No kind words for the Rockets after weak exit
It’s a perfect weekend, is it not, to reflect on the three strains of thought that inevitably define every Houston sports fan’s psyche.
One, of course, is the inevitability of disappointment, as defined by the Rockets’ collapse against the Golden State Warriors. It’s a fine mixture of resignation and, for at least a few, downright anger.
“I want to fight somebody,” Root Sports Southwest studio analyst and former Rockets star Calvin Murphy groused after the Rockets’ blowout loss Thursday night in Oakland. “The Rockets, point blank, should be ashamed of this effort tonight.”
Another is the fact that hope never springs more eternal than on recruit signing day or the weekend of the NFL Draft, which began with Thursday night’s first round and continues with coverage Friday and Saturday on ESPN and NFL Network.
And the third is the fact that, well, you just never know around here, do you, as manifested by the Astros’ struggling start that is so different from the springtime 2015 acceleration that carried the team from sub-mediocrity to the American League playoffs.
The Astros still have time to recover, of course, and the draft will continue through the weekend, but there’s still plenty of good rhetoric to digest over the Rockets’ demise.
“When you get to this level of basketball and you can’t put forth a better effort than that team-wise in a game this big, that is what disappoints me,” Murphy said. “Not the loss so much. You win, you lose. But when you don’t come out and put forth effort …”
He later added to game analyst Clyde Drexler, “How do you not show up, Clyde? Explain that to me. How do you not show up when it’s the biggest game in the last five years?”
Play by play voice Bill Worrell, who by now has seen it all in Houston sports, summed things up thusly: “They (the Rockets) didn’t look like a happy bunch. … There will be a little pressure put on the organization from the top on down to make some changes and get it right.”
Over on TNT, James Harden was the primary target for Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith.
“James Harden has to understand. He’s a terrific offensive player, but I’m not sure I would want to play with him, because it’s not fun,” Barkley said. “When you play for the Golden State Warriors, you feel a part of a team. Everything’s moving. You feel ‘I’m going to get the ball.’ Same thing with San Antonio. …
“But James Harden, he wouldn’t be fun to pay with. I guarantee you I wouldn’t want to go to practice every day and just watch him dribble, dribble, dribble, or come to the basket or step back and take a 3. Why am I standing out here for?”
Barkley said players such as Trevor
Arriza can never get in rhythm with the Rockets because “when you get it, you’re surprised you got it.” This conversation, of course, will continue into the offseason. As for the Rockets, there are other matters on the agenda, some of them involving broadcasting issues. Presumably the Worrell-Drexlerd Matt Bullard team on Root Sports Southwest will return for next year, but there could be changes. And the Rockets still must fill the vacancy for director of broadcasting in the wake of Joel Blank’s dismissal during the season. That decision, however, likely won’t become apparent for several weeks. Whatever happened to … If you’re wondering about the continued cloak of silence regarding former KILT (610 AM) talk show host Nick Wright’s landing spot at Fox Sports 1, perhaps the announcement that Skip Bayless is leaving ESPN after the NBA Finals, presumably for FS1 once his contract expires in August, may have something to do with the delay.
Presumably FS1 programmer Jamie Horowitz is plotting out multiple opinion-oriented shows for the channel, and perhaps things won’t be firmed up Bayless announces his next move.
At any rate, Wright has moved to Los Angeles awaiting the launch of the show on which he will appear, and he says via text message that he’s a little antsy without someone to whom he can deliver daily sports opinions.
“I’m working on some really cool stuff and hopefully people will be able to see some of that stuff — on TV and on Twitter — sooner than later,” Wright said. “Also, my wife reminded me recently that in the last 10 years I haven’t gone more than a full week without doing some form of a radio show, so this time to decompress and recalibrate has been really good for me.
“I’ve been able to get back to one of my passions--reading and learning about history - and learn about the city, and give myself a mental break from the daily grind of coming up with four hours of talk show material. But, with all that said, I’m already getting a little antsy and can’t wait to get back to being in front of people giving my opinions on the stories of the day.”
By the way, there’s still no official word on Wright’s successor, although rumor has it that program director Ryan McCredden has focused in on three primary prospects – two out of state, one in state. Four DVRs, no waiting
Warriors-Rockets Game 4 on Sunday was the most-watched first-round playoff game since 2002, averaging 7.2 million viewers on ABC with a 4.5 Nielsen rating. The 20.7 Nielsen rating in San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose was the highest first-round local rating since 2003, and the 10.9 rating in Houston was the second-highest first-round rating in that period. Game 5 on Wednesday did a 1.4 rating on Root Sports Southwest and a 3.6 rating on TNT for a combined 5.0 rating in Houston. … The Comcast SportsNet Houston bankruptcy case continues to wind its way through the court system. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans has set oral arguments for June 6 on Comcast’s motion to overturn aspects of U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur’s 2014 order that doomed CSN Houston and allowed the creation of Root Sports Southwest. Just to be clear, by the way, there’s no need to worry that CSN Houston will come back or Root SW will go away if Comcast prevails on appeal. Filthy lucre is the only thing at stake here. … Speaking of Comcast, the Trail Blazers’ agreement with CSN Northwest expires after next season, according to the Portland Oregonian, and the end of Comcast’s exclusive negotiating rights gives AT&T Sports Networks (aka Root Sports) and Fox Sports a chance to offer bids. Portland, as you may recall, has been subject for years to the same distribution woes that eventually helped sink CSN Houston. … NESN anchor/reporter Ellie Duncan has joined ESPN as a “SportsCenter” anchor. … Former All-Star Raul Ibanez has joined ESPN as a “Baseball Tonight” contributor and occasional game analyst. … Fox Sports announced channel assignments but no talent assignments for the upcoming Copa America soccer tournament that will include a semifinal match at NG Stadium in Houston. Four games will air on Fox broadcast stations, including KRIV (Ch. 26), with 21 games on Fox Sports 1` and the rest of FX and Fox Sports 2. … Bill Simmons on his new HBO show “Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons,” which debuts June 22: “I’m excited about the show, I’m excited about the title and I’m really, really excited to drop my first F-bomb on TV. We are going to figure out nudity down the road, as long as it’s tasteful.” … NBC says Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira and Savannah Guthrie will host the network’s Opening Ceremony coverage from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro, which is now less than a hundred days away.