At least he's giving me material...

I was going to ignore it. I really, really was.
I mean, I already gave this guy a forum last week.

And I generally try to ignore the no-talent assclowns that walk the Earth. Alas, this I could not let this go. More evidence that Richard Justice is a complete tool.

I had a creepy feeling watching Ron Artest get that wild ovation when the Rockets introduced him Monday. It just doesn't seem right. This guy has been a poster boy for bad behavior, with everything from domestic violence to animal neglect to punching out a fan. He has been suspended 10 times

Uhhh, since when do we expect our athletes to be choir boys? Allow me to repeat after Charles Barkley - athletes are NOT role models. The city of Houston is extremely lucky to have guys like Yao Ming, Shane Battier, Luis Scola and even Tracy McGrady as representatives of our team. They are good people. Very good people. But let's face it, the cliche usually is true - nice guys finish last. I'm sick of supporting a team that comes up just short and is accepting of such a fate.

Also, it's not like Artest is the only NBA player ever accused of domestic violence, either. One such guy just so happened to represent our freakin' country the last few weeks at the Olympics (yeah, I'm looking at you, Jason Kidd.) And suspensions? Kobe Bryant has been suspended a handful of times, too - is Richard Justice suggesting that he wouldn't be good enough for the Rockets? If it is the Detroit brawl that bothers him so much, I'd love to see how li'l Dickie reacts if someone threw beer at him while he was at his desk typing that dreck he calls "journalism"!! Sorry, but if you throw beer at me, you better expect retaliation. And I'm not a thug. That said - I am not holding Artest out to be a beacon for all that is good and pure about humanity and/or basketball. I just think his personality is something the team has sorely needed for a LONG time...

Yet he's our guy now, and because he might help the Rockets get out of the first round of the playoffs, let's let the good times roll. I'm know I'm out of step on this. I know most of you would be happy to have O.J. Simpson if he could still be productive.

Did you just compare Ron Artest to O.J. f--kin' Simpson??? Yeah, getting in a fight when some jackass throws beer at you is completely analogous to brutally killing your ex-wife and her boyfriend. Sure. (Enter Mr. Chris Rock: "I ain't sayin' it was right... but I understand." And I'm talking about Artest there, not O.J.)

You dislike how the Astros place a premium on character. You think the Texans are naive for not wanting Tank Johnson, Cedric Benson or Pacman Jones. You love the Rockets. They're all about winning. Character be damned.

No, we think the Texans are smart for not going after players that cost too much and probably won't help us win. Quit listening to the peanut gallery, RJ. Oh, and yes, I do love the Rockets. Thanks for noticing. But character is just one factor. Hakeem Olajuwon wasn't exactly a choir boy. Neither were Vernon Maxwell, Robert Horry or Charles Barkley (yeah, remember he was a Rocket for a while...).

The Astros haven't exactly been perfect either. Let me be the first to say in the blogosphere that I am shocked the name "Bagwell, Jeff" was not in the Mitchell Report. Aside from Craig Biggio... the Astros have had a lot of shady characters pass through - I mean, Ken Caminiti was just the tip of the iceberg for Astros that had "problems" with drugs, alcohol, women, etc.

I understand the move from a basketball standpoint. Ron Artest makes the Rockets better. For GM Daryl Morey, it's a no-brainer.

Yeah, Daryl Morey has a job... and "winning" is a huge part of the job requirements. Plus, he's like a genius or something. Not that you'd ever be able to relate to that, Dickie. Ron Artest DOES make the Rockets better. And if you haven't noticed, we live in a society that places a premium on winning. We tend to like winners. Again, not that you'd know anything about that, RJ. Though I guess you would be the expert on what is or is not a "no-brainer" - you have the requisite lack of that...

I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around Les Alexander allowing this guy on his team. Is winning that important? Does character no longer count for anything?

Maybe Les Alexander likes winning, too?!?!?! It's not rocket science here (though I'll be sure to add "rocket science" to the list of things that you'd probably also have trouble wrapping your mind around...)

And maybe, just maybe, Ron Artest isn't the monster you want to make him out to be. Yes, I know if he were that it would make it *so* much easier for you to write columns and sell papers. Maybe that's why you are so disappointed. God forbid you actually offer an original and unique opinion that doesn't tend towards Yellow Journalism.

Hey! I have an idea! Maybe you and Jay Mariotti can start your own little club... I hear he's looking for work now. Or do you get too much of a kick insulting innocent people who have the audacity to comment on your blog and actually offer up legitimate discussion points?

Mr. Justice... FOAD. Thank you.

Just to clarify - this guy is a no-talent assclown

I usually hesitate to post entries that don't have at least some tangential connection to the Houston Rockets or the NBA... but this has to be shared. We rip on him here all the time, and most anyone who reads the Houston Chronicle can't be surprised, but Richard Justice continues to be a no-talent assclown .

For a professional writer/journalist... the display of hubris and immaturity here is actually quite impressive. It also makes me sad that this is the guy hired to "cover" the professional sports teams that I spend so much energy supporting.

Not even Michael Bolton was this much of an assclown... and at least he won grammies.

Once more, with gusto - FU, Richard Justice!

Hey, assclown, er, Richard Justice - could you please stop writing like a 12 year old who got a pony for Christmas???

Your Luis Scola article earlier this week practically ripped off an earlier Chron profile on Scola (that you did not write).

Your columns/blog on the Rockets streak exposes you as nothing but a bandwagon fan who is covering for the fact that you weren't around to write about victories 1-12.

Meanwhile, today's column on "McGrady's finest hour" is the journalistic equivalent of masturbation.

It must really take some huge cojones to begin a column about McGrady and the Rockets by interjecting yourself into the very story you are reporting on.

TRACY McGrady wants to know if I'm the guy who accused him of "bailing out" last season. He knows I am, and he says it so playfully that I figure it's his way of breaking the ice and telling me it's time to let bygones be bygones.

Wow.

So, let me see here... it's not that the Rockets are just really, really good. It's not that they are a team of dedicated professionals expertly crafted and assembled together by our boy genius GM, Daryl Morey. It's not that they are winning because they have to just to make the playoffs. No - they are on a 19 game winning streak because your comments gave Tracy McGrady a chip on his shoulder. Wow.

Of course, the entire rest of your column is nothing but a re-hash of things already written about previously by your co-workers (Jerome Solomon, Jonathan Feigen, even freakin' Blinebury).

It's pretty clear that DGDB&D was right about you all along. You really are a no-talent assclown.*


* this is not meant to be an insult to no-talent assclowns everywhere. I'm sure they do not want to be associated with Mr. Justice either.

We've been saying this for months... and years!!

Hey, Jerome Solomon, I like you. I like your blog on chron.com (the only Rockets "news" worth reading on the Chronicle's page). You seem more grounded in reality than Richard Justice.

BUT - stop espousing ideas about how Rafer is "inconsistent" and is the main problem with the Rockets like it is an original idea. Yeah, I saw your post today on Rafer. I wonder if you've seen the hundred or so "Rafer Alston sucks" entries we've made here. And we've been saying he sucks and is the problem for three years now. We just didn't use this blog as the main forum for our complaints until this past November.

Seriously, just click on the "Rafer Alston sucks" tag below and see how we've beaten you to this conclusion many times before today's little diatribe!!

What is the word I'm looking for? Oh, yeah - "idiot"!!

Anna-Megan Raley has now turned her attention to the Rockets.

God help us.

Today's gems:

"The Rockets have won three in a row. With Tracy McGrady back for the last three games, it seems the Rockets have found their way. With a pair of wins over Seattle and a victory at home over the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, it seems as if the Rockets have their act together again."

Ummmmm... McGrady is clearly still hobbling; Seattle is possibly the worst team in the NBA and the Spurs don't pay too much attention to regular season games in January. I fail to see how this is evidence that the "Rockets have their act together again" - clearly Ms. Raley has not watched Rafer or Luther play lately. And she must have fallen asleep watching American Idol during the Hornets and Sixers games.

"The Rockets are 23-19, a winning record, of course, but they play in the best division in the best conference in the NBA."

23-19 is a winning record? Holy shit - I had no idea!

"They are fourth in the Southwest Division, and they've got to make up a lot of ground."

Please tell me she doesn't actually think our goal is still to win the Southwest Division. We are not leap-frogging Dallas, San Antonio or the Chris Pauls. It's time to re-adjust our level of expectations. Insert Jim Mora rant here.

"The Rockets play 10 games before the All Star break. They will face only five teams with losing records. Three of those games are on the road."

My favorite. Let's think about this logically - if we play 10 games, the odds would dictate that half would be against winning teams and the other half would be against losing teams, right? Oh, and yes, I should point out for Anna-Megan's benefit that in this instance, "half" equals "5". So, this isn't exactly a statistical anomaly. Granted we do get 7 games at home, but we were on the road for what seems like all of 2007. Law of averages and shit. I bet she'd be surprised to learn that when the season is over, exactly 41 of our games will have been at the House that Hakeem Built.

"Despite the rough spots and Adleman's disappointment over the inconsistency, here's what I'd like to know: Do you think the Rockets will make the playoffs, and if you do, do you think they'll advance beyond the first round?"

Uhhhh, I think Ricky has a reason to be disappointed. The team is about 15 games behind the expected pace! Yes, the Rockets will make the playoffs, but at best the 6th or 7th seed. Which would NOT make us a favorite to advance beyond the first round. That would practically make us roadkill! Unless we get moved to the Eastern Conference. What kills me in this "report" is that at no time is it mentioned that if the playoffs started today, WE WOULD NOT BE IN THE PLAYOFFS!!! So, uh, yeah, there's reason for concern!

Rockets v. Trailblazers* tonight. Go Rockets!

* note: if the playoffs did start today, the Blazers would be in the playoffs. You're welcome, Anna-Megan.

Rafer is about as consistent as Eli Manning

To paraphrase Mr. Garrison...

Jesus Tap-Dancing Christ, what do I have to do to get people to understand how much Rafer Alston sucks?!? Now I have the Houston freakin' Chronicle publishing articles about how the Rockets are "more consistent" with Rafer Alston as the PG.

You've gotta be f--king kidding me! Let's see, Rafer is the starting PG for a drastically underachieving team that's 17-17 (or .500 for those of you who like percentages and shit). The Rockets were projected to compete for the best record in the West. With McGrady and Yao, they were expected to make a strong push for playoff success. Instead, the newly "consistent" Rafer has "led" the team to the 4th best record in its own division, and would currently be on the outside looking in for the playoffs.

That aside, today's Rafer-themed article in the Chron is a puff piece for mediocrity.

Rafer: "We put in a lot of work. I think it's starting to show."

Hey, Rafer, by "starting to show" do you mean your 39% shooting? Or your 31% shooting behind the arc? Or your 62% free throw percentage? Or your two turnovers a game average? Enlighten me, please, for I must know what you have actually "improved" on this year.

Rafer: "I think I'm getting a better angle and more arc on the runners and the floaters," ... "I'm getting more spin when I put it off the glass. I give myself a better chance to make."

Holy shit - you aren't talking about that "tearput" shot of yours, are you? Urgent and horrifying news story: Rafer, you still can't make that shot. Stop taking it! Do I need to have all 8 of your bosses give you copies of that memo? Making 1-in-10 is not marked improvement. Or at least, not enough improvement to matter.

Maybe I need to contact the guy over at the Larry Hughes blog to dedicate some space to your shot selection as well..........

Oh, wait, there's more - it gets better:

"You're always aware of the criticism," Alston said. "But I thought of it like a football player. We have franchise players on our team, but I'm still the quarterback, and if the team loses, the quarterback is going to get the criticism. I felt that as a point guard on any level, you're going to get the criticism, because you spearhead the team, set the tone for the team. I listen to it here and there. It's funny to me. It's just opinions. If someone calls in and says, 'We got to get rid of Alston,' that's one person's opinion. The next person could call in and say 'Alston is really good.' You have to be a strong-minded person. That's what I am. I can deal with all the criticism."

Dude, you are barely 6' tall and are even skinnier than me (which is saying something). To compare yourself to a football player is laughable (unless you are comparing yourself to David Carr. That might actually be appropriate.) And I wouldn't hold my breath waiting to hear someone say "Alston is really good" - this isn't the And-1 league. I just hope that this "criticism" you are hearing is the ranting and raving this blog has done to get your ass traded. FYI, Aaron Brooks is outplaying you. He's a midget. And he'd have your job if Ricky wasn't so afraid of rookies.

More from Ricky:

"I think Rafer's really done a nice job in the last week and a half, two weeks doing that," coach Rick Adelman said. "I think he has a mindset because of the opportunities there. The way teams are trying to defend us, it's going to be open. If we set a good screen for him, or any of the guards, if they're going to put two guys on Yao, there's no one to help, and he can attack the basket. We have to do it that way. We have to attack."

Problem is... Rafer still doesn't attack the basket. (Indirect evidence of McGrady's "leadership"?) One layup against Orlando does not change an entire reputation. And you still took the shot too early! And you're always open because the best defense against Yao is to let you chuck 3s all day. Sometimes they even hit the rim!

Oh, here's the grand finale:

"I was struggling with the 3. I thought I could do something I've been known for through my life, that's being a penetrating guard," Alston said. "What helps is I'm finishing at a high percentage right now, driving to the basket, being able to finish with both hands. Then it opens up my jump shot. Now, they have a tendency to close out on me short, knowing I'm driving more, and I get a better look at the 3 ... We've worked since training camp, Coop, Kenny and I, on different finishes, different spins, putting more arc on the ball. They felt I could finish better around the rim and I'm doing so."

First... your struggles with the 3 are decidedly not in the past tense. You still suck at it. And if finishing 50% of your layups is a "high percentage" - you've been talking to Bonzi too much. Furthermore, the LAST thing we want is for your jump shot to be open - it means you aren't passing it to Yao enough.

I have never seen someone so satisfied with themselves when their team is playing badly. Yeah, you've won 4 of 6. But there are initial 28 other games you still have to make-up for, Rafer.

What next... an article in the Chron praising McGrady's toughness? I can almost sense Yao seething.

current record: 17-17; game 3 of projected 4 game winning streak is tomorrow night versus Washington (sans Agent Zero).