Vince Young Is Good for America (1 Viewer)

[the hairy scotsman]

houston chronicle

Strengthening democracy

So maybe those "economic impact studies" regarding the benefits of professional sports are as bogus as serious economists tell us they are.

But that doesn't mean professional sports do not provide a value to a city.

Vince Young proved that on Sunday.

His escape from the clutches of would-be sackers and 39-yard broken-field run to the end zone did more than give Nashville an overtime win over Houston.

It strengthened America.

It put starch in the egalitarian fabric that makes this nation great.

It enabled every working stiff, every rocking-chair retiree, every registered voter and unregistered drop-out in this First-Tier city and beyond to demonstrate convincingly that they are smarter than the rich guy who owns the Houston Texans.

If Houston responded to the return of prodigal son Roger Clemens to the Astros the way we did, what would the drafting of Vince Young have done for the Texans?

Houston franchises need personalities that bind the teams to this transient city.

The Rockets were most loved when University of Houston greats like Hakeem Olajuwon, Elvin Hayes and Clyde Drexler led them.

The return of Clemens and Andy Pettitte fanned the fire of Astros fans.

Many Houstonians cheered for Young on Sunday even though he was playing for the hated Bud Adams. Imagine if he had been wearing a Texans uniform.

By drafting him, McNair not only would have gained a great player. He would have made the Houston Texans more the Houston Texans.

 

[aldelgreco]

houston chronicle

Strengthening democracy

So maybe those "economic impact studies" regarding the benefits of professional sports are as bogus as serious economists tell us they are.

But that doesn't mean professional sports do not provide a value to a city.

Vince Young proved that on Sunday.

His escape from the clutches of would-be sackers and 39-yard broken-field run to the end zone did more than give Nashville an overtime win over Houston.

It strengthened America.

It put starch in the egalitarian fabric that makes this nation great.

It enabled every working stiff, every rocking-chair retiree, every registered voter and unregistered drop-out in this First-Tier city and beyond to demonstrate convincingly that they are smarter than the rich guy who owns the Houston Texans.

Yes.Yes.Yes.God I wish we could have had him back for just 3 games this season

 

[Knight who says Ni]

Okay, he's having a decent year and leading his team to wins, and I have no doubt that he will enjoy a good career in the NFL, but this is way, way, way over the top. Starch in the egalitarian fabric ?? That ranks up there among the dumbest metaphors I have ever seen.

It wasn't waitresses and cashiers and mechanics that drafted Young, it was ... well, another rich guy. And nobody thought Young should have gone off the board as the #1 overall pick in the draft. Most Houston fans I knew were more upset that they passed on Reggie Bush, not Vince Young - all of this is easy to say in hindsight, and who's to say Mario Williams doesn't get 16 sacks next year? Silliness

Ni

 

[dickey moe]

This is beginning to rival the Obama hype.

 

[pgreenfan]

Okay, he's having a decent year and leading his team to wins, and I have no doubt that he will enjoy a good career in the NFL, but this is way, way, way over the top. Starch in the egalitarian fabric ?? That ranks up there among the dumbest metaphors I have ever seen.It wasn't waitresses and cashiers and mechanics that drafted Young, it was ... well, another rich guy. And nobody thought Young should have gone off the board as the #1 overall pick in the draft. Most Houston fans I knew were more upset that they passed on Reggie Bush, not Vince Young - all of this is easy to say in hindsight, and who's to say Mario Williams doesn't get 16 sacks next year? SillinessNi

If you think that there weren't a large number of Texans (much less Texans fans) that felt that Vince Young should have been the first pick you are .

 

[the hairy scotsman]

Okay, he's having a decent year and leading his team to wins, and I have no doubt that he will enjoy a good career in the NFL, but this is way, way, way over the top. Starch in the egalitarian fabric ?? That ranks up there among the dumbest metaphors I have ever seen.

I think the author was only half serious, and using a slightly "tongue in cheek" approach.

It wasn't waitresses and cashiers and mechanics that drafted Young, it was ... well, another rich guy. And nobody thought Young should have gone off the board as the #1 overall pick in the draft. Most Houston fans I knew were more upset that they passed on Reggie Bush, not Vince Young - all of this is easy to say in hindsight, and who's to say Mario Williams doesn't get 16 sacks next year? Silliness

Ni

Really? I did.

So did thousands of others who thought the Texans would be crazy to pass on Young. So did the people who took out ads in the Chronicle begging the Texans to take Young...and the radio callers, and the folks who wrote letters to the editor, and posted in massive numbers on message boards, etc. There was a lot of talk about all this right here on this board.

 

[LHUCKS]

VY is great for the NFL and great for the Titans and great for Texas.

Anything past that is hyperbole. :51.7:

 

[the hairy scotsman]

VY is great for the NFL and great for the Titans and great for Texas.

Anything past that is hyperbole. :51.7:

He would be great for the city of Houston.It cannot be underestimated how much he is loved there, and in Texas in general.

You should have seen the postgame scene at Reliant Sunday.

Here's how I described the scene on another board...

At least 1/3 of the Texans' best crowd of the season was cheering openly for the Vince Young and the Titans, and there were literally tens of thousands of fans sporting official Titans #10 Vince Young jerseys. It seems safe for me to say that the assertion we've been making 'round here ...that the Texans missed a huge marketing opportunity on draft day....was borne out...impressively.

Yesterday's crowd was the 2nd largest in Texans' history, and their first sellout of the year. The PA announcer thanked everyone for attending. He should have thanked Vince.

As I left the stadium having just watched Young and 25k would-be Texans fans, who are instead new Titans fans, demonstrate to Texans management just exactly how monumental an error they had committed by passing on the kid, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. On the way out I heard literally hundreds of Texans fans lamenting the loss of and loss to the hometown idol, while in the same breath decrying David Carr's lack of killer instinct and/or big play capability. One said "It's not Carr's fault, but he'll just never be on the level of a Vince Young." I heard one guy yell out to two dejected female clerks as he passed an empty Texans apparel stand "Y'all want some customers? Get some o' them Vince Young jerseys." As I made my way down the exit stairs, one could clearly hear shouts of "Mario who?" and others questioning whether Williams was even on the field during that last play.

A crowd of thousands had gathered over by Young, cheering as he did a post-game interview. Another huge crowd had gathered in the stands by the Titans' tunnel to show Young and the Titans some appreciation as they left. I got over there as quickly as I could and as I stood next to a wonderful Houston couple cheering as Young headed to the locker room, she turned to me and said, half crying, "We sure do love our Vince, don't we?"

Yep. We sure do. I've never seen a sports figure evoke such emotional response from fans. It's truly phenomenal. What I saw from Vince's fans Sunday, myself included, was an outpouring of such unbridled emotion the like of which I have only seen when Vince led us Horns to victory over USC. Vince's fans are emotionally invested in the man, on and off the field. Likewise, he (apparently) is emotionally invested in his fans in a way I've never seen in a pro athlete.

Now they love him in Nashville, too.

newschannel5.com (video on demand, upper right)

(hit the right arrow, then it's the 1st video on the right, 6th overall)

On the 610 AM Radio (Texans broadcast station) postgame show, the Texans own broadcast team literally gushed on and on about what an opportunity the Texans had missed by passing on Young. Two of them admitted they thought the game was over as soon as the Titans won the OT coin-toss, that Young would not be denied an overtime win and would do something, anything to make it happen, and that they had said exactly that to one-another when the Titans won that toss. One of them lamented that the Texans had blown a chance at "Luv Ya Blue II", a chance at "a love affair between a city, a player, and his team like the one Houston had with Earl Campbell and his Oilers". Like many of you, I lived in the Houston area back then. You quite literally couldn't go anywhere without seeing an Oilers sign, some Oilers merchandise, or people wearing Oilers jerseys, usually numbered "34". Houston was quite literally stark raving mad about Earl and the Oilers. The crew went on about how you couldn't really blame Carr, since he had an ok game statistically and hadn't done anything to cause the loss, but also noted that sadly, and typically, he hadn't done anything to cause a win, either. Another lamented that "Unlike the Titans, the Texans still don't know who their qb is or who their rb is. Meanwhile Young's addition has solidified the Titans run game, re-establishing Travis Henry as a feature NFL back, and refocusing the entire team ". He went on to urge mgmt to hit the FA qb market in the offseason. Remember, these are Texans broadcasters, half an hour after the game.

Nope. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face as I left...until I remembered I could be watching that show 8 times a year at Reliant, instead of just once. That took the smile right off my face.

Had the Texans drafted Young they'd have addressed:

- a need on the field

- a leadership void

- ticket sales woes

- merchandising issues

..and they would have been doing something good for the city of Houston and the State of Texas. Instead, they shortchanged us all.

Prior to the game, Houston fans dubbed the Titans game "Judgment Day". Well, the verdict is in, and I don't think they like it one little bit. Oh, of course, Texans mgmt will appeal next year, but we all know how that usually goes.

 

[Knight who says Ni]

Okay, he's having a decent year and leading his team to wins, and I have no doubt that he will enjoy a good career in the NFL, but this is way, way, way over the top. Starch in the egalitarian fabric ?? :( That ranks up there among the dumbest metaphors I have ever seen.

I think the author was only half serious, and using a slightly "tongue in cheek" approach.

It wasn't waitresses and cashiers and mechanics that drafted Young, it was ... well, another rich guy. And nobody thought Young should have gone off the board as the #1 overall pick in the draft. Most Houston fans I knew were more upset that they passed on Reggie Bush, not Vince Young - all of this is easy to say in hindsight, and who's to say Mario Williams doesn't get 16 sacks next year? Silliness

Ni

Really? I did.

So did thousands of others who thought the Texans would be crazy to pass on Young. So did the people who took out ads in the Chronicle begging the Texans to take Young...and the radio callers, and the folks who wrote letters to the editor, and posted in massive numbers on message boards, etc. There was a lot of talk about all this right here on this board.

Admittedly, I didn't read any of the the local stuff so my sample is definitely small (all the Texans I know are Virginia transplants), so I will take your word on that; I simply don't remember seeing any pundits recommend that Houston take Vince Young #1. Still, it's tough to get past the "strengthening democracy by putting starch in the egalitarian fabric of society" bit, even if it was tongue in cheek

Ni

 

[Colin Dowling]

The local fare was to take Young over Bush. Williams wasn't even the in the discussion until a week or two before the draft. When he entered the equation, people were like "Huh?"

The talk shows, news op-eds, etc. were full of "TAKE YOUNG, NOT BUSH!" When Carr's option was excersized, many locals became resolved to the fact that Bush would be the pick, but that wouldn't be so bad.

There is good reason to believe that one of the things that made Bud Adams issue the "Take Vince, not Leinart" edict was because he was sitting at home in Houston watching how much the Texan fans pined for Young and decided to stick it to them once again by selecting Vince.

 

[msommer]

There is good reason to believe that one of the things that made Bud Adams issue the "Take Vince, not Leinart" edict was because he was sitting at home in Houston watching how much the Texan fans pined for Young and decided to stick it to them once again by selecting Vince.