Yeah, I’m starting my last Curtain Call with Madonna. I’m gay, sue me!
I’ve been giving a lot of thought about how I was going to feel today, my last day here at Society for the Performing Arts. I had lunch yesterday with some fellow group sales managers, and I have to admit there was a moment there I felt like crying a bit. I’m a real sap when it comes to moving on from something I care so deeply about. Don’t get me wrong, I am incredibly excited about this new adventure I am beginning, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t going to miss working in Houston’s Theater District.
That is why I plan on becoming a subscriber this summer. Of all the things I’ve learned from SPA, this is the most important part of the arts I’ll take with me. Right now, all around Houston, there are groups and organizations trying to engage younger audiences. (read: young professionals) I was always of the opinion that if you wanted to possess that level of sophistication that seems to be sought after by so many, the arts is the one place that gives it out freely. Well, once you buy in. That has become the problem in this day and age. The people want the appearance of sophistication that comes from being involved with arts with none of the investment. Give them free wine or some signature cocktail, and the line will be out the door. Ask them to JUST attend a performance? SEE YA!
However, if you become a subscriber, not only do you get first crack at the best seats to any performance, you are invested in the success of the organization. Maybe you skip a few nights out, add a nominal donation to your tickets? Then you start getting invited to cast parties and other special events. All this while having your life enriched by the arts. I can tell you from experience, the coolest events and memorable evenings are found on Facebook or Evite, but in the membership experience. Search those opportunities out. Unwind. Imagine. Escape. That is the theme of SPA’s 2009-2010 Season, and it is something I finally get to experience. Maybe leaving SPA won’t be so bad. I mean, I have seen a rough draft of next season, I’m going to have some fun!
Only one more thing to address before I end my curtain call. An Encore, if you will. I saw many artists from around the world in my five seasons with Society for the Performing Arts. My favorites were among the many mentioned in other curtain calls. However, there was one single artists that stood out from the crowd, and she represents everything I love about SPA. Her name is Mariza, and she is a fado singer from Portugal. You’ve probably not heard of her. I hadn’t when SPA first presented her during the 2007-2008 Season. I didn’t stay for her first performance, I opted out to attend a get together in my neighborhood. As it happened, a couple from my neighborhood attended the performance that night, and stopped by the party afterward. They gushed about the performance. I received the same review from my mother, I recommended Mariza to them for their subscription. “It was the best performance I have ever seen.” Now while my mother is prone to hyperbole after most SPA performances, this was the first time she was truly blown away.
Fado is Portuguese Blues. The musical style is very much a part of the cultural fabric of Portugal. The songs were lamentations of women over their husbands, sons and brothers leaving for war. Mariza has literally resurrected the art form, becoming the world authority of the genre. When SPA signed her on for the 2009-2010 Season, I was very excited about attended a performance I should not have missed the first time around. However, as it inevitably happens when you are working a performance, the urge to call it an early night to go home was pulling strongly on me. “Only a few songs, I’ll leave after the first break.” (There was no intermission) I sat down next to a co-worker on aisle WA to watch the performance. Over an hour later, when the performance had ended, I walked out of the theater. I couldn’t leave, I was in awe. I had listened to her music over the past two years, but hearing it live was truly mesmerizing. She is a delightful presence on stage. Furthermore, I have a very strong desire to see her perform in Portugal. While I enjoyed the performance immensely, it occurred to me it’s grandest form would only be achieved in the homeland of her art form. That said, I HIGHLY recommend, should your travels take you to Portugal, to make a point to search Mariza out while you are there.
Mariza was one of many performances where I left disappointed that more people had not been there to witness them. It was a steady reminder that you must take risks to discover hidden treasures. Every SPA season featured these hidden gems. I look forward, as an SPA patron, to discovering them this season and beyond.
If you’re looking for yourself, I’d pay particular attention to Gilberto Gil (3/26), Interpreti Veneziani (4/11) and especially Aszure Barton & Artists (4/23).
My fourth season with Society for the Performing Arts will be remembered as much for what happened on stage as it did off stage. It began in the summer of 2008 when I discovered Aspen Santa Fe Ballet was going to be performing in Dallas on the same weekend I had planned a visit to see my brother. 
Catching Aspen Santa Fe Ballet in Dallas marked the first of two occasions during the 2008-2009 season where I got to see a artist before they performed in Houston. The season started a two weeks after Hurricane Ike with Patti LaBelle. Truth be told, I cracked up a bit post Ike, and ended up taking the week off to get my head on straight.
2008-2009 was also our best NiteSPA Season. We kicked off our slate with Jose Porcel. The cast party we held at Corkscrew after the performance was one of the best I’ve attended. I highly recommend getting involved with any organization that presents dance here in Houston, particularly if you have access to cast parties. Dancers are simply TOO much fun to hang out with!
The highlight of this season did not happed in Jones Hall. Hell, it didn’t even happen in HOUSTON! I had the wonderful and fortunate opportunity to travel to Tel Aviv for the Dance Israel conference. What made this trip so special from a SPA standpoint was that I got to see Batsheva Dance Company in Israel about a week before they were set to perform in Houston! It was a good thing too, because I was passed out in the Jones Hall Green Room during their performance as my jet lag finally knocked me flat. It was this experience, in addition to my trip to Dallas to see Aspen Santa Fe ballet, that taught me how important it was to experience the arts in other places besides Houston.
The 2008-2009 also featured what is arguably my favorite performance of my entire time here at Society for the Performing Arts. Alvin Ailey Dance Company comes to Houston every three to four seasons. It is something you should take the time to see any time they visit. Revelations, the piece from the video above, is a true classic of American choreography. They perform it EVERY time they come to Houston. HINT: It’ll be the third act of the performance. I missed catching Revelations when they visited in 2006. I was not going to miss it this time. While it was better than I had anticipated; it’s a thing of legend for those who have had the opportunity to see it, the real treat was watching it backstage during the final performance of their run. I know I’ll be in the audience when they return to Houston in the future.
The theme for Society for the Performing Arts 2007-2008 season was Live the Adventure. I want to say I was part of the discussion that came up with that tag line. My memories of this season are more anecdotal. The 2007-2008 Season started much like the previous season, with a legendary comedienne, Lily Tomlin. Please pause for a gratuitous celebrity photograph.
Yeah, that’s a shameful photograph, not going to deny it. This is also the only picture I have with an SPA artist. Like our evening with Carol Burnett, we had a post performance soiree on the Jones Hall stage. The highlight for me was having the opportunity to escort Ms. Tomlin across Texas Avenue to the Lancaster Hotel at the end of evening.
On of my personal highlights of this season was getting to watch Julio Bocca’s final dance performance in Houston with my mother. My parents became subscribers shortly after I started working at SPA. On the evening of Thursday, November 1, 2007, my father was out of town on business. My mother was going to exchange their tickets for another performance, but I urged her to attend this performance for the simple fact that it was one of those once in a lifetime opportunities that SPA presents from time to time.
The most enduring memory I’ll take from this season, if not my entire tenure at SPA, was the evening of Saturday, February 16, 2008 after the presentation of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. For this performance, I had the most enjoyable opportunity to work with the Kipp Shine Academy. They brought a group of 300 students to see the performance. In one of those great coincidences, a music teacher at Kipp had chosen to teach the children about the work of Joseph Shabalala, founder of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. She became incredibly excited when she discovered SPA would be presenting them that semester. After working out the details, she was able to raise enough money to bring the students to see this performance. Not only were the students learning about the music of Ladysmith, they started tracking the group as their tour brought them closer and closer to Houston.
On the evening of the performance, thunderstorms were rumbling around the Greater Houston area. This delayed the Kipp students’ departure from the school in Southwest Houston. As a group sales manager, there is nothing you fear more than a large group arriving at the hall late. Here we were 20 minutes before the start of the performance, and they still hadn’t shown up. However, when the bus finally arrived, with 15 minutes to spare, the students dutifully lined up, and marched their little selves into Jones Hall like a tiny army. Less than 10 minutes after entering the theater, all 300 of the little tykes were quietly seated, ready for the performance. I’ve never seen anything like it! But the biggest surprise of all came after the performance. We had arranged for Mr. Shabalala and the rest of the group to meet the students after the performance. When he came up to the second floor to meet them, they broke into a South African hymn. Parents, teachers and even members of the group broke into tears. I was right there with them, of course, and even get a little weepy as I type this. It was the most special moment of my time here at Society for the Performing Arts. It didn’t hurt that I was later invited back to the Kipp Academy to shine their Big Book of Shine, an honor bestowed upon adults who have helped the kids in some special way.
I’ll close with truly crazy backstage moment from this season. Murray Perahia, conductor of Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, was injured prior to his performance here in Houston. Fortunately for Houston audiences, we were able to bring in the founding conductor, Sir Neville Marriner. If the injury to Mr. Perahia wasn’t enough, Sir Neville impaled his left hand with his baton during rehearsals on the day of the performance. Yes, the baton went straight through his hand! With patent flair, Sir Neville refused to be taken to the hospital until after the rehearsal had ended. So you see, it is true what they say: The show must go on!
My second season at Society for the Performing Arts was memorable in a LOT of ways. SPA was also celebrating its 40th Anniversary. For a guy like me, who writes about Houston and the things that make it a great city, being a part of this momentous occasion was one of the highlights of my time at SPA. Permit me a short history lesson.
Society for the Performing Arts was created in 1966 shortly after the opening of the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts. When it opened, it remained dark, or not in use. City leaders, including Mr. Jones himself, set forth to create an organization that would present a series of performing artists to fill the hall’s empty dates. Forty years later, SPA has become the largest performing arts presenter of its kind in the southwest, and has presented more than 800 performances in Houston’s Theater District. That’s a lot of dancing, singing, banging, drumming, joking, conducting and playing!
The ‘06-”07 Season opened on what became one of the more interesting nights of my life, and featured my first true moment of being in the presence of a true legend. We opened our season that year with Carol Burnett. It was a spur of the moment gig that she put together to raise money for her daughter’s playhouse in California. She did a three-show tour of Texas with the Houston stop coming on Friday, September 29, 2006. The performance that night looked a little like this:
There was a cast party on the Jones Hall stage with Ms. Burnett after the performance. Those on-stage cast parties are going to be one of the things I’ll miss most.
Speaking of cast parties, we always seemed to have more fun with those dance companies, and two companies Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Tania Perez-Salas, provided two very memorable evenings. Hubbard Street hit Houston on Saturday, October 14, 2006. There was a cast party at a local gallery after the performance. As we got to talking to some of the dancers, the idea to take the party to Rich’s (when it was still gay) was thrown out, and readily accepted by the dancers. Well, you know how it goes . . . “after the show is the after party, after the party is the hotel lobby . . .” A coworker and I ended up back at the hotel with the company. Now I would LOVE to regale you with a hot story with deliciously salacious details, but we simply ended up hanging out in their rooms, chatting it up. The most exciting part of this story is the sun was rising in the east when I grabbed my car out of valet to head home for the evening. Not sure what I would have done had the opportunity presented itself that night, and little did I know I would be given such an opportunity less than a month later.
Saturday, November 4, 2006. Another dance performance, another cast party. I should tell you that Hubbard Street was something of a breakthrough for me when it came to dance. I discovered during that performance the kind of dance I enjoyed. I came into this night with an anticipation I had not yet felt for a dance performance. They did not disappoint. The piece pictured above was particularly memorable. The cast party was held at the home of one of our board members. Over the course of the evening, I got into an argument with one of my coworkers about our obligations when going out with artists after a performance. I was of the mind that if we took them somewhere, we were responsible to get them back to the hotel. He believed they were adults, and fully capable of getting home on their own. In the end, we were both right and both wrong. In any case, one of the dancers misunderstood the argument to be about which one of us was going to get the opportunity to, um, get to know him better. I ended up leaving the cast party with this dancer, and heading to (surprise, surprise) Guava Lamp. Me, being your faithful Houston tour guide, just wanted to show this dancer what our gay bars had to offer. However, once we got to Guava and ordered drinks, I CRASHED. It was just a LONG week, I guess, and I suggested we head out. The conversation in the car on the way back to the hotel went little something like this,
Dancer: Where are we going now?
Me: I’m taking you back to your hotel.
Dancer: I thought we were going back to your place . . .
Me: Oh no baby, I’m going home to go to SLEEP.
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW-kward!
The conversation was null and void after that exchange. He silently got out of my car, and walked into the hotel. I took my happy ass home to sleep the sleep of a thousand nights.
As I state above, the 2006-2007 Season helped me begin to appreciate the artistic side of what SPA presents. That moment of clarity came towards the end of that season during our presentation of Diavolo. A local non-profit booked a private performance through me as their annual fundraiser. I got the chance to watch Diavolo from the super secret viewing booth in the back of the Cullen Theater. While watching their final piece, Trajectoire pictured above, I was overcome with a sense of awe that brought me to tears.
It might have been my happiest moment as an employee of Society for the Performing Arts. Well, at least until that one night during the 2007-2008 season . . .
This week marks the end of my run here at Society for the Performing Arts. For many of you, working at SPA has been major part of my life. In fact, most of my current circle of friends have not known me outside this organization. I will be revisiting each of my five seasons here at SPA, and will close Friday with my thoughts on the SPA, and how it has become an integral part of my life.
My first performance as an employee of Society for the Performing Arts was the Merce Cunningham Dance Company on Friday, October 21. I must admit, I did not like it at all. I went so far as to think, “What have I gotten myself into?!” While I now have a more discerning taste for dance, I wasn’t very impressed with that particular performance. No, my tastes for dance yearns for a perfect mixture of dance and music. I love to see the body in movement to good music. When a choreographer drifts into the esoteric, like Merce, I quickly lose interest. A rather morbid thought came to me as I was putting my thoughts together for this series of posts. It is rather ironic Merce Cunningham passed away in the summer before what has become my last season with SPA. Funny how things work out that way.
My first interaction with an artist came a month later when I had the fortunate opportunity to meet the sisters (from L to R: Maria, Lucia and Angella) of the Ahn Trio. While I got the opportunity to interact with many of the artists throughout my time here at SPA, the Ahn Trio was definitely the most delightful. I spent most of my time with them talking with Angella, though Maria was definitely the firecracker of the group. We joked about me being their bodyguard during an event that was hosted by APAHA at Zake Lounge on Shepherd and West Alabama. This was also the first time I got to meet an artist before seeing them perform. This, I came to find out, was a rare opportunity as most SPA artists are here today, gone tomorrow.
My Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater experience will be featuring in my post about the 2008-2009 Season, but it must be noted their performances during the ‘05-’06 Season were my first experience with the electricity that comes with the anticipation of a great artist performing in Jones Hall. It’s those wonderful nights at Jones Hall that I will miss most from my time at SPA.
As will be the case with all of the Curtain Call posts, there is so much more I could regale you about this season. Like the time I ran to Sambuca to grab David Sedaris’ dinner while he finished up his autograph session following our final performance of the season. I have saved the brochures of all the seasons I have worked at Society for the Performing Arts. I look forward to flipping through them and these countless memories.
Before the sting of the BCS National Championship Game loss fades, I’d like to say a few things to our UT friends. I’m not sure you realize this or not, but a majority of this state really doesn’t care for your football team. Oh, I know, you’re just going to sit there and tell me they are just jealous of Longhorns’ success. Yes, we all know that Texas reigns supreme amongst the Texas schools when it comes to football. Blah, blah, blah. You have 9 National Championships to your credit, besting by 6 the next two schools, SMU and Texas A&M. I get that, and you’ll get no argument from me, Longhorn Football rocks. But here’s a question for you, do you have to be such pricks about it?
For my part, I don’t have much against the Longhorns. I was assimilated into Aggie culture at a young age by my brother, but that programming was finally undone when they hired that sack of shit Dennis Francione. While I wish them well, I’ve become rather neutral in all things UT vs. A&M. No, my problem is I’ve become tired of listening to the Longhorn fans, and their OBNOXIOUS arrogance. You know what you sound like? Sooner fans. What’s ironic in this situation is that I actually like the Sooners. I think it comes down to geography, and the fact that UT fans greatly out number OU fans here in Houston. More on that later.
To illustrate how terrible it is, let’s look back at Thursday’s game, and Colt McCoy’s injury. That was one of the most devastating things I have ever seen in sports. For an athlete to accomplish what Colt had during his career at UT, and then have it legacy defining moment taken away from him was just tragic. But here’s the thing Longhorn fans, there were people celebrating, laughing and thoroughly enjoying EVERY MINUTE OF IT! I mean SAVORING it like that first sip of a perfectly frosted Lone Star at a Saturday morning tailgate. No sympathy, only schadenfreude. I’ve never seen anything like it. To make things worse, some UT fans turned on Colt, calling him out for abandoning his team, sacrificing them (read: the fans, NOT the team) for a big paycheck in the NFL. It was like hungry wolves in the dead of winter turning on a member of the pack. Then, to top it all off, you actually had the nerve to criticize Gilbert, playing in the National Championship game against a relentless Nick Saban-designed defensive squad, when he wasn’t playing too well. In short, it was an ugly night for all.
Now we find ourselves with a long eight months until the kick off of another college football season, and I think it’s high time we started mending some fences in this great state. We’re not all going to agree, but we need to get along better, and it starts with you Longhorns to set the example. Hey, if you want to lead, it’s time to lead by example.
It’s not totally your fault, a lot of the blame lies with Black Moses. Who is Black Moses, you ask? Black Moses was a great quarterback that parted the Red (and Gold) Sea to deliver the Longhorns to the promised land. Shortly thereafter, the Texans of the land of Houston drafted a defensive end from N.C. State. For Longhorn fans, this was like the GM of the Jerusalem Gentiles passing on that talented kid from Nazareth. Feeling slighted and still drunk off their National Championship, many of them began actively cheering for the Tennessee Titans. This was, as they say, when the honeymoon ended for me and Longhorn fans. You see, Houstonians just don’t cheer for the Titans, it’s just not right. Black Moses went on to begin a promising career as the right hand of Satan Bud Adams. It did not help things that Black Moses had a resurgence at the same time the Longhorns were making another run at a national championship behind the arm of Quarterback Jesus.
(NOTE: There is substantial evidence that the true QB Jesus played for the Florida Gators, where he won 2 National Championships and Heisman Award’s. The truth of this matter remains a big source of contention among Longhorns and Gators.)
You can imagine the fear that came over the non-UT Texan nation when it appeared that Quarterback Jesus went down so that Garrett Gilbert might live to see the greatest moment in Longhorn football history. Yes, Longhorns, you would have been insufferable had Gilbert achieved the impossible. Which is why I subsequently stopped cheering for your team when the score got to be 24-21. After long suffering through the stories of Black Moses and Quaterback Jesus, I was very much against starting the legend of Gilbert the Great’s triumph over Hannibal Saban’s army of elephants.
The good news is, your team appears to be in good enough hands to return to a a BCS bowl next season. Not “Title Game” mind you, but you might want to start checking out airfare for Arizona for next January. So listen, your team clearly is the front runner for being the Team of Texas, but you gotta chill out, and give the rest of us a chance to enjoy it. I mean, the National Championship Trophy is going to be displayed in WAL-MART FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Something has to be done. We should be floating that crystal football down the River Walk, taking it to SXSW and showing it a fine time at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo! Still, a lot of Texans will bear witness to this tragedy as long as it means we don’t have to listen to the moo’s of Longhorn fans over the next 5 years. When all is said and done, Texans should (but don’t have to) want a Texas school, whoever it might be, to bring a national title back to the Lone Star state. That team is NEVER going to be Texas as long as you continue to behave the way you do.
Believe it or not, you have some competition from my beloved TCU Horned Frogs. Here’s what we’ve got on you. We’re a perpetual underdog, and everyone loves the underdog! Our fan base is considerably smaller which makes us more charming and less ubiquitous than Burnt Orange Nation. Plus, everything bit of quirky cool you have in Austin you get in true Texas charm in Fort Worth. Oh, purple > burnt orange. And, finally, Gary Patterson would make Mack Brown his bitch in a street fight.
But we’re not perfect either. Despite the patience we showed in FINALLY reaching a BCS Bowl game, we wanted more, and we picked a fight TOO early with your bovine supremacy. Then we laid an egg in the Fiest Bowl against Boise State, the OTHER team in the nation that makes TERRIBLE use of orange in their uniforms. However, one thing we can agree on, Texas has got Idaho beat when it comes to cheerleaders, dance teams and female fans in general.
But what about A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor? Well, Aggies, you have your own issues with Texas that I would never tell you to give up. However, you gotta do something. TCU has become the #2 program in the state without a lot of fight from you. You can get back into this game if you capitalize on this next season as a true spoiler, but your window is closing. Tech? You squandered your one shot last year when OU took your #2 and beat you like Raider Red-headed stepchild. Now all this Mike Leach stuff, and you’re appear to be dead in the water. For the record, Mike Leach is either salted fucking nuts or your school president and AD are total fools. Neither is a base ingredient to having a successful football program. While I do like the Tuberville hire, I just don’t see him changing up the Texas football pecking order. Baylor? Hmm, I honestly believe you’d be where TCU is if you had gotten left out of the Big 12 instead of the Frogs. You have the same kind of spoiler air as A&M, but if it comes down to either of you competing with Texas, it’s going to be A&M. The public vs. private school thing is hard to overcome. And that doesn’t even go into their strength of alumni base. I’d invest a LOT into your basketball program, you appear to have some promise there.
Now to our two local teams Rice and UofH. We’ll start with Rice because, well, they’re never going to be a football school, and they do a very good job of handling those Longhorns on the baseball diamond from time to time. As for the Coogs. Well, you’re about 5-10 BEHIND where TCU is right now. I know, it sucks, but you got all “We’re going BCS baby!” after your back-to-back wins over Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. It was BEYOND premature, particularly considering the Cowboys and Raiders proved to be very overrated this season and Conference USA does not boast anyone to boost your BCS cred. You can beat all the BCS AQ (automatic qualifier) schools you want, you’ll still get passed up by teams beating those same schools later in the season during conference play. (Exhibit A: See Cincinatti passing TCU in the final regular season BCS rankings after winning the Big East Championship game against Pitt.) That’s reality. It’s taken 10 years of hard work on TCU’s part to 1. Beat the schools they needed to beat from the Big 12 and other AQ conferences and 2. Rule over a conference that has a bona fide BCS Buster, Utah, and great program in BYU.
I’m excited to finally seem some life from UofH after all these years, but you need to pace yourself and show some patience. No one just walks into the BCS from the land of the non-AQ. Boise State, Utah and TCU didn’t just waltz into this game. And don’t whine, either. Boise State was undefeated and beat an undefeated team in a BCS bowl, and ended the season #4 behind, not one, but TWO teams with one loss. Last season, TCU beat an undefeated Boise State to finish #7 . They started this season #17, two spots BEHIND Boise State. You think it’s unfair now, you have NO IDEA.
So where do we go from here? I don’t really know. For the time being, UT is currently the Lone Star State’s best option when it comes to a National Title. Personally, I’d like to enjoy these opportunities instead of dreading them. That depends on our Longhorn friends adopting a better attitude. Will that happen? I don’t know, but I’d hope the thought of people celebrating the untimely demise of their prized QB would give them some reason to think about how they behave. One of my biggest joys this bowl season was receiving well wishes from my friends for my Horned Frogs, before AND after the game. It was a truly great feeling, and it helped ease the pain of that difficult Fiesta Bowl loss.
Can’t we all just get along?
I apologize for the delay in getting you my final report on the Houston Texans season. You see, during the 48 hours that included the end of the NFL regular season and the Fiesta Bowl, I lost everything in football I hold dear. There are three moments in my personal sports history when I have been reduced to tears.
1. “The Comeback” (Buffalo Bills rally from 35-3 to defeat the Houston Oilers)
2. The 2005 World Series (when the Astros were swept by the Chicago White Sox)
3. The 2010 Fiesta Bowl (TCU loses to Boise State 17-10)
Of course, as a Houston sports fan, I have been subject to lots of anger and frustration; that comes with the territory. Take Sunday’s delicious brew of hope and disappointment. A whole city turned to the armpit of the country quiet Midwestern city of Cincinatti, hoping their Bengals would do us the ultimate favor of getting the Texans into the playoffs by defeating the New York Jets . . .
But first, let’s get down to the brass tax of things. If the Texans wanted the playoffs so badly, they shouldn’t have laid an egg against the Jets to start the season. That said, our season was over right after it started. A win against the Indianapolis Colts or Jacksonville Jaguars, we went 0-4 against them, would have done the trick as well.
Back to the Cincinatti Bungles. While I still have problems with the way the Colts handled their game against the Jets, I have nothing but mockery for the Bengals, and I’m not even touching on their uniforms.
I didn’t realize until late into their game against the Jets the Bengals were essentially in the position to choose who their opponent would be in the first round of the playoffs. Now you’ll recall the Texans easily deal with the Bengals in Cincinatti. It was the victory that launched the Texans towards their best 8-game record in franchise history at 5-3. Frankly, I think they would be better served with the mascot of Cowardly Lion, but that’s just me.
Speaking of not being in Kansas anymore, the Texans found a way to have their first winning season! I was very impressed with how they were able to pull out that win against the Patriots. I’ll also be the first person to tip my hat to the Patriots. Like the Bengals, they didn’t have a lot to play for, and they came into Reliant Stadium looking for a win. They may have even jeopardized their season by losing their best wide receiver to injury. In a season that saw a team with a shot at a perfect season lay down like lambs, this impressed me. And if Sunday is any indication, they are quite capable of finding a way to win despite the injury. One sidenote, Pats coach Bill Belichick accused the Reliant Stadium field as the culprit for the injury. C’mon Bill, injuries happen.
As far as the playoffs are concerned, I’m picking a San Diego Chargers/Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl. Hold on, I just threw up in my mouth. Um . . . yeah, I think the Cowboys are going to the Super Bowl. Wow, and I thought the Fiesta Bowl was hard to swallow!
So what now for the Texans? Well, it would appear that Kubiak is going to be back for another season. I’m not as worried about this as I have been in the past. For one, place kicker Kris Brown has emerged as a bigger scapegoat this season. His terrible season cost us more than one game, and nearly cost us a winning season. While I have some nostalgic love for him being the last of the original Texans, he should have to compete for his job next season.
Kubiak? Well, why not? Even if he doesn’t work out, Bill Cowher will still be available should we need to look for a new coach in 2011. That has always been my biggest concern. I would hate to miss out on a chance on landing a two-time Super Bowl winning coach over a guy who proves he not THE guy. If Kubiak can get this team to Super Bowl, I’ll be happy to see him get there. However, if he can’t, I want to get the guy who will. I’m pretty sure Cowher could be that guy, if it came to that.
I gotta say it, I’m looking forward to next season, and I’m excited about the prospect of being s Super Bowl contender next season. Yeah, I said it. This team could have easily gone 12-4 or even 13-3. I’m willing to go out on that limb again, I’m a Houston sports fan, that’s what we do!
All this from a guy who broke up with the Texans earlier this season.
Oh Texans, I wish I could quit you!
This is how I opened last week’s post about the Texans’ playoff chances.
So the Texans won yesterday, beating the St. Louis Rams 16-13, and kept themselves in the hunt for a playoff spot. Yes, it’s true, the Texans still have a shot at the playoffs. I’ll be honest, I’m incredibly doubtful, but let’s break it down.
Now for this week’s post.
So the Texans got lucky won yesterday, beating the Miami Dolphins 27-20, and kept themselves in the hunt for a playoff spot. Yes, it’s true, the Texans still have a shot at the playoffs. It’s still not likely, but let’s break it down.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Final Game: at Miami
My Take: I’m going to stand by my previous statements, and say the Steelers are not going to the playoffs. Truth be known, the Texans needed Pittsburgh to beat Baltimore yesterday. However, I think the Dolphins are going to be playing for something next Sunday, and will not want to go out losing their last two games at home to end the season.
New York Jets
Final Game: Cincinnati Bengals
My Take: First of all, I am greatly disappointed and pissed off at the Indianapolis Colts. They gave the Jets the game, and threw away their chance at a perfect season. As much as we think we honor Super Bowl Champs, they’re not all that memorable from year to year. Please see the 2002 Buccaneers. Do you even remember who they beat? The legacy of Peyton Manning and many of the other longtime Colts players are pretty much written. Another Super Bowl isn’t going to add a whole lot more luster to their careers. However, an undefeated season that culminated in a Super Bowl Championship would, arguably, close the discussion of who was the greatest quarterback in NFL history. That’s all gone now. Peyton is great, but there are a lot of arguments against him, particularly compared to Tom Brady, being the greatest. If the Colts win this year’s Super Bowl, I’m still listing Tom Brady ahead of Manning. I wouldn’t if Peyton had done what Brady proved he couldn’t, put together a perfect season. In any case, I am wishing crushing disappointment on the Colts this offseason. Champions don’t ease up on the gas when immortality is calling.
Houston Texans
Final Game: New England Patriots
My Take: I’m not sure what New England or Cincinnati have to play for next week, and that will have a great impact on whether the Texans or Jets have a shot at the playoffs. I don’t see either team playing to win unless they are trying to avoid a particular Wild Card team in the first round. With that totally up in the air, I just don’t know if they’ll care enough to play a full game. On the other hand, Bill Belichick is not one to lay off EVER, and I’d say the Texans are going to have their hands full come Sunday.
Baltimore Ravens
Last Game: at Oakland Raiders
My Take: The Texans need a miracle, and it’ll most likely come from a Raider upset of the Ravens.
Denver Broncos
Last Game: Kansas City Chiefs
My Take: If the Broncos lose to the Chiefs to allow the Texans to make the playoffs, God just hates Denver. Their season has been absolutely catastrophic. You’ll remember Denver started the season 6-0, and have gone just 2-7 since. As frustrating as the season has been for Texans fans, I wouldn’t trade places from our mile high counterparts.
So, what are we going to do?
There is something delicious about a down to the wire finish to make the playoffs. It’s that charge that quickens our pulse, and leaves us happy or devastated when the final seconds have ticked away. Truth be told, the Texans should be fighting the Chargers for a first round bye going into the final week of the season. As frustrating as it’s been, a lot of fans, including Tennessee (ha! ha! LOSERS!), would love to be in our position next Sunday.
In any case, every Texan fan needs to get to church before next Sunday’s game. We can get to 9-7 without much help from above, but we need the good Lord to help us out in Oakland or Denver.
So the Texans got lucky won yesterday, beating the St. Louis Rams 16-13, and kept themselves in the hunt for a playoff spot. Yes, it’s true, the Texans still have a shot at the playoffs. I’ll be honest, I’m incredibly doubtful, but let’s break it down.
Currently, there are 6 teams, including the Texans, with a record of 7-7. Any of these teams will have to win their final two games to make the playoffs. If they lose, they’re out. Looking at each of these teams:
Pittsburgh Steelers
Final games: Baltimore Ravens, at Miami Dolphins
My take: I don’t seem them winning both of these games. The defending Super Bowl Champions are going to miss the playoffs.
Miami Dolphins
Final Games: Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers
My Take: Their game against the Texans will end someone’s season. However, I still don’t see the Fish winning both of these games either.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Final Games: at New England Patriots, at Cleveland Browns
My Take: If the Jags can beat the Pats, they are a near certainty to go 9-7. Fortunately, the Pats still have a LOT to play for, and will be very difficult to beat in Foxboro.
Tennessee Titans
Final Games: San Diego Chargers, at Seattle
My Take: Tennessee won’t beat the Chargers, what started as a disappointing season will finish that way.
New York Jets
Final Games: at Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals
My Take: If any team had a chance to win their final two games, this isn’t it. They’re TOAST.
Houston Texans
Final Games: at Miami, New England
My Take: They certainly can win both of these game, but will they? Well, that’s been the question all season. They beat the hell out of the Seattle Seahawks, then squeaked by what is arguably the worst team in the league. Your guess is as good as mine, but let’s just say yes, the Texans will finish the season 9-7.
Now, here is my best Texans impression. After building you up to think the playoffs are a reality, I’m going to dash your hopes on sharp rocks of disappointment. The other two teams playing for the Wild Card spots are the Baltimore Ravens and the Denver Broncos. While it is very possible they could both finish 9-7, they both hold the tiebreaker over Houston by way of their conference records. And, I hate to tell ya, but I don’t see the Ravens or Broncos finishing the season 8-8.
So, while the Texans are still mathematically eligible for the playoffs, it just ain’t gonna happen.
It has taken me much longer to finish this series of posts that I originally planned, but today’s election is the perfect day to finish off X Marks the Spot. The title of this post certainly lends itself to being an ego piece. Here I am, closing a series of posts about how the last 10 years have been a definitive decade for the city of Houston with an eponymous entry. If it comes off that way, I promise that is not my intention.
When I started Urban Houstonian, I wanted to somehow prove Houston could be just as urban as any other city in the country. Well, maybe not as urban, but definitely possessing of a greater urban flavor than anyone would give Houston credit for. I was taking the bus regularly to work, religiously poring over bus schedules trying to discover new ways to operate in Houston on foot rather than in a car. What I quickly learned was it was possible to use the bus as an option, but Houston was still very much a car town.
Of course, the folks at METRO have been hard at work trying to change that over the past 10 years with the introduction of the Light Rail. I’ve blogged about, and continue to be amazed by, the ignorance of Houston when it comes to issues surrounding METRO. Before I continue, I must state that I do not believe METRO is perfect, not in the least. However, when I hear most people complain about something about METRO, it is generally an opinion based in total ignorance. Cries for commuter rail are the first to be heard. What I find so ignorant about these people is where do they intend to go once they hop on their commuter train in Sugar Land, Katy of the Woodlands? There can be no commuter rail until there is a viable network inside the Loop.
There was an interview with outgoing METRO Chairman David Wolffabout the challenges he faced during his tenure. This was the money quote I took from the interview:
“I think the expectations are high and people don’t realize that what you’re doing is taking an automobile city and trying to retrofit it for transit. This is a lot more difficult than in an older — say, for example, Eastern — city that had developed along transit corridors. Metro is inheriting a city that grew up along a network of freeways, and trying to build a transit system to adjust to the multiple activity centers we have.”
This is an important point that I just don’t think gets through to a lot of people. Then, on top of the logistical challenges, you have the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) crowd that bitches about lack of transit, then fights when it gets to close to their homes. It’s just a fine mess, and everyone is quick to jump on the bash METRO bus (pun intended). Of course, METRO allows themselves to be the target of this criticism by acting the role of bureaucratic gorilla. Still, I think it is very important to recognize the new kind of urbanism that is slowly but surely taken hold. In 10-15 years, the Red Line will be a very small part of the mass transit system in Houston, but it’s long term impact will always be remembered.
But this post isn’t only about METRO. No, there was another urban jewel that came onto the scene in 2008 that changed the way Houston intereacted with Downtown. I am, of course, talking about Discovery Green. I was fortunate enough to attend a few of the meetings for Discovery Green during its planning stages. From the moment I read about it in the Houston Chronicle, I couldn’t wait to what they would come up with.
It should come as no surprise to you that I had very high expectations for Discovery Green. What surprised me, however, was that the finished product surpassed all of my lofty hopes for the new park. I knew what to expect as far as enjoying events at the Anheuser- Busch Stage sprawled out on the lawn with friends and a bottle of wine underneath the Downtown skyline. What I didn’t expect was how amazing it felt! It was an altogether unique experience that Houstonians hadn’t had the opportunity to enjoy.
In the end, my only real disappointment with Discovery Green has been with The Grove, and its uneven, inconsistent management of Houston’s best patio bar. In doing some research for this post, I have recently found out the Tree House has been turned into a private venue due to high demand. I cannot tell you how disappointed I am in this turn of events. Houston finally gets a great patio bar where you can enjoy its beautiful skyline, and now it’s only going to be available for private events? How very unforunate. Oh well, I’ll always have my wine on the lawn.
