Guardian of the Non Sequitur

I’ve always enjoyed sports.  Participating and watching.  Drama can be found in every step (and yet TNT “We Know Drama” doesn’t show sports).  I, of course, grew up loving the Columbia Blue “Love ya Blue” Houston Oilers.

As I’ve aged, and the number of hours in a day seems continually less available, many of my interests have had to make way for others.  Most of the sporting teams I have followed have become more of a background interest.  On top of that, either my perception or reality has come to give me the view that many professional athletes are whiney spoiled asses.  (More so in basketball than football.)  This has tended to push my interest down to college sports over professional.

In 1994 I moved to Calgary.  At the time Bud Adams was trolling for a new stadium; the City was in an economic lull and saying “no”.  It was foregone, it seemed to me at the time and obviously in retrospect, that the Oilers would leave.  As it was, Canada didn’t have much coverage of the NFL and I just started ignoring the league entirely that year.

The next two years I spent in Washington and didn’t pay too much attention to the NFL except when I spent a sunday with friends.  I did attend one Redskins home game with my good friend Bill Cavender which was an awesome experience.

Back in Houston years later I rode my bicycle downtown for the NFL Franchise mascot announcement.  My preference of Toros was passed by for the Texans.  I went to several early year (sometimes preseason) Texans games.  I remember being deafened at one of the first games there.  I’ve enjoyed some tailgating there (something always lacking at an Oilers game).  But I’ve never scheduled my fall sundays according to the Texans’ schedule.

Now, after almost a decade, today is the Texans’ first playoff game.  To say the least: this city is excited!  I no longer have even a television I can watch live sports on.  So, I will be joining some friends at a sports bar a short 5-block bicycle ride away in the ‘hood.

Go Texans.

What are these things?

The short answer is they are the cute salable mascots for the 2008 Summer Beijing Olympic Games.

The longer answer is they represent The Olympic Flame, The Giant Panda, The Tibetan Antelope, The Shayan Kite, and The Chinese Sturgeon.

The most recent answer is that they are The Bearer of Incendiary Strife, The Lord of Angry Earth, The Creature of Righteous Unrest, The Bearer of Unfortunate Wind, and The Bringer of Torrent and Flood.

Those are much more fun, don’t you think!

It seems the more superstitious of the Chinese suspect that these mascots are the causes of recent strife in China, respectively, the most problematic and protested olympic torch relay in history, the Sichuan earthquake, Tibetan protests, a train crash, and widespread flooding.

I am sympathetic, to these natural and man-influenced disasters, but I am quite humored that these cute, neo-corporate, marketing tools may be at the root cause of it all.

Somehow life is easier to bear for humans when there is some supernatural power causing all the problems.

I spent a nice evening watching the Astros with Cary Brock, Jim Henkel, and Tomas Escalante.

We started the evening at Inn at the Ballpark. A nice lobby to rangle a beer in preparation for the game.

A great game – a 2-4 4th inning. That was the final, a grand slam home run.

We had a nice traffic-scatter beer back at the Inn. Good conversation, a few strangers in on the conversation. And I think I sold Danielle and her “husband” on the roller derby in three weeks.

I’ve been listening to the Marfa radio since I got home, but haven’t heard Alderman David’s voice in the last 20 minutes. It’s recording, so perhaps I’ll make it available somewhere.

The chron reports (if you want to call it that) that the MOB is apologizing again. This time for calling an ex-coach a douche bag and intimating that Tulsa is in hell.

Boo hoo. I guess Tulsa alumni are the last little piggie.

Saturday afternoon – a nail-biter with UT barely taking home the win from Central Florida.

Went to the Astro Arena for a concert Friday night. Free tickets + $10 to park. The Killers were the main act. They added a super sucky opening opening band. Louis IV played second.

Louis IV was good, but like the entire night, the balance was super crappy. I think it’s indigenous to all large venues – pumping too much bass and sub-bass to inappropriate music, and leaving the vocals inaudible.

We left soon after the Killers started. I continue to be underwhelmed by them. They are now enhancing their tepidness with gaudy stage theatrics (which were at least a little cool).

I ran into Richard Naudin, Law, and Wiley at various times. Law: “The Killers? Really?” Me: “free tickets”.

Then I tried to get as much sleep as possible, then spent 11+ hours at Verison Wireless for The Governor’s Cup of Roller Derby – 4 bouts. Then several more hours at the after party. I slept hard after that.

Apparently  while I was doing derby, the Texans won their game to be 2-0 for 2007.  The 8-8 season may be within their grasp.

After a pre-season tailgate (JohnMarsha, Mary O, TG, and me) at the Texans/Bears (the rain reduced the heat) game Saturday night, then a late-night post-game card playing session, TG and I had brunch with Ericka and new beau.

It was 102°, the hottest it’s been in 4 years. We went to the Menil after eating, and noticed that 90+% of the patrons were wearing flip-flops or sandals. You have to vent that heat!

Magrite, Picaso, Warhol, Egyptian reliefs, much more and air conditioning. The light was good on Sunday, too. It didn’t feel too bad outside, actually. Just hot.