Is Demeco pulling a Mario?

[nero THE zero]

Originally Posted by JamesBill

if he chose to live outside the loop that's his fault, not Houston's.

Still doesn't mean he's wrong about the city.

Go to Austin and everything is concentrated in downtown. Here there are pockets; the Galleria, Washington, Midtown, etc. But, there's no centralization.

It's not a criticism, necessarily, but it's the way it is.

[Blake]

This article is written to make Philadelphians and Eagle fans feel better about themselves and to sell newspapers. No reason for us Texans or Texans fans to read it unless you want to get pissed off for some reason. DeMeco is going to say what makes his new fans happy. It is what it is. The only thing I even care to comment on is comparing fans of an 80 year franchise to a 10 year franchise. Did DeMeco really think everyone in Texas was going to instantly become a Texans fan? That takes generations.

[IDEXAN]

Philly is an old Northeastern city, a very historical city, you know the Liberty Bell and all of that. Houston on the other hand is a new city, a Sunbelt economic juggernaut that's a magnet for those seeking employment opportunities.
And it's past time the young Mr Ryans gets beyond the southeastern quandrant of the US and sees the rest of this great country.

[JamesBill]

Originally Posted by nero THE zero

Still doesn't mean he's wrong about the city.

Go to Austin and everything is concentrated in downtown. Here there are pockets; the Galleria, Washington, Midtown, etc. But, there's no centralization.

It's not a criticism, necessarily, but it's the way it is.

all those places are 10 min or less away from river oaks. So it blows his 20 minutes away jab out of the water.

[Hardcore Texan]

I don't understand his comment about the Astrodome, what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?

I thought Houston was well known for having a lot of museums, restaraunts, NASA, etc. but I guess not.

Unfortunately most of the rest is true. We on this message board are obviously diehards and the exception, but there are a lot of fair weather fans. I guess that can be attributed to the Oilers leaving, or transplants, IDK.

It does bother me a little he doesn't think the fans were behind him here, most of us absolutely loved Demeco! All in all, his comments weren't mean spirited, I think the reporter is trying to stir the pot.

[2012Champs]

Originally Posted by nero THE zero

Still doesn't mean he's wrong about the city.

Go to Austin and everything is concentrated in downtown. Here there are pockets; the Galleria, Washington, Midtown, etc. But, there's no centralization.

It's not a criticism, necessarily, but it's the way it is.

It is the truth and for me Im glad houston has multiple areas of interest as it spreads the population of people who go out and do things more. The downside is that being spread out makes a really good mass transit system nearly impossible

[2012Champs]

Originally Posted by JamesBill

all those places are 10 min or less away from river oaks. So it blows his 20 minutes away jab out of the water.

10 min? I guess if there are only certain specific times of the day you can go out.

[The1ApplePie]

Originally Posted by Hardcore Texan

I don't understand his comment about the Astrodome, what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?

I thought Houston was well known for having a lot of museums, restaraunts, NASA, etc. but I guess not.

Unfortunately most of the rest is true. We on this message board are obviously diehards and the exception, but there are a lot of fair weather fans. I guess that can be attributed to the Oilers leaving, or transplants, IDK.

It does bother me a little he doesn't think the fans were behind him here, most of us absolutely loved Demeco! All in all, his comments weren't mean spirited, I think the reporter is trying to stir the pot.

I think the writer was trying to say that the Astrodome was the closest thing Houston has to a historical landmark. Just him being a douche.

[nero THE zero]

Originally Posted by JamesBill

all those places are 10 min or less away from river oaks. So it blows his 20 minutes away jab out of the water.

Takes me 15 minutes to get from Allen Parkway/I45 to Greenway Plaza on a really, really good day.

[Yankee_In_TX]

I'm going to defend him based on my personal interactions with him over the years. We weren't buds who hung out or anything, but I had conversations with him at several autograph sessions and his radio show.

He was not hesitant during his down time in the event to sit there and talk to the fan and answer anything you asked - about his team, his life, etc. Seemed like a stand up guy.

This stinks of Philly Reporter wanting to stir the pot a bit. A Philly radio host was on 610 this morning and said that Demeco said many times that he loved his time in Houston and would have been happy to stay here.

IMHO people are reading too much into his comments and count me in the camp that he is not taking veiled pot shots at Houston.

And from city A to B every city is going to be different - the people, infrastructure, sports radio callers, etc.

[JamesBill]

Originally Posted by nero THE zero

Takes me 15 minutes to get from Allen Parkway/I45 to Greenway Plaza on a really, really good day.

That like 5-6 miles. You guys must drive like old ladies.

[Mr. White]

“It’s different,” Ryans said with a laugh. “In Houston, there’s nothing like that. We have the Astrodome.”

We have the Liberty Bell. They have the Astrodome. Which isn’t even used anymore.

“It’s still there,” Ryan said. “They say it would cost too much money to tear it down.”

Can't argue with a word of that. I have nostalgic feelings toward the 'Dome, but f it now. It's an embarrassment next to Reliant. There's no way to do anything with the building while McNair and the rodeo run that area. Knock it down already. We've moved on.

“The first thing you notice is that everybody here knows their football and they love their football,” Ryans said. “Whether you’re at the rental car place or the front desk of the hotel, everybody, wherever you are, they let you know how passionate they are about football.

“Looking for places to live, people know everything about you, and they all have high expectations, and that’s a big difference from Houston. I love that about it. The city, the fans -- they expect the team to do well, and everybody’s behind the team.

I don't doubt it, but like Hookem already said, that's a double edged sword. It's already evident that they're expecting him to be a Pro Bowler. If he doesn't meet that expectation, then they'll call him a bum and throw batteries at him.

“Houston, I guess because football left there when the Oilers moved to Tennessee, it’s a mixture of fans. A lot of Cowboys fans, some people are Texans fans, so there’s that mixture, but here it’s all Eagle all the time. There’s nothing else in this city, so that’s one unique thing about it. Everybody here is Eagles, 76ers, Flyers, Phillies --they’re all about their teams here in the city.

“The Texans started in 2002, so it’s still kind of new. The Eagles have been there forever. In Houston, there’s not a long line of tradition and history. Here, you have so much tradition and there’s a high expectation because the city has seen the team go to the Super Bowl, go to the playoffs year after year after year.

“In Houston, we had never even been to the playoffs until last year, and people got excited about it -- ‘They’re going to the playoffs for the first time.’ But that’s just where it starts, getting to the playoffs. Here, we expect to go to the playoffs and we expect to make a run at the Super Bowl every year. It’s a totally different feeling.”

Can't argue with that either. Again, I can't speak to Philly fans, but he's wrong when he says the Cowboys fans have been here since the Oilers left. They've always been here and they've always been obnoxious.

“I’m living in the city here, but in Houston, I stayed out in the suburbs,” he said. “There’s really no downtown in Houston, where you have people walking around like here. Everything in Houston is spread out and all over the place. It takes 20 minutes to get anywhere.”

He's wrong again. It takes at least 45 minutes to get anywhere. Sugar Land to the airport or to the Woodlands takes an hour and a half. There is a Downtown Houston area. We just try to stay away because it's always jacked up because there's always construction.

“Every guy thinks when you come into the league that the team that drafts you, that’s the team you’re going to spend your whole career with,” he said. “It’s the only thing you know, the only team you know, the only organization you know. So you get comfortable and think, ‘Oh, this is the only place for me.’

“But you have it in the back of your mind, ‘Oh, I wonder what it’s like in other places? Does everyone do it the same way we do it, does everyone practice the same way,’ and you wonder, ‘I want to see how other people do it.’

“I thought I’d finish my career there, but things change all the time. I understand the business. Once you’ve been around for a while, you realize they’re always trying to replace you. And you see guys come and go. I saw a lot of guys come through that building, for a couple years, a couple months, a couple days. There was a lot of turnover, and you learn that nobody’s an exception. I’m not an exception.”

Can't argue with that either, but that's what he signed up for. That's the main drawback of the free agency era. Players aren't as much part of the community as they used to be. Too bad he spent so many years playing behind bums like Travis Johnson and Am0bi Ok0ye. These guys would always get knocked off the ball and crash into his legs. He might have been able to stick around longer if he didn't have to deal with that.

The Texans were happy to get rid of Ryans, who doesn’t really fit into the 3-4 front defensive coordinator Wade Phillips runs, and is signed through 2015 at $4.45 million this year, $6.6 million in 2013 and $6.8 million in 2014 and 2015.

As happy as the Texans were to unload Ryans, the Eagles were just as thrilled to acquire him. They see him as the forceful veteran middle linebacker they’ve lacked since Jeremiah Trotter’s last Pro Bowl season in 2004 and the type of defensive leader they’ve lacked since Brian Dawkins left for Denver after the 2008 season.

This is absolute horse**** journalism. Does the writer really know the Texans were "happy" to get rid of Ryans? This is a rah-rah article in disguise.

Having said all that, every city has its drawbacks. I just make the best of them and hope things get better. He's still in his honeymoon period with the Philly fans and he's just saying what they want to hear.

[disaacks3]

After spending the last six years living in Houston, a sprawling southwest metropolis of highways, office buildings and shopping centers, it was an eye-opening stroll through one of the country’s most spectacular downtowns.

“It’s different,” Ryans said with a laugh. “In Houston, there’s nothing like that. We have the Astrodome.”

This is the only one that irritated me. Somebody needs a geography lesson, the Astrodome isn't in downtown.

Guess what Meco, the area around Lincoln Financial is pretty sparse too.

As the guys on 610 pointed out, there's nothing really hostile about what he said, he just didn't need to say it.

[2012Champs]

Originally Posted by JamesBill

That like 5-6 miles. You guys must drive like old ladies.

You must either be new to houston or are purposely ignoring the traffic we have around here. I work around the Galleria and it can take me the better part of 20 min to just get away from this damn place

[ObsiWan]

My only beef with the article was this...

As happy as the Texans were to unload Ryans, the Eagles were just as thrilled to acquire him. They see him as the forceful veteran middle linebacker they’ve lacked since Jeremiah Trotter’s last Pro Bowl season in 2004 and the type of defensive leader they’ve lacked since Brian Dawkins left for Denver after the 2008 season.

The front office nor Bob McNair were never "happy to unload" DeMeco. It was a necessary evil brought about by the salary cap and Wade's 3-4 scheme - but mostly the salary cap.

If the front office/Bob McNair didn't have a world of respect for DeMeco they'd have just flat cut him as opposed to trading him to (1) a 4-3 defense in which he can excel, (2) to a team that can afford to continue to pay him what he's worth (we can't), and (3) to a contending team so he has a chance to make the playoffs (but our of the conference ). I could add a 4th: East coast team where he'll get some league-wide press (now whether that's good or bad press....)

I say DeMeco said nothing bad about Houston or the fanbase.
But the article's author....

[Double Barrel]

Originally Posted by Blake

This article is written to make Philadelphians and Eagle fans feel better about themselves and to sell newspapers. No reason for us Texans or Texans fans to read it unless you want to get pissed off for some reason. DeMeco is going to say what makes his new fans happy. It is what it is. The only thing I even care to comment on is comparing fans of an 80 year franchise to a 10 year franchise. Did DeMeco really think everyone in Texas was going to instantly become a Texans fan? That takes generations.

I agree completely. This is written for Eagles fans, not us.

As far as what he said, what was he supposed to say? Tell Philly fans that Houston is a better city? Not a good way to get on their good side at this point in time.

Much about nothing, IMO.

[GP]

Originally Posted by Big Lou

Good luck in Philly as well, they may have a lot of American history but its a Major Northeastern Cluster F City. I'd rather drive 20 minutes to get everywhere rather than live in a Brwonstone with no yard and 20 neighbors seperated by 6" of framing and drywall.

Rep'd. That made me laugh out loud.

I love how "mature" grown men are when they're traded to a new team/city. All of a sudden, the grass is greener...the food tastes better...etc., etc.

Originally Posted by Carr Bombed

The things he said aren't accurate at all. Don't confuse whiny obnoxious sports fan with "knowledgable" sports fan... which is exactly what DeMeco has done. But, I get it.. they're kissing his ass right now and are making him feel like the prettiest girl in the room after we essentially dumped his ass for a younger model. Sour grapes.

Oh and DeMeco is completely off his rocker if he really thinks there are only Eagles fans there... been there and saw just as much black n gold as I did eagles green.. saw way more black n gold than I see Cowboy jerseys here.

I agree. He wasn't as a-hole'ish as Mario and Carr were, with the comments, but there is still this whole "They LOVE me! They REALLY LOVE me!" Sally Field vibe going on with it.

Hey DeMeco, News Flash: Fans welcome the new guy, they roll out the carpet, all across the league. It's the customary "Welcome to My Town" fare.

Originally Posted by TimeKiller

But this piece is journalistic hit-and-run bull****. Writing a slam article on Philidelphia would be so easy JOHN ****ING MCCLAIN could do it.

Yeah, the author is doing more of the incendiary type stuff here. He's trying to rah-rah the readers. Pandering. He might be related to Richard Justice.

Originally Posted by Hookem Horns

Wrong. There are a ton of Cowboys fans in Philly. I have lived in both places and can safely say he is going to start missing Texas. That historic area is nice when you visit however once that wears off you have to start living there.

Also he would be better off in the "burbs" in Philly tool. Pennsylvania has some real nice / pretty areas and downtown Philly is not one of them.

I have never been to Philly, but imagined the downtown area being a nice place to sight-see but never to actually live there.

Originally Posted by Hardcore Texan

I don't understand his comment about the Astrodome, what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?

I thought Houston was well known for having a lot of museums, restaraunts, NASA, etc. but I guess not.

Unfortunately most of the rest is true. We on this message board are obviously diehards and the exception, but there are a lot of fair weather fans. I guess that can be attributed to the Oilers leaving, or transplants, IDK.

It does bother me a little he doesn't think the fans were behind him here, most of us absolutely loved Demeco! All in all, his comments weren't mean spirited, I think the reporter is trying to stir the pot.

San Jacinto battlefield is just a few miles away...that place where Texas won its independence from Mexico. I doubt he ever went there, though. It's more historically significant, in the context of military history, than was the Alamo. With the Alamo, everyone knew it was doomed to fall to Mexico...it was just a delaying tactic so other Texan forces could be gathered and deployed. San Jacinto was the strategic death blow that made a fool of Santa Anna and of Mexico itself, as well.

I visited San Jacinto battlefield as a kid, while in Houston exhibiting livestock at the Houston Livestock Show...I was able to do a history report on it, too. Got to visit the Battleship Texas, too. That's an underrated piece of historical hardware, too.

NASA is sort of a big thing, like you said. How many other U.S. cities have the massive NASA complex???

DeMeco was mild in his comments, compared to other douche nozzles out there like Mario Williams and David Carr.

It is interesting that Mario Williams was Charlie Casserly's last official draft pick here. How many douche nozzle high profile picks by Casserly (Carr, Dunta, Mario, etc.) ended up leaving here and somehow, in some way, trashing us to a degree? I think this team has drafted better "character" individuals since Casserly left.

We've become better since Casserly left, even if the improvement is small and in its infancy...but I think winning cures a lot of ills. When a player leaves a winning team, he knows he can't really trash them out because he got kicked off a good team--He knows it won't wash if he trashes out a good team, it will reek of sour grapes. That's why guys like Carr and Dunta get so pissy. "What?!?! You're kicking ME out of here? You don't want ME?!?! LOL. Whatever. I was all you guys ever had." Know what I mean? They can play the victim card, as if THEY were blamed for the team's poor record.

I hope we draft like kings this week. I hope we have our best draft ever. Because if we do, we're going to be freaking awesome for the next 5 or 6 years, minimum. It would be nice to take this bit of success and expand it into a true Steelers/Patriots/Giants type of franchise.

IMO, DeMeco wasn't an ass like the other guys were. He tempered his words, he measured his thoughts and I think he did an OK job keeping it civil. Mario, however, can kiss my ass. That guy is a bigger, stronger version of David Carr.

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by disaacks3

This is the only one that irritated me. Somebody needs a geography lesson, the Astrodome isn't in downtown.

Guess what Meco, the area around Lincoln Financial is pretty sparse too.

As the guys on 610 pointed out, there's nothing really hostile about what he said, he just didn't need to say it.

Smart money is on some things best left unsaid. Less for a writer with an agenda to have to stir the pot.

[Dutchrudder]

He's no longer one us, he's one of them now. He will do or say whatever it takes to get the Eagle's fanbase on his side and assimilate with his team. That's his priority, not Houston. No big deal really, just ignore it and move on.

[ObsiWan]

Originally Posted by Dutchrudder

He's no longer one us, he's one of them now. He will do or say whatever it takes to get the Eagle's fanbase on his side and assimilate with his team. That's his priority, not Houston. No big deal really, just ignore it and move on.

Hear! Hear!!