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Who will win top awards this week at the Houston Auto Show?

Michael Herzing
Jan 22, 2019, 10:15 am
Courtesy photo.


Courtesy photo.

TxMPA was created by award-winning journalists Michael Herzing, Eileen Falkenberg-Hull (pictured), and Alan Gell.

One of the most anticipated events at the Houston Auto Show: the presentation of the Texas Truck, Car, SUV and CUV of the Year awards. This the "Texas Academy Awards" for the automotive industry, with four winners: Texas Car of the Year, Texas Truck of the Year, Texas SUV of the Year and the Texas Crossover of the Year. Presented by the Texas Motor Press Association, the winners are selected by an elite group of Texas Automotive Journalists.

Seeing a need to support automotive journalists in Texas, The Texas Motor Press Association (TxMPA) is the brainchild of Award-Winning Journalists Michael Herzing, Eileen Falkenberg-Hull and Alan Gell, who formed the organization on behalf of journalists. The organization hosts educational and networking events throughout the year to help members create meaningful, insightful, and informed content that influences the public's buying decisions, appeals to enthusiast interests, and registers with a Texas-based audience and beyond.

TxMPA, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization for automotive industry professionals, has quickly gained the support of some of the industry's foremost automotive journalists, including those from top outlets such Roadshow by CNET, The Drive, SB Nation Radio, American City Business Journals, AutoGuide, Alex on Autos, and Autobytel/Autoweb gained membership. In addition to notable nationwide outlets, TxMPA has members from Texas, the country's largest truck market, including personnel from TxGarage, Outdoor4X magazine, Let's Talk Wheels, iHeartVehicles, KCBQ AM, CarProUSA, and Estate Life Magazines.

Each spring the organization hosts the Texas Off-Road Invitational, an off-roading event where members test drive vehicles in challenging off-road conditions, interview vehicle engineers and product planners, and take a deep dive into the mechanics and design of the vehicles. ATVs and UTVs are welcome at this event. At the end of the Invitational, voting members register their votes for Texas Off-Road Truck of the Year, Texas Off-Road SUV of the Year, Texas Off-Road ATV of the Year, and Texas Off-Road UTV of the Year. The winners are announced that day.

In the late autumn, TxMPA hosts TxTalks, a day of Ted Talk-like speeches and interviews exclusively for members that allows attendees to expand their knowledge in a variety of automotive and professional development topics.

The TxMPA is led by President Michael Herzing, Vice President Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, and a Board of Directors consisting of Alan Gell, Bill Owney, Michael Garfield, and Greg Riley.

Anyone interested in TxMPA membership as an industry, journalist, influencer, or sponsor is encouraged to go to: https://texasmotorpress.com

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How Colin Cowherd just can't help himself in latest hot button Texans take

How Colin Cowherd just can't help himself in latest hot button Texans take

The NFL Combine is in full swing and as we await what the Houston Texans will do in free agency, now is a good time to examine some predictions for the upcoming season.

FS1's Colin Cowherd put out his way-too-early predictions for the 2024 playoff picture, and guess which team did not make the list. That's right, Cowherd has the Texans missing the postseason with the Colts winning the division and the Jaguars winning a wild card spot.

So how did he come to this conclusion. Colin makes the case that six new teams make the postseason every year, so he has to take some teams out that made the playoffs the prior season. Two of those teams in the AFC are the Dolphins and Texans.

He believes the Colts will have a strong season behind QB Anthony Richardson, who is coming off shoulder surgery. He makes the case that they only came one game short last year with backup Gardner Minshew taking the snaps. So with their starting QB back in the mix and a ton of salary cap space, the Colts will take the division.

As for the Jaguars, he thinks they struggled down the stretch because of nagging injuries that slowed down QB Trevor Lawrence. With him fully healthy, Colin has them back in the playoffs, with Houston watching from home.

And of course, strength of schedule. This has to be his strongest point, as the Texans play a first place schedule that appears pretty daunting.

When comparing the Texans opponents to the Colts, three games really stick out. The Texans play the Chiefs, Cowboys, and Ravens. While the Colts get the Broncos, Giants, and Steelers. There's no doubt the Colts have the advantage in those matchups.

Counterpoint

Cowherd makes a point of saying most of his picks are quarterback driven. Yet, he has the best QB in the AFC South missing the playoffs.

Also, Houston is right behind the Colts in cap space, so there's really not much of an advantage there. He also believes things will be different now that the league has tape on Stroud. I would argue there was a ton of tape on Stroud before playing the Browns in the playoffs. Cleveland's defense surrendered the least amount of yards in the entire league last year, and Stroud and the Texans won 45-14.

Finally, Vegas does not agree with his take. Houston has the 6th-best odds to win the AFC. The only other team in the division that cracked the Top 10 was Jacksonville, who came in with the 9th best odds.

Be sure to watch the video above for the full discussion!



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