What's behind Dusty's surprising admission following Astros departure
BIG WORDS
02 November
As the Astros prepare for the 2024 season, one of the big decisions they will have to make is finding a new manager to replace Dusty Baker.
And that new manager will have to have thick skin when it comes to the media. In fact, Dusty Baker surprised us when he mentioned unfair media coverage as one of the reasons he elected to step away.
Baker's lineups being questioned on a daily basis clearly took its toll on the team's former skipper. Not to mention members of the Astros organization allegedly voicing frustration about Chas McCormick's playing time to the media.
And who can forget Dusty telling everyone we would thank him for his conservative approach to Yainer Diaz's development?
He received a lot of grief for that statement, which was not lost on him.
It seems Baker thought his World Series title in 2022 would buy him more time when it came to criticism and second guessing of his decisions. But the world has changed, and it's hard to hide from social media in 2023. Even if you're 74 years old.
Be sure to watch the video above as we examine Baker's comments, identify how much the media influenced his decision to retire from managing the Astros, and much more!
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How Texans' CJ Stroud got the last laugh on Panthers entire organization
Nov 30, 2023, 4:56 pm
When Bryce Young and CJ Stroud were drafted with the first two picks of the NFL Draft, we knew they would be compared to one another for years to come.
And here we are just 11 games into the season and one quarterback has already seen his head coach fired. Panthers owner David Tepper spoke to the media on Wednesday and discussed his decision to fire Frank Reich, and also set the record straight on how they arrived at the decision to draft Young.
In so many words, Tepper basically blamed the Texans for how the top of the draft played out. He mentioned Stroud by name and said the Panthers were ready to draft him at No. 2 overall until the Texans backed out of the three-team trade with the Bears.
Tepper made a point of saying everyone in their building had Bryce Young as the top player on their draft board, despite rumors about Frank Reich preferring Stroud.
CJ Stroud and the Texans have been so much better than Bryce Young and the Panthers that Tepper clearly felt it was necessary to defend himself, and the decisions he's made for the organization.
In the end, the person that gets the worst end of the deal is Bryce Young. Coaching changes can be very difficult on young quarterbacks. And it looks like he'll have to learn a new offense in his second year when the Panthers hire a new coaching staff.
How fortunate we are as Texans fans to have DeMeco Ryans and CJ Stroud leading the team moving forward.
With all of this in mind, is there a reason Texans fans haven't fully bought in to the new-look Texans? JJ Watt was a guest on The Pat McAfee Show this week and was asked about the team's inability to fill the stadium on Sundays.
As a former player for the Colts, McAfee always thought Houston had the loudest and best fans in the NFL. And while the Texans are 9th in attendance this year according to ESPN, even CJ Stroud has asked for the fans to fill the stadium.
So there is something to it. You can see the empty seats in photos. So why aren't the Texans packing NRG with a shiny new franchise QB?
We believe the recent history of the team is why fans are slowly coming back. McAfee wasn't here for:
Bill O'Brien cussing at fans during games
Trading DeAndre Hopkins away for next to nothing
The Jack Easterby disaster
Deshaun Watson allegedly blaming ownership for why he wanted out
The Deshaun Watson scandal
Firing back-to-back coaches after one season, and the list goes on.
Don't miss the video above for the full conversation!
If you enjoy the videos, subscribe to SportsMapTexans on YouTube!
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