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HoustonProFootball.com gone?
- Thread starter Wolf
- Start date
badboy
Hall of Fame
Was planning on going there today to see if our salary cap had been updated. Lots of player movement and final cap number should be out by NFL owners soon. It seems to get a bump of a few million over the estimate.
Wolf
100% Texan
That's too bad. I used to hit that site up a lot. Never really posted but it had a lot of great info.
they sure did, I wonder if those guys will give insight on TT sometime in the future
Texans_Chick
Utopian Dreamer
I am guessing they will be back online soonishly. Some kind of goofy mistake. It happens.
Or it will be a very sad day.
painekiller
All Pro
It seems to happen every year about this time. The timing of the above mentioned screen was April 1st. The site was attacked last year also.
Hope I am right on this one and I want them back up soon.
Hope I am right on this one and I want them back up soon.
chicagotexan2
Easterby = Little Finger/Cal = Fredo Corleone
I bet it was that radical muslim hacker again. Some people have a bit of a chip on the shoulder.
Kaiser Toro
Native Mod
I would bet it was a radical Christian Fundamentalist since we're talking about a sport that is played on Sunday and the city of Houston.
chicagotexan2
Easterby = Little Finger/Cal = Fredo Corleone
Nah, I doubt it, since the site was actually hacked by radical muslim dork a couple of years ago.
Someone just emailed me asking me where it went. I don't know, does anyone else?
Those guys always had great content where we don't. If it's down for good would any of those guys want to write articles over here? hint hint.
Those guys always had great content where we don't. If it's down for good would any of those guys want to write articles over here? hint hint.
Hello fine patrons of TexansTalk.com...
Thanks for all the kind words. As many of you already know, HPF.com and TT.com have had a lot of mutual respect for each other, so while I haven't been an active poster here (I've been kinda busy with our own site), I have admired this one from (somewhat) afar.
I apologize for the abrupt nature of the suspension of houstonprofootball.com. Our annual server dues are owed on April 1 every year, and just about every year we have been late.
Normally, we'd be back up within a day, but here's why we're not, at least not yet... Ric and I have been thinking long about sunsetting the site in its current format and re-opening as more of a blog. The reality is that in its current form, keeping up with the site is time-sucking burden, something we have enjoyed doing, but found less available time to do so as we got older.
So... hopefully we'll be up in time for the draft later this month. I think ClutchFans has offered to host our current URL temporarily until that happens, we'll see.
Lastly, since the server cut us off, I am unable to check any emails sent to keith@houstonprofootball.com. If you need to reach me, email me at HPFKeith at att dot com (not spelled out like that of course...).
Thanks for all the kind words. As many of you already know, HPF.com and TT.com have had a lot of mutual respect for each other, so while I haven't been an active poster here (I've been kinda busy with our own site), I have admired this one from (somewhat) afar.
I apologize for the abrupt nature of the suspension of houstonprofootball.com. Our annual server dues are owed on April 1 every year, and just about every year we have been late.
Normally, we'd be back up within a day, but here's why we're not, at least not yet... Ric and I have been thinking long about sunsetting the site in its current format and re-opening as more of a blog. The reality is that in its current form, keeping up with the site is time-sucking burden, something we have enjoyed doing, but found less available time to do so as we got older.
So... hopefully we'll be up in time for the draft later this month. I think ClutchFans has offered to host our current URL temporarily until that happens, we'll see.
Lastly, since the server cut us off, I am unable to check any emails sent to keith@houstonprofootball.com. If you need to reach me, email me at HPFKeith at att dot com (not spelled out like that of course...).
badboy
Hall of Fame
Hey, Keith thanks for update and hope you guys are back up soon in some format. I had sent you an email about the Texans salary cap as it stands after several moves. Is there any left other than for draft picks? Has the $116m been increased any as a final total as other years. Thanks, STeve
There is more than enough room for the draft picks. I have the cap room at roughly $10 million right now (based on the 51-player preseason rule... with regular season rules, it is a little less). The rookie cap for the team is... I dunno... probably going to be around $5-6 million? Of those rookies actually being noticeable on the cap, usually it's just the ones taken in the first three or four rounds, and of actual 2008 cap space, it might only take up about $3.5 - $4 million of cap room.
btw... we're thinking our new venture will be up on or around the week leading up to the draft. I think we'll have the HPF site URL working after the weekend, but probably only as a tease (and later as a link) to the new site.
SI ran an article last month regarding performance bonus not earned being applied to the following year's cap total. Do you have any info that the Texans are looking into inserting these types of bonuses into player contracts in order to boost the 2009 cap number? That might be a good blog topic for your new site.
This actually gets at the last part of badboy's post that I forgot to respond to...
Anyhoo, the Texans did take advantage of this in 2006 and 2007 (can't remember which year it was, but for example in one of those years they inserted some lame incentive into David Anderson's contract when they added him to the active roster late in the season). For 2008 though, the Texans actually paid out more in these earned incentives vs. those LTBEs that were unearned.
I was a little surprised when I saw that, esp. given the reputed cap-wiz we now have in the front office. Okoye though had a huge NLTBE incentive ($2,817,500) based on playing time that he must have earned last season.
So, net result for 2008 is that the Texans had to lower their amount of cap room from the league-wide starting point of $116.729 million by $2,207,869. I would assume/hope that any remaining cap space this year would be forwarded to the 2009 cap using this loophole, but I guess it will depend on what other NLTBEs are earned this season versus those LTBEs that are not.
Quite a few guys have NLTBE incentives already, mostly for Pro Bowl appearances, but I know Mario has a few that all of a sudden look achieveable ($125k as league leader in sacks and another $1.5 million for playoffs + playing time). The team's first round pick this year will probably have one based on minimal playing time, too, given Mario, DeMeco, and Amobi have all had them in recent years.
I wrote an article on HPF on this very topic ...oh... about two and a half years before SI.com caught on to the loophole. I'd link to it, but uhh... hm. Site is offline at the moment. It was my "Philly Loophole" article though.
Anyhoo, the Texans did take advantage of this in 2006 and 2007 (can't remember which year it was, but for example in one of those years they inserted some lame incentive into David Anderson's contract when they added him to the active roster late in the season). For 2008 though, the Texans actually paid out more in these earned incentives vs. those LTBEs that were unearned.
I was a little surprised when I saw that, esp. given the reputed cap-wiz we now have in the front office. Okoye though had a huge NLTBE incentive ($2,817,500) based on playing time that he must have earned last season.
So, net result for 2008 is that the Texans had to lower their amount of cap room from the league-wide starting point of $116.729 million by $2,207,869. I would assume/hope that any remaining cap space this year would be forwarded to the 2009 cap using this loophole, but I guess it will depend on what other NLTBEs are earned this season versus those LTBEs that are not.
Quite a few guys have NLTBE incentives already, mostly for Pro Bowl appearances, but I know Mario has a few that all of a sudden look achieveable ($125k as league leader in sacks and another $1.5 million for playoffs + playing time). The team's first round pick this year will probably have one based on minimal playing time, too, given Mario, DeMeco, and Amobi have all had them in recent years.
badboy
Hall of Fame
Cool. Cutting Ahman Green at June 1st is $4million and that takes care of rookies 1st thru 4th and we still have ten million. I am thinking we could pick up trade with Dallas or Atlanta for the twos and still be ok $ wise in case some one we like is available down the road.
badboy
Hall of Fame
I read your "Philly Loophole" and a good read it was. Keith are you saying that left over cap space could be forwarded? Man, that would be interesting as I do not see them using about $5million + or so. Be nice to have that in free agency next year. You keep coming up with interesting angles. Also, has there been any movement on redoing Mario's deal with extension as you & I discussed recently? Thanks again. Steve
badboy
Hall of Fame
Welcome to TT Mike2 but Megan Manful and Mr. McClain are like untouchable Saints (pun intended) on this board. Sarcasm icon goes here.
Errant Hothy
Hypermediocrity
You actually still ready it...why?
Thanks for the update, man. I've always enjoyed the reading over at your place, and you are an asset to the Houston football community. Keep up the good work and I look forward to your new site coming online soon.
I'd have no problem with it...as long as I can grab my torch and pitchfork and join your party.
I found a cached version of Philly Loophole on google. Very interesting in that it includes a bit of information regarding Quinn Gray.
I wonder if the Texans wrote a similar incentive into Quinn Gray's new contract?
Yay for cache.
The Texans did not write a similar incentive for Gray for two reasons.
1. If they wrote it now, it would be a NLTBE incentive, which means it would have no impact on the 2008 cap and would be added to the 2009 cap (i.e reduce the available 09 cap space) if the NLTBE were achieved.
The key is to negotiate those NLTBEs into new contracts after the season has started because there essentially is no such thing as a NLTBE incentive once the season starts. The CBA thinks they're all LTBEs and hit the current year cap. When they become unearned LTBEs by the end of the season, then that LTBE cap space is forwarded to the next league year.
2. Gray signed a vet min contract, meaning his base is reduced to $445k for cap purposes if his signing bonus is no more than $40k, which it was. Those vet cap exceptions to the CBA are what keep guys like Mark Bruener and N.D. Kalu coming back every year.
The shock there of course is that Gray agreed to such a small deal when I think most of us thought he might get Sage-like money. I think if his contract had any other kind of compensation (outside of the regular workout bonus), then the Texans could not take advantage of the vet min deal.
Yes, bottom line on all the Loophole talk is that unused cap space can be forwarded, but the team would need to probably do so through a new contract for a minor player late in the season. Whatever space that's forwarded though will be netted against the NLTBE incentives that the players earn in during the season.
As for Mario, I am not privvy to any contract talks, and I doubt there would be any going on for at least one more year, maybe two. Williams has the option to void the last two years of his deal, but the Texans have a $8.5 million buyback option (50% paid on 3/15/10). If this sounds a lot like the Carr situation of a couple years ago, that's because they are similar.
Mario's base salaries will skyrocket on the 2010 cap (meaning the team might try to exercise the buyback in Feb 2009 so they can spread the $8.5MM across three years instead of two). Because of that, it would not surprise me if the team looks to renegotiate/extend Mario's deal before 2010.
fyi... The $12 million option which was part of a long footnote before has been exercised and prorated already.
I see. You could teach a class on this cap stuff, ya know.
So hopefully, the Texans will take that $X million they don't spend to the cap on these LTBE's at some point. That would make sense, as the free agent class was thin this season and has to be better in '09.
My ferret needs newspaper to relieve himself on.
Wolf
100% Texan
lol
edo783
Hall of Fame
The only true practical use for the Comical.
painekiller
All Pro
I tried to email Keith at the at&t addy and it was kicked back to me.
Oh well...
Oh well...
hey guys... yep, site is still down. Not sure what Ric's up to there. We had been planning on putting the site back up at some point, pretty much just to link to the new blog, but developments have been slow on both fronts.
as for my email, I think AT&T just flipped out or something a few days ago. I've still got the same address (HPFKeith at att dot com) and have been getting in emails the past couple days, just must have been something screwy with them one night.
jctrux - thanks for the offer, but the site isn't suffering any money problems. Ric and I are just ready to go in a new direction... hopefully soon.
Thanks to all for hanging in there as we figure this out.
as for my email, I think AT&T just flipped out or something a few days ago. I've still got the same address (HPFKeith at att dot com) and have been getting in emails the past couple days, just must have been something screwy with them one night.
jctrux - thanks for the offer, but the site isn't suffering any money problems. Ric and I are just ready to go in a new direction... hopefully soon.
Thanks to all for hanging in there as we figure this out.
Wolf
100% Texan
thanks for the update Keith!
with the draft coming up so soon, how are y'all (HPF)feeling about that? ( I realize alot can change in 17 picks), but for conversation sake
I can tell you my draft day priorities (which have not been a good predictor of the Texans' braintrust under Smith/Kubiak):
1) Trade Sage Rosenfels for whomever will give us a 2nd this year or a 2nd next year or a 3rd this year if the other two don't materialize.
2) Draft priorities in order of preference: CB, OT, RB, OLB, DE, S, (3rd QB if Sage dealt), C-G, DT
3) Trade down if a situation develops that will still get you whom you are targeting. We're missing a 2nd (Schaub) and a 6th (Myers) so a few extra picks would be nice.
As for HPF.com, they are changing their emphasis and I have begun devoting most of my time to AstrosDaily.com since taking over that site in January. If they don't maintain their forum, I hope to be able to fit in over here although at a reduced role from what I had at HPF.com.
1) Trade Sage Rosenfels for whomever will give us a 2nd this year or a 2nd next year or a 3rd this year if the other two don't materialize.
2) Draft priorities in order of preference: CB, OT, RB, OLB, DE, S, (3rd QB if Sage dealt), C-G, DT
3) Trade down if a situation develops that will still get you whom you are targeting. We're missing a 2nd (Schaub) and a 6th (Myers) so a few extra picks would be nice.
As for HPF.com, they are changing their emphasis and I have begun devoting most of my time to AstrosDaily.com since taking over that site in January. If they don't maintain their forum, I hope to be able to fit in over here although at a reduced role from what I had at HPF.com.
Wolf
100% Texan
thanks Bob. I have been over to that site and loved reading yours , rick and others..(my memory is going)...but loved the insight .. and I admit.. I am hurting on the potential drafties that some of the mainstream hasn't mentioned yet
but again picking 18th is tough to gauge
my rep isn't much but I give you and others at HPF some because i respect that site so much
Vinny
shiny happy fan
I haven't been around much the last few weeks so I have a lot of catching up to do on the boards but I'm sorry to see your site go down but I hope you guys at least blog for us (the community) when all the dust settles. I really have enjoyed your articles over the years and It would be a shame if you guys disappeared entirely. If any of you hpf regulars have any delays in registration approvals just email steel_blue@comcast.net and I'll take care of you.....you should also be able to PM me when you are in lurker mode (registered but not yet approved mode).
Wolf
100% Texan
sweet vinny , it is a shame in this day and age that (I mean this in a very positive way) that TC's blogs and HPF websites and TT members have more insight than the AP or Texan newspaper journalists
and yet Thank goodness for the internet
Xetuoh1836
Noob
One of the classiest blogs around. Both the member's and the writer's of HPF, offered a very comprehensive look at our Texans! I hope they find their places and continue to bring their insight to us all.
Let us know where you land! (and soon!!)
Let us know where you land! (and soon!!)
I don't know if this is the appropriate place to post this, but does anyone know what happened to the houstonprofootball.com website? I used to check there especially to keep track of exactly who we had on the roster, and what the current/expected cap was. I hope it's just temporarily suspended...
LORK 88
Wreck'em Ŧech!
Most likely they just need to make an account payment for the use of a someone's server. Hopefully they can get it all straightened out, I used to check out there cap room info just like you.
Texan_Bill
Hall of Fame
D'OH!!!
*EDIT*
Lucky beat me to it.....
*EDIT*
Lucky beat me to it.....
Texans_Chick
Utopian Dreamer
For some things, HPF is the only place on line that keeps the true history of the Houston Oilers.
History is usually written by the victors, and Bud Adams revisionist history of the Oilers as written on his website has none of the flavor of how things really were.
HPF's archives of Houston pro football's past were a great complement to its ongoing discussion of its future.
History is usually written by the victors, and Bud Adams revisionist history of the Oilers as written on his website has none of the flavor of how things really were.
HPF's archives of Houston pro football's past were a great complement to its ongoing discussion of its future.