FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Houston Chronicle Columnist Richard Justice Unfairly Attacks Alex Gibbs...and Then Me?http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/29/houston-chronicle-columnist-richard-justice-unfairly-attacks-ale/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/29/houston-chronicle-columnist-richard-justice-unfairly-attacks-ale/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/29/houston-chronicle-columnist-richard-justice-unfairly-attacks-ale/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

If you are interested in sportswriters riled up at bloggers, media ax-grinding, blog etiquette relating to altering blogs and blog comments, really ridiculous things about NFL coaches who yell, and/or the Texans running game, read on. Apologies if parts of it read like someone recounting their latest golf game, hole-by-hole, but none of this makes any lick of sense unless you have a bit of context.

Even with the context, I still find it baffling.

The other day, Richard Justice, columnist for the Houston Chronicle, wrote a negative article on the front page of the sports section about Houston Texans offensive line guru Alex Gibbs . He said in part:
The Texans began this summer hoping to be a run-first team. They were universally praised for the hiring of O-line coach Alex Gibbs, a rooster of a man whose idea of leadership seems to be running around screaming at and insulting players. He has spent much of his adult life in the NFL, but may not be sharpest knife in the drawer.

If he was as smart as people make him out to be, he'd know that players tune out screaming coaches about 12 seconds into their second tantrum. Are you listening, Gary Kubiak? Screaming at your quarterbacks isn't a smart idea, either.
Ouch. I found the article extremely peculiar given all the positive things being said about Gibbs by offensive linemen for the Texans. And well, it is the preseason. Why is Justice calling out an accomplished coach installing a new blocking system after the third preseason game ... because Gibbs is one of many NFL coaches who yell?

 

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]]>Stephanie Stradley2008-08-29T15:35:00 00:00Happy Second Anniversary to FanHouse!http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/happy-second-anniversary-to-fanhouse/http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/happy-second-anniversary-to-fanhouse/http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/happy-second-anniversary-to-fanhouse/#commentsFiled under:



Today is the official two-year anniversary of this thing called FanHouse. Last year, I did a retrospective of events that happened in the previous year to celebrate this day. Today, I will do something different.

Here's my own abridged unofficial history of the site -- omitting things I forgot, semi-embarrassing stuff, and attempting to edit my prolix self because I'm writing this at the last second and don't have much time to mess with it. With apologies to those sensitive to gratuitous self-indulgence, chronic overuse of adverbs and windy sentences ...

In the beginning, FanHouse was just NFL FanHouse with no other sports coverage. Our blogfather, Jamie Mottram, now running the Yahoo! blogs and continuing Mr. Irrelevant, researched to find NFL bloggers to cover each team and the NFL in general. The idea behind FanHouse was to collect various blog voices from places around the interwebs, and put them in one place to make them easier to find. It would be a place where you could keep up with everything NFL, and have knowledgeable, passionate fans tell you what the real deal was with those teams in an entertaining way.

Though bloggers could keep their own idiosyncratic ways of writing, we were not to use the real naughty words. This was going to be a sports blog that you wouldn't be too embarrassed for your parents to read (insert tired "once you called them down to the basement" blogger joke here).

 

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]]>jamie mottramJamieMottramStephanie Stradley2008-08-28T12:00:00 00:00Happy Second Anniversary to FanHouse!http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/happy-second-anniversary-to-fanhouse/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/happy-second-anniversary-to-fanhouse/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/happy-second-anniversary-to-fanhouse/#commentsFiled under:



Today is the official two-year anniversary of this thing called FanHouse. Last year, I did a retrospective of events that happened in the previous year to celebrate this day. Today, I will do something different.

Here's my own abridged unofficial history of the site -- omitting things I forgot, semi-embarrassing stuff, and attempting to edit my prolix self because I'm writing this at the last second and don't have much time to mess with it. With apologies to those sensitive to gratuitous self-indulgence, chronic overuse of adverbs and windy sentences ...

In the beginning, FanHouse was just NFL FanHouse with no other sports coverage. Our blogfather, Jamie Mottram, now running the Yahoo! blogs and continuing Mr. Irrelevant, researched to find NFL bloggers to cover each team and the NFL in general. The idea behind FanHouse was to collect various blog voices from places around the interwebs, and put them in one place to make them easier to find. It would be a place where you could keep up with everything NFL, and have knowledgeable, passionate fans tell you what the real deal was with those teams in an entertaining way.

Though bloggers could keep their own idiosyncratic ways of writing, we were not to use the real naughty words. This was going to be a sports blog that you wouldn't be too embarrassed for your parents to read (insert tired "once you called them down to the basement" blogger joke here).

 

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]]>jamie mottramJamieMottramStephanie Stradley2008-08-28T12:00:00 00:00Ahman Green Restuctures His Contract, Continues His NFL Careerhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/ahman-green-restuctures-his-contract-continues-his-nfl-career/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/ahman-green-restuctures-his-contract-continues-his-nfl-career/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/ahman-green-restuctures-his-contract-continues-his-nfl-career/#commentsFiled under: , ,

By coaches' accounts, Ahman Green had a great camp. Then he hurt his groin during his first touch of his first preseason game and hasn't played since. He says he will be ready to go by the Pittsburgh game, and by restructuring his contract to one incentivized for game play, he is putting his money where his mouth is. According to the Houston Chronicle's John McClain:
Green's base salary will be 1.8 million, which frees up 2 million in salary-cap dollars.

To get Green to agree to redo his deal, the Texans are giving him $200,000 for every game in which he's active this season, starting with the second game of the year. That means Green can make three million if he stays healthy for every game.
In other words, Green was at risk of getting cut and being forced to retire. Green played on and off last season with a knee bone bruise and was eventually put on IR. The Texans didn't want to put him on the roster to risk more of the same. So they shifted some of his salary base he would receive if he just limped onto the 53 man roster, to paying him for individual games if he is activated for them.

The running backs who look to be on the 53 man roster for sure are Ahman Green, Steve Slaton and Chris Taylor. Taylor has also been taking reps as backup fullback. Free agent acquisition Chris Brown has been struggling with various ailments throughout camp and preseason, (non-surprise!), so the Texans are probably relieved that they could restructure Green's contract to keep an experienced RB on the roster ... at least for the time being.

 

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]]>ahman greenAhmanGreenchris brownchris taylorChrisBrownChrisTaylorsteve slatonSteveSlatonStephanie Stradley2008-08-28T11:30:00 00:00Texans WR Harry Williams Carted Off Field With Neck Injury, Has Regained Movementhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/23/texans-wr-harry-williams-carted-off-field-with-neck-injury-has/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/23/texans-wr-harry-williams-carted-off-field-with-neck-injury-has/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/23/texans-wr-harry-williams-carted-off-field-with-neck-injury-has/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Texans wide receiver Harry Williams was having a great camp, and had a chance of making the team based on his special teams play. Those dreams were likely ended yesterday, when Williams suffered a neck fracture while trying to make a special team tackle in the the first quarter of the Texans-Cowboys preseason game.

Williams was paralyzed on the field, but regained feeling and movement while being transported by ambulance to the hospital. The fracture is of the C3 vertebra, and he will be have surgery in Dallas this weekend to fuse his spine. Team orthopedic specialist Dr. Walter Lowe and coach Gary Kubiak discusses the injury in more depth in the above HoustonTexans.com video. They believe his prognosis is good.

 

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]]>cedric killingsCedricKillingseric winstonEricWinstongary kubiakGaryKubiakharry williamsHarryWilliamsnd kaluNdKaluwalter loweWalterLoweStephanie Stradley2008-08-23T11:30:00 00:00Cowboys v. Texans: What to Look for in Tonight's Fake Gamehttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/22/cowboys-v-texans-what-to-look-for-in-tonights-fake-game/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/22/cowboys-v-texans-what-to-look-for-in-tonights-fake-game/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/22/cowboys-v-texans-what-to-look-for-in-tonights-fake-game/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Tonight, the Cowboys and Texans will battle for the all-mighty and magical Governor's Cup. It's the big silver trophy awarded to the Texas team that wins their yearly matchup. I'm pictured with it and a large gentlemen who works for the Texans.

Though tonight's game is just a preseason game, the third pretend game is one that knowledgeable fans watch closely because the starters are left in the game longer.

Three Things to Watch From the Cowboy Perspective: (From my semi-reasonable Cowboy fan friend, Michael Whitehead, founder of sofantasyfootball.com, a terrific site to find thoughtful fantasy football information).

1. The Secondary. The biggest problem Dallas has had in recent history is the secondary. What has looked like sure wins has turned into disappointing losses in the second half of too many games. Pay particularly close attention to Adam "Pacman" Jones, as he will get the start, and will have a true test against Andre Johnson. Rookie Mike Jenkins, who started the previous two games will be used in nickel situations, an area that Dallas has truly struggled in for the past two seasons.

 

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]]>adam jonesAdamJonesahman greenAhmanGreenandre johnsonAndreJohnsonanthony weaverAnthonyWeaverantwaun moldenAntwaunMoldendrew breesDrewBreesfelix jonesFelixJonesfred bennettFredBennettgovernors cupGovernorsCupisaiah stanbackIsaiahStanbackjacques reevesJacquesReevesmarion barberMarionBarbermike jenkinsMikeJenkinsmiles austinMilesAustinpacmanjonesphillip buchanonPhillipBuchanonsam hurdSamHurdsteve slatonSteveSlatontony romoTonyRomoStephanie Stradley2008-08-22T10:32:00 00:00Ahman Green, Steve Slaton: The List of What We Know About the Texans Running Gamehttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/19/ahman-green-steve-slaton-the-list-of-what-we-know-about-the-te/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/19/ahman-green-steve-slaton-the-list-of-what-we-know-about-the-te/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/19/ahman-green-steve-slaton-the-list-of-what-we-know-about-the-te/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Lots of confusion out there on who is going to get the running back touches for the Texans. I think the confusion exists because I am not sure even the Texans coaches know what they are going to do.

Here's what we know as of today:

1. Green's Injury: Ahman Green was in and out of the lineup for most of last year, and then put on IR due to a bone bruise of his knee. He has recovered from that, but was the anti-weeble in the first preseason game, falling down on his first play without being touched due to a groin injury.

2. Green as Starter: Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle reports that the coaches believe in that Ahman Green will be back for the beginning of the season. As Justice says in his blog comments:
I was told by both Rick Smith and Gary Kubiak that they think he'll be the starting running back in the regular-season opener. He's telling them he'll be ready, which is different than last season when he was never optimistic about coming back. But the biggest factor is that from a talent standpoint he's light years ahead of the other RBs except for possibly the rookie, and there's no way they're going to throw him out there against the 3-4 in the first game.
And he says more about Green in this other blog post.

3. Green Gone: Justice's colleague, John McClain speculates that if Green doesn't play in the preseason, he is going to get cut.

 

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]]>ahman greenAhmanGreenchris brownchris taylorChrisBrownChrisTaylorduane brownDuaneBrowneric winstonEricWinstongary kubiakGaryKubiakjohn mcclainJohnMcclainkeith weilandKeithWeilandmarcel shippMarcelShipprichard justiceRichardJusticerick smithRickSmithron dayneRonDaynesamkon gadoSamkonGadosteve slatonSteveSlatonStephanie Stradley2008-08-19T09:20:00 00:00Jerry Jones Interview: Romessica 'Good for the Franchise'http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/18/jerry-jones-interview-romessica-good-for-the-franchise/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/18/jerry-jones-interview-romessica-good-for-the-franchise/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/18/jerry-jones-interview-romessica-good-for-the-franchise/#commentsFiled under: ,


If you are a Dallas lover or hater, you have to read the D Magazine interview with Jerral Wayne Jones, aka Jerry Jones, owner of the Cowboys.

He answers just about every question you would want to ask Jones except his views on plastic surgery. Highpoints include a discussion of the firing of long time coach Tom Landry, his business background and growing the Cowboys, criticism of ticket pricing at the stadium, creating a succession plan for his children, and his philosophy on risk. It really is worth a read and is too lengthy to properly summarize.

He was even asked about whether quarterback Tony Romo's relationship with Jessica Simpson bothered him:

 

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]]>jerry jonesJerryJonesjessica simpsonJessicaSimpsontony romoTonyRomoStephanie Stradley2008-08-18T10:20:00 00:00Vince Young Has Hole in His Quad: What's Up With That?http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/17/vince-young-has-hole-in-his-quad-whats-up-with-that/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/17/vince-young-has-hole-in-his-quad-whats-up-with-that/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/17/vince-young-has-hole-in-his-quad-whats-up-with-that/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

ESPN's John Clayton recently wrote a puff piece on Titans quarterback Vince Young, how he is maturing as a player, and how his progress is coming with new offensive coordinator, Mike Heimerdinger. Also, Young talks about his treatment and recovery from his quad injury from last year:
"My quad, man, it was bad. Every week you get it better, then you go out and play and hurt it again. The quad would get weak. I was taking those pills for the pain. I was running around trying to make plays when it's not there. The quad is definitely back where it needs to be although I still have a little hole in there."
As I wrote last year, trying to play on a strained quadriceps muscle before it has a chance to heal runs the risk of making the injury a chronic one. Athletes often make this injury worse because they feel like they can play, but when they use maximum effort, like with sprinting, kicking or jumping, they aggravate their injury.

After reading about the injury and how it was handled, it made me curious. I asked a medical friend of mine who has not seen or treated Young, but has given me good information in the past about football player injuries, why Young would have a "hole" left in his quad. His response:

 

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]]>Stephanie Stradley2008-08-17T12:07:00 00:00Mario Williams Responds to Osi Umenyiora: 'He's a Coward'http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/16/mario-williams-responds-to-osi-umenyiora-hes-a-coward/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/16/mario-williams-responds-to-osi-umenyiora-hes-a-coward/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/16/mario-williams-responds-to-osi-umenyiora-hes-a-coward/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora took exception to Pete Prisco's offseason list of top 50 NFL players. Prisco named Mario Williams the top defensive end in the league and number 6 overall. Asked about the list, Umenyiora said that Williams at #6 was "just absolutely ridiculous."

According to a recent article by Prisco, Williams was unamused with Umenyiora's comments. Apparently, Williams saw Umenyiora a couple of days before those comments were made and they didn't speak on this topic at all. Says Williams:
"He's a coward. If he has anything to say to me, he should have said it to my face. You write that."
Usually, Williams doesn't respond to his critics, but yeah, it probably does sting a bit when a guy smiles to your face and then dogs you on a radio show.

The article goes on to justify Williams as a high pick in his list as the defensive end plays a premium position on the field, is young, physically a freak, productive, and still has a tremendous amount of potential. If NFL general managers were picking players off of another team, they would pick Williams as their first defensive player.

By all reports, Williams has had a tremendous camp and believes that he will have an even better season this year. It's hard to disagree, especially to his face. He's a big guy and all.

 

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]]>mario williamsMarioWilliamsosi umenyioraOsiUmenyioraStephanie Stradley2008-08-16T09:45:00 00:00FanHouse NFL Season Preview: Houston Texans - Too Bad They Are in the AFC Southhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/15/fanhouse-nfl-season-preview-houston-texans-too-bad-they-are-i/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/15/fanhouse-nfl-season-preview-houston-texans-too-bad-they-are-i/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/15/fanhouse-nfl-season-preview-houston-texans-too-bad-they-are-i/#commentsFiled under: ,


Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterback: In Matt Schaub and Sage Rosenfels, the Texans have two quarterbacks who could start in this QB starved league. Schaub needs to show he can hold up over a full season, and have better decision making in the red zone. Even so, he could end up having a breakout season assuming he and his supporting cast stay relatively healthy. Heat Index: 7

Running Backs: The Texans have been busy fixing so many other parts of their team that they have had little interest in drafting running back with a high pick. The running back group consists of Ahman Green (old and oft injured), Chris Brown (oft injured), Chris Taylor (inexperienced and coming off of injury), Darius Walker (inexperienced), Steve Slaton (3rd round pick rookie and more of a third down back). Coach Gary Kubiak won't want to have to rely on a young player because of concerns about blitz pickup. The best hope for this group is if offensive line guru Alex Gibbs shows some magic in his run blocking teaching that makes this group look good. Heat Index: 4

 

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]]>ahman greenAhmanGreenalex gibbsAlexGibbsandre davisandre johnsonAndreDavisAndreJohnsonchris brownchris taylorChrisBrownChrisTaylordarius walkerDariusWalkerdavid andersonDavidAndersondemeco ryansDemecoRyansduane brownDuaneBrowndunta robinsonDuntaRobinsonfred bennettFredBennettgary kubiakGaryKubiakjacoby jonesJacobyJonesjacques reevesJacquesReeveskevin walterKevinWaltermario williamsMarioWilliamsMatt schaubMattSchaubnflpreview2008owen danielsOwenDanielsray rhodesRayRhodesrichard smithRichardSmithrick smithRickSmithrosevelt colvinRoseveltColvinsage rosenfelsSageRosenfelssteve slatonSteveSlatonStephanie Stradley2008-08-15T08:00:00 00:00In Beach Volleyball, Why Do Men Wear Shirts and Women Wear Bikinis?http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/14/in-beach-volleyball-why-do-men-wear-shirts-and-women-wear-bikin/http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/14/in-beach-volleyball-why-do-men-wear-shirts-and-women-wear-bikin/http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/14/in-beach-volleyball-why-do-men-wear-shirts-and-women-wear-bikin/#commentsFiled under:


So has your DVR received a workout rewinding moments in women's beach volleyball? Especially, the repeated NBC replays (YouTube) of the American women celebrating their gold last Olympics. Maybe it's just my husband who does that.

King Kaufman at Salon wondered why the women wear bikinis and the men wear shirts. I came across a genius ploy for page hits video essay at Yahoo! that explains this more than just saying "duh, so men will watch."

Basically, the short answer can be found on not-as-gratuitous picture on page 6. Beach volleyball Olympian Holly McPeak explains that though men typically train wearing board shorts and no shirt, for competition,
"[T]he governing international body for the sport prefers a cleaner look with their country, names, and numbers on their shirt."

 

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]]>beach volleyballBeachVolleyballolympicsStephanie Stradley2008-08-14T22:27:00 00:00Ahman Green Touches Ball Once, Falls Down, Is Injured, Few Surprisedhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/10/ahman-green-touches-ball-once-falls-down-is-injured-few-surpr/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/10/ahman-green-touches-ball-once-falls-down-is-injured-few-surpr/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/10/ahman-green-touches-ball-once-falls-down-is-injured-few-surpr/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It's preseason, so everyone is limited to what they can learn about a team. For me, going to last night's preseason game between the Texans and Broncos was slightly surreal and dream like. And not just because I tailgated with a vampire rock singer.

Here's my preseason game observations from a Texans perspective: Allegedly, this is supposed to be the first year under Gary Kubiak where the running game finally gets it together. So far, not so good.

The Texans running backs were limited to under 100 yards rushing with 29 attempts. The overall rushing totals are inflated due to third string quarterback Shane Boyd's rushing yards, the unplanned fake punt run by old guy punter, Matt Turk and a nice run by wide receiver Andre Davis.

In ESPN's excellent AFC South Blog manned by Paul Kuharsky, RT Eric Winston provides a terrific summary of why the run game struggled.

Starting running back Ahman Green touched the ball once on a catch, promptly fell down and hobbled out with what the Texans are saying is a slight groin pull. Unbleepingbelievable.

 

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]]>Stephanie Stradley2008-08-10T21:15:00 00:00Aaron Rodgers Is So Screwedhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/07/aaron-rodgers-is-so-screwed/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/07/aaron-rodgers-is-so-screwed/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/07/aaron-rodgers-is-so-screwed/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Green Bay quarterback, Aaron Rodgers says he doesn't want our pity, but he is going to get some of mine. The kid in the short YouTube above rejected Rodgers' attempt to autograph his football, and as was explained in an article preaching that fans take it easier on Rodgers, another kid told him:
"We don't love you. You suck."
Children often express elemental but brutal honesty, and I'm not sure things are going to be much better for AaRod in his dealings with fans in general.

Whatever side you pick in the Packer front office versus Brett Favre pissing match dispute, there is going to be a percentage of the fanbase who will be bitter at GM Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy for kicking Favre to the curb in favor of an unproven Rodgers. And however misguided it is, those fans will take it out on Rodgers.

Though the course of a game, it is easier to boo Rodgers than Thompson and McCarthy. Emotional and overwrought perhaps, but that's how things work. The decision makers don't throw incomplete passes and every quarterback does.

 

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]]>aaron rodgersAaronRodgersbrett favreBrettFavredavid carrDavidCarrmike mccarthyMikeMccarthyted thompsonTedThompsonvince youngVinceYoungStephanie Stradley2008-08-07T13:20:00 00:00Dangerous Levels of Air Pollution in Beijing? Nope, It's Just Misthttp://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/06/dangerous-levels-of-air-pollution-in-beijing-nope-its-just-mi/http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/06/dangerous-levels-of-air-pollution-in-beijing-nope-its-just-mi/http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/06/dangerous-levels-of-air-pollution-in-beijing-nope-its-just-mi/#commentsFiled under:

Even with pollution levels in Beijing at readings that even the Chinese find dangerous, a senior Olympics official claims that the yellow-grey haze in the air is not pollution. It's uh, mist.

Arne Ljundqvist, chair of the IOC medical commission claims that the pollution concerns are overblown by the media:
"The mist in the air that we see in those places, including here, is not a feature of pollution primarily but a feature of evaporation and humidity. We do have a communication problem here. Once the misconception has become sort of established in the minds of people, it's not that easy to get the right message through."
Right-o. And the excrement that comes out of cows is really heart healthy dark chocolate. Try it!

 

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]]>arne ljundqvistArneLjundqvistolympicsStephanie Stradley2008-08-06T23:15:00 00:00Peter King Wants You to Hate Him to Prove Your Fandomhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/05/peter-king-wants-you-to-hate-him-to-prove-your-fandom/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/05/peter-king-wants-you-to-hate-him-to-prove-your-fandom/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/05/peter-king-wants-you-to-hate-him-to-prove-your-fandom/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine sent me this Peter King interview from The Redskins Blog and he talks about fanbases who hate him or think King hates them:
"The fans of the Houston Texans are not passionate. The fans of the Arizona Cardinals are not passionate. I mean, I came out here this morning, and all you see are people who are just NUTTY about the Redskins. They're out of their minds. They're crazy."
Uh oh. I don't know what Cardinals fans think about that assessment of their fandom, but Houston Texan fans were non amused. The Texans as a newish team clearly don't have the largest fanbase in the league, but the ones they have don't take kindly to having their fandom questioned by someone who knows little about their team and has an unhealthy Favre obsession (visually illustrated by the above short Peter King YouTube labeled "Brett Favre's Testicles").

 

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]]>brett favreBrettFavrepeter kingPeterKingStephanie Stradley2008-08-05T18:45:00 00:00Houston Texans 2008 Training Camp Rounduphttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/03/houston-texans-2008-training-camp-roundup/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/03/houston-texans-2008-training-camp-roundup/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/03/houston-texans-2008-training-camp-roundup/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Okay, for those of you emailing me asking, I just got back from my vacation. My pasty blogger skin avoided sunburn, but unfortunately, almost half the group we went with got some sort of really repulsive stomach bug. I've avoided it so far and am considering covering my entire self in hand sanitizer.

In any event, here's various news I missed this last week:

* Johnson's Groin Provides Big Scare. That's the dubiously titled article from HoustonTexans.com that describes the training camp scare that Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson had in the last public practice on Saturday. (HT video above). After having a circus catch, mid season form sort of practice, near the end he felt tightness in his groin and slowed down. He doesn't believe it was a big deal, and went to go sign autographs afterwards without limping.

 

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]]>albert haynesworthAlbertHaynesworthandre johnsonAndreJohnsonbrandon harrisonbrandon mitchellBrandonHarrisonBrandonMitchellchris brownChrisBrowndan rileyDanRileykeith weilandKeithWeilandmike bellMikeBellnick scurfieldNickScurfieldpaul kuharskyPaulKuharskyStephanie Stradley2008-08-03T17:45:00 00:00Houston Texans Tribute Song Describes Training Camp Perfectlyhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/27/houston-texans-tribute-song-describes-training-camp-perfectly/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/27/houston-texans-tribute-song-describes-training-camp-perfectly/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/27/houston-texans-tribute-song-describes-training-camp-perfectly/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Texans hold their training camp at their facility outside their stadium. This means that the number one camp comment by rookies and free agents is about how blasted hot and humid it is in Houston. Yup, Houston is a hot place in the summer, except for indoors where everything is overly air conditioned.

It was about 90 degrees by the time I left morning camp. The Texans canceled afternoon public practices. They are going to make those sessions more like walk-throughs with the players wearing baseball caps.

The Texans recently had a tribute song written for them embracing the heat in these parts called "Hot Texans." It is written by songwriter Vicki Gayle Davis, and you can listen to the autoplay of it on her website. I strongly suggest listening to it, even if you are not a fan of the team because like all works of art, it is difficult to describe. You just have to hear it.

Really, listen to it now and come back and tell me what you think. I must warn you however, it is uh, catchy and may give you a bit of a ear worm that you won't be able to get out of your head.

 

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]]>hot texansHotTexansvicki gayle davisVickiGayleDavisStephanie Stradley2008-07-27T11:30:00 00:00Houston Texans Training Camp Photo Essayhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/houston-texans-training-camp-photo-essay/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/houston-texans-training-camp-photo-essay/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/houston-texans-training-camp-photo-essay/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I love going to training camp. I see a bunch of friends, and it means that the season is around the corner. It also means that we start seeing breathless speculating accounts of who is doing what in camp, but you know, it is just practice in shorts.

You really can't tell much watching a team practice versus reading about it. Often all you can really see is the excitement of the fans, and what sort of condition players appear to be. But most of all, it is an excuse for the team to talk football, so you get that.

So with such caveats in place, this will be my Texans training camp report from the practice fields across from Reliant Stadium with picture goodness. To get the best information from the coaches and players, I strongly suggest checking out the HoustonTexans.com camp quotes and Texans TV.

And to see better pictures than mine, please check out Andy Martin's pictures at TexansBullPen.com. I am no good with action shots, and the one nice one I had of a Schaub to Johnson pass, I accidentally deleted. Grrrr.

According to the Day 2 Training Camp transcript, wide receiver Andre Johnson is reporting no pain with his knee at all, and from my eye, looked like his normal abnormally fit self:

 

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]]>andre johnsonAndreJohnsonduane brownDuaneBrowndunta robinsonDuntaRobinsonephraim salaamEphraimSalaamgary kubiakGaryKubiakmatt schaubMattSchaubrashad butlerRashadButlersage rosenfelsSageRosenfelsStephanie Stradley2008-07-26T17:30:00 00:00Caleb Campbell Situation a Result of Service Academy Politics?http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/25/caleb-campbell-situation-a-result-of-service-academy-politics/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/25/caleb-campbell-situation-a-result-of-service-academy-politics/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/25/caleb-campbell-situation-a-result-of-service-academy-politics/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Sports talk and message boards have been abuzz about the Army reversing their decision to let West Point graduate, Caleb Campbell play safety for the Detroit Lions. The Detroit News "Behind the Scenes" columnists contend that it was pressure from the service academies that caused this change:
The feeling at the United States Military Academy in West Point is that higherups and other branches of the service -- the Navy, in particular -- were jealous of the favorable publicity Campbell has generated for the Army since the Lions drafted him on the seventh round in April.
...
Campbell, who graduated from West Point on May 31, was eligible to play pro football under the "alternative service option" available to graduates of the service academies. The Navy and Air Force required two years of active duty before exercising the option. The Army allowed it immediately after graduation.

The Dept. of Defense has ordered the Army to comply with the policy as implemented by the Navy and Air Force.
So Navy wants to be able to keep beating Army and that's why they changed the policy? Maybe if Campbell went to the Washington Redskins instead of the Detroit Lions, maybe the Washington-based DoD people would have held off in making this policy change.

 

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]]>armycaleb campbellCalebCampbellnavywest pointWestPointStephanie Stradley2008-07-25T12:45:00 00:00