Monday, April 30, 2012
Texans Draft Recap
So now that the Texans have completed the draft we as fans want to put a grade on how they did and I for one have some good and bad of the draft. First let me start off by saying that I give the Texans a draft grade of a C+ but then it was the undrafted free agents that they signed that moved their overall grade up to a B+. Lets start in the first round with the pick of Whitney Murcilus. This was a great pick to improve their already good pass rush and build some depth at a very important position on the defense. Now lets go to the Devier Posey pick I didn’t like it because they could of gotten this player latter in the round because he was headed for a longer fall in the draft due to his part in the Ohio State Tattoo scandal that held him and four other starters out most of the season and wasn’t a huge contributor. Next is Brandon Brooks and this pick I don’t like because all the O linemen for the Texans are right around the 300 pound mark and this guy brooks is 353 lbs too big to run the zone blocking scheme, unless he is that athletic or decides to drop 40 – 45 pounds in the off season. After that we have all my favorite picks in the draft by the Texans Keshawn Martin, the wide out from Michigan State who is what Jacoby Jones should have been is great with reverses, punt returns, average at kick returns, and can change direction well so perfect for bubble screens and getting him the ball in space. After the loss of 2/5 of the offensive line the Texans select Ben Jones center from Georgia, one of the better picks at the offensive line position not only will he learn from the best in Meyers, but he can shift over to guard bringing tremendous value to the team. Then there is Randy Bullock the best kicker in the draft and in all of college football, if this kid is as good as he was in college he will be an upgrade to a position that is very important come playoff time. Next is Jared Crick the defensive linemen from Nebraska this guy paired up with JJ Watt will be one hell of a player and a steal in the draft for the Texans and that Wade Phillips defense, I really can’t say enough good things about this pick. Finally we have Nick Mondek tackle from Purdue this is a versatile player and another good depth guy who once he learns the position can be a key component to this O line. This draft is one I have been waiting to see, because this kind of draft built teams like the Patriots, Ravens, and the Steelers to contend for championships and now I think the Texans are finally putting themselves at the top of the AFC and maybe one day the top of the NFL.
Castle,
From the Gun
Texans take 21 Undrafted Free Agents
The Texans made just as big a move after the draft as they did during the draft picking up 21 undrafted free agents. The most notable of all the players picked up in free agency was Case Keenum, the home town kid from the University of Houston. This was a good pickup for the Texans he can learn under Coach Kubiak and develop into a good back up to TJ and hopefully thrive in this offense. Next is the wide receiver from UNC Dwight Jones who had 85 receptions for 1196 yards with 12 touch downs he was projected as a fourth rounder but questions about his work ethic and will to play had him drop but paired up with TJ and work horses like Andre and Walters I don’t see that being a problem at all. They also pick up a space eating big nose tackle in D.J. Bryant this is one of the UDFA that will challenge for a spot on the team and might send Earl Michelle the Texans current back up nose tackle packing. Here are the rest of the UDFA TCU tight end Logan Brock, James Madison linebacker, Loni Fangupo, Illinois fullback Jason Ford, William & Mary running back Jonathan Grimes, Houston defensive end David Hunter, Missouri receiver Jerrell Jackson, Bowie State linebacker Dalano Johnson, Grambling receiver Mario Louis, Merrimack linebacker Shawn Loiseau, Toledo safety Desmond Marrow, Maryland running back Davin Meggett, Mary Hardin-Baylor tackle Nate Menkin, Clemson defensive end Rennie Moore, Oregon safety Eddie Pleasant, Baylor defensive end Tracy Robertson, Ouachita Baptist tight end Phillip Supernaw, Illinois State guard Cody White, Pittsburgh linebacker Greg Williams.
Castle,
From the Gun
Friday, April 27, 2012
Rockets' Season is Over
The Rockets finish the season at 34 and 32 and they give the fans some appreciation too. After the game the team left then came back out on the court to give out souvenirs including foam balls t shirts some fans even got game worn shoes and jerseys. After all the rockets fans have been threw it was refreshing to see the Rockets give back to there very loyal fan base. The off season begins for Morey and the Rockets so lets hope they make some good moves for the future of this team. Marcus Camby and Courtney Lee have already expressed interest in trying to work out a contract to stay with the team but as the old saying goes this is a business and what ever happens will be in the best interest of the team. No word on if Dragic would like to come back or if the Rockets would explore the option of keeping them both only time will tell. Here's to another .500ish season and hoping that the season wont end this soon for a long time.
Castle,
From the Gun
Texans get Mercilus
Now for some Texans talk i was hoping we get Fleener but i was more than thrilled to see the Texans get Mercilus i thought he would of been gone around pick 20 to the Titans. This kid is around 6-4 fast, long arms, and his jump off the ball is so good he can get past the slower right tackles in the league with little resistance. He is a little flawed but that is expected coming from college to the pros, and with Wade coaching him up i think this kid will be starting mid season and with him and Brooks going in and out of the rotation this pass rush will be that much better. Connor Barwin is approaching his last season under contract so i expect that this move is more insurance as well and hope fully we can keep Barwin but if not Mercilus will be a good alternative. Mercilus had 16 sacks and 9 forced fumbles last season at Illinois in a run first conference imagine the numbers he would of had in a passing league like the NFL. I'm thrilled to have him and with Barwin, Brook, and Whitney expect NO MERCY from the Texans defense.
Castle,
From the Gun
Cowboys get Claiborne
Cowboys traded alot to move up and let me say I'm not mad at them for this pick. Claiborn was easily the best defensive back in the draft and on of if not the only shutdown corner to come out this year. Now that the Cowboys have two good corners players better B Ware Of D Ware because more times than not with this Ryans defense you will see alot of blitzing and a few more wins because of your defense. The Cowboys secondary was bad and was a big contributor to them not making the playoffs last year, but with the addition of Carr and Claiborne you can expect a playoff run Cowboys fans. I got to give it to Jerry Jones this off season has been a good one and if the Cowboys can pick up a D linemen, Wide receiver, and depth at O line this will be a good season for both teams in Texas. So Jorge Mike Alex and all you other Cowboys fans hope you have a big truck to pull the bandwagon of Cowboys fans that will be cheering on your team come playoff time.
Castle,
From the Gun
Thursday, April 26, 2012
World Peace gone for 7 games.
7 games is not enough when he hit Harden and ran down the court it was like he snapped. Then Ibaka went to confront World Peace and Metta had that Ron Artest in Auburn Hills look like he was going to start swinging. I think Metta should be done for the rest of the playoffs and he just lucky he plays for the Lakers and not another mid level team like the Rockets or the suspension would be much worse.
Castle,
From the Gun
Texans Mock Draft: 1st Round
Finally some NFL to talk about that is relevant and positive. So with the 26th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft what should the Houston Texans do? This is what I think they will do if they chose to keep the pick they will go after Coby Fleener TE from Stanford or Nick Perry DE from USC. Both of these guys are can’t miss prospects they both fit what the Texans are looking for from a players stand point on and off the field. Fleener will bring depth to a depleted TE/WR position and create miss matched all across the board whether it be on a LB/OLB, Safety, or CB the kids has strength speed and a pair of great hands I would love for the Texans to pick him at 26. Now if Fleener is gone I think the next best is Nick Perry DE out of USC this guy is a slightly bigger and faster JJ Watt and would be a beast on the outside behind Barwin and Brooks, and you know what they say you can never have enough pass rushers.
Now if the Texans trade down to the 38-40 range (mid 2nd round) this would give you the opportunity to get depth at O Line, OLB, WR, CB all before they hit the 5th round and by the way they might take a kicker in the 6th or 7th round from Texas A&M. So let’s say they move down to the second round they can take Mohamed Sanu WR from Rutgers or Stephen hill (If for some reason he’s still there) and NT Brandon Thompson or an O Lineman like Jonathan Martin from Stanford or Bobby Massie from Ole Miss. Any of these three choices would be great for the team and bring depth to two of the positions we need most. Finally here is what most Texans fans want to hear and that’s trade Tate and our 26th pick to move up to take Blackmon at 4 but that just won’t happen. So lets see what moves they make and don’t be surprised if the Texans move out of the first round and leave fans in suspense for one more day.
Castle,
From the Gun
And the Winner IS???
Megatron took out SuperCam in the fan voting for the 2013 Madden Cover and i couldn't be more happy for him. Now how does this relate to the Texans you ask? Well the Texans play the Lions on Thanksgiving and if Megatron lives up the Madden curse that means the Texans will not have to worry about Megatron racking up big yard in the first Thanksgiving game for the Texans.
Castle,
From the Gun
No Mo Pro Bowl?
So it looks like there might not be a Pro Bowl from here on out. There have been reports as early as this past super bowl that the commissioner was so disgusted with the past few pro bowls that he was ready to drop the event all together. Well in the words of Demo the DJ “Shit just got real” and it’s to the point that the Prow Bowl is on the schedule but has no location. I am not a fan of the Pro Bowl too much so I won’t really care one way or the other, but you know who will care?? Yup that’s right the Rookies for the 2012 season and everyone after that. This was a highlight of the season for some of these players who play for the Bengals, Browns, Chiefs and so on and so forth. It was the only time they were around other good players and helped them get over what a bad season they had. Any way what are your thoughts on the Pro Bowl getting taken out of the season, let me know leave a comment.
Castle,
From the Gun
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
With the 26th pick...
Coby Fleener has caught many passes from Luck and now has the attention of a lot of scouts in the NFL. If you keep up with the blog you can see that I was high on Hill and Wright getting picked by the Texans, but I have since looked at what we lost and what we need to replace. We lost Mario but we have two starters so we can use a 2nd round pick for depth and Rick Smith proved he can get us just that in the 2nd round. The Texans also lost Demeco so they resigned Dobbins and signed Bradie James from Dallas, but who is going to replace Dressen?? Joel Dressen was a huge part of the offense especially in the red zone and his hands were clutch catching some great 3rd down conversions so would it not make sense to draft a player who is bigger faster and has better hands than him?? Enter Coby Fleener TE from Stanford, this guy is an above average at blocking for both the pass and run, can run great routs, and has a 40 time of 4.45. Now you put him on the other side of Daniels and you have a pair of TE similar to what New England has and this would eliminate your immediate need for another wide out so u draft one in the 3rd to develop into the complement to Andre. If we get Coby this will not only make the offense better in the pass game but the run game as well because if you have two tight ends who can block and catch off a screen pass you only need 1 or 2 WR on the field depending on if you have Casey in at FB and if that’s the case you have 5 skilled position players who are above average at catching the ball thus making it harder for defenses to load the box on Foster. Here is to changing my mind AGAIN and hoping we draft Coby Fleener.
Castle,
From the Gun
Castro knocked down but not out
In the loss to the Brewers Jason Castro took a big hit at the plate by the Brewers first baseman which in my opinion was uncalled for. Carlos Lee was following a high foul ball just past first base and as he caught the ball turned and threw the ball home, to a waiting Castro, who was all over home plate and was ready to tag a charging Mat Gamel. Gamel knowing he was going to be tagged out decided to lower his shoulder and try to jar the ball loose from Castro’s glove but Castro took the hit and ended the inning with an out at home. The guy knew he was out no need to try to injure Castro who was already out last season with a knee problem. The play was border line dirty and if I was a pitcher I would of threw at Gamel to show if you go after my team mate ill go after you, but these young Astros went on to score 3 runs in the 7th inning to get within one run and made it a good game. I hope the Stros can come back and win the series, and also can one of the pitchers please hit Gamel for all of us Astros fans that are pissed about what happened last night.
Castle,
From the Gun
Saint it aint so...pt.2
Well you know what they say, when it rains it pours. The Saints GM Mickey Loomis who is already under a 6 game suspension for his involvement in “Bounty Gate” can now add another discretion to his resume. Loomis is being of accused of using rewired lines in his superdome suite to ease drop on the opposing team from 02-04 and this is not only a problem for Loomis in the NFL but could go as far as a federal crime. The charges have been referred to U.S. Attorney Jim Letten. It is unclear if Loomis' alleged actions would constitute a federal crime. However, it appears the statute of limitations on any possible state or federal violations has passed. This just went from bad to worse to almost the point of no return for Loomis and we aren’t even at the draft yet.
Castle,
From the Gun
Monday, April 23, 2012
Stros blow out the Dodgers
After getting beat up on in the first two games of the series the Astros explode for 12 runs in the shut out win over the Dodgers. Wandy pitched a heck of a game going 7 innings and only allowing 3 hits and keeping the red hot Dodgers off the board. This was a good win and hopefully a confidence boost for the young team before they head out on a road trip. Jordan Schafer had a monster game hitting his first carer grand slam, that is one thing i thought hew was missing was the long ball and he showed he can hit one out the park. All the starters in the game for the Astros yesterday reached base and that hasn't happened in a while for the Stros. Wandy picked up his first win of the season and it was well deserved. Hope they can keep it up for a few more games. Root Root Root.
Castle,
From the Gun
Houston we have a problem
The Rockets loss to Miami was not only the end of what little chance they had to make the playoffs, but also the end of Lee and Dragic in Houston. The way these guys play there is no way the Rockets can keep them in free agency there will be plenty of teams that would love their services. On the other hand if only the Rockets could get a star player at the center position I think these guys would be a pivotal peace to a championship team. The problem isn't management or the coach or ownership the problem is Houston is not a place players want to be, and i don't understand it we have a ton of good young talent like Parsons, Dragic, Lowery, Patterson from time to time, and we just need one star to come here. If the Rockets can pull off some deal with Dwight, pull Gasol from Memphis, or even Nikola Pekovic from Minnesota it would help plenty but they wont and the Rockets will always just miss the playoffs and have the 13-15th pick in the draft and stock up on power forwards. Make a change, pull the trigger on a trade, or just tank so we can get a top 5 pick in the draft because i cant stand watching my Rockets stay at a .500 team anymore.
Castle,
From the Gun
Friday, April 20, 2012
So many questions for the Rockets
After the season what are the Rockets going to do? There is the draft, what kind of pick do they get and will a good player fall them. Courtney Lee and Goran have expiring contracts so who do you keep if you keep any at all? Can the Rockets find a trade partner to get Kevin Martin out of town? Then that do you do with Camby, hes old and hurt but you have no one to protect the rim with out him. What about the Lowery and Goran situation?? You can no longer trade Lowery to LA and you defiantly cant keep them both because Dragic has proving he can start and be very good in this league. Those are just a few not to mention Chase and Scola and what ever happened to the promising player Diamon that the Rockets signed last week? There are many questions and not enough answers. What will the Rockets do?
Castle,
From the Gun
Kryptonite in superman’s back
So Dwight Howard is done for the season and will undergo surgery to repair the bulging disk in his back, so whats next for superman? Will he stay in Orlando or will he split and go play in New York (not with the Knicks but the Nets) where it seems like Deron Williams is likely going to leave? So many questions and now the Magic are right back where they started, with no firm answer on where Dwight is headed. Dwight went from the leagues biggest kid who worked hard and always had a smile on his face to acting like a "Big Baby" (no offense Glen Davis). He has handled this whole situation about as bad as you could he is one TV special on what his "decision" will be away from taking the crown as the bad guy away from Lebron. I hate to say it but told you so Magic you should of got rid of him when you could of got something for him, but now your SOL.
Castle,
From the Gun
Rockets down for the count
Well there was a slim to none chance of the Rockets making the playoffs and slim is creeping out the door. The Rockets have lose 6 in a row and unless they win 3 straight and the Jazz and Suns lose 2 of their remaining 3 games respectively the Rockets wont make it. Now if they lose 1 more game and the Jazz and Suns win 1 more then the Rockets are locked into the 10 worst record in the west and that means another Patrick Patterson/Marcus Morris type player in the draft and with the expiring contracts of Courtney Lee and Goran Dragic these Rockets are in for an interesting off season. The season is all but over and now off season questions will start with what do you do with Martin and Lee?? I hope they trade Martin and keep Lee, Lee is younger faster and PLAYS DEFENSE something Martin didn't know existed in the NBA.
Castle,
From the Gun
Astros swat the Nats
Well what a way to end a 4 game losing streak then to rout the Nationals 11 to 4. In the Astros win they also made a little history hitting 3 triples in one inning something they only did once last year and it took a whole game to hit 3 triples. The Nationals got as close as 5 to 4 then the Astros scored 5 runs in the 6th and another one late to win 11 to 4. The bats for the Stros came alive and really haven't been that bad as i expected all season and they did alot better with runners on going 9 for 12 with runners in scoring position. This team was not suppose to have 5 wins this fast or average 3 runs a game or have a 3+ run differential 2 weeks into the season but they have and are doing it, so lets see what else these young Astros can do and how long they can keep playing better than we expected. Root Root Root.
Castle,
From the Gun
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Rockets running out of fuel
With the loss last night to the Mavs the Rockets playoffs hopes are on life support. They must win out and have a few things fall their way in order to get the 8th and final spot in the playoffs. I'm not one to be pointing fingers for a loss but the Rockets did all they could and the refs are blowing bad calls now i know every team thinks there team doesn't get calls but look at the tape and see how many times the opposing teams gets BS calls in their favor. These guys are professionals and the Rockets nor their head coach wont complain they just keep working and have a few things fall their way this team could enter the playoffs and be a tough match up for the Spurs or OKC in the first round.
Castle,
From the Gun
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Judgement Day!
Dear Mario,
What were you thinking? You do know that these Texans are better than the team you faced in practice right? You do know they were not going all out in practice right? The point is you haven't faced this team as an opponent and now that you have left Houston you my friend are now a foe. You couldn't help us get to the playoffs as a matter of fact we got to the playoffs with out you. To me you are like the Tracy McGrady of the Houston Texans you were over hyped and over paid. In 6 seasons with the Texans you only reached double digit sacks twice and you were horrible against the run your entire time in Houston. So if you are on the field (baring some kind of injury that you are pron to getting over your career) it will be judgement day for you, and the Texans will show you and the rest of the league how good of a decision it was not to give you a kings ransom. See you Nov. 4th.
Castle,
From the Gun
Johnson and Johnson on Thanksgiving
Who has the better game?? On Thanksgiving for the first time the Texans secondary will have their hands full with Calvin, and the Lions will be spread very thin because the Texans are a more balanced team then the Lions. I think Calvin will have better numbers but the Texans get the win. This will be a very good Thanksgiving for Texans fans.
Castle,
From the Gun
Early Texans Predictions
So now that the schedule have been released what is your early predictions for the Houston Texans? I'll go threw the records and explain why i see 11 to 12 wins this season. 1st game of the season is against the Miami Dolphins ill take that as a win, because its the first game of the season and these Texans have proven to be tough to beat on the home opener. 2nd game is @ Jacksonville and even thought they have a good defense they still have trouble moving the ball and with Shaub back i see no reason why we cant be these guys twice this year. 3rd game is @ Denver and i know they have Peyton but he still wont be 100% and wont have enough time to really gel with a new team (Later in the year Denver will be really good). 4th game is home for the Titans, and i think we sweep them this season they have not made any moves to tell me other wise. Now the next 3 games will be the toughest 3 game stretch the Texans will face all season and if we are lucky we can go into the bye week at 5-2 but I'm leaning towards 4-3.
Then as Mario Williams proclaimed it is judgement day Nov.4th against the Bills and these guys are bad against the run and i see Arian Foster having a huge game and we get the win. 9th game is @ the Bears and that team in what could possibly be bad weather is to tough a match so we take a loss. 10th game as i said before is a win against the Jags. 11th game @ Detroit is going to be tough its a coin flip seeing as its on Thanksgiving i really see them beating the Lions and showing up big in that game. Then its Titans, Patriots, Colts, Vikings, Colts and the only trouble out of that group will be the Pats and i think we take a loss in the cold weather against a good team.
So there you have it 11 to 12 wins and a sweep of the division and another spot in the playoffs for your Houston Texans. Now just to be clear if they can pull out a win against Ravens or Pats i think it would be huge seeing as it might be the difference between home field advantage in the playoffs. Feel free to leave your prediction in the comment box below.
Castle,
From the Gun
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Steelers new throwback
Steelers will wear these as an alternate jersey in the 2012 season. they are UGLY!
Castle,
From the Gun
FIFA finally gives in
FIFA will conduct extensive tests on two systems under consideration. The first, widely considered the favorite, is the Hawk-Eye product used in professional tennis and international cricket. Hawk-Eye, now owned by Sony, uses a series of high-tech cameras to track the ball at every stage of its flight. It can determine whether the ball has crossed the line thanks to the same processes its inventor, Dr. Paul Hawkins, once used to develop programs designed to assist in complex brain surgeries and missile flight patterns.
It faces stern competition, though, from a Danish company called GoalRef that relies on a magnetic field to achieve the same result and also boasts exceptional accuracy.
A broad and lower-level initial testing process narrowed the field to Hawk-Eye and GoalRef earlier this year, although at that point any shift in the laws of soccer was unlikely.
"The second phase of tests will commence before the end of April," read a FIFA statement this week. "[It] will continue throughout May."
Both Hawk-Eye and GoalRef are beloved in the technology world and said to boast the finest and most up-to-date developments. Each has the capability to inform the referee within less than one second whether a goal should stand or not. Such quick timing mutes the argument that analyzing contentious goals would upset the flow of a game.
Castle,
From the Gun
Via Yahoo Sports
Nike National Team Soccer Kits
These new soccer kits are dope i think they have held true to tradition and still look like these guys could kick your ass. Nike always does a good job on their different soccer kits and the use of the Nike logo is also cool because its a little bigger but not over powering on the jersey. Soon there should be some more commercials show casing the color, material, and of course the shoes that will be available at Nike.com.
Castle,
From the Gun
Enough to go around....Roll Tide
It seems that now every one can have a piece of the National Championship Trophy t to carry around.
During the weekend's A-Day festivities, a parent of a current player tripped on a rug that was under the display case and the Waterford Crystal football crashed to the ground shattering into a million little pieces.The trophy, which was handmade in Ireland and worth $30,000, was in the Mal Moore Athletic Facility where Nick Saban's office is located.
Castle,
From the Gun
Rockets Drop Another
The 3rd quarter in this 4 game losing streak has been there down fall. They have been horrible with their ball movement and when the ball is stopped the players are standing around and shooting unnecessary three point shots. To add to the bad play in the 3rd quarter the refs were calling fouls if the Rockets players were breathing too hard on the Nuggets, i mean they were making BS calls for the Nuggets and when a Rockets player would drive they were getting mugged in the lane and no whistle??? Really??? Kyle Lowery is looking like the effects of the bacterial infection are still taking its toll on him and if they continue to play this way they will not only miss the playoffs but they could end up being the 11th spot and the 5 worst team in the western conference. The Rockets are playing like they cant be beat in the first half of last nights game then they lay an egg in the 3rd and lay down in the 4th. If they lose another game they might as well lose all the rest and get a good draft pick.
Castle,
From the Gun
Monday, April 16, 2012
The New Nike US Soccer Uniforms
So about these new Nike US Soccer uniforms what do you guys think?? Do you like the colors?? Do you like the stripes?? Where's Waldo??
Castle,
From the Bench
Matt Shaub is right on schedule
With voluntary off season workouts starting up this week and the draft just 10 days away its time to get ready for football. The Texans are starting there off season work outs with out coaches and for safety reasons with out there starting quarterback Matt Shaub. Matt released a statement about his injury and his schedule to return to the team Schaub said, via quote “I’m right on schedule because where the hardware removal takes place in this procedure is right where we are and so from here, we just move forward and just keep going. But we have a lot of time left to get ready and there’s no doubt I will be ready.” I'm guessing T.J. will take the reps till Shaub is fully ready to go and with what Yates did last year I know Texans fans aren't too mad about that. Later this week ill revisit my potential draft pick for the team so feel free to give me your 2 cents on who the Texans should draft. Don't forget the new Nike jerseys are up for sale so get em while there hot and the new Nike ID Dunks with the Texans logo are also available for you custom Texans fans.
Castle,
From the Gun
Astros: The Good
Now to the good news J.D. Martinez, Jose Altuve, and Jordan Shafer are three players I really hope we build around. J.D. has all the skill you would hope for and is off to a great start batting .371 with 3 HR and 10 RBIs to kick off the young season. Jose Altuve has a good glove and better than expected range for him being as vertically challenged as he is, and would be a great asset to the team if we can keep him in that 7 or 8 spot in the line up. Now for my favorite base runner of the 3 Jordan Schafer has been alot better than I expected for a lead off hitter he can hit but is great at getting on base with a bunt, and his range in the out field is similar to a Jason Bourn. He already is 5 for 6 in stolen bases and is a problem for catchers to throw out and pitchers to pick off, this guy is fast and you know what they say speed kills. Besides those two Carlos Lee is usually a slow starter but his .333 1 HR and 9 RBIs would prove other wise and he doesn't look like he did at all last year its as if these young guys are making him a compete more. These Astros were suppose to be bottom of the barrel, a throw away season, but they have played hard and even in a loss they look good. Even though they may not go far or do much these Astros bring excitement and a new energy that i am happy to see even in a loss. ROOT ROOT ROOT.
Castle,
From the Dugout
Astros: the bad
Well up to this point there really hasn't been much to be mad about with these Astros, they play hard, they don't quit, they pitch well, and there bats have been great. The only sour point to put out there is they leave too many runners on base. If the Astros would have scored just 1/3 of the runners they left on base in a bases load situation they would of had 8 more runs and just to put that in perspective for you the Astros have lost all 5 games by a combined 9 runs. You could say its there inability to get runners home not get them on base that's whats killing them, and that leads me to follow up with the stat that blows me away the Astros are 0-8 when bases are loaded and most of the time the bases are loaded with only 1 out.
Castle,
From the Dugout
Rockets need a boost!!
Where are the Rockets? Since winning 4 straight and looking like a team that could give OKC or San Antonio fits in the first round the Rockets have lost 3 straight and have the top two seeds licking there chops to get a chance to play these Rockets as a possible 1sr round match up. As bad as this sounds the down slide started when Lowery got inserted back into the rotation and i for one thought this team was going to be be alot better with Lowery back. Maybe its getting use to playing with Lowery in the line up again or maybe they are just going threw a tough patch either way these guys need to pull together and play defense. Through out this season when the Rockets hold there opponents to 90 points or less they are 18 and 0 that being said they need to pick it up on the defensive side of the ball and once they do that this team will be fine and on a roll going into the playoffs. There are only 6 more games for the Rockets lets hope they can start by picking up a win tonight against Denver.
Castle,
From the Sideline
Saturday, April 14, 2012
CFG Goes Back in the Gap.
Football fans remember this imposing figure of the gridiron, the "Nigerian Nightmare" Christian Okoye. However, I did forget how killer he was on Tecmo Bowl, that's probably because I always went with the Bo Jackson & the Raiders. Enjoy the trip down memory lane.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Tom Benson is buying the New Orleans Hornets
"Per Aldridge, the price of the team will be $338 million and Benson will have to pay 10 percent of the purchase price immediately. The sale also takes the team out of league control for the first time since they bought the franchise from former owner George Shinn for $318 million in 2010."
Castle,
From the Gun
Thursday, April 12, 2012
"Linsanity" Hyperdunk Low Release Date
This year Jeremy Lin has made an impact on the NBA, he's set rookie records and helped the Knicks make a push towards the playoffs. 'Linsanity' is probably the top sports story and it being done under the brights of New York comes with perks. Lin gets his own signature shoe which is set to release this Saturday, April 14th, at 21 Mercer St in NY. If you're an NBA or a sports fan these are worth putting in your collection. Happy hunting.
Rockets sign Diamond SImpson
Good young guy who can play the 4 or 5, can be a good backup to Camby, and can help the Rockets play big by playing him and Camby together in the playoffs. The Rockets need a center that can score and if he can polish his offensive game a little more he can be a good player to keep for next season coming off the bench. The deal with the Rockets is reportedly just till the end of the year so maybe that motivates Simpson to play well enough for the Rockets to bring him back next year.
Castle,
From the Gun
Texans sign Bradie James
We defiantly upgraded at LB, in my opinion James is what Ryans was before the injury just a little bit faster.
Castle,
From the Gun
Nice Hair
No shuffling of the hats or moving a hand over a few hats laid out in front of the top prospect nope not this year. This (as pictured above) is how UK's newest recruit unveiled his choice in which school he will attend for a year. Coach Cal strikes again grabbing another top potential one and done to head to Kentucky and backs up the fact that Coach Cal has to be the best college recruiter in college basketball.
Castle,
From the Gun
Building from the ground up
Now the Astros will be headed out on a road trip that will take them into next week facing the Marlins for 3 games and the Nationals for 4 games only to come back to Houston to play the Dodgers next Friday. This season might have a few 3 game winning streaks in it and they might even be above .500 a few times before the all star break, but also count on some 7-10 game losing streaks and being way under .500 for the all of the 2nd half of the season. Regardless of how this team does you can beat that i will Root Root Root for the Astros all season long.
Castle,
From the Gun
Astros vs Braves series rap up
The Astros have rapped up there opening season home stand with a 3-3 record, and well with season we are in for it's not a bad way to start the season. Errors were again the Astros down fall in the loss to the Atlanta Braves. Wandy could not get out of the 4th inning last night giving up 3 runs on 2 errors in that inning alone. There is one point that is a little bit of good and bad news for all the Astros fans out there they left more than 8 batters on base last night, now the good is that they are getting on base alot and the bad is they haven't found a way to get these guys home. Most of the batters left on base were in scoring position and twice left the bases loaded, and not to mention that one of those times the bases were loaded with no outs.
If they can convert even a third of those base runners into runs this season might be a big surprise to us all. In short errors and stranded runners on base are the two major things the Astros must work on if they don't want to be last in this division...again. Root Root Root.
Castle,
From the Gun
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Drink up, its going to be a long season Jays fans
Kids drinking?? Only in Canada.
Castle,
From the Gun
Guerrero surrenders to Dominican police
Update on the retired Vladimir Guerrero.
From Dominican Today:
South Region Police director Juan Ramon de la Cruz Martinez announced the surrender of Vladimir Guerrero Tuesday morning, in connections with an aggression and a brawl in the disco El Punto, in the city Bani Monday night.On another note it was said that Guerrero was yelling out YOLO as the fight continued, but besides that Guerrero is having fun in the Dominican Republic. Looks like Guerrero had a few good swings still left.
The senior officer said he personally arrested two of Guerrero's bodyguards. "No one is above the law. Guerrero and the others will be charged for the incident which left one injured."
Castle,
From the Gun
B-JAY time!!
J.P. Arencibia seems to be a fan favorite.
Picture courtesy of Sports790 facebook page.
Castle,
From the Gun
Astros Fall to the Braves
The Houston Astros fall to the Atlanta Braves last night and the biggest reason why is the third inning. The three runs that were given up turned out to be the 3 runs that got us beat. Granted the Braves scored a couple times after that but it they Astros would of kept the Braves off the board in the 3rd the Astros would of walked out with a win. It seems to me the Astros don't really get going until their second time at the plate and against better teams that will be a formula for many losses. This team did not give up and did make a run in the last few innings and were a few feet away from Carlos Lee hitting a 3 run home run, but it was a tad short. Another good sign that came out of last nights loss was Jordan Schafer who had 3 stolen bases and was 3 for 5 at the plate, and he seemed to be fitting into his role as the lead off hitter very nicely. Look for plenty more losses this season but at the same time these Astros sure are fun to watch because they play hard and don't give up. Root Root Root.
Castle,
From the Gun
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