Morning Coffee

by Peter Bean on Apr 23, 2007 12:03 AM CDT in Quick Hits Comment 26 comments

Today's Headlines: Vince Young, Dallas Mavericks, Barry Bonds, John Chiles, Assorted Notes

I've gotta say, this diary thread caught me by surprise. First of all, goingforthecorner, I appreciate your spunk and your loyalty to your team, and I encourage you to visit SBN's (outstanding) Houston Texans blog.

With that said, you're totally, wholly, completely, Tom Cruise crazy. I said it before last year's NFL Draft, and I'll mention it again. Even if you don't think Vince Young's going to be a great NFL quarterback (and that position is quickly approaching untenable), the Houston Texans blew a gigantic opportunity to make as easy and sound a business decision as you'll find in sports today.

I was lucky enough to attend this year's Titans-Texans clash in Houston, at which I became more convinced than ever that Houston made the greatest blunder in NFL Draft history. Not only is Vince Young one of the most exciting football players ever to strap on a helmet, he's absolutely adored by the vast majority of the sports fans in this state. Not drafting a hometown hero with that much (financial and talent) upside was beyond stupid. I can't think of a word for it, really.

No matter what happens to Mario Williams in this league, Houston can never justify passing on Vince Young. Never.

I spent the better part of this weekend on my couch, writing and editing with the NBA playoffs on the (muted) television. I don't have any critical insights to offer after all the game ones, but I will say this: Dallas turned in as disappointing a playoff performance as I've seen in some time.

It's not so much that they played poorly (though they did) - it's that they barely bothered to play at all. Dallas just stood around and waited for the officials to call the game that the Mavericks' wanted while Golden State kept attacking on both ends of the floor. The only thing uglier than the Mavericks' on-court performance was Mark Cuban's hysteria after each call/non-call that didn't go his team's way.

The good news for Dallas? Avery Johnson has proven to be outstanding at making in-series adjustments. I'll be curious to see what the line is in Game 2 of this series, because I fully expect to see a night-and-day turnaround from Dallas. I'll call it now: Mavs win game two by 10+.

One of the great benefits of having a platform like Burnt Orange Nation to lecture from? There's no one to stop me from posting obnoxious notes about how much I love Barry Bonds. My boy hit #740 today in a 2-1 Giants win, just one day after he hit #739 in a 1-0 Giants win. Say it with me: MVP! MVP! MVP!¹

Reader 'realmccoy' asks an interesting question in the diaries: "What should we expect out of the 2007 offense?"

It's a question that can't be answered in a paragraph, so I won't attempt to, but I did want to note (1) the diary itself, which has a poll for readers, and (2) my increasing fascination with the question "What to do with John Chiles?" We'll save that for a post of its own, but it's the most intriguing question about the 2007 offense.

Last, what others are saying... Double T Nation, one of my favorite daily stops, scoffs at ESPN's latest Big 12 football roundup... PWD's located the "Real Men Of Genius" commercial archives... NC State fans don't love Rick Barnes. A quick glance at the last ten years of college hoops at Texas and NC State has me wondering if they're in any position to snicker at Barnes...

¹No need to get into an argument with me on this one. I know he's a jerk, and I know that you hate him. Let's just leave it at that.

--PB--

0 recs | Comment 26 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Houston Texans blog

It looks like a really good blog, but as soon as I started thinking of the Texans, my stomach started to churn and I began to foam at the mouth. I guess I haven't forgiven them yet.

by Caradoc on Apr 23, 2007 12:12 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I love Barry too.

Barry Bonds is a great playe. To me it doesn't matter if he is a jackass/asshole/cheater. He can play ball and thats what should count.

Vince Young is impenetrable to curses

by txlonghorn34 on Apr 23, 2007 12:34 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

eh?

yes, he is a good player. But loving a "jackass/asshole/cheater" is beyond me!

Existence of barry bond's fans is a total news to me! :)

by Cyrus on Apr 23, 2007 12:55 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I meant to say

I meant to say that i like him and don't really hate the guy. I love how he plays the game. I am not his biggest fan but i still think he should get more respect than he is getting right now.

This guy is one of the top three greatest players of all time roids or no roids. He was a 500 500 player w/out roids.

Vince Young is impenetrable to curses

by txlonghorn34 on Apr 23, 2007 1:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bonds

was a HOF without steroids...which makes his choice even dumber. Bonds would have been great but NOT in the conversation of top 3 without steroids.

by Lincoln on Apr 23, 2007 2:23 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I see

I think most people agree that he is a great player with or w/o steroids (top-3 I'm not sure though). People hate his personality, he is exactly a jackass/asshole/cheater. I'm sure many people enjoy watching him play, but not having lunch with the guy.

Loving how someone plays the game is for sure different from loving the guy. Many people (including me) loved watching Mike Tyson knocking down people, but loving Mike Tyson himself? no freaking way.

by Cyrus on Apr 23, 2007 4:15 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bonds

The fact that he was a HOF 'er before he started the juice is only more telling to his personality. He is obsessed with being in the spotlight. He says he hates the media and they are biased toward him but he soaks it all up. He is also obsessed with being the HR king and not just a great baseball player. All he cares about is home runs. Home runs are the most individually focused of all the stats in baseball. Bonds used to hit well to all fields and was a gold glover in the outfield. Now he is just a freak. Even worse, he is a jerk about it.

Horns up, Okies Down.

by kicker on Apr 23, 2007 12:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mario Williams = not Beast

In all of this recent debate I have discovered apparently that there is a true demand for a Blog dedicated to plantar fasciitis (correct spelling) sufferers. In my first post we will conjugate "plantar." Planto. Plantas. Planta. Plantamos. (In Spain...Plantais). And Plantan.

Also, to add my 24 cents (in no particular order):
1-I wish the Texans were good. They are not.
2-I wish the Texans will one day be good. They won't be any time soon.
3-Oh, and...In my mind "good" merely means winning record. I don't even insist on playoffs.
4-Texans could have quadrupled their win total if they did not lose to the Titans twice.
5-Once a BEAST, not always a BEAST. See: Shaq, Griffey, and any NFL player over 33.
6-We used to care that Grant Hill drank Sprite. He is no longer a beast, thus we do not know what he drinks.
7-Even worse for Mario...players who have never been a beast, nor are currently a beast, fail to receive consideration by Vegas odds makers for future Beast status.
8-Williams' final year at NC State he forced 1 fumble.
9-Williams' final year at NC State he motivated his team to a 7-5 record.
10-Williams' final year at NC State he had 4.0 sacks versus teams that finished with winning records. (3.5 of the 4.0 came against Southern Miss.)
11-All that PLUS a lame duck GM (Charlie Casserly) drafting you #1 does not equal BEAST.
12-Titans will not make the playoffs in 2007.
13-Texans will not make the playoffs in 2007.
14-To argue one team will have a better losing record than the other is pointless.
15-Just for good measure...Titans will have the superior losing record, but it's really not fair because the Texans don't get to play themselves twice.
16-By the end of 2007, Vince will still have a winning record against Houston.
17-Texans will be better than last year. That does not mean (A) they will be good or even (B) have a better record.
18-Never cite your source as being "IMO"
19-Carr was not released because it was the honorable thing. Carr was cut because any leverage Houston had in making a trade before the cut deadline vanquished once Schaub was acquired.
20-Swapping for a lower 1st round pick and losing two high second round picks to acquire a very good back-up QB is not a "steal."
21-The Texans did not just waste a first round pick on Mario.
22-The Texans in hindsight wasted the two first rounders, two second rounders, plus any first day pick they would have gotten for Carr.
23-Bob McNair is more to blame than Casserly for taking Mario #1. Casserly was just kept long enough to take the blame.
24-I like to win in Fantasy Football. Therefore, while rooting for the Titans and Texans, I will not be drafting any of their players. My league doesn't award points for Beast status.

by Lincoln on Apr 23, 2007 2:21 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Longhorns hate the Texans

I don't know why I tried to start an argument with you guys. You try to burn me by saying "IMO" is not a reliable source, yet many of your points are just your own opinion. It's not just you. Everyone that's saying the Texans won't make the playoffs, or Mario is a good player but won't be a great player, etc... how the hell do you know that? It's so obvious that all y'all just hate the Texans because they didn't draft your God.

I love VY, but drafting Mario was still a logical move. Our defense sucked. We hoped Dominic Williams would come back from his injury and produce like he did. That's why we didn't take Bush. Plus, our defense sucked. Carr was not necessarily a great QB, but I wouldn't consider that a weakness compared to the other weaknesses like defense and offensive line.

Like I said in the VY is cursed thread, if you have the #1 overall pick, that probably means your team sucks. There were holes everywhere. We felt the biggest hole was at defense, so that's why we took Mario. Why is that so hard for people to understand? If VY and or Bush go on to win Super Bowls, Schaub sucks, and Mario sucks, then I will eat my crow. Until that happens, Horn fans have no room to talk.

Well here's what I think will happen. Mario will become a superstar. The beast label will be attached on him if it wasn't already. Schaub will play well and help us win games consistently. Texans will go 8-8 next year. That may or may not be enough for the playoffs. I say no because of how deep the AFC is. Regardless, it's a step in the right direction. Unless the Titans start making some serious moves, they're going in the wrong direction.

VY : Football :: KD : Basketball

by goingforthecorner on Apr 23, 2007 7:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe it's just the Alabama in me...

...but Hank Aaron forever!

Roll Tide Roll!

by nico on Apr 23, 2007 5:14 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Texans

VY could have galvanized the city of Houston behind the Texans....much like Earl did for the Oilers.

Everyone saw this except for McNair....maybe the guy should have stayed in the power plant business.

VY is too good for the Texans management....

by burntup on Apr 23, 2007 9:03 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Giants Jerks

Barry Bonds is a jackass no doubt, but the all-time assiest guy in a Giant uniform (well, in my lifetime) has to be freakin' Will Clark. He cussed out my little brother (at age 5) after an Astros game for asking for his autograph as he left the locker room (remember when the visitors' locker room exited out into the concourse at the Dome?). Kevin Mitchell, on the other hand, was more than happy to have my 11 year-old self trail after him, and he talked to me and signed a ball and was very sweet.

So, on the assy Giants scale:

Kevin Mitchell < Barry Bonds <Will Clark</p>

by Texas Gal on Apr 23, 2007 10:43 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

For some strange reason

I found that story hilarious.

by jc25 on Apr 23, 2007 11:03 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

CJ

So, based on the statement "Not drafting a hometown hero with that much (financial and talent) upside was beyond stupid. I can't think of a word for it, really.", do you think the Falcons would be "beyond stupid" not to trade up and pick Calvin Johnson? Or do you just mean, it would be dumb not to make such a pick if the player is available when you're already set to select?

Go Jackets!

by Jeff on Apr 23, 2007 11:47 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Not only that

but not picking Vince was a good way to lose those of us who were supporting the Texans, simply because we hate the Cowboys and they are the only other Texas teams. They lost a lot of us that were barely fans.

by billb on Apr 23, 2007 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with PB

PB is right it was such an obvious decision with VY. What interests me is the fact that no one wants to discuss how the Texans passed on Reggie.

Correct me if i'm wrong but before the Rose Bowl Texans fans were only talking about Reggie and chanting Reggie after every loss.

I agree that passing on VY is one of the greatest blunders in sports period. Though, I saw their logic before the draft on passing on VY but i don't see why they passed on Reggie.

VY was potentially the Jordan of football (a guy that good transcend the game) while Reggie Bush was the Hakeem of football. You could not go wrong with either player. One will probably get you maybe one or two superbowls while another might get eight (will get) or ten.

Instead the Texans chose a guy that is only good at speeding.

My point is the that people need to be more outraged on why they drafted Mario Williams and not arguing about passing on VY. Lets not forget Reggie Bush is turning out to be a big time stud as well. I still want VY but i would not mind having Reggie.

As a Texans fan i would not be upset right now if we had Reggie Bush on our team but since we have neither i am contemplating quitting on the team altogether.

Vince Young is impenetrable to curses

by txlonghorn34 on Apr 23, 2007 1:07 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

How very true

The arguement focused on VY and the Texans passing on him, but passing on Reggie is another valid point. The only reason I didn't site that is because Vince was/is a hometown hero. That adds another element to the arguement. Also, they needed a QB whether or not they wanted to admit it. Then take into consideration that they already had discussions with Reggie that seemed to fail miserably and I can somewhat understand passing on Reggie. They also had (maybe still have - I don't know) a pretty good RB in Dominique Davis(?).

None of those counterpoints exist with Vince. Just stubborn-ness.

by GoHorns on Apr 23, 2007 2:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Actually...

Putting aside SC homerism, I would have taken VY - Reggie is a great running back, but he's not an every-down up the gut back. It took New Orleans some time to get him positioned to work, and they had explicitly decided to use Bush-and-McAllister like USC had run Bush-and-White. I'm hard pressed to see a Texans offensive line that couldn't pass block be good enough at run blocking to get Bush past the line of scrimmage - at least, not often enough to be worth it.

by DC Trojan on Apr 23, 2007 3:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

FYI

Dominic Williams (formerly Davis) was cut by the Texans along with Carr. Nobody would have questioned the Texans for picking Bush, Young, or perhaps even D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Texans actually signed Mario for more money than Bush was asking for.

by Lincoln on Apr 23, 2007 3:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Congrats on once again

making it onto Deadspin, for the hilarious ESPN Draft memo.

http://deadspin.com/sports/espn/from...

My favorite comment?

"'bloviating'? Man, this is the most educational thing ever posted on Deadspin."

Congrats as well for passing on higher education to the sports blog masses.

by jc25 on Apr 23, 2007 4:11 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

PB...

I am honored that you would acknowledge my existence and even mention me by name. I had no idea they have professional teams on SBN. Do they have the Rockets and Astros also?

VY : Football :: KD : Basketball

by goingforthecorner on Apr 23, 2007 6:51 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs