Utterly, totally average. That was my week 13 results where I went 5-5 straight up and 6-4 against the spread. This leaves me at 82-37 SO and very close to .500 ATS at 58-59-1. If ONLY I would leave the Michigan game out of my tally, but that wouldn't be fair. Some very interesting happenings this week in College Football so, without further ado.....
Takeaways from the College Football Weekend that was.....
1. The "hot coach in waiting" shine that was on Kevin Sumlin has dulled considerably due to his seeming inability to produce a competent defense. The Aggies have a LOT of talent coming in next year, it'd be a shame to waste it.
2. Anyone know what's happened to Oregon? If so, can you please call the Ducks and let them know? They got housed by an utterly average Arizona team.
3. OU has to be the most confusing team (for me) in the country this year. When I pick against them they look great. When I pick them they look awful. Not that it has anything to do with it but Sooner fans should be happy to note that my early lean in Bedlam is strong OSU.
4. Baylor is not a "fraud". They just ran into a Cowboy's team that's playing very well right now. People forget that OSU was the consensus pre-season pick to win the Big Twen title.
5. If Duke beats North Carolina this weekend, they play Florida State in the ACC Championship game.
6. If Duke beats North Carolina this weekend, they play Florida State in the ACC Championship game. (felt it needed to be said twice) I hope they do because, to be honest, that's the most compelling game. Also, David Cutcliffe for coach of the year.
7. Quick peek at FCS land. What in the world has happened to the Sam Houston State Bearkats? They went from one of the top teams in the Country to a middle of the pack Southland Conference team in 3 weeks. This team is struggling right now. Fortunately, it doesn't look like they are on-pace to lose to North Dakota State for the third straight year in the finals. They've made the playoffs but they had better turn it on soon.
8. As I've said all season long, it appears Rice is going to be playing in the C-USA Championship Game. Low-listener talk radio types have downplayed this all season long, but winning a conference title is nothing to sneeze at, no matter the conference.
9. Well, the UH Cougars will go bowling, but they've struggled against the top teams in the American. Fortunately, for UH football not for the conference, two of these teams won't be around next year. Still, there's reason for optimism on behalf of Coog football. You couldn't say that last year.
And finally.......
10. - It's looking more and more like the end of the Brady Hoke era in Michigan football, and I'm not ashamed to say that I'm sad about that. I believed in Brady when he was first hired and, although I was never a Denard Robinson fan, I thought the team was getting the talent to compete. Unfortunately, as Saturday's loss to Iowa showed, despite having OK talent the coaching is sub-par. It's possible that Hoke keeps his job w/Al Borges getting the heave-ho, but I'm not sure. The fans are still coming to the games but I've a sinking feeling Saturday's "the Game" game is going to be a mismatch with Ohio State running away and hiding. Losing 2 out of 3 to Michigan State, 2 out of 3 to Iowa and 2 out of 3 to Ohio State doesn't cut it at Michigan. Also, if this game against Ohio State isn't competitive (and there's every indication that it won't be) Blue is going to have to face the very real possibility that Ohio State is leaving them behind. (Which I believe is happening....again)
Top 5:
1. Alabama
2. Florida State
3. Ohio State
4. Auburn
5. Missouri
Dead n' buried: The Heisman chances of Johnny Manziel and Marcus Mariota.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Texans recap: The worst thing is: This is probably NOT rock bottom.
I'm not going to dive into the minutia of the Texans 13-6 Home loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars because the truth is, I spent the day at the Texas Renaissance Festival instead. Judging from the media recap, my day of quaffing beer, mead and more beer was much more entertaining.
I will point out that the Chronicle's Three Stooges are now firmly against this mess of a team were all three trumpeting them as Super Bowl contenders at the beginning of the year. Now, to be fair, I don't think anyone reasonably saw this disaster coming (my pre-season pick was 9-7 and a Wild Card entry into the playoffs) but buying the championship contender nonsense was something straight out of fantasy land.
Where to from here? I think there's still a long way to go before the Texans hit rock bottom. Next week the Patriots come to town, and there's no reason to believe that game will be competitive, then the Texans go to Jacksonville, where I'm guessing they'll continue to slide toward first place in the Teddy Bridgewater Sweepstakes. Given what I've seen from Bridgewater this year I can't say that pick fills me with warm-fuzzies. That said, what I've seen from Keenum this season is enough to suggest that he's not the answer either. The worst-case scenario would be Rick Smith (who I think is going to survive this mess amazingly) trying to out-smart everyone and make a bone-head pick like Derrick Carr. Should something like this happen it will just be another unexplainable move by a franchise whose history is filled with the unexplainable and downright bizarre.
The first problem of many that the Texans are facing is horrid play by the offensive line. While it's very clear that Keenum is not picking up blitzes well, neither is the unit that is tasked with keeping pass rushers off of him. It's not fair to blame Keenum for this disaster without dishing out an equal helping toward the O-line and the coaching staff. Whether or not Kubiak is physically sound enough to continue coaching is an open question. I hope for his sake, and the sake of his family, that he at least considers stepping down and getting his ship in order. I've met the man and he is a "good guy", but that doesn't mean that he's fit to be coaching an NFL team currently. I would think that he could benefit from stepping down, and then taking next year off before trying to come back as an offensive coordinator somewhere.
For Wade Smith I think this is the end of the line. His defense is getting worse and worse as the season progresses, and the unit formerly known as "Bulls on Parade" is now "JJ Watt and a group of guys that should be bottom of the roster fill-ins". While it's true that injuries, Brian Cushing the most notable, have played a role in this, the Texans have made a litany of roster decisions that just haven't panned out. The most notable is the Ed Reed debacle, but Joe Mays, Shiloah Keo, Jonathan Joseph, Brooks Reed, et al. don't exactly inspire confidence in the team's ability to evaluate defensive talent.
Finally, bad teams point fingers and it's notable that Ben Tate, Owen Daniels and others have spent a lot of time pointing fingers at the fans for being "wishy-washy" or simply "not-smart". I would argue that "not-smart" fans would be still be spending their time watching this debacle unfold and cheering for a team that, in some part, doesn't value them at all. I would much rather have a fan-base that understands when they're being handed a bowl of crap than one who laps it up without question. Right now the Texans are serving up crap sandwiches to fans and demanding they smile and ask for seconds. Texans fans are well within their rights to say "screw that" and demand better. The Texans that have a problem with that need to be shown the door. (I'm looking at you Tate).
As for next week? Well, it's the last week of the Texas Renaissance Festival so you could do worse.
I will point out that the Chronicle's Three Stooges are now firmly against this mess of a team were all three trumpeting them as Super Bowl contenders at the beginning of the year. Now, to be fair, I don't think anyone reasonably saw this disaster coming (my pre-season pick was 9-7 and a Wild Card entry into the playoffs) but buying the championship contender nonsense was something straight out of fantasy land.
Where to from here? I think there's still a long way to go before the Texans hit rock bottom. Next week the Patriots come to town, and there's no reason to believe that game will be competitive, then the Texans go to Jacksonville, where I'm guessing they'll continue to slide toward first place in the Teddy Bridgewater Sweepstakes. Given what I've seen from Bridgewater this year I can't say that pick fills me with warm-fuzzies. That said, what I've seen from Keenum this season is enough to suggest that he's not the answer either. The worst-case scenario would be Rick Smith (who I think is going to survive this mess amazingly) trying to out-smart everyone and make a bone-head pick like Derrick Carr. Should something like this happen it will just be another unexplainable move by a franchise whose history is filled with the unexplainable and downright bizarre.
The first problem of many that the Texans are facing is horrid play by the offensive line. While it's very clear that Keenum is not picking up blitzes well, neither is the unit that is tasked with keeping pass rushers off of him. It's not fair to blame Keenum for this disaster without dishing out an equal helping toward the O-line and the coaching staff. Whether or not Kubiak is physically sound enough to continue coaching is an open question. I hope for his sake, and the sake of his family, that he at least considers stepping down and getting his ship in order. I've met the man and he is a "good guy", but that doesn't mean that he's fit to be coaching an NFL team currently. I would think that he could benefit from stepping down, and then taking next year off before trying to come back as an offensive coordinator somewhere.
For Wade Smith I think this is the end of the line. His defense is getting worse and worse as the season progresses, and the unit formerly known as "Bulls on Parade" is now "JJ Watt and a group of guys that should be bottom of the roster fill-ins". While it's true that injuries, Brian Cushing the most notable, have played a role in this, the Texans have made a litany of roster decisions that just haven't panned out. The most notable is the Ed Reed debacle, but Joe Mays, Shiloah Keo, Jonathan Joseph, Brooks Reed, et al. don't exactly inspire confidence in the team's ability to evaluate defensive talent.
Finally, bad teams point fingers and it's notable that Ben Tate, Owen Daniels and others have spent a lot of time pointing fingers at the fans for being "wishy-washy" or simply "not-smart". I would argue that "not-smart" fans would be still be spending their time watching this debacle unfold and cheering for a team that, in some part, doesn't value them at all. I would much rather have a fan-base that understands when they're being handed a bowl of crap than one who laps it up without question. Right now the Texans are serving up crap sandwiches to fans and demanding they smile and ask for seconds. Texans fans are well within their rights to say "screw that" and demand better. The Texans that have a problem with that need to be shown the door. (I'm looking at you Tate).
As for next week? Well, it's the last week of the Texas Renaissance Festival so you could do worse.
Friday, November 22, 2013
College Football Predictions (Week 13)
Unlike the NY Jets, I have high hopes of stringing together back to back solid weeks......
1. Cincinatti @ Houston (-3) Cincy 42 UH 41 - Expect a shoot-out between two pretty good offenses with mediocre defenses.
2. OKlahoma @ Kansas State (-5) OU 28 KSt 35 - K State has gotten a LOT better since the beginning of the season. Don't read too much into OU's shellacking of a horrible Iowa State team
3. Illinois (-7) @ Purdon't Ill 10 PU 9 - No matter who wins in this game, College Football loses. Two horrible teams.
4. Mississippi State (-1.5) @ Akransas - MsSt 27 Ark 10 - Since Bielema's wife did the "Karma" tweet the Razorbacks have been a mess. Karma.
5. Brigham Young (-1) @ Notre Dame - BYU 24 ND 10 - Thus ending the fallacy that Notre Dame is a good team this year.
6. Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University @ Louisiana State University(-5) - aTm 35 LSU 38 - As good as Manziel is, that aTm defense is truly awful.
7. Arizona State University(-2.5) vs. University of California - Los Angeles - Sparky 24 UCLA 27 - The line notwithstanding, I think this is a horrible spot for coach douchebag and the fighting Devils. Plus, I think UCLA has a good team.
8. Missouri(-2.5) @ Ole Mississippi - Mizzou 38 Ole Miss 35 - I think the line is about right. Wouldn't be surprised to see an upset but I'm not picking one.
9. Baylor (-9.5) @ Oklahoma State - Bay 63 OSU 56 - I expect a high-scoring, but pretty close, affair in Stillwater. Again, wouldn't be surprised to see an upset but I'm not picking it.
And finally.......
10. Michigan @ Iowa(-6.5) - Blue 35 Iowa 20 - No, I don't think that this is going to happen, but I'm not picking against Big Blue so I'll take the spot on my record if it doesn't happen. Of course, I'd never lay money on a Michigan game anyway so there's that. I am still counting Blue against my record however, which is part of what's keeping me below .500
This is that week, prior to rivalry week, where there are a lot of dog games. Fortunately, there are some good games on tap as well. Avoid 'Bama vs. Chattanooga and look further down the SEC rankings for some stiff match-ups.
Dead n' buried: Jameis Winston's Heisman hopes.
1. Cincinatti @ Houston (-3) Cincy 42 UH 41 - Expect a shoot-out between two pretty good offenses with mediocre defenses.
2. OKlahoma @ Kansas State (-5) OU 28 KSt 35 - K State has gotten a LOT better since the beginning of the season. Don't read too much into OU's shellacking of a horrible Iowa State team
3. Illinois (-7) @ Purdon't Ill 10 PU 9 - No matter who wins in this game, College Football loses. Two horrible teams.
4. Mississippi State (-1.5) @ Akransas - MsSt 27 Ark 10 - Since Bielema's wife did the "Karma" tweet the Razorbacks have been a mess. Karma.
5. Brigham Young (-1) @ Notre Dame - BYU 24 ND 10 - Thus ending the fallacy that Notre Dame is a good team this year.
6. Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University @ Louisiana State University(-5) - aTm 35 LSU 38 - As good as Manziel is, that aTm defense is truly awful.
7. Arizona State University(-2.5) vs. University of California - Los Angeles - Sparky 24 UCLA 27 - The line notwithstanding, I think this is a horrible spot for coach douchebag and the fighting Devils. Plus, I think UCLA has a good team.
8. Missouri(-2.5) @ Ole Mississippi - Mizzou 38 Ole Miss 35 - I think the line is about right. Wouldn't be surprised to see an upset but I'm not picking one.
9. Baylor (-9.5) @ Oklahoma State - Bay 63 OSU 56 - I expect a high-scoring, but pretty close, affair in Stillwater. Again, wouldn't be surprised to see an upset but I'm not picking it.
And finally.......
10. Michigan @ Iowa(-6.5) - Blue 35 Iowa 20 - No, I don't think that this is going to happen, but I'm not picking against Big Blue so I'll take the spot on my record if it doesn't happen. Of course, I'd never lay money on a Michigan game anyway so there's that. I am still counting Blue against my record however, which is part of what's keeping me below .500
This is that week, prior to rivalry week, where there are a lot of dog games. Fortunately, there are some good games on tap as well. Avoid 'Bama vs. Chattanooga and look further down the SEC rankings for some stiff match-ups.
Dead n' buried: Jameis Winston's Heisman hopes.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
More new United routes out of IAH
Per Molly Ryan at the Houston Business Journal, there's a route to Munich on the way and a second route to Tokyo....
United Airlines to launch new international flights from Houston. Molly Ryan, Houston Business Journal
Based on the United Fleet chart I'm guessing the Munich flight will be flown by the 764 ER and the 2nd Tokyo flight will be flown by the 772 v5.
The downside of this is that both flights are 2-cabin, with only Business/First as an option and not United GlobalFirst. If you're paying for your flight to Munich/Tokyo this will probably not affect you much, but if you're looking for a premium cabin reward redemption there could be better options available.
Still, it's new service, direct to a new city (Munich) that improves United's route network from IAH. That shouldn't be overlooked.
United Airlines to launch new international flights from Houston. Molly Ryan, Houston Business Journal
The new Munich service is scheduled to start April 24, 2014 and the new Tokyo service is scheduled to start March 30, 2014.
The flight to Munich will have 242 seats and will depart Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) every day at 4:10 p.m. It will arrive at Munich’s Franz Joseph Strauss International Airport at 9:50 a.m. the next day. The return flight to Houston leaves Munich at 9:25 a.m. and arrives in Houston at 2:15 p.m. the same day.
The flight to Tokyo is United’s second direct flight from IAH. The new flight, which has 267 seats, leaves IAH at 9 a.m. every day and arrives in Tokyo the next day at 12:35 p.m. The return flight from Tokyo leaves at 6:55 p.m. and arrives in Houston at 4:55 p.m. the same day.
Based on the United Fleet chart I'm guessing the Munich flight will be flown by the 764 ER and the 2nd Tokyo flight will be flown by the 772 v5.
The downside of this is that both flights are 2-cabin, with only Business/First as an option and not United GlobalFirst. If you're paying for your flight to Munich/Tokyo this will probably not affect you much, but if you're looking for a premium cabin reward redemption there could be better options available.
Still, it's new service, direct to a new city (Munich) that improves United's route network from IAH. That shouldn't be overlooked.
Monday, November 18, 2013
College Football Week 12 (results)
It's about time. After stumbling along for most of the season I finally had the week I was looking for. Last week I went 7-3 straight up but 7-3 ATS which, by any measure, is pretty strong. If you have made money betting against me (a sound strategy) you took it on the chin last week. This leaves me 77-32 straight-up this year and 52-55-1 against the spread. If I can finish the season with just a few solid weeks I'll be able to finish over .500 for the year.
Let's get to the takeaways:
1. - Alabama is still number one, but they're looking shakier. I qualify that with the huge caveat that 'Bama always looks sub-par coming out of the LSU game. It's become such an emotional high for them that it's bound to happen. And still, there's this: If Florida State and Alabama played this Saturday you'd have to give the Seminoles the edge. Give Saban a month and a half to prepare.....?
2. - Dear Tech fans.....Shhhhh. Somewhere in the 2nd half of Baylor's dismantling of the Tech defense I started hearing carping about the officials. Tech fan, that game could have been officiated by Tech alums and Baylor still would have rolled you by 20. Much the better team this year.
3. - OU's offense, who knew? I said in my picks and later on Twitter that I didn't think OU could SCORE 24 much less win by 24 1/2. Ooops. I think this has more to do with the poor quality of Iowa State than it does with OU's stout offense however.
4. - We can finally put the "Longhorns are back!" myth to bed. Anytime they play a good team, they get rolled. OSU is a good, but not great team. All this did was prove my suspicions right that Texas was the worst conference leading team in the Country.
5. - How do you not pull the interim tag off of Ed Orgeron? Conversely, hopefully AD's (and NFL GM's) everywhere understand just how bad of a coach Layne Kiffin really is.
6. - All hail Duke Football! The Dukies are 8-2, and hold the lead in the Coastal Division of the ACC. Cutcliffe for coach of the year.
7. - The Iron Bowl is now must watch TV.
8. - UCLA/USC just became must-watch TV.
9. - No ESPN, the B1G is NOT a FCS conference without Ohio State. It's an argument that's ridiculous on its face, but one that ESPN is making because they think it's "controversial". What it is stupid. Every conference has their bottom feeders, every one. If you don't get that then you're not paying attention.
And finally......
10. - Hail to the Victors! (barely) Give them this, Big Blue finally found a rush game. And although they still struggled against a not-very-good Northwestern team it showed improvement, something fans of Blue really needed to see.
Top 5 teams:
1. Alabama
2. Florida State
3. Ohio State
4. Baylor
5. Auburn
Clemson is on deck at six.
Conference Rankings:
1. SEC
2. Pac12
3. ACC
4. B1G
5. American
6. Big Twen
7. Sunbelt
8. MAC
9. C-USA
It's getting closer between the PAC12 and the SEC, but it's going to be hard for me to think differently until someone dethrones the champ. Call if SEC bias or whatever you want, but I believe 8 straight titles says something.
Interesting line of next week: Wisconsin(-15) at Minnesota. I like the Badgers here, but I don't like them at -15 on the road.
Also: How in the world is ASU getting 2 1/2 AT UCLA?
Until next week.
Let's get to the takeaways:
1. - Alabama is still number one, but they're looking shakier. I qualify that with the huge caveat that 'Bama always looks sub-par coming out of the LSU game. It's become such an emotional high for them that it's bound to happen. And still, there's this: If Florida State and Alabama played this Saturday you'd have to give the Seminoles the edge. Give Saban a month and a half to prepare.....?
2. - Dear Tech fans.....Shhhhh. Somewhere in the 2nd half of Baylor's dismantling of the Tech defense I started hearing carping about the officials. Tech fan, that game could have been officiated by Tech alums and Baylor still would have rolled you by 20. Much the better team this year.
3. - OU's offense, who knew? I said in my picks and later on Twitter that I didn't think OU could SCORE 24 much less win by 24 1/2. Ooops. I think this has more to do with the poor quality of Iowa State than it does with OU's stout offense however.
4. - We can finally put the "Longhorns are back!" myth to bed. Anytime they play a good team, they get rolled. OSU is a good, but not great team. All this did was prove my suspicions right that Texas was the worst conference leading team in the Country.
5. - How do you not pull the interim tag off of Ed Orgeron? Conversely, hopefully AD's (and NFL GM's) everywhere understand just how bad of a coach Layne Kiffin really is.
6. - All hail Duke Football! The Dukies are 8-2, and hold the lead in the Coastal Division of the ACC. Cutcliffe for coach of the year.
7. - The Iron Bowl is now must watch TV.
8. - UCLA/USC just became must-watch TV.
9. - No ESPN, the B1G is NOT a FCS conference without Ohio State. It's an argument that's ridiculous on its face, but one that ESPN is making because they think it's "controversial". What it is stupid. Every conference has their bottom feeders, every one. If you don't get that then you're not paying attention.
And finally......
10. - Hail to the Victors! (barely) Give them this, Big Blue finally found a rush game. And although they still struggled against a not-very-good Northwestern team it showed improvement, something fans of Blue really needed to see.
Top 5 teams:
1. Alabama
2. Florida State
3. Ohio State
4. Baylor
5. Auburn
Clemson is on deck at six.
Conference Rankings:
1. SEC
2. Pac12
3. ACC
4. B1G
5. American
6. Big Twen
7. Sunbelt
8. MAC
9. C-USA
It's getting closer between the PAC12 and the SEC, but it's going to be hard for me to think differently until someone dethrones the champ. Call if SEC bias or whatever you want, but I believe 8 straight titles says something.
Interesting line of next week: Wisconsin(-15) at Minnesota. I like the Badgers here, but I don't like them at -15 on the road.
Also: How in the world is ASU getting 2 1/2 AT UCLA?
Until next week.
Closing the book on the 2013 Texans: Let's make this dumpster fire worse.
WOW. Just wow.
Right when you think the Texans have hit rock bottom, Head Coach Gary Kubiak returns to the fray and makes a quarterback change that's so confusing, so unnecessary, the fans booed so loudly that the Texans (reportedly) had to utilize the silent count, at home, in order to get plays off.
That's just one of the storylines percolating up from Sunday's 28-23 loss to the Oakland Raiders, a team that The Three Stooges constantly said the Texans "should" beat in large part due to their superior talent. I'll remind you that I attempted to put that myth to bed in a previous post. I would like to say that I had some crystal ball which told me this result was coming. Unfortunately the reality is that my breakdown was the direct result of a strange paragraph written by CBS Radio's Fred Davis.
Am I surprised the Texans lost? Yes and no. At the beginning of the season I predicted the team would finish 9-7, making the playoffs as a wildcard team. So, yes, I'm surprised that what appeared to me to be a slightly above average team has devolved into one of the league's worst. However, given the situation I'm not surprised now by any loss. While I never believed the trumpeting of talent that streamed from the local CheerMedia, I didn't think they were this bad. I don't think anyone realistically saw 2-8 with 8 straight losses coming. Not even the low-listener, troll-centric sports radio talkers saw this one coming.
In local media terms, it's time for the Texans to get their tombstone. Not only is this season done, but when your best player in franchise history gets so frustrated that he walks off the field before the game is finished the coaching and management staff are done as well. Given the confusion surrounding Schaub's insertion to the game, the question of whether or not Kubiak is healthy enough to coach the team is valid as well. This is nothing against Gary Kubiak. I've met the man, he's a very nice guy. But being a nice guy and being a good NFL coach are two different things. Just as a lot of local media are rooting for Schaub because he's a "nice guy" is the wrong move, so is having the same affections for Gary Kubiak the NFL coach. We all should want Matt Schaub and Gary Kubiak the men to have healthy, productive careers, wherever they should land.
Perhaps the most disturbing thing, as a Texans fan, is the focus of the players on fan behavior, rather than focusing on what you can do to make this team better. From Ben Tate challenging fans on Twitter to Wade Smith begrudging fans the right to boo, this Texans team has become an undisciplined, unfocused mess. That Kubiak thought it was a good idea to bring in Schaub speaks volumes. Yes, Case Keenum has had difficulties picking up the blitz, and teams have figured him out to some extent, but the play calling (and the O-line blocking) are factors as well. If you have a quarterback who is struggling with blitz pick up then why do you continually call 7-9 step drop pass plays that take forever to develop down the field? Why not do some quick 3-step drop stuff and let your athletes like Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins make some plays in the open field? How about incorporating some bubble screens out of the Pistol formation (a formation where it's said that Keenum is most comfortable?)
I'm not suggesting that Keenum is the long-term answer. But I'm also not saying that you should close the book on him either. Kubiak and Co. have continually placed him in horrible positions and expected him to come out smelling like a rose. Remember, this is a team coached by Gary Kubiak, supposed QB "guru", a man who said he could win with David Carr. What we've seen, to date, has been something quite the opposite. We're all witnessing a coach who is showing an infuriating inability to adjust to the opposing team's game plan, a coach who is increasingly determined to make the same failing play calls, and then wondering why it's not working out as planned. This is a big problem for the team, and it's one that is only going to be resolved by cutting the cord and making wholesale changes in the off-season.
Until then, your question as a Texans fan is: What now?
As a non-Texans "fan" and just someone who pulls for the team because I happen to live in Houston, my answer is that there are better things for me to do for three hours on Sunday then watch the team add fuel to a dumpster fire. We're in the time of the year in Houston where the weather in conducive to being outdoors. That's where I'm going to be and where you should probably be as well. Unless that is you like watching dumpster fires, or enjoy the camaraderie at the game itself. To each their own, but I'm tuning out, especially if Matt Schaub is named the starter for the remainder. I'll be ignoring talk radio as well. We know fans are mad and there's only so many ways of saying it. Spare yourself the heartache and listen to some music instead.
Right when you think the Texans have hit rock bottom, Head Coach Gary Kubiak returns to the fray and makes a quarterback change that's so confusing, so unnecessary, the fans booed so loudly that the Texans (reportedly) had to utilize the silent count, at home, in order to get plays off.
That's just one of the storylines percolating up from Sunday's 28-23 loss to the Oakland Raiders, a team that The Three Stooges constantly said the Texans "should" beat in large part due to their superior talent. I'll remind you that I attempted to put that myth to bed in a previous post. I would like to say that I had some crystal ball which told me this result was coming. Unfortunately the reality is that my breakdown was the direct result of a strange paragraph written by CBS Radio's Fred Davis.
Am I surprised the Texans lost? Yes and no. At the beginning of the season I predicted the team would finish 9-7, making the playoffs as a wildcard team. So, yes, I'm surprised that what appeared to me to be a slightly above average team has devolved into one of the league's worst. However, given the situation I'm not surprised now by any loss. While I never believed the trumpeting of talent that streamed from the local CheerMedia, I didn't think they were this bad. I don't think anyone realistically saw 2-8 with 8 straight losses coming. Not even the low-listener, troll-centric sports radio talkers saw this one coming.
In local media terms, it's time for the Texans to get their tombstone. Not only is this season done, but when your best player in franchise history gets so frustrated that he walks off the field before the game is finished the coaching and management staff are done as well. Given the confusion surrounding Schaub's insertion to the game, the question of whether or not Kubiak is healthy enough to coach the team is valid as well. This is nothing against Gary Kubiak. I've met the man, he's a very nice guy. But being a nice guy and being a good NFL coach are two different things. Just as a lot of local media are rooting for Schaub because he's a "nice guy" is the wrong move, so is having the same affections for Gary Kubiak the NFL coach. We all should want Matt Schaub and Gary Kubiak the men to have healthy, productive careers, wherever they should land.
Perhaps the most disturbing thing, as a Texans fan, is the focus of the players on fan behavior, rather than focusing on what you can do to make this team better. From Ben Tate challenging fans on Twitter to Wade Smith begrudging fans the right to boo, this Texans team has become an undisciplined, unfocused mess. That Kubiak thought it was a good idea to bring in Schaub speaks volumes. Yes, Case Keenum has had difficulties picking up the blitz, and teams have figured him out to some extent, but the play calling (and the O-line blocking) are factors as well. If you have a quarterback who is struggling with blitz pick up then why do you continually call 7-9 step drop pass plays that take forever to develop down the field? Why not do some quick 3-step drop stuff and let your athletes like Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins make some plays in the open field? How about incorporating some bubble screens out of the Pistol formation (a formation where it's said that Keenum is most comfortable?)
I'm not suggesting that Keenum is the long-term answer. But I'm also not saying that you should close the book on him either. Kubiak and Co. have continually placed him in horrible positions and expected him to come out smelling like a rose. Remember, this is a team coached by Gary Kubiak, supposed QB "guru", a man who said he could win with David Carr. What we've seen, to date, has been something quite the opposite. We're all witnessing a coach who is showing an infuriating inability to adjust to the opposing team's game plan, a coach who is increasingly determined to make the same failing play calls, and then wondering why it's not working out as planned. This is a big problem for the team, and it's one that is only going to be resolved by cutting the cord and making wholesale changes in the off-season.
Until then, your question as a Texans fan is: What now?
As a non-Texans "fan" and just someone who pulls for the team because I happen to live in Houston, my answer is that there are better things for me to do for three hours on Sunday then watch the team add fuel to a dumpster fire. We're in the time of the year in Houston where the weather in conducive to being outdoors. That's where I'm going to be and where you should probably be as well. Unless that is you like watching dumpster fires, or enjoy the camaraderie at the game itself. To each their own, but I'm tuning out, especially if Matt Schaub is named the starter for the remainder. I'll be ignoring talk radio as well. We know fans are mad and there's only so many ways of saying it. Spare yourself the heartache and listen to some music instead.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Some good news from United (updated)
Earlier today, on Twitter, United Airlines announced Direct service from IAH and O'Hare to Atlantic City starting April 1st.
Unless this is a bad, early, April Fool's Joke this is a very good thing. Previously, to get to Atlantic City you had to take Spirit and their schedule was spotty at best. (As a matter of fact, an ITA Matrix search for "lowest fares" from Houston in December 2013 and March 2014 shows no flights whatsoever)
On the wife and my last trip to Atlantic City we flew into PHL and took a NJ Transit train to AC. The bad thing about that is that we had to wake up very, very early in the AM on our way out to meet the 6 AM train back to PHL. When you're staying in a casino this is a horrible option.
Direct flights into AC are a good thing if you enjoy the area, which I do. It's a lower key version of Las Vegas with an absolutely spectacular boardwalk. If you haven't been I suggest you give it a try.
UPDATE: Well, since writing this post I've found out that United is going to use ERJ-145's exclusively for the over 3 hour flight. So it's not all that good news really. Your better Atlantic City option is to fly to PHL and take the train to AC. I wouldn't want to be in a regional sardine can for that amount of time. Oh well.
Unless this is a bad, early, April Fool's Joke this is a very good thing. Previously, to get to Atlantic City you had to take Spirit and their schedule was spotty at best. (As a matter of fact, an ITA Matrix search for "lowest fares" from Houston in December 2013 and March 2014 shows no flights whatsoever)
On the wife and my last trip to Atlantic City we flew into PHL and took a NJ Transit train to AC. The bad thing about that is that we had to wake up very, very early in the AM on our way out to meet the 6 AM train back to PHL. When you're staying in a casino this is a horrible option.
Direct flights into AC are a good thing if you enjoy the area, which I do. It's a lower key version of Las Vegas with an absolutely spectacular boardwalk. If you haven't been I suggest you give it a try.
UPDATE: Well, since writing this post I've found out that United is going to use ERJ-145's exclusively for the over 3 hour flight. So it's not all that good news really. Your better Atlantic City option is to fly to PHL and take the train to AC. I wouldn't want to be in a regional sardine can for that amount of time. Oh well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)