Pages

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Houston Texans Inside Slant: Steph Stradley Talks Being the Division Favorites - Bleacher Report

Welcome to the Inside Slant, where each week we focus on an outstanding writer from around the AFC South.

One of the best writers in the league is Steph Stradley.

Stradley is a lawyer who writes a  Houston Texans blog for the Houston Chronicle online. You can find her on Twitter @StephStradley and can also find her writing for her personal blog at www.StephStradley.com.

Whether you are a Texans fan or not, you should be reading her regularly. 

BR: What is the mood of the fan base right now? The Texans are favorites in the South, but have had a rough offseason. Are fans upbeat in Houston or nervous about being in the cat-bird seat? Do you feel the same way?

SS: Generally, the mood of the fan base is positive. The Texans last year went to the playoffs with a backup backup quarterback. Relative to other teams, I'm not sure it's been a particularly rough offseason. Though there were some departing players, the critical players of center Chris Myers and running back Arian Foster have returned. And defensive coordinator Wade Phillips is back (and healthy).

Not sure you can generalize about all fans: I'm sure there's plenty who are upbeat, plenty who are nervous, and some who are both. I'm generally positive about the outlook of the Texans in 2012 because there's no turnover in coaching staff, the Texans have proven schemes on both sides of the ball, and the rest of the AFC South is in significant transition.

 

BR: What's the one thing that concerns you about the Texans right now? If future Steph came back to warn you about disaster striking in the 2012 season, what do you think she'd say?

SS: If I must limit it to one thing beyond the generic injury concerns all NFL teams worry about, I'd say the known unknowns. The Texans are transitioning in three spots: 1. The right side of the line with new players at right tackle and right guard; 2. Wide receivers behind Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter; 3. Special teams. The Texans are entering 2012 with a new field goal kicker and possibly a new punter given that Brett Hartmann is coming off of injury and will be suspended for three games this season.

Coaches like to encourage competition, which presents both challenges (uncertainty) and opportunities (the possibility of upgrading in those spots).

Usually it isn't the known unknowns that create problems for your team, but rather the unknown unknowns. (Hat tip to former US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield.)

 

BR: 3. What can you tell us about the Bum Phillips opera? 

SS: Former Oilers coach, Bum Phillips, is one of the most beloved figures in Houston sports history. A group of former-Houstonians who now live in New York decided to create an opera based on his biography, Bum Phillips: Cowboy, Coach, Christian. (People can order an autographed copy of this book in time for Father's Day. All proceeds go to Bum's charities).

The issue with creating an opera about a living person is that they have rights to publicity. So the opera creators went to see Bum on his ranch and got his permission to do this. Bum and his wife thought it would be, in their words, "a hoot."

Recently, the creators of the opera did Online fundraising to help commission the opera. Here is a video of their project. They are hoping to stage it in both New York City and Houston. They will likely do more fundraising in the future. If anyone out there wishes to be a contributor to the next phase of this project, I suggest going to the website of the opera company.

No comments:

Post a Comment