http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/972556 Here's the latest by Fran. The Toronto Raptors didn't come bearing gifts, but something even better. A multiyear offer in the neighborhood of $22 million. And maybe something more important. Respect. Adoration. Love. There was a small entourage of team officials from north of the border and enthusiasm spilling out of their mukluks and lightweight summertime parkas. They brought a glossy, full-color brochure that touted a cosmopolitan city with so much to offer, spelling out ways to get around the huge bite by the Canadian tax system, the commitment to the future by a strong ownership group and highlighting a potentially attractive starting lineup for next season. Try these snowshoes on for size: Vince Carter, Antonio Davis, Jerome Williams, Alvin Williams and Hakeem Olajuwon in the middle. The heat has been turned up, the vise tightened, the noose fitted on the Rockets. Where do they go from here? Evidently to stand in line with a handful of other NBA clubs for their opportunity to genuflect in Olajuwon's presence and make him an offer he won't refuse. In other words, the Rockets have blown their hometown advantage and now must play real hardball with a local icon who feels -- rightly or wrongly -- disrespected and holds the cards with a flock of teams ready to poke at that open wound. Raptors say all right things New York, Indiana and Utah are another trio of suitors who are believed waiting to call on him and make their pitch in the coming few days. But none should cause as much concern to the Rockets as Toronto, which is putting on a full-court press. The hungry dinosaurs have the ability to sign Olajuwon straight up as a free agent, with no need for a sign-and-trade arrangement. Call this the recruiting dance Hakeem the Dream never experienced two decades earlier when a taxi dropped him off on the doorstep of the University of Houston and he simply decided to stay. This time it's about all of those tactics the college recruiters have been known to employ to land those blue-chippers -- backslapping, palm-squeezing and plenty of folding money on the side. What Olajuwon heard from the Raptors -- and soon from the others -- are the sweet nothings the Rockets have failed to whisper in his ear. The Raptors told him they still regard him as one of the elite centers in the NBA. They told him he was not utilized correctly last season when he rarely played half a game over the first half of the schedule. They told him they look at him as a linchpin to their lofty hopes of contending for the Eastern Conference title next season, rather than a 38-year-old with too many miles on his odometer. In short, they told him they believe. What the Rockets have been telling him, with their actions and their attitude, is that it's time to clear the decks for a new era of fresh faces. That was made clear when club owner Leslie Alexander sent word at the conclusion of the season that the new deal he would give Olajuwon was one year, $4.1 million. No more, no less, no negotiating. Olajuwon did not see that as his due appreciation for 17 years of service but merely cramming a commodity into a convenient slot. Not fitting to a T The Rockets' stance apparently has softened with the team now willing to discuss a two-year deal with agent Dan Fegan. But the question is still how far will it go? And is it too little, too late? Coach Rudy Tomjanovich is saying all the right things publicly, but there is still concern that it took intervention last February by Alexander into brokering the peace that resulted in Olajuwon dropping his trade demand and playing more. There is a sense that something always has been missing in the personal bond between the two, as evidenced by Rudy T's not offering Olajuwon a hug or a handshake or even a word of congratulations after he returned from what was supposed to be a crippling blood disorder to produce a season finale of 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists in what could have been his last game with the Rockets. Yes, it is about coddling, cajoling, cuddling up to highly paid athletes. This is news? For months, Olajuwon has let it be known he wants to feel wanted, to be courted, as it were. Call it pride. Call it vanity. Toronto came bearing everything to massage his ego, including a glossy brochure. The Knicks, Pacers and Jazz are lining up. Now it's getting late and the Rockets still need to take a shot. ------------------ [This message has been edited by crash5179 (edited July 19, 2001).]
And its Crash by a nose!! My low opinion of Blinebury makes me think the Dream is a lock for pajamas next year. ------------------
Wait, I'm confused: ya mean all it would've taken was a hug from Rudy? And a "you're the best" whispered in the ear during said hug? Allright, let's call Dan again... ------------------
Hakeem on the Jazz......now that's funny.......and....along with that.... Hell will freeze over..... The Padres will lose at Enron Field (ok, so they did once)........ JBIIROCKETS (I just wanted to get that Enron phrase out there) ------------------ You can put it on the BOARD.......YESSSSSSSSS! Chicago White Sox Announcer Ken Harrelson
Personally, if I had to overpay for an employee, then had to kiss his butt in front of the media and genuflect everytime his name was mentioned .... well, I think I would start to get a little pizzed. I want Hakeeem to be Rocket next year, but there are limits to anyone's patience. I'm long past mine. Let's take a deep breath while Green, er sorry .... Greed ... oops .... Deal ... damn ... Dream .... ah,takes another night to measure this towns loyalty to him. Pathetic. ------------------
Agree completely. ------------------ its not the hours you put in your work that counts, it's the work you put in the hours - alaskansnowman
Has Dream ever seen snow? ------------------ "For there is nothing either good or bad, thinking makes it so." - William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet
To bad the Raptors didn't start the process about 10+ days ago...I'd have loved to have seen Lenny Wilkins and the rest of the Raptors entourage canvassing thru Jordan.... Man, I hope the Rockets management sees thru this Fegan orchestrated charade. ------------------ Raef to Rocks in '01-'02! [This message has been edited by GATER (edited July 19, 2001).]
I really hope the Rockets don't cave only out of fear of alienating the fans in the face of dwindling attendance. People will always say certain things. Theoretical things like "the Rockets should resign Hakeem" or "I will be unhappy with the Rockets if they don't keep Hakeem". These are theoretical statements in an ontologicaly reality lacking cause and effect. While the fans may be unappy at losing Hakeem, this would be tempered and offset by all the extra winning the Rockets will be doing by not dumping resources into a black hole or a dead end. The fans may talk about their intrest in the Rockets being tied to Hakeem, but that's only empty nostalgia. Given time, the fans will show, through the attendance figures, that their intrest is only for a winner. [This message has been edited by Ottomaton (edited July 19, 2001).]
I don't see the Rockets doing any "extra winning" with Cato as the starting center. ------------------ Protrolls.com! Keep the ???? alive!
Hey it's that oeilpere guy! I agree 100%! ------------------ "Instruments are like women: After a while, you want to make love to another." - Nicolas Godin of the musical duo Air
Would I be impolite to ask how much winning you saw the Rockets doing with Dream over the next 2 years? And was it worth $20M? ------------------ Raef to Rocks in '01-'02!
Well the Rockets haven't exactly looked like a well-oiled machine the last 2 years WITH Dream. Screw this, Dream wants to be "happy" and "appreciated", the Rockets gave him millions of dollars, have showed him respect (the latest management), and are doing everything to keep him when a lot of other teams would have threw him aside. Look at what happened with Ewing in New York, and Mark Jackson in Indiana! Player that helped their team get to the Finals and were threw aside by their teams. If Dream wants to sign with Toronto, and the Rockets can't stop him, then let him go and get this over with. Then load up on some big men like Marc Jackson, and another cheap center, sign Axel Dench, get Collier into shape, re-sign our FAs and lets make a go at it! ------------------ "Instruments are like women: After a while, you want to make love to another." - Nicolas Godin of the musical duo Air [This message has been edited by RocksMillenium (edited July 19, 2001).]
I have a crappy car. It wasn't always a crappy car, but I have a tendancy to either do the minimal amount that needs to be done, or even better, ignoring the problem all together. If I'd accepted as each thing went wrong that parts were problematic, and stuff needed to be fixed, I could have done it. It would have hurt my wallet in the short term, and I really would have been put off by having to walk around while it was fixed, but I could have done it. Unfortunately, I felt like pretending that my car was as good as ever. Over time, the problems crept up on me, to the point that now I find that it would probably be more fruitfull to scrap the whole thing and get a new car, as there are too many problems to fix. It would really hurt to see the Rockets, in effect, 'patch' the center position with a short term, expensive solution that won't last, while waiting for other problems to crop up. [This message has been edited by Ottomaton (edited July 19, 2001).]
Not me. I flatter the Mrs. every chance I get. If she feels good about herself, I feel good. I guess Hakeem's 'ego' is getting in the way. I'd like to call it something else. IMO, this is merely a matter of understanding. Rudy and Dream just don't have that chemistry... that 'approachable' thingamabobby. I found out after I started drinking, that many of my friends had misunderstandings about whether or not I respected them when I didn't drink. They knew that I had alcoholism in my family, and inserted their own contempt into my eyes. It was a 'thing'... a thing that for some reason didn't get crossed until these same people saw me w/ a beer in my hand. I'm totally babbling, but my point is... I just don't see a great friendship between Dream and Rudy. Dream is clean. He prays to his GOD constantly, avoids alcohol, eats in accordance to his beliefs. Rudy seems like a recovering alcoholic. Rudy's not even old enough to have the 'father/son' sort of relationship that he could milk w/ Cat or someone. He is the sort of person that Charles would love, that 'real' guy in our culture that could tell you about hard life, etc. The people that I've met that find goodness so easy like Dream (conceivably... I don't know the guy), are IMO, hard to approach. What could he and Rudy talk about? Dream seems mechanical and pragmatic. Rudy: So what are you doing today Dream? Dream: I was thinking about praying in a couple of minutes, and then praying again a few more times. Rudy: You want to get some Barbe.. oh sorry. You want to go down to the veggie house? Dream: I'm eating with my family later. Rudy: Oh. Blah blah blah. I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. It just seems like if Dream had somebody on the team that was his same age, or had the same sort of habits, that person would have known that there was an issue on the horizon. If Clyde were on the team, or somebody that Dream could empathize with, Dream wouldn't think at all about leaving.
Huh? Blinebury's such a freaking moron if he thinks the Rockets haven't been kissing Dream's ass for the last 4 months. Does he not remember the "respect", "adoration", and "love" shown to Dream for the last game of the year? If Dream leaves b/c he wants respect, love, and adoration, he sure as hell ain't going to get it in Toronto. I'm sure Raptors fans will love, respect, and adore a guy that will miss at least 30 games this year while they dish out their $22 million for him. Let him go to Toronto, just watch how much love and adoration he'll get from the fans while he's injured and they're paying him an obscene amount of cash. I'm so happy our "Sports Icon" is making us bid for his services though...maybe we should rename the city after him? Would that be enough love and adoration for him? Here I was thinking the final game of this season was a strong showing of love and adoration, I guess I was wrong. Anyway, I'm calling bluff, Dream's going to stay a Rocket for the next 2 years, I just hope the Rockets don't give into this and overpay for him. ------------------ President of the CC.net Realist Club, everyone needs a dose of reality once in a while... [This message has been edited by Pete Rose Mobster (edited July 19, 2001).]
Hang on a minute- now, Cato is a "servicable" center? What? Funny how Cato is all of a sudden a decent player while Hakeem is being bashed like this. The Rockets did a lot more winning with Hakeem than without. Maybe you guys are contented with the 8th seed for the next five years, but I most certainly am not. ------------------ Protrolls.com! Keep the ???? alive!
