The Case For Case, Part Two

Regarding "Keenum’s flash of promise dims" (Monday Sports C3), before we go to writing off Case Keenum, perhaps a little perspective is in order.  First off, there is almost nothing about the Texans' offense that even begins to take advantage of Keenum's talents; Ditto for the blocking schemes, not to mention that the Texans' offensive line checked out weeks before Keenum became quarterback.  Kubiak himself admits these problems when he says that Keenum's number one failure has been his inability to anticipate the failure of his offensive line to stop the blitz.

 

The real culprit here is Kubiak's predictable play calling.  On 3rd and short yardage situations, Kubiak called for a shotgun set six times: four of those failed, as they have all season.  Who in his right mind would intentionally take the run off the table in 3rd and short situations?  On first and goal late in the game, Kubiak called for his usual play set: "run, run, pass, kick field goal", an all too familiar pattern for our red-zone challenged offensive coordinator.  Coach Kubiak avoids throwing the ball into the end zone, avoids throwing downfield on first down, and avoids throwing the ball three times in a row, all things at which Keenum excels.  Ironically, this was largely the strategy Jacksonville employed to dominate the play clock and Houston's defense - on their own turf.

 

I could go on: The Texans have very few "Read" options in their offense; they have no effective hurry-up offense and laughingly call their own version the "muddle huddle"; most disturbing, Kubiak's number one offensive priority as he himself admits is not to score touchdowns quickly, but to control the play clock.  This explained the amazing lack of any sense of urgency throughout the game, and throughout eight agonizing seasons. 

 

Coach Kubiak has pursued his offensive strategy for eight years, and you can count the significant victories on one hand.  Bottom line, no NFL quarterback could succeed under such a retro system, and trying to fit Keenum into this offense is like pounding a square peg into a round hole.  And has nobody taken notice of the fact that, on the most mistake-prone and penalized team in the NFL, Case Keenum has been nearly mistake-free?

 

One last thing: there's little doubt that making this "all about Case" is very tempting for the Texans: it takes attention away from the failures of the general manager, coaching staff, offensive line, receivers and special teams, not to mention the profound collapse of Houston's heretofore well regarded defense. 

 

Everybody needs to resist the impulse to make this all about Case and all about drafting a "savior", or we'll be having this same conversation five years from now.  Let's get rid of the current system, and use the last five games of this season to try something else.

 

Pete Smith

Cypress, TX

Let The Punishment For Pimps Fit The Crime

Regarding "Cornyn, Poe file sex trafficking bill" (Wednesday City & State), kudos to a bipartisan group of senators and representatives for confronting a social problem that can only be described as epidemic in numbers and scope.  The tougher punishment for “Johns” in particular will go a long way to reducing demand.

That said, the proposed sentencing guidelines for the pimps and traffickers that kidnap girls and force them into prostitution are timid to say the least: 15 years to Life for trafficking girls under 14; 10 years to Life for victims 14 to 18.  This punishment does not begin to fit the crime. 

Studies show that prostitutes are 40 times more likely to die from their profession than average workers, and that life expectancy from the time they enter “The Life” is around 20 years.  They die from drug addiction, alcoholism, suicide, sexually transmitted diseases, a far greater susceptibility to commonplace ailments, and murder.  The vast majority will die young, and all of the causes are directly attributable to the people who enslaved them and profited from them. 

So instead of simply giving slavers harsher prison terms, why not include the death penalty?  If it is true that the average prostitute is conscripted at age 14, and lives to the age of 34, there is no doubt that forcing girls and women into prostitution is murder.  Use existing kidnap law as a template.  Federal sentencing guidelines for kidnapping permit execution if the kidnap victim dies, and states like Georgia allow it if the victim is ransomed or sustains bodily harm while in captivity. 

The sex slavery trade is a kidnapping for ransom that never ends, with daily rape and torture thrown in for good measure, followed by death.  If we can all agree that this crime is more heinous than kidnapping, we can enact the appropriate sentences and get the problem under control once and for all.

Texas should lead the way.

Pete Smith

Cypress, TX

Overpaid Underperforming Crybabies Finger The Real Culprit

Regarding "These are tense times for Schaub" (Thursday Sports), we are now up to at least four Texans' starters who have made quotes explicitly critical of Houston fans for booing at the game this past Sunday vs. Oakland.  Tight End Owen Daniels is quoted as saying he "only wants smart fans in the stands".  In John McClain's Monday article, Andre Johnson said of the fans: "They choose to boo.  I feel it's very unnecessary.  I don't really approve of it."  Left guard Wade Smith complained that he was disappointed "because (the booing) was affecting how we play." 

Really Wade?  Did the fans cause all of your penalties too?

 

And lest there be any doubt about how players felt, Ben Tate said "The fans in Houston are so up and down, and so wishy washy."  He then went on to say he "was shocked, because this organization has come a long way."  Apparently he spoke for the whole team, because not a single player criticized him for his comments, much less his jaw-dropping conclusion that the Texans "have come a long way."

 

Can these players really be that clueless as to why the fans are booing?  They booed Gary Kubiak's decision to take out Case Keenum, who has thrown more TD passes to Andre Johnson in the past four games than Matt Schaub managed in the prior 22.  They booed because they knew that when the game was on the line, Schaub would stare directly at his primary receiver and then throw into triple coverage, losing the game.  They booed because they knew that in the second half, instead of playing to win, the Texans would come out of the locker room and simply go through the motions, as they have for eight games in a row.  Finally, they booed the fumbling, penalty-plagued Texans for being so mistake prone that their CENTER was called for a false start.  How is it even possible for the guy that snaps the ball to forget that he hasn't snapped the ball yet? 

 

And don't even get me started on the fact that these guys decided to tar all fans with the same brush.  They are paid millions to play professional football, not stumble around like a bunch of amateurs.  Rather than blaming the fans they should man up, apologize for their terrible play,  promise to do better, and then deliver.  If they can't do that, they deserve the boos.    

 

Pete Smith

Cypress, TX

Another View On The Dome

From a good friend and longtime Rodeo volunteer:

Pete,

 

In regards to your article on the dome, having a local popular politician, and or local popular business people attach their names to the dome initiative perhaps would have helped the measure pass, but one of the larger issues is the influx of people that have moved to Houston in the last 10 years that have no prior attachment to the Dome. They have no memories of the place, zero, not only sporting events but the Rodeo as well.  Couple that with the fact that the Rodeo waited until the day before the election before they endorsed the measure.   Why county officials waited that long to ensure the Rodeo brass that they would in turn do what they are contractually obligated to do, but currently not doing is beyond me. 

 

I have great memories of the Dome, particularly the Rodeo. The Rodeo, in my opinion, has never been as good as it was when it was still in the Dome and the Astro Hall was still there.   Now in 2013, the Rodeo is out of space: they can not put on the show without an enormous amount of extra work due to the fact that they have to continue to set up and tear down at a pace that is just unimaginable to move events in and out.  Which in turn creates a nightmare situation trying to get livestock in and out as well as the other project shows in conjunction with one another. The Rodeo needs that space the Dome provides, or they are going to need space equivalent.

 

It seems to me that there's no end to the money the county throws away on various other projects. And with the appearance of not properly courting the Rodeo association, we will most likely lose a national icon for no good reason. In the grand scheme of things, relative to a county and city of this size, the $217 million was a pittance to the value that the dome could still produce.

 

And that my friend, is shameful.

Terry Hershey Would Not Approve

Regarding "Sweet Gratitude" (Wednesday letters) and a recent Chronicle article praising Terry Hershey for her decades-long efforts to preserve  bayous and parklands in greater Houston, it's ironic that there are plans afoot to undo a portion of her legacy, and the Harris County Flood Control District is the culprit.

 

At a Commissioners Court meeting Nov. 12th, HCFCD proposed a study that would lead to the destruction of a 25 acre section of woodlands, ironically located in her namesake, Terry Hershey Park, and replace it with a flood basin.  The Commissioners Court approved the study.  This is exactly the thing that Mrs. Hershey fought against: nature forced to give way to evermore commercial development, housing projects and freeway expansion that then mandate flood control expansion that crowds out the surrounding flora and fauna. 

 

Terry Hershey Park is a model for how Houston's unique system of bayous ought to be managed, and given the recent and very well-deserved tributes to Mrs. Hershey, the good citizens of Greater Houston can honor her efforts by getting involved, not just in stopping this flood basin project, but by encouraging our politicians to plan for the preservation of our green spaces before they indiscriminately issue building permits.   

 

Pete Smith, Cypress

LTE - Valuable lessons

Regarding "Officials in no hurry to decide Dome's fate" (Page A1, Tuesday), Harris County voters rejected the $217 million bond proposal to rejuvenate the Astrodome. Since then, various public figures and media types have expressed their disappointment at the rejection and expressed more than a little disdain for the voters' lack of vision. All things considered, I for one wonder why they were surprised.

The Astrodome project had more than a few things in common with another questionable infrastructure project, Houston's $700 million, five mile long North Rail line expansion ("Metro's unmet goals cost big bucks," Page A1, Feb. 22, 2011): Little attempt by the authors to explain the gargantuan cost, purposeful vagueness on their part as to what - if any - value would be realized, and little assurance that the thing would not turn into a perpetual money pit.

There were also important differences between the two:

No. 1: For most of its existence, the Astrodome has been an epic financial and civic success.

No. 2: Unlike MetroRail, there were few politicians willing to lend their names and prestige to the Dome project.

No. 3: MetroRail was funded substantially by federal government transportation grants, while Harris County taxpayers would have been on the hook for all of the Dome project.

Bottom line, with the Dome, Houston's political and business leaders needed to convince area voters to fund a potential boondoggle. They failed. And the only reason they had no such similar challenge when it came to the rolling financial, environmental and operational disaster that is Metro's rail system is because most of it was built with other people's money.

I'm sorry that our political and business leaders couldn't come up with a better plan to save the Dome, but there's an important lesson to be learned here: For responsible funding decisions to be made, voters and their elected representatives must have at least some skin in the game.

Pete Smith, Cypress


http://www.chron.com/opinion/letters/article/Saturday-letters-Still-seeking-Dome-solutions-4986369.php

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/letters/article/Saturday-letters-Still-seeking-Dome-solutions-4986369.php

The Case For Case Keenum

Regarding "Don't let 0-3 mar view of Keenum" (Tuesday Sports), John McClain counsels Texans fans to be patient, given that Case Keenum has failed to produce a win in his first three games as the starting quarterback.

 

If Texan fans are uncertain about Keenum's abilities, they need to talk to wide receiver Andre Johnson.  The two have connected for five TD passes in just three games.  That is one more than Matt Schaub managed in the previous 22 games going back to the beginning of the 2012 season.  

 

As for Keenum, he produced the points to win all three of his starts.  As soon as the Texans find him some running backs, an offensive line, a defensive secondary, some special teams players and coaches with an ounce of imagination, he - and the Texans - will be just fine.  In the meantime, he needs to start if for no other reason than the opportunity for Texans fans to see the greatest wide receiver in the NFL produce another dozen highlight-reel worthy TD receptions in the remaining seven games of this season. 

 

Pete Smith

Cypress, TX

Hazing: Much Ado About Not Much

Hazer and Hazee

 

I very much enjoyed John McClain's anecdotes about hazing in the NFL from decades' past, particularly stories about Houston teams. There are much more recent instances close to home, though.

Star linebacker Brian Cushing came into training camp the summer of 2009 with the long flowing locks he had worn in college. He walked out with a not-very-well-done Mohawk, courtesy of, amongst others, quarterback Matt Schaub. The Texans' front office actually played it up for the publicity.

And much more recently than that, the Texans were still milking Hazing for laughs. On the their website, there's a very entertaining video from Sept. 12 of 2012 starring Arian Foster, JJ Watt and many others that does a tongue-in-cheek turn on Hazing. It's titled "On the Nose with Shaun Cody - Rookie Hazing":

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/On-the-Nose-with-Shaun-Cody-Rookie-Hazing/b87b66cf-dd59-45df-809d-efc001f4d02f

There's little doubt that Hazing is juvenile and unbecoming of adults. That said, I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't entertained every time.

Pete Smith
Cypress, TX

Seriously, Dr. Oz? How Could You Be So Stupid?

OffHisMeds has written sundry times about the panic-stricken demagoguery of Lefties when it comes to American business, American agriculture and conservative American values.   Most Democrats, unfortunately, react to these subjects with all the reserve of Chicken Little.  They are, respectively, exploitative, toxic and fascist.  And all of them are evil.

These truisms are so woven into the thought processes of the vast majority of Democrats that they are virtually stupefied by anything they hear.  Case in point, the Dr. Oz show this past Nov. 5th.  You'll have to watch it first to truly appreciate how alarming the disconnect is between the ability to think rationally and what is actually happening in the brainpans of the vast majority of Dems.

We all joke about when the Idiocracy will descend upon us.  I maintain it's already here.  This is the text of a comment I put on the Dr. Oz website immediately after it had finished.  Suffice to say, the gutless bastards did not publish it.  In fact, virtually all of the comments published are fluffy compliments to the brave Dr. Oz. 

"Dr. Oz - I'm watching this so-called "expose" of pesticide overuse and am shocked at the deception.  You imply that GM (Genetically Modified) crops require SIXTY TIMES as much pesticide as non-GM crops, based on "statistics" which show an increase in pesticides on GM crops from 1.5 million pounds in 1999 to 90 million pounds in 2011.  What you don't make clear is that GM crops represented only a small fraction of crops in 1999 and are now the majority of crops today.  You then cite an un-named shill for the Organic food industry to leave your audience with the false impression that compared to GM crops, so-called "organic" foods allow you to reduce exposure to pesticides by 94%.   

This is so intellectually dishonest.  All of the increase in application of pesticides to GM crops since 1999 can be explained by their increase as a percentage of our total agricultural output since that time.  You provide no citations as to the origin of any of the claims that you make, and entirely ignore the fact that GM crops are engineered to reduce the need for pesticides.  On top of that, your statistics are incoherent.  According to the EPA, U.S. farmers used over 5 BILLION pounds of pesticides last year, and the EPA trumpeted the fact that safer pesticides are in use due to government initiatives.  Don't take my word for it; here is the relevant information:  http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/securty.htm.

I don't often get a chance to watch your show, but if this is your idea of science, I very much fear for your regular viewers."

The lack of commentary critical of this air-headed publicity hound is instructive.  He gets away with it because his audience is as incapable of critical thinking as he is. 

Amazing.

Oh Thurston, I Was Hoping To Save Those Travel Miles!

Abortion Ken & Barbie

This would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic. This couple claims a new Texas law prevented her from getting an abortion.   It's a lie.

Forget the fact that they had the option to prevent a pregnancy; forget the fact that they might have suffered some change to their plans for the sake of their unborn child, including putting the child up for adoption; forget the fact that there was another clinic down the road that could have aborted their baby. These Yuppie blowhards allowed themselves to be used by Planned Parenthood in a lawsuit designed to challenge the new Texas law so as to preserve their profits.  The clinic in question was out of compliance for the simple reason that the clinic doctors had adamantly refused to get admitting privileges at a local hospital.

My favorite part: Marni lamenting that she had to expend valuable frequent flyer miles to get an abortion in another state. That little revelation tugged on my heartstrings about the same amount as Sandra Fluke's lament that insurance provided birth control pills weren't available to her, right before she jetted off to a vacation in Spain....

Seriously, what does it say about the credibility of abortion industry claims of oppression when so many of the so-called "victims" that act as plaintiffs are nothing but a "Beard"?

Either way, these two - so chipper, so unconcerned - are a couple of cold-blooded sociopaths. 

 

Establishment Republicans Eat Their Own

Regarding "Christie cruises while McAuliffe squeaks by" (Wednesday Nation), the AP article had the usual "Tea Party Is Dead" narrative, but what is interesting about the article is not what was included, but what was left out.  First off, it failed to mention that Democrat Terry McAuliffe outspent Tea Party favorite Attorney General Ken Cuccinnelli by $14 Million in the Virginia governor's race; it failed to mention that the national Republican Party offered Cuccinnelli only a fraction of the financial support they provided to the prior Republican candidate; it failed to mention that a Libertarian candidate drew 7% of the vote that most certainly came at Cuccinnelli's expense; and it failed to point out that Establishment Republicans did little or nothing to promote his candidacy.

 

By comparison, despite what the article claims, the Democratic Party was "All In" for McAuliffe, pouring millions into his campaign, and flooding the state with TV ads and campaign visits from the party elite.  Say what you will about the flaws in the Democratic Party: They never throw other Democrats under the bus, as most Establishment Republicans have done to numerous Tea Party candidates.  This is particularly true of the supposedly "inclusive" New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who went out of his way to give the Tea Party the back of his hand in his acceptance speech.

 

Establishment Republicans cannot see the forest for the trees.  By dissing Tea Party candidates and embracing Democrat positions at every turn, they make the failures of the Republican Party a self-fulfilling prophecy.  And their tenuous grasp on reality was never more evident than last night, where, despite a landslide re-election victory, Chris Christie was shown in a statewide poll to lose a presidential race to Hillary Clinton.  

 

One can only wonder how much more successful the Republican Party might be if the so-called "Moderates" embraced and promoted Republican values instead of endlessly triangulating to some mythical middle. 

 

Pete Smith

Cypress, TX