Outlook on Texans’ Remaining Schedule

Despite an 0-3 start to the season (a start that usually spells doom for any team’s playoff hopes), the Houston Texans have reeled off nine straight wins and sit atop the AFC South at 9-3. With only four games left to go and with the Texans currently tied with the Patriots for second in the overall AFC standings, is it possible that a once putrid season could turn into a first-round bye? Well let’s take a closer look.

Schedule Outlook

As mentioned before, the Texans have four games left on their schedule with each opponent currently at .500 or worse.  Let’s take a look at each of the remaining games and try and predict how the Texans will fare.

December 9: vs. Indianapolis Colts

Last time these two teams met (Week 4 in Indy), they grinded it out through an overtime game that saw the Texans win 37-34. Back then, both these teams were under .500 and were tied for last in the AFC South. Since then, the Texans have won eight more games and the Colts have gone 5-3 (which included a five game winning streak). So what do we have in store for this rematch? Well, likely the same outcome. The main issue for the Colts is that they don’t fare very well on the road, having gone 2-4 in road match-ups this year and averaging a measly 22.8 PPG (compared to the 31.3 they average at home). The Texans however have been dominant at NRG, having gone 5-1 overall and winning by an average of nearly 17 PPG in their last three home games.  While you can never count out any divisional rival, I think this is a game the Texans should be able to win.

Prediction: Texans 31, Colts 24

December 15: at New York Jets:

The Jets very well surprised many football fans when they nearly upset the division rival Tennessee Titans during this past week’s matchup in Nashville. If it weren’t for a putrid fourth quarter that saw New York get outscored 13-0, the Texan’s could’ve clinched the division during next week’s game against the Colts. So unless Tennessee also loses to Jacksonville that same week, Houston will have the chance to clinch their fifth AFC South title in eight years against the Jets at Metlife. Is this a trap game? Oh you betcha. While the Jets have some fairly bad losses (like the 41-10 blowout at the hands of the Buffalo Bills), they also have some surprises in their 34-16 win over the Broncos (the same team that’s beaten the Steelers and Chargers) and their 42-34 win over the Colts. Not to mention that they competed for three quarters against the 9-3 Patriots before losing 27-13. While the Texans should win this game, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Jets keep it close and/or potentially win this game.

Prediction: Texans 24, Jets 14

December 23: at Philadelphia Eagles:

Out of all the games left on the Texans’ schedule, this one looks like the most likely to be a loss. This all does depend on whether or not the Eagles are in the playoff hunt however. If the Eagles suffer back-to-back losses against the Cowboys and Rams, I could see the Eagles just not risking anymore injuries and playing conservatively (very well increasing the Texans’ chances to win). However if the Eagles are still in contention for a playoff spot come December 23, this will definitely be a hard game for the Texans. I think the Texans should still be the slight favorites in this game, but depending on how each team looks during the next two weeks this could gradually change.

Prediction: Texans 21, Eagles 20

December 30: Jaguars at Texans:

Assuming that the Texans have won their last three games, this game will indeed play a role in whether or not the Texans clinch a first round bye. Win, and they have a shot. Lose, and that means they’ll play the 6th seed in the Wild Card round. With that being said, I fully expect Deshaun Watson and co. to come out swinging during the first half and try and blow the game open early so they can rest during the second. It remains to be seen whether or not the Jaguars let that happen, but given the Jaguars road woes this season (1-4 on the season) and Cody Kessler replacing Blake Bortles, I think that will likely not be the case/

Prediction: Texans 28, Jaguars 14

Any chance for a First-Round bye?

As of right now, FiveThirtyEight gives the Texans a 29% chance at a first-round bye. That’s currently third-best in the AFC right now, behind the Patriots (75%) and Chiefs (80%). I’d say that’s a spot-on representation so far, as the Texans trail the Chiefs by one game for the number one seed and lose the tiebreaker with the Patriots for the second seed. However the route for the Texans lies in running the table (as in, winning all the remaining games) and rooting for other AFC teams. The Chiefs have potentially dangerous games against the Ravens, Chargers and Seahawks coming up, whereas the Patriots have a match-up with the Steelers in Pittsburgh and a potential trap game against the Dolphins in Miami. If all lines up perfectly, the Texans could be looking at potential home-field advantage throughout the entire AFC playoffs. However, the Patriots and Chiefs will likely win at least one of those two/three match-ups and it’s not a sure thing the Texans will win the remainder of their games. With the way things are currently going, the Texans are going to need some help.

Conclusion

No matter the outcome of these next few games, the Texans have already matched their highest win total since 2014 and have shown great promise with a young Deshaun Watson and stellar defense. They may not win the Super Bowl this year, but one thing is definitely for certain. The future is bright in H-town!

Longhorn Swimming and Diving Dominate, but their Social Effort Doesn’t

The University of Texas at Austin Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving team are dominating swim meets, but losing in their social media efforts. Longhorn Women Swimming and Diving team are currently undefeated with wins against Florida, Indiana, Texas A&M, North Carolina State, and North Carolina. Longhorn Men’s Diving swept the 2017 UT Diving Invitational. However, their social media efforts to build their following base, capture attention, and produce audience engagement on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are consistently falling. The Longhorn swim meet wins and swimmer statistics are definitely outweighing their attempt to generate a higher social media fan base. With competition from Texas Football, Basketball, Volleyball, and Soccer teams, it is unfortunate these Olympic Longhorn swimmers are not as recognized and supported compared to other UT athletics.

Longhorn Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving low fan base, support, and recognition is due to their relaxed posting timing and non engaging post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If the social media team did a better job producing interesting content such as clips from swim meets, quotes from swimmers and divers, information on where to purchase student tickets, and excitement for swimming and diving meets as wells as highlighting our UT Olympic and high achieving swimming and diving athletes. UT Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving team is competitive and talented similar to the rest of Longhorn athletics and deserves more recognition. Here are some of the featured members on the Longhorn Swimming and Diving team:

Men’s Swimming and Diving:

Townley Hass—2016 Rio Olympics gold medalist for The United States in 4x200m freestyle relay, 2016 Rio Olympics finalist in 200m freestyle 5^th place

Joseph Schooling—2016 Rio Olympics gold medalist for Singapore in 100m butterfly, 2012 London Olympian and 2016 Rio Olympian for Singapore

Jordan Windle—Two-time qualifier for the FINA World Championships

Women’s Swimming and Diving:

Meghan O’Brien—2016 and 2017 NCAA Championship qualifier, 2016 and 2017 USA Diving National Championships qualifier

Joanna Evans—represented The Bahamas at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games

Allison Gibson—2017 NCAA World Champion in 1-meter diving

An Inside Look into Some of Texas Sports Biggest Fans: Texas Cheer and Pom

If you have ever attended a University of Texas football game, you know the excitement of hearing “Texas! Fight!” being cheered by 100,000 people in the stands. You have spelled out “Texas” to March Grandioso and clapped along to the fight song. But have you ever paid attention to the men and women on the field who lead these cheers? Texas Cheer and Pom are those people, and they are arguably some of Texas’ biggest fans. By watching them perform on game day, one may think what they do is easy. What people don’t realize is all the hard work they put in behind the scenes to make what they do look like a breeze.

The Texas Spirit Program is comprised of two cheer teams and a pom squad. These teams are formed in the spring after an intense tryout process. The candidates go through two days of trying out and an interview. Once the teams are finalized and announced, it is off and running from there. The teams begin practices in the summer to prepare for the fall sports they support: football, soccer, and volleyball. In the peak of summer, the teams have a “work week” that consists of two-a-day practices, a fitness test, and, of course, team bonding activities. But the work doesn’t quite end at the end of this week. They then go off to a four-day camp to learn even more skills as well as compete these skills with other schools. At the conclusion of camp, they are given some off weeks before they start practices back up again before the beginning of school.

Once school starts, these teams have three mandatory practices a week and two mandatory work outs. Not to mention, they are also practicing on their own to make sure they have a spot on the field. What most people don’t know is these men and women tryout for every game. They may be on the team, but a spot to cheer at the game is not guaranteed. The crazy part is, they do all this practice while still balancing not only school and games, but also appearances! People often hire the teams to come out and perform a pep rally or mingle with fans at various “appearances.” These appearances only add to the busy-ness of the members already busy schedules. But these men and women do all of this with a smile because they strive to make the Texas game day experience the best it can be.

While they are an integral part of game day, the cheerleaders and pom squad members are often overlooked. People don’t recognize that there is a lot of hard work going into making their game day experience what it is, and this article doesn’t even do justice the dedication these men and women have to doing so. So, hopefully the next time you chant “Texas! Fight!” you will have a whole new appreciation for the people leading the cheer knowing all the hard work that went into it.

 

By: Masen Hibbeler

Is Joel Embiid the best young big man in the League?

By: Sameer Prasla

 

With the NBA Playoffs in full throttle, the Philadelphia 76ers are looking to make a big push for the 2019 NBA championship. The Sixers cruised to a 4-1 series victory over the Brooklyn Nets. On April 27th, the Sixers are headed north to face off with the Toronto Raptors for a chance to play in the Eastern Conference Championship game. With a magnitude of “big men” in the playoffs, the most asked question is, “Who is the best big man left in the playoffs?”. In my opinion, Joel Embiid is the best young big man in the league based on statistics and overall impact on win percentage.

Statistics- Numbers Do Not Lie

Since entering the league in 2014, officially playing his first game in 2015 due to injuries, Joel has dominated the NBA on and off the court. He has quickly become a media mogul and is well known for his humor via his social media accounts. Since his rookie season, Joel has not averaged less than 20.2 points per game for the regular season. This consistency in scoring has made him one of the most dominant offensive super-stars in the NBA. Joel also shoots a little south of 50% which in relative terms is considered fantastic. This season alone, Joel averaged 27.5 points per game, which led all centers, and 13.6 rebounds which was good enough to get him into the top 5. Averaging almost 1 steal and 2 blocks per game, Joel is more than just an offensive threat. Clearly, Joel is the most all around center in the NBA. His offensive prowess and defensive ability make him statistically the best young big man in the NBA.

Pictured: Joel Embiid celebrating a clutch victory against the Chicago Bulls

Win Percentage

Since entering the league in 2014, when Joel Embiid plays for the 76ers, they have a win percentage of 62%. Meaning, when Joel Embiid plays, the 76ers win at least 6 out of every 10 games. Without Joel Embiid, the 76ers have a win percentage of just 29%. That is a difference of 33% of total games won. This alone proves that Joel Embiid has to most impact out of all other young big men in the league.

Pictured: Joel Embiid dunking (then eventually hanging on the rim to show dominance) on the New Orleans Pelicans.

With all these factors, it is almost impossible to argue that Joel is not the best young big man in the league.

Texas earns the series win on the road against Texas Tech

Coming off a big mid week win against fellow central Texas native, Texas State, the Texas Longhorns headed for the plains of Lubbock, TX to face the #13/15 Texas Tech Red Raiders. As a big fan of both teams, I made the journey out to West Texas for the series. Having been to Texas Tech softball games before, I was not expecting a full crowd on any on the 3 days scheduled to play, even when a  major powerhouse like Texas comes to town. I was  delightfully surprised to walk up to a packed house of not only red and black but a sea of burnt orange and white.

After taking the series 2-1, from the Red Raiders, the Longhorns will head back to Austin and take on 2 mid week games before a much needed homecoming to welcome in the Sooners of OU for the Red River Rivalry. If the amount of fans that traveled all the way to Lubbock for the Horns, then i can only imagine the craze when the Longhorns plays the Sooners at home next weekend.

-Claire McKissick

I’m Tired of Being Wrong About the Dodgers

I’m 22-years-old. I’ve been a Dodgers fan my entire life. I’ve been going to Dodger games consistently since I was nine or ten. You’d think in that time I would’ve been able to reach an understanding about the nature of the Dodgers – how they play baseball, how the front office operates – and should be able to recognize which teams are going to be good, which teams are going to be bad, and all the reasons why. That hasn’t been the case so far.

The Dodgers are 16-11 so far this year. That’s a winning percentage of essentially .600, which is a percentage even World Series-winning teams don’t have at the end of the 162-game season. It’s most definitely something to be proud of, if the reason(s) for their success weren’t so incongruously few and far between.

The pitching has been great. Clayton Kershaw has only been able to pitch 13 innings, but has a 2.77 ERA. Great, that’s what we’ve come to expect of him, so no surprise there. Ross Stripling, Julio Urias, and Hyun-Jin Ryu have been their usual selves, ranging between 2.65 and 3.32 ERAs, with the proportional amount of innings pitched for where we are in the season. Joc Pederson has crushed 10 homers, Cody Bellinger has been nothing short of an MVP, and Alex Verdugo will no doubt be crowned Rookie of the Year if he sustains (or even dials back a little) his current pace.

The production extends little beyond these guys, however. Corey Seager is still getting over having missed most of last season due to Tommy John surgery, Max Muncy has cooled down, Justin Turner is homerless, Chris Taylor is a ghost of his breakout 2017 self, and A.J. Pollock has been less stellar than advertised.

For any other team, this balance between hot and cold players would be completely normal and make total sense. But look at those names. Those are among the biggest names in the MLB today. Corey Seager is a bonafide superstar, Justin Turner is an ageless wonder, Max Muncy was the star of last year’s Homerun Derby, A.J. Pollock was a household name in Phoenix before becoming the centerpiece of the Dodgers’ offseason acquisitions. This team should be entire parsecs ahead of the competition, but instead they’re on top of their division by only a margin of .5 games ahead of Arizona, and one game ahead of San Diego (SAN DIEGO). Meanwhile, the Rays (the RAYS) are the best team in baseball, in a division that includes the Yankees and Red Sox juggernauts.

If it sounds like I’m frustrated, I am, but not with the Dodgers’ performance. They’re winning and winning often, despite not firing on all cylinders yet. Perhaps I’m a little disappointed and very eager to see them fire on all said cylinders, but, more than anything, I’m frustrated with the current state of baseball journalism, and the baseball fanbase in general.

I’m tired of people, like me, who probably played baseball as kids and think, just because they know the rules of the game and have an active enough imagination to envision how their team’s season is supposed to go, that they understand and are entitled to comment on the goings-on of Major League Baseball. I’m tired of people who only have access to numbers thinking that numbers are the end-all, be-all of a professional baseball player. I’m tired of the fair-weather fans who moonlight as journalists telling me that someone like Mike Trout or Miguel Cabrera is a once-in-a-generation talent, and then turn around and expect their team’s underperforming shortstop to put up similar numbers, or, at least, consistency.

I realize consistency is the hallmark of a true star, and I also realize that players can be consistently bad, but something we have seemingly failed to recognize as a fanbase is that there is so very rarely any consistency in the sport of baseball. We demand consistency as a characteristic of a professional athlete, but how many of the professional athletes that round out 750 active baseball players at any given moment are actually consistent? Those that are get featured on video game covers and ESPN “Sunday Night Baseball” promos. The rest are paid to fill out a nine-man lineup card, and do their job in more ways than just hitting homeruns and scoring runs. Ozzie Smith, one of the most cherished players in history, was a career .262 hitter with 28 homeruns. However, he was a defensive wizard and an expert base stealer, and the impact he had in those respects outweighs and should outshine his “consistency” with the bat. Chris Taylor and Kiké Hernandez are excellent defenders who can be plugged into any position and play it well. 2017 was an incredible year for Taylor offensively, and last year Hernandez hit a career-high 21 homers. Every other year, they have been consistently adequate with their bats. If anything, their breakout years were inconsistent with their body of work, but their defense, speed, fan appreciation, appreciation from fans, and clubhouse presence remain the same as ever. Consistency is all a matter of perspective.

If there is one thing I have learned from being a Dodgers fan for 22 years, it’s that consistency rarely exists in baseball. Numbers can be deceiving. Each year tells a different story. The Dodgers have won six division titles in a row. That number alludes to consistent excellence and prowess. But the 2017 title was a landslide over the two closest competitors, the Rockies and the Diamondbacks, while last year’s title required a tie breaking Game 163 with the Rockies to settle. The Dodgers have pieced together championship bullpens from a bunch of no-names like Tony Cingrani, Dylan Floro, Caleb Ferguson, and Scott Alexander, while big-name acquisitions like Brian Wilson in 2013 and Joe Kelly this year have floundered. There’s no consistency in that. When the Dodgers signed Andruw Jones, one of the best baseball players on the planet, in 2008, he absolutely tanked. Jason Schmidt, the Giants’ ace for six years, suffered a shoulder injury that effectively ended his career before he could make an impact with the Dodgers in 2007 and 2009. Inconsistency is the nature of the sport, especially in one that expects its best players to only get a hit three out of ten times, and hitting a ball over 400 feet is the ultimate measure of success. When you really put it into perspective, what kind of odds are those?

Dodgers pitcher Jason Schmidt makes his return after two years against the Reds, Monday, July 20, 2009. (Michael Owen Baker/staff photographer)

Pirates hit the road for 5 game stretch

After wrapping up a seven-game stretch at home yesterday, the Pittsburgh Pirates will travel to Los Angeles to begin a short five-game road trip. Opening against the Dodgers, the Pirates will travel to Arlington to face the Texas Rangers for two games before traveling back home to PNC Park.

One game above .500, the Pirates look to return to winning ways after dropping three straight games to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Just two weeks ago the Pirates were riding a five-game winning streak but now find themselves slipping down the NL East standings. A successful road-trip might just be what the Pirates need to vault them back up into the standings.

But the once hot Pirates now find themselves cooling off, with the surging Dodgers waiting for them back in LA.

From behind the TV, to behind the Plate

Author: Donny Diaz

#36 Turner Gauntt on first base, after getting the first hit of his Longhorn Career.

It’s no secret that Texas baseball has gone through a whirlwind of injuries, especially the catching position. 1st string DJ Petrinsky is out for the season due to shoulder injury, then 2nd string Michael McCann experienced a groin injury for a short period of time and they resorted to 3rd string catcher Caston Peter. Caston, who broke his finger  while trying to put a bunt down, resulting in surgery. David Pierce really had no choice but to call up a catcher who had been previously cut from the team, Turner Gauntt. Gauntt had his waivers cleared and was able to rejoin the team April 2nd, 2019.

On April 16, Texas baseball faced the Lamar Cardinals at UFCU Disch-Falk field. This was going to be Turner Gauntt’s first start ever behind the plate at Texas. During his first at bat with the Horns, he got his first career hit, a line drive to left field. Gauntt caught seven innings before relieved by the starting catcher, Michael McCann. Gauntt did pretty good defensively behind the plate for his first career start.

Having Turner Gauntt rejoin the team is such a relief for catcher Michael McCann, and the Horns. Had he not comeback to the team, McCann’s body would be feeling it. Catching is a position that causes a lot of stress on the legs, particularly the knees. McCann has been had been hit by a pitch 5 times while batting, which is a high amount for Texas Baseball. So he is not only getting beat from behind the plate, but also while he is in the betters box. Staying healthy and trying to ice his legs as much as possibles to get ready for the next game is important, but luckily Gauntt is there to relieve if needed.

Rowing Looks Forward to First Home Race

How the Sixers lost the 2019 Playoffs in the Summer of 2018

By Nick Rummel

Pictured is Brian Colangelo; Photo courtesy of ESPN

The Philadelphia 76ers @sixers are roaring past the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, but the roars and unrest from the Philly fans shed light on issues much deeper than just beating a mediocre Nets team. This Sixers team is one of the youngest (and most talented) in the NBA, with many of the centerpieces such as Joel Embiid, and Ben Simmons, being recently brought on board from the NBA draft. Since their arrival to the scene, the Sixers increased from 10, to 28, to 52 wins all in the matter of 3 seasons. This season however, retaining both maturing Simmons and Embiid, as well as adding the likes of Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, these Sixers managed to merely win 51 games and regain their spot as third in the East.

Colangelo & Sixers drafted Ben Simmons 1st overall in 2016

The sudden lapse of growth an improvement are to blame for the unrest from the Philly loyal. This begs the question as to what stopped the snowball roll of the Sixers team and stop their climb to the top of the east. The answer is simple: Brian Colangelo, or rather the lack thereof.

Flashback to the Summer of 2018, where the Colangelo era in Philly came to an explosive end. Despite all of his success in rebuilding a historic franchise, Colangelo was forced to resign after various social media burner accounts that degraded the team, and individual players, were connected back to Colangelo himself.

That’s it, just a couple of tweets never meant to be tied to his name were enough for the organization to forget about the man that made the franchise rebuild happen. In fact, Colangelo was reported by ESPN as being the key proponent for drafting both Embiid and Simmons, beginning the franchise total turnaround.

Now that another season has transpired, with no increase of success in spite of all conventional signs pointing towards it, it’s time for the Sixers to start evaluating whether they made a mistake with Colangelo. Franchises such as the San Antonio Spurs or Utah Jazz both attribute much of their success to their respective GM’s RC Buford and Dennis Lindsey, who similarly to Colangelo were chief talent recruiters for their respective franchises and all top class at that. NBA General Managers are also heavily involved with players relations, something that has arisen as a a major issue in the Sixers organization as internal locker room issues and player disputes have lingered throughout the regular season and playoffs. Prior to Colangelo’s exit, the Sixers simply played solid basketball night in night out, and were free of petty conflicts (at least in the public eye.)

All this being said, the Philly fans have a reason to boo. They expected to be atop the East, because they have all of the talent (and more) to do so, thanks to Colangelo. The winning though hasn’t followed, so the boos ensue and it’s time to consider the idea that ditching Colangelo cut a little deeper than the franchise had expected.

Comment below if you think firing Colangelo was a mistake, or not, and what direction you think this Sixers team is heading!

 

Does Milwaukee Have Competition Now?

By: Shane McLendon

As the season progressed throughout the year, the Milwaukee Bucks have only lost 22 games. Some may say, how have they been so good when they were the worst team 5 years ago. Entering the 2019 NBA Playoffs, Star Player Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks have had no competition playing the Detroit Pistons, beating them by large margins of 35, 21, 16, and 23. Beating the Detroit Pistons by this many points each game allowed the Milwaukee Bucks to cover each spread by a long shot. After beating the Pistons in the first round of the playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks will now go up against Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics.

Throughout the 2019 season, the Bucks have played the Celtics 3 times and have won 2 out of 3 games, all being somewhat close games. As the Boston Celtics have a 49-33 record on the year, will they have the strength to beat the red hot 60-22 Milwaukee Bucks? Although records don’t necessarily mean anything in the playoffs, this is a good representation for who is good and who is not in the playoffs. With the Eastern Conference being absolutely stacked along with the 76ers and Raptors, who honestly knows who will win the Eastern Conference or even the Finals.

The 76ers will play the Raptors and the Bucks will play the Celtics for the 2nd round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs. In my opinion, Raptors beat the 76ers in game 6 and the Buck beat the Celtics in game 6. With having a bit more competition in the field, the Boston Celtics have not lost since the 9th of April, winning their last 5 games. I guess you could say that the Milwaukee Bucks finally have competition if you would want to put it like that. As the series starts on Sunday, April 28th, the Clippers/Warriors, Jazz/Rockets also play before the Bucks/Celtics game. Looking for more insight on the game, the Vegas lines have not come out yet but will be interesting to see what the situation is like for each of the games.

Tonights Games:

4/24 Jazz/Rockets (home) -8.5 O/U 214.5

4/24 Clippers/Warriors (home) GS -14.5 O/U 232.5

Predictions:

Rockets -8.5 O 214.5

Warriors -14.5 U 232.5

Complete the Process

By: Natalie Munoz (nrm2247)

The night has finally come. The anticipation of the future for the Sixers and the conference semi-finals have been signed and sealed. After a heated series with the Brooklyn Nets, Philly locked in a space in the next round with a final score of 122-100.

Caris LaVert v Ben Simmons

Joel Embiid battling injuries on and off throughout the series didn’t stop the Sixers from advancing to the next round. The Sixers used a tactic that involved alternating between Simmons and Embiid and it was a crucial element in attaining this advancement to the next series. (#TrustTheProcess)

Joel Embiid

What’s next?

Embiid will be ready for the next series between Philly and the Toronto Raptors because coach Brett Brown has been purposely resting him throughout their previous series with the Nets.

Philadelphia 76ers v Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors have a home-court advantage and the teams are closely matched so this series will be a lot tougher than the last.

76ers v Raptors Regular Season Statistics