Always Remeber Your First…
The Texans’ 2011 regular season campaign was certainly extraordinary, to say the least, punching their ticket to the franchise’s first ever postseason bid. Never a slacking on a play, never a nap game, and never giving up, playing whistle to whistle, smash-mouth football; providing their hometown fans with something they had not seeing in a long while, great, entertaining football.
Not to knock the Texans’ previous seasons in recent years, but the Texans of this year brings tears of joy and memories of yesteryear, as they’d shout “Luv ya, Blue” in the Astrodome, and their hearts out when the theme song came on. And who better to accompany the Texans to the playoffs than the son of the most beloved Houstonian, former Oilers’ head coach Bum Philips, and arguably one of the best defensive minds in the game, Wade Philips.
From kicking on doors in the 70’s, to deflating late playoff losses in the early 90’s, the Oilers provided Houston with the best football in Texas until their departure in 1997, Houston was a cold, barren, heartbroken football city. Oilers owner Bud Adams robbed Houston of their beloved team, breaking up the team and secretly held meetings with Nashville’s mayor, and decided to move the team after 1996, Houston had turned their backs on the Oilers, resented them and even allowed them to leave a year earlier then scheduled.
Little did those fans know, football would soon return. One fateful day, the NFL overturned their original decision to award the 32nd franchise to Los Angeles, in favor of the Houston. a delighted Houston happily welcomed their new franchise in with open arms. Knowing that most new franchises do not fair well in their inaugural season, the city of Houston stood by those Texans and pushed the bandwagon from day one, till now, their beloved young, written off franchise is beginning to make a name for itself the same way the Oilers did, in many years past.
It took 9 grueling long years, but Houston has reached the postseason, after an amazing season, this Texans team has overcome more than their fair share of adversity this year, and are not about to let their playoff run, and Super Bowl aspirations be ruined in the first round. With a packed crowd in Reliant Stadium, and millions and millions of fans watching on TV, the Texans will undoubtedly add to this illustrious season in their first ever playoff appearance.
– Richard Perez