Great Mario Williams piece

[Lucky]

Originally Posted by b0ng

Yes, there was another writer named Bomani Jones that wrote for the sports illustrated. I forget what the piece was titled, but one of the quotes was that the entire sports media owed Mario Williams an apology. I haven't seen an artickle in SI by him since (Although I really haven't looked)

Bomani Jones actually writes for ESPN's Page 2. Here's a link to the Jones piece on Mario.

And for that reason, the majority of the football universe owes Mario Williams a sincere apology.

You may remember Williams from one of many choice jokes from a fellow fan or your favorite sportswriter (or this sportswriter). He's also known as the top pick of the 2006 draft. But he's best known as the man the foolish Texans chose instead of taking Bush.

Now, we should call him a promising pass-rusher. He's also the only defensive lineman in Houston who shouldn't wear a mask on payday.
And, this season, Williams has been a better player than Bush.

That doesn't necessarily mean he will have a better career than Bush, but it does indicate that the Texans weren't hittin' the hooch when they passed on the Heisman Trophy winner.

A lot of people owe Williams some sort of mea culpa. To turn him into Sam Bowie before he played an NFL down was inhumane. And making Bush into Michael Jordan in April has proven to be a bit hasty.

Gutsy, because Jones penned that in 2006, not last season.

[barrett]

i like these lines from the michael smith article linked above:

The choice of Williams comes down to whether the Texans want to sell tickets now or distribute Super Bowl tickets later.

The question is: What are the Texans trying to build? Short-term excitement or a title contender? Was owner Bob McNair sincere when he told the Texans' brain trust not to concern itself with selling tickets but, because winning fills seats, to select the best football player for the team long term?

so much class. i couldn't be more proud to be a Texan. i'm soooooooo excited!

can one have an organization crush instead of the oft stated "man crush"?

[Insideop]

Originally Posted by Lucky

Smith actually was behind the pick before the Texans announced Mario would be taken #1.

I remember reading the article and thinking Smith had made some good points regarding taking Mario. But there was no way that it would happen. Especially after giving Anthony Weaver a big contract to play LDE. Surprise!

You know, I remember reading that article too. I think it came out about a week before the Draft, and at the time, I hadn't heard much about Mario except his Combine workout. I remember thinking, after reading this article, that I hope the Texans do draft Mario because I never really liked Bush and thought he wasn't a good fit for the ZB system that I thought Kubes was going to install at that time. Besides, I always thought, like some, that it is better to build a team from "the trenches out."

Of course, like most, I had resigned myself to thinking we were going to pick Bush and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Then about Wednesday of that week, stories started coming out about the Texans breaking off talks with Bush's agent and heating up talks with Mario's. Most, at the time, including Mario's agent, thought it was a ploy to get Bush to sign before the Draft, but in reality, Kubes and Casserly had decided to pick Mario. I was very happy at that time they picked Mario, even with all the negative press that came out. But, I'm even more happier now that Mario, over time, has proven to be the right pick. Here's to more success as a player and as a team!

[Chance_C]

But, I'm even more happier now that Mario, over time, has proven to be the right pick.

He has definately proven to be the right pick. Could you imagine what it would be like if we had drafted RB or VY? I mean the missing on two #1 picks in 4 years would have really been catastrophic to this franchise.

[Insideop]

Originally Posted by Chance_C

He has definately proven to be the right pick. Could you imagine what it would be like if we had drafted RB or VY? I mean the missing on two #1 picks in 4 years would have really been catastrophic to this franchise.

Personally, I think both of them would've been busts if they had come to this team. I think Kubes knew VY would not fit what he wanted to do, and since he thought he could mold "you know who" into a good QB, he never gave VY much of a thought. Bush, on the other hand, seemed destined to be a Texan. I'm not sure what Kubes thought of Bush and how he would fit into the ZB system, but I think the more he looked at film and the more research he did of Mario, I think he realized that's who we really needed. And the rest, as they say, is history!

[b0ng]

I think that people really aren't going to debate who was right in a year or two, but that's just how it is. I think if Williams really puts together something really solid this season from start to finish, everybody is probably going to call the Texans "geniuses" for awhile (Which will be nice), and quietly try to put the fact that entire networks were calling him the biggest bust since ______ behind them.

I was tired of it the minute the pick was made, and listening to all of the VY supporters in Houston has made me think half of the population of this huge city is sniffing glue.

[barrett]

or oil.

[Maddict5]

Originally Posted by Lucky

Gutsy, because Jones penned that in 2006, not last season.

another gutsy pre-season article from last year that i remembered

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10195551

'Mistake' Williams will be a pass-rushing force
May 24, 2007
By Pete Prisco


Oh, he's that guy.

Mario Williams will always be the guy the Houston Texans picked first in the 2006 NFL Draft, instead of taking the electrifying Reggie Bush or hometown hero Vince Young.

No matter what he does the rest of his career -- only in its second year -- Williams will always be targeted as the blown pick by the Texans, passing on a star runner and a freakish quarterback.

That just isn't fair.

While Bush and Young had nice rookie seasons, with Young winning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award for the Tennessee Titans and Bush part of the New Orleans Saints' feel-good season. Williams saw his game picked apart on a regular basis. It didn't help when Young ran 39 yards for a touchdown in overtime to give the Titans a 26-20 victory over the Texans in his return to Houston last season.

But give Williams time. He will be a pass-rush force and five years from now Williams will be known for more than just being that guy.

You will be penciling in All-Pro next to his name. For now, he has to hear the talk of how he's the player the Texans shouldn't have drafted.

"I don't worry about it," Williams said this week. "I can't dwell on it. You have to take the bad with the good. Nobody likes defensive linemen anyway and when I came out with the skill people I did in the draft, they weren't excited about me being picked. That's the way it is. I understand it. I hear it. But it's not a big deal."

Highlight programs loved showing off Young last year. And they loved showing off Bush. Williams? His game was mostly scrutinized in a negative way.

Where were the sacks?

Williams started all 16 games and finished with 4½ sacks. When he got his first in the first week in October against Miami, a big deal was made of it -- almost mockingly, in fact. The headline of the story when he got one was this: Finally.

What people didn't know was that Williams played with a painful foot condition known as plantar fasciitis all season. He wouldn't practice during the week because of the pain, yet played all 16 games.

"I was taking two shots on game day for the pain and it still hurt," Williams said. "But I'm the type of person who can't stand to sit out. I didn't want to be standing and watching and cheering. But it was tough."

[threetoedpete]

Originally Posted by Insideop

Personally, I think both of them would've been busts if they had come to this team. I think Kubes knew VY would not fit what he wanted to do, and since he thought he could mold "you know who" into a good QB, he never gave VY much of a thought. Bush, on the other hand, seemed destined to be a Texan. I'm not sure what Kubes thought of Bush and how he would fit into the ZB system, but I think the more he looked at film and the more research he did of Mario, I think he realized that's who we really needed. And the rest, as they say, is history!

I think once Kubiack saw VY on film he knew there was no way he could ever change the mechanics. No one could. His trowing motion is ingrained and there is no going back. He is what he is...the stag running from the hounds and the hunter. There is only one way that story can end.

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by b0ng

Throwing into traffic blog





I know Mario has gotten a ton of love this offseason, so. . . Here's some more!

I liked this article because the writer actually researched some opinions on the 2006 draft rather than just saying "The media hated on the Texans".

LOL. I think some of the things in that article were researched from things I wrote in 2006 and 2007. I'm glad someone is paying attention.