TheHRR.com Basketballs 4 Thought

Will Robinson, 1911-2008

2008-04-30T06:23:00.003-05:00

Update: May 4, 2008 -- "Legendary Robinson was a dignified trail blazer", by Jerry Green of The Detroit News.

A great man, Mr. Will Robinson, passed away at 12:45 Monday morning (Detroit time). Mr. Robinson was 96 years of age.

You may ask who was Will Robinson?

Will Robinson was a man of many, many firsts; and, he touched countless people throughout his fantastic life.

This title in The Detroit News is a good description of Mr. Robinson: "Basketball pioneer, former Pistons scout, was a legend".

He was the first African-American coach in the Detroit Public Schools and first NCAA Division I head coach when he guided Illinois State (1970-75).

He led Detroit Pershing to state championships in 1967 -- a legendary team that featured Ralph Simpson and Spencer Haywood, who was Robinson's adopted son -- and '70.

Robinson was an NBA and NFL scout. He was a journalist, and he sold nickel pies during the Great Depression.

I've been a Detroit Pistons fan for about 22 years; so, I've definitely heard and learned about Mr. Robinson's numerous accomplishments in that time. In fact, I had the tremendous honor of meeting him a few years ago.

The Houston Rockets were still playing their games at Compaq Center; and, Mr. Robinson was at the game. I don't remember who the Rockets were playing that night; but, I clearly remember speaking with Mr. Robinson. He didn't know me from Adam; but, we spoke for a few minutes late during halftime while going over the first half stats.

My night was made; yet, as he was leaving to go to his seat, Mr. Robinson thanked me for my time. I was stunned; but, I did manage to thank him for his time and I wished him the best.

Thank you, Mr. Robinson, for everything you did in your life. God Bless.

USBWA votes

2008-03-15T10:44:00.003-06:00

As a new member of the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), this year was my first opportunity to vote for the national awards for men's and women's college basketball.

Ballots for men's hoops were due on March 10 while the ballots for women's hoops are due on March 17.

There were difficult decisions to make; but, here are my votes for a few of the categories:

Men's College Basketball

Freshman of the Year: Michael Beasley, Kansas State.

Player of the Year: Michael Beasley, Kansas State.

Coach of the Year: Matt Painter, Purdue.

Women's College Basketball

Freshman of the Year: Maya Moore, Connecticut.

Player of the Year: Candace Parker, Tennessee.

Coach of the Year: Keitha Adams, Texas-El Paso.

UPDATED: 3/22/08 --
Here are the announced winners (thus far) of the awards:

Men's College Basketball

Freshman of the Year: Michael Beasley, Kansas State.

Coach of the Year: Keno Davis, Drake.

Player of the Year: not yet announced.

Rockets Love Fest

2008-03-09T10:53:00.006-06:00

UPDATE, 3/18: Boston ends the streak with 94-74 win.
UPDATE, 3/16: Rockets make it 22 straight!
UPDATE, 3/14/08: 21 wins in a row!
UPDATE, 3/12/08: The streak is up to 20 straight wins!

The Houston Rockets continued their spectacular ride with their franchise record 18th straight win Saturday night. The New Orleans Hornets were losing team number 18. The national sports media has hopped on the bandwagon, too. Did you know "Rafer Alston is the most underrated point guard in the NBA?"

The Rockets have not just won 18 straight games. The last nine wins have been by double-digits which is one short of the league record.

It's amazing what winning can do.

A few months ago Tracy McGrady was worried about his injured left knee and whether he'd be able to finish the season. Plus, McGrady was complaining about the shooting background at Toyota Center. Fans were griping about McGrady's lack of toughness so much they wanted the Rockets to trade him. Quick. Fast. And in a hurry.

Eighteen straight wins later. McGrady is on a roll! He's scored 20 plus points -- in the first half -- for two straight games. T-Mac's 41 point, nine assist showing versus New Orleans was sensational! In fact, Rockets fans chanted "MVP! MVP! MVP!" during the ball game.

Now, since the Rockets have won six straight games without him, some fans want the Rockets to trade center Yao Ming instead of McGrady.

Rafer Alston has played very, very well during this Rockets roll. He's averaged 15.4 points and 7.2 assists per game during the streak. He's scored 20-plus points in three consecutive games for just the third time in his career.

And, Alston is letting his opponents know he and his team are playing well, too.

"I don't like them. They don't like me," Alston said. "They keep telling me to stop talking. I'm great at talking trash."

Paul, considered an MVP candidate, was pretty good at it, too.

"I wish I could be half as good as him one of these days in the NBA," Paul said, "since he thinks he's so great."

The Rockets are getting positive contributions from every player. Rookie forwards Carl Landry and Luis Scola have combined to produce Tim Duncan type numbers game in and game out. Dikembe Mutombo is a force on defense blocking and / or altering shots. Luther Head is scoring well off the bench. Chuck Hayes grabs rebounds; plays pestering defense; and cuts to the basket for easy lay-ups. Steve Novak is knocking down open 3s. Shane Battier is doing his job.

On and on.

Houston has hit 74-of-188 (.394) 3-pointers over their last seven games, reaching double-digits made from downtown in five of those contests.

Whichever player head coach Rick Adelman puts in the game gets the job done when called.

The Toyota Center crowd has been electric. The players are jumping up and down and chest bumping during times-out. Overall, the team is confident; energized; and excited to be on the court.

When will the Love Fest end? Who knows and honestly who cares?

What now, Hilton?

2008-03-04T11:44:00.004-06:00

I'm not the Houston Comets public relations person; but, I would like to offer some advice to Mr. Hilton Koch, the owner of the WNBA's Houston Comets.

Actually, my thunder was stolen from a person (a Comets' season-ticket holder) earlier this morning on The HRR's message board.

Here's part of what she wrote:

IT'S TIME FOR AN OFFICIAL LETTER TO THE STH'S, from the owner and coach, explaining things to us! For what it's worth...

This statement is in response to Monday's news that forward Sheryl Swoopes, a Houston Comets and women's basketball icon, signed a free-agent contract to play basketball with the Seattle Storm.

Swoopes' decision to sign with Seattle is just the latest change for the Comets' organization. Earlier this year, the Comets announced they would play their home games in Reliant Arena instead of Toyota Center.

Surprisingly, many people (including the media) still do not know the Comets have a new home.

Why not?

Simply put, the Comets have done a poor job keeping their name in the public eye.

Houston's pro soccer franchise, the Houston Dynamo, generates and receives more media attention than the Comets.

Team Texas, the new professional spring football team, has billboards posted across town. Team Texas generated a buzz among the local media by putting together a great draft party a few weeks ago. Their season is about to begin.

Clearly, the Comets fall way behind the Astros, Rockets, and Texans and the major colleges / universities for coverage and attention from the media.

Hilton, women's basketball in Houston (college and professional) is a tree falling in the woods. If people do not know you actually exist, people will forget about you.

Ironically, with Swoopes' signing to leave the Comets and join Seattle yesterday, the Comets have received more publicity and recognition in the city of Houston in the last 24 hours than they received when they announced their move to Reliant Arena.

Hilton, do not pass up opportunities to make your voice heard and your team recognized. Your head coach, Karleen Thompson, needs to be seen and heard in Houston, too.

Comets' fans want to be informed and involved about their favorite team.

If forward Tina Thompson decides not return to the Comets this season, as the same season-ticket holder included in her message board post wrote, "KT (Karleen Thompson) and H (Hilton) can't be serious if they think a team will survive without Tina."

A pro team being out of sight and out of mind won't be a pro team for very long.

"Think Pink" Week

2008-02-10T12:15:00.000-06:00

Life is full of twists, turns, and surprises. I had planned to write about the "Think Pink" Week before it began; but, my laptop monitor had other ideas. Thursday evening, the monitor went dim; and, I couldn't see a thing on the computer screen. My plans to write had been postponed. Fortunately, a friend of mine was able to solve the computer problem; and, now I'm writing once again.

February 8, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced that over 900 participants have committed to the 2008 "Think Pink" initiative.

The "Think Pink" initiative is a global, unified effort for the WBCA's nation of coaches to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. The week set aside for this year's initiative is February 8 - 17.

"The WBCA is very excited to promote an initiative that touches all levels of our membership and unifies them for such a great cause," said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. "It has been remarkable to watch the support of this initiative grow from 120 teams last year to over 900 teams from a variety for sports for 2008. With the help of each of our members, the women's basketball community and beyond can make a difference in the fight against breast cancer."

Despite two mastectomies years apart, my grandmother, the strongest woman I've ever known, died of breast cancer a few years ago. I got involved in covering women's hoops to honor my Granny. She always told me "To be the best I can be at whatever I choose." (I remember being a smartass kid and responding back to her "Even if it means robbing a bank?" Granny didn't miss a beat and replied, "Even robbing a bank. Don't get caught and never, ever do it again."

I don't know if I've covered women's basketball to the best of my ability; but, February 9, was filled with women's basketball for me.

Saturday morning, I drove to College Station, TX, to cover the Texas A&M game (11 a.m. tip) against nemesis Texas in the Aggies BTHO (Beat the Hell Outta) Breast Cancer. The Aggies played their best first half of basketball all season and led 39 to 22 at halftime; however, the Longhorns played much better in the second half and pulled as close as four points (59 to 55). But, the Aggies came through down the stretch and won the game 66 to 57.

"In the first half, we played as well as we could," said Aggies head coach Gary Blair. "In the second half, I said, ‘let’s just win the first five minutes.’ We came out and played so sluggish, but Texas was doing the same thing. Somebody was going to wake up and want to win this ballgame along the way and Texas did. We made enough plays down the stretch and Aqua (Franklin) made a lot of good decisions."

After that game, I drove back to Houston and headed to Hofheinz Pavilion to catch the second half of the Houston Lady Cougars game against SMU (2 p.m. tip) . The game was Houston's "Think Pink" game; and, a lot of fans attended the game. The referees used pink whistles in the game and the Lady Cougars wore pink t-shirts over their jerseys.

Unfortunately, UH simply didn't play well in the game. When I arrived at Hofheinz, SMU led 60 to 33 late in the second half; and Houston's starters were seated on the bench. I walked to the courtside area; sat down; and looked at some of the stats. The Lady Cougars trailed SMU 43 to 20 at halftime. Simply put, SMU played well and Houston did not.

"Give SMU credit, they came in here and hit shots," interim head coach Danny Hughes said. "We struggled in the first half to create any sort of consistency offensively and that hurt us. Sometimes, a loss can be a good thing. It helps you re-focus your efforts and continue to get better as a team."

SMU won the game 74 to 51.

The loss ended Houston's eight-game winning streak.

After the Houston game, I stayed at Hofheinz for the Rice - Tulsa game (5 p.m. tip) . (Rice's home court is being renovated; and, since Houston Baptist University's Sharp Gym -- the Owls temporary home this season -- was being used by HBU for their own basketball games, Hofheinz was chosen to host the Owls game against the Golden Hurricane.)

Rice ended a five-game losing skid with a 69 to 59 victory over Tulsa. The Owls, wearing pink shoe laces, played well during the game; however, there were stretches during the ball game which caused me to wonder if the Owls would find a way to lose once again.

Rice freshman post Morgan Mayse scored a career-high 18 points to help Rice win the game.

"I’m very proud of the team for fighting through some things in a game that seesawed back and forth," Owls head coach Greg Williams said. “The team has been working hard and we haven’t hung our heads. Tulsa plays a very good match-up zone. Morgan and Emery (Carter) stepped up on the interior and played physical in the second half with Valeriya (Berezhynska) being in foul trouble."

Three women's hoops games in seven plus hours. Each game involved with the WBCA's "Think Pink" Initiative.

I hope Granny is proud.

HRR Thoughts and Dr. James Cone

2007-12-09T10:41:00.000-06:00

It's been almost two months since I wrote an HRR "Basketball for Thought", and, that's too long. However, this article won't be very long nor will it center around basketball very much.

First, The HRR is free. Yep, that's right -- FREE. While there is still an HRR Members' Section, there is no longer a subscription fee for it. Those people who were kind enough to spend some of their money toward The HRR no longer have to do so; however, they do receive "inside info" before anyone else. (Loyalty is very important to me; so, the least I can do is provide them information I don't submit anywhere else.)

Generally, after a few days, I'll post the info I gave them in the non-Members HRR blogs, too.

The HRR is mostly blogs now; and, the blogs are available for free via email and / or RSS feeds. Subscribing to the HRR blogs is fairly simple: click on a subscription link for one of the HRR blogs and follow the steps. (The home page (www.TheHRR.com) is the easiest place to see all of the links.)

Shifting gears to the NBA, I want to say I don't like the NBA's (Commissioner David Stern a.k.a. The Godfather) decision to have head coaches and / or select players wear microphones during the national television broadcasts. I'm a purist. When I'm not covering a Rockets' game, I watch basketball for the action on the court. I don't want to hear a coach tell me what happened in the first quarter -- before the start of the second quarter. (I don't like the coaches talking to the analysts during the baseball games either.) Reality television has ruined sitcoms and television dramas and now it's being used to dumb down sports.

Now, on a more serious note, a few days ago, a friend of mine forwarded me an email; and, I'm glad he sent it. (No, it wasn't one of those money making email tracker things.) This email included a link to a PBS episode of Bill Moyers Journal featuring Dr. James Cone.

During the interview, Dr. Cone explains the relationship -- as he sees it -- between the Christian cross and the noose and the lynching tree.

Very interesting. Check it out:
Part 1 -- http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/11232007/watch.html
Part 2 -- http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/11232007/watch2.html

FYI

2007-10-10T21:38:00.000-05:00

This won't be very long.

The 2007 - 2008 basketball season upon us. The Houston Roundball Review (The HRR) will focus on the Houston Rockets and local women's college basketball. Period.

Why?

First, I'm expecting big things from the Rockets this season.

Second, very few local media outlets in Houston "show any love" to the Houston area women's college basketball teams or women's hoops in general.

This news does not mean I will not attend (and cover) men's college basketball games or high school games. However, since I'm working just about between 30 and 40 hours per week during the day, plus working with World Ventures as well as Ambit Energy, there are only so many hours in a day, my focus will be on the Rockets and women's college hoops.

It's Time

2007-10-01T11:59:00.000-05:00

"It's Time."

That phrase is the slogan the Houston Rockets organization is using for the 2007 - 2008 season.

It is indeed time.

The Rockets will host their Media Day activities in a couple of hours; and, I will be attending. I had hoped to attend at least one of the weekday training camp sessions in Austin this week; but, I'll be working at my day job for the rest of the week. Perhaps, I'll head to Austin on Saturday and check out camp.

Neither Yao Ming nor Tracy McGrady will attend today's Media Day; however, fortunately for the Rockets, neither player's absence is due to injury. Yao Ming will be in Shanghai, China, at the Special Olympics opening while McGrady will be with his family attending his grandfather's funeral.

On paper, this year's Rockets squad appears to have more talent and quality depth than any of the recent Rockets' teams; however, championships are not won on paper.

I'm looking forward to covering and following the Rockets this season. For the first time in quite a while, I'm expecting big things from the team -- including advancing past the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

Well, "It's Time" for me to get ready for Media Day.

What about Women?

2007-07-29T11:01:00.000-05:00

The last few months the Houston sports radio scene has changed. Hosts have left one station for another. A fourth 24-hour sports station is set to begin in a few weeks. Questions are being asked whether the city of Houston is big enough for four 24-hour stations. Through each of the changes; attempted changes; and articles written about the changes, time and time again I've seen and heard about the key demographic each station is trying to attract and maintain for its advertisers: men who are between the ages of 25 to 54.

I have a question...

...What about women?

I'm not going to cite the surveys and census reports; but, I know I've seen, heard, and read, there are more women living in America than men. I'm not naive to think more women listen to sports talk shows than men; but, this new era of "guy talk radio" seems to be based on a belief women do not listen to sports talk radio shows at all. Perhaps the women who listen to these shows need to become more active in calling the shows and voicing their opinions (informed and uniformed) as their male counterparts.

The Chronicle's David Barron analyzes the sports talk radio landscape in Houston in today's paper. In the article, Barron also lists the more than two dozen radio personalities who have hosted regularly scheduled weekday sports talk shows in Houston over the past decade. Of the list only one person is a woman -- Kris O'Donnell. Kris was a co-host of SportsBeat on KTRH 740 AM with Tom Franklin from 2000 to 2001. By the way, I appeared on that show as a basketball analyst.

Based on the list, I guess we have to assume either women aren't interested in hosting sports talk shows or women are not getting the opportunity to host sports talk shows. Whichever reason is true is disappointing to me because I know lots of women who are very knowledgeable about sports. My mom is a huge sports fan; and, her love of sports is a big reason I'm hooked on sports. One of my best friends can talk and analyze sports better than most of the people I know; and, as she always reminds me, I've never won an argument with her.

I grew up listening to Anita Martini discussing sports on KPRC 950 AM in the 1970s and 1980s; and, though I didn't agree with everything Anita said on the show, I did enjoy listening to her on the radio. It seems to me more and more girls and young ladies are participating in sports; but, the opportunities for those same women to get jobs in sports (hosting radio shows, becoming head coaches, etc.) is declining.

Women work. Women earn money; and, women spend money. If the numbers are correct and women outnumber men and spend more money than men, why are women seemingly ignored when it comes to sports talk shows?

A silent majority is vulnerable to a vocal minority.

More Podcasts

2007-07-22T19:24:00.000-05:00

With so many specific HRR blogs for men's and women's hoops, lately, I've turned the HRR's "Basketball for Thought" section into a "wish list"; update; almost promo-type area. (My "Dear Hilton" letter received a huge response; so, at the very least, I know people are indeed reading my writings.)

This post is another example of my "wish list".

As I mentioned in the July 1 "BB4T -- 'Future', I want to host my own radio show to talk and discuss basketball. Not just men's hoops; but, women's hoops as well. College, pro, international, too. I've made a few inquiries into making this dream a reality; so, hopefully, everything will eventually work in my favor.

In addition to hosting my own show, a prominent college basketball coach has talked with me about a few other basketball endeavors; so, my basketball "cupboard" is far from bare if the show doesn't happen this year.

Besides those promising endeavors, one of the things I'm hoping to create are weekly podcasts with basketball coaches; players; and / or administrators. My plan is simple enough: interview (1-on-1) my guests and post the interviews in podcast style similar to what Chad Ford does on ESPN.com. The interviews could become very popular; so, hopefully, I'll be able to generate sponsors to participate and support The HRR.

Based on the success of any of my ideas, The HRR may evolve once again. The HRR has gone from an NBA Draft publication to a Rockets / NBA publication; shifted to a Houston colleges / universities publication; changed to a Houston Comets publication; moved toward a women's basketball publication; morphed into a basketball publication; and now to who knows what's next?...

However, I will state this: I've already begun making plans to attend the 2008 Women's Final Four. Why? Well, I've attended the Women's Final Four since 2000; and, the 2008 event is going to be in Tampa, FL. That's why.

However, when I return from Tampa, I'll cover the Houston Rockets as they get ready for the NBA Playoffs and finally advance past the first round.

Confused?

Don't be confused.

Just be patient and keep visiting TheHRR.com.

Future

2007-07-01T15:07:00.000-05:00

Today, is the first day NBA teams can "officially" talk to free agents. However, teams cannot "sign" free agents until July 11. This news isn't new to any fans of the NBA; but, today does, technically, mark the beginning of the 2007 - 2008 NBA season.

Thank goodness.

Last year and last season were tough for me and my family. Thus far, 2007 has gone well; and, I'm expecting (yes, expecting - not hoping) the good feelings will continue.

Consequently, though I continue to cover the Houston Comets, I'm looking forward to 2007 - 2008.

Why?

One, I'd like to start my own basketball radio show (over the air or via the Internet). I know the Comets and the WNBA aren't exactly stable; but, I'm perfectly willing and able to discuss the Rockets; the NBA; and men's college hoops. An over the air radio show would focus on men's hoops while an Internet show would discuss women's hoops as well.

Two, covering basketball is starting to be fun for me once again. I'm looking forward to seeing what the Rockets do this season. A new coach (Rick Adelman) and a new general manager (Daryl Morey) bring new ideas and a new approach to Toyota Center. Change can be good.

Despite all of the hot air from Coach Tom Penders, I'm curious to see if Coach Penders can lead the Houston Cougars to the NCAA Tournament in 2007 - 2008 and provide Conference USA more than just Memphis to hang its proverbial hat.

The Rice Owls will begin life "AMA" -- after Morris Almond -- in the fall; and, I don't believe Coach Willis Wilson's Owls will be as bad as many basketball people in Houston are predicting. With Autry Court undergoing renovations this season, the Owls will be vagabonds this season; but, I'll cover them as much as I can.

Next, I'm looking forward to seeing Cynthia Cooper and her Prairie View A&M Pantherettes try to repeat as champions of the Southwest Athletic Conference and return to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.

Joe Curl and his Houston Lady Cougars (they're still the Lady Cougars until I'm told differently) will have the most talent on their team since Chandi Jones, Sancho Lyttle, and Nicole Oliver rolled to a 28 - 4 season in 2003 - 2004.

Greg Williams and his Rice Owls women's basketball team will look to ride the broad shoulders of post player Valeriya Berezhynska and the point guard skills of Kadie Riverin in 2007 - 2008. Though Lauren Neaves and Samantha Stovall have graduated, the Owls' cupboard is hardly bare.

Finally, I'm planning to cover Big 12 women's basketball once again. Gail Goestenkors is the new head coach at Texas; Oklahoma should be loaded once again; the Aggies' stellar defense should get help from an improved offense; Baylor's youngsters have one year of experience to add to their talent; Texas Tech should be improved in Kristy Curry's second year in Lubbock; and, Oklahoma State looks to prove that last year's 8-8 record in the Big 12 was no fluke.

And, that's just the teams in the Big 12 South! As me and some of my media buddies say, "It's the Big 12!"

How's that for a look ahead to the 2007 - 2008 season basketball season -- on July 1?!

HoustonSports.com

2007-06-24T20:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, was the third consecutive Saturday I appeared on "Prep Talk" which is webcasted (live, of course) on HoustonSports.com. Prep Talk airs from 9am to 12pm. Originally, the show focused on high school sports in the Houston area; however, college teams have been included in the discussion the last two years or so.

Case in point, Art Briles, University of Houston Cougars' football coach, appeared on yesterday's show, during the 9 o'clock hour. Coach Briles discussed the team's upcoming season; the success of the football program; "re-loading versus re-building"; football camps; etc. During that hour, Bubba McDowell, UH's defensive backs coach, called into the show, too. Toward the end of Coach Briles' time on the show, Dave Maggard, UH's athletic director joined the show.

Maggard appeared on the show for the next hour or so discussing his career at Cal-Berkeley; his participation in the Olympics; his work with the 1996 Olympics; his time as the University of Miami's Athletic Director; UH athletics; alumni support; etc..

We (Terry Burdick, "Big" John Chandler, Jerry L. Woodley, Jr., King Arthur Prayther, and Darrell K. Ardison) wrapped up the final hour of the show discussing high school football; the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling regarding the recruiting of middle school athletes by high schools; the UIL; Rice Owls baseball; etc.

A link to the show should be added to the HoustonSports.com website (click on the "Prep Talk" link) tomorrow which will allow anyone to view the show in the archived area.

I'd like to start my own college and pro basketball show (men's and women's hoops) at some point; so, perhaps I can add to the line-up of "Prep Talk" and "Nothing but Net". "Nothing but Net" focuses on boys high school hoops; and, it's hosted by my buddy Jimmy Hicks. Hicks is the foremost authority on high school basketball in the Greater Houston area. His show airs on www.HoustonSports.com Mondays from 9pm to 10:30pm.

I'm aiming to accomplish big things in the future; and, HoustonSports.com may help me accomplish some of those goals.

Dear Hilton

2007-06-17T10:19:00.000-05:00

This is a simple open letter to the owner of the Houston Comets, Mr. Hilton Koch.

Dear Hilton,
Please do something. Anything. Pronto.

Your team is the only winless team in the WNBA. Currently, your team is 0 and 10. Your team leads the league in turnovers per game (nearly 20 per game). Your team allows the most points in the league (85 ppg). Your team, as we've been told ad nauseum, cannot play well for a full 40 minutes.

Yet, the Comets' fans have not heard from you. Send them a letter.

Before forward Sheryl Swoopes was diagnosed with a bulging disc in her back, the team was not in a "rebuilding mode". However, without Swoopes, the team's woes on offense continue in an ugly, and almost dark comedic downward spiral; and, the team's defense collapses when an opponent begins to impose its will.

Hilton, let your fans hear from you. Tell them you apologize for the awful start. Let them know the team is indeed rebuilding. Ask the fans to be patient. Encourage them to not give up on the Comets. Assure the fans better days are ahead.

Do something.

Write a letter to the Chronicle's sports editors and address it to the fans of the Houston Comets.

The WNBA's regular season is only 34 games long. Ten games have come and gone; and, the Comets have yet to earn a victory.

Tick, tock, Hilton. Take some type of action. Please.

Radio

2007-06-10T14:08:00.000-05:00

I've been discussing basketball on sports radio shows in Houston since 1994; however, this past Friday, I was given the opportunity to host the first 30 minutes of Sports Rap on KCOH 1430 AM. The opportunity wasn't planned at all. Mr. Ralph Cooper called me roughly an hour before the regular 5 pm start of the show; and, he told me he would probably be late. Ralph asked me to host Sports Rap until he arrived at the station.

I told him "No problem".

Except for a minor glitch, I believe I did quite well. Many, many people called to discuss Thursday night's Game 1 match up between the San Antonio Spurs and the Cleveland Cavaliers; so, I was clearly in my element talking hoops. Heck, I even talked, intelligently, too, some Astros baseball with one caller -- see, I do know more than just basketball. (I know football, tennis, and hockey, too.)

I felt comfortable hosting the show. I let the listeners know they were listening to "KG -- filling in for Ralph for about 30 minutes and KCOH 1430 AM which is available on the Internet at www.kcohradio.com." Of course, I plugged the phone number to call in numerous times; and, the listeners were great and responsive.

The next day, Saturday, June 9, I finally stopped by Houston Sports Network's studio. "King" Arthur Prayther of "Prep Talk" and "King-Sized View" invited me to come by the studio two months ago; but, I kept putting off appearing on their Internet radio show. "Something" told me to get off my butt and drive to the studio yesterday. When I arrived, King was outside waiting on a guest; and, I know he was surprised to see me. I wasn't planning to talk on "Prep Talk"; but, King put me on the air along with himself, Charles White, Joseph Pickens, and host Terry Burdick. We talked about basketball and other topics from 11 am to 12:15pm.

Internet radio is different from "network" radio; but, I think I did well. The plan is for me to be a regular on Saturday's in the 9am to 10:30am slot to discuss the Houston area college teams as well as provide some guests for the show. Hopefully, I'll be able to provide another avenue to promote women's basketball.

"Prep Talk" airs live on the Internet each Saturday from 9am to 12pm. The show can be seen on the web, too. Check out www.HoustonSports.com and click on the "Prep Talk" links. Archived shows are also posted. Yesterday's show should be archived and posted tomorrow.

As a result, in the last few days, I've hosted 30 minutes of a radio show and been a guest on an Internet radio show. Maybe, I'll turn these opportunities into my own sports show. The sports radio landscape in Houston is currently undergoing changes; so, I'm curious to see how my future in radio unfolds.

What about Spurs, Les?

2007-05-20T14:14:00.000-05:00

There's an adage in sports that teams copy the style of play of the current / recent champion. Apparently, the NBA is not in the copy-cat business. Because the current "style du jour" is to mimic the Phoenix Suns offense or the Golden State Warriors' (poor-man's Suns style) offense. The Suns have not won an NBA championship while the Warriors have not claimed an NBA title since 1975. However, one NBA team has captured three NBA titles since 1999; and, I don't hear NBA owners preaching to their coaches to be like them. That team is the San Antonio Spurs.

Former Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy made this statement in the Houston Chronicle: "I knew my owner had issues with style of play," Van Gundy said. "He wanted to be faster, Phoenix-like. At that meeting he said, 'Yeah, I do have issues with that.' "

Memo to Mr. Leslie Alexander:
"You've already made a shambles of your head coaching situation; yet, you want your team to be 'Phoenix-like'? Why? Sure the Suns play an exciting style of basketball; but, they haven't been to the NBA Finals since 1993; and, there's one team in the NBA's Western Conference the Suns cannot beat in the playoffs -- the San Antonio Spurs.

Look at the four remaining teams in the NBA's Conference Finals: the Spurs and the Utah Jazz in the West and the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East -- the conference no one seems to care about. Each of those teams plays physical basketball and good defense. The Suns do not do either.

Naming Rick Adelman your next head coach is your choice; and, Adelman's teams do use a motion-style offense which is more up tempo than Jeff Van Gundy's style of offense. However, unless you upgrade your point guard and power forward positions, Adelman won't lead the Rockets to an NBA title any more than Jeff Van Gundy did.

Mr. Alexander, Will your opinion change if the Spurs win the NBA championship this season which would be their fourth title since 1999 and third since 2003?

Think about it. After all, the Rockets didn't play 'Phoenix-style' when Hakeem Olajuwon led them to back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995. Your first two seasons as owner of the Rockets.

Surprising Playoffs

2007-04-28T11:19:00.000-05:00

As the marathon that is the NBA Playoffs enters its second Saturday today, a few things are becoming clear which seem to indicate times are changing.

The Chicago Bulls have matured much quicker than I thought; and, I definitely underestimated them when I picked the Miami Heat to defeat them 4 games to 3 in the first round of their series. The Bulls lead the Heat 3 games to 0; and, Miami has looked old and slow during each of the three games thus far. Pride may be a powerful motivator; but, pride may not be enough to keep the Bulls from sweeping the Heat out of the playoffs Sunday afternoon.

My next underestimation was placed on the Golden State Warriors. I didn't believe the sometimes very simple truism of a team simply having someone's number. The Warriors lead the Dallas Mavericks 2 games to 1 thanks to the 109 to 91 blitz of the Mavericks Friday night. I know the playoffs are not the regular season; but, it sure seems the Warriors and head coach Don Nelson are in the heads of the Mavericks players and head coach Avery Johnson.

I'm curious to see if the Mavs will "man up" and respond with a victory in game 4.

I'm not surprised the Denver Nuggets and the San Antonio Spurs are tied 1 - 1; and, I'm not surprised in the other playoff series (Houston leading Utah, 2-1; Detroit leading Orlando, 3-0; Phoenix leading the Lakers 2-1, the Cavs lead the Wizards, 2-0, and New Jersey leading the Raptors, 2-1). However, I have been surprised and disappointed in the woeful performances by the Rockets and the Jazz during the first three games of their series.

In two of the three games, the winning team has not scored more than 84 points! Houston defeated Utah 84 to 75 in game 1 while the Jazz defeated the Rockets 81 to 67 in game 3. Good defense is one thing; but, this series has featured more bad offense than I care to see. This series has been like watching an Eastern Conference series (at its worst) for goodness sakes!

I scored the same number of points as the Rockets bench players did in game 3; and, I didn't play in the game! Houston's bench reserves scored zero points! It takes some kind of work to be so inept in a ball game.

Thus far, though they haven't been very efficient, the Rockets Big Two of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady have done their part and combined for between 50 and 60 points per game in the series. Unfortunately, the role players have not played consistently well or well at all. Forward Chuck Hayes went from 12 points and 12 rebounds in game 2 to zero points and seven rebounds in game 3. Luther Head and Juwan Howard have struggled mightily.

On the other side, Utah's Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko haven't set the world on fire with their offensive production either. Kirilenko is a mere shell of the player he was just last season. He's outside shot is a bad joke; and, he's picked up more fouls (10) in this series than he's scored points (4). Okur, apparently, has convinced himself defending Yao Ming is the reason his jump shooting is struggling. Memo is using so much strength pushing Yao Ming away from the basket his legs are gone when Utah has the ball offense. At least that's what he believes. How about this Mr. Okur -- stop shooting 20-foot shots and beyond and go down to the low post. Maybe you can score a few more points if you were closer to the basket. Shooting 17.1% from the field is ridiculous.

Saturday's NBA Playoffs tip-off at 2 pm (Central Time) as Detroit tries to become the first team to advance to the second round with a series-clinching win over the Orlando Magic. Three more games follow that one.

Let's start dribbling...

New day for Comets

2007-04-25T08:06:00.000-05:00

Today, the Houston Comets new director of media communications begins; and, she has her hands full. The Comets are still in a transition period as they move from previous owner Les Alexander to new owner Hilton Koch. Training camp began a few days ago; but, so far not much information has been released regarding the team which is also under a new head coaching staff.

The organization seems to be a bit understaffed; so, miscommunication is not an unexpected result.

I am not trying to bury nor praise the Houston Comets. However, I do believe the Comets need to improve their level of communication with the media and their fans and the community because the team has now fallen behind the Houston Dynamo (Major League Soccer) in terms of media attention and recognition.

Choosing to close practices (except for the final 30 minutes) to the media is not much of a big deal because Rockets' head coach Jeff Van Gundy has done that since he took over as the coach of the Rockets. (Heck, media darling, Rudy Tomjanovich closed practices to the media as well.) However, notifying, apparently, just three media outlets the times (and the location) of the practices is problematic.

I've heard the Comets are struggling with season ticket sales; however, I still find it hard to believe the very small number of season tickets sold. (By the way, I'm still waiting for someone with the Comets organization to answer that question for me.)

Hopefully, the organization will begin running more efficiently as everyone gets accustomed to their jobs -- on and off the basketball court.

The Comets' first pre-season game will be May 4, in Lubbock, Texas; and, their first regular season game is Saturday, May 19, on the road versus the Seattle Storm.

Update, 12:05 pm, 4-25-07: Here's a sign of hopeful progress: Fox 26 Sports is sending a photographer / videographer / camera person to today's early practice. Media availability is slated for 12:30 pm. I'll miss because I'm at Rockets' practice right now. The Comets have a second session this evening; and, I'll try to make that one.

Timmy D. vs Joey C.

2007-04-16T10:47:00.000-05:00

Sunday's game between the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs ended with the Mavs pulling out a 91 to 86 victory. However, more and more people are discussing (and will continue to discuss) what happened during the third quarter of the ball game.

Veteran NBA referee Joey Crawford ejected Spurs' forward Tim Duncan. Crawford called two technical fouls on Duncan which is an automatic ejection; however, Duncan received the second 'T' while he was sitting on the Spurs' bench.

Let the debate begin regarding who's right and who's wrong.

Personally, I believe Crawford went over the line and exceeded his authority as an NBA referee.

After the game, Duncan said, "Before he (Crawford) gave me the two technical fouls, he made a call and I was shaking my head, and he walks down and stares at me," Duncan said. "He says, 'Do you want to fight? Do you want to fight?' I didn't say anything to him there, either."

Clearly, the NBA (re: Commissioner David Stern) will investigate this matter further because Tim's statement if true opens up a HUGE can of worms for the NBA and its officiating crews.

Strangely enough, Crawford wasn't asked by the media if he made that statement to Duncan; but, Crawford did say, "He was complaining the whole time; and, then he went over to the bench and he was over there doing the same stuff behind our back.

"I hit him with one (technical) and he kept going over there, laughing, and I look over there and he's still complaining. So I threw him out."

Crawford was told Duncan felt he did nothing to warrant being ejected; and, Crawford added, "That's his opinion. He said nothing when he was walking off the court and he called me a piece of (blank). Is that nothing?"

Bold talk by both men indeed!

Like many NBA star players, Duncan does cry, whine, and bitch too much to the refs; but, Sunday, I didn't see Tim do or say anything out of line to receive a 'T' while on the bench. I wasn't at the game; but, I was watching on television. The cameras showed Duncan and teammate Robert Horry laughing. Granted, they were laughing after a foul was called on the court; but, unless Crawford has exceptional hearing as well as tremendous vision to read lips, how could he know what Duncan and Horry were laughing about?

Coming out of one the tv breaks, Crawford was talking to Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich; and, I could read Crawford's lips telling Pop something close to "He (Duncan, of course) was mocking us (the refs); and, I'll not have that."

Damn, Joey. You're sure seem overly sensitive on that one.

David Stern and Stu Jackon (Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations, a.k.a the league's Lord of Discipline) need to get to the bottom of this situation and resolve it quickly. I expect Duncan to receive a fine; but, Crawford should receive some sort of punishment, too.

While it may generate interest on pay-per-view, I don't want to see Timmy D and Joey C. throw any actual blows.

Update -- Tuesday, April 17, Commissioner Stern suspended Joey Crawford indefinitely.

Bonzi and Comets' Coverage

2007-04-10T11:11:00.000-05:00

Bonzi Wells played his last game as a member of the Houston Rockets Sunday night in Sacramento versus the Kings. Though the Rockets played in Seattle Monday night versus the Supersonics, Wells was not with the team because he felt he was "a distraction to the team". In case you haven't read or heard, Wells sent a text message to Rockets' Team Trainer and Vice President of Basketball Operations Keith Jones informing Jones of his decision to not be with the team. Wells didn't contact Jeff Van Gundy -- he contacted Keith Jones which not only says a lot about the relationship between Bonzi and Keith but, more importantly, the lack of a relationship between Bonzi and Jeff Van Gundy.

Wells' last game as a Rockets player was versus the Kings which is ironic because, during last summer's NBA offseason, Wells turned down a five-year, $33.2 M contract from Sacramento to re-sign with the Kings. Apparently, Wells believed he would receive a better contract offer from a better team or he simply overestimated his worth on the NBA's free agent market. Wells a two-year contract with the Rockets; however, only the first year (worth $2.4 M) was guaranteed. The second year was at his option which everyone expected Bonzi to exercise and test the free agent market this summer. Despite his past productive seasons in the league, this season will truly impact any new contract offers Wells receives from other NBA teams. (Can you say "veteran minimum", Bonzi? I knew you could.)

Seriously, I hope Bonzi's decision to not play versus Seattle is based on a basketball decision and no personal demons or family problems in his life. However, I firmly expect the Rockets to release Bonzi later today.

Now, onto the coverage of the Houston Comets. The WNBA held its annual draft last Wednesday, April 4, in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Comets selected three college seniors in the Draft: guards Ashley Shields (from Southwest Tennessee Community College) and Dee Davis (Vanderbilt) and forward / post Kristen Newlin (Stanford). Kristen Newlin's father is Mike Newlin who played with the Houston Rockets from 1971 to 1979. Since I was not in Houston last week, I did not see the local sports news to see their coverage of the Comets' draft choices. However, it appears I was the only media person to interview Shields and Davis.

The Houston Chronicle had an article mentioning the Comets three draft choices inside an article about Houston's Lindsey Harding (from Cy Fair High School and Duke University) being chosen the overall number one pick and the Draft and, subsequently, being traded to the Minnesota Lynx. The article contained quotes from Harding but no quotes from the Comets draft choices. I'm not tooting my own horn for being the only Houston media outlet to interviewing Shields and Davis because I want to see the Comets receive as much coverage as possible; and, though I'm proud of the work of The Houston Roundball Review, the HRR pales in comparison to the outreach of bigger Houston media such as the Houston Chronicle and television stations.

The momentum and excitement generated from the sale of the Comets to Hilton Koch in January and the announcement of Karleen Thompson as head coach and general manager on Valentine's Day has waned; but, as the Comets' 2007 WNBA season approaches, hopefully, fan interest and media coverage will increase. Van Chancellor was a huge part of the Comets' organization; however, he is no longer part of the organization. Coach Chancellor was a big hit with the Houston media; but, the new Comets' regime needs to begin developing a good working relationship with the media and vice versa. I do not want the Comets to become the proverbial question of "if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there, does it make a sound?" The Comets and their fans should receive better treatment than that.

I'd hate to receive a text message saying the Comets were no longer in Houston.

Stop Bizarre Comparison

2007-04-08T13:28:00.000-05:00

Friday night after the Rockets - Blazers' game, while waiting for the players to speak to the media, some of my colleagues were discussing women's basketball -- not just the Women's Final Four which just ended with Tennessee defeating Rutgers 59 to 46 for title number seven; but, women's basketball in general. My colleagues were all men; and, for whatever reason, they bandied about this bit of logic to be critical of women's hoops: "I could get a boys' high school team or a men's junior college team and win the women's tournament."

Say what?

Though I've heard numerous spins on that sentence to demean women's hoops, I simply don't understand it. What does a boys or a men's team playing in a women's tournament have to do with anything? This just in...women's basketball is not men's basketball!

I'm not going to say women's hoops does not need to continue improving because it definitely does. For example, far too many women's basketball players (high school, college and pro) are still missing far too many lay ups. Today's basketball players are more athletic than they were just five years ago. However, I do believe the women are losing they're basketball skills at the sake of improving their athleticism which, ironically, is what has happened in the men's game.

Despite the apparent desire for men to see boys win women's basketball tournaments, I want to shift gears a little bit and discuss the view from some women such as Christine Brennan of USA Today to remove the word "Lady" from team nicknames such as the Tennessee Lady Vols because they believe "Lady" is a gender distinction which confines women to second class status. Brennan wrote a column "What's ladylike in a floor burn?" which appeared in the April 4 issue of USA Today.

In the article, Brennan quotes Aimee Mullins, President of the Women's Sports Foundation, stating "Lady" is "symptomatic of a larger pattern of women's programs beieng viewed as the stepchild of the men's programs...These programs are not spinoffs of the men's programs. It demeans the seriousness of the women's programs to use the term 'lady.' These women train the same hours. It's not a cute pursuit. But the 'lady' aspect makes it seem like that. It's a little bit patronizing. I think."

I would definitely like to speak with Ms. Mullins because I simply don't understand her point. Is she saying using 'lady' is demeaning; but, using 'women's college basketball and 'Women's' Final four are okay? By no means do I want to seem as if I'm insulting her; but, I truly do not agree with her on this issue. I just do not see 'Lady' as demeaning. If a team / school / program, such as Tennessee wants to use the term 'lady" as in Lady Vols, then I do not see a problem; however, if a team or teams decide to get rid of 'lady' in their nickname, then that's their choice and I'll respect the correct usage. If a school used, for example, "Lady Gents" I may believe that usage is silly; but, I would not call it demeaning.

Lastly, with the prevailing perception by many men (and some women) in society -- and not just in the media -- that women's basketball is inferior to men's basketball, using 'Lady' in a nickname is a minor problem in comparison.