"Do whatever you have to do to stay here... take pay cuts, whatever, stay here"

[nero THE zero]

I was reading Kuharsky's latest blog on the Texans' expectations versus the Ravens', and there was a somewhat unrelated quote that struck me.

“I’ve talked to several guys who have come from other organizations that say that Coach Kubiak is probably the coolest coach in the league,” safety Glover Quin said. “And they say, 'do whatever you have to do to stay here, whatever you got to do, take pay cuts, whatever, stay here.' He’s a good guy. Like I said, he’ll walk past you and speak. Some coaches probably don’t even walk past the guys and speak to them. Every time he sees you he’ll speak, and he’s always an even-keeled guy and he expects a lot out of us and the way he treats us we have to go out and play hard for him.”

We often debate about the merits of Gary Kubiak, and sports talk radio is littered with guys calling in who want him fired. I heard a guy call into 790 this afternoon espousing firing Kubiak because "his running game isn't creative enough." But, as a lifelong Braves fan, I can attest to the merits of having a coach that players will run through a wall for. And, Quin's quote above illustrates that to a tee.

 

[TexansFanatic]

I would guess there are very few Texans fans, if any, who think Gary Kubiak is a jerk.

I have always found him to be a class act and a person who exudes decency. He is someone who any organization would be happy to have as a representative. I'm proud he represents Houston. In short, he seesm like a great guy.

Now, the fact that the players think of him as a great guy is a double-edged sword. It is sometimes better to be respected than liked. There are a number of Hall of Fame coaches who weren't well liked by their players. And there are many more head coaches who will never sniff the Hall of Fame who are/were adored by their players.

I want Gary to succeed because I tend to root for good people.

But I don't necessarily take satisfaction in the fact that the head coach of the team I root for is beloved by his players.

If Gary wins a Super Bowl as head coach of the Texans, his decency as a human being will be a bonus. If he doesn't win a Super Bowl as head coach of the Texans, his decency as a human being will be meaningless.

 

[BigBull17]

I would guess there are very few Texans fans, if any, who think Gary Kubiak is a jerk.

I have always found him to be a class act and a person who exudes decency. He is someone who any organization would be happy to have as a representative. I'm proud he represents Houston. In short, he seesm like a great guy.

Now, the fact that the players think of him as a great guy is a double-edged sword. It is sometimes better to be respected than liked. There are a number of Hall of Fame coaches who weren't well liked by their players. And there are many more head coaches who will never sniff the Hall of Fame who are/were adored by their players.

I want Gary to succeed because I tend to root for good people.

But I don't necessarily take satisfaction in the fact that the head coach of the team I root for is beloved by his players.

If Gary wins a Super Bowl as head coach of the Texans, his decency as a human being will be a bonus. If he doesn't win a Super Bowl as head coach of the Texans, his decency as a human being will be meaningless.

Being a decent human is never worthless, but I get what you mean. I'm not suprised that guys on other teams would love Gary, he takes every bullet for his team in the media and rips them in private. You can tell his players absolutly never quit on him, and his guys are typically emotionally prepaired and fired up.

 

[JCTexan]

I was reading Kuharsky's latest blog on the Texans' expectations versus the Ravens', and there was a somewhat unrelated quote that struck me.



We often debate about the merits of Gary Kubiak, and sports talk radio is littered with guys calling in who want him fired. I heard a guy call into 790 this afternoon espousing firing Kubiak because "his running game isn't creative enough." But, as a lifelong Braves fan, I can attest to the merits of having a coach that players will run through a wall for. And, Quin's quote above illustrates that to a tee.

Was he laughed off the show?

 

[TimeKiller]

I wonder if that's guys who used to be here and jumped ship or guys who used to play for other teams but are on the roster now.

Any guesses?

 

[Goldensilence]

The problem with Gary has never been whether he's been a class act guy or a coach where players want to run through walls for. I think you'll be hard pressed to find a better offensive mind in the game and a better QB coach.

The problem I've always had has been decisions when it comes to personnel whether its players or on his coaching staff. It's one thing to be loyal to your players and coaches but when they're maxed out talentwise and its obviously not working you have to have mettle to let them go.

 

[Maddict5]

I would guess there are very few Texans fans, if any, who think Gary Kubiak is a jerk.

I have always found him to be a class act and a person who exudes decency. He is someone who any organization would be happy to have as a representative. I'm proud he represents Houston. In short, he seesm like a great guy.

Now, the fact that the players think of him as a great guy is a double-edged sword. It is sometimes better to be respected than liked. There are a number of Hall of Fame coaches who weren't well liked by their players. And there are many more head coaches who will never sniff the Hall of Fame who are/were adored by their players.

I want Gary to succeed because I tend to root for good people.

But I don't necessarily take satisfaction in the fact that the head coach of the team I root for is beloved by his players.

If Gary wins a Super Bowl as head coach of the Texans, his decency as a human being will be a bonus. If he doesn't win a Super Bowl as head coach of the Texans, his decency as a human being will be meaningless.

being a fan is fuelled by emotions though.. its alot harder to root for teams with a d-bag coach (eg rex ryan/schwartz v kubiak) and mercenary players (fat albert, santonio holmes v aj, demeco etc). im one of the guys biggest supporters on this board because he seems like a great guy to play for. hes not perfect by any means but hes very good in alot of important areas in being a good HC

you are right though winning is all that maters. but i dont get why ppl still have had it in for kubiak during this season when most would agre hes done a pretty amazing job with a fairly depleted team. instead of enjoying it and supporting him and the team fully, there just seems to be negativity towards him even in this season (ppl predicting its a fluke yr etc) and i just dont understand why

 

[infantrycak]

I wonder if that's guys who used to be here and jumped ship or guys who used to play for other teams but are on the roster now.

Any guesses?

"Come here from other organizations" sounds like guys who have come here like JJo, Manning, Smith, etc.

 

[TexansFanatic]

Being a decent human is never worthless, but I get what you mean.

I could have worded that better. I didn't say "worthless" but I could have have worded it better nonetheless.

How about:

If Gary doesn't win a Super Bowl, his decency as a human being will be inconsequential in the context of his performance as a head coach.

 

[ChampionTexan]

I would guess there are very few Texans fans, if any, who think Gary Kubiak is a jerk.

I have always found him to be a class act and a person who exudes decency. He is someone who any organization would be happy to have as a representative. I'm proud he represents Houston. In short, he seesm like a great guy.

Now, the fact that the players think of him as a great guy is a double-edged sword. It is sometimes better to be respected than liked. There are a number of Hall of Fame coaches who weren't well liked by their players. And there are many more head coaches who will never sniff the Hall of Fame who are/were adored by their players.

I want Gary to succeed because I tend to root for good people.

But I don't necessarily take satisfaction in the fact that the head coach of the team I root for is beloved by his players.

If Gary wins a Super Bowl as head coach of the Texans, his decency as a human being will be a bonus. If he doesn't win a Super Bowl as head coach of the Texans, his decency as a human being will be meaningless.

Well, over the last couple of years you've heard talk about how much players wanted to play for Rex Ryan, I even recall one post on this board that stated in so many words the Jets could have any free agent they wanted (Things have changed considerably since then, and it was a ridiculous overstatement even at the time), but if you couple the message this kind of statement sends to other players with a team that is starting to validate those who believed it was on it's way to Super Bowl contention, and if nothing else, it should put us in a very good position as it relates to FA recruitment (although I still think free agency should be a distant 2nd to the draft in terms of how to build and maintain your roster).

 

[thunderkyss]

I was reading Kuharsky's latest blog on the Texans' expectations versus the Ravens', and there was a somewhat unrelated quote that struck me.



We often debate about the merits of Gary Kubiak, and sports talk radio is littered with guys calling in who want him fired. I heard a guy call into 790 this afternoon espousing firing Kubiak because "his running game isn't creative enough." But, as a lifelong Braves fan, I can attest to the merits of having a coach that players will run through a wall for. And, Quin's quote above illustrates that to a tee.

I saw that on the live presser yesterday. Didn't think much of it. I mean what FA did we get that would impress you if he said that? Jjo... came from Cincy. Manning came from Chicago..

I mean it's not really saying a lot.

I don't believe in the camp disney that a lot of people want to portray our team to be. I do like that Kubiak treats people the way people want to be treated. A butt chewing may be warranted every now & then, but never on game day, never in front of thousands of fans or millions of viewers. To me, that just proves you can't control yourself.

There are better ways to motivate people.

 

[Rey]

I've always liked Kubiak...

The only reason I wanted him gone this past year was based on results. I didn't think he was a bad coach. I thought he had made some mistakes, but I thought he has a lot of good qualities as a HC.

Reading that quote from Quinn is refreshing because when you have a coach that you love, you play harder. You play more focused. You are more willing to buy into what the coach is asking you to do.

I hope Kubiak and Wade are here for a long time, and if Wade leaves I hope Kubiak has learned the importance of hiring a high caliber defensive mind and letting them cook the meal on that side of the ball.

 

[thunderkyss]

Well, over the last couple of years you've heard talk about how much players wanted to play for Rex Ryan, I even recall one post on this board that stated in so many words the Jets could have any free agent they wanted (Things have changed considerably since then, and it was a ridiculous overstatement even at the time), but if you couple the message this kind of statement sends to other players with a team that is starting to validate those who believed it was on it's way to Super Bowl contention, and if nothing else, it should put us in a very good position as it relates to FA recruitment (although I still think free agency should be a distant 2nd to the draft in terms of how to build and maintain your roster).

Never agreed with that, there are still a bunch of young guys about to hit their prime that hit FA every year... Jjo, Antonio Smith, Joel Dressen.... KDub.

You build through the draft & FA or you die quick.

As far as FAs wanting to play for Ryan, I don't think it is that they wanted to play for Ryan, but they wanted to play for a contender. Getting to the AFCCG twice in 2 years makes them a contender.

His inability to turn that bunch of FAs into a team was what hurt him this year. That & his inability to get anything out of his draft picks.

 

[thunderkyss]

I hope Kubiak and Wade are here for a long time, and if Wade leaves I hope Kubiak has learned the importance of hiring a high caliber defensive mind and letting them cook the meal on that side of the ball.

FWIW, I think the issue was Kubiak's circle was so small, & Rick Smith being from Gary's circle didn't really expand it much. Take a look at Tennessee right now, it's a freak'n Love-ya-blue reunion. That's the way coaching staffs are built. Unless you've got something like a winning tradition or something to sell to prospective coaches & FAs, you're going to have to take what you can get.

Tod Haley in KC..... Charlie Weisse(sp) & Romeo Crennel, do you think he got those guys because he was smarter than all the other coaches in the league? Or because they had history?

Yeah.... it was their history with Pioli

.

 

[TexansFanatic]

if nothing else, it should put us in a very good position as it relates to FA recruitment (although I still think free agency should be a distant 2nd to the draft in terms of how to build and maintain your roster).

Agreed. It's very nice to think Houston has become one of the more desired destinations for free agents.

 

[Grunky]

“And they say, 'do whatever you have to do to stay here, whatever you got to do, take pay cuts, whatever, stay here.' "

Lets hope Mario heard this part ^

 

[eriadoc]

Kubiak's a good guy, and a great offensive mind. My only problem with him has been the fact that he was brought here as a rookie head coach and seems to have a lengthy learning curve. This team and this fan base haven't handled a lengthy learning curve well. AJ's best years may well be behind him, especially with the reports on how the hamstring injury was repaired, and wasted on a crappy team. Now, if they continue to challenge for a Super Bowl every year for the rest of Kubiak's tenure, then I'm happy with that. It still doesn't make the first five wasted years sting any less. Many of the teams that drafted at the top with the Texans in '06 got better faster, and with new head coaches. The Saints, Titans, Jets, and Packers drafted 2 through 5 right behind the Texans.

But hey, water under the bridge if he keeps winning. For now, 48-49.

 

[IDEXAN]

As I recall former Texans HC Dom Capers also was always considered to have impeccable credentials in the morality and ethics departments.

 

[thunderkyss]

Kubiak's a good guy, and a great offensive mind. My only problem with him has been the fact that he was brought here as a rookie head coach and seems to have a lengthy learning curve.

My biggest problem here, was that he came in & was treated as a HC who has been around for a while. I think Casserly & Capers screwed the FO stuff up so much, that Kubiak was asked to fix it all, & he never should have been in that position.

Had he been honest with McNair & suggested a real GM instead of another newbie, I think things would have gone a lot differently.

Had Kubiak been able to focus on working on the team, with the required help from the GM position I'm sure the learning curve wouldn't have been so long.

AJ's best years may well be behind him, especially with the reports on how the hamstring injury was repaired, and wasted on a crappy team.

Not sure what you are saying here, the second injury was to the Hammy in the other leg. Far as I know, the first injury was completely healed & performing fine.

Now, if they continue to challenge for a Super Bowl every year for the rest of Kubiak's tenure, then I'm happy with that. It still doesn't make the first five wasted years sting any less. Many of the teams that drafted at the top with the Texans in '06 got better faster, and with new head coaches. The Saints, Titans, Jets, and Packers drafted 2 through 5 right behind the Texans.

But hey, water under the bridge if he keeps winning. For now, 48-49.

I think it's all about perspective. Obviously I think Capers & Casserly did a lot worse damage to the organization than you do. I also know that it is very difficult to change a culture of losing, especially when you've never known anything else.

It's easier for the Raiders, or the Jets, or Packers to point to a trophy case & say, "this is where we should be, this is who you guys are supposed to be!"

But for a team like the Lions, or the Cardinals (who haven't known success until recently) it's much more difficult.

A lot of the fans, I think, still have it in their minds that we are the Oilers... & that's just not true. Their F.O., scouting departments & all have been together & functioning at a certain level for years.... ours hasn't.

I liked the idea of getting Kubiak (a Houston Native) & Wade (Houston history) into the organization to bring some of that, "who we should be" stuff in. Buddy Ryan hitching his wagon to the Texans has also been huge, I think.

Like you, I thought 4 years should have been enough, but wasn't going to be upset if it took 5 or even 6 years. What did bother me was that we sunk so low in year 5 & the way & what I felt the reason for the fall had me thinking GK wasn't ever going to learn.

Playing it safe on defense..... trying to protect Kj was just the wrong decision & it looked like they never figured it out. The approach we're taking this year, let them all sink or swim, expect them to step up & move forward is the right way to go.

Kubiak's comments about Tj Yates, that he's got to learn quick, has me thinking he's learned his lesson, but we'll see.

 

[TheCD]

Not sure what you are saying here, the second injury was to the Hammy in the other leg. Far as I know, the first injury was completely healed & performing fine.

There was some word that AJ took the "faster" route with his hamstring so that he could return quicker. I'm not certain, but I remember reading something about a ligament getting clipped. This was also rumored to have a potential impact on his explosiveness in the future.

 

[eriadoc]

Playing it safe on defense..... trying to protect Kj was just the wrong decision & it looked like they never figured it out. The approach we're taking this year, let them all sink or swim, expect them to step up & move forward is the right way to go.

Last year's decision to "go young" in the secondary was akin to C&C letting AG and Sharper go after the '04 season, IMO. It's just a bad decision, and the fans knew it at the time.

There was some word that AJ took the "faster" route with his hamstring so that he could return quicker. I'm not certain, but I remember reading something about a ligament getting clipped. This was also rumored to have a potential impact on his explosiveness in the future.

That is the speculation to which I refer. I'm sure AJ can remain a solid WR for years to come, but I personally don't think he'll ever be the beast of a player that we've known for years. "Clipped" hamstring? Yeeeaaahhh ....