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Stevie Franchise Heading To China?

It appears as though Steve Francis is heading east. Or west, depending on how you look at it.

Stevie Franchise hopes to play in China in the upcoming season, if the conditions are right:

"I will play in China if the money is good...Coaching is also an option."

In his three years playing beside Yao, Franchise put up beastly numbers. He was on top of the league, even on covers of video games and whatnot. Plus, the Rockets' swag looked like this. 

Francis was the American star of an international team--and one that the Chinese culture still loves and follows. His jersey sales, like that of other Rockets stars, boomed. But the sad story of Stevie Franchise all comes crashing down after his Orlando days.

Despite his poor media reception, Francis still has a loyal fan base in China. Perhaps this can revamp his career. I hope for the best for Stevie, even though he's wrong about Kevin Durant.  

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by Alex Cohn • Sep 14, 2010 7:51 PM CDT

NBA Jam Western Conference Rosters Released

Marc Stein's got the scoop, y'all:

Houston Rockets
Players: Kevin Martin, Yao Ming and Trevor Ariza

Legends: Hakeem Olajuwon and Kenny Smith

As with Courtney Lee's presence on New Jersey's roster in the Wii version, EA had to complete production before Ariza was dealt to New Orleans in a four-team deal in August that also featured Lee. So subbing him out for, say, Aaron Brooks will be possible only in EA's "NBA Elite 11" simulation title for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 that will include a downloadable version of "NBA Jam." The consolation: Hakeem and Kenny The Jet are back together, just like they were in arcades in '93, which means you can test out Dream and a supersized Yao as a tag team just for fun ... or see if Suns legend Kevin Johnson can recreate his signature throwdown over Dream from 1994.

Continue reading this commentary »

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by Tom Martin • Sep 14, 2010 5:06 PM CDT

Oh Peter King, You Naive Man

Reading through Peter King's congratulatory Monday Morning QB column, I stumbled upon a paragraph that is sure to make the eyes of every real Texans fan bleed:

Defensive Players of the Week
Mario Williams, DE, Houston
The Texans drafted Williams to beat Peyton Manning and the Colts, and he'd only been able to do it (with a little help from his friends) once in eight tries since coming to Houston as the first overall pick in the 2006 draft. On Sunday, Williams contributed mightily to the Texans' victory over Indianapolis. He hit Manning five times, once sacking him, and added four tackles. The way he knifed through and around the Indy offensive line Sunday, more than a few Houstonians should be sending former GM Charley Casserly a thank-you note this morning for ignoring the cries to take Vince Young or Reggie Bush and taking Williams instead. (emphasis added)

Actually Peter, and I know you're under strict pressure to laud Mr. Casserly every time you can because he's an "insider," Mr. Casserly was nothing but a puppet during the 2006 draft. Someone to be quickly deposed after that draft, but kept aboard out of courtesy by Bob McNair.

That's been proven time and time again by the local media and local fans. In fact, it's so known that even Richard Justice knows it.

So if you'll excuse me, the only thank you note I'll be sending to Mr. Casserly this year is one that reads "Thank you for the four years of terrible football, you terrible talent evaluator, but I quite enjoy watching the Texans be good while you sit there at CBS and act like you know what you're talking about." 

After all, nobody has been wrong more than Charlie Casserly. 

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by Rivers McCown • Sep 14, 2010 10:00 AM CDT

Arian Foster Rewards Linemen For Clearing Rio Grande-Sized Holes

Arian Foster might be a bonafide, stud RB now, but let's be serious: Stevie Slaton could have piled up two hundred yards behind a Texans' offensive line that parted the Colts' defensive front like Moses did the Red Sea. According to tackle Eric Winston, Foster's a humble guy, so it came as no surprise that the running back - a recipient of Sunday's game ball - handed off his prize to the folks who cleared the way for success.

Per Mark Berman:

"I said 'appreciate it. It's very humbling. Kub gave me the game ball, but this goes to the o-line,'" Foster said.

The Texans offensive linemen were pleased, but not necessarily surprised by Foster's gesture.

"That's the kind of person he is," said Eric Winston, Texans offensive tackle. "He's a humble guy and I think that's why he's gotten this far.

Now, Arian, understand this: Anything less than two hundo next week, and we're going to have problems. No excuses.

2 comments

by Tom Martin • Sep 13, 2010 5:30 PM CDT