Courtesy of the official team page, we're treated to an interview with Xavier Adibi. As the title of this post implied, Bobby Fischer should count his lucky stars: I think it also goes without saying that there wouldn't have been a delay of nearly twenty (20) years between the match and the fall of the Soviet Union if The X-Factor had tangled with Spassky. Yep, Xavier Adibi would have single-handedly altered the very course of history if he had been born a few decades earlier and pursued a career in chess. No one can convince me otherwise.

With all the breathless conjecture surrounding the possibility of Brett Favre deciding that, perhaps, maybe, he wants to play football again, it was only a matter of time before a writer, desperate to put out a football column during the doldrums of late June/early July, devoted a whole article to analyzing which team would make the best landing spot for St. Favre should he decide to grace us all with his presence again. That writer's name is Bill Williamson of ESPN.com.

But the article itself isn't why this post is being penned. It's because of one part of said article:

I readily admit that, despite my prayers to the Almighty every night begging for it to happen, I am not a general manager, coach, player, or jockstrap coordination engineer for a franchise in the NFL. I'm just a fan. A fan who is a little too passionate about his team. A fan who sometimes loses perspective on "life" because it conflicts with football. Needless to say, I'm flawed.

But I do know this: There is no effing way that Brett Favre will be a Houston Texan. No way. Yes, Kubes is a QB guru. And yes, Williamson is correct to note that "[t]he Texans are on the verge of good things." I can see how someone could examine the Texans' roster and think, "Man, look at that WR corps! And that defense has a chance to be nasty this year. The Texans are awfully close to making people sit up and take notice." I get all of that.

What I don't get, however, is why the Texans, a team that is (1) obviously building with youth, (2) emerging out of the salary cap/dead money mess left by the previous regime, and (3) has repeatedly proclaimed that Matt Schaub is their guy, would devote the resources necessary to sign a QB who's going to turn thirty-nine (39) two days before the Sunday of Week Six. The most obvious, guttural response would be: "Tim, pull your head out of your ass and look at Favre's numbers last year." To which I, after removing my cranium from my posterior, would say, "Valid point. But look at Favre's numbers from the 2005 and 2006 campaigns, too. Are you that confident that a thirty-nine year old QB, even one who has been as amazing as Brett Favre was in Green Bay, is going to be able to play at his 2007 level with new personnel, new coaching, and a new (albeit not that different) offense? Are you that confident that Favre will be an upgrade over Schaub/Rosenfels in 2008?"

Because I am not. I love Brett Favre. He was a joy to watch throughout his career, and he was/is one of those rare athletes that appeared/appears not to lose his love of the game as his disposable income grew. That's admirable. So it is with the utmost respect that I write the following: I do not believe that Brett Favre would be better for the Houston Texans in 2008 than Matt Schaub will be.

Frankly though, I don't much care what I think. I want to know if I'm alone on this one, or if Texans Nation is climbing out onto this limb with me. Fire away in the Comments below.

Here's to all of you having a relaxing and happy Independence Day. I'm guilty of taking it for granted sometimes, and I appreciate the fact that some people might disagree with me, but...The United States of America is the greatest country in the world. And I'd like to extend a special thank you to all of you who have served (including but not limited to BRB's own SOLIS) and/or contributed to making this great nation of ours what it is today.

So...how do I tie this seemingly non-football post to your Houston Texans? Through the Red-Headed Stranger, that's how. I'm sure that several of the Texans players and coaches will be on hand tomorrow when Willie brings his annual Picnic to H-Town. Call me crazy, but Jeff Zgonina seems like he'd be a huge Willie fan.

I've been meaning to post about this for a few weeks now. Steve Campbell wrote an article in late May that put into print the gist of what I'm wondering about The Pride of Lane College. Namely, are we going to see production in 2008 similar to that which made him the darling of the 2007 preseason? Or am I going to be uttering something akin to what I said after the second game against Indy more often than not:

Admittedly looking at the situation through battle red colored glasses, I'm tremendously encouraged by the following snippets from Campbell's article (then again, what would you expect him to say?):

While I can't condone every bit of Jacoby's off-the-field judgment this offseason, it's a relief to read that he's owning his conduct:

And most importantly, this:

Kool-Aid aside, what's a reasonable expectation for Jacoby Jones in 2008? Fact is, he's going to have to show the coaches that he's progressed to a point that merits time at WR instead of just in the return game. And that, my friends, is going to be tough. WR is one of the, if not the, deepest depth chart(s) on the squad. Of course, it's not completely illogical to think that the talent Jacoby flashed throughout the last preseason, as well as a handful of moments during the 2007 regular season, may well lead to Kubes finding ways to get him on the field (e.g., four (4) wideout sets).

But first things first: Jacoby is going to have to earn that time, and another spectacular preseason likely won't be enough to cut it this year. So I ask you, BRB...what do you think we're going to get out of Jacoby Jones in 2008?

Observers can say what they will about your Houston Texans. They can lambast them for compiling a record of exactly twice as many losses as wins (32-64) since the inception of the franchise. If they haven't been paying attention, they can even still shrilly exclaim that Super Mario was a bad pick (Ed. note: If you haven't already, check this post out; tip o' the cap to DGDB&D for finding this baby). But they cannot ever, ever say that your Houston Texans are dirty (the firestorm over this play notwithstanding). I give you this, from ESPN's Hashmarks:

Putting aside the fact that ESPN seems to give our squad credit for a year (2001) they weren't even playing in the NFL, that's something to be proud of, isn't it? Next directive--evening out that pesky all-time win-loss record.

If you thought this post was a thinly-veiled excuse to link to this epic rant, you're right. But it was inspired by this blurb from Pete Schrager's "15 Burning Questions" column:

Off the bat, and I realize this sounds pathetic, I'm just happy that the Texans have evolved to the point where their playoff chances are being considered by the national media. "Houston Texans to the Playoffs" talk used to just be something the "cool kids" at my weekly Dungeons & Dragons games would chat about whilst on Cheetos and Oxy runs. But now? Now, it's legit. Your Houston Texans are a legitimate playoff contender.

Yet I don't see us breaking through to the promised land this year. The first five (5) games this season are simply brutal. And the AFC South is the best division in football. Yes, yes...save your e-mails and indignity, NFC East devotees. Your division is stout too. But I think the AFC South is tougher. Ultimately, I think the division schedule is why your Houston Texans fall just short of the playoffs in 2008. I think a playoff berth in the AFC will require an absolute minimum of ten (10) wins, and quite possibly may require eleven (11) victories. I'm just not sure if the boys are Reliant, with that brutal schedule, can get there this year.

That's my feeling right now, anyway. Training camp hasn't started, and anything can happen (including me getting overserved on the Kool-Aid and predicting the Texans go 19-0). I'll save my official prediction of the Texans' record for a later post, but in the meantime...share your thoughts on the Texans' playoff chances in the Comments below.

Courtesy of Megan Manfull, we learn that Alex Brink has signed a contract with your Houston Texans, meaning that the last two picks of the Texans' 2008 class are the first to agree to terms.

While Brink is almost surely destined for the practice squad this season (I'm still not buying Kubes' pitch that he's going to carry three QBs, Quinn Gray or no Quinn Gray), let's all simply rejoice that Smithiak got another one into the fold well before training camp. And let us also note that somewhere, Shane Boyd curses the heavens.

Tim Bulman is the kind of player the Texans want, the Texans need, on their team.  All go, no quit.  This guy has one gear - flat out balls-to-the-wall.  In person, the intensity just radiates off him.  He has a guileless smile that betrays his love for the game.  If you knew him at any other point in his career, you might not recognize him now.  He's a lean 276 lbs and in the best shape of his life.

He's fascinating to talk to.  The road that brought him to Reliant is an interesting one, filled with the best kind of football, but to only read the details of his life misses what makes him a great player.  The three facets that best define his game are aggression, control and playmaking ability.  His coaches and the media compliment him on his high motor, but it's more than that.  He has the aggressiveness of an angry wolverine.  He believes that the best defensive linemen pursue a play.  He makes tackles in the backfield and takes passes away from receivers.  No matter the down or distance, Tim Bulman is striving to make a play on the ball.

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Well maybe.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the NFL and ESPN are in ongoing negotiations to broadcast the package of games that were once exclusive to the NFL Network. For those of us who are a part of the 66% of households who do not receive the NFL Network, the outcome of these negotiations could spell the end of the cable customer lockout.

The NFL has slowly been losing ground in its battle to force cable companies to offer the NFL Network on its own terms. Last year, the NFL yielded to customer outcry when the Patriot's bid to finish the regular season undefeated was originally scheduled exclusively on the NFL Network.  To placate customers, they allowed CBS and NBC to simulcast the game.

With the news of a potential partnership in works, fans can begin to breath a little easier. Although it will go down as one of the greatest games in Texans history, many fans had to hit the local watering hole to watch Mario Williams’ spectacular 3.5 sack performance. While it was a glorious night for Texans football, there were millions of potential viewers who were unable to watch the game in the comforts of their own home. With the deal being hammered out between the two sides, there is a renewed hope for cable subscribers everywhere.

 

 

It's official.  The Battle Red Blog Fantasy Football League has commenced.  It's a Yahoo! PLUS league with all the bells and whistles.

There can be up to 20 teams in this league.  Everyone who expressed interest in this league on the Grab Your Cheatsheets post has dibs on teams.  After that, we welcome all comers.

After the jump, check out more info about the league.

(images via via farm1.static.flickr.com)

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