CONSIDER THE ALTERNATIVE
Houston Astros successfully hijacked audience share, profits from familiar faces
Oct 25, 2022, 12:50 pm
Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.
Here’s why the Astros know better than just “getting what you pay for”
The Astros don’t need to show a bill of sale to prove that they own Houston. Just take a snapshot of what happened in Houston sports the last two weeks.
The Astros, fresh off dispatching the Seattle Mariners in three straight games, gloriously and emphatically swept the dreaded New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
Now the Astros head to the World Series as clear-cut (-185) favorites to beat the Philadelphia Phillies starting Friday at Minute Maid Park. Tickets for the World Series opener in Houston are available on the secondary market starting at $504 for standing room. Field level seats behind home plate will cost you up to $4,000.
Walk into a sports store and all you see are Astros jerseys, caps and pennants. Local TV news anchors and radio personalities are wearing Astros gear and hosting watch parties and downtown fan fests. Schools are encouraging students to wear Astros colors. Politicians are showing up at ball games, hoping to get some Astros karma before Election Day. Houston is awash in Astros orange. Houston undeniably is a baseball town in traditionally football-crazy Texas.
You know the facts and figures: six consecutive American League Championship Series appearances, four World Series appearances in six years, five Division titles since 2017, batting titles, and Cy Young, MVP Awards and Rookie of the Year.
But more than that, the Astros own the hearts of Houston fans. They look like Houston. They fight like Houston. They are diverse like Houston.
The first baseman is a Cuban expat with gravity-defying hair and better scoops than Marble Slab. The second baseman is a pint-sized superstar and girl dad from Venezuela, probably the greatest Astro ever. The baby face shortstop was born in the Dominican Republic, played his college ball in ice box Maine and high-tailed it to subtropical Houston fast as he could, like many of us from someplace else. The smart aleck third baseman is a clutch-hitting Jew with a newborn baby and salsa side hustle. And calling the shots, a beloved old-school African-American wearing gloves and wristbands and working a toothpick into splinters.
Last week the manager Dusty Baker stopped by Kenny & Ziggy’s deli to pick up some lox and bagels to help third baseman Alex Bregman break his Yom Kippur fast. That’s teamwork.
The Astros starting pitcher Friday night has two Cy Young Awards, one more in the mail, a superstar model wife who’s graced the cover of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit editions, and an endorsement deal with Ford. It doesn’t suck to be Justin Verlander.
You may not know it in Houston, but football and basketball seasons are in full swing. The Texans and Rockets aren’t putting up much of a fight for sports section headlines, though.
The Rockets? They opened their 2022-23 season by dropping three straight games before notching a win Monday night. Current odds of them winning the NBA title this season – 50,000 to 1.
The Rockets announced an opening night crowd of 18,055, a rock-solid sellout. I said “announced.” Tickets for the Rockets’ next home game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 2 start at $17 on the secondary market.
The Texans? They’re 1-4-1, stuck in last place in the AFC South. Last week they played the equally hapless Las Vegas Raiders and lost 38-20. The only positive news to come from the Texans this year – they lowered the price of hot dogs and beer and finally (finally!) fired polarizing executive Jack Easterby. The Texans are 17,500 to 1 to win the Super Bowl.
The Texans claim an average attendance of 69,243 this season. Don’t even. Tickets for Sunday’s home game against the Tennessee Titans start at $31.
Sunday is a travel day for the World Series. What will be the top sports story that night? The Astros are back in action tomorrow!
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How these 3 critical factors could swing battle between Texans and Jets
Oct 30, 2024, 3:06 pm
The Jets host the Texans and their scary defense on Halloween night! Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.
Houston (6-2) at New York Jets (2-6)
Thursday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, Amazon Prime
BetMGM NFL odds: Jets by 2.
Against the spread: Texans 3-4-1; Jets 2-6.
Series record: Jets lead 7-3.
Last meeting: Jets beat Texans 30-6 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec. 10, 2023.
Last week: Texans beat Colts 23-20; Jets lost to Patriots 25-22.
Texans offense: overall (9t), rush (18), pass (8), scoring (14).
Texans defense: overall (2), rush (13), pass (3), scoring (15t).
Jets offense: overall (24), rush (30), pass (13), scoring (25).
Jets defense: overall (4), rush (17), pass (2), scoring (11t).
Turnover differential: Texans plus-4; Jets minus-3.
Texans player to watch
RB Joe Mixon. He has carried Houston's offense in the three games since he returned from an injury and could be even more important this week after wide receiver Stefon Diggs tore the ACL in his right knee last Sunday and is out for the season. Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 100.6 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing and a TD run in three straight games.
Jets player to watch
Edge rusher Haason Reddick. After ending his lengthy contract holdout early last week, Reddick made his Jets debut and played 26 snaps on defense with two quarterback pressures while working mostly on third downs. His snaps might increase a bit Thursday and he could help the Jets get after C.J. Stroud, who has been sacked 22 times this season — tied for third most in the NFL.
Key matchup
Jets offensive line vs. Texans' pass rush. New York has had issues this season with injuries, consistency and protecting Aaron Rodgers. The Jets will face a tough test Thursday night against the Texans, whose 27 sacks are third in the NFL. DE Will Anderson Jr. is tied for third in the league with a career-high 7 1/2 sacks, including at least one in his past three games. DE Danielle Hunter has 5 1/2 sacks and DT Tim Settle has four, powering a formidable defensive front for Houston. Hunter leads the league with 51 quarterback pressures and Anderson is fourth with 39, the only teammates in the top 15, according to Next Gen Stats.
Key injuries
Diggs' injury leaves Houston without its top two receivers. Nico Collins, who leads the Texans with 567 yards receiving, is out for at least one more game after being placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. ... S Calen Bullock was limited in practice Monday and Tuesday after injuring his shoulder Sunday. … LBs Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) and Henry To’oTo’o (concussion) both missed the Colts game, but could return this week. … S Jimmie Ward could miss a fifth straight game with a groin injury. … LG Jarrett Patterson is in the concussion protocol and is likely out. … RB Dameon Pierce missed practice this week with a groin injury. ... Jets LB C.J. Mosley suffered a stinger in his neck during pregame warmups at New England and was meeting with neck and spine specialists this week. ... RG Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle), WR Allen Lazard (chest), DL Leki Fotu (knee) and safeties Tony Adams (hamstring) and Ashtyn Davis (concussion) all missed the game vs. the Patriots and their availability for this week was uncertain. ... K Greg Zuerlein was placed on IR. Riley Patterson and Spencer Shrader were signed to the practice squad, and one will be promoted for the game.
Series notes
The Jets have won the past two meetings. ... New York won the first five meetings, including the first game between the franchises in 2003, when LaMont Jordan's late 8-yard touchdown run helped lift the Jets to a 19-14 victory. ... Zach Wilson threw two touchdown passes in the most recent meeting, a 30-6 rout by New York during which Stroud left with a concussion.
Stats and stuff
The AFC South-leading Texans have won four of their past five. ... Stroud is 2-0 with three touchdowns and zero interceptions in two career starts in prime time. He had 285 yards passing last week for his ninth career game with at least that many yards passing, which is tied for second most in the NFL since 2023. ... WR Tank Dell had a touchdown reception last week and has a TD catch in two of his past three games. ... TE Dalton Schultz had a season-high 52 yards receiving against the Colts. He has two TD receptions in each of his past two Thursday night games. ... Hunter has 10½ sacks in eight career Thursday night games. … LB Neville Hewitt, who spent the 2018-21 seasons with the Jets, forced a fumble last week. … Rookie CB Kamari Lassiter had a career-high three passes defended last week. … S Jalen Pitre had his first interception of the season last week. ... S Eric Murray had seven tackles and a season-high three passes defended last week. ... New York is trying to snap a five-game skid. ... Jeff Ulbrich is 0-3 as the Jets’ interim head coach since replacing the fired Robert Saleh on Oct. 8. Ulbrich, also the team's defensive coordinator, said earlier this week he'll continue to call plays on defense. … Rodgers snapped a streak of three consecutive games with an interception. He has seven in eight games, six shy of his single-season career high set in 2008 in his first year as Green Bay’s starting quarterback. ... Rodgers hasn't passed for 300 yards since throwing for 341 against Chicago on Dec. 12, 2021 — a span of 30 regular-season games and 31 overall, including one playoff game. ... WR Garrett Wilson leads the NFL with 84 targets, 11 more than the Giants’ Malik Nabers. Wilson’s 51 receptions are second in the league behind Las Vegas’ Brock Bowers, who has 52. ... WR Davante Adams had four catches for 54 yards, giving him seven receptions for 84 yards in two games since being acquired from the Raiders. ... Second-year WR Xavier Gipson caught his first career TD pass last Sunday. ... TE Tyler Conklin has a TD catch in consecutive games after not having one since catching two TD passes in Week 8 of the 2022 season against New England. ... RB Breece Hall has 316 yards receiving, the most among NFL running backs. ... Edge rusher Will McDonald has eight sacks, second in the NFL to the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence (nine). … The Jets have only six takeaways, ranking among the fewest in the league. Backup CB Brandin Echols has New York's only two interceptions.
Fantasy tip
Houston wide receiver John Metchie is coming off a career-best three-catch game and could see more targets — and perhaps his first NFL touchdown — with both Diggs and Collins out. Might be worth a stash as a potential WR3.
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Fans of Houston sports and Houston food can now score tickets to The Tailgate, CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit. The event, presented by Verizon, goes down from 6-9 pm November 11 at 8th Wonder. Tickets are $75 for VIP and $50 for General Admission. For a limited time, we’re giving you $10 off; use code SPORTSMAP at checkout. Get your tickets now!