OK - I think that the proverbial sh*t has hit the fan long enough, and it's starting to really stink around here. If Rudy cannot get his team prepared to play a last place team, and is 5-11 against sub-500 teams since Nov. 24, well, Rudy has to go!!!!!!!!!! Although I started this petition in the game thread, it's important enough to have its own forum!!! Clutch, Jeff and crew: PLEASE DON'T LOCK THIS DOWN! If there's enough people on the board to make this worthwhile then CC.NET will have realized another purpose! My email is jgatlin@houston.rr.com, and here's the petition: Anyone who thinks Rudy should be fired please send me an email saying so. Just cut and paste the following: Although I, as a Houston Rockets fan have great respect for the accomplishments of Rudy Tomjanovich, especially considering the two championships in 1994 and 1995, and the fact that Rudy has become an icon and institution, I respectfully ask that my name (Enter First and Last name here) be added to this petition for Rudy Tomjanovich to be replaced as Head Coach of the Houston Rockets for the following reasons: 1. Rudy has consistently failed to get his team prepared to face teams with records under 500 as evidenced by recent losses to Cleveland and now Miami. 2. Rudy has consistently failed to make necessary defensive adjustments during the middle of games as evidenced most clearly during the last home loss to Dallas. 3. Rudy's substitution rotation has consistently failed to yield favorable results, and at times has contributed significantly to Rockets losses. 4. Rudy appears lost on the sidelines and is unable to motivate his team to play with any level of consistency. 5. In spite of having the second best center in the NBA, Rudy has failed throughout the season to get the ball to Yao Ming. His shot total has rarely exceeded double digits. This is glaring evidence of Rudy's lack of offensive creativity or imagination. 6. It is obvious to observant fans that either Rudy is not providing players with necessary information to improve the team, or the players are not accepting the information he is providing. Either way, this is a clear indication that his "coaching" is suspect at best! 7. Rudy has clearly underacheived with more talent than almost any team in the NBA. 8. The Rockets have struggled on the road more than any NBA team with a record over .500. This is clearly a lack of game preparation that reflects on the poor coaching job. 9. At the beginning of the season, the Rockets entire organization stated that anything less than making the playoffs would be considered a failure. At this point, there is not a single NBA expert who would be willing to consider the Rockets a playoff contender. 10. Finally, as fans we no longer believe that Rudy is capable of coaching this particular group of players to a level beyond mediocrity. As a result of these reasons, I respectfully add my name to the growing list of those who believe that the Rockets team and organization would be best served by bringing in a new coach. We hope that if and when a change is made, that Rudy will remain in an administrative capacity with the team. However, we are pleading with you Les Alexander to do what is best for the team, the fans and the city!! Signed, J Gatlin aka Rockets-R-Us
PS: I forgot to add that when I have collected enough names and email signatures to make this worthwhile (probably somewhere over 25, maybe 50...) then I will send this to Les Alexander, Sports 610, all local TV Sports and the Chronicle. We can also send it anywhere else the BBS wants it to go!!!!! (maybe ESPN and Fox Sports Net!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Have we all collectively come into conclusion that Rudy is THE problem? Not true PGs? Not PF? not young team?
cmellon - I think their are MORE THAN ENOUGH people on this board who view Rudy as the PRIMARY PROBLEM!!!!!!! Of course all those other things are issues to be dealt with, but that's just it, Rudy has been so obviously incapable of overcoming ANY of these issues. This team is clearly getting worse, not better. We have lost 9 or our last 13 games!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So frickin what if in that span we beat the Lakers, Minnesota, Sacramento and Utah. We have also lost to Cleveland and now Miami (and been blown out by Dallas twice). Even when Rudy is interviewed, he speaks in generalities, and NEVER seems to be PISSED OFF about how f*ucked up this pattern is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I fully believe that Rudy is THE problem and a change is THE solution. And I believe that many others on the board agree with me whole heartedly. I already have 5 emails from others saying so!!!!!!! I will have 50 within two days if the thread doesn't get locked out.
what a waste of time. Yao is a rookie, Griffin is 20, Posey has only played 30 games as a rocket. Rudy will not be fired after this season, I guarantee that.
JBIIRockets - Then you don't know the power of the media!!!!! I am a Media Consultant. I know what can happen once a story like this gets into circulation. It can take on a life of its own. Let's just say the petition gets some play on Sports 610 and maybe in the Chronicle. Then, maybe the Rox lose to another sub-500 team about the same time. Next thing you know it gets picked up by all local TV and then ESPN and so on... Then national magazines and Jim Rome pick it up and the guys whose opinions actually matter (including out of work coaches) start calling Les Alexander... You don't think this can happen??? Just look at what happened when Channel 11 broke the story on Firestone Tires!!!!!!!!
Yes, but I think Francis is a problem also. The guy is 6'3", can't average more than around 20 points per game, and thinks he can lead a team to the playoffs by balhogging and dribbling and ignoring teammates. It has been a nightmare focusing our whole team around a small dumb guy.
This thread is ridiculous and pointless. You think if you get 25-50 people to say they want Rudy fired it will mean anything. We are young and in the playoff race with loads of potential. What more do you want? The teams that don't make the playoffs will all have at least between 15-35 wins. This means that they do have their good days and beat teams they shouldn't. If what you say about us losing to Cleveland and Miami were true, that they should never beat a team better than them, They would have about 2 wins a piece between them splitting their games. Fact is that even the worst teams have their good games and beat the better teams. Fact is we just happen to be a prime candidate for such upsets because we are young and inexperienced. We were a good team 2 years ago with 45 wins. Last year we were horrible because of injuries. Since the team of 2 years ago, we have added three key pieces to the team, and got 1 back from lots of lost time due to migraines and yet another who missed the whole season due to an injury. Give them time to gel and work together and I am sure you will be happy with the results. You should be happy with where were at, not complaining and trying to start a pointless petition to trying cost someone else their job.
I agree with this thread 100%. The fact that the rockets have show that they CAN win and have beaten good teams makes the case all the more stronger for him to get fired. This team has the potential, just needs a guy to get in there face and make them do it. Good job with the petition idea.
T-Man - If the Rockets themselves started the season by saying those things, I might not feel so passionate about this. But I TRULY, and I mean TRULY feel this team is WAY underacheiving. Some of my expectations were based on what I was told by the Rockets players, coaches and OWNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, if they expect to succeed, why can I not do the same? Also, the "young and inexperienced" crap has GOT TO GO!! Tonight, Yao and Eddie, 2 of the youngest on the team were the two who were most consistent on both ends of the court!!! Stop making excuses for Rudy. He is doing a HORRIBLE JOB!!!
RRU, Rudy has lead this team to 2 championship's. I don't know how much you know about basketball, but how many coaches that are still able to coach can say they lead their team to even 1? On top of that, How many players on our team have even been to the playoffs? You think maybe you are barking up the wrong tree? They are young and Taylor, Ming, and Posey were not even here last year. Francis missed a busload of games due to migraines and was not himself even when he was there. Griffin is only 20 now and still learning. It takes time to gel and find that championship or even playoff chemistry, especially in the west. And as far as your 25-50 people protesting meaning somthing. I think there was about that many at the save the Oilers rally, and the media did pick it up, AS A JOKE.
You really think you petty little petition will get anyones attention? Lets see, we have the second youngest team in the NBA, a rookie starting center, a second year man 2 years removed from highschool starting PF, a new player on the team starting at the SF and were still very much in the hunt for a playoff spot. Yep Rudy is going to get fired! You need to take a deep breath and relax. Really, sit back and think. What were your expectations for this team at the start of this season? If you thought we were going to be much better than we are now you werent being realistic. Of course I'm telling this to a guy that thinks Rudy's coaching job is as big of a story as Firestone Tires story. Oh well!!!!
T-Man, Hakeem lead us to 2 championships. Would you want him as our starting center right now, playing 40 minutes/game like he used to? How about in 10 years, when Hakeem's almost 50. he lead us to 2 championships. i guess that means he's automatically still good, and a capable starting NBA center. rudy f'ing can't coach for crap anymore. face it. you will ALL be on the bandwagon eventually.
Rocketfat, your post doesn't even make sense. Look at it like your brain is the coach of your body. Hakeem's brain can still tell his body what to do, but his body is just not able anymore. Where as Rudy as the coach only had to tell the bodies that were able, what to do. He is still capable of this. It doesn't go away with physical ability.
the real problem is: "M-O-B-L-E-Y" He's too selfish and stupid on the court! Rudy play him too much! Steve and Moochie are too close to him! can we have a petition to trade Mobley?
You are right, hard rock. Since Mobley was not injured and is not a rookie, he does not deserve the chance to gel with the rest of the team even though they are all new to him. Mobley made a commitment to us by taking less money to play for the team he wanted, Maybe we should do the same for him. He is still young and for the most part playing with a whole new team than the one we had two years ago. You do not gel with a whole new team in half a season. These things take time. Just relax and be happy that we are even playoff competitive under the circumstances and give the team time to make their mark. The Bulls,Rockets,Spurs,Lakers all had their growing pains and took their lumps before they reached the pinnacle. They did not come together in half a season.
I do agree that Rudy needs to be much more stern. Though, I do believe we've over-achieved, but I guess it's all a matter of perspective. -Francis is not a Franchise player no matter how many basketball fans may believe so. He's an extremely talented ball player, nothing more. -Mobley is nothing more than a good 6th man for a championship contender. -Griffin needs to actually learn how to play, as do the rest of the Rockets, but he is in much more need of an instructor than a lot of the other players. -Ming is a very nice talent, but on the wrong team IMO. -MoTaylor is finally starting to get back into shape. If only he would use his wide body down low a bit more. I can't really speak on the rest of the cast since the inconsistencies in their playing time is a major factor with their production. IMO, we're right where we should be. With the exception of the Suns, who are falling back into reality after a good start with Penny, we're not better than the teams ahead of us in the West. Not to mention that the 3-time world champs are a 1/2 game behind us. -Kings...10 deep, probably the most complete team in the league -Mavs...Dirk, Nash, Finely....they play a team game and don't care who goes for 30 every night. -Spurs...Tim Duncan, not to mention the 20 year old starting PG that knows how to play. -T'Wolves...KG -Portland...Probably the second most deep team behind the Kings -Utah...Malone and Stockton That leaves Phoenix and us to see who will be getting that final spot; the Lakers will eventually pass up both teams.
