You’ll never guess what ridiculous drama the media just drummed up about Texans' CJ Stroud
STRONG WORDS
06 June
Is CJ Stroud talking too much? Composite image by Brandon Strange.
It's no secret that Texans QB CJ Stroud is causing quite the social media storm for his comments about the top quarterbacks in the league.
Stroud is taking some heat for his views on Aaron Rodgers specifically, and that has people like Pat McAfee and Mike Florio wondering if this could be a problem for the Texans moving forward.
The thought being, Stroud is ruffling some feathers across the league and placing a bullseye on his back. Traditionally, players wouldn't talk about other athletes during their career publicly. But media has changed and plenty of active players have their own podcasts where they say whatever is on their minds.
In Stroud's case, he's answered some questions honestly about football, something he knows a lot about by the way. Stroud is a football nerd and lives to play and talk about ball. Which is a good thing in our eyes.
If you saw his Bleacher Report YouTube video with Cowboys' Micah Parsons during the NFL Draft, you know what we're talking about. It was amazing to see how much Stroud knew about so many NFL prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft.
What does JJ Watt think?
With so many shows doing segments about CJ, and his supposed criticism of Aaron Rodgers, it's no surprise that Pat McAfee took an opportunity to ask JJ Watt about it.
When asked, Watt said he was fine with it. As long as you back it up in sports, there's no problem. But you do welcome criticism when you put yourself out there in the public eye. Watt certainly knows a thing or two about that. JJ also said making public comments like CJ's can be a good thing, because it puts pressure on yourself to perform.
Chris Simms loves him some Aaron Rodgers
NBC Sports' Mike Florio and Chris Simms also took issue with Stroud's willingness to honestly assess current players. Especially Jets QB Aaron Rodgers. They defended Rodgers at seemingly every turn.
Which got us thinking, why is Aaron Rodgers some sacred cow that's above reproach all of a sudden. CJ said many positive things about Rodgers, he was just more impressed with Matthew Stafford and Eli Manning.
Sure, it’s okay for Rodgers to go on podcasts weekly during the season, and discuss conspiracy theories publicly on his own time. But Stroud is the problem for sharing his opinions about football in the offseason?
Finally, what would the response be if Stroud was openly talking about taking Ayahuasca?
Be sure to watch the video above as we answer all these questions and much more!
How Astros surging ace raises key questions about Houston's short, long-term rotation moves
Jul 25, 2024, 5:39 pm
It's no secret to Astros fans that the ascension of Hunter Brown is one of the primary reasons the team was able to rebound from a disastrous start to the season.
Astros manager Joe Espada has seen enough from Brown to start throwing around the word “ace” when talking about him.
Joe Espada on Hunter Brown: "He's having that ace feeling to him. We are expecting him to go out there and deliver what he just did. We knew all along that is in him and now he's starting to turn the corner. He's starting to have that swag where he knows 'my team needs a win.'"
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 24, 2024
And it appears the biggest key to Brown's turnaround was mixing in a two-seam fastball to keep right-handed hitters honest. Brown needed a pitch that could command the inside of the plate, which allows his other pitches to be more effective.
We learned just recently, from Chandler Rome of The Athletic, that Alex Bregman was the one that suggested the addition of the two-seam fastball to Brown's arsenal.
Come to find out, Bregman often shares advice on how to attack hitters. Or he'll ask pitchers why they chose a certain pitch in a specific situation.
This just goes to show that veteran leadership can make a big difference. Especially on a team with so many young pitchers and catchers. Bregman was able to help Brown when no pitching coach could.
For Brown, this small tweak could be the catalyst that changes the course of his career. And the Astros season for that matter.
However, some will say the difference in Brown is more about confidence than anything else. But confidence only builds after repeated success. Nobody knows where Brown would be without the two-seam fastball.
Looking ahead
If the Astros do make the playoffs, where will Espada slot Brown in the playoff rotation? Framber Valdez has the playoff experience, so he'll probably be penciled in as the number one starter.
Justin Verlander (neck) still isn't facing live batters, so it's hard to count on him. Ronel Blanco has been an All-Star level pitcher this season, but he doesn't have any experience pitching playoff games for the Astros.
So it wouldn't be surprising at all if Brown is the team's number two starter. In all likelihood, whoever is pitching the best at the end of the season may get the nod. But it's fun to discuss in the meantime.
Finally, how does Hunter Brown's arrival impact the Astros' plans at the trade deadline? And how could that affect Justin Verlander's future with the club?
Be sure to check out the video above for the full conversation!
Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
