I’m promising again not to demand Gary Kubiak be fired no matter what happens. I know I’ve said it before, but this time I really mean it. I’m riding the wave for Gary. What if that 2010 draft class turns out better than it looked last season? I’d be compelled to ride the Rick Smith [...]
Read MoreSportsJustice
It’s a busy weekend in Cooperstown, the greatest place on earth
Cooperstown, N.Y., is my favorite place on earth, and I’ve been to Amarillo. It’s spectacularly lovely, a small village of old homes, small shops and friendly people. It’s a Norman Rockwell painting come to life. Stress seems to melt away when you’re in Cooperstown. It’s also the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame [...]
Read More“I have continued to have concerns about the Longhorn Network since the original announcement…”—Texas A&M AD Bill Byrne
Texas A&M AD Bill Byrne released the following statement this afternoon: ”I have continued to have concerns about the Longhorn Network since the original announcement by ESPN and Texas. Since last summer, the Big 12 member institutions have committed to work together in a spirit of unity and equality. Recent news reports concerning this network; [...]
Read MoreYao’s legacy: great man, great player, unfulfilled promise.
To know Yao Ming is to love Yao Ming. From his sense of humor and essential decency to his relentless work ethic and burning will to win, he’s what we’d hope every professional athlete would be. “I want to impress on people that his desire to win was overwhelming and backed up by working extremely [...]
Read MoreAstros have not been asked to move to the American League, but that day appears to be coming
Despite reports elsewhere, Jim Crane’s approval as the new owner of the Astros does not hinge on his agreeing to move to the American League. He’s going to be approved as owner because he’s willing to pay $680 million for the club, thereby raising every other franchise’s value. Let’s say he had been asked to [...]
Read MoreThese next 16 days could be Ed Wade’s finest hour and hugely important to the Astros
What would you do if were Ed Wade? How would you handle the stress he must be feeling? Would you conduct yourself as professionally as he will? Could you? I’m not sure I could. Here’s the deal: The Astros are open for business, and the decisions made between now and the July 31st trading deadline [...]
Read MoreThe Rocket walks out of the courtroom a free man, and he may remain free forever
As he dressed down prosecutors, Judge Reggie Walton said what a lot of people have been thinking about the Roger Clemens trial. “Very difficult for Mr. Clemens,” he said. Indeed. There was going to be eyewitness testimony and physical evidence and all kinds of circumstansial evidence. Unless Rusty Hardin succeeded in undermining the testimony of [...]
Read MoreIf there’s a Mount Rushmore for the Astros, who is on it? I’ve got Bagwell, Biggio, Dierker and Ryan. How about you?
This topic came up Monday when someone asked who would be on the Mount Rushmore for the Baltimore Orioles. My reply: Frank, Brooks, Earl, Cakes. Apparently, some people thought leaving Junior off was just about the dumbest thing they’d ever read. I agree. I also know who would have to come off. But I can’t [...]
Read MoreBrett Myers could be on his way to one of the most amazing seasons in recent history
Brett Myers is on pace to pitch a career-high 237.2 innings and to have 25 quality starts and a very respectable 3.72 ERA. What could those numbers get him in terms of victories? Twenty? Eighteen? At the very least, Brett should be in line for his first All-Star appearance, right? Well, no. At his current [...]
Read MoreTexans have had a nice draft, but most people don’t want to believe it
My buddies from 1560 were at a restaurant the other night, and when the Texans drafted J.J. Watt, boos echoed around the room. I’m pretty sure most of those booing fans didn’t know a thing about J.J. Watt. They just guessed the Texans had gotten it wrong again. That’s the price an organization pays for [...]
Read MoreAt what point do the Astros pull the plug on Carlos Lee?
Carlos Lee is hitting .200 and looking like a guy at the end of the line. With J.B. Shuck and J.D. Martinez hot in the minor leagues, the Astros surely have discussed cutting ties with Lee and eating the remaining $37 million on his contract. Actually, the money is irrelevant. The Astros are on the [...]
Read MoreAstros have spent 28 consecutive days in last place, and that’s not even the worst news
Actually, friends, it’s a lot worse than that. For one thing, it’s easy to look at the raw offensive numbers and think there might be something to build on. Yes, the Astros are right in the middle of the pack in the National League in terms of scoring runs_7th of 16 teams. But that’s the [...]
Read MoreLet’s go ahead and clear a spot for Brett Wallace on the 2011 National League All-Star Team
If we’re going to judge Brett Wallace by the company he keeps, he’s going to find his way onto the 2011 National League All-Star Team. Meanwhile, in Toronto, they’re crushing Blue Jays management for trading Wallace. That’s the kind of stuff that usually happens around here. You know, Daryl Morey trades Tracy McGrady, and [...]
Read MoreWhere will Mario Williams play? Here, there and everywhere.
Long ago and far away, I covered the Washington Redskins. Back then, the Redskins were one of the NFL’s great franchises. Under Joe Gibbs, they went to the playoffs eight times in 12 years and won three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks. In those days, the rivarlies in the NFC East would be hard [...]
Read MoreWho should the Rockets hire? Casey? Frank? McHale?
The Rockets appear to be focused on three names: Dwane Casey, Lawrence Frank and Kevin McHale. All have head coaching experience. Casey and Frank are extremely respected in NBA coaching circles. McHale was one of the great players ever, but hasn’t had the same success as a coach or general manager. Frank, 40, has far [...]
Read MoreRemember what the Mavericks were like before Mark Cuban? Yes, Astros fans, things can change quickly
When I watched Mark Cuban make his way onto the court to shake Phil Jackson’s hand Sunday afternoon amid a joyous celebration and a soldout arena, I was reminded what the Dallas Mavericks used to be. Before Mark Cuban, they were among the worst sports franchises in this country. They were bad on the floor, [...]
Read MoreA&M loses a good man and a good coach, but Bill Byrne will find another
Once upon a time, Jerry Krause said something really, really smart. OK, he probably said a lot of really smart things in his day, but this particular thing stands out. “Players and coaches don’t win championships,” he said. “Organizations win championships.” Krause was roasted for those comments because they seemed dismissive of Phil Jackson, Michael [...]
Read MoreJosh Pastner or Buzz Williams? Could Texas A&M get either, and who would be the best fit in Aggieland?
I asked a really smart friend this morning advice he would give to Bill Byrne in his search for a new basketball coach. Here’s his response: First, I think I’d make 1,000% certain that Rodney Terry wouldn’t leave his brand new job (likely won’t). –Then I’d make Wojo (Duke) tell me no himself with a [...]
Read MoreThese Astros never quit, and in a really tough season, that’s something to hang your hat on
When Jim Crane takes control of the Astros, he’s going to look at every layer of the organization to figure out who stays and who doesn’t. I’m guessing he’s going to love what he has in manager Brad Mills and his coaching staff. Of the many things Ed Wade has gotten right–yes, he has gotten [...]
Read MoreIf I were Ed Wade, I wouldn’t be signing any long-term leases
I’m reading tea leaves here, and that’s always a dangerous thing to do, even for someone of my uncommon unintelligence. I believe Jim Crane is going to clean house. On the business side. On the baseball side. First, it makes no sense for Pam Gardner to stay with George Postolos coming on as CEO. George [...]
Read MoreReconsidering the Miguel Tejada trade 1,251 days later
I’d say 1,251 days is enough time to evaluate a trade, even one with as many moving parts as this one. When Jim Crane and George Postolos begin evaluating Ed Wade, they may very well begin right here. I don’t think there’s a chance in hell that Pam Gardner, Ed Wade and Tal Smith will [...]
Read MoreDrayton McLane is about to exit, so what’s next for the Astros?
Pam Gardner and Tal Smith have been Drayton McLane’s most trusted advisors for a long time. I’m guessing both of them will be fired within six months. Ed Wade was brought into an impossible situation. He arrived after the 2007 season to find no farm system, a mediocre major league team and an owner in [...]
Read MoreI’ll forgive the Texans for not drafting Vince Young if they go sign Nnamdi AsomughaIf
I’m hearing it already. Too expensive. Bob McNair won’t go down that road. Even if the Texans made Nnamdi Asomugha a competitive offer, he’ll end up playing for the Cowboys or Redskins. Enough! Where’s the can-do spirit that made Houston a great city? I’ll admit it doesn’t look good. Bob McNair once told me he [...]
Read MoreI’m tearing up thinking about all the good times Drayton and I had through the years
Me: Are you going to fire Jimy Williams? Drayton: I don’t understand baseball. Do you? Baseball is sure a funny game. Me: Are you going to fire Jimy Williams? Drayton: How about those Baylor Bears? I think this is the year we beat Texas. You won’t like that, will you? Me: Are you going to [...]
Read MoreAstros face a long, tough climb back to respectability. It can’t be done by spending more money, either.
You want the new guy to spend more money. Hey, I want the new guy to spend more money, too. I just want him to spend it in different places than you want him to spend it. I want more national scouts, more regional scouts. I want to give the good scouts raises. I want [...]
Read MoreI keep trying to convince myself Ed Wade has done a bad job. Problem is, he hasn’t.
I’m pretty sure Ed Wade is going to be fired once the new ownership takes over. It’s not that he has done a bad job. It’s that the new guys may want a different way of evaluating players and rosters. That’s their right. It’s their team. But if Ed is allowed to make a case [...]
Read MoreMario Williams is the key, and his new coaches can’t wait to get him on the field and get started making him a superstar
This lockout stinks because the Texans have so much work to do, and they’re so anxious to get started. Gary Kubiak told me Thursday that he and his staff have already finished the playbooks and preseason game plans. Those are things they normally don’t do until the weeks just before training camp. So in terms [...]
Read MoreThings Jim Crane should NOT say to Commissioner Selig…
If Jim Crane wants to make a good first impression with Commissioner Selig, he’ll research the conversation that took place when George Bamberger came to Milwaukee and met his future boss for the first time. OK, I threw this topic out on twitter this morning, and some people ran with it. Surprisingly, quite a few [...]
Read MoreI say we focus on the positive and discuss all the things that have gone right for the 2011 Astros
I’m probably a lot like you in that I see the glass as half full. Even in the darkest of times, I can find something positive. I want to thank readers of this blog for their daily cheeriness, for forcing me to see what’s right with the world instead of what’s wrong. As LBJ once [...]
Read MoreBud Norris is emerging as solid major league starter, and isn’t that just about the best news you’ve heard today?
Stuff happens. That’s one of the lessons of this silly season. Jason Castro blows his knee out. Clint Barmes breaks a bone in his hand. Chris Johnson can’t find last season’s magic. One of the things a lot of us thought these Astros would be pretty good at would be pitching the baseball. We liked [...]
Read MoreIf Jim Crane is half as good at customer service as Drayton McLane and Pam Gardner, he’ll be spectacular
In the last decade, I’ve probably gotten two dozen emails complaining about customer service at Minute Maid Park or describing some special circumstance. Each time, the Astros responded like champions. Sometimes it was Drayton McLane himself. Other times it was Pam Gardner. But the Astros responded every time. Their message consistently was: (a) we appreciate [...]
Read MoreKevin McHale brings leadership to the table, and that may be way more important than what he doesn’t bring
Kevin McHale wasn’t even on the radar screen when the Rockets began looking for a new coach. They set out to hire Lawrence Frank or someone a lot like Lawrence Frank. In other words, a Jeff Van Gundy clone. They might have hired JVG himself, but let’s be kind and say there might have been [...]
Read MoreI have no idea if Daryl Morey reads these comments, but he might be able to learn a few things from a guy named Kubiak
Last week when I asked Gary Kubiak why he never reacts to criticism or tough questions or second-guessing, he had a good answer. “To tell you the truth, it motivates me,” he said. He said he’d listened to Gary Allen’s I Get Off on the Pain during his morning treadmill workout. “I think I do [...]
Read MoreTexans and Rockets moving up. Astros under new management. When you stop and think about it, things are pretty sweet on the Houston sports scene
We’re about to be the envy of an entire nation. Our teams have been down for a couple of years, but things are changing and quickly. So much is happening here I wouldn’t be surprised if ESPN opened a Houston bureau within the next fews months. Or they could just, you know, add a Houston [...]
Read MoreRockets announce the hiring of Kevin McHale, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he became a really good head coach
I guess it’s the times in which we live. Fans began ripping Daryl Morey the moment Jonathan Feigen broke the news of Kevin McHale’s hiring. I haven’t heard such name-calling since our last family reunion, which incidentally will be this weekend at Lake Whitney. Cussing. Drinking. Scratching. Cussing Republicans. Oh, you’ve never seen such a [...]
Read MoreWe’re not letting Ed Wade acquire another second baseman. Come to think of it, third base and shortstop are out, too
Kaz Matsui, Pedro Feliz and Bill Hall will end up getting more than $24 million of Drayton McLane’s hard-earned money. If I’m Jim Crane the first thing I’d ask Ed Wade is something along the lines of: “What were you thinking?” And there’s Miguel Tejada. He got $30 million out of Drayton’s deep pockets. “Why, [...]
Read MoreChris Johnson is fighting through a tough sophomore season, but maybe he’ll come out of it just fine
Chris Johnson surpassed all expectations last season when he finally got a chance to play everyday and hit .308 with 22 doubles, 11 home runs and 52 RBIs in 341 at-bats. He batted .316 against right-handed pitcher, .286 against lefties. He’s never going to be mistaken for Brooks Robinson at third base, but his defense [...]
Read MoreI just don’t believe Mack Brown cheats. I don’t think he has to. Is there cheating going on at Texas? That’s another question.
I intend to conduct a thorough investigation of these allegations of cheating in the University of Texas football program. Tick, tick, tick. All done. Hands washed. Move along, folks. Nothing to see here. Whew, that was close. Seriously, if there was cheating going on at Texas, don’t you think I’d know about it? After all, [...]
Read MoreIf you don’t like Bud Norris, you don’t like a double-double from Whataburger, and of course, everyone does
Bud Norris believed he belonged in the big leagues the moment he arrived, and even though he has gotten roughed up a few times these last three years, he never stopped believing in himself. That kind of confidence can help a kid hang in there emotionally through tough times, but there’s a downside to it [...]
Read MoreTexas-OU is again the most interesting college football game of our 2011 season, but there are a dozen others you won’t want to miss
1. Texas-OU at Dallas The Longhorns open with Rice, BYU, UCLA and Iowa State, so we’ll know plenty about this team by the time they roll into the State Fair. If they get through those four games unscathed, this game will be the first really tough test of Mack Brown’s overhauled coaching staff. By the [...]
Read MoreEd Wade is threatening to break up our Astros because he doesn’t like what he sees. Jim Crane might feel the same way about the front office.
Listen, there are things Ed Wade can be held accountable for and things he can’t. If you take two steps back and a big gulp of air, you’ll see that the Astros were going to have a tough time contending no matter how shrewd his player evaluations. And they haven’t been very shrewd at all. [...]
Read MoreIf the Astros have a chance to move to the American League, they should grab it and consider themselves lucky
I love the idea of the Astros playing in the American League because it has the potential to create a legitimate rivalry with the Texas Rangers. The Astros have never had a real rival because all the good ones are taken. Interleague play hasn’t really stirred anything between the Astros and Rangers because they play [...]
Read MoreHow can you hate Dallas now? The Mavericks are easy to admire, almost impossible to hate.
Was that the most low-key championship celebration ever? If you didn’t like the Dallas Mavericks before watching them win an NBA championship, you probably do now. These NBA playoffs have been terrific from the opening rounds, and it ended with just the right touch. Mark Cuban is a great, great owner, but you already knew [...]
Read MoreDrayton doesn’t favor a move to the American League, and he says you don’t want to move either
It looks like my little idea of having the Astros switch to the American League hasn’t exactly picked up any momentum the last 48 hours. It may not be completely dead, but I’d say there’s a greater chance of us getting a nice snowfall next week. For one thing, Drayton McLane is against it. For [...]
Read MoreKareem Jackson wants you to party with porn stars. At least he has given up cockfighting.
It’s a good thing Gary Kubiak isn’t allowed to contact Kareem Jackson. Wouldn’t you like to listen in on that chat? First, Kareem goes down to the chicken fights, and then he makes it worse by tweeting a photo of himself holding a chicken and looking as happy as Drayton with $775 million in his [...]
Read MoreIf you’re hoping Jim Crane comes right in and cleans house with the Astros, you’re going to be disappointed
By this time next year, the Astros may be significantly better than they are today. Those changes could extend from the top of the masthead to the bottom of the roster. But if you’re expecting immediate change, you’re going to be disappointed. All indications are that Crane and CEO George Postolos will spend a long [...]
Read MoreFormer Texans RB Ahman Green torches GM Rick Smith
Ahman Green dialed up Sean Pendergast. Click on this link and stand back.
Read MoreWhen the Astros passed on Taylor Jungmann, they left themselves open to another huge second guess
In Bobby Heck’s first year as scouting director of the Astros, he passed on Justin Smoak in the first round. The Astros went for Jason Castro instead, and it’ll be interesting to watch their careers evolve over the next few years. The Astros had high hopes for Castro this season, but a knee injury has [...]
Read MoreLet’s sit down and see what’s on Gary Kubiak’s mind
Are you bored? “I’m not bored, but it sure is frustrating. The hard thing right now is wanting to put this defense together. Everything up until the draft was normal. The minute the draft was over, everything changed. Normally, we take that next week and set our roster and get ready to go coach. I [...]
Read MoreIf Wade Phillips is talking, I’m listening.
What appealed to you about the Texans? “They had a real good offense. I knew more about their team than some. It just seemed like a natural thing. It was about like San Diego when I went there.” Did you get a chance to meet with your players before the lockout? “We had 1-2 days [...]
Read MoreRockets needed one thing and went for another. Or did they? They love Marcus Morris.
The Rockets began the day with two needs: center and small forward. They were deepest at power forward. So naturally, they added to their stable of power forwards by getting two more—Marcus Morris of Kansas and Donatas Motiejunas of Benetton Treviso. As they watched the centers disappear from the board, they still had a chance [...]
Read MoreThe Astros have as many home runs as Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson, and other tales from a season gone bad
It’s not just that the Astros are bad. They’re terrible all right, way worse than most us thought they’d be. I figured the rotation would be decent and the bullpen solid. Those two things right there are enough to give a team a chance to win a lot of games if they take care of [...]
Read More“He’s what you want in an owner. He’s very aggressive. He has won and knows how that feels, and he wants more of that.”—Kevin McHale on Leslie Alexander
When did you get the itch to coach again? “Probably about the middle of last year. I enjoyed TNT. Turner people are phenomenal. They’re great people. NBA TV and TNT. You started getting to the games, and you’re watching them and thinking, `Man, I’d do this or I’d do that.’ You start thinking about what [...]
Read MoreHow different would UH’s world be if there hadn’t been a Lorenzo Charles in the right place at the right time?
Lorenzo Charles. Twenty-eight years later, his name still sends a stabbing pain through the hearts of University of Houston fans. Those who didn’t see the play have heard of it. None of them will ever forget it. Even if you didn’t attend UH, or root for UH, that shot still means something to you. It [...]
Read More“I was surprised that Drayton chose to sell the ballclub because I really don’t think that was what he wanted to do.”—Nolan Ryan
How satisfying was last season given all you’d poured into that franchise? “What happened to us last year was magical and very special. It’s not too often you get to experience something of that nature. And so, it was extremely special for us. It was extremely disappointing not to win the World Series, but just [...]
Read More“I’m a loyal guy. This is where I want to be. This is where I want to win.”—Hunter Pence
Losing hasn’t changed the way you play, has it? “I look at everyday as an opportunity to get better. It’s not the result that we want right now, but it’s what we have. We’ve got to get better. To me, I’ve got to try and learn from everything that comes my way and find a [...]
Read MoreI’m going to miss the Rockets—and I mean really miss them—if this labor dispute lasts as long many people think it will
I know what a lot of people are going to say if this NBA labor dispute drags into January, or longer. They’re going to say they don’t care. They’re going to say they’re sick of owners and players fighting over billions of dollars. They’re going to say that money long ago ruined professional sports for [...]
Read MoreNothing that happens in this trial can diminish what Roger Clemens meant to the Astros
The Astros had never won a postseason series when Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens arrived. On the day they arrived, expectations changed immediately. They didn’t talk about getting to the playoffs. They talked about winning in the playoffs. Clemens no longer had 97-mph stuff when he pitched his first game for the Astros in 2004, [...]
Read MoreTo argue the Roger Clemens trial is a waste of time and money makes my Diet Coke taste flat
Anyone who thinks the government shouldn’t have pursued Roger Clemens should be required to sit down and list the crimes that are worth pursuing. How about murder? Is it worth of prosecution? Rape? Would a solid rape case ring your bell? Spousal abuse? Racial hate crimes? Seriously, are any of them worth pursuing? If anyone [...]
Read MoreYao’s legacy will be that he was a perfect teammate, and for a short while, everything the Rockets hoped he’d be
Yao Ming had a short, brilliant career. There’s a sense of sadness that it ended way too soon, that he was unable to deliver a championship. His time here was way too short.
Read MoreWas Yao one of the greatest Rockets of all-time? Oh, you betcha.
First of all, Yao Ming should not be compared to The Dream. No player should. Not now. Not ever. We’re never going to see someone like him again. In 17 seasons, he led the Rockets to the playoffs 14 times, including three trips to the NBA Finals. Rudy T. and Carroll Dawson still speak of [...]
Read MoreAstros could end up being one of the National League’s worst teams in the last 50 years. Where do we go from here?
”The sun will rise, the sun will set and I’ll have lunch.”—Lou Gorman. The Astros are on a pace to lose 109 games and could end up being the National League’s second-worst team in the last 41 seasons. Since the Padres and Expos were added in 1969, only the 2004 Diamondbacks (51-111) have lost more [...]
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