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Texans rank right up there with NFL's biggest losers
By JEROME SOLOMON
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
So, the Philadelphia Phillies are the biggest losers in sports.
Apparently all it takes is 10,000 losses, a total they reached Sunday, to earn that distinction. Well, let's not downplay the dubious accomplishment — it took them 125 years of mostly horrid play to get to that number of defeats, but can you be the biggest loser if you own a championship? Or have winning seasons to your credit?
Some would argue that the biggest loser is some stupid television show or the Washington Generals or maybe even the Texans.
Yes, those Texans.
We're talking a team that never had a winning season. Granted, we have only a five-year sample with which to work, but the Texans' all-time winning percentage of .300 is the worst of all the major sports franchises.
If you are a Texans fan, your agonizing moments outnumber the celebratory ones by a significant margin. You thrill at a 19-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in your team's inaugural game wisely, considering that marked the only week in which the franchise's overall record was above .500, but how does that September win compare to the Cowboys' NFL-record 32 postseason wins?
When it comes to negative perception around the country, no NFL team — save for possibly the Arizona Cardinals — has as poor an on-the-field reputation as the Texans.
Local football fans share stories about the embarrassment they feel in saying they're from Houston. Texans fans have formed support groups to deal with those feelings.
Oilers fans often felt the same way, but even the team Bud Adams took to the Volunteer State 10 years ago has a better reputation.
If the NFL Network would stop showing it several times a week, only people in Buffalo and Houston would remember the day the Oilers went bust in Rich Stadium. Amobi Okoye was a toddler when that happened.
Many NFL fans remember the Oilers for Luv Ya Blue, hard-running Earl Campbell, classy Warren Moon, down-home Bum Phillips, the quirky run-and-shoot and maybe silly Jerry Glanville in black on the sidelines.
But the top five (and perhaps only) national memories of the Texans are of David Carr getting sacked, not picking Vince Young or Reggie Bush (aka Vinggie) in the 2006 NFL draft, losing, David Carr getting sacked and not picking Vinggie in the 2006 NFL draft.
It might be difficult to imagine, what with all the high hopes entering this season, but your Texans are a few more losing seasons and perhaps a couple of more perceived blunders from being the NFL model of the biggest losers.
That's the team that when asked to describe, fans say: "Oh, they just stink — always have and always will."
Since the NFL-AFL merger, the Saints held that spot for some time before Tampa Bay wrestled it away for a bit. The Cardinals, who actually won a couple of NFL championships in the 1940s, have taken over the bottom of the barrel of late, winning just 36 percent of their games in the 1990s and 31 percent of their games since the turn of the century.
But the Texans are slowly gaining on 'em with their less-than-inspiring 30 percent winning clip.
The Cardinals have lost more games than any other NFL team (659), but the Arizona version stems from one of the original NFL franchises. Its winning percentage (.412) is higher than that of Atlanta (.409), New Orleans (.409) and Tampa Bay (.387).
Yes, expansion franchises get a pass for start-up futility, but the Texans' first five seasons were worse than all expansion teams since the merger. The only comparable NFL expansion franchise is the Saints, who were 18-48-2 in their first five seasons (1967-71).
It is somewhat surprising that the Texans are even in the conversation as the worst of the worst.
Their owner is considered a class act. Their organization is respected and applauded. Their facility is among the best in the league. Their fans were rabid and loyal before the team even had a nickname.
But they're all losers — maybe not the biggest, but losers just the same.
Is this the year said losers become winners for the first time?
No...Texans rank right up there with NFL's biggest losers
By JEROME SOLOMON
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
So, the Philadelphia Phillies are the biggest losers in sports.
Apparently all it takes is 10,000 losses, a total they reached Sunday, to earn that distinction. Well, let's not downplay the dubious accomplishment — it took them 125 years of mostly horrid play to get to that number of defeats, but can you be the biggest loser if you own a championship? Or have winning seasons to your credit?
Some would argue that the biggest loser is some stupid television show or the Washington Generals or maybe even the Texans.
Yes, those Texans.
We're talking a team that never had a winning season. Granted, we have only a five-year sample with which to work, but the Texans' all-time winning percentage of .300 is the worst of all the major sports franchises.
If you are a Texans fan, your agonizing moments outnumber the celebratory ones by a significant margin. You thrill at a 19-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in your team's inaugural game wisely, considering that marked the only week in which the franchise's overall record was above .500, but how does that September win compare to the Cowboys' NFL-record 32 postseason wins?
When it comes to negative perception around the country, no NFL team — save for possibly the Arizona Cardinals — has as poor an on-the-field reputation as the Texans.
Local football fans share stories about the embarrassment they feel in saying they're from Houston. Texans fans have formed support groups to deal with those feelings.
Oilers fans often felt the same way, but even the team Bud Adams took to the Volunteer State 10 years ago has a better reputation.
If the NFL Network would stop showing it several times a week, only people in Buffalo and Houston would remember the day the Oilers went bust in Rich Stadium. Amobi Okoye was a toddler when that happened.
Many NFL fans remember the Oilers for Luv Ya Blue, hard-running Earl Campbell, classy Warren Moon, down-home Bum Phillips, the quirky run-and-shoot and maybe silly Jerry Glanville in black on the sidelines.
But the top five (and perhaps only) national memories of the Texans are of David Carr getting sacked, not picking Vince Young or Reggie Bush (aka Vinggie) in the 2006 NFL draft, losing, David Carr getting sacked and not picking Vinggie in the 2006 NFL draft.
It might be difficult to imagine, what with all the high hopes entering this season, but your Texans are a few more losing seasons and perhaps a couple of more perceived blunders from being the NFL model of the biggest losers.
That's the team that when asked to describe, fans say: "Oh, they just stink — always have and always will."
Since the NFL-AFL merger, the Saints held that spot for some time before Tampa Bay wrestled it away for a bit. The Cardinals, who actually won a couple of NFL championships in the 1940s, have taken over the bottom of the barrel of late, winning just 36 percent of their games in the 1990s and 31 percent of their games since the turn of the century.
But the Texans are slowly gaining on 'em with their less-than-inspiring 30 percent winning clip.
The Cardinals have lost more games than any other NFL team (659), but the Arizona version stems from one of the original NFL franchises. Its winning percentage (.412) is higher than that of Atlanta (.409), New Orleans (.409) and Tampa Bay (.387).
Yes, expansion franchises get a pass for start-up futility, but the Texans' first five seasons were worse than all expansion teams since the merger. The only comparable NFL expansion franchise is the Saints, who were 18-48-2 in their first five seasons (1967-71).
It is somewhat surprising that the Texans are even in the conversation as the worst of the worst.
Their owner is considered a class act. Their organization is respected and applauded. Their facility is among the best in the league. Their fans were rabid and loyal before the team even had a nickname.
But they're all losers — maybe not the biggest, but losers just the same.
Is this the year said losers become winners for the first time?
:laugh2: 
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