Tad Brown was on 790 this morning and among the things they discussed was the situation between the Rockets and TNT. I won't do a line by line recap, but here were the highlights: -Tad Brown confirmed that Shaq has a personal issue between he and Dwight (no details) -Tad Brown confirmed that Barkley has an issue about something he thinks happened between him and the Rockets and that he will just never be fair to the Rockets because of it. (This part is common knowledge, but first I've heard someone from the Rox address it) -Tad Brown said he has addressed the Barkley situation directly with the head of Turner and with Ernie Johnson to try to get some resolution on it. Didn't sound like it went anywhere. -Tad said he confronted Barkley directly at the All Star game about it with no resolution -Tad said he has offered Barkley the option to meet with him and resolve whatever it is that Barkley is upset about, but claims that no one in the organization knows what Barkley is talking about -Tad said that Turner wants the Rockets on TNT because they draw the highest ratings when they are on. (Not sure if this meant exactly what he said)
Didn't Barkley say he was going to retire from the pre/post/halftime stuff a while ago? I know he's brought it up a few times.
Shaq says the D12 hating isn't personal but his facial expressions say different. Barkley tries too hard to justify his pessimism when it comes to the Rockets. When he crapped on Josh Smith last night.. he brought up how the Hawks got better when he left. The Hawks got good this year.
Barkly is a fat jealous pig. Hakeem and Jordan destroyed his hopes for a ring. He is not smart y do people even ask for his opinion is beyond me, he is an idiot thank you
Eh... His last year with the Hawks was 12-13 and they won 44 games. The next year they only won 38 sure, but they got 45 fewer games from Al Horford. The Hawks are better off without Josh Smith. If you are using Josh Smith as a star level player, a featured player, you are going to be better off without him.
Barkley and Shaq need to leave their personal stuff off the set. They're supposed to be professionals. There is certainly plenty to criticize about Dwight Howard(hell, just read the GARM). But do it objectively. And if Barkley truly believes the Rockets aren't contenders, explain why. And no, Les allegedly owing you millions is not a legit reason.
My problem with the show is that with Shaq and Barkley each trying to get their stuff in, it causes the whole show to become too chaotic. Everyone starts talking over each other so you can't hear what anyone is talking about, so nothing gets said except that Barkley thinks the Rockets suck and Shaq thinks Dwight sucks. It's just no fun to watch.
TNT Basketball coverage might be the worst thing to ever happen to the game. -Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe touched on this the other day in their podcast about how that really has affected perception of success in the game not just with the fans & media, but also with the players. Maybe its just a joke on humanity and how we follow they idiots because they say they know more than you do. The fact is, Barkley, Smith, and ESPECIALLY Shaq are complete idiots and they really, really don't pay that much attention nor do they take the time to prepare for a half decent program. The whole barber shop guys talk thing is fun banter, but the problem is that their narrative they create gets perceived as expert opinion or in some cases fact. The "Rockets Owe Me Money" Barkley narrative hurts the Rockets at the end of the day if free agents only know this about Leslie Alexander and don't know that its complete crap, and they don't know the whole story about how Barkley was thinking he could get money under the table if he circumvented the CBA to get Scottie Pippen to the Rockets. But Whatever... I've begun to embrace the whole "NBA outsiders" disposition. I think it helps galvanize the team & the fans to be more supportive of each other. The Rockets have very undervalued pillars to their team. Let the media & dumba#$ fans focus on what they want to focus on, and lets just win games.
Maybe Rockets can send Rusty Hardin to shake up Barkley a little. You want a lawsuit for defamation or slander?
Oh... and Shaq is NOT funny & he might have been the most boring NBA dominant superstar to watch in my lifetime. He never has been, and never will be funny & entertaining. Yes, he's a big goofy personality & a marketing genius, but why people would ever want to actually sit and watch him do or say anything is beyond me. He might be the most un-watchable superstar ever from a basketball & off the court perspective. People complain about Dwight getting fouled too much, and having a rudimentary post game... go watch full games of Shaq lumber around in the post like a bull in a china shop & clank free throws all night long.
Shaqs post up shot went in though, If Dwight steps his game up Shaq couldnt say anything. Barkley is an idiot though.
Houston has been disrespected by all the national sports media since forever. I'm not surprised nor am I angered by what these guys have to say about the Rockets. Shaq saying "I don't know who this guy is guarding Dwight" just shows his ignorance of the game that TNT pays him to express his "knowledge" on. It's not much different than when Stephen A Smith kept saying "Chandler Who?". Just because you dont' know them doesn't make them bad players. I thought Aldrich defended Dwight pretty well last night and Shaq, being a former big man who got fouled relentlessly, should understand what Dwight has to face every single night. Instead he cops out and says that Dwight doesn't do enough. Barkley just doesn't know when to quit talking....to the point where his good friends have shunned him from their lives (Jordan). He can lean on the whole schtick about "I'm gonna speak my mind no matter what" if he wants, but sometimes it's ok to keep your mouth shut.
It is crazy to think two intellectuals such as Shaq and Barkley would let emotion dictate their logic! Oh wait, I have seen goats with more intelligence than those two combined.
Last night was a new low concerning Barkley. For him to flat out say he'll never take the Rockets seriously as contenders is downright moronic, but I suppose he's never had a problem sounding dumb. While Shaq continues to pick on Howard, at least he's got some valid points about Dwight's post game.
Have you ever actually met Tad Brown, or are you just spouting off for some unknown reason? I've met him a couple of times, and he was incredibly nice.
That's the biggest problem. This idea that Dwight needs to "step his game up". What does that even mean. The guy is great, and tries really really hard at his role. Go look up Tom Haberstroh's video he posted on TruHoop regarding the number 28.1%. Dwight Howard IS ALREADY dominant. He doesn't have to be a dominant post up player. He's great in the pick and roll, and he's great when he allows the guards to get him the ball in his spots. When Dwight listens to Shaq and Barkley & other old timers (I know he does or has in the past) about how THEY THINK he needs to dominate the game, it takes him out of his own game and what he's actually dominant at. Stop trying to make him into a old school NBA center. He doesn't need that pressure on his back. Why not put that pressure on Hibbert, Gasol, D. Jordan, etc. etc. Why is all the pressure on Dwight to be that guy? Why don't we hear anything about these guys needing to average 30/15/3 a night? Its freaking ludicrous. Stop holding onto the past. Dwight is NOT Kareem, Hakeem, or even Shaq. He's Dwight Howard a modern NBA center, and he's the best modern NBA center in the game as a two-way player. Reg Shaq: Yes his shots went in from the post. Ron Jeremy also got with lots of women. That doesn't mean I like to watch him... you know what.