Fans, sports media, and players react to Jack Easterby’s departure

With the latest “shot heard ‘round the world” your - no - OUR Houston Texans finally did what needed to be done years ago: They fired Jack Easterby.

And there was much rejoicing.

If you’ve paid any attention to this blog for the last several years, you know full well our collective disdain for the now former Texans exec.

To recap for those who came in late:

Mighty Matt Weston

The Texans need to fire Jack Easterby. This expose makes that more obvious than ever. If Cal McNair is truly committed to having the best football organization possible, Jack Easterby cannot be allowed to remain employed at NRG Park in any capacity.

The Guy Who Wrote This Post

When Easterby arrived on the scene, the Houston Texans were a perennial AFC South Champion squad. While they didn’t seem to know how to get over the Conference Championship hump, the team was still winning more than losing, had players that generated highlight reel plays, and offered the great people of Houston a solid escape from the daily grind.

Since Easterby’s arrival, many key players have left the team, with their leaving having direct connection to Easterby as either the catalyst or the guy who influenced personnel decisions.

The Wizard Known Only As Tim

Texans fans have been angry at Jack Easterby for months. He and Bill O’Brien made several horrendous decisions that we’ve devoted an absurd amount of time to discussing here while they were in charge of managing the team. While “The Easterby Effect” was well known and widely loathed in Houston, I don’t think there was much attention paid to Easterby nationally.

Until last month, when Sports Illustrated published a scathing examination of how Easterby rose to prominence at NRG Park and the catastrophic consequences his influence on Cal McNair continued to have on the Texans. Now everyone knows who and what Jack Easterby is.

But, it’s gone well beyond the walls of 1 Battle Red Boulevard. Some of the best and brightest minds in H-Town Sports have been pushing the alarm button for a long time.

The Real McCown

...the franchise-crippling moves didn’t come until Easterby joined the ship. The Houston Texans didn’t improve themselves much in the early 2019 offseason by not spending what it took for Tyrann Mathieu and replacing him with Tashaun Gipson. They also didn’t destroy themselves. But once the adults were out of the room, the bad moves could begin in earnest.

And, of course the never ending parade of former players who voiced their concerns. Some more bluntly than others.

Andre Johnson

Since Jack Easterby has walk into the building nothing good has happened in/for the organization and for some reason someone can’t seem to see what’s going on. Pathetic!!!

Incredulously, the level of damage done to the Houston Texans by Jack Easterby is likely far higher than most of us know.

There are the obvious things, like terrible player decisions, running off a great man in J.J. Moses. Pushing out arguably the best PR person in the NFL in Amy Palcic. Turning the Texans into one of the least desirable destinations for free agents. And that doesn’t even open the conversation up to all the coaches and front office candidates who have backed away from any involvement with the team.

However, the real depths of his deleterious impact on the franchise is only now fully coming to light after his firing last weekend.

The tidal surge of those sorts of stories has begun. Likely they won’t end until all the wounds are cleansed and the local media and fanbase at large has properly vented.

To that end, expect more of this sort of media content over the coming days and weeks. Maybe months?

(Click on the Youtube link in the Tweet)

Landry and Lopez pull no punches in this clip. The pants story speaks to Easterby’s apparent cluelessness, while the other anecdotes speak to behavior that not only lacks integrity, but reveals alleged character flaws no one in any position of authority should possess.

Ding Dong Grimma Wormtongue’s Gone

Thankfully, today is a new day.

The sun rise will have a rejuvenating quality not seen in NRG park for many years.

The glow of a new dawn will warm the hearts and souls of Texans fandom.

And, I for one, am glad for it.