For all of those that think this was Rudy's decision, try reading this interview with Rudy just about a week ago. It sounds to me like a man that couldn't wait to get back on the court. Stepping down wasn't even on his mind. He was looking forward to the competition. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/1914558 May 17, 2003, 11:22PM Tomjanovich eager to get feeling again By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle Derek Fisher cried. Right there in a closeup nationally televised from Los Angeles to Rudy Tomjanovich's living room, Fisher, with three championship rings and a rich, seven-year contract in his pocket, felt the emotions rise within him and lost control. And Tomjanovich loved it. This is not to say that Tomjanovich took any particular joy in Fisher's pain or the end of the Lakers' dynasty. He, in fact, considered the delight many found in watching the Lakers' demise somewhat distasteful. But Tomjanovich, just back from a European scouting trip and checking out the playoffs on television, watched Fisher cry and was reminded again of the passion and dedication that still drives him. He might not have related Fisher's feelings Thursday night to the emotions that keep him and so many others coming back. He merely respected Fisher. But Tomjanovich had that afternoon undergone what he and his doctors hope was his final treatment for his bladder cancer. Tomjanovich did not celebrate. He really didn't feel ready to accept congratulations. In six weeks, he will undergo another biopsy to see if the six sessions of medication had removed the abnormal tumors from his bladder's lining. If his condition is as doctors expect, Tomjanovich will coach the Rockets again next season. At least that is his expectation. So he prepares for the draft, free agency and next season, and assumes little else. "Today I'm feeling good," Tomjanovich said Friday. "I had a good day at work. We did some real good stuff, crunched numbers, watched some tape. It was a positive day. I'm just trying to put good days together." Because Tomjanovich never had symptoms, he cannot say how well the treatments have worked. He feels better because he has taken care of himself so well. But a great deal must be on hold until after he gets his biopsy results this summer. "This (Thursday's completion of his treatments) is just a step," Tomjanovich said. "It's scheduled for six treatments, six weeks off, then another biopsy. That's the big day. Then a decision is made what course to take. "This isn't something I feel. I feel wonderful. I always had a pretty good diet. I improved it more. I really feel fantastic. I feel great. As far as energy and alertness, I've really been in a good mental state as far as not getting down. "It hurts when we're not in (the playoffs), especially this year with how close it was and all the things that happened. I've leveled off and have been having good meetings at work, doing tape work, stat work, some evaluating, going over numbers, debating basketball situations, trying to find ways to improve this team." Part of that was his scouting trip to Barcelona, Spain, to watch everyone from young draft-eligible players to veteran, potential free agents. He and his staff have been meeting for weeks to consider options. Though he would not say if they have reached decisions, never mind what they are, expect the Rockets to attempt to supplement the roster with established veterans, especially in the backcourt, rather than collect as many young talents as they have in recent seasons. But more than anything, Tomjanovich went back to work. He could relate to Phil Jackson, his health crisis and his feelings of rejuvenation. "It's a tough business," Tomjanovich said. "It takes its toll." And he could see the emotions on Fisher's face and look upon them with admiration. Tomjanovich probably would not allow himself to think this way yet, not until his next test results come in. But watching Fisher's emotions, he probably also missed them.
That could be possible, but it's much less plausible to Rudy just being forced out. Look at Toddie's article from just a week ago. Just out of the blue, Rudy decides to quit? This entire offseason, Rudy's talked about how he's going to act as if he's coming back, like it wasn't his choice. During the entire offseason, Les said he'd heavily evaluate things, that he wouldn't say what the future until later. One side, you have a guy that wants to come back and says he has the desire to come back. The other side, you have a guy not willing to comment on the other guy's future and saying he needs to strongly evaluate things. Then out of the blue, Rudy just decides he can't take it anymore? Let's be realistic here, perhaps I'm wrong in thinking that most people agree that Rudy was pushed out by Les since so many people are actually arguing that out of the blue Rudy wants to bail on this team. I think it's still pretty obvious how things went down though...
how has this thread moved to talking about the Yankees owner from a post by Newgirl who wrongly assumed we were calling Les the Yankees Owner and not a yankee owner (i.e. yankee=northener). he can spend that much b/c he makes that much! if you make half as much as george, are you still gonna spend like him? i doubt it, unless you have an insane personal fortune and you just love throwing it away. why do people never get this. i'm not saying you can't do a little deficit spending (b/c franchises usually sell for more than they were bought for, thus making up the difference), but people act like steinbrenner is some sort of great owner b/c he ponies up $170,000,000 while pulling in even more that $170,000,000. if i was making a profit off of massive cable deals b/c i'm in the media center of the world, i'd spend everything i could and put the best team out year after year and keep on winning and keep making money. there's a reason the yankees won before george, and there's a reason they'll win after him (assuming baseball never has a cap). b/c when you have a team in NY, that team has more money than everyone else (hell even the mets have an outrageous payroll).
Sorry for that. But it's not like it's totally out of topic. Apparently not everyone thinks like you because if that's the case for anyone, the Compaq Center wouldn't be half full during the lottory years. You (and everyone) should well REMEMBER that NBA is a business. Two goals of any sports organization is to compete and make money. That's what successful franchises aspire to do. BOTH. Whatever it takes. This is about business. The business is not interested in what is right or wrong, it's only interested in the BOTTOM LINE. The team owner is a businessman and he should be. And what's wrong with that? It's not your junior school team.
Rudy T. is the only guy I would trust in the owners seats. I just have this feeling Rudy T. would never threaten to move the team. So how much ice-cream would he have to sale to buy the Rockets? Passing the Rudy T for Owner collection plate around.... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- oh and "who is chucky brown?"...is that you charles barkley? http://www.chuckybrownfanclub.com/
I agree with you. Not everyone thinks like me. I'm aware that the NBA is a business. I'm also aware that the team owner is a businessman, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, businessmen can conduct business with honor, and integrity, or they can be loud, tasteless, meddling, and without class. Donald Sterling is a bussinessman, he appears to be concerned with his bottom line, and often doesn't resign good players because it costs too much. Does that make Sterling a good fit for a sports team that wants to win? Being loyal, classy, and doing what's right by both sides as a businessman should only help your business in the end. So as far as having class, and dignity, I would put that ahead of any business, especially one such as sports. If you think the bottom line is more important than principle, that's fine for you. Plenty of people do think like that.
Heypartner, How old are you? I don't like some of the moves Les made, and he is all about money, which I think is ultimately a bad thing, but you need to quit looking at this team like an adolescent who doesn't understand that pro sports is a business. It was Hakeem's time to go, and Hakeem's last contract was severly tilted in Hakeem's favor so no one has any right to complain about Les on that front. Firing Calvin Murphy was stupid, he obviously had no grasp of the popularity of Murph in this town. A very non Houstonian move on his part. And as far as Rudy T is concerned, the guy is only trying to improve this franchise. Maybe Rudy deserved another year to work with Yao, but Les doesn't want to wait. It is the perfect situation to move Rudy, this team is moving into a new arena, with new jerseys, and the last ties to the old championships have been severed. Its a new generation. Get over it. Its time for this guy to truly put his stamp on this team. The championships are linked to the old ownership group, coach and players. Les wants to make it with a team he can say he put together. Considering how much he payed for the Rockets, he deserves that.
pgabriel, quit treating me like an adolescent who assumes all moves by owners are good for the bottomline. I could have listed how Les screwed himself on raising ticket prices, too. you are making a non sequitor argument to assume that each of those moves helped make Les money. That is just so bogus. Les lost seats on Hakeem's move. Les blew that. That's a fact. CD got Nachbar out of it, but only because Hakeem wanted more money that the Mid Level Exception...which required a SnT. There is a valid argument that says that had Les and mgmt handled Hakeem better in his last years, Hakeem never wouldn't have moved, and an MLE probably would have been fine. Les knows he wanted Hakeem to stay. The team's inability to keep Hakeem cost Les on the bottomline...to argue otherwise is silly. If you want to make this about "understanding that pro sports is a business," then why don't you 'splain to us all why each move I listed made Les money. The thread is no different that Feigen's article about how Les will be judged by this first hire of his. If Les screws it up, he will pay on the bottomline, big time. Let me just explain a scenario, Brown comes in an alienates Francis, and they start bickering in public, but Francis can't handle it like Allen Iverson, and so one of either Brown or Francis has to go. Explain to me how that not-so-unimaginable scenario makes Les money. Every owner move does not make them money. And Les is no different. Talk about adolescent thinking.
If Rudy was forced out, then Les is a piece of ****, bottom line. Karma will come back to haunt organizations who treat their legends like that. I wonder if the same people would be saying "pro sports is a business" if Les decided to cut costs and not try to win. After all, it's just a business.
Heypartner, Do you think Hakeem is earning his money in Toronto? Would that be beneficial to the Rockets to have that contract? If the Rockets had Hakeem and his current contract, would that have helped ticket sales over the past two seasons, considering Hakeem has been non existent these past two seasons?
Les reminds me of Bud Adams. At least Houston finally got a good owner with McNair. Thank God! Go Texans!
Les is not "Bottom Line Bud." He is more than willing to spend the $$$ to make the Rockets a first-class organization. Where Les fails is in "people skills" and "public relations." More owners need to follow Cuban and the Maloof's lead. Like or dislike them, you have to respect guys who hand out their email address at games, and actually REPLY to questions sent in. The fans of the city of Houston would be a lot better off if we could Frankenstein the best bits of Les Alexander and Drayton McLane together into a single entity
I totally agree.....Les has made some horibble PR moves but at the same time ok'ed some popular moves. Or does any body remember Drexler, Barkley or Pippen. Yes Pippen. It was after he played here for a year and showd his true b**** colors it became a unpopular move. Or would every one prefer to have someone like the Clippers and Bengals owner
You just don't understand a thing, do you. Hakeem only left for $5m (market) because Les and mgmt pissed him off a year or more prior. Had they not, he might have gone for less; hell, he might have even signed for only one more year. But someone pissed him off one or two years before the free agency...and it took too long for Les to intervene. And Les did intervene. Like you asked me, "How old are you" pgabriel. I can't believe you honestly think losing Hakeem helped Les's bottomline...that is just silly. Regardless, even without signing him, we traded Shandon for $3m extra in salary. That would not have happened had Les first signed Hakeem, like he wanted to. Rice and Moochie's contracts offset anything you are talking about concerning the narrow-minded bottomline of a singular contract as a reason to let Hakeem go. pgabriel, you are not really going to sit there and tell me that Les did not want to sign Hakeem, and that he chose not to on salary reasons?? Hakeem left. rockHEAD's quotes said that Les had no chance. Les lost many tickets on that.
That's all speculation man. At that time, Kelvin Cato's making 7 million and the Admiral balked on a 5 million dollar deal that forced the Spurs to lose out on signing DA. There's no way to tell what management was going through with the Dream. What I do know is that w/o Dream, the Rockets lost enough games to win the lottery... As long as the Rockets win, there will be more people who like Les than hate him. The man is willing to spend and trade for star players. He might not be a great Houstonian, but as an owner, he has my respect.
