Why do you care if I care? People keep saying it has to do with the Texans being new, or sucking, or because geography doesn't matter. In reality it is only because of Vince Young. If Houstonians want to root for the Titans because of VY. Well, that's fine, but they should expect ribbing about it, just like Texans fans should expect ribbing about their drafts.
In reality I've always posted reasons why its hard to get into the texans. from their boring name, to their boring colors, etc. they are just bland. the generic nfl team, that doesn't win.
I was born and raised in Houston and even though I now reside in Dallas, my allegiance has always been to the Houston teams I grew up with. I stopped believing in the Rockets 6 years ago because I considered the ownership and organization to be an inept bunch of idiots. I truly wanted to believe in the Texans but the Capers/Casserly/McNair (aka the Three Stooges) regime convinced me otherwise. And what Kubiak & Smith did at the top of last year's draft and the complete botching of the David Carr issue did little to persuade me that this team is worthy of my allegiance. And that's why I think you see so many angry & pissed off VY fans because they will have a hard time getting over the fact that Kubiak & McNair passed on this guy who is the real deal for David Carr who they ended up dropping like a bad bean pie one short year later. Simply put: they have done nothing to to deserve the fans' support and it will take a lot more than "faith" to bring the fans back. Unlike Richard Justice, I remain high skeptical and even a bit suspicious that this organization is in the right hands and is on the right track. I'm waiting to see them prove it on the field where it counts.
I disagree that you couldn't be bandwagon fan back in the day. I remember in the early 90's more people wore Bulls jerseys than Rockets jerseys. And the lack of childhood memories hasn't stopped people for getting attached to VY, has it? The fact is it has more to do with VY than any of those justifications. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Um, getting this back to draft talk... at 123, what good prospects are out there, especially offensive line and/or defensive backfield?
I agree it's hard to get into them. It's hard whenver a team sucks for a long time. I started losing interest in the Rockets in the late '90s after Hakeem and Clyde left. I guess there are two issues. 1) Losing interest, which is totally justified based on the ineptitude of the Texans and the fact that they are new. And 2) rooting for the Titans, which is based more on VY drawing fans, not onthe Texans sucking, or League Pass, or childhood memories. Because I don't remember many Houston fans rooting for the Titans (or any team outside Houston) before the VY debacle.
Sure, you could root for other teams. But if you lived in Houston, how many Bulls games a year could you actually watch? The only ones were the national TV ones. (One reason that the Braves and Cubs have a national fan base - they have TBS and WGN) If you were just becoming a fan, it was far easier to just start following the local team unless you had a reason to follow another. In the Bulls case, you had people who loved Michael Jordan. Of course it does. If there was no player there, you wouldn't have a reason to follow the other team. But if it was a baseball player or a basketball player, you wouldn't see mass defections of loyalty. That's only possible because many people don't have a real solid attachment to the Texans because of the reasons listed earlier - they don't have a history with them. Lots of people here love Kevin Durant. But you're not going to see them stop following the Rockets to follow his new team. It's because they have a history with the Rockets. Geography is as dumb a reason as any to follow a team - it's simply convenience.
Bennett is in this video at some point. "Cockytalk." Why not Cocktalk? <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Br-iquz2hhI"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Br-iquz2hhI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2007/bennett_fred Fred Bennett Ht/Wt: 6-1, 199 Hometown: Manning, South Carolina Overview There are few players more valued in the NFL than a legitimate cover cornerback. The South Carolina Gamecocks have produced three such players in Sheldon Brown, Dunta Robinson and Johnathan Joseph in recent years. Robinson and Joseph were selected in the first round. In Bennett, the Gamecocks have another standout cornerback. At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Bennett has the size that every team is looking for at the cornerback position. Where Bennett stands out, however, is in the quickness of both his feet and hands. The angular corner has been timed in the mid 4.4s and his agility stands out on film. Also standing out is Bennett's ability to defend the pass once the ball is in the air. Bennett is among the SEC's career leaders in both passes broken up (24) and interceptions (nine) over his career. Despite most of the attention last year going to Joseph, now with the Cincinnati Bengals, Bennett earned Honorable Mention SEC honors. This season, his second as a starter in South Carolina, Bennett has been even better and will be a hot commodity come April. Analysis Positives: Tight-skinned prospect with adequate muscle definition. Rare height for the position. Aggressive man-to-man cover corner. Effective jam of the receiver at the line of scrimmage. Rare speed down the field, especially for a corner of his size. Loses a step in transition, but has long speed and a second gear when the ball is in the air. Uses his hands well to break up the pass. Adequate awareness in zone coverage. Good burst to close on the ball. Athleticism and size combination make for an exciting upside. Not a finished product. Negatives: Despite Bennett's size, he lacks toughness versus the run. Will react to the run and come up to support, but is more than willing to stand and let others do the dirty work. Rarely takes on blocks, choosing to run around them. No missed tackles on the games viewed, but tends to duck his head and swipe at the ball-carrier's feet rather than squaring up and driving his opponent to the ground. Good straight-line speed, but loses a step in transition and can struggle to blanket more agile or quality route-running wideouts.
but why are the VY fans so pissed about the Texans if they weren't fans of the Texans in the first place? i mean, if you're a fan of the guy, it's ok to root for his team, ala the Titans. but what does that have to do with hating on the Texans organization so much?
Ok fair enough. Except I'll take exception to geography being a dumb reason. They are the HOUSTON Rockets, not just the Rockets.. And I bet 90% of fans chose their team because of geography.
That's what's annoying to me. If you don't want to root for the Texans and want to root for the Titans, then good for you. Just quit coming into Texans threads and talking **** about our team. That makes you nothing more than a troll. And trolls suck ass.
Hey guys, how about this guy for our OT? Michael Otto, Purdue 6-5 308 Like most offensive linemen, Otto is an unassuming sort, but if you ask any of the top Big Ten pass rushers the past three years, most will say he is the last left offensive tackle they wish to face. Having earned a starting job as a redshirt freshman, Otto went on to start his next 36 games at the most demanding position on an offensive front wall. Otto was rated one of the nation's premier offensive lineman by Student Sports as a senior at Masonaquah High School. He was a first-team all-state offensive guard as junior and senior and also played defensive end. Otto added letters in basketball and track, and was a member of the National Honor Society. The Organizational Leadership and Supervision major is the ninth family member to attend Purdue. His father, Ken, played basketball for the Boilermakers from 1971 to 1973 as a reserve center. His mother, Judy; sister, Jennifer; brother, Brian; two uncles; and three aunts also are Purdue graduates. Otto redshirted at Purdue in 2002. He took over left offensive tackle duties in 2003 and was the recipient of the team's Most Improved Award. He was selected first-team Freshman All-American by College Football News and The Sporting News. TSN also named Otto to its Big Ten All-Freshman team. He added Academic All-Big Ten accolades and was an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick by the league's coaches and media after grading over 80 percent for blocking consistency. Otto established himself as an excellent pass protector during his sophomore year. He produced 15 touchdown-resulting blocks and helped protect Kyle Orton as the quarterback guided the offense that ranked fourth in the nation with an average of 312.2 yards per game passing. The offense struggled in 2005 due to losing Orton to graduation, but Otto continued to dominate the league's top pass rushers. He did not allow a sack and recorded 22 touchdown-resulting blocks for a unit that piled up 41 touchdown drives. Otto was also a member of the school's Success in Academics program that honors their athletes for achieving at least a 3.0 grade point average. Otto earned second-team All-Big Ten honors as a senior. He totaled 12 touchdown-resulting blocks and 84 knockdowns, as he did not allow any sacks and just three pressures during 2006. ANALYSIS Positives: Big-boned athlete with broad shoulders, long arms and thick thighs and calves … Has the frame to carry at least another 20-25 pounds of bulk with no loss in quickness … Shows quick feet and good hip flexibility, moving well in the open to make the cut blocks at the second level … Displays very good balance, doing a nice job retreating in pass protection … Competitive athlete with a mean streak and looks to finish off his opponent on every play … Garnered academic honors during his career and has no problem taking the play from the board to the field … Has good functional strength and an explosive hand punch that could be even more effective with more bulk and muscle tone … Shows good quickness off the ball to gain advantage, especially when reaching and sealing seven-techs … Seldom beaten off the edge due to his long reach and balance … His quickness is evident when working in space, as he shows good urgency on pulls and traps … Effective generating the foot speed on the backside to scoop and cut off the edge rushers … When he brings his hands up, he shows good weight distribution to put good force behind his punch, consistently shocking the defender with his initial blow … Has the ability to get under the pads and dominate on drive blocks … Flashes the hip movement to make the down blocks, as he moves his feet and swings his hips to wall off and sustain. Plays with good balance, as his base allows him to easily defeat twists and stunts … Has a wide base and knows how to keep his feet under him on the move … Takes good angles, showing ease with cut blocks in the second level … As a drive blocker, he generates enough functional strength to move the pile and can drive back with leverage, despite lacking ideal bulk … Gets a good, consistent push at the point of attack and has enough power to maul when working in-line … Shows above average leg drive and a good pad level on incline blocks and has the hand power to move out level-one defenders … Effective at keeping his shoulders square with base blocks and also blocks with a good flat back … Effective when trying to punch and recoil. He keeps his base wide vs. the hard charge so he can anchor and redirect as needed. He might get a little straight-legged, but his base and anchor help him compensate. His balance and knee bend are effective weapons vs. a strong club move … Can generate above average pop and explosion and has the ability to get under the defender's pads and jolt the opponent with his hand punch … Has the ability to consistently sustain and despite lacking ideal bulk, he sinks his hips and bends his knees properly to move the pile and drive block with good leverage (could be exceptional with added bulk) … Looks fluid with his feet on the move and makes solid contact in the open … Does a good job of smothering linebackers when working in the second level, then moving off that defender to attack another opponent. Negatives: Will need more bulk to anchor in pass protection at the next level, but he has the feet, balance and control to run over the defender … Will sometimes over-set, but he has the knee bend and mirroring skills to quickly recover … Has good bone structure, but needs to dedicate time in the weight room to improve his strength and add needed bulk to his frame … Consistent getting a functional push at the point of attack, but could be dominant if he is able to add another 20 pounds … Gets a little straight-legged at times, but is athletic enough to land and sustain … Shows good awareness reacting to stunts and blitzes, but needs to combo quicker at times. Compares To: Matt Light, New England Patiots … Like Light, Otto is a very alert blocker who uses his quickness to mirror and his hand punch to shock and jolt with very good consistency … He will need to add more bulk for the next level, but he has the frame to carry at least 20 more pounds without it affecting his foot speed … He might not dominate and explode through blocks like you'd want from a left tackle, but he is mistake-free and it is rare to see him give up the sack. Any opinions? He comes from a big college conference, the Big Ten. Anyone know any more about this guy?
