The Houston Texans and New England Patriots have so much respect for one another that it is starting to become nauseating
What in the world happened to good, old fashioned competition. You know hated rivalries, trash talking, games where the players despised their opponents as much as the fans hated the enemy team.
Now things are, well…different. Players routinely line up next to one another after a game and pose with a person from an opposing team. Some guys such as former Cowboys running back Tashard Choice or former Chiefs receiver Dwayne Bowe ask for autographs from divisional rivals like quarterbacks Michael Vick formerly of the Eagles or Peyton Manning of the Broncos.
At least Bowe had the common sense to wait and get Manning’s John Hancock after the cameras were off of him.
Choice on the other hand slapped fans of the Cowboys in the face by approaching Vick as soon as the whistle blew and the credits were just rolling. Watching your favorite team lose 30-27 on Sunday Night Football hurts. Seeing one of the guys you cheer for get an autograph from one of the players responsible for that heartache is salt in the open wound.
The Texans are no strangers to this new age of players who treat one another with a celebrity status. After the New Orleans Saints hosted Houston in the preseason, Texans free safety Rahim Moore and Saints running back Mark Ingram exchanged jerseys while stopping for a pose.
On the bright side for Texans fans, it doesn’t look like running back Chris Polk is a fan of this exchange.
Still, despite the show of respect being nothing new, this past week has been simply stomach churning. The Houston Texans are about to play a huge game against the New England Patriots this Sunday. Sitting at 6-6, the Texans need a win, bad.
A win would put them in great position to finish off the AFC South, as their final three games are all against divisional opponents.
The fans are aching for their team to win and get in the playoffs, and there is no team anyone likes to see taken down quite like the Patriots.
The talk between the two teams however sounds like two middle school kids trying to out-compliment one another.
New England coach Bill Belichick, who never speaks about opponents, compared Texans defensive end J.J. Watt to former Giants legend pass rusher, Lawrence Taylor. Former New England player and current Texans defensive tackle Vince Wilfork said he was sad to leave his former team. (Editors note, the Texans fans are sad he came to Houston).
And then there is Houston coach Bill O’Brien. Sure, he spent several years in New England, we all know that and understand he left on great terms. That doesn’t mean the fans that root for you now need to be reminded of this at every opportunity. Especially when we get reminded every time we look at the roster…
Now we have to endure O’Brien’s take on why tight end Rob Gronkowski is great, how good of a coach Belichick is and there are even stories about him taking a pay cut to coach for such a wonderful franchise. It’s all simply too much.
So on behalf of all Texans fans, please let’s get this game started and end the compliment war. Because no one is winning at this.