A BAD LOOK
This Texans announcement is leaving many media, fans very bewildered
Aug 26, 2021, 3:18 pm
The Texans' reputation remains intact. Composite image by Jack Brame.
Just when you thought the Houston Texans couldn't top itself for dumb moves already made, the team has reached a decision that falls into negative-stupidity territory.
When the Texans open their season at home Sept. 12, they will not impose any Covid-19 restrictions on fans. Nobody will be asked if they've been vaccinated. Nobody will have to show a negative test result. Nobody will be told to wear a mask or practice social distancing or anything else.
On game day at NRG Stadium, there will be 60,000-plus screaming fans (undecided for or against the Texans) indoors in what has the potential to be Super Spreader Sunday.
Sure, the Texans say they will "encourage" fans to wear a mask. Remember when the Astros said something similar back in March? Actually it was a MLB rule, fans were supposed to wear a mask or face ejection. On Opening Night, fans watching on TV saw owner Jim Crane and Hall of Famers Bagwell and Biggio sitting behind home plate not wearing a mask.
Presuming that Texans ownership and management approved this lack of responsibility involving attendance, it's a blown save opportunity worthy of the Astros bullpen. No wonder that a recent poll of 33 NFL-approved agents judged the Texans organization as a disaster. Eleven of the agents thought the Texans had the worst offseason of all teams. No other team got more than three votes. Texans employees call owner Cal McNair "Tommy Boy" behind his back. McNair's puppet master Jack Easterby? He's a "train wreck," and "nobody trusts Easterby."
Just a few hours east on I-10, with Louisiana experiencing a Covid rage as severe as Texas, LSU has announced that all fans 12 and older must show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 PCR test within 72 hours of kickoff to enter Tiger Stadium. Fans must wear face masks inside the stadium. Tulane will impose similar rules. The New Orleans Saints also will require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative test result.
Oregon and Oregon State will require vaccination or negative test results. The Las Vegas Raiders will require that all fans show proof of vaccination to enter the stadium. Negative tests won't cut it. Once inside, fans will not be required to wear masks. Now that the FDA has given full approval to the Pfizer vaccine, more colleges and NFL teams may impose Covid attendance rules.
Only 46.5 percent of Texans are fully vaccinated, good for 35th place, well below the national average of 51.7 percent. We're behind Florida, the Welcome Wagon of Covid infections. Texas has a governor who hosted an event where people didn't wear masks, he tested positive for Covid the next day, and still enacted an executive order prohibiting government agencies from requiring individuals to receive a vaccine jab. Gov. Greg Abbott has a future with the Houston Texans.
A month ago, Abbott unleashed another staggeringly dumb executive order prohibiting Texas school districts from requiring students to wear masks in schools. He even threatened severe penalties for any district that didn't obey his order. This despite children accounting for 18 percent of new Covid cases, according to the Texas Medical Center president.
Thankfully, the adults in the room, parents and educators, ignored Abbott's order and announced a mask mandate for teachers and students in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and more districts. The governor has since backed down on enforcing his executive order. Put it this way, Abbott got schooled.
Earlier this month, about 500,000 people attended the 81st Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. The South Dakota governor would not impose any Covid restrictions on the event. Not surprisingly, South Dakota's daily case count has exploded 686-percent over the past three weeks.
Meanwhile, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner are doing backflips to encourage people to get vaccinated. By offering $100 gift cards to newly vaccinated residents, there's been a 529-percent increase in people getting the shot here.
Can 60,000 fans, unmasked and unchecked for Covid, crammed shoulder to shoulder in NRG Stadium, with the roof most likely closed, possibly be a good idea?
It's a sad state (that would be Texas) when Louisiana is behaving more responsibly than we are.
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A new challenge awaits, and the Astros know what’s at stake
Jun 27, 2025, 2:05 pm
The Houston Astros didn’t just sweep the Philadelphia Phillies. They sent a message.
In three tightly contested games against one of the best teams in baseball, the Astros leaned on their elite pitching and timely offense to secure a statement sweep. Hunter Brown was electric in the finale, shutting down the Phillies’ lineup and showing the kind of dominance that’s become a defining feature of his game. Bryan Abreu slammed the door with four strikeouts to close out the win, and rookie Cam Smith delivered the deciding blow — an RBI single in the eighth to drive in Isaac Paredes, lifting the Astros to a 2-1 victory.
It wasn’t a series filled with offensive fireworks, but that’s exactly the point. Both teams sent out top-tier pitching throughout the series, and Houston was the team that kept finding a way. For much of the season, the Astros’ inconsistent offense might’ve been a concern in a series like this. But this time, it felt different. The bats showed up just enough, and the pitching did the rest.
Now, with Houston on pace for 96 wins at the halfway point, the question becomes: Is the league officially on notice?
Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is certain, the Astros have the third-best record in baseball, they’re 17-7 in one-run games, and they’re playing with the kind of rhythm that’s defined their near-decade of dominance. Unlike last year’s uneven campaign, this version of the Astros looks like a team that’s rediscovered its edge. Whether or not they need to take care of business against the Cubs to validate it, their recent run leaves little doubt: when Houston is clicking, there are very few teams built to stop them.
Off the field, however, a bit of long-term uncertainty is starting to creep in. Reports surfaced this week that extension talks with shortstop Jeremy Peña have been put on hold as he recently signed with super-agent Scott Boras. The combination has led many to wonder if Peña might follow the same free-agent path as Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and others before him. Boras clients rarely settle early, and Peña, now one of the most valuable shortstops in the game, could command a price tag the Astros have historically avoided paying.
If Peña and even Hunter Brown are likely to get priced out of Houston, the front office may need to pivot. Isaac Paredes could be the most logical extension candidate on the roster. His approach — particularly his ability to pull the ball with authority — is tailor-made for Daikin Park and the Crawford Boxes. Last year, Paredes struggled to leave the yard at Wrigley Field, but in Houston, he’s thriving. Locking him in long term would give the Astros offensive stability and the kind of value they’ve typically targeted.
As for Cam Smith, the breakout rookie is far from free agency and will remain a cost-controlled piece for years. That’s exactly why his contributions now, like his clutch eighth-inning knock to beat Philadelphia, matter so much. He's one more reason why the Astros don’t just look good right now. They look dangerous.
And the rest of the league is starting to feel it.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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