Death to Google Ads! Texans Talk Tip Jar! 🍺😎👍
Thanks for your support!

ESPN: Houston Texasn are the Sports version of Enron

You guys have to read this.

I know the Reggie thing is way overcooked. But this guy went way over the top at ESPN and he needs to be remembered at the end of the season as well as several years later.

He is actually claiming Reggie Bush is to the NFL what Michael Jordan was to the NBA.

His name is Bill Simmons and here is what he wrote:


To the Texans. First, they passed on the next Gale Sayers (Reggie Bush) to take a project defensive lineman (Mario Williams) and nearly caused a riot with their beleaguered fan base. Then they explained their mind-set by saying, "We need help on defense, we don't need a running back when we already have Dominick Davis," which was like Vanity Fair passing up a chance to run the Suri Cruise photos because they were already locked into a photo spread with Gwyneth Paltrow's second kid. Then they dumped GM Charlie Casserly, which always makes your fans feel good when you follow up the biggest decision in franchise history by immediately firing the guy who made it. Then Davis' knee problems grew worse and worse, culminating in his getting placed on injured reserve this week. Then somebody named Wali Lundy was named the starting running back for Week 1. And this entire sequence unfolded in the span of five months.

So why am I giving the Texans a thumbs up? Because it took 21 years, but we finally have a scenario that knocks Bowie-over-MJ off the board. See, Portland taking Sam Bowie was at least SOMEWHAT defensible -- nobody knew MJ would be a superduperstar, they had Clyde Drexler (a future Hall of Famer) playing the same position, and everyone forgets this, but Sam Bowie would have been an All-Star center if he stayed healthy. In fact, when he was healthy during the 1985-86 season, the Blazers gave the World Champion Celtics (who ended up going 82-18) more trouble than anyone -- they even were the only team to win in the Garden that season, and Bird had to toss up 49 points, a game-tying shot in regulation and a game-winner in OT just to fend them off in Portland. Sam Bowie was no joke. The guy was good. And by the way, the Rockets also passed on MJ for Hakeem. Nobody remembers that part.

Who needs Reggie Bush when you can just give the ball to Wali Lundy?
Look, I'm not condoning the move -- Portland should have taken MJ. But the Blazers' logic for taking Bowie was, at the very least, understandable. Houston's logic was never understandable; the Texans' decision to pass on Bush was shockingly brainless from the moment it happened, if only because you can't disappoint your fans to that degree unless there's a really, really, REALLY good reason. Now it looks like the dumbest sports decision of the past 25 years … and that's before we find out Reggie Bush's ceiling, both as an impact running back and personality. I just find the whole thing to be amazing. In a weird way, I'm glad it happened. Incompetence is always more interesting than competence. So thumbs up, Houston Texans. Well done. You're the sports version of Enron.


http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060906
 

Vinny

shiny happy fan
links with cutnpastes please. Bill Simmons writes humor/reaction pieces...this is par for his course.
 

NEROtheZERO

Waterboy
There are so many assumptions and so much erroneous information in that article that I cannot believe it was published. I will be sure to stear clear of Bill Simmons articles for now on (though I don't pay much attention to ESPN in the first place.)
 

Wolf

100% Texan
that pretty much is the reason I don't root for reggie bush on the field.
Mj? who knows if he would have become the player he was if he was drafted by portland..Clyde was the man there. Look at Priest holmes.. didnt' do much at Baltimore, yet with the chiefs, he tore it up.He found a coach that had a system for him to thrive in.


Casserly? everyone (except the brainacs at ESPN)knew he was gone after the draft, heck someone on here put a thread up that linked Casserly's house for sale months in advance of the draft. I'd be suprised if Casserly had much input in the draft because of that. Casserly was kept until after the draft because he knew the behind the scenes of the Texans on draft day, releasing him and him going to another team before the draft would only hurt the Texans.
 

Wolf

100% Texan
Vinny said:
links with cutnpastes please. Bill Simmons writes humor/reaction pieces...this is par for his course.
Thanks Vinny, I haven't read much of BS work
 

Cjeremy635

Overtraining
Isn't he contradicting himself here? He stated that no one knew who MJ was when he came out and everyone wanted someone else. Wouldn't that be this same type scenario in the fact that everyone wants Bush and we got someone else who could end up being the "MJ" of the NFL? He stated about Reggie's ceiling, being play and personality? Personality? Really? Cause I've got a great one but it didn't get me millions.....yet. I don't think personality translates to 5 years for 55 million or whatever the contract was.... if it does, show me where to put my nifty signature I've been practicing for all the autographs I plan on giving. :wild:
 

ronaldod1

Practice Squad
I tend to agree with the guy.

Do you honestly think there is another team in the NFL that Wali Lundy would be the starter for?

The RB situation is mediocre at best, in my opinion.
 

BradK10

Veteran
The only thing I like about Bill Simmons are his non sports pieces.

He has an undying hate for the city of Houston that is well documented, just because he had a bad experience during the Super Bowl.
 

Cjeremy635

Overtraining
ronaldod1 said:
I tend to agree with the guy.

Do you honestly think there is another team in the NFL that Wali Lundy would be the starter for?

The RB situation is mediocre at best, in my opinion.

Not trying to get into the whole R.B. is God thing again, but how do you think he would benefit the team at this point? Sure he has great speed, but he isn't the type of back we need in this scheme and I can't see paying the type of money it would have taken to aquire him when we have a 6th rounder that is out performing him thus far in the preseason. If you are merely comparing stats you have to compare his to our backs and see who has been more successful. I would say hands down our guys have been superior. People keep wanting to compare Reggie with Mario and figure out who's better, but it's much easier comparing him to other skilled players in his position and he isn't even up to par with them as of yet. Now I'm not going to say that Wali will have a better career than Reggie, I'm no psychic, but I do think Wali would be more beneficial in the long run to our team than what R.B. would ever be. IMHO
 

TexanSam

Hall of Fame
Most of his pieces are meant to be funny, not to analyze the games or anything. I like some of his pieces, others are just kind of dumb. Like someone else said, he doesn't like the city of Houston either so this probably just adds fuel to his fire.
 
Simmons is right on the money. Mario is a project and Bush is the most talented college player in years to come to the NFL. The fact that Wali Lundy is starting, with Vernand Morency and Ron Dayne as backups, is a joke when you consider that the Texans could have had Reggie Bush. The logic isn't there. The only people who support this move are the FO (who said they would rely on Davis), Michael Smith of ESPN, Mark Schlereth of ESPN, and this message board. Don't act so surprised when somebody like Simmons points out the obvious.
 

Sco-tai

Waterboy
TexanSam said:
Most of his pieces are meant to be funny,
Yeah...the whole "bucket on head, crash into the wall" funny. You know...the kind where you shake your head more than you actually laugh or enjoy it.

What a moron.

I should print & frame this whole piece. And mail it to him in January with a nice pile of dog C**P. :brickwall
 

Cjeremy635

Overtraining
texansfaninla said:
Simmons is right on the money. Mario is a project and Bush is the most talented college player in years to come to the NFL. The fact that Wali Lundy is starting, with Vernand Morency and Ron Dayne as backups, is a joke when you consider that the Texans could have had Reggie Bush. The logic isn't there. The only people who support this move are the FO (who said they would rely on Davis), Michael Smith of ESPN, Mark Schlereth of ESPN, and this message board. Don't act so surprised when somebody like Simmons points out the obvious.

Oh.....you're one of those people! You should have submitted your resume for the head coaching position being that you seem more knowledgable of what this team sincerely needs. I will be rooting for you mid season when the coach position becomes available again...:sarcasm:
 

Double Barrel

Texans Talk Admin
Staff member
Contributor's Club
Who would you rather have: Bruce Smith or Barry Sanders? Both are HoF players, but one elevates his entire squad, and the other is an awesome component of his squad. One player can dominate his side of the ball and force opponents to game plan around him, let Bill Simmons figure out who is who.

Dude is writing just to get a spark. So take it for what it's worth, dog poo with sprinkles on it (it's still dog poo). If you get upset about it, then he gets what he wants, a rise out of people.

I could honestly care less what he thinks, and I urge everyone to have the same indifference towards the hack. (His Enron blast just shows what a moron he is and the complete lack of understanding that situation. Gotta' love examples that have absolutely no bearing on the argument. :loser )
 

jerek

Pro Hobbyist
I can't really even be mad about this piece. I can't tell if he's serious or not, based on the complete and total absence of fact or reasoning. "Reggie is the next Gayle Sayers" -- based on what? One preseason 44-yard run against the Titans second-team D? He doesn't back up or qualify his statements with anything fact-based at all.
 

Snapple

Waterboy
Bill Simmons is one of the best sports writers in the country. I'm surprised so many people haven't heard of him. He's funny, and he doesn't pull any punches. Of course the Enron thing was an exaggeration, but learn how to take things with a grain of salt, guys.
 

Farough

Rookie
Snapple said:
Bill Simmons is one of the best sports writers in the country. I'm surprised so many people haven't heard of him. He's funny, and he doesn't pull any punches. Of course the Enron thing was an exaggeration, but learn how to take things with a grain of salt, guys.
Exactly what I was thinking. He is by far my favorite sports writer to read. He's meant to be funny while also delivering his perspective. I actually found that article to be funny. You don't have to take it personally when someone says something bad about the Houston Texans.
 

TexanFanInCC

Veteran
for some reason my fiancee loves him, but that piece of writing wasnt funny at all. as if he havent heard enough about not taking reggie bush, just as things were starting to settle down, he has to fire off a big torpedo about us not picking bush. besides, why does he say we are passing on the MJ of football? when the rockets passed the real MJ, he landed hakeem olajuwon instead...and that worked out pretty well. im sure mario williams will do the same.
 
Barry Sanders had the misfortune of being on one of the worst teams in the NFL, yet he singlehandedly carried them to many of the wins they got, and he got his sorry team to within one win of the Super Bowl. Bruce Smith played on a balanced team that got to some Super Bowls (though they won ZERO), and they didn't get to those Super Bowls because of Bruce Smith - they got there because of Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Bruce, and Marv Levy's coaching.

In other words - nobody says "the Bills won all those games because they had Bruce Smith - he was indispensable". But everyone agrees that "the Lions won all those games because they had Barry Sanders". If Detroit had given him some help he would have won a Super Bowl.

Same probably goes with Reggie Bush - he might carry the Saints to some wins but will need help to win it all. In Houston he could have been part of something bigger.

But hey - at least we got a defensive lineman project...with bad toenails to boot...
 

titan hater

Waterboy
Comparing the Texans to Enron is not only stupid...it's insulting to those who lost their jobs and life savings to those thieves who ran that organization. Frankly, this guy should be fired for even mentioning Enron in his diatribe. What a bunch of blather....Sports has nothing to do with the Enron debacle and thereby should be left out of anything to do with people who lost everything...This article not only reinforces my opinion that ESPN is a Northeastern liberal run network but makes me damn mad that anyone could be so insensitive concerning the plight of those who have suffered due to corp greed. Last I checked ESPN was a corporation as well, which puts them in the same fishbowl that Enron was and is in now....Hell, these statements are just as bad as when Limbaugh made his about McNabb....ESPN you should be ashamed of yourselves!!!!
 

hobie

All Pro
Why is it that every time some writer writes something that is against the Texans that it has to be brought to the board. We all know that every still thinks of us as a bad team, so freaking what....When the Texans can prove them wrong, then it will stop.
It just gets old seeing ya'll post stuff about someone bad mouthing the Texans and everyone comes on and says the guy is a joke, or they have nothing else to write about, SO WHAT !!
Yes, Houston was bad last year, and some moves are ones that will have to be looked at in a few years to decide if it was a right one or not.
Just sit back and let the guys prove them wrong...we have thier backs, and if writers want to write it, so be it. Moaning on the MB does nothing at all..

Game 1 is 4 days away, and this time Sunday, we will be 1-0 !!
 

Wolf

100% Texan
Get ready for the storm

Saints play 2 powerhouses (Cleveland and Green bay)the 1st two weeks, If Bush can't get 100 yards total offense on one if not both clubs(if Bush gets the touches) then when will he?
 

TexanSam

Hall of Fame
Farough said:
Exactly what I was thinking. He is by far my favorite sports writer to read. He's meant to be funny while also delivering his perspective. I actually found that article to be funny. You don't have to take it personally when someone says something bad about the Houston Texans.
Exactly. Couldn't have said it better myself. And if you look at what else he says about other teams, players and coaches, it's obvious he's not trying to be overly serious.
 

TexansLucky13

53d Signal Batt
JackDizzle said:
Do you think Mike Bell would start for anyone else other than Denver?
Completely agreed. The only reason anyone would want Mike Bell at this point anyways is because Shanahan has put so much into him. Other than that he is a nobody. That is why I love this system. We don't need to waste time with someone who thinks he is bigger than life.... we can actually make someone bigger than life (as far as runningbacks go).
 

BradK10

Veteran
Snapple said:
Bill Simmons is one of the best sports writers in the country. I'm surprised so many people haven't heard of him. He's funny, and he doesn't pull any punches. Of course the Enron thing was an exaggeration, but learn how to take things with a grain of salt, guys.
Bill Simmons is not a sports writer. Peter Gammons is a sports writer. Len Pasquarelli is a sports writer. Ric Bucher is a sports writer.

Bill Simmons is a fan who writes sports center pop culture pieces.

And he hates Houston...with a passion.
 
One addition that people should note: Denver hasn't won a Super Bowl since '98. "The system" gets them close but they haven't been back since.
 

TexansLucky13

53d Signal Batt
BradK10 said:
Bill Simmons is not a sports writer. Peter Gammons is a sports writer. Len Pasquarelli is a sports writer. Ric Bucher is a sports writer.

Bill Simmons is a fan who writes sports center pop culture pieces.

And he hates Houston...with a passion.
I don't know about that... he is more like a Reggie Bush puppet.

Everyone up there hates Houston. They hated us before the Draft and they hate us now. They neglect our sports teams. They criticize us. I don't need to listen to these schmucks.... I can analyze the sports on my own without the corporate bias.
 

Wolf

100% Texan
texansfaninla said:
One addition that people should note: Denver hasn't won a Super Bowl since '98. "The system" gets them close but they haven't been back since.


well here is to the Gulf Coast Offense :redtowel:

a little bit of Denver , a little bit of Green Bay :heh:
 

TexansLucky13

53d Signal Batt
Wolf said:
well here is to the gulf coast offense :redtowel:

a little bit of Denver , a little bit of Green Bay :heh:
I agree with that. Not only did we get Kubiak and the Broncos scheme.... we got Sherman. I have made the mistake of overlooking him before, but not anymore. After watching the preseason I noticed some plays and formations that reminded me of Green Bay. I think that the fusing of these two offenses will prove beneficial to our team.
 

Hookem Horns

Texans Talk Bartender
Staff member
texansfaninla said:
Barry Sanders had the misfortune of being on one of the worst teams in the NFL, yet he singlehandedly carried them to many of the wins they got, and he got his sorry team to within one win of the Super Bowl. Bruce Smith played on a balanced team that got to some Super Bowls (though they won ZERO), and they didn't get to those Super Bowls because of Bruce Smith - they got there because of Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Bruce, and Marv Levy's coaching.

In other words - nobody says "the Bills won all those games because they had Bruce Smith - he was indispensable". But everyone agrees that "the Lions won all those games because they had Barry Sanders". If Detroit had given him some help he would have won a Super Bowl.

Same probably goes with Reggie Bush - he might carry the Saints to some wins but will need help to win it all. In Houston he could have been part of something bigger.

But hey - at least we got a defensive lineman project...with bad toenails to boot...
How many times did Eric Metcalf carry his teams? I guess the Browns came close to the Super Bowl a couple of times but take Metcalf off of those teams and they were still pretty good. BTW, PLEASE stop with the Reggie Bush being the next Barry Sanders. He will be lucky to be the next Eric Metcalf. Metcalf was a great player btw, so no knock on him, but he wasn't a Barry Sanders.
 

Rightnow

Waterboy
There are many reasons why the media has/is ripping Houston about passing on Bush.

1. Readership. Slamming a team is more interesting than praising a team. People like reading about bad news. Writing a story about the Texans outselling the Cowboys in season tickets for five years running won't attract the readers like ripping Houston and writing about TO.

2. It's Houston. Many people around the country have negative attitudes towards anything Texan let alone Houston.

Main Reason:

3. The Texans ignored the all knowing, all mighty, sports media. This ticked them off to no end. Everyone said we'd take Bush, everyone said it was the right idea, everyone knows he is a great RB with NFL potential. By picking Mario the Texans thumbed their nose at the entire media establishment. They took a risk, blazed a trail for themselves, and didn't listen to what everyone else said. This is what ticks the media off. That the Texans didn't take their advice. So now they have to pump up Bush and slam the Texans to prove that they were right.

Whether Mario was the right pick remains to be seen, but the media won't let won't let it go unless he is a probowler and Bush becomes good but not great. Even then they won't admit they were wrong, they will just be silent.
 

ronaldod1

Practice Squad
JackDizzle said:
Do you think Mike Bell would start for anyone else other than Denver?
probably not many, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say the "system" was more effective with the likes of Clinton Portis than Rueben Droughs, Mike Anderson, Tatum Bell, Mike Bell etc.

The system is great, but the guy carrying the ball is still an important consideration.
 
Houston's logic was never understandable; the Texans' decision to pass on Bush was shockingly brainless from the moment it happened, if only because you can't disappoint your fans to that degree unless there's a really, really, REALLY good reason. Now it looks like the dumbest sports decision of the past 25 years … and that's before we find out Reggie Bush's ceiling, both as an impact running back and personality. I just find the whole thing to be amazing. In a weird way, I'm glad it happened. Incompetence is always more interesting than competence. So thumbs up, Houston Texans. Well done. You're the sports version of Enron.

if you wish to express what you think of Lil Billy Simmons email here


SGReaderRants@gmail.com.
 
The main point I took from the article is Reggie Bush is to the NFL what Michael Jordan was to the NBA.

You could probably make better comparisons to Vince Young than Reggie Bush to Michael Jordan. Vince Young was picked third, same as Jordan, as well as did the game winning play to win the championship and left with one year left of eligibility. In addition, due to Vince's size and speed, he could revolutionize the QB position. As for Reggie Bush, he was picked second, just like Sam Bowie. And let's not forget in the whole Sam Bowie deal, Houston did pretty well by taking the Dream at #1.

Look, someone can argue that Reggie Bush is a better pick than Mario, but Reggie Bush is not going to revolutionize the running back position like Jordan did the guard position and win six championships while being the main guy carrying the team. That is just ridiculous.

The guy can write funny articles, but that piece was just stupid!
 

TexasJedi

Veteran
This is hardly surprising given Simmons "affection" for all things Houston. Of course, this is an oft-used and inappropriate analogy since he directly compares the NBA of twenty years ago to today's salary capped NFL. He has the benefit of hindsight (in the case of the NBA), and forsight (since he assumes Reggie will be great and Mario presumably a bust). It's really quite impressive.

It does not really matter if the Texans would have taken Reggie, they would get no "credit" for it. I recall the pipe dream piece that someone on ESPN or perhaps Prisco over at Sportsline wrote before the draft. His dream was to get Reggie in Indy with Peyton, and alleged that the Colts had the pieces to make a trade like that. Right, we take their trash so the media can sell more papers, periodicals, and commercials with their Dream Boy. Afterall, actual football as played on the gridiron is secondary to many in the media.

We should all know what Reggie in Houston, from merely an image perspective, would look like. We see it every fifth day when Roger Clemens pitches for the Astros and not ESPN's beloved Yakees. How many trade rumors did we see having Clemens wearing pinstripes other than Houston's? Reggie in Houston would be more of the same.
 
texansfaninla said:
Simmons is right on the money. Mario is a project and Bush is the most talented college player in years to come to the NFL. The fact that Wali Lundy is starting, with Vernand Morency and Ron Dayne as backups, is a joke when you consider that the Texans could have had Reggie Bush. The logic isn't there. The only people who support this move are the FO (who said they would rely on Davis), Michael Smith of ESPN, Mark Schlereth of ESPN, and this message board. Don't act so surprised when somebody like Simmons points out the obvious.

Bush isn't didily... until he proves it in the NFL. None the less, I support the move to pass on Bush for so many reasons... but the main one is because I just simply hate "one guy and one dimensional teams". Teams with one superstar don't go to the playoffs except in high school...

TEAMS win championships.
 
Battle red koolaid...battle red koolaid...battle red koolaid...

If you guys don't think that a vast majority of football fans around the country think that the Texans are idiots for passing on Bush (especially when Davis is on IR), and that the media is a microchosm of that belief, you guys are totally delusional.

This board represents the minority - and even then, there are those of us here who are still stunned by the Texans' FO.

Go ahead and email Simmons - I'm sure you might make his next mailbag. Which would then generate other emails - which would illustrate the above point.
 

Maddict5

Hall of Fame
BigDTexansFan said:
Houston's logic was never understandable; the Texans' decision to pass on Bush was shockingly brainless from the moment it happened, if only because you can't disappoint your fans to that degree unless there's a really, really, REALLY good reason. Now it looks like the dumbest sports decision of the past 25 years … and that's before we find out Reggie Bush's ceiling, both as an impact running back and personality. I just find the whole thing to be amazing. In a weird way, I'm glad it happened. Incompetence is always more interesting than competence. So thumbs up, Houston Texans. Well done. You're the sports version of Enron.

if you wish to express what you think of Lil Billy Simmons email here


[B]SGReaderRants@gmail.com[/B].
i hope somebody does actually e-mail him with an articulate response about how the rb isnt so important in the ZBS etc...id like to see his response.....

bill simmons is my favourite SPORTSWRITER..he writes about all sports and is a pretty good analyst and wickedly funny at times eg.. predicting USA's all-star basketball team wouldn't win the WC etc.....obviously i disagree strongly with this piece:homer: but i can see where he's coming from...

we said all along we wouldnt take reggie because DD is a good back so we passed on the most hyped and 1 of the most dominant college RB EVER....for somebody who, in reality, didnt dominate but has the potential to be great..

dont get me wrong i really like the mario pick and if the draft was today id hope we'd pick him again over reggie even with DD's injury

to me its a bit like some writer giving out that NO didnt take Hawk when you look at their LBers...no namers that might be good but only NO fans know

so go easy on simmons just because he said something that we didnt like and made some dumb assumptions..if you read his other pieces you'd know he's quite an entertaining writer and generally a good guy imo:hides:
 
Simmons and Michael Smith were the two ESPN writters I could stand to read before this. Simmons is a Page 2 guy, its mostly humour and such, but this article is pure ****! Honestly, the next MJ? Wtf? In the one context comparing a running back with a basketball player is even remotley possible (late game sittuations with the game on the line), would the next MJ be watching from the sideline as Pippen takes the last shot? Reffering to the 4th down at the Rose Bowl...

Anyway, ESPN has its head to far up its ass to realize Reggie is a bit part player, WHO WONT BE STARTING FOR A TEAM THAT FINISHED 3-13, let alone revolutionize the NFL with his seeming allergy to running between the tackles.

And by the way, maybe you should realize we took Mario with the first pick, not Lundy, even though he happend to out rush Bush this preaseason, and score a TD. He mentions Mario in one sentence in the whole colum.
 
"we said all along we wouldnt take reggie because DD is a good back so we passed on the most hyped and 1 of the most dominant college RB EVER....for somebody who, in reality, didnt dominate but has the potential to be great.."

THAT'S SIMMONS' POINT!

You guys can stop reading him now too. Just read Michael Smith. He is the only one who speaks the truth.
 

Doug

Rookie
Sorry everyone but this type of stuff doesn't bother me anymore. I guess I've seen soooo many negative articles and comments about the Texans over 4 years that it doesn't even phase me anymore. I'm surprised that any negative publicity about the Texans actually gets people (fans) upset or even slightly irritated. The only people that care about the Texans are the Texans and their fans. As far as respect.......My dad always told me you have to earn it. Until we start winning games on a consistent basis you're not going to see much respect, especially from the media.
 

Maddict5

Hall of Fame
texansfaninla said:
"we said all along we wouldnt take reggie because DD is a good back so we passed on the most hyped and 1 of the most dominant college RB EVER....for somebody who, in reality, didnt dominate but has the potential to be great.."

THAT'S SIMMONS' POINT!

You guys can stop reading him now too. Just read Michael Smith. He is the only one who speaks the truth.
well i think RB is overhyped and WAS great in college...i dont think he'll be as good in the nfl..simmons does

plus to say you should just read pro-texan writers is lame
 
Top