Sustained success by the Astros has put Houston fans in an unfamiliar position
Dear Astro Fan: Quit whining and embrace your inner villain
Oct 17, 2019, 6:21 am
Sustained success by the Astros has put Houston fans in an unfamiliar position
"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." – A quote by Harvey Dent in The DarkKnight.
Since the playoffs began there has been a constant rumble among Astros fans about the perceived bias by the national media against the team. This includes more than one "accusation" that pitch tipping by opposing pitchers has artificially augmented the Astros' success. I duck as I say this, but Houston fans have a proclivity to whine - often - about the coverage their teams receive by national outlets; and when it comes to criticisms by those outsiders, well, Houston fans aren't necessarily the toughest bunch. Whether the "hate" in these playoffs is real or just simply perceived it is something Houston fan needs to come to grips with. So with a best in the majors 107 win team still alive and kicking in the playoffs I ask of Houston fans: Why So Serious?
Having a team occupy the villain role in the national discourse is uncharted territory for Houston sports fans, because honestly none of the Houston teams have had serious shots at a championship for multiple years in a row before. Sure you can argue the Rockets have had good stretches but they have never been the odds on favorite to win the title for 3, 4, 5, or more years in a row. Even in the years they did win back-to-back championships they are more or less remembered nationally as the placeholder champions for the years Michael Jordan decided to be a baseball player.
Now with a World Series title, multiple consecutive 100 win seasons, three consecutive ALCS appearances, and a championship potential window that looks to be open for at least a few more years the Astros aren't so beloved outside of Houston anymore. Sure in 2017 they were national darlings as they were a young likable team who were the end result of a long painful losing process. But now people outside of Houston are tiring of their domination. If the Astros are able to move on to the World Series this year I can promise you very few people outside of Houston will want to see them win. The Nationals will be the scrappy team of Avengers and the Astros will be Thanos. But hey, don't worry – Thanos wouldn't be Thanos if he didn't do a whole lot of winning.
The great thing about having your team be the villain though (not including vilification for off the field issues) is that unlike movie villains, sports villains win, and win a bunch. A team only comes to occupy that "bad guy" role among those outside of its fan base by consistent winning. Think of how hated the Yankees, Patriots, Warriors, and Crimson Tide are. Well guess what, their fans are slurping it up and it's time for Astro fan to do the same.
Going back to the Harvey Dent quote at the beginning of this article - the Astros didn't die as heroes in 2017, they have lived long enough with sustained success to become the villain. So next time the Astros get disrespected, whether its from A-Rod, Joe Buck, or an anonymous twitter egg, relish in it, channel your inner villain and think of this:
knowyourmeme.com
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 51 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Houston Rockets 137-128 on Monday night for their 50th win of the season.
Gilgeous-Alexander reached 50 points for the fourth time this season, all in the past seven weeks. The NBA’s scoring leader finished with at least 40 for the ninth time in 2024-25. He made 18 of 30 field goals, went 5 of 9 on 3-pointers and hit all 10 of his free throws.
Jalen Williams added 24 points for the Thunder (50-11).
Cam Whitmore matched career highs with 27 points and 11 rebounds, and Reed Sheppard added a career-best 25 points for the Rockets.
Houston was without injured Alperen Sengun (lower back soreness), Amen Thompson (right shoulder), Dillon Brooks (bruised right knee), Fred VanVleet (strained right ankle) and Tari Eason (lower left leg).
Houston’s largest lead was nine points early in the second quarter, but the Thunder rallied to lead 63-62 at halftime behind 28 points from Gilgeous-Alexander.
Oklahoma City took charge in the third. Gilgeous-Alexander was up to 45 points by the end of the period, and the Thunder led 102-89 heading into the fourth.
Houston made a final push, closing the gap to six before the Thunder regained control. Lu Dort made back-to-back 3-pointers 29 seconds apart, extending Oklahoma City’s lead to 120-106.
Gilgeous-Alexander reached 50 points on a putback with just under three minutes left to give Oklahoma City a 132-120 advantage.
Rockets: Houston played fast but didn’t have the manpower to run with the Thunder, one of the league’s deepest teams.
Thunder: Oklahoma City was aggressive, and it led to the Thunder making 24 of 27 free throws.
Dort stole the ball, leading to a fast-break dunk from Gilgeous-Alexander that gave Oklahoma City a 128-117 lead with just under four minutes remaining.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points in the first quarter.
The Rockets visit Indiana on Tuesday. The Thunder visit Memphis on Wednesday.