Houston Pro Sports Media Perpetuates “Losing Is OK” For Houston Pro Teams.

BY RANDY BYERS

The Houston Texans entered their regular season finally with an opportunity to smash their most hated rival, Tennessee Titans, right in the mouth and destroy any hopes of the Titans making the play-offs.

All week long the Texans brass, Kubiac in particular, put on the usual dog and pony show pleading to the media that this game counts and they were in it to win it. But the closer time drew to kickoff, the more the true colors of Kubiak’s flawed philosophy became apparent.

Telling the Houston Pro Sports Media all week that starters would play and they were playing to win this game for momentum heading into the play-offs, if not for anything else. But even seasoned veterans of the sports media were fooled. For example; The Houston Chronicle’s John McClain was heard Sunday morning on KILT 610AM, the Texans Flagship, an hour before kickoff stating to a fan that Arian Foster would play and alternate with Ben Tate at running back and as he barely got the words out, he was quickly corrected by on air hosts Brad Davies, and John Lopez, “you haven’t heard?” said Davies, Foster is inactive. In which McClain responded, “Then Kubiac lied to me.”

At kickoff of Sundays game the Texans sat down first stringers Arian Foster, Jonathan Joseph, & Owen Daniels. Never mind the fact that the Titans are exactly the kind of team the Texans just can’t lose to at home. Andre Johnson played the first half but wholesale changes began to take place at the second half kickoff. The Texans would play backup offensive and defensive players at many key positions and again, in a game versus an opponent of the quality the Texans should never lose to at home.

Clinching the division and a playoff spot so early for an organization run by the likes of a Gary Kubiak was the worst thing that could have happened for this team. The chances of the Texans winning their first round play-off game are likely very slim do to the lack of offensive leadership i.e. Matt Schaub on the field; yet the Texans approached their last three regular season contests as if they were the dominating Patriots of yesteryear, where they could just sit around and wait for the play-offs, and flip the switch.

In typical form, many in the Houston Pro Sports Media, radio in general, were already granting excuses for the Texans to lose against the Titans. All week long leading up to the Texans vs. Titans, you could tune into nearly any radio show on KILT 610AM and hear a plethora of excuses and justifications for losing on Sunday and the last three games of the season. On KBME 790 AM, some of the hosts spent time all week justifying a Texans loss to the Titans on Sunday.

On Twitter and Facebook all during the game, the majority in the Houston Sports Media were sending out liners basically forgiving and justifying the loss even as the Texans tied the game at 16. Dylan Gwinn, a daytime host on KBME sent out "Not going 2 bother me at all if the #TEXANS lose". Josh innes, a drive time host on KILT sent out "ts hard to be critical about a game that doesnt matter". A first half liner sent out by KBME's Adam Wexler "If I haven't been clear about this yet I will be now. NO reason at all that 80 is still playing. None" KBME’s Matt Jackson was one of the very few that believed the Texans should play to win and his comments reflected that. “Resting players is playing scared. Niners have the GD Rams today and sure don't need Patrick Willis to beat them, but he's playing and hurt”. “I dont like tempting fate by giving The Titans a chance. Beat them now so you don't have to beat them next week”.

In Texans post game show on KILT 610AM, Brad Davies asked Casey if Sunday was a devistating loss; "No, not at all" as if he knew they would likely lose this contest. Again, loser mentality. Kilt's early post game of the Texans vs Titans consisted of all of the on air hosts making excuse after excuse for the Texans and not asking any real pointed questions.

KILT 610AM’s Barry Warner was the only 610 radio personality to be critical of the Texans in any way when he complained about the roof not being opened for Sunday’s game. All of the other KILT on air personalities was involved in one of the most brutal suck-ups on all of sports radio.

It will be interesting to see the reaction in future media by John McClain who was made a complete fool of by Kubiac and staff on Sunday. McClain is one of the few remainig Houston media from the old gaurd but has always been the master of the obvious. I would'nt expect anything but the usual McClain suck-up.

The utter submissiveness of the Houston Pro Sports Media is what separates them from the great ones of Chicago, New York, Boston, & LA. A professional sports franchise in Houston has never had the worry about a, tell it like it is, straight forward, sports media. They have always had the luxury of a soft, to very soft, kid gloves, media and it is still prevalent at the end of 2011 and as we begin 2012.

In great sports cities like New York, Boston, Chicago, the media is what keeps the franchises honest with their clientele, the fans. Houston Pro Franchises have never really had to worry about that. In Houston, there is nothing keeping your Pro Franchises honest. No accountability and the beat goes on. So Houston Texans fans, prepare yourself for a solid week of sports radio saying “its ok if your team loses” and the reasons (excuses, justifications) why.