Texans Down 'N Dirty: Symphonic Edition

Sorry for the no show yesterday, I'm slowly recovering from depression after bearing witness to all four hours and 18 minutes of Andy Roddick's Wimbledon loss. I wonder, do losses hurt more in a one on one sport as opposed to a team sport? You have no one to put the blame on but yourself, however if you're a caring guy in a team sport and force all the blame upon yourself, does that make it worse? And what about the wins?

Frank Okam, after one year and change of non existence, has decided to show up for training camp (EHTR mentioned this). In an interview with the team website, Okam states his desire to improve and lock down a starting job. Okam has in fact trimmed down 25 pounds and worked on his explosiveness, which was non apparent last season. It will be easy to improve upon last year's performance, in which he rarely saw the field, but how much improvement should we expect to see? Do we put faith in Okam to become the giant DT to clog up space in the middle that the team has always lacked, or do we expect more out of guys like DelJuan Robinson and even Shaun Cody (I leave out TJ for a reason)? If anything, at least give the man props for trying. Okam also wants to see the Texans as the new Pittsburgh Steelers, not the Arizona Cardinals. He wants to win the Superbowl, not be runner-up. Well... sure, can't be that hard right? Just improve the d-line... and secondary... and defensive coordinator... Always reach for the top?

Troy Nolan has a man-crush on Brian Cushing. It's gotta be the hair, though pink does look great on him. But in all seriousness, it looks like the Texans rookies really took something out of the annual NFL rookie symposium. It's rare to see Texans players interfere with the law and this new crop of rookies look to continue that tradition. Be thankful we're not the Bengals. I'm fairly certain that none of the Texans rookies happened to be the culprit that dozed off during Chris Charter's speech. The search continues.

Rip Jersey has put together a great fanpost discussing this article. Not much more needs to be said. Johnson sees himself as the next great star of the league, while Slaton calmly goes about his business on a daily basis. The second year will be key for both players in this "rivalry" of sorts. Now that teams have had a year to digest their playing style, will they still be as sensational? The Texans implemented a new zone blocking scheme last year, which means they have much room to improve on that front. Johnson on the other hand saw many of his carries end up bouncing to the outside. That works in the first year, sure. Second year? Not so much. Unless he develops the ability to consistently drive inside, he could end up just another one trick pony.

Lastly, Chester Pitts is now a member of the board of directors of the Houston Symphony. Will the oboe make a comeback?