I feel like all of our sports teams have gotten a swift kick in the gonads lately.

The Houston Texans started out looking like this would be our year.  After six games we were 4-2, and in 1st place in the AFC South.  Now?  We're a laughingstock.  The only team in the league who made a city question whether or not last-second Hail Mary pass was the worst play of the season.  We've mastered the art of losing, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.  Mediocrity is abounding.

The Houston Astros continue to sign players with High K/Low OBP numbers.  That doesn't get it done.  I'm shocked that Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee both stunk more than a greased up oil filter last year, but this team is just a sad state, which is a shame because I think they have a Top 5 NL pitching staff in the makings.

The Houston Dynamo can't catch a break either, going through a losing season and a lot of other issues as well. 

I don't keep up with the Houston Aeros much anymore, but I'm sure our minor league hockey team has had problems.

And then (this is dear to me) I could go on for days about the Houston Cougars.  This was supposed to be the year we went 10-2 or even 11-1 and brought Houston back to the national spotlight.  The only thing spotlight worthy we had was the fact that QB's #1 and #2 both were lost on the Rose Bowl field on the same night, and that our next best QB was treated like garbage in favor of a stiff passer who looks smaller than my brother.

Of course we all know about the Rockets troubles too, which is where it hurts the most, because all these other teams, with their drama and disappointment...the Rockets were the one constant, the one thing that I had hope in.  Yao was coming back, Martin/Scola/Brooks was going to roll out and dominate.  Lowry was the best backup PG in the league, and this deep squad was going to win a fair amount of games and possibly chase the Lakers and Thunder and anyone else for the West crown. 

Funny, this kick still stings. 

Yao's out, Brooks has barely played, and that Jeff Van Gundy defense we built from 2004-2007 has become a facade.  We score a ton now, but we don't stop many people.  There's been improvement, but we don't have that closer right now.  Yao was that kind of special.  Scola and Martin are great players, but they don't have that "special" characteristic about them.  Martin is like Rip Hamilton, a guy who was always a step below Reggie Miller.  A good player yes, but never the guy you went "wow" about.  Luis is lost behind Gasol, Duncan, Millsaps, Lee and other NBA 4-men out there. 

Where is the hope then?  It comes from us, the fans.  We have to continue to support our guys, our team, for the rest of the year.  Yes, that great 2010-11 we all wanted from our teams won't come, but as long as we give our guys the support they need, I think they can still do great things.

~B^2