TO LES ALEXANDER: "I WANT THE JOB!!!"

Written By: THE CALIFORNIA CONDOR

12-07-2010

TO LES ALEXANDER: "I WANT THE JOB!!!"

THE INTERVIEW!

So you are at an interview and answering routine questions.  After the interviewer deems you legit, he or she proceeds to tell you what the job entails.  Typically if a person was removed from a job, they will tell you:

• What they are trying to achieve
• The current state of the issue
• A time limit on getting the issue fixed

It's one thing if you are coming from the outside looking in, however, if you are already a part of the organization, you have a heads-up on the idiosyncrasies of the issue.  In addition to the interview, the job posting provides extensive detail about the job.  With all of that being said, the interviewer asks "Are you interested in the position?". 

After witnessing a depressed bank account and thinking about the action baby-girl is going to give you once you give her the news, you quickly say, "YES", but it's not over because the interviewer will usually give you one more chance as a way out.  The interviewer will ask "Are their any questions you would like to ask". 

In the "REAL WORLD" this is where most of us are fighting with ourselves not to ask about salary and the temptation overtakes you and you blurt out with "Exactly how much does this job pay".  You got the job.

CRAIG AND I (YAO, ALEXANDER, MOREY) DISPUTE

It is my belief, if you accept a job and if the constraints are laid out, you are still responsible for positive results.  We see this alot in politics where people campaign for a position and blame their predecessor for the troubles.  In the case of Daryl Morey, Craig Shelton believes that Morey is not at fault because his hands are tied with Yao Ming.  Les Alexander's commercial ventures with the Republic of China outweighs the need of Morey putting together a championship caliber team.  Although Craig believes Les is part of the problem, Les Alexander has equity with him via: championships, high profile players, and opening the checkbook.   Another person that agrees with Craig is David Nuno.  Nuno said he will get upset with anyone that try to criticize Daryl Morey because they do not know the situation that Morey is in.   Here is my belief, if Morey knew he was limited in what he could do with Yao Ming, I am sorry but the results are still on him.  Since we have become a society of rewarding ALMOST.  This frame of thinking is my biggest problem with Houston Sports and Politics in general.  I don't reward intent, I reward results nor am I saying David and Craig are but everyone and their mother can have an excuse for unexpected results.

RICE RUNNING BACK SAM MCGUFFIE

Earlier this football season I was all excited to see the young RB for Rice University, Sam McGuffie.  McGuffie is a local kid that took his talents to the University of Michigan and decided to return to Houston.  He is best known as a "You Tube" sensation because of his miraculous runs in high school. 

The first week of the college football season, Rice University played the University of Texas and I thought I was about to see a spectacular performance, but what I saw was a dude running in horizontal in the backfield.  He was shaking and baking and making the initial defender miss and I was all excited and after the play, he gained like one yard. 

David Nuno said he don't believe Morey is making deals just for the sake of making deals.  I can agree with Nuno I that but McGuffie is probably the best way I can describe Daryl Morey.  Everyone is all excited for the NBA trade deadline, as well as the free agency period because you know Daryl is about to pull off a move.  Once the move is pulled off, and you evaluate the worth of the move by the ultimate barometer - winning, playoffs, and championships, you have to say his moves are not as hot as we thought.  It's a whole bunch of willing and dealing and what's the end result? 2010 NO PLAYOFFS and this CURRENT SEASON, NO DEFENSE WITH A PATHETIC RECORD. 

DARYL, WADE, SMITH - WHO GOT IT RIGHT?

Since the Texans are the youngest franchise, I will use them for my timeline.  In nine years, each one of our BIG 3 professional teams had a player or two on the roster recognized as the "teacher's pet" or lack of better words, "the owner's boy(s)".

Astros - Lance Berkman, Roy Oswalt, Carlos Lee
Rockets - Yao Ming
Texans - David Carr, Andre Johnson, Mario Williams

Everyone knows how Drayton McLane regarded Berkman and Oswalt, but in order to move that team forward, GM Ed Wade had to convince the owner that those players were more of a liability than an asset.  Wade was ultimately successful in getting them moved.  I am not versed enough in MLB to know the dynamics of Lee but I could only assume Wade will also get Lee moved if his production does not pick-up.  Not to mention, one of "THE BOYS" Berkman tried to come back to Houston and they rejected him.

Bob McNair loved David Carr.  Mr. McNair has a nasty habit of extending personnel at the most unpopular times and that's what he did to David Carr before hiring Gary Kubiak.  It's a widely-held belief that in order for a coach to have gotten the job after Dom Capers was terminated, they had to say they could turn around David Carr.  According to some, that's what Kubiak said, but even Kubiak had the "stones" to tell McNair, "Bossman, this little David Carr project is not going to work".  Say what you will about Kubiak but after that move, we have seen a better Texans team.

That leaves Daryl Morey and Yao Ming.  I really commend Daryl for trying to put lipstick on a pig, but it's Yao who is going to be this franchise's downfall.  Since Daryl took the reins as General Manager, I would say he had a healthy productive Yao Ming for 50% of the time.  I am being critical of Daryl Morey while knowing this book is not completely written but Yao's feet are shot.

Solution

Daryl or someone in the Rockets organization is going to have to convince Les Alexander, if you want to truly move the Rockets forward, we have to make a move while Yao still has some value.  Here's the caveat: the fans and media judge success by wins; owners judge success by the progressive mumps in their bank accounts which in all likelihood means, we are stuck like chuck. 

CALIFORNIA CONDOR
HMW
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