Yao tied to Ownership of Shanghai Sharks

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While Yao Ming’s season and future remain in limbo, the Rockets Center has continued talks relating to the purchase of the Shanghai Sharks basketball club.

A source with knowledge of the discussions confirmed for KPRC Local 2 Sports Wednesday morning  that Yao is aggressively moving forward and may not be the only investor involved in the talks. 

According to reports out of China, Yao would like to step up and provide nearly 3 million dollars to help save the club from exiting the Chinese Basketball Association because of tough economic conditions.

The Shanghai Daily reported that Erik Zhang, who heads Team Yao, told a Chinese website, ” It’s not the right time yet to talk about a deal.’

Meanwhile, the Xinhua news agency reports that a group representing Yao signed an agreement to transfer shares of the Shanghai Sharks to Yao to cover the next two months.

Yao played with the Sharks for 5 seasons before the Rockets drafted him before the 2002 season. The deal will not close until the CBA gives its final approval according to reports in China and the United States.

While Yao and his inner circle have yet to announce plans regarding his injured left foot,  KPRC Local 2 Sports first reported on July 3 that a surgery option had been decided upon that would keep him out of the 2009-2010 season.  His fractured left foot could also play a role in his NBA future.

Yao and his representatives have not yet responded to messages left by KPRC Local 2.

Rockets Acquire Center To Fill In For Yao Absence; MLB All-Star Gm

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The Rockets and GM Daryl Morey acquire center help via a move with the Atlanta Hawks to nab 7-footer David Anderson who is a star in Europe.   He’s a double digit scorer and solid rebounder who can move well.

Morey told KPRC Local 2 Sports Tuesday from Las Vegas where he is with the Rockets summer league entry, ” David is a 3 time European champion who will give us quality minutes next season. He is a great fit for Coach Adelman and will work well with our other personel.”

For more on Anderson, read about him and the move on click2houston.com’s sports page.

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I’m a baseball guy and have been for years, but  the MLB All-Star game just doesn’t have the spark it once had.  Interleague play has ruined the excitement for the summer classic.  Tonight’s opening ceremony event was nice with Musial and the others but that was about it although Carl’s catch was nice.  

HR Derby is THE event nowadays.  If they can package other fun events I and most folks would take those and forget about the game itself.   

How about the HR Derby,  infield skills challenge,  Outfield Challenge and more entertainment value .   If you have a game, drop it down to 7 innings and call it a night.  Most of the guys don’t want to be there anyway and it would get them out of town and home or to their next destination with their team a little quicker.

Agree, disagree?   let us know at local 2 sports.   randysrants@click2houston.com   or just post here on the site.

Let’s hear it for our Astros; SPORTS SUNDAY TONIGHT 10:30P

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Greetings from the mothership of KPRC Local 2… SPORTS SUNDAY TONIGHT AT 10:30 !!

Those Astros scattered about as quick as they could after the game today at MMP.  Winston was there and said most of the guys were AWOL when the doors opened.  Couldn’t those charter flights and dinner plans wait for us ?  We had some hard hitting questions ready to fire off about this 44-44 record going to the break ya know.  They’ll want to re-think that next time.

Enough of that nonsense….  Astros should be pleased with .500 with what has transpired this season with injuries and guys not pulling their weight.  Lance has been in that group most of the season but lately has shown signs of breaking out of it as his averaged has climbed to .271.

I know the emails will flood in. “  Randy, come on .271 from Lance? That’s pathetic for a guy making that kind of jack!”

 I know it’s not great and not acceptable from Puma but he has a shot at putting up solid numbers when it’s all said and done.  He usually gets the numbers so I’ll wait and see before I rip. 

In Lance I trust!

But, at this point there is no room for error from Berkman.  Let’s hope he got it out of his system in April, May and early June. That was some ugly baseball.  The past month or so has been Berkman-like..

There has been  criticism towards this club from fans young and old and media especially very early in the season.   I just didn’t buy into then simply  because history had shown the Astros normally aren’t quick out of the gates.  In other words, I learned a few years back , not to push the panic button just like most of you fans out there.  Been there before right?.

  I liked Coop then and definately like him more now.   He’s growing into the job  and more confident by the day and making better decisions.   Yes, a few boneheaded ones too like bringing the infield in the other night in the first inning.  Huh?  Then again, LaSorda, Sparky, Torre, Cox etc  weren’t and aren’t perfect in their gigs either.

Overall Coop is a smarter skipper than he was in April and definately last season.  It’s not the manager’s job to be buddy buddy with the guys. It’s his job to win baseball games with the talent he’s been given and to try to find a formula that works.  I believe there is respect in there.  How much?  None of us outside of that clubhouse really know for sure.

I haven’t spoken with every player so there may be a few straddlers that I’m not aware of.   The group I have talked at points with this season almost to a man said, “it’s on us to produce.”  Were they holding back criticism?  Perhaps, but I don’t think so.

 Frankly, if the clubhouse was a happy place all the time, the manager probably isn’t doing the job right anyway and I’d be concerned.  You want guys that want to be on the field making a difference. Sometimes that means being vocal where it doesn’t come across as chirping or complaining.  You see it in sports all the time.  Heck, you see it in the business world in any field.  The easy thing to do is complain and chirp.   The hardest part is dedicating yourself to being the best every day and letting those actions speak volumes. 

  Coop is a baseball guy, knows the game and can deal with the fellas in that clubhouse.  He’s been in baseball 40+ years.  He’s been in there shoes and knows what makes players tick.   It’s funny how a few  players allegedly were unhappy and mouthy about it  but as Coop has said several times, they never have come to him to voice their complaints.  He’s always had an open door policy  and made that clear. That falls on the players . Period.  End of story. 

So they head to the break in contention in what we all know is a weak division.  No team really seems to want to take over.  They’ll all have their shot soon and that goes for the Astros as well. 

The schedule is rough. Starts with four in LA against the Dodgers on Thursday, then the Cardinals at MMP follow that.

If the Astros aren’t fired up for that start they better get that way in a hurry.

For now. Well done fellas. You could of folded when you were 9 games back and 10 under .500 a couple of months ago.

Now your in the hunt like we always believed you would be.

Coop/Ortiz; the Astros quietly getting the job done

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So we wake up early this morning and before I go down and tear up the Reds and Trout,  I’m uneasy over the issue between my man Russ Ortiz and Skipper Coop at the downtown ballyard.

I hope after Ortiz was vocal last night night on the FSH post-game show that Coop called him in, or better yet, they left the premisis and grabbed a late night dinner to talk it over. Well, maybe not that approach although Fleming’s isn’t half bad..

Talk what over you ask? The Astros won and all is well right?   Huh, No.

Ortiz was pulled early and we all want to know why.  Was Coop not happy with location?  walks? What was it ?   Ortiz didn’t know last night after the game and was telling FSN all about it.  He’s not happy with his status on the staff right now.  He feels he’s not the kind of pitcher Coop wants to have around.

Last I checked Ortiz was doing half bad there Cecil. 

If they parted ways last night with no discussion to clear things up, shame on Cooper for allowing that to happen.  I personally like Coop and it’s obvious , despite a few strange moves, that he’s growing into the job.  

Now last night having the infield in early like that was a head scratcher.  When you have 8 innings left to play, that’s dumb to even consider. 

If there’s chirping going on inside the Astros clubhouse it needs to stop. I’m not out there every day but when I am I don’t sense any major frustration.  What I hear most often is  ” It’s on us and nobody else, we have to produce.”

  The players get paid big money to perform on the field. Not complain.  So far they have kept it in check.

Then there’s the loafing issues by at least three of the players routinely in the starting lineup.  Not running out groundballs,  not hustling defensively.   That’s not on Coop or his staff.  It’s 100 % on the players and their effort or lack of. 

Bottom line, the standings look good as the break nears.  They’ll try to get to 500 tonight then take it over this weekend. 

Whatever Coop is doing to motivate these fellas it seems to be working well.

Astros win again; Yao’s surgery timing; VYPE HS Football Preview

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Howdy folks….Another day at the ol’ ballyard for our little Astros ballclub. I know it was the Pirates but I’ll take a win and a series win any time against any team. Bring on the Nationals! Wandy was perhaps his best ever. complete game 5 hit shutout with 11 k’s. He mixed velocity well, great location and went about his business to earn his 8th win. The Astros are now 41-42 with 5 to play against the Nats. Good chance they’ll be over .500 and have some confidence going to the break. Well done guys and well done Coop! They’ve got talent and the guy can manage. Even Torre makes mistakes and the other great ones. Coop continues to grow as a skipper.

 

We reported Friday on Local 2  that according to one of our sources who is very close to Yao and his inner circle,  he will undergo surgery and that decision came last week. It will come out publicly over the next week or so after he returns from China. Immobilizing has never been a legitimate option because it likely wouldn’t completely heal his foot. Last Monday our expert, Dr. Pavan Grover, who had knowledge of what the scans showed, went on-air with us and called it right on. Yao has only 3 good options: pins, graft, or restructure the foot arch. All will keep him out for 2009-2010.

Daryl Morey had that look today, but as he’s done since last Monday when  the Yahoo sports and ESPN.com reports broke ,  chose not to address the topic and will let Yao and his people handle the announcement. It will come in about a week or so.  Be ready for it but you won’t be shocked at the announcement.

Finally… as many of you know, I am the co-editor of VYPE HS Sports The Magazine here in Houston. I’m involved with VYPE alongside editor Matt Malatesta. We launched last August and are now approaching our 1 year anniversary. In July , our gigantic HS football preview edition of Greater Houston and into SE Texas will arrive on newsstands all over Houston at Academy, Kroger, Barnes & Noble, Blockbuster and a whole slew of other locations. VYPE is a free magazine except JULY edition will cost $9.95. You can order it now at www.vypepreview.com
More info on that , the Friday Football Frenzy  and our Football Roundup Radio show on ESPN Radio coming soon !

Rockets land Ariza; Artest to Lakers

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I love this time of the year.  The NBA Free Agent frenzy is something else.  Over the years trips to Bush airport are frequent to talk with guys like  GM Daryl Morey and anybody else player-wise we deem worthy of  Hollywood type red carpet treatment.  Today lots of phone calls with league sources to gain some information, voice mails and emails to agents and eventual live conversations after I hound them enough.  

Tonight, it’s a done deal, the Rockets landed Trevor Ariza after he, Morey and Rockets Head Coach Rick Adelman got the deal done in Las Vegas.  The credit goes to Yahoo Sports.com  which first reported the meeting and the deal Thursday. They are on a roll after breaking the Yao story earlier in the week. 

 Ariza is a solid small forward with a great defensive approach.  He had a good showing in the West Finals.  Ariza is a good get and an upgrade over Artest.

Artest is now going to be a Laker on July 8th after his agent David Bauman confirmed it with Local 2 Sports Thursday night.  CBS Sportsline first reported Artest would meet and become a Laker.

I loved Ron Ron and he was a good friend to KPRC Local 2 Sports and Sports Sunday.  But give the guy a fat 3 to 5 year deal for 18-30 million and who knows what will happen with this guy.  Take that act to LA and let them deal with it.  It’s Kobe’s problem now.

so Ariza is a start… there WILL be more to come from Morey…

Yao and the Rockets will seek out best options

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This is a huge blow to the Rockets , the front office and the local Rockets Fans.   We knew Yao’s foot was not in good shape with the recent news and then today came Yahoo Sports scoop that Yao could not only miss this season but his career could be in jeopardy.  Rockets team physician Dr. Tom Clanton who is now setting up shop in Colorado, supported the Yahoo report  in a comment to chron.com but he added they will look at all of their options and decide the best course of action.  

I’m not sure I’m buying into that  “career ending” theory just yet.  It makes for interesting  Local TV, Talk Radio and sells some newspapers but there are a few options according to one of Houston’s top pain management specialists and surgeons Dr. Pavan Grover who gave a lot of insight to KPRC Local 2 Sports today.

1   Immobilizing the foot in a boot for 6 weeks or so to see if the fracture heals

2   Bone Graft

3   Change the arch of the foot
Grover had a good point today that so far I haven’t heard from the Rockets or Dr. Clanton .   Even a procedure now may not be the permanent fix.  Yao has a history, he’s 7-6 ( tallest in the NBA)  and with his weight you’ve got a situation that avoiding constant setbacks just may not happen. 

Yao’s Navicular bone is crucial to play basketball.  Doesn’t matter how tall or short you are.  A damaged Navicular bone will not allow you to play the game at the level the NBA requires.  Period, end of story.

Heard tonight that Yao was on a flight to Raleigh rumored to be visiting a foot specialist at Duke Medical. I also read that he’s in China right now. Either way he’s  probably at wits end over this latest setback.  He’s had 4 surgeries over the past 3 seasons, he’s missed nearly 90 games during this span but took a big step forward by missing only 5 this past regular season before the ender in May against the Lakers.

Stay tuned, it may be time for GM Daryl Morey to work his magic once again…. The though of no Yao, no Tracy… all of a sudden some doors and a stud or two may be wearing Rockets Red and White about a 13 months sooner that expected.

Astros; Texans; Kubiak honored

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Let’s start the day by saying Happy Birthday to next year’s Astros catcher Jason Castro who turns 22 today. Keep working Jason, they’ll need you in September and in 2010.

Well, it’s not exactly going well in this little Silver Boot series is it? As I said a couple of nights ago on Local 2 Sports , it’s an ugly boot anyway plus nobody cares about it. The Astros and Rangers is not a rivalry. Matter of fact there’s only two rivalries that count and that’s NYY/Bos and LAD/SF. Cubs/Cards isn’t half bad but a rivalry needs to also have some irritated fans in the stands talking smack.

Astros lost again last night in extra innings. They’ve now lost all 5 to Texas so far. Still, look at the standings it’s not all that bad considering. But they need to learn to beat the good teams consistently which hasn’t happened. Players are showing signs of giving full effort. Hello Carlos that means you too big fella.

Texans have wrapped up workouts and will be off the 43 days. Technically, they will still be in the weight room working. I talked with some guys at Mini camp Monday and a few more on the phone yesterday afternoon. These guys like to vacation ! Fans should be excited about the Texans this season. I’ll say it again and again.. This is a very good team and YES it will be a playoff team for the first time in franchise history. Massive injuries will be the only thing that keeps the Texans out of the post-season.

Gary Kubiak continues to grow as a head coach and he has an outstanding staff in place. I’ve enjoyed getting to know a few of the staffers and will hook up with more this summer and into camp I’m sure.

Speaking of Gary, he receives a great honor this afternoon through Community Partners. I was honored at their Father of the Year luncheon two years ago and Gary will receive the same award today. Part of it will be emotional for he and his family. What a nice event it will be.

Do you blame Daniels for no-showing? I don’t

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The Texans opened mini-camp at Reliant Park this morning and one key face was missing.

Owen Daniels.

The Pro Bowler reluctantly signed his 1 year deal for 2.8 million range on Sunday to beat the June 15th deadline we told you about recently.  He signed it alright and promptly decided to no-show Monday and possibly through Wednesday’s finale.

Daniels is making another statement to the Texans that he has earned a long term deal.  The fact that it is not in place doesn’t sit well with OD or his agents.   So, to be honest with ya.. I don’t blame the guy one bit.   He’ll only be fined 10k or less if he’s a no-show.  Heck, his agents will pick up that tab and not blink an eye.

I was out at the compound this morning and GM Rick Smith wasn’t all too pleased that Daniels didn’t show.  At least that’s the way he came across to us.  Internally, Smith is a smart guy and knows how this business works from the management and player-side.   Something tells me he knew this would be a game between the two sides.

No worries Texans fans, I think Daniels will get his deal and a big pay day and it will be well deserved.  BUT, if it drags out too long and bad blood develops don’t be shocked if he plays out this year and is so irritated that he bails and goes elsewhere after next season.

Owen wants to be here and the Texans want him.  In this economic climate it’s just a slow process right now.

Meantime… Rex Grossman arrived “just off the bus” as Gary said this morning.  He was sloppy but that was expected after about an hour meeting prior to practice to learn the general stuff about this offense.  Kubiak likes his upside and he’ll be in to push Orlovsky and Brink. 

Connor Barwin, the 2nd round pick out of Cincinnati made his debut.  Was a tad winded but as Kubiak put it, ” He was the fastest guy out here today” .  Barwin told me he worked out hard while waiting for graduation. 

” It was tough to sit back and wait but I pushed hard to make sure I was ready to jump in here on day one and I did,” Barwin told KPRC Local 2 Monday.

Wade confident of Astros spark; Dynamo win again;UH AD search

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another fun night at the ballyard don’t you think? So much for the rumored controversy brewing at MMP with these fellas. They sure aren’t playing like a team that doesn’t like each other or their boss. Lots of smiles and kidding around with each other while I was watching pre-game today. BTW, Coop was outstanding on his 790 show this afternoon with Charlie. Very loose, very funny overall. 9th inning hero tonight was Geoff Blum who smacked a liner to CF to seal the 2-1 win over the Cubbies. Wandy fixed whatever his issue was and except for allowing the Soto 2nd inning HR was flawless. Wade told me tonight at the ballpark people need to remember this team struggled last year too before waking up. Be patient people. I’ll let you know when to panic . No worries yet on the field but those empty seats? It has everything to do with the slow economy and Drayton knows this just may not be his year at the turnstiles.

Dynamo win again. 1-nil over Chivas. 9 game unbeaten streak now. Stuey had another goal tonight and how about Pat Onstad tossing another shutout. It might be time to bring him on Sports Sunday. Waibel, Dom so far have produced winning results.

Covering AD searches ranks right up there with watching a ping-pong match. It tends to be a beatdown and about as boring as it gets. These search firms are tight lipped suits that make the process high tone even for mid-majors. But here’s the latest from the Chron’s UH guy Steve Campbell on the the latest and greatest from the Cullen compound if you have the need to know.