Jack Pardee, 1936-2013

» Daily Cougar: Legendary former coach dies at 76

Sad news for the day, but we knew the day was coming. It would probably be enough for me to look at Pardee’s track record at my alma mater and be proud enough to claim the Aggie as a sports hero. There were a number of great players developed by Pardee on the field around the time I went to school there. And while the team fared poorly after he left for the Oilers, there was still some great talent that he brought in. All good and well.

But what I remember most about Pardee’s time was the aftermath of the Jeff Alm suicide in 1993. By every account, that was a moment when Pardee’s character was needed most and by all the recollections that I have of the era, the players spoke highly of his handling at the time. That it came in the midst of a season with David Williams’ “Babygate” episode and the Ryan v Gilbride sideline boxing match during the same season should have been enough to phase most teams. But it’s hard to image many things that would phase Pardee. Texas lost a good one this week.

The Kevin Kolb Era: Let’s Try This One More Time

» Buffalo News: Bills add Kolb to quarterback mix

I can’t say I’m crazy about the fit, but it’s a gig and as good of an opportunity that I think Kolb can find these days. I’m not sure what kind of offense Chan Gailey runs up north, but I’ve always seen Kolb as a good fit for anything that favors a high-percentage passing office (Philly’s West Coast style was as good as the NFL offers). Injuries, of course, are perhaps a bigger issue with Kolb. Proving he can go through a majority of the season as the designated starter would be a very welcome first.

But in any event, I’ll be watching Bills games with more interest than I have since Jim Kelly left the USFL.

Kevin Kolb > Tom Brady

Things that amuse me greatly …

Kolb starts the season, nominally, with a 2-0 record now. His stat line certainly wasn’t better than Brady, nor was it in line with what you’d expect of an Andy Reid-taught QB to produce. But the season goes one week at a time. It’ll be interesting to see how much this fuels a legitimate QB controversy in Arizona.

The Kevin Kolb Era … v2.1

» AZ Republic: What a relief: Arizona Cardinals QB Kevin Kolb takes short route to redemption
» AZ Republic: Arizona Cardinals edge Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 of NFL season

Not quite how it was scripted, but for the few of us remaining Kevin Kolb fans … we’ll take it.

All Kolb did is what Skelton made a habit of doing a year ago: directing a scoring drive from an offense that tends to spend whole quarters in dormancy.

Many of the 60,032 in attendance booed when Kolb entered with 8:18 remaining, and it didn’t help when he overthrew receiver Larry Fitzgerald on the first play.

But using a no-huddle scheme, Kolb quickly found a rhythm. He completed 6 of his next 7, including a 6-yard touchdown to Andre Roberts that gave the Cardinals a 20-16 lead with 4:59 left.

“It was pretty special, I’m not going to lie,” Kolb said. “To win a game in that fashion, after the way the preseason went, I’ll definitely enjoy it.”

It appears Kolb will be the starter for at least the next several weeks. The Cardinals will know more about Skelton’s condition Monday, but the best scenario seems to be that he has a high ankle sprain.

No definitive word on how long Skelton is out. But the early ballpark estimates seem to suggest 3-6 weeks. If nothing else, it sounds like Kolb will have some time to show what he’s made of by the time Skelton is fully ready to play.

Oh yeah … and the Texans won and the RGIII vs Luck comparisons begin with RG in the lead. I think I managed to catch the end of the Green Bay v 49ers game over the opening weekend. Improvement is definitely needed on my part.

Cougar Aggre-blogging

A pretty busy weekend in extended Cougar sposts …

» Chron: Piland, defense suffer through season opener to forget
» Chron: UH changes offensive coordinators in reaction to Texas St. loss
Brutal day and a dizzying turn of events watching a coach hired after an extensive Google search by Coach Levine. Here’s hoping things turn around fast. For whatever team failings are going to reflect on Levine, the lack of returning starters is a bigger issue in my mind. I’m not sure how many of the kids we have lining up now are likely to be multi-year lettermen, but this isn’t the first time we’ve been at the start of a four-to-five year project with unproven talent in the first year. I’m waiting and I hope to be seeing. Soon.

» AZ Republic: Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb knows there is time to make amends
Also brutal. I’ll be shocked if Kolb doesn’t get some starting time for the Cards at some point in the season. The O-line is just too iffy for the team to see them going through only one QB. What Kolb shows off the bench will likely determine how much of a career he has from this point on.

» Chron: Case Keenum clears waivers; signed to practice squad
» Detroit Free Press: Lions reportedly sign CB Drayton Florence; add Patrick Edwards, Ross Weaver to practice squad
Elsewhere, RB Michael Hayes ended up getting cut by the Chargers (Jackie Battle is still in their backfield, however) and LB Sammy Brown was a late cut by the St. Louis Rams. Of the four, I’d have probably picked Edwards to take his talents to the UFL or CFL to prove what he can do. Nice to see Detroit being smart enough to hold onto him. There’s some good history there with short receivers.

» Chron: Legendary UH athletic trainer Wilson dies at 85
Even our training staff at UH was legendary.

Some Un-Cartographic Aggreposting …

Well, so much for continuous mapping through the week. Yesterday got away from me and I’m presently doing some coding and databasing that I was hoping to have done a day and a half ago. First world problems, for ya. Anywho … he are a few links worth noting before they go under-reported by me.

» Chron: Texans’ Keenum appears cut from the same cloth as Kubiak
It sounds as if Keenum will be the third QB in the game and playing with the second unit offense in tonight’s game. I didn’t bother catching the first preseason game against Carolina since I didn’t think Case would play (he did). I’ll be looking for an online feed of this after church tonight to get what I hope is not a last-gasp dose of watching Case chuck a football.

» Chron: UH QB Piland ready to put valuable experience to use
I’m not sure what to expect for this year’s Cougar football team. For starters, I don’t know any of the receivers. Charles Sims appears to be one of the better skill players to return. And as if David Piland’s alma mater wasn’t problematic enough for me, the up & coming running back hailing from arch rival L.D. Bell has me in a complete state of confusion this year. Nothing a good 8-0 start to the season wouldn’t fix, I’m sure.

» ESPN: Kevin Kolb gets some slack for rough start
» AZ Republic: Arizona Cardinals quarterback competition will continue at least a week
» ESPN: Tommy Kelly Rips Kevin Kolb
I’ve said this before … Kolb is the kind of guy who really needs three solid years to settle into a starting role with a team. Sad as it may be, he might not get that unless he shows some major indicators of being healthy and solid in the job this second season with the Cards.

» New Republic: I Was a Teenage Objectivist
Good for a daily laugh here. I made my way through one and a half Ayn Rand books during college. By the time I was approaching graduation at UH, the Daily Cougar editorialists were hard core objectivists. And a considerable number of friends were college libertarians of the Ayn Rand ilk. There was nothing about any of that compelled me to find selfishness and individualistic sociopathy as a worthwhile endeavor.

» Chron: Growth of Hispanic business doesn’t match population
Worth going back and reading this for some additional perspective.

» FW Star-Telegram: Texas risks losing $31 million in federal transportation funding
Some interesting insights into federal budgeting here.

» NY Times: ‘Al’ and ‘Joe’ Lead the Spam Squad
Interesting reading for those interested in online and/or political communication. I’m pretty sure that I’m subscribed to almost every email list under the political sun (and several non-political ones as well). I’ve definitely seen the emails in question for this write-up and tend to loathe the deadline flurry of emails that multiple campaigns send out. But I’m also sure that my inbox is at the extreme end of the spectrum. I’m mostly interested in saving examples that I might want to copy an idea or two from. As for the qualitative disputes with the extent that campaigns hit “send”, I’m not sure I’m seeing as good use of it this cycle as was on display in 2008. I think a big part of that is due to Team Obama’s perspective of being an incumbent with a big, hefty list that they’re interested in milking diminishing returns from. In 2008, the Obama group was new, fresh, and looking to rebuild many of the tools that were started up in halfway form in 2004. When multiple challengers run for an open seat in 2016, it’ll be interesting to see if anyone challenges the existing vendors out there for online communication. And I hope it involves something better than relying on multiple emails a day on fundraising deadlines. If it puts an end to clients asking me if they can sign email blasts as being sent from their iPhone, I’ll be all the happier.

» Foreign Affairs: The New Great Game in Central Asia ($)
Interesting if you’re into Asian/China stuff.

The Kevin Kolb Era: Now or Never

» Arizona Republic: Kevin Kolb injured as Arizona Cardinals lose to New Orleans Saints

Ugh …

Quarterback Kevin Kolb’s first pass was intercepted, and he suffered a bruised rib muscle and diaphragm on his fourth attempt and did not return.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt said the injury didn’t appear serious and that it was possible Kolb would practice this week.

The Cardinals looked like a team playing its first preseason game in the 17-10 loss Sunday at Fawcett Stadium.

The Saints did not.

Unfortunately, this was supposed to be the third consecutive season that Kevin was either functionally or officially tabbed as the starting QB. I’m obviously rooting for him. So you can imagine my pain in seeing another outing like this.

Change I Can’t Believe In

» Chron: Astros name change? (Forget) that (Jerome Solomon)

Bad idea. Just all-out bad.

But changing the Astros name to anything would tick off true Astros fans to the highest of tickstivity. (Please note I cleaned that up for the family newspaper, though the mere mention of a possible name change compels one to use profane language.)

Stop while you are behind, Mr. Crane. Don’t change the name on the front of the jerseys; change the names on the back of the jerseys.

Dig deep into your pockets and field a team of players worthy of wearing “Astros” on their chests. Heck, while you’re at it — and I understand this might be asking a bit much — find some players for whom the stars on their jerseys might actually describe their status in baseball.

I’m not saying you can’t use cheap tricks to make fans want to want you — and you don’t have to be a band from Rockford, Ill., to know a name change is a cheap trick — but the name Astros is at the heart and soul of this franchise.

I grew up being indoctrinated in Houston and Texas history due to a temporary family move out of state in the 70s. I once successfully got out of doing chores while we lived in Euless because Nolan Ryan was pitching a no-hitter for the Astros and I had to stop everything and watch. I still remember where I was when I learned of J.R. Richard collapsing on the mound and when Jose Cruz cried over a playoff loss to the Phillies, I cried with him.

Changing the name of the Astros would be the quickest way to make me a season-ticket holder for the Skeeters. It’s truly the worst idea since John McMullen let Nolan Ryan go his merry way.

SOMEWHAT REMOTELY RELATED: Sunday games for the Coogs commence 2/19. Some schools may be changing away from the Cougar nickname, but not the University of Houston.

All Good Things Must Come To An End

» Chron: Texans’ first playoff run ends with turnover-filled loss to Ravens
» Politico: Jon Huntsman to drop out, back Mitt Romney in 2012 elections

The first was obviously tougher to endure. As good fortune would have it, we piped the game into church on Sunday via DVR … slightly delayed for the opening to accommodate the ending of an 11am service, and resumed after a 1pm service. Once committed to the start of the game, there was really no leaving unless you wanted to walk out into the world where the final score was known about an hour ahead of what we knew it to be. I think it was the only church service we’ve had where threats were made against people checking the score on their phones.

The Crane Era Begins

» Chron: ‘Change’ message of the day with new ownership, move to AL

Count me among the people not looking forward to the announcement of a designated hitter in our lineup for home games. So, I’ve got a year to think this over and the leading candidates for an alternate National League team to call a rooting interest is as follows:

1. St. Louis Cardinals. This goes back to the Houston Buffaloes being a farm team for the Cards. There’s still a minor amount of geographic proximity and assuming Louis* Albert Pujols comes back after testing the free agent waters, they’ll have the best player in Major League Baseball.

2. Pittsburgh Pirates. Two former Coogs are on the roster: Chris Snyder (C) and Brad Lincoln (P). There’s also an historical note of Doug Drabek being a Pirate and winning a World Series for them to factor in.

3. Atlanta Braves. Two words: Michael Bourn. Sure, this means letting the rivalry of the 90s go by the wayside. But … Michael. Bourn. You just don’t have anyone else out there there performs at the level that Bourn does who is a Houston native and played at UH.

4. Washington Nationals. There’s a Coog in the system: Blake Kelso (3B/SS). But Kelso seems stuck in a numbers game and is young enough that he may or may not ever really see an at-bat with the Nats. Stephen Strassburg made his comeback late last season and could be worth watching every fifth day. If Bryce Harper adds some talent at the plate next season, maybe there’s something to consider them as my preferred team for. Since there’s another season to think this over, I suppose the Nats could be helped if former Coog, Garrett Mock, makes his way back up to the major league roster.

—-

* – HA! Luis Pujols making a comeback would have been nice to see. Not to mention, he’d be a nice reset for those of us Astros fans who go back to the 80s. But Albert’s still the better player.

Roger Christian

» NY Times: Roger Christian, Star on U.S.’s First Gold Medal Ice Hockey Team, Dies at 75

I’m well-versed enough in my Miracle on Ice history to be deeply saddened by this bit of unfortunate news:

Roger Christian, whose four-goal game propelled the United States to its first gold medal in Olympic ice hockey, an improbable championship at the 1960 Squaw Valley Winter Games, died Wednesday in Grand Forks, N.D. He was 75.

When the 1980 USA Hockey team was preparing for the Olympics, they played each of the minor league CHL teams twice. The Ft. Worth Texans (my team) was the only one to beat them twice. I saw them neither time. But the buzz they created for themselves in the minor league circuit was well underway before the Olympics came around.

I always thought it was neat how one of the 1980 team members was the son of a 1960 team member and the nephew of two others … Roger among them. Once the 1980 team started appearing on TV, there was also the curiosity of Dave playing with a stick that had his own family name on it. That was due to this turn of history:

After working as carpenters, Roger and Billy founded the hockey-stick manufacturer Christian Brothers in their native Warroad, Minn., in 1964. The company was selling some 500,000 sticks annually by the 1980s, some to N.H.L. players, with the marketing slogan “hockey sticks made by hockey players.”

Professional opportunities for American players weren’t overly common in 1960. It was the 1980 team that served as something of a watershed moment as many of those players would not only get drafted, but also go on to have incredibly pro careers. On a sidenote, feel free to quiz me sometime … I probably still remember the teams that drafted most or all players that went pro.

The generational contribution that the older Christian brothers made to the 1980 team didn’t just end at the family name, though. Dave Christian wasn’t the only one that played with a Christian Brothers stick. My favorite player from the Miracle on Ice team (Neal Broten*) did the same and used the same piece of equipment when he went pro. I know at least a couple of others used them, as well. It might have been a function of the number of Univ. of Minnesota players on the team.

I somehow managed to continue a bit of childhood mystique with Christian Brothers hockey sticks during a brief period of time where I played a little rec-league roller hockey. There are no highlights to revel in. I was terrible at it, but it was great fun. More importantly, I only owned two sticks – a Christian and another brand with a Chris Pronger (who somehow managed to replace Broten as my favorite sometime after Broten’s retirement) model blade.

All this to say … Roger made a heck of a stick. And along the way, he made his country proud. That’s a pretty good legacy for a guy from Warroad. I don’t have any similar sentimental note to tell about the other two guys left from the 1960 team, about whom I know previous little. But it should qualify as a universally sad day in American hockey when they’re all gone.

—

* – On a more revealing sidenote, I confess to shedding actual tears when Neal Broten became the first player to score a regulation-game NHL goal on Texas ice. Point being: when you see something as big as the Miracle on Ice, it’s not something you just shrug your shoulders at and proceed to forget. Unless you’re Canadian, maybe.

Selling Low Never Seemed to Be This Difficult

Forget Billy Beane’s “Moneyball” … Houston plays Hardball:

» Chron: Crane could walk away from Astros deal

As the Nov. 30 expiration of his contract to buy the Astros creeps closer, Jim Crane said Tuesday that he probably would walk away if Major League Baseball doesn’t approve his group’s $680 million purchase by that date.

“I’m not saying we wouldn’t extend it,” Crane said in a meeting with the Chronicle’s editorial board. “We’d have to know what the circumstances are. You have to remember, we were told the deal was going to close in August. The cash is in the bank.”

I guess the only thing that perplexes me about this is that much of the background on Jim Crane has been known for quite a while. He’s been through the ownership trial heats before and things didn’t pan out. It might be understandable if Selig and MLB had said that they just want to wait until after the World Series to announce anything. But I haven’t seen that point raised anywhere yet.

It’s moments like this that might warrant some attention to the fallback plan for Astros ownership. Marc Campos hinted at this back in May and I’d heard similar (albeit second- and third-hand) rumors around that time. Whether a second choice ownership group can offers $680M might be an open question, though.

For the record, I’m going to hate seeing the Astros in the American League. Maybe not as much as I hated seeing them flail and flounder in recent years. But I’ll hate it just the same. If anything, I’d prefer to maximize opportunities to see Steven Strassburg pitch before his arm blows out. But that’s just me.

Chuck Norris hides when he sees Kevin Kolb approaching …

» AZ Republic: Arizona Cardinals QBs share Texas bond

Once, [Kolb] was walking with his future wife when they encountered an angry western diamondback. Kolb took off his boot, put it at the end of stick and dangled it in front the snake. According to a published report, the snake struck the boot 10 times before giving up the battle.

Kolb then picked up the snake, took out his gun with the other hand and shot the snake in the head. He removed its rattles with a pocket knife, keeping them as a good-luck charm. He was 17 at the time.

Kolb confirmed the encounter Tuesday, adding that he knew a rattlesnake feigns death when its bite has no effect on an intruder. But the rattles have lost their significance.

“Oh, I’ve got a bunch,” he said.

Just two months ago, Kolb took down another rattler with a perfectly thrown rock. Such accuracy surely bodes well for the future.

For more technical football updates on Kolb’s progress, the Cardinal’s have a pretty good snapshot of the situation posted on their blog. Friday night has the Cards playing the Packers. Regular season can’t get here soon enough for me.

Preseason Among Us

Five practices with his new team later …

» AZ Republic: Cards get answers in preseason opener

Given the timeframe that teams had for preparation, Kolb’s line wasn’t the most important thing in the world. But for whatever it’s worth, not bad for one quarter of play:

Kolb played through the first quarter, completing 4 of 7 passes for 68 yards, including a long of 43 yards to Larry Fitzgerald.

Kolb-to-Fitzgerald may be one of the more entertaining things to watch for this season. But given Kolb’s problem of keying on his first option in Philly, it may of some interest to compare Fitz’s productivity with Kolb against his productivity with Kurt Warner.

The Kevin Kolb Era … 2.0

It is done …

Coverage from elsewhere …

» ESPN: The Cardinals’ big bet on Kevin Kolb
» Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals’ trade for QB Kevin Kolb is all but done
» Philly Inq: Kolb-for-Rodgers-Cromartie trade done

For the record, I have priced out a potential trip to see the Cardinals play and eagerly await the precise second that I can purchase a #4 Cardinals replica jersey. Kolb always looked better in red anyway.

Derek Boogaard, 1982-2011

Another item from the past week that I’ve been slow to get to: the passing of Derek Boogaard.

Boogaard played briefly with the Houston Aeros while I was catching games. While the fighters in hockey are typically memorable fan favorites, there’s a bit more to Boogey’s appeal. He was a terrible skater in junior hockey and his appeal to the pros was both his 6’7 270# build as well as his ability to win fights. So despite being drafted (albeit in the 7th round), he started his pro journey in the ECHL rather than a more traditional route. He worked his way up to being an elite NHL fighter. There was a bit of everyman in that journey. Boogey’s personality did the rest for him. He was a great guy by absolutely every account and while his death may or may not be related to his career, it brings a good dose of attention to head injuries in the NHL.

Author Ross Bernstein, who had been working on a book with Boogey, offers some great and eerie memories of a player who died too young.

And for good measure, here’s a memorable clip of Boogey at work as an Aero, taking on a former Aero.

Where They Are Now: Tom Schieffer

I noticed this for the first time a week or two ago and never made time to mention it. So, by way of making up for lost time: Former Democratic candidate for Governor of Texas, Tom Schieffer, is the trustee of the LA Dodgers as they untangle some messy financials left behind by current owner Frank McCourt.

I’ve always hated the Dodgers since that one-game playoff for the National League pennant in 1980. But Shieffer’s a nice enough guy to hope that he keeps things afloat while the team finds a better owner. I mean, I’d hate to think that they’d have an actual excuse for losing to the Astros.

While We Still Have Hope

Baseball is now underway. And I know absolutely nothing of the entire Astros infield. Second base was my position as a little leaguer. And last year’s starter, Jeff Keppinger, is set to return from an injury in a month or so. From the sounds of it, he might not necessarily be the starter when he gets back. Bill Hall is the guy to watch in the meantime.

The Reds won their season opener, so that means the Astros start the season a half a game out of first. Will they ever catch up? Cross your fingers. The Chron’s season preview is here.