Daily Archives: September 24, 2007

2007 Weekly local football review

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Peyton%20Manning%20092407.jpg(AP Photo/Dave Einsel)
Colts 30 Texans 24

Amidst the wide-eyed wonderment that a few wins by the Texans (2-1) evokes from Houston Chronicle sportswriters, the Colts (3-0) systematically build a 27-10 lead after three quarters and then cruised to the victory (previous weekly summaries here). Texans RB Ahman Green was injured on his first rushing attempt of the game and the Texans were never able to mount any meaningful running attack against the Colts. By the way, my annual preview of the Texans’ season contained the following point about Coach Kubiak’s decision to sign Green:

An example of the dubious decision-making regarding offensive personnel is the signing of RB Ahman Green, formerly of Green Bay. Green was a great running back in his prime with the Pack, but he has averaged less than four yards per carry for the past two seasons. Inasmuch as the Texans agreed to pay Green $23 million over four years ($8 million guaranteed in the first season), the chances that the 30-year old Green will be worth the value of this contract this season are tenuous, at best. The chances of him still being worth the contract a couple of years from now are so speculative to be off the charts.

So, let’s hold off on christening of Kubiak as the next Bill Walsh just yet. The Texans go to Atlanta (0-3) next Sunday before returning home the following week to face Miami (0-3).

Miami 34 Texas Aggies 17

Oh, my.
This one was not as “close” as the final score indicates as UM (3-1) shoved the hapless Aggies (3-1) all over the field. The Aggies’ model of controlling the ball with their strong rushing attack generally allows them to stay in games so long as they don’t turn the ball over, but that’s precisely what they did against the Hurricanes. Unfortunately, fat guy up the gut, busted option play and an incomplete pass pretty much sums up most Aggie offensive series after they fall behind by a couple of scores. The Ags get Baylor (2-2) and Oklahoma State (2-2/1-0) at home the next two weeks before a the brutal part of their schedule begins in three weeks at Texas Tech (3-1/0-1). Coach Franchione’s fate appears to be hanging by a thread.

Houston Cougars 38 Colorado State 27

After spotting CSU (0-3) a 17-3 halftime lead, the Cougars (2-1) trailed CSU (0-3) 24-10 with less than three minutes to go in the third quarter and faced a 4th down and 10 situation at the Rams’ 27 yard line. About 30 seconds later, after a TD pass and an ensuing fumble return for a TD, the Coogs had tied the game at 24. The Cougars tacked on a couple of TD’s in the final period to pull out a win that probably established redshirt freshman QB Case Keenum as the successor to Kevin Kolb. The Cougars take on East Carolina (1-3) next Saturday night at Robertson Stadium.

Texas Longhorns 58 Rice 14

The Longhorns (4-0) rolled in this glorified scrimmage against the hapless Owls (0-4), but still showed little to lead anyone to think that they have much of a chance against Oklahoma the week after next. But at least no Longhorns were arrested on Saturday night after the game celebrating the win. As for Rice, at least the Marching Owl Band got in a few good licks.

With Texas leading 41-7 at intermission, the suspense at Royal-Memorial Stadium actually peaked when the teams left the field.
That’s when the Rice Marching Owl Band ó the notorious MOB ó commenced its halftime show.
Known for its biting spoofs, the 80-piece MOB opened with the “Dragnet Theme.” Wearing dark sunglasses and suit coats bearing the Rice crest, the musicians formed the Texas “T” near the south end zone, just as the Longhorn band does before games.
Then their fun started.
Three “Longhorns” in burnt orange shirts and white helmets scampered downfield. Three cardboard black-and-white “police” cars gave chase.
Announcer William Price, a sousaphone player in the MOB, narrated: “In the two years since the MOB last visited Austin, your team’s demeanor ó and misdemeanor ó has changed. Buy a program at today’s game. It includes Mack Brown’s wrist-slap Top 10 and a photo guide to the next episode of ‘America’s Most Wanted.’ ”
The skit was a nod to the Longhorns’ recent experiences with the law-enforcement community in Austin. It could’ve been worse.
“The idea is to entertain people,” explained Rice band director Chuck Throckmorton. “People aren’t entertained when they’re mad.” [. . .]
After their show, the musicians enjoyed a standing ovation from much of the crowd.

The Horns tune up for OU weekend next Saturday in a “payback game” against Kansas State (2-1) (who upset the Horns and began their late-season swoon last year), while the Owls have an open date next weekend before going on the road to meet Southen Miss (2-1).

Jaffa on Tyranny

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jaffa.jpgIn the magnificent penultimate scene in Steven Spielberg’s 1997 film, Amistad, John Quincy Adams (played brilliantly by Anthony Hopkins) concludes his oral argument in the U.S. Supreme Court with the following abnomition regarding the curse of slavery that is a central issue in the case::

“We desperately need your strength and wisdom to triumph over our fears, our prejudices, ourselves. Give us the courage to do what is right. And if it means civil war, then let it come. And when it does, may it be, finally, the last battle of the American Revolution.”
“That’s all I have to say.”

Harry V. Jaffa, a Distinguished Fellow of the Claremont Institute and the author of the well-known study of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, Crisis of the House Divided: An Interpretation of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates (University of Chicago Press, 1959) pens this interesting blog post in which he makes the following observation about President Bush’s goal of eliminating tyranny in the world:

. . . [T]he president has . . . [declared] that it is our intention to eliminate tyranny from the world. These pronouncements show a profound ignorance, both of history and of political philosophy.
Our own government, by constitutional majorities, became possible only when sectarian religious differences were removed from the political process. The Constitution declares in Article VI that ìno religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.î Such a provision could not be found in any instrument of government in all of human history. (The Toleration Act of 1689 in England was full of religious tests.) In the aftermath of the religious wars in Europe, in which Protestants and Catholics slaughtered each other without restraint, our Founding Fathers recognized that majority rule was not possible if Protestants could thereby determine the religion of Catholics, or Catholics of Protestants, or Christians of Jews, or Jews of Christians. Government by majority rule ódemocracy in any sense ó is not possible unless sectarian religious differences are kept out of the political process. But in Iraq, in the Middle East generally, there are no political differences that are not sectarian.
According to Abraham Lincoln, ìThe principles of Jefferson are the definitions and axioms of free society.î By this he meant the principles embodied in the Declaration of Independence. It was fidelity to these principles that led Lincoln in ìthe great secession winterî of 1860 and 1861 to refuse any compromise that permitted the extension of slavery. Compromises are possible only among those who share principles more fundamental than the interests they are asked to compromise. As a practical historical fact, when compromises are not possible war is the alternative, as it was in our Civil War. John Stuart Mill, an admirer of Lincoln, declared that ìDespotism is a legitimate mode of government in dealing with barbarians.î The dominant forms of political life throughout the Middle East are, with only one exception, as barbaric as those of Europe during the wars of religion. Only a despotism, as benign as we can find, and one that can begin turning people away from sectarian fanaticism, will answer our purpose. Otherwise, they will have to fight it out among themselves, as we did.

The Times discovers Houston’s Hotel ZaZa

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Hotel%20ZaZA.jpgThe New York Times travel section reviews Houston’s Hotel ZaZa (formerly known as “The Warwick” to us oldtimers) and likes what it experiences.
Frankly, given the hotel’s excellent location in the Museum District between downtown and the Texas Medical Center near Rice University and Hermann Park, what’s not to like?