To the lockout alarmists

Mods please move if needed.

This morning I was afflicted with Tourrettes at my car radio when they had the Kubiak of sports journalism John McClain on 610. He was adamant that there would be no coaching changes at all in the offseason due to the lockout. He went so far to say this not only applied to the Texans but the entire league. This prompted my screaming.

WTH does he know about a lockout, strike or any other work stoppage?
Has he ever worked for a company that has had to negotiate labor agreements? Has he ever negotiated a labor contract?
Has he ever walked a freaking picket line or more than 10 steps without stopping for that matter?

As someone who has experience in this area, I feel compelled to clear the air on work stoppage situations and labor negotiations.

1. You do not run your business based on what might happen in labor negotiations because they are very unpredictable. What my have been a deal breaker last week may flip into a minor issue next week.People change their minds. So it is impossible to predict if there will be a work stoppage or not.

2. Even if both sides appear to dig in you continue daily operations as usual.

Do you make contingency plans? Yes.
Do you train your non-affected staff on work stoppage operations? Absolutely.

However, until a work stoppage happens, you still close the big sale. You still hire that needed clerk in the mail room, you still allow employees to schedule vacations. You do not alter your operations out of fear. If you do, your competitor will kill you and use your situation to their advantage.

If the Texans or any other team starts operating based on what might happen, then prepare for a very bad season. You don't keep an underachieving employee because you might need a warm body to occupy the position in the event of a work stoppage. You go ahead and make the change. In the end, it will work out better in the long run if you go ahead and close that big sale irregardless of your labor situation.

Here's a picture of McClain at 610 am this morning:



While I appreciate certain aspects of John's football acumen - mainly the historical stuff and drinking stories - I have long ago quit giving him much relevance as it pertains to analyzing games or insight to franchise operations.

OK, I have a history of McClain bashing but that isn't at all what he said.

No 9 minutes into the podcast he says even all of the interim coaches, Frazier, Garrett, and the guy in Denver will even keep their jobs due to the lockout. Says it emphatically. The text they mentioned was mine. He is basing his guesses based on what the boneheaded owner in Carolina is doing.

Pantherstang84 said:

No 9 minutes into the podcast he says even all of the interim coaches, Frazier, Garrett, and the guy in Denver will even keep their jobs due to the lockout. Says it emphatically.

Click to expand...

He slao states quite emphatically that it is just his opinion and that he could be wrong.

JB said:

He slao states quite emphatically that it is just his opinion and that he could be wrong.

Click to expand...

I don't disagree with this. I'm just pointing out how he is clueless regarding labor negotiations and running an organization. If he is right, there is only one response by the fan base but it won't happen and we will be stuck in Suckville.

Pantherstang84 said:

I don't disagree with this. I'm just pointing out how he is clueless regarding labor negotiations and running an organization. If he is right, there is only one response by the fan base but it won't happen and we will be stuck in Suckville.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I was just pointing out that no matter how clueless he is, in this instance, he actually admits that he really doesn't know.

Pantherstang84 said:

I don't disagree with this. I'm just pointing out how he is clueless regarding labor negotiations and running an organization. If he is right, there is only one response by the fan base but it won't happen and we will be stuck in Suckville.

Click to expand...

You are spot on in your total analysis.

As usual

It's been said that McNair would never consider taking the chance of hiring a new HC and having 2 dormant HC contracts in 2011 if the lock out occurred and it probably won't and if so, it is unlikely it will last more than 2-3 games). Kubiak's initial 5 year contract was $10 million. His new 3-year contract couldn't be anymore than that for sure, and he has be paid his first year already with probably a resign bonus of some sort (whether thay call it that or not for a HC). How much has McNair thrown at and lost on lousy players? You tell me that he could not afford to take a chance on a Cowher to turn this franchise into a first-time competitive machine?

JB said:

Yeah, I was just pointing out that no matter how clueless he is, in this instance, he actually admits that he really doesn't know.

Click to expand...

My father had a name for people who talk about stuff they don't know anything about...

Pantherstang84 said:

1. You do not run your business based on what might happen in labor negotiations because they are very unpredictable.

Click to expand...

huh? Really??? I've been doing what I do for a very long time and we completely run our business on labor costs and/or what they may be.....


Thank the Lord above, we are in a "Right to Work State" !!!!!

Texan_Bill said:

huh? Really??? I've been doing what I do for a very long time and we completely run our business on labor costs and/or what they may be.....


Thank the Lord above, we are in a "Right to Work State" !!!!!

Click to expand...

Yeah, but he is talking from a management/union perspective.

Pantherstang84 said:

My father had a name for people who talk about stuff they don't know anything about...

Click to expand...

McLame's?

McNair would be wise to avoid a coaching change that would jeopardize our guaranteed annual six to eight wins.

McClain has 30+ years reporting the NFL. He's incredibly respected in the sports journalism world, and has more insight than anyone into Texas football. Make fun of him all you want, but he's almost always right, and when he's not, it's usually a shock to everyone in the industry. Fan or not, he's very VERY knowledgable.

It's like I don't want Kubes gone, but DAMN, how long do we have to sit through the poor 1st halves, the awful defensive play, and the lack of consistent playcalling?

No playoffs = no job...that's how I felt coming into 2010.

DerekLee1 said:

McClain has 30+ years reporting the NFL. He's incredibly respected in the sports journalism world, and has more insight than anyone into Texas football. Make fun of him all you want, but he's almost always right, and when he's not, it's usually a shock to everyone in the industry. Fan or not, he's very VERY knowledgable.

Click to expand...

John, this is completely untrue........ He used to know alot and was granted access to the teams and players. Now he is stuck on the outside spitting out sound bytes over and over despite them having no relevance. 2 years back there was the issue of Richard Smith as D Coordinator. Everyone wanted the Texans to blitz and get more aggressive. McClain had talked to someone at the beginning of the season who told him that because of the secondary they couldn't blitz. He repeated this daily and often got belligerent at callers who knew more than him. When the Texans started doing it late in the season, starting with Oakland, I believe, and they were successful, he acted like it never happened. He doesn't know Xs and Os. He knows old stories about old players. He is a fossil who is wrong alot and who is peeved that people actually know more football than him.

Double Barrel said:

Here's a picture of McClain at 610 am this morning:

While I appreciate certain aspects of John's football acumen - mainly the historical stuff and drinking stories - I have long ago quit giving him much relevance as it pertains to analyzing games or insight to franchise operations.

Click to expand...

Gotta spread the rep. Dude, I had just taken a swig of coffee when I scrolled down to that picture. Other than a few dots on papers, I avoided what could have been a huge mess.

That picture is perfect

JB said:

Yeah, but he is talking from a management/union perspective.

Click to expand...

I'm speaking from a management, anti-union perspective...

JB said:

He slao states quite emphatically that it is just his opinion and that he could be wrong.

Click to expand...

As I JUST posted in the 'Cowher not coming to Houston' thread - he sure does get paid a lot to give his 'opinion' these days. When's the last time he talked about something and had inside info or a source?

DerekLee1 said:

McClain has 30+ years reporting the NFL. He's incredibly respected in the sports journalism world, and has more insight than anyone into Texas football. Make fun of him all you want, but he's almost always right, and when he's not, it's usually a shock to everyone in the industry. Fan or not, he's very VERY knowledgable.

Click to expand...

Like I said above, he's got a lot to say about certain subjects like Oilers/Titans history and lots of good drinking stories.

But his game analysis stinks. He'd never stand a chance on a show like NFLN's Playbook where they break down plays.

And with regards to him being always right, remind me of his position regarding HWWNBN (said he'd be gone before the guy's contract was extended), VY (said he'd take the Tits to a Super Bowl within 5 years), and Fisher being fired every season for the past few years. I've heard all of this from the dude's piehole and he was wrong every time. Which is why I enjoy the entertainment aspects of his perspectives, but I don't bank on his opinions.

HOU-TEX said:

Gotta spread the rep. Dude, I had just taken a swig of coffee when I scrolled down to that picture. Other than a few dots on papers, I avoided what could have been a huge mess.

That picture is perfect

Click to expand...

I forgot I posted that pic and made myself almost spit out coffee this morning!

I got nothing personal against McClain, but that pic just cracks me up. I can hear that raspy voice babbling on about some chick flick that his wife took him to and how fantastic it was to see.

Double Barrel said:

Like I said above, he's got a lot to say about certain subjects like Oilers/Titans history and lots of good drinking stories.

But his game analysis stinks. He'd never stand a chance on a show like NFLN's Playbook where they break down plays.

And with regards to him being always right, remind me of his position regarding HWWNBN (said he'd be gone before the guy's contract was extended), VY (said he'd take the Tits to a Super Bowl within 5 years), and Fisher being fired every season for the past few years. I've heard all of this from the dude's piehole and he was wrong every time. Which is why I enjoy the entertainment aspects of his perspectives, but I don't bank on his opinions.



I forgot I posted that pic and made myself almost spit out coffee this morning!

I got nothing personal against McClain, but that pic just cracks me up. I can hear that raspy voice babbling on about some chick flick that his wife took him to and how fantastic it was to see.

Click to expand...

Yeah, he should move the mic away from his gobbler, cuz his breathing sounds like I'm listening to some pervert. When he gets really excited and that gobbler gets to flappin, somebody might get hit with a chicken bone or some other projectile.

Yankee_In_TX said:

As I JUST posted in the 'Cowher not coming to Houston' thread - he sure does get paid a lot to give his 'opinion' these days. When's the last time he talked about something and had inside info or a source?

Click to expand...

I think it was 1983...