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Hard Knocks: Houston Texans 2015

sandman

Brexit Advisor
I'm more concerned about Ryan Mallett acting like he could play in a game with a torn muscle to the obvious detriment of the team without saying anything rather than him sleeping late one day.

One reflects decision-making that affects the season of the team I root for and the other is something I couldn't give even the slightest of fucks about and neither should anyone else.

Lotta pearl-clutchers. Not surprising.
Everyone getting the vapors and having a spell...
 

CloakNNNdagger

Hall of Fame
To me, whether it was one day, 2 days, or 3 days, it doesn't matter, and I don't think it mattered much to O'Brien. I mean here you have 89 other players, plus all the coaching staff, the trainers, etc, who made it to work on time, but he of all people, didn't? I'm not that much a believer in coincidences.

And who doesn't plug their phone in and keep it charged up when they know they have to get up? TK said it best. It's gonna look like it's gonna like. I'm wondering if someone's told him to go pee in a cup.
I guarantee that at least one other Texans player has been late to practice and sent home somewhere along the line, hidden under the label of "personal reason" of "non-injury" absence. But because of the non-high profile (Mallet-like) nature of their situation, no one was going to try to make something out of it or dig into it further.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
I don't know how those guys act.

You think he needs a more business like attitude? (Real question, not busting your balls)
They're more of the scouting type GM's. Rather than the contract/administrative type GM's, which is what Rick is.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
No dude, sorry but he's right. We all have our "thing" and yours is hating on Rick Smith. Own up to it man.
No hate here, I just don't think Smith is very good at his job. Unless his job is to make McNair billions. In that case he's done a heck of a job. What do you think about Smith after watching hard knocks?
 

Marshall

Not pretty, but ALIVE!
To me, whether it was one day, 2 days, or 3 days, it doesn't matter, and I don't think it mattered much to O'Brien. I mean here you have 89 other players, plus all the coaching staff, the trainers, etc, who made it to work on time, but he of all people, didn't? I'm not that much a believer in coincidences.

And who doesn't plug their phone in and keep it charged up when they know they have to get up? TK said it best. It's gonna look like it's gonna like. I'm wondering if someone's told him to go pee in a cup.
Maybe someone tired of answering calls about how he feels about not getting the starting gig? Turn it off and forget to turn it back on? Happens to me a couple of times a week because I go places where the ringer would disturb those around me.
 

Hervoyel

BUENO!
No hate here, I just don't think Smith is very good at his job. Unless his job is to make McNair billions. In that case he's done a heck of a job. What do you think about Smith after watching hard knocks?
I actually think he's more competent than I previously assumed he was. I don't have any issue with him as our GM. I really don't. I have a problem at times with the way that Houston Texans Inc. conducts its business. I think they still make too many mistakes but I think most of the things that a majority of us might find to be a problem come from Bob McNair and the way he's chosen to run the business. Even that stuff is kind of overblown in the grand scheme of things. We're just another team trying to win. 31 other teams are out there trying to do the same thing and almost everybody (fans) out there thinks their GM is a fool and their owner is "too passive" or "too aggressive" or whatever.

Dynasty-type teams are the only ones whose fans aren't bitching constantly and there are damn few of those at any particular time. 32 owners set out to build one of those and most aren't able to do so. That's the everyday life of most NFL fans. Cheering for a team that will probably never get there or if they do only once or twice in your lifetime.

Rick Smith is a pretty good GM. Lots of GM's are worse or at least "no better" than Rick Smith. Rick Smith isn't our problem and probably never has been.
 

Dan B.

Hall of Fame
Based on the zero tolerance attitude that some of you guys are expressing over being late one time, some of you guys are THAT boss in the office. Yeah, we all know what working for THAT boss is like...
I look at it more lke having to work next to THAT guy in the office. The one that strolls in whenever he wants. "Yeah my phone died. Oops." Despite the protestations of how this is the first and only time he's done it there is no evidence to support that assertion. Considering how they have emphasized to Mallett that he needs to be consistent and ready to go every day I think they have shown obvious concerns about his work ethic already.
 

Dan B.

Hall of Fame
There is actual evidence of him showing up late. All I'm saying is that it's naive to look at this in a vacuum. Quotes like this indicate that Mallett hasn't taken practice as seriously as he should:

"I'm going to name Brian the starter. It comes down to consistency. Consistency through OTA's. Throughout training camp. In the media room."

"What I would expect from you Ryan is to be a professional about it. Prepare like a starter. Be ready to play."

Was Mallett a professional about it? Did he prepare like a starter? Was he ready to play?
 

xtruroyaltyx

Hall of Fame
There is actual evidence of him showing up late. All I'm saying is that it's naive to look at this in a vacuum. Quotes like this indicate that Mallett hasn't taken practice as seriously as he should:

"I'm going to name Brian the starter. It comes down to consistency. Consistency through OTA's. Throughout training camp. In the media room."

"What I would expect from you Ryan is to be a professional about it. Prepare like a starter. Be ready to play."

Was Mallett a professional about it? Did he prepare like a starter? Was he ready to play?
You know....whenever you have a coach come in and they start repeating their pet phrases it not only permeates the team, it permeates the fans too...

It happened with capers, it happened with kubiak, and it's happening now...

Most coaches speak the good speech, but ultimately it's about winning.

Jimmy Johnson is a good example. He talked about guys showing up late and how he'd cut less talented players for doing the same things his stars would do. So that culture permeated the team and I'm guessing the fan base wasn't asking as worried about a report that so and so was late to a meeting.

For the record, I do agree that he shouldn't be late. I'm just saying I'm not sure it's as big of a deal as some make it.


Here's a story from last year about the saints: http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/156670/among-saints-issues-too-many-guys-late-for-meetings-flights

Most of those tardies were probably never reported on individually.
 
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Mollywhopper

Facilitator
Staff member
There is actual evidence of him showing up late. All I'm saying is that it's naive to look at this in a vacuum. Quotes like this indicate that Mallett hasn't taken practice as seriously as he should:

"I'm going to name Brian the starter. It comes down to consistency. Consistency through OTA's. Throughout training camp. In the media room."

"What I would expect from you Ryan is to be a professional about it. Prepare like a starter. Be ready to play."

Was Mallett a professional about it? Did he prepare like a starter? Was he ready to play?
It's naive to think that the only time that the media caught onto Mallett always being late is this one time.

Then OB told his just anointed backup to prepare to play. Well, ok.

I don't doubt for a second that Mallett is rougher around the edges for a qb than OB would prefer. I also don't doubt that that played into OB's decision, if even just a hair. But this narrative all of a sudden when the guy is late once that he may as well be stumbling into meetings eyes blood-shot and forgetting his playbook is silly.

Like has been pointed out before, if this tardy thing had happened one week before or after when it did it may have been a sidenote in the paper and nobody would have cared. Fans would have made a goofball gofundme page to get Mallett an alarm clock. But it happened just after THE DECISION and HK's picked up some of the ensuing footage and now it's been spun up to be likely far more of a matter than it had to. HK's actually nailed it for real by following up the qb decision with Wilfork in some bob-the-builder overalls, because that's probably about as much thought as the club gave it after everything was said and done.
 

CloakNNNdagger

Hall of Fame
There is actual evidence of him showing up late. All I'm saying is that it's naive to look at this in a vacuum. Quotes like this indicate that Mallett hasn't taken practice as seriously as he should:

"I'm going to name Brian the starter. It comes down to consistency. Consistency through OTA's. Throughout training camp. In the media room."

"What I would expect from you Ryan is to be a professional about it. Prepare like a starter. Be ready to play."

Was Mallett a professional about it? Did he prepare like a starter? Was he ready to play?
Well, I can't hardly wait to see what a guy that is so "consistent, always on time, taking practice seriously, acts like a real professional" performs outside of a dress rehearsal...........in other words, when it counts...........I really hardly can wait to see this entirely transformed marvel of QB!
 

TheMatrix31

Hall of Fame
I see it like this; guys are going to play hurt. It's a part of the profession. No one is healthy late in the season. It's up to coaches and medical staff to protect players from themselves. We could all clearly see something wasn't right, yet the staff on the field missed it? There's plenty of blame to go around and it should be divided up equally.
That's why I slam everyone involved. It was *that* big of a catastrophe.

And I wouldn't call Mallett a ***** if he said he couldn't play. He very clearly couldn't.
 

powda

The bridge between stupid and useless is short.
I'll be honest, i'd never watched hard knocks prior to this season (didn't have hbo.) I camped with the "dont want that distraction" guys staunchly. In hindsight i was wrong.

Im glad as a texans fan we get some insight, im glad we have a national stage for once, ive been thoroughly entertained as a football fan in general. Ive been impressed with the hk staff as story tellers and editors always searching for a poetic/artistic theme without being overpowering. I would no longer be opposed to another hk season. B'ob is fast becoming my favorite celebrity nfl nonplayer.
 

CloakNNNdagger

Hall of Fame
I see it like this; guys are going to play hurt. It's a part of the profession. No one is healthy late in the season. It's up to coaches and medical staff to protect players from themselves. We could all clearly see something wasn't right, yet the staff on the field missed it? There's plenty of blame to go around and it should be divided up equally.
That's why I slam everyone involved. It was *that* big of a catastrophe.

And I wouldn't call Mallett a ***** if he said he couldn't play. He very clearly couldn't.
From a post right after the game in which Mallet ruptured his pec:

...

We know he injured it last week and didn't rest it....... "pregame" might be referring to the fact that he extended the injury further in pregame warm ups?.....then certainly progressively extended it throughout the the Bengal game. Simple observation of his play along with physical examination of his pec on the sideline (with or without his subjective truthfullness) could not have missed the problem. The way he was playing and wincing despite his "medications," the injury was evidently significant and should have been readily diagnosable by the training and medical staff.

This is starting to smell like an RGIII scenario.
 

ObsiWan

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
From a post right after the game in which Mallet ruptured his pec:
I was irritated with that situ at the time and I'm irritated about that now. How could they not see Mallett wasn't 100% during warm-ups or at least know something was amiss by halftime. You're right. That whole situation has a certain stink to it. Someone's head should have rolled.
 
There is actual evidence of him showing up late. All I'm saying is that it's naive to look at this in a vacuum. Quotes like this indicate that Mallett hasn't taken practice as seriously as he should:

"I'm going to name Brian the starter. It comes down to consistency. Consistency through OTA's. Throughout training camp. In the media room."

"What I would expect from you Ryan is to be a professional about it. Prepare like a starter. Be ready to play."

Was Mallett a professional about it? Did he prepare like a starter? Was he ready to play?
Those quotes were followed by "And it was really close. I want you to know that [looking at Hoyer]."
 

JCTexan

Hall of Fame
The final episode would be really depressing if Charles James is cut. It seems like all the other fringe players the show highlighted have been (EZ, Kourtnei).
 

Marcus

Windmill cancer survivor
Contributor's Club
The final episode would be really depressing if Charles James is cut. It seems like all the other fringe players the show highlighted have been (EZ, Kourtnei).
610AM just said that someone is about to make the team, and the entire Internet is going to break because of it.
 

JCTexan

Hall of Fame
610AM just said that someone is about to make the team, and the entire Internet is going to break because of it.
That sounds like it could be anyone. KMart could have that type of reaction from Texans fans.. I'm hoping it's Charles James, though. The dude has been too damn impressive to not make this team.
 

Marcus

Windmill cancer survivor
Contributor's Club
That sounds like it could be anyone. KMart could have that type of reaction from Texans fans.. I'm hoping it's Charles James, though. The dude has been too damn impressive to not make this team.
Oh ****! It was Tim f'cking Tebow. :gun:
 

Number19

Hall of Fame
Oh ****! It was Tim f'cking Tebow. :gun:
But did you hear the guess, why? Next year the 2 point extra point will move to the 1 yard line and they are saying that Tebow will excel in this. Said this will impact the game and Kelly is forward thinking.
 

paycheck71

Hall of Fame
But did you hear the guess, why? Next year the 2 point extra point will move to the 1 yard line and they are saying that Tebow will excel in this. Said this will impact the game and Kelly is forward thinking.
Well, except that Tebow was traded to the Cardinals.
 

CloakNNNdagger

Hall of Fame
Does anyone know why they call him "The Turk"?
Having had this same question, I researched this years ago and found that there has never been a definitive origin assigned to the NFL term "The Turk." But the closest attempt to this has been that the Turkish soldiers of the 17th and 18th century were feared fighters which were said to swoop down at night with large curved swords shaped much like the Grim Reaper's sickle in order to eliminate their enemies. "The Turk" can be said to symbolically suck the life out of the player he visits, much like the Turkish soldiers and the Grim Reaper.

As an aside, I found another interesting fact buried in an historic NFL article......Coach wants to see you. And, bring your playbook!

“The Turk” is the NFL’s version of the Grim Reaper. He is the individual assigned by the team who is responsible for tracking down players and explaining to them that they are being released. “Coach wants to see you, and make sure you bring your playbooks” are the famous last words that no player wants to hear come from “The Turk.”

In years past he was known as “Squeaky Shoes.” Players said they could hear his shoes squeaking down the halls of the dormitories during training camp as he made his way from room to room cutting players that didn’t make the final roster. It wasn’t until the 1950s in Los Angeles that the name “Turk” became synonymous with the man given the distasteful duty of releasing players.
 

Marcus

Windmill cancer survivor
Contributor's Club
The final episode would be really depressing if Charles James is cut. It seems like all the other fringe players the show highlighted have been (EZ, Kourtnei).
It looks like everyone of the highlighted fringe players got cut. James included. So the music is going to be somber.
 

Tolar's Ghost

Waterboy
The final episode would be really depressing if Charles James is cut. It seems like all the other fringe players the show highlighted have been (EZ, Kourtnei).
This has pretty much been Hard Knocks' MO since it first hit the air.

They focus on colorful, funny guys with a good story. Unfortunately, much more often than not they get cut.
 

Bulls on Parade

2017 Astros: Earn It!
I'm ready for the finale of Hard Knocks and watching all of the cuts. We can see another third-round pick wasted by Rick Smith aka Louis Nix III. Oh boy. But for good reason this time. Christian Covington beasted and deserved to make the team over him. I heard the Giants claimed Nix off waivers too. Interesting.

I wish we could hire a GM to draft in the second, third and fourth rounds. And then Rick Smith can work the fifth, sixth, seventh and undrafted rookie list. He does better with those hidden gems. He's okay in the first round I guess. J.J. Watt is the best player on the planet. Clowney may still be a superstar. We'll see.

I'm not terribly upset with Rick Smith's first-round track record.
Other than perhaps not being more aggressive for a franchise QB?
I'm busy right now. I'd have to dig through all of his selections to tell.

It sort of pisses me off though that we just threw away a third-round pick in 2013 (Sam Montgomery) and 2014 (Louis Nix III). Why not trade those two third-round picks for a useful veteran at a position of need? But yet Rick Smith likes to value draft picks and is reluctant to trade a seventh-round pick to John Elway for Chris Clark. Right!!!!!

That's probably because Rick Smith is more likely to draft a good player that late in the draft. LOL
 

Playoffs

Hall of Fame
Texans say farewell to Hard Knocks and familiar faces

With Tuesday night's final episode, the stage has been struck on "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Houston Texans."

Now comes the real show – the Texans' regular-season opener Sunday against the Chiefs – which will unfold without many of the faces that viewers had come to know during the six-week HBO Sports/NFL Films series.

As Texans fans already knew, and as more casual viewers elsewhere learned Tuesday night, many of the Texans players featured on "Hard Knocks" are headed elsewhere as practice squad players – Charles James with the Ravens, Kourtnei Brown with the Buccaneers, Uzoma Nwachukwu with the Dolphins.

Others are still here – defensive lineman Christian Covington and running back Chris Polk among them – which is a typical outcome for "Hard Knocks," said director Matt Dissinger, who supervised the 32-person NFL Films crew.

"Maybe 40 percent to 60 percent of the longshot characters we've featured have made it somewhere, including someone else's practice squad," he said. "This year was unique. This is my eighth year, and I don't recall such a wide variety (of outcomes)."

A handful of "Hard Knocks" featured characters have gone on to success, including Danny Amendola (Cowboys and Patriots), Danny Woodhead (Jets and Patriots) and Chris Hogan (Dolphins and Bills), and Dissinger said he hopes that "Hard Knocks" helped them.

The drama of James, Brown, Nwachukwu and the others certainly played well on TV. Premiere audiences for the first five episodes were up 30 percent from last year's series on the Atlanta Falcons.

The first episode, with reruns, totaled 4.4 million viewers, putting the Texans series on track to rival the most-watched "Hard Knocks" series in program history (4.5 million for the Jets in 2010 and 4.1 million for the Dolphins in 2012).

This was Dissinger's eighth year working on "Hard Knocks," and he said the experience "ranks right up there with anything we've done."

"I have a lot of attachment to this one," he said. "From a personality standpoint, starting with the head coach to superstar players to longshot characters, I don't know that we've had stronger personalities. You can't script Charles James playing both ways and scoring a 72-yard touchdown."

Dissinger also got plenty of mileage out of veterans Vince Wilfork, J.J. Watt and Brian Cushing.

"Vince covers the spectrum – entertaining, intelligent, great player," he said. "Watt has embraced the fact he is a star player and a team leader. As a documentarian, that's a great thing to have working for you."

Coach Bill O'Brien's language was a focal point for local viewers, but viewers unfamiliar with his background are more likely to remember the O'Brien family's birthday celebration with son Jack.

"It was important to understand not just the Bill O'Brien who is passionate and might say a few curse words, but that he's a great father and a great husband," Dissinger said.

However, even with so many robotic cameras and camera crews at his disposal, Dissinger couldn't catch everything. It wasn't until the final episode, for example, that viewers got any sense of Brian Hoyer, who beat out Ryan Mallett for the starting quarterback job.

"'Hard Knocks is always a matter of engaging the players where they are comfortable," he said. "We found a situation where we could get something with Brian off the field, and it just happens that it was in the last show."

As for one of the most talked-about incidents in training camp, Mallett oversleeping and missing a practice, viewers did not get to see Mallett speaking with O'Brien, only with general manager Rick Smith.

"We can only capture things where we have cameras," Dissinger said. "I'm sure there are hundreds of conversations that happened away from cameras. We went with what we had, and I think we presented a complete picture."

As the series ends and the season approaches, Dissinger left Houston on Tuesday and said he will take two weeks off before returning to work at NFL Films.

"I feel like my brain is healing, recovering from no sleep," he said. "It takes awhile to extract yourself."​
 
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