Blogs

The Aeros lost to the Syracuse Crunch last night by a final score of 3-2. In many ways, it was the same old story. Aeros commit penalties. The other team scores. Aeros get on the power play. Aeros can’t score.

But in some ways, it wasn’t the same old story.

Coming into last night’s game, the Aeros ranked 29th out of the 30 AHL teams when it came to the power play, having converted only 2 of 50 opportunities for the season. But the game got off to a promising start when the Aeros took a first period lead 1:07 into the game when right winger Danny Irmen got his first goal of the season. And the Aeros got this goal off of a power play.

The Aeros skated hard last night. They seemed to be out-hustling, out-muscling and out-playing the physically superior Syracuse squad. But as the game progressed, what the Aeros weren’t doing was out-executing the Crunch. Yet, after two periods, the Aeros and Crunch were involved in a 1-1 tie. And things were looking promising.

I feel your pain, Houston sports fans. Together, we’ve suffered through the cataclysmic Astros season, and – horror of horrors – we’re only halfway through another lost season from the Texans. But perhaps hope lies on the horizon. Tonight, the Rockets tip-off the NBA’s opening night with a showdown against Kobe Bryant and the dysfunctional Lakers. Say what you will about the Rockets — and I have – but at least they’re a playoff team. And don’t look now, but even some of the national experts are jumping on the Rockets bandwagon.

So what does it all mean? Well, I don’t want to get your hopes up, but we may actually have a professional sports team worth watching this winter. And the way 2007 has unfolded thus far, that should be music to the ears of every long-suffering fan who calls Houston home.

Here are my projections for the 2007-2008 NBA season:

True football fans know the story of the Music City Miracle. That little play the Tennessee Titans pulled off on a kickoff with time running off of the clock to win a game that many thought lost.

And there are probably many more people who remember the last Fiesta Bowl, with Boise State pulling off gadget play after gadget play at the end of the game, and in overtime, to upset the heavily favored Oklahoma Sooners.

But here’s the thing about the Music City Miracle and the Boise State gadgets. Those were planned plays. Coaches had drawn them and put them in play books. They’d been practiced, time and again.

Quick: how many Aggies does it take to hold Nebraska to 25 points? Trick question. The Aggies only gave up 14 points to the Cornhuskers last week. It’s the Horns who gave up 25 points to Nebraska this time out.

Then again, the Horns did manage to hold on to win the game while the people of College Station are still waiting for the Aggies to show up for Saturday’s game to Kansas.

For those of you actually interested in watching real football (i.e. not the Texans), I’ve got some bad news for you: This weekend’s showdown of the century featuring undefeated New England and Indianapolis won’t be broadcast here in Houston. That’s right, while the rest of the country enjoys the biggest game of the season, we’ll be stuck watching the Texans and Raiders blaspheme the game of football. Anyone who recalls last year’s Texans-Raiders tilt knows what I’m talking about.

So if you don’t want to get stuck watching that abomination and you don’t have NFL Sunday Ticket, you’d best start making plans to grab a seat at your favorite sports bar. – Jason Friedman

Wonder Woman was spotted on the ice of Toyota Center last night during the break after the first period, and at the time, many of the 3,785 fans in attendance were wondering just what was going to be needed to get her into the Aeros green and red.

The Aeros were coming off a 4-1 defeat to San Antonio, in San Antonio, on Saturday night, and the team appeared to be somewhat listless. The Aeros were out-shot 11-4 in the first period, and as they skated off of the ice, scattered boos could be heard coming from the crowd.

Then Wonder Woman appeared on ice. Unfortunately (or so it seemed as the second period got under way), Ms. Woman was actually a member of the Aero Dynamics cheer squad, and not a real superhero willing to loan her powers to the team.

But superhero magic still managed to appear last night, and it came at the best of times. At 2.56 into the second period, defenseman Erik Reitz headed to the penalty box after being called for a holding. He would join teammate Clayton Stoner in the box, and the Aeros would be down five skaters to three for nearly two minutes.

Early during the first period of yesterday’s Aeros game, I got an anguished text message from a good friend: “Awful. This team is defeated before they get to the stadium. Horrible coaching. And prep is far worse than Pardee.”

Hmm, that’s funny, I thought, because I knew my friend wasn’t at the Aeros game, and I don’t think that it can be said that the Aeros are ever unprepared.

When the period ended, I left the press table and happened upon a TV. A TV that just happened to be tuned in to the Texans-Chargers game. I thought I had some kind of trouble with my eyes when I saw the 35-3 score in the second quarter. Well, I thought I was either having trouble with my eyes or the people working graphics for CBS were having problems. So I asked the guy next to me. He said what I saw was correct.

And it all made sense. My friend wasn’t talking about the Aeros. He was talking about the Texans. And the Pardee comparison was to Gary Kubiak, not Kevin Constantine.

I’ll get to the latest Texans debacle in just a minute, but first I’d like to reminisce about happier days gone by. For this, I have to travel all the way back to the mid-80’s (yes, it’s been a pretty miserable last two decades) when The Cosby Show was still in its heyday. Just bear with me. I promise I do have a point (sort of).

Anyway, the episode I want to talk about featured a cameo by the incomparable Stevie Wonder (who, unfortunately, was in the process of jumping the shark, much like The Cosby Show itself). Stevie invited the Cosby clan into his studio and asked each member to say something into the microphone of his Synclavier. Most people remember this moment for Theo Huxtable’s classic “Jammin’ on the one” line. But for whatever reason, my brain latched on to something else: Namely, Rudy’s giraffe noise and Denise’s “I don’t know what to say” soundbyte. Stranger still, somehow those two clips recorded on Stevie’s synthesizer forever became muddled in the dark recesses of my brain. To this day, whenever I hear or think the words, “I don’t know what to say,” a giraffe is the first thing that comes to mind.

Now flash forward about twenty years and recall—if you dare—Sunday’s Chargers-Texans tilt. Truly, this had to have been one of the all-time “giraffe” games I’ve ever had the privilege of watching. It had everything: All-world tight end Antonio Gates being left uncovered for the easiest 49 yard touchdown you’ll ever see. Matt Turk’s hilarious pseudo-attempt to recover a botched snap in the endzone. And how could we ever forget Gary Kubiak’s unfathomable decision to hand the ball to Ron “You can time my 40 with an hourglass” Dayne a whopping 17 times in the midst of a 28 point loss? There’s just one word for it: Giraffe.

It’s time for another big weekend of college football, and the questions will all center on which teams will be upset. Four of the top ten teams were defeated last weekend, and it seems that no one is safe.

So, let’s get on with the preview of the weekend games to come. And while it’s been fun dedicating the games to Charlize and Ashley and Sandra and Emily and Scarlett and so on, I’m going a different way this week. I figure with most of this season’s new TV programs already having premiered, and some already being cancelled, I’d celebrate this TV season along with the weekend’s game.

The Pushing Daisies Best Game of the Week Award:

This game honors Pushing Daisies, the program I consider to be the best of the new season. It’s the only show that can meld drama and whimsy and humor and terror and mystery and leave you with a smile without feeling sicky sweet at the end.

Our game of the week is (9) USC (6-1) at (5) Oregon (6-1). Oregon has been on a roll since its Duck beat up on Shasta. Oregon’s averaging 46.6 points per game and 550.0 yards per game on offense. It set a school record with 465 rushing yards last week. Southern Cal, even though it’s 6-1, is one of the more disappointing teams of the season. Sure, it stomped Notre Dame, but it also lost a game to Stanford, a game in which the Trojans were favored by 41 points. The USC defense ranks third nationally, surrendering only 252.1 yards in offense a game. So, this should make for a good match-up. The interesting trivia note for this game is that this is the first time in the history of Oregon’s 41-year-old stadium that two Top 10 ranked teams have faced off.

And for a little sex appeal, just click on this shot of the USC Song Girls.

The Chuck Runner-up For Best Game of the Week Award:

The ancient Greeks had a great word to describe the sin I’m about to commit. It’s called hubris. Okay, so their definition differed somewhat from the way we interpret it today. That’s not the point. You, the reader, know what I’m talking about when I summon that word. And if you don’t, I have a suggestion for you: Stop reading, Britney. It’s never going to work with us. Sucking up by reading my blog won’t help your chances. Maybe Fred Durst is still available. Check that. I guarantee Fred Durst is still available.

Anyway, my point is that it’s usually bad business to stand before the gods and call attention to one’s self. Life below the radar is so much easier; no pressure and no unwanted attention. But everything changes the moment you step forward, hold your head high and dare to go eye-to-eye with the denizens of Mount Olympus. It’s kind of like challenging Brit-Brit to a Whopper eating contest (No, not the kind. Get your mind out of the gutter!). It might sound like a good idea at the time, but you know it’s going to end with your head in your hands, tears down your cheeks, mustard on your shirt and Britney begging for more. In other words, badly.

Nonetheless, that’s what I’m prepared to do today (challenge the gods, not everyone’s favorite deadbeat mom). After a stunning 10-4 week, my NFL picks are now sitting pretty with a 54-42-7 record against the spread. So the time for humble silence is over. I’m ready to lay claim to my rightful place upon the mountaintop.

After another disastrous weekend of picks, I return to once again make a fool of myself. Maybe I need to have a monkey make my picks or flip a coin, or something. But I don’t own a monkey, and I spent my coins at the Coke machine. So…

With a record of 41-62 against the spread, after going 6-8 last week, here are my picks for this weekend’s NFL games:

1. The Chargers are favored by 9.5 points over the Texans. These two teams will be playing a game at some point this weekend at a location still to be determined. As of this morning, it appears the game will be played in San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium on Monday night, but the Chargers and San Diego officials are still sorting things out -- the mayor of San Diego says the stadium is ready for the Chargers, but that the decision is up to the Chargers and the Chargers say that they're waiting for the mayor of San Diego to make a decision and that they'll do what he thinks is best. I think all of you know what I think of the Texans, but with all of the turmoil that's been going on in San Diego, I really think 9.5 points is a bit too much. The Chargers will win this game, and not even wild fires and Norv Turner's inept coaching can keep a talented team like the Chargers from beating the Texans, but I just don't see the Chargers winning by 9.5 points. I think the Texans get to within a touchdown, at least, so take the Texans.

2. The Bears are favored by 5 points over the Lions. I don’t quite know what to think about either of these teams. It was kind of shocking to see what the Bears can do with a real QB, as happened at the end of last week’s game; then again, God is on Detroit’s side. I’m going to take the Lions to get within the point spread.

You guys might not believe this, but some people think that I’m mean to the Houston Astros. That I pick on the team just for the sake of picking on the team. Well, I’ll admit to this: I do give the Astros lots of heck.

And I’m about to give them heck again.

Bobby Heck, as a matter of fact.

Bobby Heck is the new amateur scouting director for the Houston Astros. The Astros farm system is in terrible shape, and Heck just might be the right man to save it.

That’s right. I think the Astros made a good move. I think Bobby Heck is just the guy the Astros need stocking the farm system.

Houston Texans’ long-snapper Bryan Pittman returns for more thoughts on life both on and off the gridiron. This week, while going one-on-one with Ballz columnist Jason Friedman, Pittman talks about getting over last week’s loss and reveals more celebrity crushes!

JCF: Well, I guess there’s only one way to begin: Have you recovered from the Titans game yet? How are you doing?

BP: Bizarre game. I’m doing good, the team’s doing good. We talked about it at the team meeting yesterday and covered the points of emphasis as to why we didn’t win and settled that and now we’ve moved on.

JCF: I couldn’t help thinking that losing like that – after such an improbable comeback — has to be even worse than just getting blown out.

BP: Definitely, for me it did. I mean, I was full of emotions after the game. I couldn’t quite understand why we were able to come back in the fashion that we did and yet not be able to contain the win.

JCF: What was it like in the locker room immediately after the game? I mean, I would have either been throwing things, or huddled up in a corner bawling like a baby.

I got an interesting little e-mail from MLB.com today, offering me a chance to purchase World Series tickets through StubHub. Now this is interesting not so much in that I, a resident of Houston, have a chance to get tickets to games that many in Denver and Boston might not, but that it was just last week that the New England Patriots were victorious in court in a fight against StubHub.

For those who don’t know, StubHub is a Web site that allows the owner of tickets to an event to sell the ticket to another person, with StubHub offering guarantees to authenticity and helping to ensure that, when you arrive at the ballpark, you will have a legitimate ticket.

As you good Houston Texans fans probably know, the Texans have a game this weekend with the San Diego Chargers. And this game is to be played in San Diego. And, as anyone who’s been paying any attention to the news knows, Southern California is currently engulfed in flames.

That leads to the question: Where will the Texans and Chargers actually be playing this game?

You see, while Qualcomm Stadium, where the Chargers play, is in a safe area, far from the fires, it just happens to be a designated evacuation area, so it’s a little tough to play football when you’ve got refugees living on your 50-yard line.

The Chargers have abandoned San Diego for the moment, and are currently practicing in Phoenix. Now, there’s precedent for this game to be played in Phoenix because, way back in 2003, a similar thing happened in San Diego and the Chargers had to get out of San Diego because the stadium was being used to house evacuees. The game against the Dolphins was moved to Phoenix and played in the home stadium of the Arizona Cardinals on a Monday night.