An Open Letter From A Concerned Fan

Dear Drayton McClane,

I am an Astros fan and would like to express to you some things that have been worrying myself and fellow Astros fans, in the hope you take some of our suggestions under advisement.

I am not a native Houstonian, like yourself, but a transplant via Detroit, Michigan, Binghampton, New York and Boca Raton, Florida. I grew up watching teams like the Darrell Evans era Tigers, Don Mattingly Yankees, the 1986 World Series Champ Mets, and even the inception of the Florida Marlins. I moved to Houston in 1996, and was priviledged to see some great Astros teams, i.e. the 1998-1999 Astros.

What really endured me to the team was the 2005 Houston Astros. I was a 23 year-old man/boy, still looking for an identity, when I found a team I could sympathize with. The 15-30 loveable losers. Guys like Bagwell, Biggio, Berkman, Ensberg, hell even Luke Scott. They were underachievers, much the same way I felt my whole life. I never really appreciated Astros Baseball until the 2005 season. Sure, call me a badwaggoner. I cried, bled, swore, hugged and rejoiced for that team. I even had a CD with the stupid Eminem '05 Astros remix of "Lose Yourself" on it. These were guys that made me feel good. Like even I could do it. They did it.

The first Houston baseball game I went to was my Senior Year of High School, the 3rd game played at Minute Made Park (Enron back then, but you know how that went).

I was there for the crazy '08 run that was derailed by two guys named (Hurricane) Ike and Bud (Selig). I was there for Hunter (against the Cubs haha) and Lance's only grand slams (a game where Tim Lincecum started. I can retell the whole inninng play by play). I saw also-ran Brian Mohler outduel Cy-Fair gunslinger and World Series Champ Josh Beckett. I took my Dad to see the Astros play against my HOMETOWN Detroit Tigers, and cheered on the Good Guys. I am an Astros fan.

Fast forward 5 years. I now have a family of my own. My 7 month old daughter watches the games with her Dada. She loves herJunction Jack outfit and mini Astros hat. I have a swell Astros jersey, t-shirt, hat and bobblehead, as well as autograph, selection.

My concern is, we Houstonians and beyond love "your Astros" as our own. When are you gonna love us back? How long must this misery persist? It makes my heart swell when you say things like "root our boys on to another championship" and "this guy will add depth and punch to our roster". We can't lose! It also makes me ill when I wake up in the morning and see that 48 games into the season, we are 12 games back. We can be (I know the front office loves this term, Astros fans live and die by it) mathematically eliminated by All-Star Break.

I knew fully that at the onset of the '10 season, we would finish towards the bottom of the Central Division. But I kept telling myself that Roy-O has 1 more Cy Young worthy year, Hunter and Bourn can repeat their great seasons, Brett Myers was the rotation answer!, Pedro Feliz will anchor great infield defense!

The point I want to make is this, Baseball is a business for you. Profit sharing, revenue, merchandise, brand recognition. For us, its personal. We adorn our garage and bedroom walls with pictures of Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee. We watched 15-6 drubbing by the Reds (the REDS? WE OWN THEM!) like we expected a different outcome. We swept the Cardinals! We can pull it together!

I know you're in this to make money. But if you can't get attendance to break 26,000 people, selling 10 game plans for $20, can't give away Astros merch, how can you turn a profit? Its time to face the music Mr. McClane, the best solution to this team is to suck it up, push down the proverbial plunger, and blow up the team.

We love our Vets. We also want to see our boys WIN. I'd relish in watching Big Puma in brick reds until he can't walk, but we deserve the shot at a Championship. I like to refer to Ed Wade as the little dutch boy with his finger in the dam. How long can you put band-aids on flesh wounds?

Trade Roy. He deserves it. Sit Carlos Lee down and tell him what he is doing to your franchise. I'll get the entire city of Houston, every citizen, to pitch in $20. Release or trade him. We will help defer the cost if it means we don't have to see him chase EVERYTHING.

We want to win. We want Our Guys to do it. They aren't getting it done. Do the right thing, Mr. McClane. It's time to rebuild, before it's too late. I am very close to trading my $45 New Era 59/Fifty On Field Official Astros Hat and Brick Red Home Majestic Lance Berkman jersey in for some Tigers gear. I'm from Detroit and at this dismal point in the season, no one would blame me.

Sincerely,

Phil Hodges
Astros fan since 1997

You can follow Phil at www.twitter.com/allphilla

Go USA Bid!

So, Home Team, the good ol USA is in the running to host the World Cup. As such, they have nominated host cities and are having an online poll to see where soccer fans want to see the World Cup played. Not surprisingly, Houston is leading this poll and we want it to continue to rock on top of the US. So here's what we got to do. Go to http://www.gousabid.com/city/local/houston-tx/ and sign the petition to support Houston. We love this city, and it would be amazing to see the worlds largest sporting event right here in Space City. Vote early, vote often, vote Houston!!

Article by Mike P.

www.twitter.com/KategorieH

Photo by Nigel Brooks

Kategorie H Texans Draft Extravaganza!!

Being a Texans fan has always been a dramatic series of ups and downs. A whole lot of "This is gonna be our year!" turning to "Well, there’s always next year." But, with two 8-8 seasons in a row followed by our first winning campaign in franchise history, things are really starting to look up. Matt Schaub was the pro-bowl MVP and Andre Johnson is back, despite a contract dispute. With any luck, Steve Slaton can recapture some of the magic of his rookie season (1282 yds, 80.1 ypg, 9 td) and the defense won't suffer too much from the loss of star CB Dunta Robinson and the 4 game suspension of Brian Cushing. Of all the things we had to contend with last season, probably the biggest surprise was the ineffectiveness of K Kris Brown. After missing just four field goals in both '07 and '08, he missed an astounding eleven last season, as well as an extra point. So, for the first time, Brown has some competition in the form of veteran Neil Rackers. But Rackers isn’t the only new face in battle red and steel blue, there’s a whole new crop of draftees to cheer for. With our recent success in the draft, there’s no reason to assume this year’s won’t have the same positive effect. Let’s take a look …

Kareem Jackson DB 5’11 192 lbs Alabama

Jackson was picked mainly to replace Dunta Robinson. How well he’ll fare is yet to be seen, but he’s certainly gonna get the opportunity to try. He’ll be starting for sure. While it’d be crazy to expect him to live up to Dunta’s performance, he’ll need everything he learned during last year’s championship season with Alabama to hang in the AFC south. When you play two games against Peyton Manning every season, your secondary is definitely important. Hopefully we can count on more than the five career interceptions he had in college.

Ben Tate RB 5’11 218 lbs Auburn

Tate is going to get a fair shot at starting this year, but will mainly be used in goal line situations. Too many televisions were destroyed last year by angry Texans’ fans screaming and throwing remotes in disgust to see Kris Brown trotting out onto the field. Really? Its first and goal on the two and you couldn’t punch it in?! Well, it would appear they heard us and drafted this guy to shut us up. He’s a one-move-and-gone type guy who won’t be making guys miss like Slaton, but once he starts running downhill he should get some great yardage.

Earl Mitchell DT 6’2 295 lbs Arizona

Mitchell is definitely more suited for pass rushing as opposed to defending against the run. He has a great first move and when one on one, can usually get the best of the situation. He’s a local boy, formerly playing TE and FB at North Shore High. He might be a little small for his position but I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt. Obviously not an every down guy, but between him and Amobi Akoye, they should get the job done.

Darryl Sharpton LB 6’0 235 lbs Miami (Fl)

Sharpton is a little small, but its not all bad. He’s got great speed and that can go sideline to sideline. Not the greatest run stopper, he’s more of a cover 2 kind of guy. That being said, once he gets a hold of a guy, don’t expect him to get shaken off like some guys his size.

Garret Graham TE 6’3 250 lbs Wisconsin

This guy is a chain mover. He’s got great hands and can get separation pretty easily. I’m thinking Kubiak sees another Owen Daniels and thought a fourth round pick was worth the gamble. I’m willing to wait and see. We’re pretty set on tight end, but if he’s half as good as Daniels, I’d say its more than worth it.

Sherrick McManis CB 6’1 190 lbs Northwestern

McManis is a good all around corner, with one glaring weakness. He’s got the balance of a drunken barmaid trying to do the cupid shuffle. His speed is amazing, but he tends to outrun his own feet, which could lead to some embarrassing situations if its not addressed quickly. He’s good against the run, but can get faked out with relative ease. Not the greatest in man to man, but, if he learns from veterans like Eugene Wilson and Jacques Reeves, don’t be surprised if this guy brings a couple balls back for six.

Shelley Smith OL 6’4 293 lbs Colorado St .

Not super excited about this pick, but, then again, what the hell do I know? Smith has good ability, but is relatively raw. He tends to get a little too upright in his stance and can wind up on his back because of it. More of a run stopper due to mainly lateral movement, which seems to be his strong suit. While in motion, he looks as natural as if he’s standing still.

Trindon Holliday WR 5’5 161 lbs LSU

“Jack "Soapy" Shapiro was 5 feet 1/2 inches tall and weighed 119 pounds. He played fullback for the Staten Island Stapletons in 1929.” Ok, so, he’s not the shortest player ever in the NFL, but damn, five foot five! That’s an inch shorter than Darren Sproles. While he’s listed at wide receiver, this guy is all special teams. He is fast. Really fast. He ran a 4.27 at the combine. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psWYfO7rp9A&feature=related ] LSU fans shouldn’t be too shocked about this guy, he’s that tiny yellow and purple blur you’ve been seeing the last couple years. This guy has the ability to score every time he touches the ball, and an ability like that can’t be ignored.

Dorin Dickerson TE 6’2 230 lbs Pittsburgh

A legit deep ball threat. He can get separation and pick the ball out of the air almost every time. However, he’s not a great blocker by anyone’s standards. He played a little linebacker in college and I’d honestly be interested to see if that’s something worth pursuing at the next level. He’s a solid seventh round pick who might be able to do some creative things on special teams, but being the second TE picked in the draft on a team that’s already strong in that position isn’t usually a great recipe for success in the NFL.

Update by Chaser, follow him at www.Twitter.com/chaserjames!

Kat H on Twitter!

As it turns out, we have posted about our Twitter account on every possible outlet except our main page. So here is your official announcement! http://www.twitter.com/kategorieh or if you're already on twitter @KategorieH to follow us! Tell your friends, tell your family, tell that guy who's always talking sports too much at the bar. Spread the word home team and we'll continue our valiant take over of the City of Houston!

Midweek Soccer Update and Cheerleaders - GO TEAM!

Almost the middle of the Week and here are a few options for the local Soccer Scene going on this week.

Dynamo Charities has a great event to raise some Money for a serious cause and have some fun with your favorite players in a different setting. Here are the details:

The Houston Dynamo will host a Celebrity Pour event at Lucky’s Pub on Wednesday, May 19. Dynamo players will be on hand to serve domestic beer and wine, with all tips benefitting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Defenders Bobby Boswell and Mike Chabala and midfielders Danny Cruz and Corey Ashe will serve as celebrity bartenders from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Through the Champions of Hope campaign, Dynamo President Oliver Luck, Senior Vice President Rocky Harris, and midfielder Richard Mulrooney have teamed up to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and its efforts to find a cure for cancer.

Additionally you can buy a package deal over at http://www.houstondynamo.com/LLS that includes a Ticket to the game against DC and a Dynamo Beer Stein. Donations are also accepted so don't be shy and do something for a great cause.


There was also something about the MLS Commissioner being in town today to talk about the MLS All Star Game against some team from England. Work precluded me being there so you will have to take in this Video report of the proceedings: http://www.houstondynamo.com/news/2010/05/videophoto-don-garber-press-conference
Speaking of the All Star Game, don't forget to Rock the VOTE for your favorite players, if not you will probably see a whole bunch of Seattle Players not named Freddy, Freddi or Kasey that no one outside of the Coffee Capital of the Northwest cares about: http://www.mlssoccer.com/content/mls-all-star-ballot Remember, don't bitch if you did not vote!

Dynamo Injury Update and Away from the Team News : Eddie Robinson (knee) is doing better and may be back on Saturday. Personally I would rather him sit this one out unless he is 100%.
Cam Weaver (knee) practiced this week and should be able to go on Saturday (barring any setbacks). Luis Landin (concussion) should be available and probably will start IMO.
Joe Ngwenya (ITC) is questionable. Chris Cannetti says that the Team is supposed to hear some feedback from FIFA on Tuesday. I hope so but would not count on it unless they need a diversion from the England bid scandal…
Brian Ching (with the US Team in Princeton) , Andrew Hainault and Pat Onstad (Going to Argentina with Team Canada) are out.

If you can't make it to Lucky's or just want to see a real good Soccer Movie, go check out Pelada tomorrow showing at the Studio Movie Grill over at 805 Town and Country Lane at 7 PM: http://www.pelada-movie.com/about/index.html


The Houston Leones settled for a 1:1 Draw with the Rio Grand Valley Bravos down in Richmond, stats and lineups can be found here: http://www.houstonleones.com/scripts/runisa.dll?M2:gp::72602+Elements/Display+E+46252+Page/Stats/+72011+1584781 Samir Pena went the distance.

Oh yeah, I did not forget the Cheerleaders so you have to check this out:

Futbol Fiesta at Reliant and other Soccer this week

So this week brought us the visit of the Mexican National Team on it's current US Tour and Kategorie H was represented by yours truly as International Games are always an event, on and off the field. These types of tours are a way to make a lot of money for both the FMF and SUM and of course let the Fans get to see their beloved El Tri up close. The order of those priorities should be fairly obvious to everyone and is not the issue unless you want to bury your head in the sand and believe it is only about the Fans. Once again a tremendous crowd with the number announced at 70,099 which puts it as the third highest Soccer Crowd at Reliant Stadium. I was at both #1 Barcelona - Club America (70,550 in 2006) and #2 US - Mexico (70,103 in 2008) and I can't recall seeing as many empty seats as I saw on Thursday night. Maybe some people just stayed outside and partied in the parking lot or stayed away from their seats and close to the Beer Vendors inside as the game was obviously just another opportunity for Mexican Coach Javier Aguirre to experiment with how the players in Camp can come together prior to departing for the World Cup in South Africa next month. So outside of a few things like Blanco's Bunnyhop with the Ball, Guardado's goal and the sometimes rough fouls for a friendly exhibition (here's looking at you Torrado) there really is nothing much to say about the display on the field. The press conference with the Angolan Coach Renard (a Frenchman) answering questions posed to him in Spanish by replying in English and of course the Q&A with Senor Aguirre who never fails to captivate was almost as much fun. But the atmosphere at these International events is what people who have not attended an event like this need to come experience as it is at present as close to the World Cup as you will get (short of obviously heading to South Africa yourself). Atmosphere samples from Thursday can be seen at Anna Megan Railey's Vid from Thursday: http://blogs.chron.com/fanzone/2010/05/video_mexico_soccer_at_reliant.html
or Matt Musil's from KHOU http://www.khou.com/sports/Mexican-fans-show-up-in-masses-to-see-El-Tree-at-Reliant-Stadium-93734044.html


Friday the US submitted its Official bid for World Cup 2018 & 2022 (the latter the more likely target as 2018 will probably be in Europe) and Houston is in the mix as a Host City should the US get chosen. So show your support for the Bayou City by going here: http://www.gousabid.com/city/local/houston-tx/


At the same time as this was going on the Dynamo did not exactly get a Rocky Mountain High as they fell to current MLS Champs Real Salt Lake 3:1, Goals scored by US National Team Selectee Robbie Findley and 2 by Alvaro Saborio while Brian Mullan got one late for the Hometeam. The Roller Coaster ride this season continues as the mostly dominating win in Los Angeles against Chivas was followed up by a performance that probably would not have qualified for Cash for Clunkers. To be fair to the guys it was the 4th Game in less than two weeks and since the teams is also coping with injuries the available player list is shorter than usual. Speaking of the available players for next Saturday against DC we will not only be without Brian Ching (Congrats on the US Team Call Up) but also Iron Man Pat Onstad and Defender Andrew Hainault as both have been called up by Team Canada for a trip to South America: http://www.houstondynamo.com/news/2010/05/dynamo-duo-get-canadian-call maybe Forward Cam Weaver can help if his injury recovery is complete as Joseph Ngwenya's situation is still not resolved.

Another local team, the Houston Leones of the PDL is set to kick off it's season tonight with a game against the Rio Grande Valley Bravos at the Soccer World Center in Richmond. Complete schedule for the PDL side can be found here: http://houstonleones.com/Schedules/index_E.html