Every-Thing Sports

Bill O'Brien is that one uncle or friend everyone has

Texans Bill O'Brien
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

"You can't choose your family. They are God's gift to you as you are to them."- Desmond Tutu

"Everyone knows you can't choose your family, but you can choose your friends."- Unknown

Both of these quotes are true. Both should also be taken in context. Both can be proven wrong as well. You see, some family members are toxic and some friends are like family. I've experienced all of this in my lifetime. Then, there are those family members and/or friends that make you shake your head while wondering "how the hell did we get here with this fool?" I'm sure you've got a family member, or friend, or both that will give you headaches, confuse you, make you laugh at their stupidity, and question how they managed to live this long being that dumb or reckless.

This perfectly describes Bill O'Brien. He's managed to amass the kind of power and influence in the Texans' organization that would require a military coup, or a conniving genius. But is he capable of either? Some of his actions would suggest the answer isn't just a no, but a HELL NO! So what type of family member or friend is O'Brien? Here's a few examples:

That one uncle

Everybody has that one uncle. He's the most talkative at family functions. Usually, he's talking trash. He's always got something to say about everybody and what everybody is doing. He doesn't mind criticizing things or people, but when it comes to him, he will lose his mind if you turn the tables (snide remarks to honest post-game questions)! When he's the butt of the jokes or critical talks, he has been known to grab his malt liquor and go home angry (yelling at a fan at halftime while getting blown out by the Broncos). There will even be times when he gets drunk, starts randomly fussing about the most mundane things, then acts out (trading DeAndre Hopkins and Jadeveon Clowney).

The friend you distance from

There are friends you'll have that will test the power of the friendship in numerous ways. They will act like they know everything and be stubborn enough not to ask for help. You'll watch them struggle from afar, and they'll suffer rather than admit they need help (calling plays instead of getting an offensive coordinator). Sometimes, they'll even get a promotion at their job you know they attained by nefarious actions (named general manager 17 months after his guy, Brian Gaine, was hired for the same job). When their skills in the new position don't match the title, you wonder how can they live with themselves. Everyone in your circle knows they aren't good at it and take advantage of them (Hopkins and Clowney trades). Finally, you have to distance yourself from them in order to keep your own sanity and find a new avenue with new friends and opportunities (Mike Vrabel).


There are times in our lives in which we will encounter these kinds of people. Be it a family member, or a friend. The question is: how do we handle it? Do we have an intervention? Do we let them figure it out? Do we drop gentle hints and hope they get their act together? In this instance, O'Brien needs an intervention. The only people who can do so, The McNairs, are the same ones who've supplied him with all the ammo he needs to think he's Teflon. It's like a drug dealer having to bring the addict to rehab: it won't work or end well. Until then, we'll have to see if he will figure it out. Hopefully for Texans fans, I hope he figures it out soon.

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The Jets have interest in Texans OC Bobby Slowik. Composite Getty Image.

The New York Jets interviewed Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik for their head coach position Thursday.

The meetings with Smith and Slowik gave the Jets 12 known candidates with whom they've spoken about their vacancy.

New York has also interviewed Aaron Glenn, Vance Joseph, Mike Locksley, Matt Nagy, Ron Rivera, Darren Rizzi, Rex Ryan, Steve Spagnuolo, Jeff Ulbrich and Mike Vrabel for the job. Vrabel has since been hired by New England as its coach.

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley are also expected to meet soon with the Jets.

The 42-year-old Smith, who was the Atlanta Falcons' head coach from 2021-23, was considered one of the Jets' top candidates in 2021 when he interviewed with the team before New York hired Robert Saleh. Smith was hired by the Falcons the next day and went 21-30, with three straight 7-10 finishes, before being fired after the 2023 season.

Mike Tomlin hired Smith last offseason to run the Steelers' offense, which improved in several categories this season with Russell Wilson at quarterback as Pittsburgh made the playoffs.

Smith spent 10 years with Tennessee, including the last two as the Titans' offensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020. He previously had a stint with Washington as its defensive quality control coach in between college stops at North Carolina (2006) and Mississippi (2010).

The 37-year-old Slowik met with the Jets in a video interview since the Texans remain in the playoffs and are preparing to face the Chiefs in Kansas City on Saturday.

He's in his second year running the Texans' offense with quarterback C.J. Stroud, who was last season's AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and has been one of the league's most dynamic young playmakers.

Slowik, whose father Bob coaches in the CFL after several years as an NFL assistant, spent six years as an assistant under Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco before joining the Texans. The Princeton, New Jersey, native started his pro coaching career as a video assistant for Washington in 2010 before being promoted to defensive assistant, a role he held for three years. Slowik then worked at Pro Football Focus as a senior analyst for three years before being hired by the 49ers.

The Jets are also conducting an extensive search for a new general manager. They have interviewed 15 candidates for that position, including Green Bay Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan and Miami Dolphins assistant general manager Brian Gaine on Tuesday.

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