Texans and their fans (1 Viewer)

[Bri]

If you're a Texans fan, allegiance to them--- sorta new diehard Texans, which team did you root for before?

Why did you switch?

Your team stunk at first, but, Kubiak seems to have restored hope. Did you plan on them being a poor team and if so how long did you plan to "suffer" til they were good? (I'm guessing some will say 4-5 years)

I find the sum of this all fascinating BTW. The notion of "giving up" on one team, to go to a team that you are fairly confident will lose for 4-5 years.....I would have never ever predicted a sports fan would do such a thing. What is it? The new-ness? In some twisted way does it feel like starting over?

I loved the expansion draft, seemed almost like the NFL was playing FF in a way. I'm intrigued by them and would sure be a casual fan of their team. I think it's again FF related like dynasty stuff into real world action in the NFL. Anyone else feel halfway similar? Also, FWIW, I keep noticing their team thread is one of the most popular/most bumped threads this offseason which is somewhat surprising too.

Any thoughts along these lines?

 

[Jeff Tefertiller]

the question is:

who still has a Tony Boselli jersey?

 

[Bri]

the question is:who still has a Tony Boselli jersey?

maybe not the place, but do you? High character, well respected, nice guy, religious, seems like somene you'd be a fan of.

 

[Jeff Tefertiller]

the question is:who still has a Tony Boselli jersey?

maybe not the place, but do you? High character, well respected, nice guy, religious, seems like somene you'd be a fan of.

I like Boselli, and understand why he was chosen by the Texans. The last couple of years have to give hope to Texan fans. The defense seems to be young and improving with Ryans, Williams, and others. Kubiak has the Texans competitive.I would like to see what coolnerd, GregR, and some of the other Texan homers have to say about how far the team has come, while some are still Oiler fans from the Bum and Campbell era.

 

[prymetyme25]

Well I'm a fan of all Houston sports even when they are bad. I was a die hard Oiler fan but when they left I watched them till they changed the name and then I was through with them. I hate the Titans and yes I do know they are the Oilers but not my Oilers. When we didn't have a team I rooted for the Tampa Bay Buc I watched the game against San Fran and I was hooked on that defense then they drafted Warrick Dunn (who was my favorite player coming out of college) and got Keyshawn and I officially became a fan. I rode that wave until Gruden completely sent all my guys packing. Now I die hard Texans and I love the way they are building this team because it is the way I would build it myself. The only thing I dont like about the Texans is that we play in the AFC SOUTH that really sux.

 

[GregR_2]

As a little kid my favorite team was the Seahawks despite growing up in Michigan. Why? Because when I was about 5 or 6 my Mom bought me some NFL sweatshirts, and one of them was a Seahawks one. It was my favorite shirt, so that's why I ended up cheering for the team. Closest franchise to where I lived was the Bears, but never really cared for them. Lions games I didn't see as much as I was closer to Chicago.

So flash forward a couple decades and I get my first job out of grad school and move to Houston for work, right about the time the Oilers leave. When Seattle changed their uniforms to those hideous things they wear now it made me want to puke. I still cheer for them, but I figured they must be run by idiots to have switched to them and so by the time Houston got the Texans franchise, I was primed for a local team to be my favorite.

I got about a half-season of individual game tickets the first year, and have been a season ticket holder since. Of course when you're going to the games you're going to cheer for them. And I've never had this kind of direct exposure to an NFL team before, so no surprise they are my favorite team now.

I expected the Texans to suck in year 1, to be poor in year 2, and in year 3 to be at a level where they were at least able to contend for a playoff spot and not be a bottom feeder. The sign someone had at the very first Texans game against Dallas (whose sports teams are often loathed in Houston) about summed up my view of the first season. "1-15 is fine, just win this one."

Year three they go 7-9 and we figure we're close to competing for a playoff spot. But then the team goes and cuts most of the good veteran players who were the corp of the team, in order to get younger and faster. Well, that's a great idea if you have a GM who has hit on anything other than his 1st round draft picks and who hasn't traded all the other away for guys who suck or have no heart (yes I mean you, Phillip Buchanon). Charlie Casserly's drafts were just abysmal, and that 4th year it became obvious when those guys became the starters. The coaching staff completely lost the team and both look inept. I don't know if David Carr would have been a good NFL QB if he went to some other situation, but the coaching staff deserves its share of the blame too for his development. I was so happy to see Capers and Casserly go after that year.

That 4th year was so painful. We went in hopeful, and after seeing the first 2 weeks, I correctly predicted they would beat Cleveland and then either San Fran or Arizona, and go 2-14. The following off-season was obviously painful to go through. The arguments on local sports radio about Vince vs Reggie were to the point of being ridiculous. And then of course the Texans took Mario and got blasted in just about every single column, article, interview, and talk show in the nation. I think I was about numb by the time that next season started.

Of course in retrospect, I'm very happy with how the front office has done. It's nice to finally have a coach and GM who when you look back with the benefit of hindsight, have drafted better than I would have in their place. I think they have the right view about building the team. You go after mid-priced free agents who will contribute, but you don't build your team that way. If you get a shot at one of the special players who rarely makes it to free agency, go for it, but otherwise, draft well and reward the guys who are already on your team who have played well.

To get back to Bri's original questions... I never had a huge allegiance to an NFL team prior to the Texans. So making the switch to them as the first truly local team I'd ever had, and when I'm a ticket holder, was a no-brainer. I didn't think it would be this many years and they still haven't been to the playoffs, but they are moving in a good direction. 8-8 isn't bad at all when you're playing in a division where the other 3 teams go to the playoffs, and you led the league in guys on injured reserve and number of games missed by starters. Texans still have some holes to fill, but they finally look like a real NFL team, have depth at several positions, etc.

I do love that we do have quite a few active Texans fans on the board here, and you're not the first non-Houstonian to show an interest in them. Some of it may be the whole expansion draft thing, but I bet some of it too is that people like to see a bumbling failure turn things around. And part of it also may be that when people see a person or team given a lot of grief that ultimately they didn't deserve, it kind of makes them more appealing in the underdog sense. I think maybe what happened to the Texans over the Mario Williams pick may have contributed to that.

 

[GregR_2]

the question is:who still has a Tony Boselli jersey?

There's still a couple out there. I know a guy who has one though he rarely wears it now.

 

[coolnerd]

I will answer this later, but I am few too many in to make much sense at the moment.

 

[Stewy]

I wasn't really a fan of any NFL team before the Texans. I was brought up as a baseball, college basketball, and college football fan. I would casually watch the NFL and never followed any specific team, though I was always fond of the Seahawks and Panthers for no particuliar reason. Throughout highschool my interest in the NFL grew, especially when word of Houston getting another team came out. I was 18 when the Texans played their first game and I viewed that as a chance to (1) really get into the NFL and (2) be a fan from a team from the very beginning, which I thought would be a pretty cool thing to be able to say 20-30 years down the road.

The fact that they would or wouldn't be good never really entered into my decision to follow the team. I was just happy to say I had a team to follow. But, now that Kubiak is here and we are headed in the right direction I can see how painful those years under Casserly and Capers were. But you'll never know pleasure until you know pain, so I'm glad we took our lumps early. The crazy thing about the Texans is they are easily the team I am most passionate about, even moreso than the Braves who I've been following since I could swing a bat. There's just something special to be able to say you've followed a team since its inception. There's a lot of pride, passion, and allegiance involved in that.

And, FTR, there is no doubt in my mind the Texans will make their first playoff appearence in history next season.

 

[coolnerd]

I will answer this later, but I am few too many in to make much sense at the moment.

I grew up a football fan in Beaumont which 75 miles outside of Houston. Even that close there were arguable more Cowboy fans than Oiler fans. I more an Oiler fan. I moved out of the state after high school, but continued my allegence to Texas sports. I watched the Oiler's demise from a distance. When I returned to Beaumont in 1999, the Oilers were gone and did not get the up close and personal treatment experience of several years of lame duck mediocrity. I was an original Texans season ticketholder. the history of expansion clubs was that it would take awhile, but that in 4 or 5 years, the team should be making legitimate runs at the playoffs, so I understood what I was getting into. there was an allure to seeing something grow from the bottom up. Although it does not seem like it now, the Texans expansion plan was to build the OL and DL first. Boselli was to return from his injury and Ryan Young was an up and comer at ORT. Steve McKinney was veteran from the Colts OL and they drafted two young OL in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. The DL was a similar story of veterans in the expansion draft and another 1 st day pick. In terms of sports experience, the opening day win over the Cowboys, was as electric from a fans standpoint as anything that I have experienced. While none of us, really thought it was the start of great first year, we thought that the organization would put together something that could compete. Carr was rough around the edges, but made a key long throw to help us win. On that day, there was no reason to think that the Texans organization would turn into a disaster that need a total overhaul four years into it.

 

[Golden Mike Tomczak]

Well I'm a fan of all Houston sports even when they are bad. I was a die hard Oiler fan but when they left I watched them till they changed the name and then I was through with them. I hate the Titans and yes I do know they are the Oilers but not my Oilers. When we didn't have a team I rooted for the Tampa Bay Buc I watched the game against San Fran and I was hooked on that defense then they drafted Warrick Dunn (who was my favorite player coming out of college) and got Keyshawn and I officially became a fan. I rode that wave until Gruden completely sent all my guys packing. Now I die hard Texans and I love the way they are building this team because it is the way I would build it myself. The only thing I dont like about the Texans is that we play in the AFC NORTH that really sux.

Um.. No. Your sense of direction is terrible. The Texans play in the AFC South.

 

[Houston turmOiler]

I was a diehard Oilers fan (and we died pretty damn hard a few times). I absolutely loved the Oilers but I refused to stay a fan once they moved to Tennessee. That team is dead to me now, and I just watched football without a team there for a few years. The city spent millions of dollars to refurbish the Astrodome when Bud threatened to move them to Jacksonville; just a few years later Nashville became the threat and I think people here just got tired of Bud's act. Throw in the fact that the early 90s Oilers were the greatest choke artists of all time, had coaches punching other coaches on ESPN prime time games, drunk general managers (Ladd Herzeg) mooning wedding parties, and dirty coaches (Jerry Glanville) who left tickets for Elvis--well, I guess all these things made it a little easier to let the Oilers walk. I still did not want to lose the Oilers but it had become a pi$$ing match between Adams and mayor Bob Lanier, and Adams was not going to win that one...

In retrospect, I think both parties are much better off. Bud actually found some stability and hired a classy coach who has given (IMO) that team the appearance of being a solid franchise. The Pac-Man drama aside, that team has seen much less turmoil than it did in the late 80s and early 90s. We here in Houston have a first-class owner in Bob McNair, a terrific new stadium, and a much classier organization now than we had here in the late 80s and early 90s.

I think this current regime is on the right track. McNair is smart enough to trust his football people to make decisions; unfortunately, he trusted Charley Casserley and Dom Capers for far too long. He's not the meddling type, though, and that bodes well for Rick Smith and Gary Kubiak. They've had 2 solid drafts and finally didn't finish with a losing record. Being stuck in the same division as Indy, Jacksonville, and Tennessee kind of sucks right now, but this is the Not For Long league so I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll have a damned good team in a year or two...

 

[Guzalot]

I'm a die hard Colts fan since 85, but I'm impressed with how the expansion Texans have built their team. In fact, I'm impressed with the entire AFC South, which has become one of the best (if not THE best) divisions in the NFL.

 

[prymetyme25]

Well I'm a fan of all Houston sports even when they are bad. I was a die hard Oiler fan but when they left I watched them till they changed the name and then I was through with them. I hate the Titans and yes I do know they are the Oilers but not my Oilers. When we didn't have a team I rooted for the Tampa Bay Buc I watched the game against San Fran and I was hooked on that defense then they drafted Warrick Dunn (who was my favorite player coming out of college) and got Keyshawn and I officially became a fan. I rode that wave until Gruden completely sent all my guys packing. Now I die hard Texans and I love the way they are building this team because it is the way I would build it myself. The only thing I dont like about the Texans is that we play in the AFC NORTH that really sux.

Um.. No. Your sense of direction is terrible. The Texans play in the AFC South.

Yeah I meant South. Thanks for correcting me. Although very rudely I might add.

 

[prymetyme25]

I was a diehard Oilers fan (and we died pretty damn hard a few times). I absolutely loved the Oilers but I refused to stay a fan once they moved to Tennessee. That team is dead to me now, and I just watched football without a team there for a few years. The city spent millions of dollars to refurbish the Astrodome when Bud threatened to move them to Jacksonville; just a few years later Nashville became the threat and I think people here just got tired of Bud's act. Throw in the fact that the early 90s Oilers were the greatest choke artists of all time, had coaches punching other coaches on ESPN prime time games, drunk general managers (Ladd Herzeg) mooning wedding parties, and dirty coaches (Jerry Glanville) who left tickets for Elvis--well, I guess all these things made it a little easier to let the Oilers walk. I still did not want to lose the Oilers but it had become a pi$$ing match between Adams and mayor Bob Lanier, and Adams was not going to win that one...In retrospect, I think both parties are much better off. Bud actually found some stability and hired a classy coach who has given (IMO) that team the appearance of being a solid franchise. The Pac-Man drama aside, that team has seen much less turmoil than it did in the late 80s and early 90s. We here in Houston have a first-class owner in Bob McNair, a terrific new stadium, and a much classier organization now than we had here in the late 80s and early 90s.I think this current regime is on the right track. McNair is smart enough to trust his football people to make decisions; unfortunately, he trusted Charley Casserley and Dom Capers for far too long. He's not the meddling type, though, and that bodes well for Rick Smith and Gary Kubiak. They've had 2 solid drafts and finally didn't finish with a losing record. Being stuck in the same division as Indy, Jacksonville, and Tennessee kind of sucks right now, but this is the Not For Long league so I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll have a damned good team in a year or two...

It absolutely burned me up when people were still supporting when they were in Tennesse. It was even worst when those same people didn't support them when they were the Oilers and didn't make it to the Superbowl.

 

[Buckna]

I grew up a diehard Oilers fan raised in a family that bled blue and white for decades. Many of my childhood memories are tailgating at the Astrodome and watching games with the family. My mother dated a retired Oilers QB for years before she met my current stepfather and thru him and the NFL Alumni events we got to go to I met an inumerable number of Houston sports stars as a kid with most of them being former and current Oilers players.

The early 90's were tough, the Oilers routinely smoked everybody in the regular season but would always choke in the playoffs. I suffered thru the "The Comeback" on TV and everyone remembers that, but the very next season the same thing happened in the AFC divisional against the Chiefs. Joe Montana led a come for behind victory and we lost once again, I was at that game. A few years later after some awful seasons, we went thru the hoopla of Bud Adams trying to screw over the city and eventually moving the team. Horrible, horrible experience and some of the most pitifully empty home games I've ever been to. I imagine only Baltimore fans hatred for the Irsays and how they ran away with the Colts can match how betrayed many of us Houstonians felt. I consider any Houstonian that roots for the Titans a traiter and that's a lot of people considering the many Vince Young longhorn fans there are in this state. I hated the Titans so much I refused to watch Superbowl 34 although I did break down at the end of the game only to be rewarded to see the final drive and "The Tackle." I considered it poetic justice.

Once the team left, I was a man without a team for awhile and eventually settled on the Raiders. I was raised to hate all things Cowboy and I still do (especially bandwagoner 90's fans) so I couldn't root for them. I think I landed on the Raiders only because of my worship of Bo Jackson when I was younger, maybe the Raiderettes had something to do with it to.

When Houston was awarded the new franchise I was head over heals, I honestly thought we had no chance against LA, but thankfully they couldn't get their act together. I thought they were doing everything right starting out, the name, the logo, the colors, the cool new retractable roof stadium. I was at the initial expansion draft and can still remember someone behind me articulating what I thought; "we're going to have a good defense!" Capers was a defensive mind, getting guys like Aaron Glenn, Jamie Sharper, Marcus Coleman, Gary Walker and of course Boselli showed a commitment to a strong defense and a strong O'line, the perfect foundations

I expected us to suck for a good 3-4 years, but was pleasantly surprised when the team preformed above my expectations starting out. Adding Andre Johnson, Dunta Robinson and Dom Davis in our subsequent drafts gave me faith in the drafting ability. After the the '04 season when we went 7-9 we were a team on the rise, some people (even on these boards) were predicting we might even make the next step to the playoffs, but then the offseason purge of the defense occured. Sharper was not resigned. We traded for Buchanon and while some Texans fans liked it, from my following of the Raiders I knew the Raiders fans were ecstatic to be rid of him. I was livid when we outright cut Aaron Glenn after the trade for Buchanon. I didn't think we would go 2-14, but after the first few games I was certain we were in for a very long year.

The rebuild so far has gone way better than I thought. I liked the Kubiak hire and most of his assitant coaches. I supported the Mario pick from the getgo. I believed the hype on Reggie, but I thought the last thing a terrible team starting completely over needed was a RB. I believed that Kubiak could rehabilitate Carr into an okay QB, but looks like were both wrong. I have not been impressed with Vince at all yet, although I think he will have a solid career. I've thought our last two drafts have been outstanding and I wish we had more picks.

I question if we are as good as our 8-8 record implies, I think the AFC South on the whole played an easy schedule last year. I disagree with people that have high hopes for us in '08 as I think we aren't close to threatening in our division yet, there are just too many holes at a lot of different positions. I could make a case that we aren't starting NFL starter caliber quality (or at the very least, very below avg) players at: LT, DE #2, DT #2, FS, CB#2, RB and OLB. I think a handful of 7-9 to 9-7 type seasons are the most likely scenario for the next 2 years as we add some more pieces. Indy, JAX, and the Titans are just too tough for us to accumulate an oustanding record.

Sorry if this got long-winded. It's Sunday morning and I'm bored.

 

[Houston turmOiler]

I was a diehard Oilers fan (and we died pretty damn hard a few times). I absolutely loved the Oilers but I refused to stay a fan once they moved to Tennessee. That team is dead to me now, and I just watched football without a team there for a few years. The city spent millions of dollars to refurbish the Astrodome when Bud threatened to move them to Jacksonville; just a few years later Nashville became the threat and I think people here just got tired of Bud's act. Throw in the fact that the early 90s Oilers were the greatest choke artists of all time, had coaches punching other coaches on ESPN prime time games, drunk general managers (Ladd Herzeg) mooning wedding parties, and dirty coaches (Jerry Glanville) who left tickets for Elvis--well, I guess all these things made it a little easier to let the Oilers walk. I still did not want to lose the Oilers but it had become a pi$$ing match between Adams and mayor Bob Lanier, and Adams was not going to win that one...In retrospect, I think both parties are much better off. Bud actually found some stability and hired a classy coach who has given (IMO) that team the appearance of being a solid franchise. The Pac-Man drama aside, that team has seen much less turmoil than it did in the late 80s and early 90s. We here in Houston have a first-class owner in Bob McNair, a terrific new stadium, and a much classier organization now than we had here in the late 80s and early 90s.I think this current regime is on the right track. McNair is smart enough to trust his football people to make decisions; unfortunately, he trusted Charley Casserley and Dom Capers for far too long. He's not the meddling type, though, and that bodes well for Rick Smith and Gary Kubiak. They've had 2 solid drafts and finally didn't finish with a losing record. Being stuck in the same division as Indy, Jacksonville, and Tennessee kind of sucks right now, but this is the Not For Long league so I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll have a damned good team in a year or two...

It absolutely burned me up when people were still supporting when they were in Tennesse. It was even worst when those same people didn't support them when they were the Oilers and didn't make it to the Superbowl.

I thought the "Music City Miracle" was fitting revenge against Buffalo for the 32 point comeback disaster, although I really can't say I enjoyed it. I will admit, however, that it sure did not displease me whatsoever to watch Kevin Dyson fall one miserable (beautiful?) yard short in the Super Bowl. Especially since I was having a huge party at my house and a bunch of people still wanted to claim the Titans as "their team." I just wish I could have seen Bud's face....

 

[prymetyme25]

I was a diehard Oilers fan (and we died pretty damn hard a few times). I absolutely loved the Oilers but I refused to stay a fan once they moved to Tennessee. That team is dead to me now, and I just watched football without a team there for a few years. The city spent millions of dollars to refurbish the Astrodome when Bud threatened to move them to Jacksonville; just a few years later Nashville became the threat and I think people here just got tired of Bud's act. Throw in the fact that the early 90s Oilers were the greatest choke artists of all time, had coaches punching other coaches on ESPN prime time games, drunk general managers (Ladd Herzeg) mooning wedding parties, and dirty coaches (Jerry Glanville) who left tickets for Elvis--well, I guess all these things made it a little easier to let the Oilers walk. I still did not want to lose the Oilers but it had become a pi$$ing match between Adams and mayor Bob Lanier, and Adams was not going to win that one...

In retrospect, I think both parties are much better off. Bud actually found some stability and hired a classy coach who has given (IMO) that team the appearance of being a solid franchise. The Pac-Man drama aside, that team has seen much less turmoil than it did in the late 80s and early 90s. We here in Houston have a first-class owner in Bob McNair, a terrific new stadium, and a much classier organization now than we had here in the late 80s and early 90s.

I think this current regime is on the right track. McNair is smart enough to trust his football people to make decisions; unfortunately, he trusted Charley Casserley and Dom Capers for far too long. He's not the meddling type, though, and that bodes well for Rick Smith and Gary Kubiak. They've had 2 solid drafts and finally didn't finish with a losing record. Being stuck in the same division as Indy, Jacksonville, and Tennessee kind of sucks right now, but this is the Not For Long league so I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll have a damned good team in a year or two...

It absolutely burned me up when people were still supporting when they were in Tennesse. It was even worst when those same people didn't support them when they were the Oilers and didn't make it to the Superbowl.

I thought the "Music City Miracle" was fitting revenge against Buffalo for the 32 point comeback disaster, although I really can't say I enjoyed it. I will admit, however, that it sure did not displease me whatsoever to watch Kevin Dyson fall one miserable (beautiful?) yard short in the Super Bowl. Especially since I was having a huge party at my house and a bunch of people still wanted to claim the Titans as "their team." I just wish I could have seen Bud's face....

Now that my friend would have been PRICELESS.To this day, when NFLN replays that Oiler vs Bills game I can only watch until we get up to 35-3 then I have to change the channel. Altough I have never watch that second half again I still remember every play like it happened yesterday.

Damn you Steve Jackson. #24 you suck

 

[FUBAR]

Well I'm a fan of all Houston sports even when they are bad. I was a die hard Oiler fan but when they left I watched them till they changed the name and then I was through with them. I hate the Titans and yes I do know they are the Oilers but not my Oilers. When we didn't have a team I rooted for the Tampa Bay Buc I watched the game against San Fran and I was hooked on that defense then they drafted Warrick Dunn (who was my favorite player coming out of college) and got Keyshawn and I officially became a fan. I rode that wave until Gruden completely sent all my guys packing. Now I die hard Texans and I love the way they are building this team because it is the way I would build it myself. The only thing I dont like about the Texans is that we play in the AFC NORTH that really sux.

Um.. No. Your sense of direction is terrible. The Texans play in the AFC South.

Yeah I meant South. Thanks for correcting me. Although very rudely I might add.

It's an easy mistake to make when the division includes Indianapolis.

 

[FUBAR]

While I'm not a Texans fan, I love the way they're developing the team.

Defense is obviously their top priority, and it seems they've gotten mostly high character players. I may have missed something, but I don't recall hearing anything negative about their players.

They've drafted their stars, except Schaub which was also a brilliant move. Why draft a QB when you can save the picks and get someone with experience. Not to make the comparison, but he wouldn't be the first great QB to start their career in Atlanta and take off elsewhere. (ETA: I don't consider Green or Brown "stars")

 

[GregR_2]

...I think this current regime is on the right track. McNair is smart enough to trust his football people to make decisions; unfortunately, he trusted Charley Casserley and Dom Capers for far too long. He's not the meddling type, though, and that bodes well for Rick Smith and Gary Kubiak. ...

There was a guy sitting near me at one of the training camp sessions I went to this last year. He told me something I hadn't heard from any other source. I have no clue what this guy's reliability is, but my impression of him from an hour or two of talking football was that he didn't seem someone prone to exaggeration and making stuff up.He said he knew McNair's secretary, and she'd told him that when they interviewed for coaches, it was pretty well known that anyone who didn't come in for their interview saying they thought they could succeed with David Carr, wasn't going to get the job.I can't say what the truth of it is, though if I ever get a chance to talk to John McClain I'd love to ask if he ever heard anything to that effect. In any event though, if it's true, McNair has had a hand in some personnel decisions, and in a way that did majorly impact the team. Though obviously he's not a Jerry Jones. Hopefully if it is true he learned from his mistake.

 

[prymetyme25]

...I think this current regime is on the right track. McNair is smart enough to trust his football people to make decisions; unfortunately, he trusted Charley Casserley and Dom Capers for far too long. He's not the meddling type, though, and that bodes well for Rick Smith and Gary Kubiak. ...

There was a guy sitting near me at one of the training camp sessions I went to this last year. He told me something I hadn't heard from any other source. I have no clue what this guy's reliability is, but my impression of him from an hour or two of talking football was that he didn't seem someone prone to exaggeration and making stuff up.He said he knew McNair's secretary, and she'd told him that when they interviewed for coaches, it was pretty well known that anyone who didn't come in for their interview saying they thought they could succeed with David Carr, wasn't going to get the job.I can't say what the truth of it is, though if I ever get a chance to talk to John McClain I'd love to ask if he ever heard anything to that effect. In any event though, if it's true, McNair has had a hand in some personnel decisions, and in a way that did majorly impact the team. Though obviously he's not a Jerry Jones. Hopefully if it is true he learned from his mistake.

That would be true. McNair really wanted to give Carr every benefit of the doubt.

 

[Houston turmOiler]

Actually I have heard that rumor as well. Think I've actually heard it to some effect from McClain himself on the radio. I just chalked it up to Casserley still being around, who IMO seemed to be the biggest Carr supporter around (or even Dan Reeves when he came aboard as a consultant). Tough to guage his influence since he was virtually a lame duck, so I could very well be wrong. I don't really know what Reeves said, other than Capers was terrible I suppose. I just assumed that McNair trusted those guys so much that he bought into the Carr hype as well. It didn't take Kubiak long to change McNair's mind though, whatever the circumstances. He hired the right guy IMO.

I would have thought we would draft Vince Young if McNair was going to meddle, or at least take Reggie Bush. I guess my opinion of McNair is that he'll let football people make football decisions, in large part because he let them draft Mario Williams when it was ridiculously unpopular and the franchise had reached rock bottom (and I was one who hated it at the time)....

 

[coolnerd]

Actually I have heard that rumor as well. Think I've actually heard it to some effect from McClain himself on the radio. I just chalked it up to Casserley still being around, who IMO seemed to be the biggest Carr supporter around (or even Dan Reeves when he came aboard as a consultant). Tough to guage his influence since he was virtually a lame duck, so I could very well be wrong. I don't really know what Reeves said, other than Capers was terrible I suppose. I just assumed that McNair trusted those guys so much that he bought into the Carr hype as well. It didn't take Kubiak long to change McNair's mind though, whatever the circumstances. He hired the right guy IMO.I would have thought we would draft Vince Young if McNair was going to meddle, or at least take Reggie Bush. I guess my opinion of McNair is that he'll let football people make football decisions, in large part because he let them draft Mario Williams when it was ridiculously unpopular and the franchise had reached rock bottom (and I was one who hated it at the time)....

The story as I have heard through friend of a friend connections is that McNair loved Carr, because he was the Christian family man type and that either directly or indirectly all the candidates understood that resurrecting Carr's career was part of the package. I don't know if you remember, but McNair came out and said that all of headcoaching candidates said that you could win with Carr as the QB. Especially with a guy who have been as inconsistent as Carr, I doubt you could get 7 or 8 guys to agree on that without some reason to do so. On Reeves, my undersstanding is that he told McNair the same thing about winning with Carr, but that long-term Vince Young was the better option. In none of these cases, i really don't think that anyone who did not directly work with Carr knew how bad he was because the stuff around outside of AJ was so below average overall.Lastly, on Mario. I remember hearing as early as February of that draft year that the Texans were serious about Williams, but I like everyone else thought it was BS. Friend of a friend backroom stuff I have heard here is that neither Young nor Bush presented themselves well in thier visits to the team nor were exact fits for what Kubiak wanted to do with the offense.

 

[Buckna]

In the numerous Mario bashing threads that came up in the last two years I would often link an article from the Sporting News detailing a behind the scenes look at the Texans whole draft process that offseason. Probably one of my favorite quotes is from McNair and was this:

"From a fan standpoint, taking Reggie is a no-brainer. I know it," McNair says. "But I am going to do what is best for this franchise. I know they might make my life miserable. I know they will be unmerciful. But if we win, they will come back and embrace us. I am sure of that."

And another quote:

McNair is asked, "Isn't this a marketing as well as a football decision?" He responds: "Nothing is more important than doing what it takes to win games."

That says all I really need to know, because I agree 100%.

 

[kerpow]

It absolutely burned me up when people were still supporting when they were in Tennesse. It was even worst when those same people didn't support them when they were the Oilers and didn't make it to the Superbowl.

A couple of guys from Houston I've spoken to mentioned some even went back to following the Titans when Vince Young signed for the them. Common occurance or a few isolated cases do you think?

 

[prymetyme25]

It absolutely burned me up when people were still supporting when they were in Tennesse. It was even worst when those same people didn't support them when they were the Oilers and didn't make it to the Superbowl.

A couple of guys from Houston I've spoken to mentioned some even went back to following the Titans when Vince Young signed for the them. Common occurance or a few isolated cases do you think?

Nah its a common thing everyone wants to ride the new wave. I love Houston and the people here but I've noticed here that if you are not winning no one seems to be interested in you. And Vince didn't make it better by proclaiming that he wanted to play here. To me that was crap He wanted to be the No. 1 pick no matter who had it.