Thanks Achebe....by the way is your name a take on Chinua Achebe of "Things Fall Apart" fame? ------------------ Ignorance is very expensive
Yes. I fell in love w/ his work in a Major African Authors class (Wole Soyinka, Gordimer, Ngugi Wa Thiongo, Mahfouz, etc). Our professor Dr. Sengova was from Sierra Leone, he taught us a lot about the Biafran War, Soyinka and Achebe's lives and work. It was a great, great class. Are Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka as famous in Nigeria as they are elsewhere? It seems as if the militaristic government probably would have flaunted Soyinka as the evil dissident and continually reread Achebe's work trying to find the complaints in Anthills of the Savannah, Man of the People, Things Fall Apart, etc. [This message has been edited by Achebe (edited July 12, 2001).]
Oh Yes! they are both very famous indeed. National treasures. Soyinka Lectures at UNLV now. You correctly diagnosed the then military government's spin on him, but that was only because he spoke out against everything they stood for and rightly so. He was invited to go on a lecture circuit around the states....he took it and now visits Nigeria occasionally. Chinua Achebe I believe teaches at Harvard University...I also know that he is currently in a wheel chair. Its funny you mention the Biafran War....My father fought in it on the Nigerian side....he got shot in the leg too. He was assasinated along with the then President of Nigeria (Murtala Muhammed) in a military coup in Feb. 1976. Those days are long over though. Hakeem's really causing an uproar down in Houston huh? If he gets what he wants(if thats the case, 'cos really only he knows whats up) then he'd better put up on the court....that way all these nay-sayer's in here will shut-up.....everyone is so fickle minded....nothing a couple of good games (from him) won't cure. ------------------ Ignorance is very expensive
I think Dream will be fine, the team will be fine and Houston will be fine. This board just needs the occassional soap opera. They act as if they know Dream's temperament, or even if the Rockets and Dream have even spoken. It's pretty amusing, to be honest. You mentioned 'down in Houston', Wale. Where are you located now?
Oh btw, the board will most definitely announce their unadulterated undying love by 11/15. The same naysayers who acted as if Dream wasn't allowed to ask for minutes this past Feb/March are the same people that jumped on his bandwagon when he went torrential when Rudy finally did give him minutes. *sigh* Dream could play until his mid 40s with these new rules and with that new knee. Houstonians should honor such a treat and quit playing the "break up w/ her before she breaks up w/ me" game.
I live in College Park, MD. near my alma mater, the University of Maryland at College Park....home of Stevie "winkie" Francis and Terrence Morris. I work in Tysons Corner, Mclean Virginia in the IT Industry. I've been a rocket fan since 1986 when they started broadcasting Rockets games in Nigeria (obviously 'cos they made the finals that year) Larry Bird became real huge in Nigeria because of that. I met Hakeem when I was 13 years old in 1988....and became an even more devoted fan....came to the States for College and have been a major rockets fan since. You? ------------------ Ignorance is very expensive
I was late to discovering the Rockets... I grew up in Charleston and now live in Utah. During the late 80s I became a huge Barkley fan, and followed his career for the next several years. In 94, I saw something that I hadn't had an opportunity to watch before... 'the dance', aka the Dreamshake. The beauty of a player with soccer playing abilities handling a basketball was sheer poetry. Hakeem gained my respect, for his professionalism, his athleticism, and of course those wise old manesque barbs he'd sneak out from time to time. As he aged, he came more into my line of vision w/ the Barkley trade. Everything seems to have costs and benefits. I became a bigger fan of Dream, while at the same time Charles probably got in his way. All the while though that Charles perhaps kept Dream from gaining a few more titles, I suppose that at least we still got to see that shake here and there, that sheer dominance. I'd like to pretend that maybe Charles extended Dream's career. We'll see Dream again. Maybe this time, as Dream is that anthill on the savannah, he can show the bunnies how it was when he won the title. [This message has been edited by Achebe (edited July 12, 2001).]
What the **** are you talking about? ------------------ Rockets need power forward. Mo near now. Go near Mo. You can Run from the bet, you can Rave at the bet...but you just can't hide.
Yep, I am one of those who has been frustrated with Hakeem dogging it in the regular season since after the 1st ring. I put up with it, because we were a perennial playoff team, and needed him to be healthy and strong for the playoffs. That is not the case anymore. We need him to play like Feb/March all season long to make the playoffs. Why didn't he start the season like that last year?! The mere fact that he showed that Feb/March play makes me think he holds back even more. It makes me second-guess most of these injuries, and makes me think he didn't really like to share the court with Barkley. Because he is as fickle about his role as I am. But don't call me a bandwagoner, simply to make you feel more worthy of Dream's great games. Wale so you were 1 yr old when you lost your father. Did I read that correctly? I can't imagine what that is like. Did your family ever get to return? Are you following Dream's negotiating stance right now? Do you have any input into the personality of a man making such a maneuver?
I was 6 months old. My Dad was 29, my Mum 25. We never left. My Mum raised me herself. She became a Petroleum Engineer and later moved onto the Administrative aspects of the Industry. She did well for herself....hence been able to afford my College fees here in the States. The whole thing happened like a movie. It happened like this....Picture JFK's assasination, thats exactly what it was like....Friday the 13th of Feb. 1976, 3:10pm ....The motorcade was rolling along, the president at the time did not like using sirens....he was very low profile...my Father was his ADC (Aide-de-camp, military for personal assistant or right hand man...so he's always gotta be at his side).....and then out of no where gun men appear and hit the limo with a hail of bullets killing the President, his orderly and driver. My Father actually survived but followed his Military instincts to come out and fire back (bad move in retrospect), he then got shot numerous times and died. The limo is still in a museum in Lagos Nigeria till this day with his Hat on the floor of the car untouched. I do not think any of you are probably aware of this incident. Its one of the Major catastrophe's in Nigerian history. ------------------ Ignorance is very expensive
Dream I hope will remain in Houston. I would be totally shocked if he left. He loves it there. Both sides just need to come to a compromise. He is a proud man that realizes that the Franchise is moving on but that it is also on the brink of getting back to that perenial championship contender level. He would be unwise to leave. He definitely does not need the money ....he is a pretty successful business man in his own right and is worth dare I say hundreds of millions......the man owns a very succesful construction firm in Nigeria and Saudi-Arabia amongst other business ventures and has ties to the Saudi Royal Family.....thats why I laugh when everyone in here makes such a big deal of how much he wants to get paid. I don't think he's stalling because of the dollar amount on his contract. ------------------ Ignorance is very expensive
If money is no the issue, then he is stalling because he doesn't trust Rudy. That is the only explanation in my mind. Dream wants the offense run through him. He is rich beyond rich; proud beyond proud; won't leave Houston; so...... ....what? He wants to compete, still. He is not ready to be a business man full-time. He wants to make sure Rudy will let him compete on his terms. To me, this is becoming a matter of respect...which icon is disrespecting the other. Rudy wants to compete, too. He wants to compete on his terms, which is the love for constructing offenses and teams around stars; the best get their shot, just like Rudy the player did. Rudy's respect now is through the respect his players have for him. He has more to consider than making Dream happy with offensive strategy demands. So, what if Dream demands respect? Can Rudy, the other franchise ICON, demand respect, too. Is Dream disrespecting Rudy, by asking for ultimate respect? Dream already felt the need to call Rudy and apologize on a talk radio show. What kinda games is this man, who has no need for money, really playing? Sign a one-yr Dream. We will give you a one-yr every year until you say quit. We will involve you like in March. That may or may not mean you get the last shot every night. Fair enough. Just sign the one yr. Don't make us risk our future on you going down with another injury, if not a career-ending injury. Just sign a one yr. And play some ball.
Whoa Crispee! I couldn't have said it any better. I think you just hit the nail right on the head. Its gotta be respect. Hakeem just wants to be involved more deeply than Rudy's probably willing to allow. The 1 yr thing looks good to me. It'll all work out I'm sure. ------------------ Ignorance is very expensive
...agreed. I would change it slightly to say "...than Rudy's probably capable of allowing," since he has other players to respect as well. [This message has been edited by crispee (edited July 12, 2001).]
According to a report in another thread, Robinson got a 2 year deal for a total of $25 million. If Hakeem is asking for $20 over two years and settles for less, is everybody happy? I doubt it. How much of a change is Hakeem supposedly asking for? Is he asking for more than he got in the second half of the season last year? If not, what's the big deal? I thought the balance last year was very nice. No offense, but how well does OP really know what Hakeem wants? Does he know better than Rudy who had a big "misunderstanding" with Hakeem in the first part of last year as to what Hakeem wanted? As usual, there is way too much conjecture as to who will or won't do what and exactly what everyone is thinking. ------------------
I think the Rockets have done everything they can to try and work things out. Its time to move on and take care of other business. July 18th is rapidly approaching and the available FA list is rapidly shrinking. Lock up the guys that want to play in Houston. If Hakeem wants to return he'll open up communication. Personally, I think he doesn't want to return (why I don't know). He wants the Rockets to renounce him...thus, the blame is put on the Rockets organization for not wanting to re-sign him. ------------------
David Robinson played 160 games the past 2 seasons. Hakeem played 102 games in the same span. Robinson is also 2 years younger than Hakeem. Hakeem has missed time due to his blood condition on multiple occassions. Robinson has also posted better numbers in those 2 years. So paying a player who has an existing health condition, misses an average of 29 games per season (based on last 2 years), and is older $20 million for 2 more years is a bit outrageous. The Rockets just offering him $5-7 million for one year demonstrates their respect and appreciation. How many other teams out there will be willing to pay that? ------------------ [This message has been edited by SlamN (edited July 12, 2001).]
