A week ago the Rockets were 6-1 and at the top of SI's power rankings...
6 days later - we're 6-5. After a 10 point loss to the Suns.
Fuck!
Hold on - was that a Stevie Franchise sighting??? It was!
3-11 shooting in 23 minutes... ah, Stevie is back. And still not passing the ball.
The Rockets have gone from 6-1 to 6-3 in the last few days (Memphis?!? Really?).
Tracy McGrady is hurt and might miss a week or so.
We have to face Dallas, San Antonio and Phoenix in our next three games - oh, joy.
On Tuesday, Marbury and his Knicks lost to the Suns. No shame in that. The Knicks suck. The Suns kind of do not. Apparently Stephon was informed on the plane flight afterwards that he was being replaced by some dude/chick named Mardy Collins. Sure, I can understand him not being happy about this. Starbury is the last person in the NBA to learn that he sucks. So, what does Steph do? Oh, I'll let the AP tell you:Upon hearing [from Eddy Curry] that he would back up second-year guard Mardy Collins, Marbury marched toward the front of the plane to meet with [Isiah] Thomas. Five minutes later, an enraged Marbury told his teammates that if he wasn't starting he wouldn't suit up for the game. But it was something else Marbury said that stunned his teammates...
"Isiah has to start me," Marbury fumed, according to the source. "I've got so much
(stuff) on Isiah and he knows it. He thinks he can (get) me. But I'll (get) him first.
You have no idea what I know."
So I get all excited to learn that Stephon might tell some good gossip that somehow wasn't brought forth during this summer's trial? But... what happens next? Stephon gets fined. $195k.
Instead of taking a stand for what he apparently believes in, Stephon gets on a plane and comes back. No gossip spoken. No dirt on Isiah. No use of the word "bitch" (damn). F U Stephon for making me anxious to hear some good dirt during an otherwise crappy work week. Oh, and kindly find your way over to the bench, where you will still reside.
Next? Richard Justice... for insinuating that maybe Steve Francis should be given a chance to play.
Look, I know Rafer sucks. A lot. But the Franchise is not the answer. Unless we can trade him to Utah for Deron Williams. Then I will thank him. At this point, Stevie is to the Rockets as Kyle Broflovski is to the Colorado all-state basketball team. Kyle's negroplasty did not work, and Steve's supposed new attitude clearly isn't enough.
Until next week...
but I've never been good at fighting off my superstitions. I'm trying to fight it because otherwise I'd have to kill this blog, since the Rockets are 0-2 and TMac is now fighting nerve damage to his elbow since we started it up. It's an uphill battle for me, hell I just stopped watching the Texas (and I live for the Longhorns) vs. OkieSt game a couple of weekends ago because every time I turned it on something bad happened and every time I came back from turning it off Texas was back in it. Sure enough, Texas pulled it out and no one will ever convince me that they would have if I had been watching. I've been known to blame traffic on my wife because she made the fatal error of saying "Wow, this trip is going really quickly". Is it her fault? Hell yes it's her fault. You know how I know? Because I'm superstitious. And yes, I realize my argument reads a little like
Beavis: [watching a Tom Petty video] Hey Butt-head, how come Tom Petty is famous?
Butt-Head: Because he's on TV, dumbass.
Beavis: Yeah, but like... but how did he get on TV?
Butt-Head: Uh... because he's famous.
Beavis: Yeah, but, I mean, like, how did he get famous?
Butt-Head: He got famous because he's on TV.
Beavis: YEAH, YEAH, BUT HOW DID HE GET ON TV?
Butt-Head: Because he's famous, Beavis! Now shut up before I smack the bejesus out of you!
So, I ask you, are we jinxing them? The early origins of the word seem to mean that you are casting a spell and causing something to happen on purpose, but the definition of jinx as it now stands is decidedly different.
I'm going to have to make a decision? Right? It's not like I'm Bill Worrell and I'm talking about how Yao never misses and then having that turn into a 9-15 showing after that. So I'm saying it's Bill's fault, and not taking the blame right now.
I think Bill was smiling about jinxing him.
I think he did it on purpose just so he didn't have to see Calvin cry again. 
And I mean, who wants to see Calvin cry? I mean, I'd like to see him twirl a batton or choose a couple of less ridiculous suits, but is there anyone out there (besides Marc) that doesn't want him back on the broadcast team?
My conclusion to this poorly laid out question is that it's not our fault, and that my pride is going to supersede my superstition.
Plus, if I have to own up to jinxing something/someone then so does Matt over at Da Good, Da Bad, And Demeco
While last night's game was heartbreaking, it also shows just how close we are to a championship. Even closer once we rid ourselves of Rafer. 16 missed free throws (6 by Yao?!?), shoot 35% (which is a good day for Rafer, but not for everyone else) and we "held" Kobe to only 30. He usually goes for 50 against us. AND McGrady didn't play the entire second half.
Yeah, we lost. And there is no such thing as a moral victory. But... we still only lost by three.
After the game, and reflecting up on Yao's sneaky intentionally missed free throw and touch pass to Rafer, the Zen Master had this to offer:
"He almost surprised Alston with the ball, he made such an incredibly good pass to him," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson. "If he (Alston) had time to settle into his rhythm on that shot, it might've gone in."
Sure, Phil... sure it would. I think PJ is setting us up for a future game by trying to bait Rafer into taking more 3s. There's a reason they leave you open, dumbass. It's because you can't shoot. Bill Worrell even said so himself last night - midway through the fourth - after your 4th missed 3, Bill apologetically said "poor, Rafer, he just can't shoot......."
Did Bill condition it? No. I think he tried to, and then realized that Rafer just can't shoot! Ever. So, yeah, that's pretty funny Phil if you think Rafer actually having his feet set would make one bit of a difference. Ha ha.
Where, oh, where have you gone, Big Shot Rob? Where Rafer misses all the time... you would make that shot in your sleep.
That's the story of his "career" Bill Worrell. When your home town announcers are openly questioning you on television, you suck. Clyde seems to like everyone and he just does not have love for Rafer offensively. It boggles my mind that he has managed to make multiple millions of dollars in just this one lifetime and that it didn't take him 4-5 of them. This is the same guy that had the lowest field goal percentage of all qualified players at 37.6% last year. Do you think that stops him from shooting? He went 5/13 last night and actually shot a BETTER percentage than last years average from the field. When 5/13 is good for you, then sit your ass down on the bench. He's shooting 31.5% on the year, I swear to God I'm not going out on a limb in saying I could average that in the NBA, that's horrific. Now I can't dribble the ball under someone's shirt, then double dribble it, then bounce over someone's head while I carry it, but I truly believe I can shoot better than 31.5%. Sadly, Rafer thinks he can too, that's why he took 13 shots last night including 1-6 for 16.6% last night. 1 for fucking 6, did that stop him from taking shots down the stretch? Of course fucking not. I think for Christmas I might buy him that new JJ Reddick shooting DVD, I mean, it can't hurt, right? 
And this is what Rafer should never try again:
In closing, Rafer Alston is a waste of NBA space. And I'd like to say he's a good guy, but all indications say he's really not. So I can't even give him the Adam Everett treatment where I wish him luck. I don't wish him luck, I wish him off my team
I’ve always fancied myself as a writer who is too lazy to write. Truth be told, I’m probably just like everyone else; I bet I blow as a writer. But what the hell, let’s find out just how much I am to writing as Heather Harmon is to the skin flute:
When I was just a wee little guy my mother introduced me to sports (That’s right I jumped straight from porn to my Mom, I do not have issues I swear). She was a pretty big sports fan, though over time her interest has waned from what it used to be. I think it has something to do with my step-dad not being with us any more so she immerses herself in other things. Ultimately though, she’s the reason I even cared when he came along and why I still care after he’s passed on.
Now my step-dad was a HUGE sports fan, and the Rockets were the team he followed the closest Before he and my mother married, the Houston Oilers were my number one love. He had pretty much stopped watching the Oilers after years of heartache. We joked about it, but I honestly think he felt he jinxed them into losing, much like he felt he jinxed the Rockets a few times. All of my unhealthy superstitions are rooted in him. (Thanks a lot for that by the way Dad!) His Rockets passion slowly played its way out to me becoming a fanatic of the Rockets. I wanted to please him so much that I memorized stats, and studied the games. I wanted to be able to talk about basketball with him, and I learned a lot from it. From 1990 to 1998 I probably missed a total of 8 minutes of all Rockets games that were televised. I used to tape them and watch them later, I was nuts about it. I jumped through many hoops just not to hear the score of a game I taped, starting conversations with “I don’t know if you are a Rockets fan, but do not tell me the score”; it was a sickness (a sickness I loved by the way). Deciding I should graduate from college and the Rockets starting to digress took its toll and I slowly lost the zeal to watch every minute of every game, eventually it got to the point three years ago where I watched about 15 games and sometimes forgot to check the box scores or even remember that the Rockets played the night before. That's just not right, what happened to that sickness? Was I just outgrowing the NBA? Was I just too busy to care? Or did I just forget how much I liked it?
When the 2004-5 playoffs started I decided to immerse my self completely again. I was back in Houston from Austin (Hook’em) and the Rockets were back in my life. My co-contributor and I bought tickets to the playoffs and watched the Rockets repeatedly get stuck on 88 points at home as the Mavericks pulled out a series that the Rockets dominated in parts. I planned on completing my re-emersion the next season, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Before the season even started I got the news that my girlfriend was pregnant. The subsequent wedding and my kick ass son being born killed the best laid plans… I decided once and for all that I need the Rockets back in my life. I need to teach my son about Hakeem, Big Shot Rob, Vernon, and Clyde. And I need to know what the future of the Rockets is to teach him about where they are going. So finally I’m back, and what better way to celebrate that than to chronicle my path back as a Rockets fan.
Now that you know a bit about me, here’s what to expect with this blog. Personally, I expect a lot of cuss words and as foul mouthed as I am, I bet more come from Dave than me, I’ll try and limit them, but if Rafer shoots like the piece of shit he is, I’m going to say he’s fucking killing me, that’s just the way it is. I wouldn’t expect full game recaps; we have lives and demanding jobs. That’s not to say that people that recap games don’t, but they are freaks of nature and we simply will not have the time for that. That being said, I would expect something said about every game and some analysis as to why Dave and I think the Rockets won or (hopefully a LOT less often) lost. I would expect some healthy debate over the use/lack there of of Steve Francis (Dave’s wrong by the way). I wouldn’t expect only Rockets talk; I would expect mostly Rockets talk though. I would expect this blog to be funny; I wouldn’t expect you to like every joke. I’m sure there’s more but I’ve gone on long enough. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite moments of all time, Hakeem using Robinson like the second tier center he was.
I'd say our attempt at a second post is a false-start - but that would be mixing sports metaphors. And it is too early to start doing that already.
Lee has a post ready for today - he's depressed that the Rockets choked away a game to Memphis on the very day we start this blog. I echo his sentiments.
On October 4, 2005, the Houston Rockets made a rare personnel mistake. They traded Mike James - a key player on a playoff team - to Toronto for one Rafer Alston. This man:
In the interim 2+ years, Mr. Alston has proceeded to amass the following statistics: 12.1 ppg/6.7 apg in '05/'06 and 13.3 ppg/5.4 apg in '06/'07. Of course this does not take into account his badly timed turnovers in the 4th quarter; his continual regression into his "Skip to My Lou" street-ball persona/alter ego when a simple chest pass would suffice; his stunning inability to pass the ball to a man 7'5" who happens to be standing five feet away; a shooting form that is the basketball equivalent of Jeff Bagwell's batting stance.
Fortunately for us, the statistics do show Rafer's 37.9% shooting in '05/'06 and his 37.6% shooting in '06/'07. I'll kindly ignore his blazing start to the new campaign (6.6 ppg on 30.2% shooting) - oh, wait, no I won't ignore it! I can no longer ignore any of this!
Since Cartman is probably busy torturing Scott Tenorman:
I can't recruit him to dispose of Mr. Alston for me/us/Houston. That means someone else has to take up the cause. The cause being:
RAFER ALSTON MUST GO!
Never before have I despised a Houston-area athlete so much. But I cannot bear his sucktitude any longer. Rafer Alston cannot remain a Houston Rocket if the goal is to win a championship. Or a playoff series (Playoffs?!?!?).
Therefore, I must submit the following to Daryl Morey:
PLEASE BENCH RAFER!
No, wait, that's not permanent enough...
PLEASE CUT / RELEASE / TRADE RAFER ALSTON!
Considering that Rafer's amazing inability to play fundamental basketball was the impetus for this here blog - it's only appropriate that the initial post be a public plea for his removal from the Rocket roster. Tossing him in jail for his multiple offseason arrests would be one means for it - but cutting his useless @$$ is probably better for Yao and Tracy.
Please, Rockets Management, I beg of you... I'll eagerly await your response.
(I also solicit anyone provide commentary on other ways we can dispose of Rafer)
