FALCON POINTS

Hey sports world: It's time to retire the "Houston, you/we have a problem" cliche

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Sports might be the worst when it comes to cliches. Fans and broadcasters alike can't help themselves.

Defense wins championships.

It doesn't get any better than this.

The best defense is a good offense.

One game at a time.

No I in team.

It is what it is.

Then there is my personal favorite, "you guys have a face for radio. When was the last time you heard that?"

Um, yesterday, and 11 other times this week. But yes, you are very creative!

These and many more are all lame. They are lazy. They are dumb.

And then there is the worst one of all:

Houston, we have a problem.

Or, the derivative, Houston, you have a problem.

Memo to fans in other cities: It is time to retire this phrase. Memo to announcers (including the Fox announcer who used it Sunday night) and worse yet, headline writers: You are pathetic and about as creative as a rock.

And if you are from Houston and have used it, delete your Twitter account immediately and pray for forgiveness. You are what we affectionately call a "dumb."

How stale is it? The phrase comes from an Apollo mission (that's space flight, which our country once did) message in the 1960s. That's SIXTIES. It was clever 50 years ago. Yet a quick Twitter search for the phrase yielded thousands of results. A google search? How about 281 MILLION results. So if you use it, you aren't even one in a million. You are one in 281 million. But that makes you clever and creative, right? If we are going to use phrases from the 1960s, how about "make love not war?" Or better yet, "we all live in a yellow submarine?"

Rest assured, there will be fan signs in Indianapolis this week, as there always are. Yankees fans will do it, too. (Although because it's New York, the signs will likely be misspelled. Or it will be "youse" have a problem).

First off, if you make signs for sporting events and are over the age of 12, you have your own issues. But do people really sit around and think, "hey, you know what would be clever?"

The real shame? Houston sports teams have no shortage of targets for clever phrases. You could write a book on Bill O'Brien alone. James Harden is just begging to be made fun of by anyone. Even the Astros have plenty of players to go after.

Houston fans collectively groan every time they hear the phrase. And they hear or see it A LOT. Public service announcement: It makes you look silly, boring and yes, dumb.

So if you are thinking about tweeting it, stop yourself. If you are diligently working on a sign, stop it. YOU are the problem.

And if you are an announcer? Go back to calling junior high school games.

It's also incumbent on the rest of us to stop this menace in our lifetime. If you see something, say something. Send them a shame bell. Or better yet, a link to this story.

Then again, it is what it is.

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Houston could be down another offensive lineman vs. Steelers. Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Texans are preparing to host TJ Watt and the Steelers at NRG this weekend, and it looks like the offensive line could be down another key piece.

Laremy Tunsil missed the last two games with a knee injury, and he wasn't practicing on Wednesday. Aaron Wilson is reporting that pain and swelling in the knee could lead to missing more time.

Which is bad news for the Texans, as tackle Josh Jones (hand) was not practicing on Wednesday, and he's been filing in during Tunsil's absence.

The Texans recently signed lineman Geron Christian to their practice squad to add more depth. Christian was a third-round pick by Washington in 2018 and last received regular playing time with the Texans in 2021.

If Jones can't go, the Texans will have to shuffle the o-line again and may start George Fant at left tackle, as Wilson suggested above. Austin Deculus could also be an option at left tackle.

This is a bad week to be down another tackle, with TJ Watt looking to make a statement on the same day his brother JJ will be inducted into the Texans Ring of Honor.

On the bright side, it appears Tytus Howard should be ready to play when he returns in Week 5 from the IR, but that won't help the Texans this week.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Texans could have both their starting safeties ready to play together for the first time this season, with Jalen Pitre back at practice after suffering a bruised lung against the Ravens.

The Texans are currently 3-point underdogs against Pittsburgh, and after last week's performance, this looks like a winnable game. But if the Texans can't protect Stroud or open any holes in the running game, it could be a long day for Houston's offense.

Editor's note: Josh Jones is not expected to play this Sunday:





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