One of the reasons why I started blogging is that I couldn't find enough in depth information about my favorite team, the Houston Texans. Since they are such a new team, if information wasn't on their website or in the Houston Chronicle, it likely didn't exist.
Well, with minor apologies to Buzz Bissinger, thank goodness for sports blogs. I want to point out in particular the fabu work that Solis has done at the BattleRedBlog about the 2008 Texans draft class. Check out these posts in particular:
"Super Steve Slaton" - Explains why this running back may be the perfect one cut and go back for the Texans zone blocking scheme.
"Steve Slaton: An Insider's Perspective" - A must read interview for Texans fans from with West Virginia's Director of New Media, John Antonik.
"Duane Brown: The Texans' New Heavy Hauler" - Talks a great deal about this left tackle's athleticism, work ethic and leadership abilities.
"Xavier Adibi: The X Factor" - Discusses the linebacker that Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster calls "the fastest guy and the most athletic linebacker I've had the opportunity to coach."
It's hard to read all that without getting excited about the season next year.
Does any of it mean that these players are going to succeed in the NFL? Certainly not, but it does explain to fans why these individual picks were made. It gives you more insight to what the Texans were thinking than the local paper usually offers.
For example, contrast what Solis wrote about Slaton to what the Houston Chronicle reported. Basically, the Chronicle version is a few stats and some pull quotes from the press conference. You would have received more complete information if you just checked out the Houston Texans website.
The newspaper makes no mention at all that Slaton had his best success when offensive line coach Rick Tricket was with WVU. As Solis' interview notes, Tricket copied Texans offensive line guru Alex Gibbs' zone blocking schemes, "right down to the letter."
What I want from my local paper is some draft coverage that is something more than a couple of clips from press conferences and a few meager stats. I like knowing what sort of player the Texans are drafting -- something about their ability and personality. Sports writers have more access to players, programs and organizations than bloggers do, so we should expect their work to contain more substance.
Okay, enough tilting at MSM windmills. I only bring this up because I love newspapers and good sports writing, and want to encourage the local paper to write more than just the press conference clips I can read in their entirety at HoustonTexans.com. (Thanks again to the Texans for providing such an excellent service so that we aren't limited to just reading whatever quotes the AP and Chronicle choose).
And for those who want a dose of third round CB Antwaun Molden and 5th round DT Frank Okam, I give you a few more clicks.
The above YouTube is an interview with Molden, a cornerback with a lot of the similar impressive measurables (and small school concerns) as the first round CBs, but a player the Texans received good value for in the third.
And finally, check out this great interview with Okam from before the draft:
Question: What NFL QB would you most like to put a big hit on as a rookie???
Frank Okam: Vince Young, only because in practice at Texas, they never let me touch him.
I guess Okam ended up in the perfect spot. He gets to stay in Texas, play for an organization that appreciates good character and high intelligence, and target Vince Young twice a year in division.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-07-2008 @ 8:12AM
SOLIS said...
Thanks a million Steph - I can say with unabashed certainty, that your voice in the Texans blogosphere has always rang out with resounding clarity.
Keep up the great work!
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5-07-2008 @ 10:37AM
1Texan said...
Yea, yet another great post! I'm glad that you don't run down the Chron, you can let us do that for you! Good fresh stuff on Okam and Molden!
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5-07-2008 @ 10:37AM
Stephanie Stradley said...
Gere-
I don't think it is that. I just think that they are stuck in a rut of doing things. They don't realize that other newspapers provide a whole heck of lot more information about the draft after it happens, then they do.
The Chronicle has typically focused on a more right brained approach to covering sports and rarely looks in depth at the numbers. Some of the Chronicle bloggers have helped in this regard, but that Slaton article is an example of going through the motions and rarely going beyond just the quote sheets.
John McClain is the NFL reporter. He did provide good information about the Brown pick. The designated Texans reporter is Megan Manfull. She writes the basic factual articles about the team. They really don't have anyone good at doing analysis of the Texans--the only one that I think does a good job with that is Lance Zierlein who provides reasons for his point of view. I don't always agree with him, but I rarely get the sense that he is pulling stuff out of his rearend.
I don't want cheerleading from the paper or just blanket criticism. But I would like them to try to do some reporting that goes beyond the press conferences.
Thanks for reading and commenting,
Steph
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5-07-2008 @ 3:45PM
Xetuoh said...
Steph,
Love your blog and your thinking but, I have to disagree with you on the Chron coverage and their so called "rut".
If Solis can prepare a beautiful article, with names, coaches, and insight, why do we get the "vanilla" crap (AP reports, HT media fillers), why can't the 4th largest city and ONLY newspaper give us more info., then their stupid video yuk-yuk's that can be had on TVLand's reruns of Hee-Haw!
Bissinger, and his ilk, have a reason to be afraid of "bloggers" cause they have been living comfortably, with little effort, for too long.
Megan Manfull needs to take her postion of a "beat writer" and find the Q&A and not ask the readers to help her along the way. If I want "vanilla", I'll ask Richard Smith....
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5-07-2008 @ 7:18PM
BigRon said...
Steph,
Thanks for reading my guest entry over at the Chron.com FanBlog. I appreciate your feedback. I haven't commented on here before, but I read all the time. You represent Texans Fans to the fullest. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
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5-07-2008 @ 8:09PM
kozanack said...
The general problem at the Chron is that besides Zeirlein, there isn't a single Texans-first fan on the staff. And Zeirlein is a blogger, not a columnist. The same general problem exists on the radio.
I understand why people dislike Justice. He seems to enjoy tweaking people in order to incite blog posts. Solomon, too, who recently posted this comment to his blog:
...I'd love to see every NFL game go into overtime. I'd like to see the Texans go undefeated, winning each game in OT, or go winless, losing every game in OT. That would be cool too. Painful for fans and the team, but great for writing.
I don't really understand the anger at McClaine. He puts out a lot of material. Same for Zeirlein.
Anna Megan Raley and Megan Manfull are sort of meh. Just sort of there.
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5-08-2008 @ 8:21AM
Gere said...
Hey Steph:
You must realize that John McCain is and always will be a stringer for the Dallas Cowboys. He has been this way for decades, and was, even back in the Luv Ya Blue period, a Cowboy devotee. Not likely to change in my view. Since the Chronicle has not had any local competition in the Houston newspaper market they have gotten less enlighteneing for the most part relying on the wire services for teir input. Houston has suffered as a result, once again, in my humble opinion.
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5-08-2008 @ 4:17PM
Jahon said...
THANK YOU!!!! I am sick and tired of waiting around for the chronicle to write something new. They have a ton of writers and yet there is never anything new or interesting to read about the Texans. They always ask us what we think after they write a two paragraph article. Since I have moved out to San Diego, I havent been able to get any news at all on the Texans. The big wigs over at espn and cnnsi only talk about Dallas and New England, frankly I am sick and tired of both those teams. Once again, thank you!!
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5-09-2008 @ 4:41PM
beef said...
Great stuff, TexansChick!!
I now have a Super Value Sized man-crush on Frank Okam. I can't wait until he gets his shot at VY!
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