Jason, The Blonde Side and Miguel at the Texans Art party
Wednesday night was a sellout crowd of more than 60 women for our Texans Art night at Pinot’s Palette in the Galleria. It was actually so popular, we had to add another table and are already talking about another night.
Thanks to all our sponsors, ESPECIALLY Stella Artois for providing the beer and Lucky’s Pub for the pizza and salad. Seeing all the artistic ability from some of the biggest Texans fans in the city was awesome. Their individuality in each of their paintings was fun and we played games, Texans trivia, trolled Jon Weeks and Chris Myers on Twitter and much more.
*If you’re interested in hearing more about these events or becoming a sponsor/working with The Blonde Side, shoot us an email: jayme [at] theblondeside [dot]com.
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Arian Foster injured and out for season (photo via SI)
I’ve been taking an increasingly undue amount of flack for my recent posts and Sports Uncensored segments, particularly when it comes to the reigning AFC South champs, the Houston Texans.
“Losing to the No. 26-ranked Raiders dropped the Texans another spot in the Power Rankings, for what is again their lowest ranking to date. Houston checks in at No. 29 this week, ahead of only the Falcons, Vikings and this week’s opponent, the Jacksonville Jaguars,” via a recent ESPN article.
Let me start with this: I want the Houston Texans to win. I want a fun, entertaining, high-fiving and Bud Light drinking season. I want to use my extended credit limit on hotels in New York in hopes of catching the Super Bowl with the Houston Texans front and center, like we all expected them to be at the beginning of the season.
But that’s not happening. In fact, it’s the absolute furthest thing from happening. Amanda Bynes will probably be sober before the Texans make another appearance in the post-season again. I hate it, but it’s true.
For those of you bashing my negativity, let me also say, I love these guys and their heart. I’m friends with many of them and see the hurt in their eyes and hear it in their voices when they talk about this season, the same season we all thought made us Super Bowl 2014 contenders. I promise you it hurts each and every one of those guys more than it hurts even the biggest of fans.
A recent Houston Chronicle article started with this famous Albert Einstein quote and I’m not sure there’s a more fitting one in existence: “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Hello Kubiak, perhaps Einstein was speaking to you?
In no particular order, here’s what the Texans have endured this season, i.e. parlaying the insanity:
Pro Bowler Owen Daniels out with a fibula fracture in Week 5. Sure Garrett Graham has done a phenomenal job as a replacement, but when one of your most reliable tight ends is no longer an option for your struggling quarterback, no matter who it is, that hurts.
Texans quarterback issues
Speaking of quarterbacks lets only briefly discuss Matt Schaub’s woes this season. Schaub, bless his little NFL heart, set an NFL record, but not the kind he had hoped to set. Schaub set a record for throwing a pick-six in four consecutive games and the mental demons continue to get the best of him. Then he goes out with an injury.
TJ Yates comes in and doesn’t impress fans the way everyone had hoped. Womp. Womp.
Case Keenum, the hometown local favorite, comes in, plays great, gets benched, which confuses every human who watched even a moment of NFL this season.
Head Coach, Gary Kubiak, collapses on the field and suffers a mini-stroke, scaring everyone.
The Texans set a franchise-record of eight straight losses. Again, another record we’d preferred to have avoided.
Arian Foster acts like a hot mess towards heckling fans, replays his nagging injury, which has now led to surgery and the loss of an entire season, not to mention a whole lot of money down the drain.
Another running back, Ben Tate, suffers fractured ribs, still trying to play through the pain, Texans run game takes bigger hits than a Tim Tebow roast.
Three players are released from the team for still-sketchy and unconfirmed reasoning, one of which a high draft pick, which is a waste in and of itself, and a much-needed running back to aid in the newly desolate run game without Foster and Tate teetering on the edge.
The Texans biggest free agent signee, the same guy that got everyone all warm and fuzzy, Ed Reed, gets released for having absolutely zero impact on the Houston Texans, surprising us all. Eleven seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and only nine games with the Houston Texans, where he only played in seven and was paid $6 million for those seven lousy games. The Texans were 2-0 with Reed coddling his hip injury on the sidelines and 0-7 with him on the field, yet he still has the nerve to say the players, the ones who actually played, got outplayed and outcoached. Ugh…ok Mr. Reed – you only took 12 of a possible 69 snaps that game, so you may want to…
Anyways, good luck in New York.
Brian Cushing down with another season ending injury (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
And we can’t forget the awful Cushing injury for the second year in a row. Cushing is a mainstay in a leadership role and on the defensive line, adding to yet another blow this season.
Oh, did we mention fans boo’ing their own teammates, setting $200 jerseys on fire in drunken stupor and hopes for world wide internet fame, and cheering our own players injuries leading to Texans players begging fans to act “smart” and “normal” and “with class.” That wasn’t necessarily a highlight in the Texans Fans Are Classy reel seen throughout the NFL.
Oh, and then there’s laces outRandy Finkle Einhorn Bullock, who can’t kick a field goal when we need it most, having only nailed 14 of his 23 attempts thus far. Accordingly to Grantland, Bullock is nearly twice as bad as the second-worst kicker in the league.
But after all that, you still want me to be positive about this team? How’s this for positivity: we tailgate better than anyone else in the NFL, our cheerleaders are the hottest, and we are destined to have a better season next year, simply based on the numbers game alone? How’s that for positivity?
If the season ended today, we’d end up with at least a top five draft pick, so that’s something to be optimistic about. And the strong class of talent coming out of the draft could be a huge bonus for Houston, but the question is, what position are we most desperate for? And do we have faith in GM Rick Smith to draft position players the way we need them? I think so, but not everyone agrees.
I’m still a Texans fan, but I can’t sit here and lie to you, there isn’t much good going on. I wish there were. I will tell you I love seeing these Texan players in the community giving back each and every week even after a hard loss and I get pumped seeing all the super fans still supporting the team. But when we talk about play on the field, I’m about as optimistic as I can get without lying straight to your faces.
Add another body part to Texans 2013 problems: legs
While I have no empirical evidence to back this up, I’d be willing to say more people have quoted the infamous “Houston we have a problem,” line this NFL season referring to the Houston Texans as a whole than the entire combined four decades since the saying first debuted during the Apollo 13 mission.
How many ways are the Texans having problems? Gee, let me count the ways. Turning away from the recent issues we’ve been having with quarterback arms and coaches play calls, now we’re focused on the legs. Three missed field goals in Sunday night’s loss to Indy has been much of the talk this week. It feels like the freaking hokey pokey going on at Reliant, putting the left arm in and the right leg in and all those other injured and non-functioning parts in between.
It was such a refreshing and welcome change to see the youngster Case Keenum chucking those balls in the first half to Andre, we all almost thought for 30 minutes, this is it – we’re baaaack. But then Randy Bullock missed from the 49, 43 and 55 (which could have tied the game) and is only 13 for 21 this season, failing in four attempts from the 50 and beyond. You know, the actual opposite of the definition of clutch, which is what the Texans have needed a few times throughout this six-game stretch of losses. A win against Indy could have possibly, maybe, sort of, brought back a glimmer of hope for this season.
Mr. Bullock is on pace to miss as many field goals this season as our last two kickers Rackers and Graham combined to miss in their three seasons with the Texans: 16. And the Texans put a lot of stock in Bullock, grabbing him in the fifth round of the 2012 draft.
Nothing smells of desperation quite like inviting a guy (Justin Medlock) who got cut from Raiders training camp to take over as kicker, or at least try to.
Sure, seven points are better than three, but points are points. We need to get them on the board however we can, plain and simple.
And there is some Matt Schaub and Randy Bullock comparison – they both seem to be lacking confidence and our team, for one reason or another, seems to keep putting them in these positions where it’s harder and harder to gain that confidence. If you’re looking to me for the answer, I don’t have one, I just feel there’s a bit of a comparison there and wanted to bring it up.
Great game for Keenum but a tough loss yet again
There are only eight guys this season to have attempted four or more FG from the 50 and beyond, according to ESPN, including Bullock, so obviously it’s not an easy task or one offenses find an optimal spot to put their kicker in. To put it in perspective, Bullock actually shows up on the second page of field goal stats over at ESPN.
And I say this as an individual having never played professional football (yay for obvious statements), but this Arian Foster injury thing is getting old. Older than Amanda Bynes and Lindsay Lohan rotating jail cells news. Tate played with BROKEN RIBS – yes, broken ribs. Could that be the difference between a running back having already signed a big contract and a running back hoping to sign one? Who knows, but I do know one thing – seeing one of our top offensive guys continually hobbling into the locker room or sitting on the sideline surely isn’t helping this team, a team that surely needs help.
I won’t sit here and try to pretend there’s hope for this season, but I do love this quote from Wade Phillips after Sunday’s loss to Indy: “We signed up for the whole season, to play and to work and to coach as hard as we can coach. And that’s what we’re going to do with this team. Anybody that wants to give up can, but we’re not going to.”
So the “whole season” that Phillips speaks of continues Sunday in Arizona against the 4-4 Cardinals, where yours truly will be sitting midfield, hoping to catch a glimmer of something I miss so desperately: good and winning football. If we can have more of the first half we saw with Case and Andre from last week, I’ll be a happy camper. I think…at least until next week.
And if you’re looking for a super feel good story in the midst of the bullying issues all over the NFL, check out this video of an amazing group of middle school kids, taking a knee, in an effort to help another amazing kid with learning disabilities:
“Nothing can ever explain getting a touchdown if you’ve never had one before.” – If you don’t get goosebumps and the urge to do good on your own from watching this 3-minute clip (especially at the 2:48 marker where one of the kids tears up at the realization of the power of this simple touchdown), you may want to verify you are in fact human. For serious.
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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 thisseason?
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!
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 5th 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 29th against the run – to put that in perspective, last year the team ranked 7th. 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 23rd 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.
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.
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The Houston Texans are good at quite a few things, one of which is staying relatively off the radar. There isn’t a ton of news going on in Houston’s offseason, the drama is fairly minimal (especially when paired next to Tom Brady’s team), and the stars shine just quite enough to get sufficient, but not overwhelming attention.
Training camp is the hottest in the league, but the guys are there to work hard, that’s it. But a quiet offseason leaves room for a lot of unanswered questions by the fans and the rest of the NFL.
Texans fans are now needy girlfriends when it comes to their beloved team. They’ve won the division title two straight years – it’s time to up the ante and get that engagement ring (also known as a trip to MetLife Stadium in February).
This football season has been dubbed by virtually everyone as the all-or-nothing season for the Texans. It’s like taking your girlfriend on a romantic vacation to Bora Bora – you better end that vacation on one knee and be ready to take your relationship to the next level.
Do or die. Marry me or I freak out. Super Bowl or bust.
Crazed Texans fans are ready for a ring (photo via Chron.com)
For the Texans to get on that bended knee (aka get to the Super Bowl for those not following my ongoing analogies), there are a few things we must settle:
1. The Secondary. The Texans are slated to take on a ton of elite QBs this year – Manning, now in his second and stronger season after neck surgery, the always impressive Brady, Andrew Luck who is no longer a rookie, not to mention other new big names like Russell Wilson and the hot-bodied Colin Kapernick.
Last season the Texans were just 16th against the pass giving up an average of 225.8 yards/game. That’s right in the middle of the pack, neither great, nor bad.
If you dated a girl that was just average, does that scream engagement ring to you? I think not…
Is Ed Reed’s hip OK to play?
2. Injuries. I hate talking about them, but they’re a big deal for any team. Star safety Ed Reed is still battling his hip injury (which he blames Tom Brady for), Foster isn’t currently taking reps, the status on Posey remains unknown and others are popping up.
“That’s part of football, so we’ll get them healthy and get them back out here,” Kubiak said after practice Wednesday afternoon.
Can the rest of this team stay healthy? This is single-handedly one of the most annoying things sports media folks talk about incessantly, and here I am talking about it. Awesome.
With 52 guys on a roster, and 300+lb men slamming their hard bodies into other 300+lb men, it’s inevitable injuries are going to happen. A lot. When guys are bobbing and weaving at unfathomable speeds and jumping over bodies, helmets, and cleats, odds are, someone’s going to get hurt. Probably a lot of someone’s, unfortunately.
3. Along with injuries come detailed conversations of the depth chart – that’s a big concern for Houston – do we have the depth to take over when our starters find themselves in the locker room getting looked at by medical personnel?
In relationships, backups and second strings aren’t looked at very fondly, but this is football and it’s all part of the game. (Seriously, never tell your girlfriend you have a backup though.)
4. Then comes the Schaub inquisition. Can he lead this all-star team the way they need to be led on the field? His numbers are fairly average, coming in 11th with a passer rating of 90.7 and throwing for 4,008 yards last season.
Last season, Schaub tied for 15th in touchdown passes (22) while ranking sixth in completion percentage (64.3), throwing just 12 picks in 544 passes.
5. We all know Texas is a conservative state, but that doesn’t mean our football has to be. Nor should it be.
Conservative play-caller Gary Kubiak
Kubiak needs to move on from his conservative play calls, especially when it comes to 3rd and long, where the Texans are tied for 31st at converting to first downs.
For a more intense look at the Texans 3rd and extra long play calls, take a look at this Ultimate Texans article.
It seems we may get some answers to quite a few of these nagging questions in Week 3 when the Texans take on the defending champions in Baltimore. Until then, it’s all speculation.
Make no mistake, this is a championship roster. More so than it’s ever been.
There’s just one thing missing from this relationship: an intimate postseason.
For those inquiring minds, Super Bowl odds for Houston are currently 14/1 according to the LVH Sports Book in Vegas.
Oh, and if the Texans do make the Super Bowl this year (which yours truly is in fact predicting), that would make them the first Texas football team to vie for the Tiffany & Co. Vince Lombardi trophy in 18 years.
The NFL’s Most Beautiful Cheerleader – Lauren (photo via The Fast Show Life)
Record setters: 10 Houston Texans cheerleaders make list of 100 Most Beautiful NFL Cheerleaders
Just a few weeks ago the Houston Texans scored another franchise first by having eight players named to the 2013 Pro Bowl set to take place in Hawaii on January 27th. But it’s not just the guys who are setting records this season. What about those beautiful Houston Texans Cheerleaders who strut around Reliant pumping up 70,000-plus fans each home game?
In a recent web feature, the Fast Life Show named the 100 most beautiful NFL cheerleaders — and topping the list? The Texans cheerleaders, of course, with a record setting number of 10 girls in the top 36!
The #babesonparade didn’t just have eight girls hit the list, they had 10 thanks to their two sets of gorgeous twins, and they claimed the #1 spot in all the NFL.
Impressed yet?
“With our program we try to be the best and to see someone else recognize us without solicitation from us, that’s huge – that’s approval and acceptance of our program. It makes me happy to see that others see our hard work,” says Alto Gary, who has remained the only cheerleader coach in the 10-year history of the team.
“Yes, we want the best dancers, but you need to look a certain part too. Being from Texas, you have to represent. Texas has this stereotype of having hot women, so we wanted to show that with our team.”
Hard work and dedication
But it isn’t just fans and websites like The Fast Life that have taken notice of the HTC.
Pro Bowler and fifth-year Texan veteran Duane Brown also sees the important role these women play and appreciates their hard work and dedication.
“I think hands down we have the best cheerleaders in the NFL and possibly in sports. They are absolutely gorgeous and great people as well. During events where I’ve had the chance to interact with them, they were very kind and all had great personalities,” Brown says.
“They work very well with kids and fans of all ages. On Sundays, they are filled with great energy and help get the crowd at Reliant rocking which helps us players perform well. I’m very proud of them, this recognition is well deserved.”
The HTC’s who topped this list (and their response to being selected):
“Seeing myself in the top 100 was definitely unexpected. It’s exciting to see the amount of exposure HTC has received recently, and I’m just very fortunate to have been one of the eight to represent our organization.”
HTC Cheerleader, Kelli (photo via The Fast Show Life)
“I was astonished and honored to be included in the elite, professional Top 100 most beautiful! I felt blessed beyond belief as I know how hard each NFL Cheerleader works on physique & beauty. We strive for perfection with our God given beauty & to be recognized for such is truly an honor!”
“When I first got word that I made Fastlife Top 100 from my fellow teammate #36 Liliana, I could NOT believe it. I said are you sure its me?! It’s such a blessing to be apart of a great organization and to be in the top 100 most beautiful girls in the NFL along with my other teammates. There are no words for it. I’m so proud of my teammates who made the list as well. And all of us being in the TOP 40, that is unbelievable! #GO TEXANS #babesonparade”
“We were very flattered when we learned that we are a part of this list. The list is posted in descending order, so we were kind of caught in a moment of suspense as we were scrolling through the list wondering ‘what number are we!!’.”
“It was an honor to be selected in the top 100! I was shocked to be number 13 out of so many beautiful girls! We have a beautiful team this year and it was neat to see a lot of our team on the list!”
Dresdynn and Schuyler (photo via The Fast Life Show)
“We were so flattered and thrilled to be #7. When we found out we were so happy!”
And drumroll please...
The #1 spot goes to the rookie Lauren L.
“When finding out I made the #1 Most Beautiful Cheerleader in the NFL I was just astonished. I feel absolutely blessed and thankful!” says Lauren of her top spot.
“Having a rookie voted at #1 – that was exciting. I call her my beach bunny girl. She’s a sweet person, and definitely has the inner personality that is representative of the Texans,” Alto says.
Credit to the coach
While much of the credit goes to these beautiful women who made the NFL’s Most Beautiful list, a large part should go to Gary as well. She had her job cut out for her starting back in April of last year while selecting the squad of 32 out of nearly 1,000 girls.
“It starts at tryouts, when a rookie comes on, seeing if she has good bone structure, etc. I have to keep the Texans organization in consideration when choosing the girls as they’re a classy classic look,” Gary explains.
As for keeping up appearances, the girls are given a little help in that department. “We do give an allotment of $150 per month/per girl that they can use at salons for hair and product. We do require them to have their nails done because they are so close to the fans. People always ask if I have a weight requirement, but I always ask ‘do you look good in your uniform?’ and that’s all I care about,” says Gary.
“People always ask if I have a weight requirement, but I always ask ‘do you look good in your uniform?’ and that’s all I care about,” says head cheerleaders coach Alto Gary.
One thing she is a stickler about? Having the girls don a bright red lipstick for game day. “Red is our team color and the girls always fight me on that,” she laughs.
HTC Twins Michelle and Rachel (photo via The Fast Show Life)
The success of this team goes far beyond impressive dance moves and the ability to rock such a small and revealing uniform. The ladies know how to interact with their fans, especially when it comes to social media.
Engaging social media
According to @NFLCheerRT on Twitter, a hub for for everything cheerleaders, @TexansCheer is full of “genius marketing” and now has more Twitter followers (currently at 74,232) than two NFL teams (Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaquars), five MLB teams (Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies), and five NHL teams (Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Phoenix Coyotes, Florida Panthers and New York Islanders).
Knowing how to engage their fans on the field and on social media is something the HTC are doing better than any of the other NFL Cheerleaders out there as well, including the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, @dccheerleaders, by tens of thousands. (DC Cheerleaders currently have 47,851 followers).
To put their popularity in perspective, the Texans Cheer account has two times as many followers as Redskins phenom rookie RB Alfred Morris. Even a national sports show took the time to mention the Tweeting Texans Cheerleaders, while semi-bashing the guys on the field.
Congratulations to these beautiful women on their superior recognition and to the entire Houston Texans organization for an already record setting season. Here’s to a big-time W against Andy Dalton and those Bengals on Saturday, and hopefully advancing further into the playoffs on their road to New Orleans on February 3.
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A funny thing happens when you tell a professional athlete that you’re willing to interview him about whatever he wants. Without pressure to talk about a recurring and nagging knee injury, a recent bad play Chris Berman probably called him out on repeatedly, or some negative slant the media is currently overanalyzing, what happens is pretty awesome: they usually loosen up and show a really fun side; sometimes an unexpected one.
That’s what happened when I sat down with Owen Daniels, tight end for the Houston Texans. The 6-foot-3 Naperville, IL native who rocked an awesome dirty blonde side-part and dressed head-to-toe in Jordan was given the green light to talk about whatever his heart desired. His 7-year tenure with the Texans, his recent engagement to a gorgeous Houston attorney, what his chances of a second Pro Bowl are, any riffs on the team, etc, but Daniels chose to gush about his love for house music.
To read this full story about Owen Daniels and his love for the beats and house music, click over to Man Cave Daily.
Owen Daniels and fiance Angela Mecca (photo via Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com)
A hunky tight end’s guide to Houston: Owen Daniels reveals where he hangs and his secret hip-hop cred
he 10-1 Houston Texans are stronger than ever, tied for the best record in the entire NFL, and, for the first time in their 10-year franchise history, part of the overanalyzed talk of being one of the Super Bowl favorites. Houston, the city, is also on a high, having taken the No. 1 spot on the Forbes list of America’s Coolest Cities To Live not so long ago.
According to the Forbes’ article, “cool” was based off Merriam-Webster’s definition of “very good; fashionable.”
Tight end Owen Daniels, the guy many consider to be the most social Texan (with apologizes to Connor Barwin), feels that Houston most definitely fits that description. Daniels, one of the main weapons in the Texans offense with 47 catches for 555 yards and six touchdowns, says that even if his football career eventually takes him elsewhere, Houston is where he plans to continue to call home.
I sat down with the 6-foot-3, 249-pound, newly-engaged tight end, who was dressed in all Jordan, and asked about all this new hype for his team and his city and the stereotypes synonymous with Texas.
“I’ve always been a rap/hip hop guy . . . I’m from the mean streets of Naperville, Illinois.”
The 30-year-old Daniels, who has spent all seven seasons of his NFL career in Houston, admits the pickup stereotype is “so true.” “I swear there’s gotta be one pickup truck for every car that’s out there,” he says. “I don’t know anywhere outside of Texas you’ll see so many pickup trucks.”
The Chicago-area native quickly debunks one popular misconception though. “I don’t think Houston is as country as people think,” Daniels says. “It’s a big city so you get every walk of life here — it’s a great mix of people. It’s not all cowboys and big teased hair.”
When asked to describe Houston in one word, Daniels claims he does not have a “great vocabulary” but chooses “sprawling.” “Even as big as our city is, it’s always growing and so spread out,” he continues.
Tight End, Owen Daniels (photo via Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com)
This is one professional athlete who actually really knows the city he plays in. Here is Owen Daniels’ Visitors Guide to Houston:
Best Place to Shop: I don’t love shopping, but my girlfriend goes to Tootsies for dresses. I don’t mind the Galleria as long as I have some direction and know what I’m going for. I need to have a plan. I can’t just walk aimlessly through that massive place.
Texas Meal Must: Barbecue, Steak or Mexican? They gotta go barbecue. I like Mexican food, but don’t crave it like I do barbecue.
Best Barbecue:Goode Company next to Armadillo — it’s the most consistent.
Best Mexican:El Tiempo on Richmond — they’re all OK, but that’s the best one.
Best Steakhouse: No doubt, Del Frisco’s is my favorite spot to eat. Arthur (Mooradian), the GM there is amazing. I always get a filet, medium. You gotta go with the mac and cheese too — it’s a jalapeno mac and cheese with bacon in it — it’s so good!
Best Radio Station:The Box (97.9). That’s the best morning show that Houston has to offer. Rod Ryan (from The Buzz) emcees my charity events, so I like him a lot too.
Fave Musician from Houston: I’m kind of embarrassed I don’t know who all is from Houston, but I know a lot of good music comes from here. I guess I’d go with Bun B — I’m on this house kick lately. I’ve always been a rap/hip hop guy . . . I’m from the mean streets of Naperville, Illinois.
Best Music Venue: I think House of Blues is cool because it’s always intimate but my favorite shows I’ve seen have been big concerts at the Toyota Center. I went to (Lady) Gaga there and it was awesome! I went to Watch the Throne tour too — that was probably the sickest show I’ve been too.
Best Local Charity:Owen Daniels’ Catching Dreams Foundation of course! We try to help critically and chronically ill children in Houston and their families. I think what makes us unique is that we not only focus on and support the patient, but their siblings and families as well.
We have “Owen’s Locker” on the 10th floor at Texas Children’s with tons of entertainment like radios, DVD players, PSPs and other stuff to help entertain them while they are there.
Daniels has already secured his spot in franchise history becoming only the second Texan (behind Andre Johnson, who has 10,714 yards and counting) to reach 4,000 receiving yards in his career.
“I think he’s physically the best he’s been,” Texans coach Gary Kubiak has said of Daniels’ season.
Presumably that has something to do with putting forth 110 percent effort on the field and knowing all the best spots in Houston to refuel.
This article was featured on Culture Map, Houston’s Daily Digital Magazine in the sport’s section.
