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.