RAMPANT ASTROS HATE
These Astros haters join chorus of sore loser culture
Oct 28, 2021, 1:40 pm
It's open season on the Astros. Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images.
Here's an exclusive peek at the madness inside Yankee Stadium with the Astros in town
This week after the World Series games, especially the Astros 7-2 win Wednesday, I've hopped on the Internet machine and streamed national sports talk shows and a couple local programs from the axis of Astros haters, Atlanta, Boston, New York and Los Angeles. Just to hear what those hosts and fans had to say. I realize the Astros aren't the darlings of baseball fans, and I didn't expect to hear Hail Caesar … but wow!
It's like a federal trial: the U.S. vs. the Astros, with everybody in Houston held as accessories to a felony crime committed in 2017.
I guess it's true, the whole country wants to spit on the 2017 World Series graves of the 2021 Astros.
There were the expected cries of "Cheaters!" and "Crooks," which admittedly would be accurate and deserved if they were talking about the 2017 Astros. But they weren't. They were wanting to rustle up the current Astros and run 'em out of town on the next train. Expel them from MLB, the whole lot, past and present. Callers want a congressional investigation of the Astros organization, and you know how speedy and effective those are. Congress is still undecided whether George Washington had accomplices when he chopped down the cherry tree.
Callers were angry that Astros infielders – Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve and Yuli Gurriel – were never personally punished for the sign-stealing scandal years ago. Actually, I'm with the callers on that. It was weird that the crime committers emerged unscathed and allowed to go on their merry, multimillion dollar way. I also thought it was odd that some, I said some, local talk hosts were foaming at the mouth attacking former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers for whistleblowing on the Astros. You know, snitches get stitches, and in Martin Scorsese movies, end up in ditches. The talk hosts should have been angry and embarrassed by the Astros, not Mike Fiers.
Four years later, the number of Astros on the current roster wearing 2017 World Series rings wouldn't fill one hand. If you expected baseball fans to forgive and forget and move on, you're sorely wrong. And it may be that the Astros are forever villains around MLB country. Images are hard to shake. Lance McCullers Jr.'s junior will be jeered in Boston
Talk show callers believe the Astros are still cheating, somehow, some way. They wondered if the Astros opened the roof so bribed pilots could flash signals from low-flying aircraft. Seriously.
It's open season on the Astros. Fans tore into every little thing. One national host insisted the Astros orange jerseys are the ugliest in MLB. Fair enough, just remember the playground rule, no mocking mothers.
Fans who say the Astros cheated their way into the World Series maybe should admit their teams just weren't good enough. We've become a country of sore losers from the top down. At least from the former top down. Whatever happened to gracious losers who "tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy?" Instead we have a college football coach now blaming his players for losses.
A White Sox pitcher, Boston announcers and columnists, other players, talk show callers … the Astros are lying, cheating scoundrels and they should be banned from baseball forever.
Around the dial, fans said the Astros were bad role models teaching children that cheating was OK. Bad sportsmanship is the key to winning. The Braves are good, the Astros are evil. Lock 'em up. Disgusting, the worst of the worst professional athletes. Bregman, Altuve and Correa are the three cheaters of the apocalypse. Hey, you forgot Yuli Gurriel as the fourth horseman in that impressive New Testament reference.
I liked this one: a host suggested that the reason fans have stopped bringing trash cans to stadiums is because of the interruption in America's supply chain.
Now the World Series moves to Atlanta, where they've got their own problems. After the final out, check out sports talk stations from around the country, especially if the Astros win. That's the real post-game show.
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Miami (6-7) at Houston (8-5)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS
BetMGM Odds: Texans by 3.
Against the spread: Dolphins 5-8; Texans 5-6-2.
Series record: Texans lead 8-3.
Last meeting: Dolphins beat Texans 30-15, on Nov. 27, 2022, in Miami.
Last week: Dolphins beat Jets 32-26 in OT; Texans were off, beat Jaguars 23-20 on Dec. 1.
Dolphins offense: overall (19), rush (24), pass (14), scoring (23).
Dolphins defense: overall (9), rush (7), pass (11), scoring (T14).
Texans offense: overall (18), rush (16), pass (17), scoring (11).
Texans defense: overall (5), rush (10), pass (7), scoring (T12).
Turnover differential: Dolphins minus-2; Texans plus-10.
Dolphins player to watch
QB Tua Tagovailoa, who has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL at throwing with anticipation and accuracy since he returned from a concussion in Week 8. Tagovailoa leads the NFL with a 73.8% completion rate and threw for 300 yards for the third straight game last week vs. the Jets. Tagovailoa is the first player in NFL history to have at least 40 pass attempts, multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions in three consecutive games within a single season.
Texans player to watch
QB C.J. Stroud has thrown for at least 225 yards in each of his six home games this season and is 11-4 in 15 starts in Houston, including the playoffs. He has thrown for 3,117 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season.
Key matchup
Houston RB Joe Mixon vs. Miami’s run defense. Mixon ran for 101 yards in Houston’s previous game for his seventh 100-yard game this season. He ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game. This week he’ll face a run defense that ranks seventh in the NFL by holding teams to 105.6 yards a game.
Key injuries
Miami LT Terron Armstead is dealing with a knee injury that limited him to just five snaps last week. He did not practice Wednesday… LBs Bradley Chubb (knee) and Cameron Goode (knee) could make their season debut, depending on how this week of practice goes, coach Mike McDaniel said. … WRs Tyreek Hill (wrist) and Jaylen Waddle (hamstring), RB Raheem Mostert (hip), and LB Anthony Walker Jr. (hamstring) were among those limited in practice Wednesday. … Houston S Jalen Pitre is expected to miss a second straight game with a shoulder injury. … DE Denico Autry was limited in practice Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Series notes
Houston won the first seven meetings in this series. … Miami didn’t get its first win against the Texans until a 44-26 victory in 2015. … The Dolphins have won the past two meetings. … These teams first met in the season opener in 2003 when Houston got a 21-20 win on a late field goal.
Stats and stuff
Three of Miami’s final four games of the season are on the road. … K Jason Sanders needs 13 points Sunday to reach 800. He also needs one field goal to reach 177, which would give him the second-most field goals made in franchise history. … TE Jonnu Smith needs 100 yards receiving to reach 792 and set a franchise record for most yards receiving by a tight end in a single season. Smith had three catches for 44 yards, including the game-winning TD vs. the Jets last week after having no receptions during regulation. … Tagovailoa needs a completion rate of 70% or better on Sunday to reach eight consecutive games completing at least 70% of his passes. That would tie him with Joe Montana (1989) and Drew Brees (2017-18) for the longest streak in NFL history. … The Dolphins gave up a season-high 402 yards to the Jets last week. Aaron Rodgers burned Miami’s pass defense for 319 yards, and Miami’s secondary allowed a combined 223 yards by Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams. … Houston can clinch the AFC South title for the second straight year with a win and a loss by Indianapolis Sunday. … The Texans rank second in the NFL with 84 tackles for loss. … Their 42 sacks also rank second. … WR Nico Collins had eight receptions for 119 yards for his fourth 100-yard game this season in Houston’s previous game. He has had at least 75 yards receiving and a TD reception in each of his four home games this season. … TE Dalton Schultz had five receptions for 61 yards and a score in Week 13. He has had at least five catches in two of his past three games. … LB Azeez Al-Shaai will serve the first game of a three-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head of QB Trevor Lawrence Sunday. … DE Danielle Hunter is one of two players in the NFL this season with at least 15 tackles for loss (15) and 10 sacks (10 1/2). It’s his sixth career season with at least 10 sacks. He has eight tackles for loss and five sacks combined in his past three games. … DE Will Anderson has had a sack in his past two home games. … LB Henry To’oTo’o has had at least five tackles in four straight games. … CB Derek Stingley had his third interception of the season in his previous game. … CB Kamari Lassiter had a career-high eight tackles, including a tackle for loss in Week 13. … S Jimmie Ward has had an interception in his past two home games. He also had an interception in his previous game against Miami in 2022 while with San Francisco.
Fantasy tip
Collins has 456 yards receiving and four touchdown receptions in four home games this season.