FanPost

Houston: #1

NOTE: I realize that this post is primarily related to the recent glory of the Houston Astros, but since most of us on this site are from the Houston area, I thought this appropriate to post here. Of course, being Houston, and how things tend to work with our pro teams, one of the greatest moments in Houston sports history is dampened by the news about DeShaun Watson’s ACL tear. A definite downer on what should be a glorious day for Houston fandom.

At the time of this writing, the fans of the Houston Astros are still in a state of euphoria, as it was a little over 24 hours ago that the Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 to clinch the World Series 4 games to 3, giving the franchise its first championship in its 56 years of existence. For the team, it is the culmination of not only one season of extraordinary achievement, but the fulfillment of a long-term plan, one that saw the team emerge from a long stretch of ineptitude to not only win the title this season, but established the franchise as a contender for the next few seasons.

However, the win goes well beyond the 25-man roster that took the field at Chavez Ravine Wednesday night, the coaching staff and upper management. For the city of Houston and those who do and have called Houston home, such a victory triggers a sense of joy and pride. This elation is the type that ties into identity, demonstrating that yes, my city, my home, is a great place, the best. No matter where the city is, be it New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Kansas City or Green Bay, if that city has a professional team, and that team manages to win a championship, that city and its residents, along with the fans of that franchise scattered across the world will have that sense of pride, and other cities and people will take notice.

Yet, for a city as big and significant as Houston, it doesn’t really have a lot of those victories to its name. This is not to say that no Houston professional teams have climbed to the summit of sports achievement. They have. Yet, even in the sporting world, there is a hierarchy of sporting successes. In America, for team sports, there are the Big 4: Football (NFL), Baseball (MLB), Basketball (NBA), Hockey (NHL). All other leagues just don’t quite measure up. A city can take pride in those wins, but most other cities won’t really acknowledge that success like they would if it was in the Big 4.

For Houston, they have plenty of victories in the non-Big 4. The Houston Oilers claimed the 1st two AFL titles (1960, 1961), but at that time, the AFL equated to minor-league football, and even when the NFL consented to have a championship game, the AFL titles became a sideshow. With the merger in 1970, such victories meant practically nothing. Houston’s minor league hockey team, the Aeros, claimed back-to-back titles in the 1970s, but they disappeared by 1978. The Houston Dynamo of the MLS brought back-to-back titles in 2005-6, but MLS, while it is currently growing in popularity, is still not on the same level as the Big 4. Perhaps the most unfortunate example Houston’s overlooked and underappreciated titles are the Houston Comets of the WNBA. One of the charter franchises, the Comets, led by such talented ballers like Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson and Kim Perrot, won the 1st 4 WNBA titles (1997-2000). That team could lay claim to being one of the most successful basketball teams of all time. Yet, the franchise folded in 2008, and that success is merely a footnote in sporting history.

As for Houston’s Big 3 (no NHL) they have a mixed record. Prior to last night, the Big 3 can only claim 2 titles (the Oilers AFL titles have already been discussed). Unlike other cities, they don’t have the dominant championship franchise. Yet, they don’t have the record of long-standing misfortune and losing, like Cleveland. In the sporting realm, Houston is in a sort of purgatory, not really considered good or bad. If anything, they are noted for near misses. For the Oilers, the Luv Ya Blue days may have been their best chances to win a Super Bowl, but they could never kick the door down against the Steel Curtain. The late 1980s-early 1990s saw the Oilers as a supremely talented team, but one that just couldn’t get it done in the playoffs. Seven straight playoff appearances, and not even a conference title game appearance, a run of futility highlighted by the failure to beat the Buffalo Bills in a 1992-1993 Wild Card playoff game, despite a 32 point second half lead. The Texans have 4 playoff appearances, but like the Oilers of the 1980s-1990s, no conference championship games.

Before the Astros’ breakthrough, they were a team that was defined either by awful futility (the early 2010s, with 3 consecutive seasons of 105+ losses) or heartbreaking near-misses (the 1981, 1986, 2004 NLCS losses, the one-and-done playoff appearances between 1997-1999, 2001-2003). The Astros did manage to make it to the World Series in 2005, only to be swept by the Chicago White Sox. Given the issues that arose with some of the key stars (Clements, Pettitte), you have to wonder if that run was a deal with the devil, as the team descended from near-miss to mediocrity to suck. They did get back to the post-season in 2015, but only to have another heartbreaker, losing in the ALDS against Kansas City, despite being up 2-1 in the series and 6-2 in the 8th inning of Game 4 at home.

Even with the franchise that actually broke through and won a legit Big-3 championship, as the Rockets did with back-to-back titles in 1994-1995, there is a sense that it doesn’t quite count. Unfortunately for the timing of those titles, they interrupted the Chicago Bulls 2 three-peat title runs when Michael Jordan decided to give baseball a try. As a result, the narrative tends to skip over the Rockets, and while Houston takes pride in those titles, most other places do not. Never mind that the Rockets survived epic playoff battles with the Knicks, Spurs, Suns and Jazz, nor the fact that they were lead by one of the greatest players of all time, Hakeem Olajuwon, or the fact that the 1994 Rockets team, which was basically the same core players for the past 3 seasons, had a 5-1 record against the Bulls of the first three-peat years and would have matched up well with them in a NBA Finals…but that doesn’t matter. Admittedly, the 2nd Three-Peat Bulls went 6-0 against the Rockets, and the Rockets, even with players like Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming and James Harden, has not made it back to the NBA Finals.

All of that history, all of the near-misses and the "well, that doesn’t really count…" that ended Wednesday night in Los Angeles. The Houston Astros dominated Boston to win 3-1 in the ALDS, they survived New York in a battle royal of an ALCS 4-3, and then overcame the LA Dodgers in one of the most insane World Series in history. There will be no "asterisks" because the Astros didn’t face off against Bryce Harper or some other superstar. The Astros earned that title, and it is acknowledged by all other cities.

Yet, this title holds more significance for Houston this year, even beyond the long-standing sports struggle and the Houston inferiority complex. Back in August, the Houston area suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Harvey. With over 51+ inches of rain inundating the area, thousands of people were displaced from their homes, with many more lives disrupted due to loss of jobs and livelihoods. Even now, 2 months after the water receded, the city is still trying to rebuild, and will continue to do so for many months, if not years. Life is still tough for many in the area, and it is hard to really feel good about life. Granted, the Astros winning a baseball championship will not suddenly cure all the ills facing the city and its people, but it gives those individuals struggling to rebuild something to feel good about, something to have pride in. That can be a powerful thing. As the team took motivation for being "Houston Strong", the population also embraced that mantra, looking to find the strength needed to rebuild.

Thus, Houston looks to celebrate its championship team. For the first time in over 20 years, the city of Houston prepares for a ticker-tape parade to celebrate a "Big 4" winner. The questions about can the Astros repeat or be the next dynasty have already started. That is for 2018. For now, in 2017, the Astros are the champions, and the pride that brings to Houston has placed that city on top in America.

POST-SCRIPT: The Astros’ win gave the state of Texas its 1st MLB title. When the Rockets won, they gave the state of Texas its first NBA title. Unfortunately, Dallas claims the 1st NFL title (Dallas has the only NHL team). The long-standing inferiority complex between the two cities of Houston and Dallas very much plays out in the sports world. Especially with the Cowboys, with their 5 Super Bowls (none since 1995, btw), Houston tends to get shoved into the background. When people think of big cities in Texas, they don’t immediately think of Houston, but Dallas. The Dallas MLB team (Texas Rangers) has also been to 2 World Series, losing in 5 to San Francisco in 2010 and being one out away in 2011, only to lose to St. Louis in 7. The Rangers and Astros, now division rivals, have a brewing rivalry, especially after the Rangers couldn’t be bothered to inconvenience some of their season ticket holders. For now, Houston can claim victory over Dallas (and that is a good thing).


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