Historyhorn
Waterboy
Let me preface this by saying that I'm a season ticket holder. I haven't been one from day one, but I got there as soon as I could financially.
I'm truly worried about the long-term health of this franchise (wins & losses, standing in the community). Before you Bush and Young backers come in droves, this is not a Bush vs. Young thread.
I worry for the health of this franchise for the following:
1) McNairs choice in Casserly has a proven track record of failure with respect to evaluating and bringing in talent to build a successful team. His head scratching moves are long and are chronicled all throughout the pages of threads. He's still with the franchise in some capacity, even if it is as a stool pigeon to take a fall when the losing continues. We've shown a surprising inability to make more good decisions than bad ones with respect to personnel.
2) There is a growing unrest and general deterioration in the public's perception of the franchise in Houston, but also in Texas at large. The first year the Texans came into existence, there was a competing radio broadcast in my market (West Texas) to the Cowboys broadcast. Both games on different stations, with sold out advertising. This past year, no Texans radio broadcast, yet the Cowboys broadcast is as strong as ever. In addition, from the first year of the franchise's existence, the Texan games were always on TV on the AFC affiliate. That was the case up until about halfway through this past year. From about week 8 onward, the local CBS affiliate took whatever game seemed most appealing (Steelers, Bears, Colts, Tampa Bay, etc.) and the Texans were not on TV....period. Any way you slice it or dice it, that is a baaaad thing. That didn't even happen to the Oilers when they had some abysmal teams.
3) The Bush vs. Young thing threatens to split this franchise's waning fan base right apart. There is a large sentiment amongst the city as well as a sizable group of season ticket holders who are actively supporting Young as the Texans pick. Many are even staking their season tickets on whether he is picked or not. On the other side, you've got people who want Reggie Bush. Some of those folks may feel that way because of hype, some because they are Longhorn haters, and others simply think he'll help the team to win more immediately. Either way for the Texans it is a lose/lose situation. Take Young, create local buzz, but not be closer to building the pieces for a longer term success (winning is several years away). Take Bush and alienate a portion of your fanbase and possibly have Young go to a division rival with the potential to haunt you twice a year for a decade or so. Then there is the potential that Reggie will be a third down only back and simply not be value for the first pick and the money he'll draw. A pick of Bush with him turning out to be a bust is the worst possible case scenario. It would almost be better to have won the SF game and not have the first pick so the team would have some modicum of an "out".
I'm hoping for the best, but unfortunately, there seem to be clouds of the Tampa Buccaneer type futility on the horizon. We'll know a lot over the course of the next 11 months or so.
Go Texans
I'm truly worried about the long-term health of this franchise (wins & losses, standing in the community). Before you Bush and Young backers come in droves, this is not a Bush vs. Young thread.
I worry for the health of this franchise for the following:
1) McNairs choice in Casserly has a proven track record of failure with respect to evaluating and bringing in talent to build a successful team. His head scratching moves are long and are chronicled all throughout the pages of threads. He's still with the franchise in some capacity, even if it is as a stool pigeon to take a fall when the losing continues. We've shown a surprising inability to make more good decisions than bad ones with respect to personnel.
2) There is a growing unrest and general deterioration in the public's perception of the franchise in Houston, but also in Texas at large. The first year the Texans came into existence, there was a competing radio broadcast in my market (West Texas) to the Cowboys broadcast. Both games on different stations, with sold out advertising. This past year, no Texans radio broadcast, yet the Cowboys broadcast is as strong as ever. In addition, from the first year of the franchise's existence, the Texan games were always on TV on the AFC affiliate. That was the case up until about halfway through this past year. From about week 8 onward, the local CBS affiliate took whatever game seemed most appealing (Steelers, Bears, Colts, Tampa Bay, etc.) and the Texans were not on TV....period. Any way you slice it or dice it, that is a baaaad thing. That didn't even happen to the Oilers when they had some abysmal teams.
3) The Bush vs. Young thing threatens to split this franchise's waning fan base right apart. There is a large sentiment amongst the city as well as a sizable group of season ticket holders who are actively supporting Young as the Texans pick. Many are even staking their season tickets on whether he is picked or not. On the other side, you've got people who want Reggie Bush. Some of those folks may feel that way because of hype, some because they are Longhorn haters, and others simply think he'll help the team to win more immediately. Either way for the Texans it is a lose/lose situation. Take Young, create local buzz, but not be closer to building the pieces for a longer term success (winning is several years away). Take Bush and alienate a portion of your fanbase and possibly have Young go to a division rival with the potential to haunt you twice a year for a decade or so. Then there is the potential that Reggie will be a third down only back and simply not be value for the first pick and the money he'll draw. A pick of Bush with him turning out to be a bust is the worst possible case scenario. It would almost be better to have won the SF game and not have the first pick so the team would have some modicum of an "out".
I'm hoping for the best, but unfortunately, there seem to be clouds of the Tampa Buccaneer type futility on the horizon. We'll know a lot over the course of the next 11 months or so.
Go Texans
We just hired a new coach who helped build one of the most successful football programs over the past decade and hired another former head coach who had consistent success until his team was decimated with injuries. Plus we have the #1 ovrl. pick and 4 picks in the top 70, but draft aside, the moves we have made already has made this a successful offseason.
