The Dream Shake - Challenge accepted: Good luck, Rockets marketing teamThe best footwork on the Internethttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/34031/32x32.png2012-09-26T23:07:06-05:00http://www.thedreamshake.com/rss/stream/31797732012-09-26T23:07:06-05:002012-09-26T23:07:06-05:00Rockets Reveal The Good Players On Billboard
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<p>In case you were wondering which players the Rockets would try to sell to the public, here's an answer. (Hint: Kevin Martin is not part of this exercise.)</p> <p>The Houston Rockets have a new billboard up, complete with some faces of the team placed next to the team's brand new slogan, 'A New Age.' Guess which Rockets' "star" is notably absent? Yup, it's Kevin Martin. Apparently leading the team in scoring the past few years just can't outweigh the absolute certainty that Martin will not be a Rocket by this time next year.</p>
<p>Instead, we get Jeremy Lin (of course), Chandler Parsons (quickly becoming the new Shane Battier of the group after a single season) and then two of the four talented rookies on the roster: Donatas Motiejunas and Royce White. That makes two probable Rockets starters (Lin and Parsons) and two probable backups. No Kevin Martin, no Omer Asik, no Patrick Patterson and no Jeremy Lamb, the rookie Houston took ahead of the other three.</p>
<p>It's an interesting move from the marketing office. White has garnered enough publicity to merit some billboard space, but placing Motiejunas there is curious. I would assume that marketing works hand-in-hand with the front office in determining which players A) Will be around long enough to market, and B) Are good enough to market. Choosing Motiejunas over a few starters and two notable American rookies (only saying this because of college basketball's tremendous following) makes quite an impression, eh?</p>
<p>Carry on.</p>
https://www.thedreamshake.com/2012/9/26/3415754/lin-parsons-and-two-rookies-grace-new-rockets-billboardTom Martin2012-09-26T16:47:52-05:002012-09-26T16:47:52-05:00Somehow, The Rockets Came Up With A New Slogan
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<p>The Houston Rockets have a new slogan, and they luckily managed to leave Jeremy Lin's name out of it.</p> <p>With an absurdly young roster, a host of players at one single position and little veteran leadership, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Houston Rockets</a> certainly face many challenges going forward, but perhaps no other group of Rockets face a bigger challenge this season than the marketing team.</p>
<p>Take away <span>Jeremy Lin</span> and look at this team. What is there to market? You can't market <span>Royce White</span>, <span>Jeremy Lamb</span> or any other rookies — not yet, at least. If they don't live up to the marketing, well, there goes any chance of Rockets fans trusting the organization again.</p>
<p>So kudos to the marketing folks for:</p>
<p>A) Coming up with anything at all, other than — in the spirit of Bill Lumberg — "Yeeeeeeeeeeaaaaahhhh."</p>
<p>B) Leaving Lin's name out of the slogan. Would I have ignored the Rockets this year had the marketing team gone with "Linbrace the Linsanity?" Yes, yes I would have.</p>
<p>"A New Age." It's hardly remarkable, but it's the most optimistic, forgettable slogan they could have come up with. And forgettable is good. We don't want to remember this team for its failed attempt at a clever slogan.</p>
<p>Anyway, <a href="http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2012/09/rockets-embrace-slew-of-young-players-prepare-for-a-new-age/" target="_blank">here's Jonathan Feigen</a>:</p>
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<p>With the training camp roster set - guard <span>Courtney Fortson</span> was released, with guards Kyle Fogg and Demetri McCamey added with non-guaranteed contracts - the Rockets' 20 players possess an average of two NBA seasons of experience.</p>
<p>That fact provided the Rockets with their marketing slogan for the season: "A new age." But while the marketing department might be embracing the changes in the roster, bringing rookies Royce White and <span>Donatas Motiejunas</span> to the logo-unveiling event Tuesday, Morey seemed willing to accept that the unpredictability that comes with a roster of prospects also offers the potential to work out eventually.</p>
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<p>And yada yada yada. You could probably guess what Morey went on to say. Something about versatility, flexibility and aiming toward a championship. We've heard it a billion times. Hopefully, this new age we're in actually capitalizes on all that talk.</p>
https://www.thedreamshake.com/2012/9/26/3414002/somehow-the-rockets-marketing-team-came-up-with-a-new-sloganTom Martin