SportsJustice

February 25, 2010

The Sports Update: Take your family to spring training

Posted by Richard at 09:25 AM in Sports Update | Comments (0)
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February 24, 2010

Where are all the people that said McGrady could still play?

I'd be the last one to point out someone else's mistake since I make a fair number of them myownself. However, if you'd like to write in and admit that you didn't know a rip about what Tracy McGrady was still capable of, go right head. If you thought this whole thing was a plot by the Rockets to bring a good man down, speak up.

The Rockets did the right thing by getting rid of Tracy McGrady. They put up with his diva act for two years, and that was enough. They allowed him to jerk them around last season and simply weren't going to do it again this season.

All they asked was that he should not come back until he could come back and (a) be available for games and practices and (b) be willing to play Rick Adelman's up-tempo style of basketball.

McGrady was either unable or unwilling to do either of these things. He complained about how he was being treated, as if the Rockets didn't want him back on the floor.

He complained that Leslie Alexander preferred the insurance money to having the player. All Alexander coughed up for this guy was around $120 million. That's a lot of money for a team that never got out of the first round of the playoffs.

The Rockets knew when they traded him that he could get himself in shape over the summer and made them look bad next season. But they never thought he'd be able to contribute much this season. So far, he has had one really good game and two really bad ones.

It's tough to believe he'll never again be an impact player, but there's just no way of knowing what's ahead for him. Is he willing to put in the work required to be great? Even if he's willing to work, will his left knee allow him to be great? Those are things that will be answered over the next year or two.

The Rockets needed to move ahead and allow Tracy to do the same.

Posted by Richard at 03:39 PM in Rockets | Comments (16)
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Texans bungled Dunta's negotiations start to finish

So the Texans cut ties with Dunta Robinson, and you could see it coming from miles away. They've mishandled this deal every step of the way, and there's no reason to think that getting rid of him is the right thing to do, either.

First, are the Texans a better team without him? No, they're not. OK, so maybe there were hard feelings about how negotiations were handled and all that, but after a season when he didn't play well at times, he's still way above average at his position.

It's unlikely the Texans are going to get someone better than Dunta Robinson in the draft or in free agency. Meanwhile, Dunta seems likely to be a highly sought-after free agent.

What's wrong with this picture? Are the Texans trying to move forward by going backwards?

The Texans allowed Dunta to control the negotiations last summer. Instead of trying to find some middle ground in the negotiations, they drew a line in the sand and ended talks.

Except it was a phony line. While the Texans were refusing to talk, they allowed Dunta to skip the off-season workouts and then to show up in the final days of training camp.

It wasn't in the best interests of the Texans for a guy who'd missed so much time the previous year to skip so much of camp. And when he did report for the first regular-season game, his rust showed.

He was one of the reasons the Texans struggled on defense early in the game. But the Texans never seemed serious about getting a deal done. I remember asking Texans GM Rick Smith once if he was staying in constant contact with Dunta's agent. He said something like, ''We're not doing anything right now.''

Unless the larger goal was never to sign Dunta, a more experienced negotiator and general manager would have been telephone the agents regularly, throwing different things on the table, hoping against hope to get a deal done that would get Dunta into camp.

If the two sides keep talking, if they keep throwing proposals at one another, if they communicate what each side must have, there's a chance of getting a deal done.

Who is helped by not talking? No one. The Texans didn't get better as a team, and Dunta never got the deal he wanted.

It's tough to see him leave this way. He cared. He really cared. He was sometimes frustrated by the way the franchise was operated, and instead of keeping his mouth shut, he said so.

The Texans will say — with plenty of justification — that they offered Dunta $23 million guaranteed, and if that wasn't enough, nothing was ever going to be enough. But they should have kept talking, should have kept looking for a compromise.

If there was no deal to be reached, then they should have drawn a real line in the sand and refused to allow him to dictate when he showed up. His missing camp hurt the Texans on the field, and remember they missed the playoffs by one lousy game.

Dunta usually spoke his mind. At least until this year. There was a game in Baltimore when Dunta was furious afterward in the locker room. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio appeared to have made a mess of things, and the team had played badly, and Dunta was in full rip mode.

Except that the public-relations staff surrounded Dunta, shielding him from reporters, hoping he'd calm down. He never did calm down.

He was also one of the few players to point out what the media wouldn't: that until David Carr was shown the door, the Texans weren't going to win.

Now he's gone, and the Texans aren't better, and it feels sad that he's gone. He'll be missed.

Follow me on Twitter.

Posted by Richard at 08:12 AM in Texans | Comments (102)
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February 23, 2010

Hold on there, Bud Norris, you ain't made it yet

You just can't beat good old-fashioned baseball humor. For instance, did you catch what the Phillies pulled on one of their PR guys? You're just not going to have fun stuff like that in the NFL unless you count torn ligaments and compound fractures as fun.

Anyway, Ed Wade has had a little fun with Bud Norris lately. Luckily, Bud seems to be taking it in the right spirit even if he does walk out to the highway and back to keep from coming face to face with Mr. Wade.

It started a few weeks ago when Bud told Ed he'd bought a home in Houston.

''Really?'' Wade said. ''That's kind of a long commute from Round Rock.''

Ha ha ha, Bud said nervously.

Wade got another zinger in when the Astros caravan visited Round Rock. Bud wore a t-shirt that day, and when Ed got up to speak at the luncheon, he noticed.

''I want to apologize for Bud's wardrobe,'' Ed said. ''He'll dress better when he's back here pitching this season.''

Now that hurts.

Was Ed delivering a message that Bud has to earn his lunch this spring? Was he just having a little bit of fun?

''You've got to take it with a grain of salt,'' Bud said. ''It's pretty funny. Obviously, it can happen. I know I work hard. Maybe he's just trying to plant the seed.''

Is that right, Ed?

''We hope he never pitches another game in Round Rock.''

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Posted by Richard at 04:10 PM in Astros | Comments (8)
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February 22, 2010

I'm happy about the Astros even if I'm the only one

''I think people feed of positive energy. I don't think players are any different from anybody else. If they see that the guy in the first chair is genuine and enthusiastic and believes you can win and believes in setting a tone, then I think it behooves them to follow. And I think they understand that.''—Astros GM Ed Wade on what new manager Brad Mills brings to the club.

You know the best part of writing a nice positive blog like this one is all the hateful comments that come pouring in? In the few hours since this one went up, I've had people calling me names, calling Drayton names, people telling me this was some sorry excuse for a baseball team. Some of the comments got, well, personal.

I deleted 'em all. Read about three words and bam, gonzo! I'm feeling pretty sporty today. I watched Manzella and Johnson and Norris and Bogusevic work out today. Made me feel good. I talked to the new manager. Made me feel good. I checked in with some of the people I trust. And you know what they all said? They're pretty optimistic.

They have no idea if the Astros are going to finish first or last, but there's a sense that the Astros have turned a corner. They've got a competent manager, a competent scouting director and a rotation with a chance to be pretty solid. The Astros have a chance, and considering all that has happened in the draft and free agency the last few years, that's an amazing thing to be able to say.

Am I picking them to win? Of course not. I'm not that dumb. I'm not even that optimistic. I guess I just like watching baseball games and am excited a new season is just starting. Some of you aren't excited. You act as if watching a baseball game is punishment.

Friends, I worked in one of the world's great cities for 14 years. Washington, D.C., is a wonderful place to live and work, has almost everything. Except it didn't have major league baseball.

There's no reason it didn't except that a bunch of baseball owners believed Washington was the same city it had been in 1960 and 1970. They couldn't comprehend how much Washington had changed and refused to take the time to come investigate.

Washington got baseball back a few years ago, and even though the team has been lousy and attendance has declined, trust me when I tell you that Washington is going to be a great baseball city when the Nats start to win. They're almost there, too. Stan Kasten and Mike Rizzo are going to get it right.

My point is that for a long time, Washington didn't have baseball. Washington would get the Cardinals coming through playing an exhibition game.

''We're not Chatanooga,'' Shirley Povich would say, offended.

We'd pretend the Orioles were our team, but it wasn't the same. We're lucky in Houston. We've got baseball. We've had some great baseball over the years, and we've had some lousy baseball. Both beat no baseball.

I also chatted up Oswalt, Moehler, Norris, Berry, Bourn, Wade, etc. I'm looking forward to Tal and Drayton rolling in Wednesday. Let's just say the appeteezers will be on them.

Roy O. was optimistic, too, and that hasn't been the case for awhile. I'll bet Puma shows up with a big smile. I don't know why so many of you are so angry. I would blame it on Obama, but it started way before him. People are just mad.

And well, I'm down here watching a little baseball, and I don't feel like having my happy days interrupted. There's a Five Guys and an Ale House just down the street from my hotel, and I've got Pop Tarts in the room and a dozen Diet Cokes icy cold. I've got a new pair of Ray-Bans, and, well, no one can touch me.

About all I don't have is a good running trail. There are a few here, but they're a long way from my hotel near the airport. I'd like to have something just like Katy Trail right outside my hotel. If anyone can help, send bubber an email.

I know the Astros might stink. I know lots has to go right. But the thing that makes me wonder is how so many of you can be so sure. And beyond that, you get down and dirty with all this name-calling, insults, etc.

It's not over yet. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?

(I haven't used this reference in a few weeks, and I'm doing it now because of the emails and comments I'll get. They're not all from UH grads, either. I think there are some Texas grads out there that don't understand the historical significance of the Germans and Pearl Harbor.)

Let's just say that Roy Oswalt has a great season and that Wandy Rodriguez has another good one. Let's just Brett Myers makes 35 starts and Bud Norris is solid. Let's say Tommy Manzella is great at short, and that Michael Bourn, Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence all have good offensive years.

I can give you a dozen reasons the Astros are going to finish closer to last than first, but let's just say all those things happen, where are we then? Terrible? No. Out of contention by Father's Day? I don't think so.

It's like with Tiger Woods' apology last week. I've never heard so much belly-aching in my life. Not just fans and talk-show gas bags. Plenty of sporting columnists unloaded on Tiger.

I honestly don't know what else he could have said. I was absolutely stunned that some thought he didn't say enough or that he said it the wrong way. I'm pretty sure people were ticked off before his little speech and were going to be ticked off no matter what he said.

Otherwise, have a nice day. I intend to.

OK, back to the regular program...

In the end, it's going to come down to making pitches and plays, to driving in runners and to playing smart. So the Astros still might not be good enough to make the playoffs this season. That said, this spring training is different from the past couple of years.

Brad Mills has brought energy and enthusiasm to these early workouts. He reached out to every player during the off-season. Roy Oswalt, for one, has noticed that the atmosphere is better.

Little things mean a lot. The Astros need a dozen things to break right to be in contention. They need Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez to have good years. They need Bud Norris to have another good year. They need Brett Myers to make his 35 starts. They need the back of the bullpen to get solidified, and for Lance Berkman to have a big season.

But a good manager can make a difference as well. He can give the players some degree of confidence that the people in charge know what they're doing, that the club finally is headed in the right direction.

If you want to be optimistic about the 2010 Astros, you would begin with adding Myers to the rotation, with having a great defensive player (Tommy Manzella) at shortstop and with having depth in the bullpen.

But to me, it feels the organization finally has turned a corner. They've got the right people in place up and down the masthead. They've got the reconstruction of the minor leagues underway. They've still got some core guys who know how to win. Nothing is more important than the leadership, and that begins with the new manager.

Follow me on Twitter.

Posted by Richard at 01:16 PM in Astros | Comments (57)
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February 20, 2010

Pitchers and catchers report, and all is right with the world

Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal."—George Will.

The Astros may just win the whole thing this season. Or they may finish dead last. The former is lots better than the latter, but in the end, today is still the beginning of the best time of the year.

Baseball is so much better than any other sport on earth that it's really not worth discussing. As George Will once wrote, there's so much going on in a baseball game at one time that's it impossible to follow it all. I can't always follow it all, but I do know there's no better way to spend a few hours than watching a baseball game from start to finish.

We're lucky to have great television coverage of the Astros, but there's nothing better than actually being there taking it all in. There are days you want the radio play-by-play in your ear, but there are other days when you just want to sit there alone in your thoughts and watch it unfold.

Positioning of outfields. Infielders shaded this way or that. Umpire won't give the pitcher a close one, so now does he give in or more onto the next hitter. It's fabulous stuff.

Sure it's about winning and losing, but if you're lucky enough to see a game in person, you're pretty darn lucky. How about San Francisco? Ever been to AT&T Park for a game? It's about as close to heaven as some of us may ever get. Dodger Stadium? Same thing.

I love Royals Stadium, too, and Miller Park and Turner Field and... Well, you get the picture.

I hope the Astros are fun to watch and interesting. I hope they won 110 games, too. I think they've got the right guys in charge in the front office and on the field. I don't know if they'll get it right on the field this season, but I do believe they're headed in the right direction. And if they're not, it's still baseball. A bad baseball game is better than a great NFL or NBA game. Nothing against those sports. They're just not as beautiful as baseball. Few things on earth are.

I've got hopes for these Astros, but not hopes in the way they measure hope in New York and Boston and Philadelphia. I've got hopes that things will happen this season that may 2011 really interesting. For instance:

• That the starting rotation of Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers, Bud Norris and Felipe Paulino will enjoy a healthy and productive season.

• That rookie SS Tommy Manzella makes defensive plays that take our breath away, that he reminds us again of the important of defense.

• That rookies Chris Johnson and Jason Castro are everyday big league players in August, and that they both stay there for years to come.

• That Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt have great seasons, that they both rediscover their love for the game and both gear up for several more productive seasons and put themselves in the Hall of Fame conversation. Someday we'll look back and be honored that both of them spent their entire careers with the Astros.

• That the 2008 draft class will arrive in Corpus Christi in large numbers, that they'll succeed there and that by this time next season they'll be knocking on the door to the big leagues. The Astros aren't going to be consistently good again until there are young players competing for big league jobs. Let's hope by this time next season we're at that point.

• That Brian Moehler, Chris Sampson and Wesley Wright have terrific seasons, that Geoff Blum keeps on keeping on, that J.R. Towles finally settles in and proves himself a big leaguer.

• That Brad Mills finds out managing in the big leagues is every bit as challenging and as fun as he hoped it would be, and that the Astros finally remove the revolving door from the manager's office.

• That each of you enjoys it as much as I'm going to. Let's play two.

Follow me on Twitter. I won't leave you alone until you do.

Posted by Richard at 07:12 AM in Astros | Comments (27)
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February 19, 2010

Tiger: ''It's up to me to start living a life of integrity.''

''I brought this shame on myself.''

''Character and decency are what really count.''

''I recognize I have brought this on myself, and I know above all, I am the one who needs to change.''

''I need to regain my balance, so I can save the things that are most important to me—my marriage and my children.''

''I ask you to find it in your heart to believe in me again.''

I don't know what more he could have said. Tiger Woods seemed to be speaking from the heart, from deep within his heart, from a place some of us doubted he was capable of going. He should have done it weeks ago, but that's beside the point.

He offered a stark self-portrait. He made no excuses for his behavior. Zero. He apologized profusely to his wife, said he was working to save the marriage.

If this was a first step, it was a good one. He accepted all the blame for his behavior, admitted there's still work to do and simply didn't know when he would play golf again.

''I convinced myself normal rules didn't apply. I thought only about myself.''

He spoke of the trust that had been broken with his fans, with the parents who believed he was a role model. He seemed to understand he'd done damage that could never be repaired.

''I felt I was entitled.''

He mentioned his fellow tour players and sponsors, too. He pointed the finger at himself again and again. There's really no blueprint for something like this. Did he speak because he was trapped? Sure he did.

Somewhere along the way, he may also have gotten closer to reality than he has been in a long, long time. He spoke of being raised a Buddhist and how his life had gotten so far away from its teaching.

''Parents used to point to me as a role model for their kids. I owe all those people a special apology.''

Other public people have offered apologies for their actions, but this one was different. He's the most famous athlete on earth, and his downfall was chronicled in a way no other downfall ever has been.

There was none of the usual Tiger arrogance. If you want dates, times and places, you're not going to get them. That's where he drew a line.

For all those people ranting that Tiger owed the PGA an apology, or that he owed something to the other players on the tour, he offered several.

Did Tiger owe his fans something? Sure he did. He tried to offer it. He said it over and over.

He's a good reminder to be careful about building up people to be more than they are. His skill was hitting a golf ball. If we made him out to be more than that, some of that blame is on us.

Watching him on Sunday afternoon at Augusta National has been a great thrill. Remember those cheers from somewhere behind the leaders? We'd look at one another and say, ''Those are Tiger cheers. Here he comes.''

If you gave Tiger credit for being anything more than a gifted athlete and a great golfer and a man with laser-like dedication to golf greatness, you might be the one that needs help.

He played golf. He didn't provide health care or clean up the planet or slow global warming. If you want a role model, check out Bill Bradley.

Cops and teachers ought to be our role models, not some genetic freak with a golf club in his hand. For God's sake, raise your standards.

Tiger's mistake was freakishly controlling his image and allowing people to believe he was something he never was. People bought it, but how is that different than the spin masters selling empty suits as statesmen? We bought into Tiger because we liked what we saw.

I've never found the guy warm or likeable, but I did find him amazing in his commitment to being great. He entered a group of mostly white, mostly wealthy, mostly boring people and suddenly made it interesting. He came to define his sport as no one ever.

Don't say Ali. Ali was no saint, either, but Ali was also defined, in part, by his opponents. Ali needed Frazier to complete the picture.

Tiger always seemed apart from those he competed against. He was easy to root for, too, when his closest competitor is the insufferably arrogant Phil Mickelson.

Tiger did nothing to answer the real questions on Friday. Those are between him and his family. In the end, those are the only people he owes anything to, and if there's any real healing done there, we won't be allowed to watch.

''It's up to me to start living a life of integrity.''

Do me a solid and follow me on Twitter. Together, we'll win the battle one tweet at a time.

Posted by Richard at 09:33 AM in General Sports | Comments (35)
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The Sports Update: On the Astros and arbitration

Posted by Richard at 08:15 AM in Sports Update | Comments (5)
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February 18, 2010

McGrady's legacy: one amazing moment, many disappointments

Can you do me a solid? Can you follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/richardjustice You won't? Now stop kidding me, you crazy kids. I need 5,000 of you to sign up by Tuesday. There's a free Justice Burger in it for the lucky 10,000th follower.

It was Dec. 9, 2004. Tracy McGrady's 18th game with the Rockets. That was the night he did something absolutely amazing, the night we thought would be the beginning of a beautiful marriage.

He played 35 of the greatest seconds any NBA player has ever played. If you were there that night, you were absolutely convinced he was going to lead the Rockets to a championship and that all the things people in Orlando said about his lack of drive and heart couldn't have been more wrong.

There were other special times. Remember the 22-game winning streak? McGrady was huge. He had some special moments in the postseason, too.

His larger legacy may be that he never won a playoff series and never came close to delivering the championship he talked about. But there were moments when his dazzling talents flashed before our eyes. That part of the story shouldn't be forgotten.

In the end, he had neither the drive nor the heart to win a championship. He wanted to be like Jordan and Kobe, but he didn't have their work ethic, their burning desire to win.

He was a nice man. He was great with kids. He appeared to be devoted to his family. But there's an inner-something the great ones have, and McGrady never had it.

Jordan could be a raging SOB. Bryant's life seems defined by the basketball court. McGrady just was never that consumed with basketball. God gave him a gift, and he used it to make a nice life for himself.

He said the things those other guys said about winning and dedication, but he never really had that dedication. By the time he seemed willing to put in the work required to be a champion, his left knee failed him.

But back to that night in 2004. The Rockets trailed the Spurs by eight points with 40 seconds remaining. Game over, right?

McGrady then put in a 3-pointer. And then another. And then another and another. He scored 13 points in the final 35 seconds that night and forced a turnover as the Rockets rallied to win.

You can go to hundreds of NBA games and not see the kind of show McGrady put on that night. At his best, he wasn't just a great scorer. He was a great passer, a great playmaker, a guy that attracted defensive attention and could put his teammates in position to make plays.

He lost his teammates last season when he basically quit during a game in Toronto, and then he lost the coaches and front office by telling them one thing in private and then telling reporters another thing.

He essentially wanted the Rockets to put their team goals aside and allow him to use the season as his personal training camp. He'd been allowed to do that last year, and it was a disaster.

All Rick Adelman asked was that when he returned, he was back for good and that there'd be no more pulling himself out of the lineup and practices. Maybe McGrady just couldn't get his mind around the fact that his body had begun to fail him and that he might never be the player he once was.

And then again, he might. The Rockets know this. They believe if he dedicates himself, he might come back next season and prove he's still capable of playing at a high level.

But it was time for both sides to move on. Each was sick of the other. I'm not sure there's any bad guy in all of this. On one side is an organization trying to build a champion. On the other is a once-great player trying to figure out what he's capable of.

If you're bitter at him, don't be. I've been around plenty of bad guys, and I can tell you McGrady is a good guy. He may have a big ego, may see himself as the equal of Kobe and Michael, but there's no sin in that.

It'll be interesting to see how these two unhappy dance partners get along without one another. Both have plenty to prove.

Have I mentioned anything about following me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/richardjustice It's where people come for all the best Earl Weaver stories.

Posted by Richard at 02:18 PM in Rockets | Comments (29)
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The Sports Update: Step in right direction for Rockets

Posted by Richard at 01:21 PM in Sports Update | Comments (8)
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Morey lands a scorer in Kevin Martin and is working toward adding Jordan Hill

Daryl Morey might have just rebuilt this entire franchise in one swoop this afternoon.

Kevin Martin is a pure scorer. Daryl Morey believes he can be a special player. Here's a statistical nugget I heard from David Thorpe on 1560 this morning: Martin is the first player in NBA history to average 9 free throws a game while shooting 40 percent from 3-point land. Translation: impact.

He has been hurt some and his numbers have been down, but he's a guy Daryl Morey has had targeted for awhile. If Morey is right, the Rockets got better.

Morey isn't done. He's still working on landing Jordan Hill from the Knicks, and then the Rockets will have a dramatically different look.

Because it's Daryl Morey, we trust. We believe. He has earned that trust and belief. Look at his body of work with this franchise. He didn't get dumb last night. If Daryl Morey thinks this is a good deal, I think it's a good deal. Sign me up for this deal even though it comes with sirens and alarms.

Kevin Martin's production has declined the last two years. He has been hurt some, but some of those injuries have odd circumstances relating to diagnosis and freak collisions. Yet he's a pure scorer, and that's what the Rockets need. I have no idea how Rick Adelman is going to sort out the minutes, and that's a challenge. Does Trevor Ariza now come off the bench?

On the other hand, if Kevin Martin is healthy, he's 17 points a game. From the beginning, Morey's first priority was to get an impact player who could help the Rockets this season and in the future. This trade does that.

Give Morey credit for not losing sight of the larger goal. Kevin Martin was on his radar screen from the start. Morey believed he'd make a difference this season, and in the future.

The Rockets need interior defense, and they need scoring. Martin fills one of those needs. Look ahead to next season with Yao Ming back in the middle and with Martin on the perimeter. The Rockets aren't perfect, but they've taken a huge step in the right direction.

Martin will also make those around him better. Morey paid a high price in giving up Carl Landry, but this trade appears to inch the Rockets along toward being a serious contender next season.

There are risks in the deal. Martin has missed too many games with injury and his defense is nothing special. But he's a scorer, a special scorer, and there aren't many of those players around.

Posted by Richard at 07:12 AM in Rockets | Comments (68)
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