Sports Archives - Page 11 of 20

Bye Texans

Texans Brian Cushing out with season-ending injury yet again

The Texans have a bye week, but is it time to say bye to the season?

What’s left of the Texans? That seems to be what everyone is asking. Here’s my motto for the rest of the season:

One. Game. At. A. Time.

Sunday’s game against the undefeated Chiefs including Case Keenum’s performance and the rest of the moving parts FINALLY pulling their acts together was in fact encouraging, although it didn’t add to the positive side of the now 2-5 record. I don’t know about y’all but football looked fun again.

I can’t sit here and say the Texans still have a chance at the playoffs, at least not with a straight face, but it’s not completely out of the question. Crazier things have happened. Case in point: the Astros being the most profitable team in Major League Baseball even with three straight seasons of 100+ losses.

The good thing about Sunday in Arrowhead was that the Texans showed they had just a little bit of life left in them. They looked excited. They had heart. They had faith. They fought. All things we hadn’t seen much of in the past few weeks. The defense stepped up in the second half allowing just one field goal – all positives.

The other good thing is the team is headed into a much needed bye week. But is there any hope left for this team this season?

While fans have probably halted their searches for airfare deals to New York in February, we can still hope for an exciting eight weeks left of good football and improvement. At least I am. Because eight weeks of anything boring is, well…a waste of time.

If there is a chance, and that’s a Texas-sized if, time is as big of an enemy as the current 2-5 record. Each of the 32 teams are given 16 weeks to showcase how good they are on the field, and the Texans have squandered away five straight weeks by showing the world the complete opposite. And if we’re being honest, the first two wins weren’t really the All-Star indicators we had expected to see – you shouldn’t have to bust your tail to comeback like that.

Duane Brown and Texans Offense (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

A few pieces to keep this season on the up and up:

Confidence. Our players have got to find this again. Our quarterback, whoever it is, needs confidence in the pocket. Confidence also comes from not being drilled into the ground on every other offensive play. Keenum was sacked on every third down in the fourth quarter (five total). Two of those were his own mistakes not reading the blitz, but as a rookie, the confidence and performance displayed by Case Keenum was spot-on.
Time management. I never thought I’d see a day where Andy Reid managed the clock better than his opponent, but Sunday in Arrowhead showed otherwise.
Fix the details. It’s too late to reinvent this wheel and this isn’t really a wheel that should need reinvention. I’d be hard-pressed to say that Kubiak is getting fired mid-season or that Schaub is getting traded, but it’s the details we need to focus on. Figuring out our running back situations in case we run into another game where both Foster and Tate are out.
Here’s another detail I’d like to see fixed: get Derrick Newton OFF THE FIELD.

Luckily these guys get to take next Sunday off (so I can focus solely on the Eagles and the improvements needed there), which includes four consecutive and much needed days off (mandated by new NFL rules). That also means fans can take a week off too.

Thank goodness.

The only person who shouldn’t take a break this week? Gary Kubiak.

I’m fine with having a conservative state when it comes to politics, but not when it comes to football. In the fourth quarter against the Chiefs, the Texans had four possessions. Guess how many points were scored off those four possessions? ZERO.

Next Sunday when Andrew Luck comes into Reliant, we need to capitalize on every possession to keep ourselves in the game, and we need to force turnovers like we did against the Chiefs.

And I think every single Texans fan cried a little on the inside on the Cushing injury. Not only because he’s such a loss to the defense we still desperately need, but because he’s fought so hard to come back and these are the seven games he came back for? Again, you hate seeing any player injured (yes, even a pick-six-throwing quarterback), and definitely good guys like Brian Cushing.

Technically the season’s not over, but I’m not going to send any of my hard-earned money to Vegas on the odds we’re currently running.

So next Sunday, after a week off for all of us, the Texans (and the jersey-burning fans) will yet again find themselves on national TV during primetime, lets at least try not to look like the Vikings. And at least Josh Freeman won’t be sporting a Texans jersey. See, there’s brightside yet again!

October 23, 2013/by Jayme

Texans Positives

Football

This time Matt Schaub wasn’t to blame (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

It’s simple: you can’t blame Sunday’s performance on Matt Schaub. Not this time. He can’t be your scapegoat. I realize the guy in the pocket needs to be a leader, and right now, Schaub can’t be that leader, but there are A TON of other guys not only suited to be the leader for this Texans team, but want to lead it.

So what is the problem? I have tried to avoid social media and talk radio and Sportscenter and everywhere else the Texans are a huge focus. It’s just getting old.

But what’s really getting old are the uneducated fans out there saying stuff that doesn’t even make sense. Lets tank the rest of the reason to hopefully get a #1 draft pick? Where did you learn about NFL? Or did you not? It is still only WEEK SIX, and yes, four losses back-to-back-to-back are going to be hard to overcome, for anyone. As Andre Johnson said in Sunday’s postgame press conference – there are 10 games left. They need to find a way to win these 10 games.

It’s not pretty but it ain’t over. And gosh, has a team ever needed a bye week (not coming until Week 8) as desperately as

Gary Kubiak: The Leaky Faucet (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Houston needs it now? After all, we are still the reigning AFC South champs – that has to count for something right?

Kubiak acknowledged after the loss that the team “sprung leaks everywhere,” but I’m wondering if he considered himself a leaky faucet like many others do? All this talk of Kubiak being too conservative and he rolls out onto Reliant even more conservative than before?

Houston isn’t just losing, they are getting blown out. Every sports media person around has utilized their Thesaurus to find a new way to say “embarrassing.” On Sunday, the Texans were outcoached and outplayed, so there again, what is the actual problem? The Rams scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams.

Many of y’all thought TJ Yates was the answer, and immediately (his 5^th play of the game to be exact) he catches the Pick-Six virus that’s been going around.

For starters, 95 yards of penalties is no bueno. Especially when those were just in the first half. In comparison, according to teamrankings.com, the team with the highest average number of penalty yards per game is Tampa Bay with 82.6. Sunday the Texans had 10+ yards more than the highest average in the league. (Overall for 2013, the Texans have the second highest with 76.5 penalty yards per game.)

Turnovers: It’s no secret you can’t win a game with turnovers, plain and simple. Muffed kickoff returns have been a thorn in our side for almost an entire year. That part of the game needs to shape up. Not only turning the ball over on offense, but we aren’t forcing turnovers on the other side of the ball, which is equally important.

J.J. Watt and the Defense need to step it up

I love J.J. Watt, Brian Cushing and all the other defensive guys just as much as all of you, but there’s an issue there as well. A big one. The Texans came into Sunday’s game ranked 29^th against the run – to put that in perspective, last year the team ranked 7^th. Quite a discrepancy and no wonder we heard Zac Stacy’s name over and over the loudspeaker at Reliant. I have faith in Wade Phillips just as I do the entire defense, rest assured they are making changes this week.

Last year the Texans gave up 28 sacks all year over the span of 16 games. Already this season, Texans quarterbacks have been sacked 17 times in just six weeks. Our quarterbacks are being rushed and not getting the protection they need. We’re not as bad as Oakland who has allowed 28 sacks on their quarterback this year already, but the Texans are 23^rd in the league for the offensive line allowing sacks.

And while the team is still getting a bad rap and national attention for their play on the field, add to it another week Texans fans are getting an even worse rap thanks to some ill-mannered fans who clearly CHEERED when Schaub went down with any injury. Here’s what J.J. Watt had to say about it: That’s a pretty tough life if you’re cheering for somebody else to get injured.

I couldn’t agree more.

I’m obviously not your mother so I can’t tell you how to act in public (you should know that already), but if you’ve ever played sports or you were a “real” fan of the game being played and the hard work and dedication that goes into it, you wouldn’t dare EVER cheer for ANY injury. Not even on the other team.

Most of y’all know I adamantly can’t stand the Cowboys or Tim Tebow, but I would never stoop to that level to hope for or cheer an injury. So I’ll leave you with that this week.

Sunday doesn’t look any easier, headed to KC to take on the 6-0 Chiefs. Lets hope Kubiak can pull a rabbit out of his hat.

October 16, 2013/by Jayme

Cornering for Tatas

Football

Guest of honor Kyssi Andrews with Houston Texans Brice McCain, from left, Brian Cushing, Arian Foster, Johnathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson Photo by Micahl Wyckoff

While Sunday’s blowout loss against the Rams wasn’t pretty, the pre-game festivities were quite the opposite. Kareem Jackson walked onto the field with his beautiful mother, a two-time breast cancer survivor.

“It’s something I will never forget. For my mom to have fought breast cancer twice, it was definitely a blessing for my family and was an honor to walk on the field with her,” Jackson said.

Sunday afternoon the Texans equipped fans with “Texans Stand Together Against Breast Cancer” pink signs where each person could write who they “stand” for as part of the effort to raise awareness throughout the NFL and its fan base. And while the Texans are undoubtedly making some changes and trying to fix some costly mistakes from the game, cornerbacks Jackson and Johnathan Joseph switched their focus Monday night as they teamed up at the Houston Texans Grille for their “Tailgating for a Cure” fundraiser.

“We all know someone touched by this disease and anytime you have an event, you want to come out and support your brother that plays next to you and the guys in the same locker room.”

The event is personal to both players, as Joseph’s father is currently battling lung cancer and Jackson’s mother is a breast cancer survivor. Proceeds benefit the American Lung Association and Sister’s Network, Inc. Fans showed up in droves to catch a glimpse of some of their favorite players, including Brian Cushing, Arian Foster, Wade Smith, Duane Brown, Andre Johnson, Ed Reed, and J.J. Watt, and support the worthy cause.

Smith knows firsthand how much it means having your teammates there for support. “I think it’s something we always do as a team. We’re kind of a brotherhood and we like to support each other on our various events and various charities. This one is near and dear to J-Jo and Kareem based on their family members’ experiences. Cancer is something that affects everybody and we wanted to come out and show our support. That’s why we’re here,” he said.

Jackson and Joseph were both in awe of their teammates’ turnout. “We all have the same heart, a close heart. We all know someone touched by these diseases and anytime you have an event, you want to come out and support your brother that plays next to you and the guys in the same locker room. I’d like to thank those guys for taking time out of their day and just coming out,” Jackson said.

Saluting the birthday girl

Houston Texans Cheerleaders with Kyssi Andrews (Photo by Micahl Wyckoff)

The highlight of the evening (even more than the touchdown dance contest or the silent auction) was the birthday celebration for Kyssi Andrews who was sporting a white tutu and bedazzled Arian Foster jersey. Kyssi was diagnosed with kidney cancer and eventually had one of her kidneys removed. Just three months later, she began her tough battle with Stage 4 lung cancer.

“Although the odds were against her, God said something totally different,” her mother, Marla Jones, said on stage just before the audience (Texans players included) sang “Happy Birthday” to celebrate Kyssi’s very special fifth birthday.

Jones said the Texans’ love and support “means the world to me, as a mother. This is a very special day because doctors didn’t think she would make it to her fifth birthday. She’s a fighter, that’s all she knows, she’s had to fight her entire life.”

Joseph and Jackson presented the youngster with an elaborate Hello Kitty birthday cake and a walking life-size Hello Kitty balloon. Several Houston Texans cheerleaders gave Kyssi her very own cheerleading outfit, including the red knee-high boots.

Kareem Jackson and his mother, two-time breast cancer survivor (Photo by Micahl Wyckoff)

Johnathan Joseph’s wife, Delania Joseph, marveled at the event’s turnout and the upbeat attitudes despite the team’s loss a day earlier. “I didn’t expect for tonight to be this big, to have all these people come out and support me and Johnathan for such a great cause. It shows what kind of fan base we have in Houston.”

This article ran in the Social Scene section of Culture Map. Click here to see the original article.

October 16, 2013/by Jayme

NFL Cheer: Ben-Gals

Cheerleading

Bengals Cheerleader, Selina

First up: Selina

Originally from the great state of Texas, smarty-pants Selina moved to Cincinnati in 2009 after college graduation, thanks in part to a killer job offer at P&G. This second year Ben-Gal graduated college with two degrees, one in biomedical science/engineering and the other in general studies. But that’s not all. She also graduated with four minors (chemistry, physics, English and Spanish). At the age of 19.

So again, to debunk that silly NFL Cheerleader myth that keeps floating around the Internet that they aren’t educated or don’t have “real” jobs, I’d venture to say Selina’s job is more real than yours and mine…put together. But don’t let those degrees scare you away. If you happen to get ahold of her iPod, you’ll surely find every Disney song imaginable, as Selina admits she “grew up with a Disney Princess complex,” and happily discloses that information to anyone who asks.

Taking almost three years to muster up the spirit fingers to try out for the Ben-Gals, Selina, now in her second season, made the team on her first try. Since then, Selina has become one of the favorites on the sidelines, gets intensely involved in community events around Cincinnati, and has debuted her smokin’ hot bod on the cover of this year’s swimsuit calendar.

Selina is not only proud of her unique squad (the Ben-Gals have the oldest cheerleader in the NFL, to which Selina says, “She’s 45 and killing it!”), but she’s incredibly passionate about the fans and energy inside Paul Brown Stadium. She describes Bengal fans in three easy words: Die hard loyalty. “They also love props,” Selina laughs. “I’ve seen people show up in a full Bengal tiger mascot costume in 90-degree weather and body paint in the dead of winter. If you’ve never heard 65,000 fans mock up the guitar solo that kicks off Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle,” you haven’t lived,” she says.

Although she’s a big fan of that particular hard rock song, her favorite music to dance to is Latin, ranging from salsa, merengue and bachata.

“Sundays at Paul Brown Stadium are a production – from our Sound Engineer rocking the fans to Who Dey (the team mascot) hamming it up on the Jumbotron. Our players also know how to give the fans what they want – the occasional touchdown flip and pick six that culminates into a dramatic crowd dive are just a few examples. The Bengals family is worth experiencing first hand,” she brags.

Like most of the NFL Cheerleaders I’ve met this year, Selina admits she still gets nervous before performances. “The five minutes before are the most stressful because somehow I manage to convince myself I’ve forgotten the choreography. Once the music is on, muscle memory and ‘cheerleader brain’ take over,” she explains.

My favorite thing about the 5’3″ brunette (although she says she’s 5’6 because she’s always in heels) is her over-sized, larger-than-life, HUGE…heart.

Selina’s younger brother is autistic, so she has a huge passion for autism and has set a goal for herself to one day start a non-profit to help adults with autism live independent, purpose-driven lives. A calendar girl with a high-kicking passion for football and a heart of gold – is there more to life than this woman?

All Bengals fans love Selina

And since she’s single, I should probably tell all you Cincinnati boys Selina’s favorite date spot: Fountain Square in Downtown Cincy. “It is surrounded by a few of my favorite eateries – Via Vite, a fantastic Italian Restaurant and Graeter’s Ice Cream, which 1) Is the official ice cream of Cincinnati and 2) Makes Oprah’s favorite flavored ice cream. It’s also great people watching,” she says.

In her spare time, which there isn’t much of once you add the hours of a full-time job on top of being an NFL Cheerleader, Selina finds herself wanting to do laundry, watching TV or taking a lot of naps. You know, the normal stuff we do everyday.

Follow Selina on Twitter at @sssamano.

Win or lose, at least Cincinnati has inspiring women like Ben-Gals Selina (pictured) and Emily.

A rookie Ben-Gal, Emily found the time to chat with me after her first day back at work after months and months of studying for and taking the bar exam. Currently a Law Clerk, Emily is waiting for many big things in her life: mostly to find out the results of the bar exam and to see just how far the Bengals will go this year. Oh, and her upcoming wedding.

Not afraid to put in hard work and dedication, this is Emily’s first season on the Ben-Gals roster, after trying out three years in a row. For two years she made it as far in the tryout process as possible, without actually making the team, but this year was a different story.

“My now-fiancé has always had Bengals season tickets, so when we started dating, I started going to games with him. I knew absolutely nothing about football, but after a while I decided I wanted to know what everyone was screaming about, so he taught me and I became a Bengals fan,” Emily says. “Then one day I noticed the cheerleaders were doing a lot of DANCING, and not cheerleader stunts or pyramids or whatever they’re called,” she laughs.

Emily admits the weirdest thing as a rookie is signing autographs, but it’s part of the job. As this column indicates, there are fans of these gals, not just the hard-hitting players, all over the country.

Like Selina, Emily gets nervous before performing. The Syracuse native is fun loving and loves to laugh at herself, telling me one of her most random facts is that she graduated from college in three years “accidentally,” and is a self-proclaimed nerd.

“I graduated from Miami University (OH), and spent those years competing with the mock trial team. It’s exactly what it sounds like – we put on a mock trial, acting as attorneys and witnesses, using witness statements, depositions, exhibits, etc. and compete against other teams from across the country. I qualified for nationals every year in undergrad, competed at the national level twice (finishing both times in the Top 10) and received individual attorney awards throughout the years,” she says.

“I’ve been so nerdy for such a long time, it’s good to have an excuse to dress up and be sexy with a group of girls,” Emily gushes. “I gave up dance in college to compete with the mock trial team and continued to be involved in law school. It’s awesome to curl my hair and put makeup on!” (Emily has been involved in dance since the age of 2, as a studio dancer with concentrations in ballet and contemporary dance.)

Emily’s nerd-factor spikes once again when she admits to having the Law & Order theme song on her iPod. “I’m not really embarrassed about it. I’m okay with how nerdy I can be, but people usually laugh when they listen to it,” she admits. To give her playlists a little more street cred, she admits it’s pretty much dominated by Nicki Minaj with some Rhianna and random

Emily definitely has a bikini body

college songs thrown in for good measure.

Emily’s guiltiest pleasure? Dance Moms. “I cannot wait to be a dance mom…in a few years!” she says. For now, we’ll have to settle for watching her alongside Selina and a sea of other beautiful dancing Ben-Gals over at Paul Brown Stadium.

Follow Emily on Twitter: @BenGal_Esq

This article originally ran on The Blonde Side’s sports column on CBS Man Cave Daily. Click here to see the original piece.

October 16, 2013/by Jayme

Notes from San Fran

Football

Texans fans in San Fran (my blonde hair to the left!)

I don’t mean to beat a dead horse and talk about the exact same thing everyone who has ever watched football has been hammering on about for weeks, but WE MUST: Matt Schaub.

I actually do feel bad for Matt Schaub at this point in the game. I still agree he gets paid a good deal of dough to throw the ball to his own teammates, but I see these “fans” continue to rip him apart and it’s downright disturbing. I was at the game on Sunday in San Francisco and as much as I try to forget seeing that poor performance live, there were a few things I noticed. Perhaps you noticed this on TV, but if not, here are my observations:

When Schaub threw his fourth consecutive pick-six (it actually hurts to say that), the TV cameras were probably first pointed at the un-intended receiver, Tramaine Brock, but my eyes were glued on Schaub, mostly due to disbelief. His face said it all. You could see his “are you serious” look through his helmet. I’m not a football player, I have no idea if someone ran the wrong route or something was off, but Schaub was shocked. We were shocked. Y’all were shocked. Didn’t “we” just spend the last seven days working on exactly that same situation to avoid exactly the same costly mistake?

As Schaub reluctantly trotted off the field, he went directly to Kubiak. Who knows what aggressive words came out of his mouth or what he was asking, but Kubiak’s reaction is what I’m slightly floored about: he smiled. The Texans quarterback, with a guaranteed salary of $24.75 million, just threw his fourth pick-six in four straight games, and you smile? Why aren’t you pissed and shocked and upset like all the other 4 million Houstonians? Throw something, yell, make your face get all red and your veins pop out.

Do something.

I know Kubiak reacted in his own Kubiak way, but maybe that’s a bigger issue. Kubiak has spent the past week addressing the media assuring everyone they are working HARD to avoid those mistakes, and you come out of those dirty San Franciscan gates and do the exact same thing. And then you smile?

This is how the game started

And yes, there is a large part of me that feels for Schaub. Houston is being brutal to the guy, and it goes well beyond the field and burning jerseys. They have now resorted to blasting his family about his play (as if that has anything to do with it). A friend of mine was sitting next to Schaub’s mom at the San Fran game and she cried the second he threw that pick-six. She knows how hard this is on her son. She knows the mental demons he was dealing with prior to that fateful throw are only going to get worse. She knows his career is in jeopardy.

At least she had a reaction, unlike Kubiak.

Another reaction after that pass? Andre Johnson.

Again, I don’t know what y’all saw on TV or to what extent the commentators were privy to the situation, but my seats were right there – first row, DIRECTLY behind the Texans bench. Number 80 was not a happy camper and he wasn’t afraid to show it. I don’t think he could even control it. He actually got in the face of WR Coach, Larry Kirksey, and honestly, it looked like he was going to fight him. I couldn’t catch it on video, but the crowd saw it and started chanting Andre, taunting him. I thought the entire Texans sideline was going to explode, some with tears, and some with anger and punches and foul language. And I wouldn’t have blamed a single one of them. This has been a hard few weeks for ALL of those guys.

After quite a few choice words, yelling and throwing things, Andre looked for a moment like he was going to take his jersey off, saying “I’m done.” It was a heated moment, the most heated I’ve ever seen from the Texans. The entire team was shocked. Again, at least he was reacting. Duane Brown and Wade Smith, two of my favorites, out there each and every offensive play trying to protect Schaub, and they clearly weren’t impressed coming off the field after that pick-six. They were reacting.

But you know who wasn’t reacting (aside from Kubiak)? Arian Foster.

Let me reiterate, I’m not an NFL player (duh), but I did play sports growing up. Hecklers get to you and turnovers change the tone of the game, quickly. But my coach would never let me take my eyes off the field and respond to hecklers in the stands. A few seats over sat six of the most obnoxious fans to ever wear a 49ers jersey, and they were giving it to Arian.

One guy, holding up his cell phone yelled “Hey Arian, I just dropped you on my fantasy team.”

Another guy, “Arian you suck!” in a loud and squeaky, yet to hit puberty, or maybe it was drunk, voice.

Before the Texans were even out of the game, Arian was responding back. His eyes were on the hecklers, not the game. His first response to those guys: “I’m rich” with a Johnny Manziel kind of hand motion.

This is how the game ended.

Yeah Foster, you are rich. From that game your back is turned to and has been turned to the entire game – that’s what made you rich. You worked hard for it, but it ain’t over. You got (and earned) that big contract, but it’s not quitting time buddy. It’s Week 5. The other 52 guys are at least watching the game in front of them, but not you.

Then, probably the most annoyed I’ve ever been at a player on the team I’m rooting for, Arian walks over to the side, grabs a sharpie, signs his gloves (which didn’t get much action that night) and handed them to the heckler.

Now I’m not sure what the gloves said – if it was a message saying, “I’m rich,” or some other actual message to the hater, I’m down and can respect that. But just a few seats over were at least five of the most crazed Texans fans that traveled to San Fran to support these guys, and they do it almost every week. Even during trying times, they are still cheering and trying to pick our boys up. But Arian didn’t ONCE look their direction. I’m not sure he made eye contact with a single Texans fan during the entire game, but those San Fran jackoffs got his attention, for at least an entire quarter.

Which is probably what prompted what happened at the end of the third quarter after another one of Schaub’s completed passes to the other team (I’m going to start calling it that instead of an interception…), two Texans fans took off their shirts, AND THREW THEM AT THE TEXANS PLAYERS ON THE SIDELINE. (Then the dumbasses had to leave the stadium shirtless, and I’m not sure they thought that part through fully.)

Texans fans, I get it. Watching that in person, on TV, on a mobile app, whatever, it wasn’t pretty. But to disrespect your own team and those players that are working hard is embarrassing to the real fans. And to an entire city.

For those who traveled and spent all that money, what a bum note to go out on. But here’s the positive: there’s no place like home. After visiting the decrepit and dirty Candlestick Park, I know I’m ready to kiss Reliant’s grass and hug every real Texan fan in the stadium.

Next up is St. Louis. We got this. There’s no way this team can lose four straight, right?

Let’s talk Texans, Schaub, Kubiak, heckling fans, whatever else you want on The Blonde Side’s FB page.

This blog post is part of The Blonde Side’s Bud Light Series. Be sure to LIKE Bud Light Houston on FB to keep up with all the fun things in Houston, here we go!

October 8, 2013/by Jayme

Keep Schaub and Carry On

Football

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Don’t Schaub over your mistakes.

Every year the Texans get a little better, and every year, when things start to fall apart, like right now, everyone starts pointing the finger.

And right now, the finger, however you want to take that, is pointed at #8, Matt Schaub. The “interception heard ‘round the world” is what put Schaub and the Texans in the national spotlight, questioning just how good they are and moreso just how good Matt Schaub is.

For once, prepare yourselves…I’m not sure I have an opinion on this.

On the one hand, Schaub is not a bad quarterback. His numbers have him right in the middle of the NFL pack and for the most part, he delivers. Andre Johnson is a great receiver (not to mention a high ranking fantasy player), but he also gets the ball put right in his hands on a regular basis, by none other than Matt Schaub. On the other hand, there is something keeping the Texans a mediocre team that should be kicking A.

But fans threatening him, and judging his character and human traits…that just isn’t right. Neither is setting his jersey on fire you dramatic zealot. I think the folks at Reliant should blacklist that jerk from ever coming back to the stadium, like they do with streakers using facial recognition software at Citi Field.

For Schaub to cancel his Twitter account and have a police escort because of these extremists is ludicrous. These are the same Houston sports extremists who haven’t set foot in Minute Maid Park all season.

I get it, I’m right there with you. Schaub’s job as a starting quarterback in this league making obscene millions is to simply deliver the ball without fault. To his own teammates. His last three games have each included a pick-six, so the pressure’s on. I’m not saying we should feel sorry for him, but to call for his head like this is medieval times seems a bit extreme, no?

Even Bill Barnwell of Grantland has Schaub’s back:

“Plenty of famous quarterbacks have thrown three pick-sixes (or more!) in a three-week stretch before or during successful careers that included Super Bowl–winning seasons. Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees each had three-game stretches with three or more pick-sixes and then didn’t throw another one for a year each. Peyton Manning had such a stretch in 2001, threw one pick-six between 2002 and 2006, did the same thing again in 2008, didn’t throw a pick-six in 2009, then threw four of them in two weeks in 2010. He’s still doing OK.”

Maybe that’s the key to going all the way? Throwing multiple pick-sixes?

Barnwell studies the game, not to mention quarterbacks, for a living, and if he thinks a Super Bowl is not only possible, but likely, then y’all can calm down. It’s not like JaMarcus Russell is leading the team.

But then again, Schaub is on pace to double his 12 interceptions from last season. Can you see why I’m having a problem forming an opinion here?

But that doesn’t mean Barnwell or any other sportscaster for that matter, doesn’t recognize that Schaub’s throw was one of the worst seen in Week 4, perhaps even the season to date. It was pretty terrible.

My two biggest problems with this particular pick-six:

1. Schaub has been in the league for 10 years, seven of those with Houston (six as a starter) – he’s not a rookie anymore. As everyone has stated, Schaub’s mental game is what seems to come into question, especially when the stakes are high. Some of these rookies (obviously excluding Tannehill) have a better aptitude of what to do in that situation. Schaub should have thrown the ball away or taken the sack. He’s got to be quick on his feet, but he’s also got to have control and keep his head in the game.

2. Speaking of control, Gary Kubiak’s stronghold on Schaub is something else that doesn’t sit right. Kubiak admittedly put Schaub in a bad situation with that poor play call. Even with the obvious blitz coming, Schaub wasn’t allowed to audible. If Schaub can’t make a last minute call at the line of scrimmage, what do you expect? An off-balanced pathetic throw into the hands of the best cornerback in the league? Yup.

Everyone wants Kubiak to be more aggressive in his play calls, but throwing on 3rd and 4 with less than three minutes to go and a seven-point lead? That’s just not smart football. As little faith as people seem to have in Schaub, wouldn’t it have made more sense to put the game in the hands of the defense, currently ranked 1st in the league if they didn’t convert?

Every player who has ever won a Super Bowl has had a bad game, and, yes, thrown a pick-six or two throughout his career, the same as any karaoke singer has inevitably forgotten a word or two.

I realize the past two weeks against Baltimore and Seattle weren’t easy, even before Schaub took a snap, but Sunday against the 49ers will prove to be just as tough, this time with more on the line. For now, lets Keep Calm and Schaub On, because, what other options are there? Yes, options like TJ Yates and Case Keenum, but are those the best options for this all-star team?

This is the same Matt Schaub everyone rallied behind last year when Joe Mays pulled a Mike Tyson on his ear. Maybe now is the time people really need to rally behind him, because as Kubiak has said time and again, “He’s our quarterback. I believe in him.”

Not all hope is lost Texans fans. It’s not like you just found out Santa doesn’t exist. Oh…

This article was part of The Blonde Side’s column on CBS Man Cave Daily. Click here to see the original article.

October 8, 2013/by Jayme

Top 10 Ways the Astros Can Improve in 2014

Baseball

(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

It’s old news to talk about what the Astros need to improve on this season. They’ve already hit triple digits in the loss column yet again (so applause?), so the only rational thing to do is focus on the off-season and 2014, right?

Right.

But in all seriousness… At the Major League level, the Astros don’t have much to brag about, but those young, fresh faces in the farm system, the ones people have been talking about for years, those are the ones the Astros are going to have to pay heavy attention to this off-season and in Kissimmee at training camp. Three #1 picks in three years has got to pay off eventually.

Of course pitching is where it hurts the most for Houston. It wasn’t that long ago that the ‘Stros relied on the arms of Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez, and even Bud Norris.

The Astros are in need of, once again, a reliable and consistent pitching rotation. To be effective, Houston needs three pitchers that can consistently go 6-7 strong innings every game. Currently there isn’t even one in an Astros uniform. That shouldn’t be on your Wish List, but rather your Must-Have-To-Stay-In-The-League List. Or as @JohnReyes2013 on Twitter says, “sign an inning eating veteran.”

To date, Astros pitchers have walked 49 more batters than every other single MLB team and currently rank 30^th (dead last) in the Win-Loss column and ERA. (The Cleveland Indians have the second most walks, in case you’re wondering.)

The days of the Biggio’s and Bagwell’s serving as leaders for the rookies are long gone, but the Astros need to cash in on some cheap veterans to help the team in pretty much every area, especially mentoring these younger guys.

If you’ve ever had a need to believe in a slogan, the Astros current one would be it: It’s a Whole New Ballgame. For Astros fans, lets hope that holds true in just six months.

Here is The Blonde Side’s Top 10 List for what the Astros can do to make their team better in 2014…

10. Get new players
9. Pray
8. Hope other teams get worse
7. Go down to Triple A baseball
6. Better yet, go back to the National League
5. Even better, go back to 2005
4. Switch dugouts – clearly the stats heavily favor the other side. The Astros switched leagues, is a dugout swap really that far fetched?
3. No players taller than 5’4 on the roster (clearly it’s working for Jose Altuve)
2. Hire Joel Osteen as a motivational speaker
1. Add JJ Watt to the roster – he seems to make everything in Texas better

And a special thanks to my friends at the game earlier this week for helping me compile such a titillating Top 10 list.

Agree with what I had to say or think I’m the biggest, blondest idiot on the interwebs? Head over to my facebook page and tell me more. (Try to at least be polite though?)

This piece was part of The Blonde Side’s sports column on CBS Man Cave Daily. Click here to see the original article on their awesome website.

September 25, 2013/by Jayme

I Like Johnny Football

Football

I Like Johnny Football

I like Johnny Manziel and I can say that and it’s relevant, at least in my mind, because I am one of the few souls without an allegiance to A&M and even more surprising, without an allegiance to an A&M rival (just like sports columnist Gregg Doyel so cleverly put it).

I’m also an anomaly when it comes to my adoration for the Kerville native – I love him more now that these antics have taken place off the field. He’s got human qualities and is quite the polar opposite of Tim Tebow, one of the former most hyped about college football players and all I can say is Hallejuah! (Funny, y’all are saying “Where’s Tim Tebow now?” but everyone knows exactly where Manziel is…)

My apologies to my Aggie friends, but I can’t even begin to fathom Texas A&Ms football traditions and ideologies, but this whole Johnny Football thing reminds me of a Gwen Stefani song: “This S**t Is B-A-N-A-N-A-S.”

Johnny Football gets to hang out with King James, party with that creepy Drake rapper, spend time seriously sucking at golf, and most importantly – ACT HIS AGE. Yeah, shame on him.

He is simply Johnny Football being Johnny Football. But on the field, the guy is a natural. Just like the superhero indication on the new Texas Monthly cover. Here’s how Johnny Football stacks up against four Pro Bowl Quarterbacks from last year and their freshman seasons:

Tom Brady at Michigan completed 3 of his 5 pass attempts with 1 interception.
Peyton Manning at Tennessee was 89 for 144 for 1,141 yards, 11 TD and 6 INT.
Drew Brees at Purdue only threw for 232 yards, completing less than half his passes.
Double Discount Check: Aaron Rodgers at Cal didn’t even play as a freshman.

Those four Pro Bowlers combined hold 7 NFL MVPs.

In comparison, this newsworthy Aggie is the only freshman to have won the Heisman, was 295-434 attempts, throwing for 26 TDs and running for 21. (stats via ESPN)

The dude is super, is he not?

Let me say this – if there were camera phones, TMZ, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, Facebook and those overzealous nasty vultures circling the worldwide webs when I was 20 and in college, I’d be screwed. I was pledging a sorority and “finding myself,” if you know what I mean. (Sorry mom and dad, but it’s true.)

I’d be screwed, as in, Corporate America would slam the door in my face and I probably wouldn’t even be invited to my own Sunday night family dinner. Ever. Twenty is that crazy age where you’re legally forbidden to drink, but it’s still kind of a rite of passage.

AND IT’S COLLEGE STATION, need I say more? Sorry Texas state laws, but you know it’s true.

And maybe the polarizing athlete that everyone sweated all last season did sell his autograph, but the proof is not in the pudding. It’s actually quite the opposite, especially with the oft-duped Darren Rovell leading the investigative masses, the whole story kind of loses credibility and is a crock.

So what he throws temper-tantrums. Don’t you? Doesn’t your girlfriend?

And guess where that leaves us? Right smack dab in the middle of Kyle Field, exactly where we should be, our eyes glued to see if this freak of an athlete can have an even relatively comparable sophomore season.

Everyone fell in love with that high-stepping, end zone seeking charismatic football player on the field; is it really that hard to believe he’s just as charismatic with a shot of Tito’s in his hand when he’s not on the field? I think not.

The guy comes from money and drives a Mercedes that many of us wish we could afford. And people actually want his signature, unlike you and I where we just have to sign our bar tabs. Yeah, cause for jealousy, I concur.

How can you not love a guy who “ate Skittles, drank beer and won the Heisman,” as his dad boasted?

Oh and one final thing, for those of you condemning JFF’s off-field antics: He’s SEVEN years younger than Lindsay Lohan. BOOM.

Although I am a JFF fan (for now), I did love this joke by Texans backup QB, TJ Yates:

Here’s my final parting joke for you Texas (as in the entire state) fans: Who’s the only person Johnny Football hasn’t signed for?

MACK BROWN.

This article was part of The Blonde Side’s sports column on CBS Man Cave Daily. Click here to see the original article on their awesome website.

September 13, 2013/by Jayme

Sea Gal Stephanie

Cheerleading

Sea Gal Stephanie cheering on her Seahawks

When you picture an NFL Cheerleader, an image of a smoking hot girl, long hair whipping back and forth and glitter all over her body comes to mind, right? What about a girl who’s more flexible than anyone you’ve ever met or dreamed of? Or a gal who’s a diehard football fan since her childhood years? An ordained minister?

If one of the above doesn’t seem to fit, it’s only because you haven’t met Stephanie, a fourth year veteran of the Sea Gals, the cheerleading squad for the Seattle Seahawks.

Smoking hot Stephanie also happens to be an ordained minister, having performed five weddings for friends and family and freely admits, “NFL cheerleader and minister don’t usually go hand in hand.”

Originally from Lacy, WA, Stephanie is one of the most recognizable faces of the Sea Gals and isn’t afraid to admit she watches Gilmore Girls ”more than any person should.”

The 5’ 8” brunette recalls one of her best Sea Gal moments was being on the field when her favorite player, Walter Jones, had his number retired. “I have always been a Seahawks fan, so of course my favorite player is a lifetime Seahawk,” she says of Jones.

Stephanie says one of the best parts of being an NFL cheerleader, is of course the obvious for most girls: dancing covered in rhinestones. But the self-proclaimed history nerd admits she still gets butterflies when performing in front of all those fans, especially during her performances in Show Group with all the costume and routine changes back and forth. “As soon as the show starts though, I feel at ease and start performing,” she says.

Lookin’ good Stephanie!

The Sea Gals have 34 awesome women on their roster for 2013. If you’ve ever seen an episode of 90210 or Big Brother, you know how catty girls can get, but Stephanie says people are often surprised to find out that they are such good friends.

“It’s rare on our squad to have someone who is self-centered – we are very supportive and nice to one another,” she says. People are equally surprised to learn about the careers the girls have. “I have danced with a lawyer, an airman, marketing supervisors, teachers, a novelist, a campaign manager and many more smart and driven women,” the Political Science major from the University of Washington says.

Although most of her 20+ years of dance experience is in jazz, ballet and hip-hop, she loves when the squad gets to dance to some good ol’ rock music. “We have a routine to ‘Thunderstruck’ by AC/DC and it’s my favorite!” the all-natural brunette says. “Plus, rock music is the best to whip your hair to.”

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about NFL cheerleaders (aside from their hectic schedules and ability to move their hip flexors like none other), is that they get to partake in some of the most amazing experiences off the field.

“The tours I have gone on have been unbelievable. One highlight was taking a helicopter from Djibouti Africa to an amphibious ship in the Gulf of Aden. We did a show on the ship for 1000 people then took a helicopter tour of the coast of the horn of Africa. It was unbelievably amazing!” she gushes.

As far as game day experiences, her favorite was being on the field for the infamous Beast Quake. “That is a play that will go down in NFL history and I will always be able to say I was on the field for that.”

A body fit for a uniform

If you’re looking at her photos and wonder how on earth these uniforms fit her so perfectly, it’s because they were made to fit her body. “When we got new uniforms, my director asked me to be the fit model. I was able to be the body they built the uniforms on and got to see everything that went into that process. We tried a bunch of different pieces in different colors and I got to model them for some really great people in the organization,” the 2012 Sea Gal of the Year says.

As far as being a unique squad of girls, it’s no question the Sea Gals are right up there. “We are the only cheerleaders in the Northwest so that makes us pretty unique and means we have a huge fan base,” Stephanie says. “The 12s are like no other fans! We take pride in the fact that as a fan, we are just as much a part of the game as anyone playing. Our crowd noise can change the outcome of a game and the fans are so smart that they know when the other team is feeling uncomfortable, which inspires them/us to get even louder. You can see the frustration on the opposing quarterback’s face; it’s fuel to the fan’s fire. It is louder down there than anyone can explain. There is no preparing for the noise in the Clink!” she says.

As for the upcoming season, Stephanie has already called game of the year for the Seahawks, “Sunday Night Football against the 49ers of course!” she says. “Our rivalry is quickly becoming one of the best in the NFL – that is hard-nose football at its finest.”

A few other random yet equally awesome facts about Sea Gal Stephanie: she loves the occasional tater-tot and Harry Potter, she would still play with Barbies if someone asked her, gets cranky if she misses a hot yoga session, every Christmas she ritually puts on her N*SYNC holiday album, and she stands by the fact she is “probably the biggest Seahawks fan you’ll ever meet.”

Follow Stephanie on Twitter @SeaGalStephanie

This article ran originally on The Blonde Side’s column on CBS Man Cave Daily here.

September 5, 2013/by Jayme

FSU: First-Time in Primetime

Football

Jameis Winston debuts at Pitt (photo courtesy of Sportige.com)

ESPN wrongfully called him a “legend in the making.” All I’m saying is let’s not put the cart before the horse or jinx this poor kid after only FOUR quarters of college football. Albeit four quarters of some of the most impressive quarterbacking we’ve seen in a while, but still just four quarters of play…

Being inside Heinz Field Monday night to witness the #12 Seminoles graciously “welcome” Pitt into the ACC with a 41-13 victory and seeing Jameis Winston’s legendary debut game firsthand, along with 15,000 other Florida State fans who traveled to Pittsburgh was beyond words. Dammit, there I go using the word legendary.

But I hate to see this Madden-cover curse, Heisman early-talks curse, or any of those other fabled sports-curse take over before we’ve really even seen #5 in full on action (like Clemson, which we’re all waiting with baited breath for to see who really reigns in the ACC).

For starters, the redshirt freshman from Hueytown, Ala. connected on his first 11 passes (with the 12^th being a semi-controversial call on whether the receiver was inbounds). To look at Winston’s numbers from a different angle – Tom Savage, Pitt’s quarterback, threw as many interceptions as Winston threw incompletions. That’s unheard of unless your quarterback is JaMarcus Russell. Jameis was nearly perfect on every level completing 25-of-27 passes for 356 yards and five touchdowns (throwing for four and running one in), and even showing some agility and aggressiveness as a blocker.

Jameis Winston made all kinds of crazy history Monday night, becoming the only quarterback in the last 10 seasons to throw for 3 touchdowns and rush for one in the 1^st half of his 1^st career game. How’s that for a NCAA bar trivia question?

Winston completed 17 of his 18 passes for 240 yards and three of his touchdowns in the first half alone, along with help on the defensive side of the ball (minus that first play where Pitt scored a TD) and the rest of his offense. It’s not everyday you see a football team score four straight possessions just before the half, so if you’re wondering where all the Pitt fans went, they probably went home to drown their newly appointed ACC hangovers.

FSU Welcoming Pitt to the ACC

Jameis set a new school record (minimum 15 pass attempts) for completion percentage in a game (92.6 percent). The record was previously held by Florida State great, Danny Kanell, who still completed an impressive 87.5 percent against NC State’s Wolfpack. But history was meant to be broken and legends were meant to be born. Dammit, I said it again.

Other quarterbacks with impressive garnet and gold debuts (via ESPN Stats & Information):

Chris Weinke (1998) 21-36, 207 Yds, TD

Danny Kanell (1993) 28-38, 341 Yds, 5 TD

Charlie Ward (1992) 17-33, 269 Yds, 4 TD

Brad Johnson (1990) 20-28, 187 Yds, 3 TD

I am not an FSU fan wearing rose-colored glasses; it’s quite the opposite. I’m actually trying to pump the brakes, and wait for more. Haven’t you ever left a first date feeling all those warm and fuzzies and butterflies, then fast-forward two months to find out he’s a stalker or sucks in bed? Let’s give it some time, shall we?

Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor were football quarterbacks.

I’m still a believer, but rather just trying to be patient (for once). Even NBA star Kevin Durant is a believer, tweeting the following Monday night:

This guy Jameis Winston made me a believer after 1 half of football

— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5)

And I hate to bring Johnny Football into this, but it’s really him that we have to thank for setting the tone and adding freshman to any and every “watch list,” but from what we can tell, Winston seems to have a seemingly positive and focused head underneath that speared helmet. I mean look at all this judgment (thankfully praise), but imagine if you and I had been judged on our first time at something? Oh, awkward. Embarrassing.

Another Seminoles TD

What’s more impressive for the freshman, as the ESPN article states is that he’s not only Billy Badass in a helmet and pads, he’s also a star outfielder. A star in the sense that he turned down a 15^th round pick in the Major League Baseball draft by the Texas Rangers to pursue not only his love for the game, but his God-given abilities on the football field.

Winston is just one of a handful of players to have not only participated, but excelled as a two-sport dominator, including Hall of Famer Primetime Deion Sanders. You better believe Deion will have some words of wisdom for Jameis on October 25^th where he’s schedule to appear at Bobby Bowden’s roast.

To say Winston looked comfortable in the Steelers house would most certainly be an understatement. It’s kind of like saying Stephen A. is a name-dropper.

I know the haters (both mine and FSU’s) are going to counter saying that of course it was an impressive game against an unimpressive defense, but the Panthers coverage isn’t that dismal. They returned eight defensive starters from last season’s team. The same team that ranked 17^th in the nation. It may not be a Ray Lewis kind of defense, but it’s definitely not the worst in the conference.

One of the best things I’ve read since the breakout debut was David M. Hale’s lengthy ESPN article, where Jameis’ father baited him (as a child) asking who the best quarterback was, hoping he would say himself, but instead answered, “Randall Cunningham.” I knew I had a connection watching Winston carry on like a beast on the field, but learning of our shared love for Randall Cunningham pretty much sealed the deal.

Jameis and I agree: Randall Cunningham is THE best

Another fun fact about Monday night’s game: Jameis Winston is just 1 of 8 players to complete at least 25 passes and have a completion percentage above 85% ON a BCS team playing AGAINST a BCS team in the last decade. If you bump that up to 90%, it’s only Winston and Colt McCoy (Texas) sitting side by side on that list. (via ESPN Stats & Information)

Plain and simple: We’re not all good our first time. But this Jameis Winston kid is.

September 3, 2013/by Jayme