Is this really necessary? Commenting on the Rockets only committing 10 turnovers last night: "Geez, my Lord," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said of that anomaly. "National holiday: Rockets pass to themselves. That's good." http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2388612 I mean, I can completely understand if you want to criticize your players in the media, even if I believe that Van Gundy went too far calling out their hearts. However, if you're going to go that route when they're playing bad, you must compliment them after playing a great game. No reason to be sarcastic. I'm really starting to have a problem with the way he's handling things. He seems to be on the other side of the spectrum as Rudy T when what we really need is somewhere in the middle.
My point exactly....he's a little b|tch. Remember when they were playing the Bulls one game and he was crying about how Jordan is your best friend while having dinner, but is the exact opposite once he's on the court. It wasn't as if he was just stating this fact, he was crying about how he thought their friendship was over or somethint to that extreme. He basically acted like some 5-year old girl that just found out Santa doesn't exist, there is no tooth-fairy, or whatever the hell parents are feeding their kids these days. .....get some sleep b|tch. ......once you do, stop going to the fvckin' media every time you or one of your players have a brain fart.
..."Geez, my Lord," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said of that anomaly. "National holiday: Rockets pass to themselves. That's good."... looks smart? poor ROCKETS' coach...just bury your ego. Don't be the star. Be the star maker!
Oh yeah absolutely, we'd rather have Steve say nothing is wrong with this team then prove the other way around. Or how about "we played well we just weren't hitting our shots." Or maybe we own the Dallas Mavs. Everybody on this team not named Yao Ming ran their mouths off to the media every other day. JVG is the only one being singled out for it. Coach is far from perfect, but at least he takes his job seriously, whereas our players just think of it as a joke.
I agree with most of what you said above. To win consistently in this league, you must have discipline and JVG is the right person for that job. However, I do want our players to run their mouth off as long as they can back it up with action. There is nothing more intimidating than a trash-talker who dominates.
I know you are, but what am I? Dude, I bet you liked getting called out in class by an overbearing teacher didn't you? By the way, I said he was a lot worse than what you said... He's a punk. A 4' 10", Gargamel lookin' punk. HE should be gone.
As a matter of fact, I did like getting called out by an overbearing teacher. Without some of them I might not have gotten to where I am today. That's what's wrong with this country nowadays. Way back, you act like a clown you get hit by a ruler. Now, you as much as touch your own kid, morons from the child care services are there to b*tch at you. That's how we got all these bunch of spoiled brats. That's how we have kids with semi automatic rifles shooting other kids in high schools. Then what do we call them? Juvenile deliquents. You mean to tell me a 16 yr old DOESN'T know shooting somebody is wrong? Give me a freakin' break. What does what JVG looks like has to do with his coaching abilities? To even suggest a link between the two shows ignorance. A contract is a contract is a contract. In any other field, you break a contract you pay money or go to jail. In any other job, you tell your boss off you get fired. What is so hard for people here to understand? Some of you Steve only fans really are pathetic.
Man, I was going to stop posting in this thread, but I'd call it unlikely that Francis has actually broken some part of his contract. I think the only relevant part of his contract is that he'd acquiesce to the suspensions, fines, and other penalties leveled against him by the team or league for policy violations. Which he did. At worst, he's violated a policy, not a contract. I hope you can appreciate the difference. It's a bit of hyperbole that in any other field you'd pay money or go to jail for violation of a contract. For one thing, you wouldn't actually go to jail unless you committed a crime. You could be sued for damages. But even there, for a violation as minor as this would be (if we were to characterize it as a contract violation), most likely the two parties would reconcile without any action. Not that a party wouldn't technically be in some kind of violation, but for the most part, the offended party wouldn't go to such extreme measures for a such a slight injury. If we were to compare this to any other job, I know I could have the same spat with my own boss and suffer no disciplinary repercussions at all. If you're comparing Francis' situation with your own job and think you'd be fired for this, I think you need to change your employer. So I guess that's all why this is so hard for some people to understand. It's because when we compare the situation with the norm in NBA life (did you read about how Kobe Bryant was a no-show for the Philly game? How long a suspension is that worth?), the norm in contractual relationships and the norm in employment relationships, it really is not a big deal. Francis' work was not up to expectations on one day and his boss disciplined him for it. He's still happy with Francis as a worker. So why make a big deal out of it?
Yes it is a hyperbole. But I don't know what company you work for. If you break a company policy, you get a warning (followed by some form of punichment). Then if you lie about it and tell the boss off, being directly insubordinant (sp?), you get fired. It wasn't a big deal that he broke the rule (although it should be) and I didn't blame him for it. What I have problem is people blaming JVG and Steve lying about it. That clearly crossed the line.
The fact is both parties messed up. I think just about every other coach in the NBA knowing the Super Bowl is in your city and your next game is the following day, only a short plane ride away would have given the players a choice to stay in town and enjoy the game or leave in advance. But JVG justed wanted to show he was in charge. This is by in no means to say Steve wasn't wrong. It's just saying both are wrong. JVG has just as many championships as Steve. I don't care about play-off or Finals trips. That means nothing. In sports you have 1 winner (except divisionn I college football), and the rest are losers. So JVG has just as much to prove as Steve. I just feel that even if this team makes it to the play-offs and gets bumper in the 1st round, JVG is going to go to Les and CD and say the team should be built around Yao which means Steve has to go. At that point, it will be JVG or Steve that has to go.
Observations- Both Jeff Van Gundy and Steve Francis have been frustrated by the play of the team. I believe this is compounded by the tension that Van Gundy brought to the team by expecting them to make changes, esp. Steve, that were hard to implement. Van Gundy is not concerned that much with diplomacy and what we think about him. He is not a players coach. Fine that's who he is. Steve needs stroking at times and less pressure, but he has handled Van Gundy's expectations pretty well. The team has looked very intense defensively at times and for stretches, more intense than I have ever seen this group. They were over acheiving some on the defensive end, because they haven't been that lock down tight defensively in the past. That explains why some nights they revert to the matador defense. And play softer. When the team plays tough lock down defense and shoots the ball good they roll over teams. When the team plays tough lock down defense and struggles shooting they at least stayed in games. When they play looser on defense they lose, period. This is not easy on Steve, he has tried hard to please Van Gundy. It is not easy on Van Gundy he has tried to develop a consistant intensity and toughness in the team. For what ever reason it is now becoming more of an open conflict and I think most of that has to do with the teams record and inconsistant play. Steve has not been shooting well all season. At times he is moving the ball around exceptionally well. At times he has played more in control and cut down on turnovers. But give Steve credit he has at least tried to improve in these areas. However I don't think Steve likes Van Gundy or the higher expectations. I believe Van Gundy wants the team to get more focused and intense night in and night out because that is the only way they are going to become a top 5 team and contend for the championship. I do not think Van Gundy wants to settle for a playoff seed, he wants the ring and he is focused on it. I don't know if the Rockets will become the mentally tough defensive shut down team that I think Van Gundy envisions, but I like the idea. Whether Van Gundy lasts here or not he will not change because he knows that it is not good coach/player relationships that make a team great but, great players playing great. The Rockets need a truce and a sharp focus. When Shaq and Kobe fought they made a truce, got a sharp focus and won a championship. If this is as ugly as it gets keep Francis and Van Gundy and give it some more time. If things keep deteriorating on the court... Something has to change.
I agree with initiator of this post - MFW2310 And I like comments by myotta. This is a power struggle - no-one is going anywhere - SF will and should loose. The COACH is the leader of this team not the PLAYER. The Coach clearly selected this moment because of more than just missing the plane - that's obvious - because (1) it's clear the punishment does NOT fit the crime and (2) all the commentary afterwards. Coach is not going to let SF settle into a comfort zone - and he will not hesitate to use the media to put heat on SF - and he is right to do so. In this case confict is good - it comes from competitive drive - a desire to win. JVG is all about winning and he's not afraid to engage media to pressure players directly and indirectly - that's good new for Rox fans who want to see wins.
Maybe Steve is beginning to feel that there simply is NO PLEASING JVG that no matter what he or the team does . .they guy is gonna cut them down Where people say rudy was too soft there is such a thing as too hard If you only get critisism . .. after awhile you become insensative to it and don't care Rocket River
Oh please. JVG is just against lil' Stevie Francis because he hates him. Is it because Steve is shorter than some players? Is it because he's black? Is it because Steve slept with his wife? Get real. Coach choker didn't have a problem with JVG up in NYC. When JVG's job was on the line, he even defended him, as did the rest of the team. There has been absolutely no evidence coach ever purposely tried to mess up a player's career. Nor did JVG over-criticize Steve. At the beginning of this season, when Steve was getting bashed (rightfully so) left and right, coach stuck up for him. He blamed himself for the team's lack of performance more than he blamed the team. All the times he stick up for Steve don't get mentioned. The first time he criticize Steve in public and he turns into a tyrant. Nice.
Beatifully said. And as stated many times before, I'm no SOF, YOF... I'm Rockets Only Fan that has no reason to buy into a coach with no real proven promised land leadership that acts like a jerk. How that has to do with kids and "semi automatic rifles" beats me. Go Yao, Go Steve, Go Rockets, Go away JVGOF!
Funny thing, the "coach with no real proven promised land leadership that acts like a jerk" has taken his team MUCH further than the "player with no real proven promised land leadership that acts like an idiot." What does that tell you about the player? Unless you can't read, in which you shouldn't bother to post, the "semi automatic rifles" comment was quite self - explanatory.
