What bothers me is the attitude I'm hearing from some people. When I was interviewed by the channel 11 news in Houston Sunday, reporter Jeremy Desel asked me if Stern's "stern" words came as a shock to me. He said that it sounded like a threat to "Joe Fan." Frankly, that is just ridiculous.

Stern said exactly the same thing back in November. This time, everyone just happened to listen. I remember similar mumblings when Bud Adams wanted a new stadium. He "demanded" a $250 million retractable-roof stadium. The city refused. He moved. We soon began building a $310 million retractable-roof stadium. Make sense? I couldn't figure it out either.

By the time the Rockets' lease runs out at the wonderful but completely outdated Compaq Center in 2003, it will be the oldest building in the NBA. Every other NBA city will have a new building. EVERY ONE! Isn't it reasonable to assume the Rockets would want the same? Is this a threat? Does it matter?

You know, when Adams left with the Oilers, I heard several people say, "We showed him we wouldn't bend over for pro franchises." What exactly then do you call allowing him to leave, rake in billions in Tennessee and then still paying $310 million anyway? Was this a wise business decision?

Yeah, we showed him. We showed him and the rest of the country we weren't forward-thinking enough to just build the damn thing when he asked. We had to go through hell and disgrace just to figure out it was a bad idea. Now, with the Rockets in the same situation, I'm hearing those same rumblings.

"To hell with the NBA!" Yeah, that's a great idea. All they will do is leave and collect millions somewhere else for someone else's enjoyment. We'll sit around watching Steve Francis lead the team to the Finals from Louisville and say, "See, we showed 'em." All they got was a new stadium, fans that love them and a team winning another title.

Sound familiar? Well, technically, the Oilers never won anything until they left. Doesn't that figure.

My point is that there is no reason to feel threatened. Drayton McLane did it and got what he wanted. Bud eventually got what he wanted even if he had to go halfway across the country to get it. Now, the Rockets want theirs. Believe me, if the Rockets left, Chuck Watson would be next in line clamoring for a new arena so he could get the NHL here.

If he doesn't get one, the Olympic committee will demand one so we can get the Olympics in 2012. It isn't going to end. Instead of acting like a jilted lover and crying like babies, why not just do what is necessary to build the damn thing now, save the Rockets and Comets, get an NHL team AND get the Olympics? Doesn't that just make more sense?

I'm not arguing the merits of paying for arenas or any of that, but it could be argued that a new basketball/hockey arena would be far more valuable than any of the others. Enron Field will ONLY be used for baseball. That means around 90 games if the Astros manage to make the playoffs and win. The football stadium will have around a maximum of 15 or 16 games assuming the team wins in the playoffs and a rodeo which takes up about a month.

A new arena, however, will have basketball (two teams no less), hockey and a myriad of other events totaling nearly 200 per year according to the Sports Authority. That is far more revenue than the others can possibly generate. Plus, we get all the things we want: basketball in Houston, NHL in Houston and, potentially, the Olympics for Pete's sake.

If you think this arena thing begins and ends with Les Alexander, forget it. If we don't do it now, it is more likely than not we will do it for someone else and maybe for more money. At least with Alexander, we get to keep the teams we love and still have the option of getting the other things in the future.

It's time for everybody to calm down and quit worrying about threats. In fact, I'll give you a promise:

If we don't get a new arena, the Rockets and Comets will leave. We will eventually build another arena for more money and complain because we didn't do it for the Rockets and Comets in the first place. The city will once again be the laughingstock of the country and we will whine because we don't get any respect.

Welcome to the real world. Like it or not, Stern's message was no threat. It was simply the truth.