THE INSIDER

A weekly look at all things Houston sports from the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority: Bob McNair picks up an award

Seth Livingston
Patti Smith
Dec 22, 2017, 8:42 am
Texans owner Bob McNair is set to be honored. Bob Levey/Getty Images

The Harris County – Houston Sports Authority Insider will take you inside Houston Sports each Friday because #WeAreHoustonSports!

In a year filled with #HoustonStrong moments, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame added one more to the list when it chose to honor Houston Texans owner Bob McNair with the Lamar Hunt Lifetime Achievement Award.

McNair, a businessman and philanthropist who brought the NFL back to Houston after the Houston Oilers moved to Tennessee, is the sixth recipient of the TSHOF’s highest honor.

He will be honored at a March 1 reception and dinner at the Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa.

“I am extremely honored to be recognized by the Texas Sports Hall of Fame with their Lamar Hunt Lifetime Achievement Award,” McNair said. “Sports, especially football, have been a passion for the better part of my life. I am humbled to be recognized for simply doing that which has brought me so much joy.”

McNair is the first Houstonian to earn the honor. He joins Don Carter,  the founding owner of the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Sidekicks; former San Antonio Spurs owner Red McCombs; former Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane Jr.; legendary Waco sportswriter and sports editor Dave Campbell and former University of Houston Athletic Director Rudy Davalos as winners of the Lamar Hunt Award.

"It's quite an honor," McNair to the Houston Chronicle in June. "There's some great sports owners who have been honored this way. I'm delighted and humbled that I'd be included in the group.

“It is special because many of the honors I've received were based on things I did in prior endeavors. This is in my sports endeavor. That's a real honor to be recognized that way."

McNair’s vision to return the NFL to Houston started in1998 and on October 6,1999, the NFL awarded the 32nd franchise to McNair. Houston has subsequently hosted two Super Bowls – in Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004 and Super Bowl LI last February.

McNair’s legacy in Houston also extends to his philanthropic efforts to, among others, Rice University, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Grand Opera and the Museum of Fine Arts.

“We are thrilled to recognize Bob McNair’s incredible impact on sports in the state of Texas,” said TSHOF President and CEO Cooper Jones. “He not only brought professional football back to the City of Houston, but his strong leadership and unwavering commitment to his community, and the state of Texas, is truly an example for us all.”

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If you’re still looking for a holiday gift for a sports fan in your family, or want to give yourself a little gift, think about purchasing a Golden Ticket. The $100 ticket – there are only 500 available -- enters you in the inagural Houston Sports Awards Golden Ticket Raffle and gives you a chance to win a pair of season tickets to all Houston Astros, Houston Rockets, Houston Dynamo, Rodeo Houston & Houston Open home games/events during the 2018-19 season. In addition, the winner receives tickets for two Houston Texans home games, the 2018 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff and the 2018 Texas Bowl. The Houston Sports Awards is February 8 at the Hilton Americas. Information on event and the Golden Ticket is available at www.houstonsportsawards.com

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Houston scored double digits

Astros' bats provide fireworks Friday in opener against Blue Jays

Yuli Gurriel had a monster night at the plate Friday. Photo by Elsa/Getty Images.

Although they lost the series 2-1, the Astros ended their road trip with a nice win over the Yankees to head home on a positive note. On Friday, they welcomed in the Toronto Blue Jays and former teammate George Springer, currently on the IL, to start a three-game series and long homestand. They had an excellent night at the plate, along with a strong start from Jose Urquidy, cruising past the Blue Jays to take the opener.

Final Score: Astros 10, Blue Jays 4

Astros' Record: 17-15, third in the AL West

Winning Pitcher: Jose Urquidy (3-2)

Losing Pitcher: Ross Stripling (0-2)

Jays strike first, then Houston responds and never looks back

It first appeared that Urquidy may be in for a long night, giving up two solo home runs early in Friday's game, one to Bo Bichette in the top of the first with one out to put Toronto up 1-0, then another to Danny Jansen in the top of the third. However, Urquidy would lock-in, and his offense would back him up strongly.

Houston ended up sending nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the second, getting two runs on a homer by Carlos Correa, then later loading the bases to set up an RBI walk by Alex Bregman. In the bottom of the fifth, with a one-run lead at 3-2, Yuli Gurriel expanded the lead to three runs on a two-run shot.

Gurriel went on to have a fantastic night, going 4-for-4 at the plate with 4 RBI. His third of those came in the bottom of the seventh, extending the lead again with an RBI single to make it 6-2. Kyle Tucker made it a five-run game that same inning with an RBI double, then more insurance came in the bottom of the eighth. They reached double-digits that inning, with Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, and Yuli Gurriel, his fourth of the night, all getting an RBI to make it 10-2.

Urquidy finishes seven, then Emanuel finishes it off

Those gave Urquidy plenty of support, though he would bounce back after the two early homers and have a nice night on the mound. He allowed just two other hits, working around both, en route to a seven-inning two-run performance to earn him the win. His final line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, 84 P.

He likely could have gone longer, but Dusty Baker turned the ball over to Kent Emanuel to wrap things up with the significant lead. He did so, despite allowing a two-run home run to former-Astro Teoscor Hernandez in the top of the ninth to make the score 10-4. The win kept the Astros above .500 and two games back of the A's, who sit atop the AL West standings.

Up Next: The middle game of this series will be a 6:10 PM start Saturday night. The pitching matchup will be Steven Matz (4-2, 4.78 ERA) for Toronto and the electric Cristian Javier (3-0, 1.75 ERA) for Houston.

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