It is one of those eras when ALL the Houston sports teams, college and professional have had miserable seasons and they have had so many of them that it feels like a never ending cycle. Rockets in limbo, Astros are in "no name" country, and the Texans are led by McNair, Kubiak, and Wade. May God have mercy on us. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some Morey magic. If he doesn't pull something out of the hat, we may be on our decent into sports purgatory.
..which will make it that much sweeter if we ever win something. (albeit by then I might be using a walker and wearing depends at this rate) GO DYNAMO!
the funny thing is, all these teams have completely different problems, but they all suck (Rockets and Dynamo somewhat similar I guess)
Reasons why this year is light years better than anything in the 70s: Two of our teams have won *something*. One team won a pretty big something two years in a row. Five years ago is so much more recent than never, and the fact of having won before lends itself to hope for winning again. We haven't traded Elvin Hayes or Joe Morgan recently. The biggest recent sports event in town isn't a freaking tennis match from last decade. None of our teams are owned by a credit holdings company, and Spec Richardson isn't the GM anywhere (and you thought Purpura/Wade/Casserly/Smith were bad...). 17k-20k in the JuiceBox bother you? How about 200 in the Summit? Nine years is a long time. But how about EIGHTEEN years?
It's really a let down because we expected so much from the Texans, UH football and Rockets. Astros we knew were rebuilding and the Dynamo were due to drop, they just fell completely off though. Rice will be Rice, waiting for baseball season. There was only one silver lining and Mr. Space City was the only one to call it so far and thats TSU football winning the SWAC and their basketball team is 6-1 in conference and in 1st place right now. There's not much to cheer for but TSU is coming through for Houston. Sam Houston and SFA going to play their 184th basketball game Jan 26th and Sam has a 92-91 lead in the all-time matchup. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Axe da Jacks!!! Eat 'em up Kats!
It makes this year hurt a little more that the Kats are not doing so well in basketball...at least not as well as we've become accustomed to. I miss Coach Marlin.
well played. But I'm with our 19-year-old friend: baseball is the greatest game. I mean hear all the complaints about the pace of it and all, but for me it's what my grandfather and his pop did together, and my pop and my grandfather, and me and my pop, and now me and little man. I have great memories of me, and pop, and the grandfather at the 'Dome. I realize everyone else's experience will be different. But for me, nothing beats a summer evening at the ballpark. Nothing, that is, except *playing*. But those days are done!
Can't get tired of watching these highlights either. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/ps/y2005/wra...=1251931&vkey=ps2005wrapup&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb Whats more exciting than some of those great plays. In particular the game ending DP to close out game 4. 40,000+ rabid fans going crazy is what its about. Oh and how can we forget Ensberg gunning down Pujols at the plate on a defensive gem to keep the lead. Oh and even though we didn't win Game 5. Berkmans 3 run shot off Carpenter was epic. And Burkes shot during the NLDS......Kents walk-off in 04 (loudest i've ever heard that stadium) So glad they still have the highlights from 05 up. Get tingles on my skin just watching some of those.
...and Glenn Davis touching the bag for the final out of Scottie's no-no back in '86. ...and Billy Hatcher's bomb in the 14th. ...and Nolie's no-no back in '82. ...and JR dominating the Dodgers for like 6 years.
I've only watched a bit of the 80's Astros but from what i've seen and read it looks like it was one of the better times in Astros history. Right before the Biggio/Bags era took over.
I caught on in 86 and that was one hell of a ride. As dominate as Oswalt has been over the years, Mike Scott was even better for about a 3 or 4 year run. It was small ball at its finest, triples left and right. I was merely 7 in 86, so some of the memories have gotten jumbled up a bit but I still remember a 22 inning battle in 88 with the Dodgers...Fernando ended up playing 1st and Orel Hershier pitched like 7 or 8 no hit extra innings in that game. Jimmy D ended up somewhere and made a play, I think...good times I tell you!
I watched that entire game. Good times, indeed! The 80s were "good times" for the Astros insofar as they finally didn't royally suck, but half of the years they were still out of the playoff picture by late August. 80, 81, and 86 were lots of fun, though. Everytime I think of the 80s Astros, I think "we had a Jeter/Garciaparra/Rodriguez SS before any of those guys, before F'n Mike Torres mowed him down."
Dickie Thon was a bit before my time but I still remember the pre-Bagwell/Biggio talk was about him being the best SS in the game at that time of the beaning.
I block out all those bad years like the Oilers 1-13 years or the Rox seasons before getting Ralph etc...or the stros, man they were bad for a while too. Just got to look forward...otherwise it would be too painful. DD
