the notion 'they have their lease until 2003': a) moving takes time. I can't get all the legalities organized in July if I want to move in August. b) A business is not a single family residence. Particularly one that needs a storage facility for 20,000 fans. c) It's 2/2000. Given the nature of the length of the season, Houston only has one more chance - 11/2000. 11/2001 gives Les little bargaining power, it's the beginning of a season that will not end until 6/2002, attractive cities may have dried up, etc. I wish Houston luck. Luck to have another chance to 'do the right thing'... as if taxing tourists that come to your town is mysteriously the 'wrong thing'. So, if given that next chance, do the following while you're in the booth: ------------------------------------ 1) Don't act like a lamb. Straight tickets are for thoughtless frat boys like the Texas governor. 2) Say these words out loud as you vote your mindset to Les Alexander: I (insert name) do/do not want the Houston Rockets to remain the Houston Rockets! [This message has been edited by Achebe (edited February 05, 2000).]
If the Rockets leave, then I say to hell with Houston. Clyde Drexler calls Houston fans "...the greatest fans in the world!" Umm...how can that be? We already lost the oilers and spent 3 times as much to get an expansion franchise(luckily). If the Rockets leave, then there is no expansion...maybe in 10 years after we spend 3 times as much just to be in a position to get an expansion team. But, the NBA is doing no expanding. I don't know what I'd do if the Rockets left. I don't live in Houston but I was born and raised in Houston and still have family there. But I don't know if I could return ever knowing that Houston lost not one but two sport teams. Now, what kind of city is that? That has to be some kind of record. The mayor or somebody better get their S#*T together and come up with a plan to save the Rockets. Houston fans will be ruined if they leave. Surfguy
DREAMer -- This is the kind of thinking that really scares me to be honest. This is no offense to you personally DREAMer, but it's the type of sentiment that Jeff Balke was saying we need to get over in his Truth column The absolutely best we as fans can hope for is one more vote. We do not have until 2003. You are seeing how long it takes to get things done around here ... well the Rockets would have to go through the same type of procedures wherever a prospective move would take them. It would take atleast 2 years to build an arena (how long has Enron Field taken?). They have to go through referendums in that city to pass the necessary actions to make it happen. They would have to get those things done before 2003, which means we have the 'right here and right now' to get this done. Les could get a better deal elsewhere, so if he can, why shouldn't he? Things are honest to goodness not good right now. I know when people read that they think that it is some sort of scare tactic motivated by a personal political or financial stance (as many have accused the Chronicle of doing). Trust me, in my case it's not so. I just want to keep the Rockets in town because I'm a fanatic. If the Rockets left I'd probably just shut down the site and realize there is life outside of my computer chair's assgroove. Get vocal. Let the politicians know the Rockets are important to the city. Do as my friend did when Sports Illustrated didn't put the Rockets on the cover of their magazine after winning the damn championship. Call up, b**** and cancel your subscription. He didn't have a subscription. [This message has been edited by Clutch (edited February 05, 2000).]
Great Post clutch!!!! Here is the place to start!!! lindam@hchsa.org email the HHCSA let them know how you feel about the Rockets. They will listen to the masses.
Clutch, you are the only one probably taking this thread seriously. It's the mentallity that the Rockets won't leave that will cause them to leave. Scare tactics these are not. This is for real, and after the Rockets leave everyone will feel betrayed. If people don't take this seriously right now, you might as well take the Houston out of the Rockets. And you can take that to the bank. They aren't leaving because we have a major T.V. market and are the Big city is not relevant. When the NBA is increasing with popularity world wide, a big city is not needed to be represented. Just look, the NFL shunned Los Angeles, a major player in being big in size and popularity not to mention, the eyes of the world always fall there.
Now having read the entire string there are a couple things that I think noone is considering. First if I'm not mistaken the first vote was more of a political vote then sports. Les was on the deal for over 50% and the money would have came almost entirely from people outside of Houston. Why now would Les be willing to pay anything when Stern has said he will have the league permission to move when the contract is up. Not real good business. I think the Rockets stay if the city builds a new arena and he gets a good lease. Could happen. If He does leave I don't think it will be Baltimore. There is a city with an arena and a present Hockey team, owned by a person that has tryed to buy two NBA teams to move there. Money is no object and he already owns the arena, now if he can find a NBA team that already has permission to move all he has to do is become a minority owner for a few years and buy Les out in time and Les gets part of the Hockey team. Just a thought, would prefer the city would keep the Rockets and not be trying to get another team, like football, because as long as Stern is there it won't happen.
I'm going to call right now and cancel my membership in the Harris County Republican Party. I'm sure Jeff and Keeley will do the same.
Why is there so much mention of the three years remaining on the Rockets lease as if that is something that makes it impossible for the Rockets to ever leave. First off, how many years did Bud have on his lease when he made the agreement to leave? Anyone? Anyone? It was three years. So, having a lease doesn't mean that Les can't make a deal to move to another city (and potentially buy his way out of his lease. If the leaseholder agrees to let him go, he can go.) Secondly, it takes at least two years to build an arena, so if he wants one ready for the 2003 season, he has to make a deal pretty soon so construction can get started. Also, it may not end up being solely Les that prevents a vote. If Billy Burge and the HCHSA (who also don't seem to keen on getting a deal done. At least not to me. Saying that if the Rockets leave, Houston will just get another team or that it is either certain or 50-50 that the Rockets will leave, doesn't seem like he's acting in the spirit of cooperation. At least that's the "vibe" I get from him.) play hardball and insist on a deal that is significantly worse than what Les could get elsewhere, they might end up being to blame for at least part of pushing the Rockets out the door. As for the NHL hockey thing, Les may very well want to own an NHL team. (I don't know that the NHL is going to expand again. Geez, they've got 30 teams already and haven't even really finished the last round of expansion since Minnesota and Columbus don't take the ice until next season. But Les could be looking at an existing team.) But he still needs a new arena to do that. If he can't make a deal to get a new arena, then he's got to think about the teams he has and the money he would be losing by staying in Compaq instead of moving into one of those sweatheart deals elsewhere. Maybe the desire for an NHL team will make Les work a little harder to get one more vote, but I doubt it would do any more than that.
