Hiring Smith Best move of Texans Offseason

[The Dude Abides]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...gms/index.html

The best move the Houston Texans made this offseason didn't generate major headlines. It didn't steal the thunder of the team's decision to take defensive end Mario Williams with the first pick in this year's draft. Nor did it overshadow the hiring of former Denver Broncos assistant Gary Kubiak as the second head coach in franchise history. What the decision did do, however, was push the NFL a few steps further down the road of progress. It opened up a couple more doors, extinguished an ample bit of doubt and deserves recognition as a sign of significant progress.

Cont...

[powerfuldragon]

Rick Smith's race shouldn't be important. His skill as a gm is all that matters to me.

[Porky]

That's the biggest piece of junk I have ever read. This move should be celebrated not because he is black, but because I and millions of others didn't give a horse's behind if he was green, or as yellow as swiss cheese. All we cared about was that he was the right man for the job. That's the real sign of progress here, not this prima donna attitude that this guy espouses.

[El Tejano]

You know, now that you mention it, it never occured to me that we hired a black GM. I've been going around just thinking of the good GM we hired. I guess it is cool to bring up the awareness but we should leave it at that because he was hired for his skill.

[GP]

I am a white male who grew up on a farm. I speak with a thick Texas accent, and I pretty much don't know how to dress well. most high and mighty people (owners of teams) would not hire me because I don't fit the part...even if I was qualified, by the way. I just don't have the pedigree and I don't look like them. It would be hard for me to fit in.

How many white men who grew up on a farm, like me, are GMs of NFL teams?

And by the way, how many Asians are GMs? How many GMs are women? And how many GMs are Hispanic, Russian, Indian, Italian, French, etc?

You know, there was a time when I thought we had somehow made enough "progress" to just call it a day on the race issue. I guess not. Does anyone else get a little ill when anyone of any race stands up and cheers and rah-rahs because "their guy" got the job?

The race issue cuts both ways. I mean, does anyone think Rick Smith was praying that he'd get the job for "his" people? Ir do you think he wanted the job and anticipated or hoped to get the job because GASP! he loves the work, he is a HUMAN and he wants to be successful and be a part of a winning team with a bunch of other people who are caucasian, african-american, and who'd-a-thunk-it: mixed races/ethnicities/nationalities.

The rah-rah stuff for your own people needs to stop. It needs to stop on the white side, the black side, and every in between. It's demeaning to those who do not call any one race or ethnicity "theirs"

Think Tiger Woods. I don't typically like the guy...but he's in a helluva' spot to be in with everyone clamoring for him to tout "their" race or ethnicity. And he's for the most part kept his head straight on it, much to the ire of the media and the race card noise makers. He's just a HUMAN who wants to play golf and play it the best its ever been played.

Long live HUMANS!

[The Dude Abides]

I agree that this is just another reason why racial inequality exists. I just posted it because it pertained to the Texans, not because I agreed with it.

[GP]

Originally Posted by The Dude Abides

I agree that this is just another reason why racial inequality exists. I just posted it because it pertained to the Texans, not because I agreed with it.

In no way was a replying to you or any one else here. I was just venting about the guy who wrote the article, and those that he wrote it FOR.

Thanks for posting it because we all need to see that some people, like the guy who wrote the article, aren't letting "progress" happen because they keep tabs on the race issue as if this were Age of Empires computer game where the goal is build your numbers up to an equal level of that held by your enemy.

"I have a dream......."

It was only our best off season move because we finally go rid of Charlie Cancerly and hired a guy familiar with our head coach. That is the only thing that is black and white.

I understand what you are all saying...but as an african american male I will say that our GM being black is plus for me....I have seen racism up close towards me and towards others...and it makes me happy to know that this mans race didn't stop him from getting a job that he was best qualified for...that makes me smile...I have experienced racism first hand from caucasians so when I meet white people who I believe to have genuinely good hearts and don't see you for your race and see you for a human it makes me happy...I just think that some black people may have diff. view points than you all because it is sort of a mile stone or an accomplishment that lets other people know they can do the same...

[ledzeppelin229]

Would it have been closer to a tie if Kubiak was black?

[jerek]

As utterly ignorant as this is, I had no idea Rick was black. I hadn't seen a picture of him until now. All I knew about him (admittedly, not a whole hell of a lot) was that he had worked in Denver and was supposed to be a well-qualified candidate who had a good relationship with Kubiak.

Either way, don't really care what color he is. If he does the job well, I hope he retires here, and if not ... well, we'll get to that if and when it comes. It's still a little crazy to me how the process of hiring a GM has to be framed for correctness in terms of benefit to race relations, but hey, here's to hoping his brilliance makes Chuck Casserly a distant memory.

[Brandon420tx]

Originally Posted by jerek

As utterly ignorant as this is, I had no idea Rick was black. I hadn't seen a picture of him until now. All I knew about him (admittedly, not a whole hell of a lot) was that he had worked in Denver and was supposed to be a well-qualified candidate who had a good relationship with Kubiak.

Either way, don't really care what color he is. If he does the job well, I hope he retires here, and if not ... well, we'll get to that if and when it comes. It's still a little crazy to me how the process of hiring a GM has to be framed for correctness in terms of benefit to race relations, but hey, here's to hoping his brilliance makes Chuck Casserly a distant memory.

Ditto, now if us Aborigines can get some clout in the NFL there'd be some equality JK

All I knew about Rick Smith was that he understood what type of players we wanted for our new system(s), thats why I wanted him in Houston.

[mapleleaf]

I just hope Rick Smith is the kind of GM that could solve all the Texans problems before Training Camp. He seems to be the person who could help us, unlike Casserly, Casserly in my opinion was the reason for our "suckiness", I just hope the same thing doesn't go for this guy.

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by xtruroyaltyx

I understand what you are all saying...but as an african american male I will say that our GM being black is plus for me....I have seen racism up close towards me and towards others...and it makes me happy to know that this mans race didn't stop him from getting a job that he was best qualified for...that makes me smile...I have experienced racism first hand from caucasians so when I meet white people who I believe to have genuinely good hearts and don't see you for your race and see you for a human it makes me happy...I just think that some black people may have diff. view points than you all because it is sort of a mile stone or an accomplishment that lets other people know they can do the same...

There is a lot to say about this. It will be a lovely society when it is not newsworthy any more when a person of any race reaches a high level of success.

Role models matter. It is an uncomfortable thing when you are best qualified for a position but at the same time have to acknowledge that you are unique. You can sense that discomfort of Rick Smith in his press conference. He understands his importance in the big scheme of things, but really wants to be recognized for his abilities.

There are people in this world who have once in a while suggested that I have received some things in my life because of affirmative action. Because I try to be a mannered person, I didn't punch them in the mouth and then explain to them how my credentials were better than everyone else's.

It is just weird being a pioneer for your gender or your race or whatever. You want your successes and your failures tied to who you are and not what you represent. But it often doesn't work that way.

My fanblog should have the article that media folk should have been writing about Rick Smith up soon. I am not in charge of publishing stuff on the site, so I am just waiting for it to be up.

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by Brandon420tx

All I knew about Rick Smith was that he understood what type of players we wanted for our new system(s), thats why I wanted him in Houston.

This is reason one.

Reason two is that he is accustomed to working with Kubiak and his system and so he should have a shorthand in communicating together. This can't be underestimated. He also gives Kubiak a sounding board--they are working toward the same thing and know what each other is looking for but they might see stuff a different way. Kubiak can't be everywhere all at once--the player evaluation side of the equation is something that is nice to be able to delegate and know is being taken care of in the right philosophical way.

How do you create a team identity when the coaches and front office types are still trying to figure out how to work together? That's why in football and in business, it is often best to hire groups of people from one organization to a new organization versus mostly getting pieces and parts from many organizations, even if their resumes are good.

yeah...it's like affirmitave action...I hate that we even have to have it, but im happy we do because it gives ppl chances who ordianarily wouldn't have gotten those chances...It's good that more blacks are getting chances, but at the same time it shouldn't have to be an issue...but thats life

[hollywood_texan]

I didn't know Smith was black until I saw a picture of him and Kubiak standing together observing some drills or something.

My first observation was these guys look sharp besides all the reports of their qualified backgrounds and look way better than the Casserly and Capers (those two looked like they were way in over their heads and couldn't fight threw a wet paper bag).

Actually, what bothers me a little is that my Texans have an Aggie as a head coach. The State of Texas is going down the drain with that one.

What do I know? I am just a long-haird white guy.

[Texans_Chick]

Fanblog post is up on everything Rick Smith: Link: GM Rick Smith - Welcome to the Texans!


I've seen a little what I'm talking about in the entry on the MB, but none of it in the media. I have no idea why.

[TwinSisters]

Originally Posted by hollywood_texan

Actually, what bothers me a little is that my Texans have an Aggie as a head coach. The State of Texas is going down the drain with that one.

Yes, Sir. What we have here is a horse sized Aggie infestation. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

[Ibar_Harry]

Originally Posted by Texans_Chick

Fanblog post is up on everything Rick Smith: Link: GM Rick Smith - Welcome to the Texans!


I've seen a little what I'm talking about in the entry on the MB, but none of it in the media. I have no idea why.

While I agree with a lot of what you said in the blog, I will say I think there is more to it than that. Its how people are fitting together in terms of a team. Smith it appears will fit in very well with everyone else as has Sherman and others. It's not that each of these coaches and staff don't have egos, but rather the egos are not allowed to aggrevate each other. All of the people being employed are upbeat and seem to have an instinct that likes the underdog role. We are kind of like the Rockys of the NFL.

Our board, the web site, ESPN, our local guys are excited over the way this team is coming together and providing an awful lot of infomation and insight. Except for Megan at the Chronicle you don't hear a chirp. Its too bad your blog is relagated to the back pages of the chronicle, but then again I guess that's what they do to all good reporters.