Put the pink soap away for good: Kubiak extended until 2012

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by houstonspartan

Steel,

I'm just as angry about this as you are, and am wondering what McNair is thinking.

However, I've never thought of McNair as a cheap owner. I really don't think he is. In fact, I would say he's often been the other way, tossing open the vault so we can pay scrubs.

If Kubiak wanted to fly every single player to Hawaii for three months for training camp, McNair would say yes in three seconds.

But there's the rub, and my frustration with him: He sometimes says yes a bit too much...

This is the way I've seen it, too. I've heard a couple of people complain that McNair is a penny pincher but I don't think there could be anything further from the truth than that.

The last couple of years, we've had one of the largest coaching staffs in the NFL. That's paying money.

Back in the C&C days, we threw money at guys that didn't deserve it under the excuse that good FAs wouldn't want to come here because we were new and didn't have a good team. That put us into salary cap hell with dead money out the ass and Smith has had to dig us out from under that.

I think McNair wants a perennial power house here and he's trying to do the right things to do that. What he thinks are the right things and what some posters on this board thing are the right things might not correspond, but I don't think it's because of the money involved.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by bckey

Kubiak got the extension but he will still be fired next season if he doesn't improve and get this team in the playoffs.

I do agree, if this team isn't better at the end of the season than we are now, the man should go.

I don't agree with the "play-offs" being part of the equation. Remember, it's possible to go 11-5 in the AFC and not make the play-offs.

Unless you are saying the goal should be to win the division. I don't agree that should be where the bar should be set, but I can understand, "Win the division or be gone." more than "Get in the play-offs or be gone."

Originally Posted by m5kwatts

This, to me, is more for what McNair said, posturing in free agency ...

I'm not buying that. It's not like we go after the top free agents. I doubt Anthony Weaver, Antonio Smith & Eugene Wilson were too concerned about our coaching situation.

If I were a RB, TE, or WR, I would almost kill to be part of this offense.

If I were a CB, DT, FS... DE, Houston may not be my first choice, but Mario, Demeco, & Cushing would be more of a draw than the future of the head-coach.

But, that's just me.

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by houstonspartan

When I think about the players on this team, I get excited. No joke. My adreneline starts pumping. But when I think about the coach, I don't get excited. It's not that I hate the team. I just have serious doubts about the coach.

Does that make sense?

I'm not TK, but...

I'm fine with that and I understand that. What gets me is when the rhetoric gets into hyperbole mode.

Personally, I think Kubiak is as good of a coach as a Tom Coughlin or a Brian Billick or maybe even a Dick Vermiel. I look at the talent on this team and, like you, I get excited about it. But I think we're going to get more talented and deeper and better. I just don't think we've hit the ceiling. And I think that's the difference between our positions.

[houstonspartan]

Originally Posted by The Pencil Neck

I'm not TK, but...

I'm fine with that and I understand that. What gets me is when the rhetoric gets into hyperbole mode.

Personally, I think Kubiak is as good of a coach as a Tom Coughlin or a Brian Billick or maybe even a Dick Vermiel. I look at the talent on this team and, like you, I get excited about it. But I think we're going to get more talented and deeper and better. I just don't think we've hit the ceiling. And I think that's the difference between our positions.

Good point. I see what you mean.

And, I don't totally think he's a useless coach. One of the things I like is his ability to pick a diamond in the rough in late draft rounds and turn them into super stars. Some people get annoyed by that and say that Kubiak should stop drafting "projects," but I like that he does it.

Guess we all have our opinions.

[Wolf]

"I like to draft projects"

signed

Charlie Casserly



with that bad joke, Kubiak and Smith have done well drafting in the late rounds

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by houstonspartan

Good point. I see what you mean.

And, I don't totally think he's a useless coach. One of the things I like is his ability to pick a diamond in the rough in late draft rounds and turn them into super stars. Some people get annoyed by that and say that Kubiak should stop drafting "projects," but I like that he does it.

Guess we all have our opinions.

And at least he's an offensive minded head coach that was able to build a powerful offense and pick up a QB who could possibly be considered elite. Unlike Billick, whose offense never sniffed at what he had in Minnesota when he was an OC and was never able to do better than 14th in yards from scrimmage.

[Thorn]

It's done an over with. Some of us expect Kubiak to fail, some of us expect Kubiak to succeed, but those who I think are realistic about all this don't know what to expect and are just hoping for success. We still got free agency, the draft, and training camp before the season starts. And one thing we should ALL know by now is those three things can change a season.

[Lucky]

Originally Posted by Double Barrel

'eh, it is what it is. I've gone from low expectations to no expectations. But I'll be there rooting for the Texans in 2010. Go team go.

I see where you're coming from. But, I still have high expectations. Talent can trump coaching. And the Texans have talent that is maturing. I expect that talent to take over in 2010. I'm puting it on Andre Johnson, Mario Williams, Matt Schaub, DeMeco Ryans, and Brian Cushing to lift their teammates to a championship level.

So it's time to put the pink soap away for...now. It's time to start winning, and winning big. I don't want to hear from the head coach that a 10-6 record and the playoffs are an acceptable goal. All I want to hear is how the Houston Texans will become the next champions of National Football League. I expect to hock everything I can, buy a ticket to Jerry Jones' Taj Mahal, and watch my football team win Super Bowl XLV.

[Double Barrel]

Originally Posted by Thorn

It's done an over with. Some of us expect Kubiak to fail, some of us expect Kubiak to succeed, but those who I think are realistic about all this don't know what to expect and are just hoping for success. We still got free agency, the draft, and training camp before the season starts. And one thing we should ALL know by now is those three things can change a season.

Booya! Count me in this third group. Expect nothing but hope for the best! Go team go.

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by steelbtexan

I dont know where Wade/R.Smith etc. were rated in their FA classes but I'm not suprised Casserly screwed up decisions in FA.

I hope that McNair will decide to give Smithiak the same luxury in aquiring top tier FA's as he did Casserly. (I doubt this will happen)

Well just for example look at last year and signing Antonio Smith. He was ranked as the 5th best DE but 2 guys in front were franchised and one, Jason Taylor was a one year at a time type of guy at the back end of his career. Going after Smith was going after a top realistic DE. Link. Year before, Reeves was the 6th FA DB with one franchised, one resigned with his team, one RFA and one signed to a giant contract. I'd like to have Asante back there but again they spent money to improve the team. Clearly there are Snyder's of the world that spend any amount - he and Jones are the classic examples - but it really hasn't worked out well for them. How about that Roy Williams trade?

[dalemurphy]

Originally Posted by houstonspartan

Oh, sure. I hope they fail. Yeah, I've invested five years of being a season ticket holder in this team because I want them to fail.

Give me a break. I live, breathe, eat and sleep this team.

I'm being real. Gary's performance record suggests 5 or 6 losses in the division alone. Do I hope I'm wrong? Of course. And I will admit it. But that's not going to stop me from giving a fair, honest assessment of this team.

This is what you said on page one!: "That's exactly what's going to happen. He's going to get complacent, sit on his butt, ignore the division games, bring us to 7-9, and say "It's all on me.""

Perhaps I'm missing something?

[dalemurphy]

Originally Posted by houstonspartan

I do. You should grab a mirror.

I have years of reciepts that prove that I'm not a shitty fan. I put my money where my mouth is. I'm lucky that I am able to do so.

Well, I don't live in Houston, so I don't think going to games in Reliant is a fair measure of what makes a good fan or not. You probably live in Houston. I'm in Austin so I would have to drive almost 3 hours each way just to go to a football game. That would mean, if I wanted to tailgate before all those noon games, I'd need to leave Austin at 5:30 am and wouldn't get back home until late in the evening.



Oh, I just grabbed a mirror, and saw an Austinite that has been a season ticket holder since 2002 and has made probably 50 of those roundtrips. Thanks for the suggestion!

[dalemurphy]

Perhaps Kubiak would be more deserving of this deal if he was more like Tony Sparano, right?:

Here's a snippet from rotoworld.com:

"Dolphins OLB Joey Porter revealed that he and Tony Sparano never spoke a word to each other after his mid-November suspension".

man, that's the kind of leadership Kubiak needs to use more: The silent treatment! If he behaved more like a 14 year old girl, imagine how successful the team could've been last year! Kudos to TONY SPARANO! 6 weeks of the silent treatment. IMPRESSIVE!

[houstonspartan]

Originally Posted by dalemurphy

This is what you said on page one!: "That's exactly what's going to happen. He's going to get complacent, sit on his butt, ignore the division games, bring us to 7-9, and say "It's all on me.""

Perhaps I'm missing something?

No, you're not missing anything. That's what I predicted their record would be next year. I guess you're saying that's "fail." Perhaps. I consider fail to be in the 3-13, 2-14 range.

[Kaiser Toro]

Originally Posted by Lucky

I expect to hock everything I can, buy a ticket to Jerry Jones' Taj Mahal, and watch my football team win Super Bowl XLV.

In the event we make the SUper Bowl we should take a week off before the Super Bowl and walk to Dallas from Reliant and have it sponsored. Between the sponsorship dollars and "football interest story" we could easily get in at "no cost."

Should that not work I will be going the old fashioned way.

[houstonspartan]

Originally Posted by dalemurphy

Well, I don't live in Houston, so I don't think going to games in Reliant is a fair measure of what makes a good fan or not. You probably live in Houston. I'm in Austin so I would have to drive almost 3 hours each way just to go to a football game. That would mean, if I wanted to tailgate before all those noon games, I'd need to leave Austin at 5:30 am and wouldn't get back home until late in the evening.



Oh, I just grabbed a mirror, and saw an Austinite that has been a season ticket holder since 2002 and has made probably 50 of those roundtrips. Thanks for the suggestion!

No, of course I don't think going to Reliant is a fair measure of what makes a good fan. I know people that have never been to Reliant, and are ravid, mad dog Texan fans.

Last year, I was talking to a company out of state about a job and relocating. If it had worked out, I had decided I would keep my Texans tickets. Yep. I would fly down for most of the home games. Cheap tix to Houston are easy to find, and I have some miles saved up. Yep, I'm that hard core.

But, that's irrelevant. We're all intense fans here. We get excited over different things is all.

[Kaiser Toro]

Originally Posted by dalemurphy

Well, I don't live in Houston, so I don't think going to games in Reliant is a fair measure of what makes a good fan or not. You probably live in Houston. I'm in Austin so I would have to drive almost 3 hours each way just to go to a football game. That would mean, if I wanted to tailgate before all those noon games, I'd need to leave Austin at 5:30 am and wouldn't get back home until late in the evening.



Oh, I just grabbed a mirror, and saw an Austinite that has been a season ticket holder since 2002 and has made probably 50 of those roundtrips. Thanks for the suggestion!

Whatever, you t-sipping tree hugger. You call that commitment?

[JimC]

There are two reasons that this extension is a complete no-brainer.

First, the extension won't keep Kubiak from getting fired if he performs badly. The difference in money is in line with one year of Anthony Weaver's old contract -- hardly an obstacle to changing the entire direction of an NFL franchise.

Second, next year is likely to be a strange offseason with a lockout looming over every decision made. Once McNair decided to keep Kubiak this year, it made no sense to consider replacing him next year with a lockout looming. What top-tier head coach would join a team just in time for a lockout?

The only way McNair would consider firing Kubiak before late in the 2011-2012 season is if the labor situation is cleared up before next year's Superbowl. If the Texans enter the 2011 offseason with the labor situation still uncertain, McNair won't attempt to change coaches. The new coach would have almost no chance to succeed with such uncertainty.

Given the way things are going in the labor negotiations, Kubiak is almost certain to be the coach through the end of the 2011-2012 season. At that point, he will have only 1 year left on his new contract.

When you combine McNair's decision to keep Kubiak next year with the labor situation looming over the following year, the extension is a complete no-brainer.

[houstonspartan]

Originally Posted by dalemurphy

Perhaps Kubiak would be more deserving of this deal if he was more like Tony Sparano, right?:

Here's a snippet from rotoworld.com:

"Dolphins OLB Joey Porter revealed that he and Tony Sparano never spoke a word to each other after his mid-November suspension".

man, that's the kind of leadership Kubiak needs to use more: The silent treatment! If he behaved more like a 14 year old girl, imagine how successful the team could've been last year! Kudos to TONY SPARANO! 6 weeks of the silent treatment. IMPRESSIVE!

LOL. We actually agree on something.

No, Kubiak shouldn't behave like that. That's not motivating players. That's just being a jerk. For a coach to not talk to a player for six weeks is just ridiculus.

[dalemurphy]

Originally Posted by houstonspartan

No, you're not missing anything. That's what I predicted their record would be next year. I guess you're saying that's "fail." Perhaps. I consider fail to be in the 3-13, 2-14 range.

We lost 1 game by more than one score last year. We have 8 draft picks and plenty of money to spend. We have the youngest team in the NFL... Yet, on Feb. 2nd, you are predicting this team will lose two games more than it did last year and have it's worst season since 2006. Based on what?... the fact that the coach who hasn't had a losing season since 2006 signed an extension? If you aren't hoping it happens, then what is the basis for that prediction?