By virtue of their 31-27 victory over SMU earlier today, the Rice Owls are assured of their first trip to a bowl game since 1961.
My hat is off to Rice coach Todd Graham and his team.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Cougars end regular season with 9-3 record
They won. They're 9-3. They're Western Division champions. That's all that matters.
Yes, it was ugly. Memphis is one of the worst teams in all of Division I-A, and the Coogs did everything they could do to give the game away to the Tigers. The "Unholy Trinity" of penalties, turnovers and poor special teams play that has plagued the Cougars all season long was present once again. The Cougars fumbled twice, and Memphis blocked a UH field goal attempt with 2:07 to play and ran it back 80 yards for a touchdown that sent the game into overtime. The Cougars also racked up thirteen penalties for 105 yards. The offensive line's performance wasn't too great as well; Memphis focused on blitzing Kolb and sacked him an astounding seven times.
However, the Cougars managed to hold off Memphis in overtime. The Tigers missed a 40-yard field goal on their possession, and kicker Ben Bell hit his 17-yarder on the Coogs' possession to give Houston the hard-fought win on the road. An ugly victory is always better than a pretty loss.
It is disappointing that the Cougars played such a sloppy and unfocused game against such an inferior opponent. Did the players and coaches not learn anything from their disastrous experience against Louisiana-Lafayette earlier in the season? To be fair to the Coogs, however,, it should also be noted that they were battered, bruised and exhausted. While most other Division I-A schools have had a bye week or two to rest over the course of the season, the Coogs have played twelve games in twelve weeks.
With the win, the Coogs notched their fifth consecutive victory, secured their most successful season since 1990's 10-1 campaign and locked up home field advantage for the Conference USA Championship game, which will be played on the evening of December 1st against either Southern Miss or East Carolina. Should the Cougars win that game, they will return to Memphis to represent the conference in the Liberty Bowl on December 29th.
Last August, I predicted that the Cougars would win eight games over the course of the regular season. I wasn't too far off; in fact, I'm glad that they were a game better than I predicted them to be:
The Coogs did defeat Rice, Tulane, Grambling and SMU. They beat Memphis, but lost to USM. They exceeded my expectations in many ways: the Coogs swept their home slate of UTEP, Tulsa and UCF (although, to be fair, UCF and UTEP turned out to be a lot weaker than I expected), they almost pulled off the upset against Miami in the Orange Bowl, and they defeated Big XII opponent Oklahoma State at Robertson Stadium. But the Coogs also, inexplicably and unforgivably, lost at home to a rather weak Louisiana-Lafayette team. Had the Cougars taken care of business against the Cajuns, they'd be 10-2 and likely ranked in the top 25 right now. With a good showing in the conference championship game and their bowl game, the Coogs could still manage to end the season in the top 25, but oh, what could have been!
With the regular season complete, the Coogs now have almost two whole weeks to rest up and get healthy before they host the Conference Championship. Early reports are that ticket sales for this game are brisk, which is encouraging: a big crowd would look good for ESPN's TV cameras; Houston's inability to sell out the conference championship game would not.
Yes, it was ugly. Memphis is one of the worst teams in all of Division I-A, and the Coogs did everything they could do to give the game away to the Tigers. The "Unholy Trinity" of penalties, turnovers and poor special teams play that has plagued the Cougars all season long was present once again. The Cougars fumbled twice, and Memphis blocked a UH field goal attempt with 2:07 to play and ran it back 80 yards for a touchdown that sent the game into overtime. The Cougars also racked up thirteen penalties for 105 yards. The offensive line's performance wasn't too great as well; Memphis focused on blitzing Kolb and sacked him an astounding seven times.
However, the Cougars managed to hold off Memphis in overtime. The Tigers missed a 40-yard field goal on their possession, and kicker Ben Bell hit his 17-yarder on the Coogs' possession to give Houston the hard-fought win on the road. An ugly victory is always better than a pretty loss.
It is disappointing that the Cougars played such a sloppy and unfocused game against such an inferior opponent. Did the players and coaches not learn anything from their disastrous experience against Louisiana-Lafayette earlier in the season? To be fair to the Coogs, however,, it should also be noted that they were battered, bruised and exhausted. While most other Division I-A schools have had a bye week or two to rest over the course of the season, the Coogs have played twelve games in twelve weeks.
With the win, the Coogs notched their fifth consecutive victory, secured their most successful season since 1990's 10-1 campaign and locked up home field advantage for the Conference USA Championship game, which will be played on the evening of December 1st against either Southern Miss or East Carolina. Should the Cougars win that game, they will return to Memphis to represent the conference in the Liberty Bowl on December 29th.
Last August, I predicted that the Cougars would win eight games over the course of the regular season. I wasn't too far off; in fact, I'm glad that they were a game better than I predicted them to be:
I believe they will defeat Rice, Tulane, Grambling, ULL and take two of UTEP, UCF and Tulsa at home. They'll exact revenge against SMU in Dallas, and win one of their road games against USM and Memphis. A win over Oklahoma State is also a possibility, but after the Fort Worth Bowl debacle against Kansas I'm not confident enough to predict a Cougar victory over even a struggling Big XII school. And Miami, well, I'd be happy to see the Coogs cover the spread.
The Coogs did defeat Rice, Tulane, Grambling and SMU. They beat Memphis, but lost to USM. They exceeded my expectations in many ways: the Coogs swept their home slate of UTEP, Tulsa and UCF (although, to be fair, UCF and UTEP turned out to be a lot weaker than I expected), they almost pulled off the upset against Miami in the Orange Bowl, and they defeated Big XII opponent Oklahoma State at Robertson Stadium. But the Coogs also, inexplicably and unforgivably, lost at home to a rather weak Louisiana-Lafayette team. Had the Cougars taken care of business against the Cajuns, they'd be 10-2 and likely ranked in the top 25 right now. With a good showing in the conference championship game and their bowl game, the Coogs could still manage to end the season in the top 25, but oh, what could have been!
With the regular season complete, the Coogs now have almost two whole weeks to rest up and get healthy before they host the Conference Championship. Early reports are that ticket sales for this game are brisk, which is encouraging: a big crowd would look good for ESPN's TV cameras; Houston's inability to sell out the conference championship game would not.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Great...
Last weekend, an acquaintance of Lori's, her husband, and their two small children came to stay with us. Their oldest child is Kirby's age, about two years and three months.
Their child introduced Kirby to the concept of squealing and screaming for no reason. Kirby has picked up on this concept rather enthusiastically.
Ah, yes, the terrible twos...
Their child introduced Kirby to the concept of squealing and screaming for no reason. Kirby has picked up on this concept rather enthusiastically.
Ah, yes, the terrible twos...
Mattress Mac lashes out at UNT administration
I've been periodically providing updates about my other favorite college football team, the University of North Texas. The Mean Green Eagles are not having such a good time right now; the team has a 3-7 record and is headed towards their second consecutive losing season. Last week, the UNT administration decided that it was time for a change at the helm and fired head coach Darrell Dickey. Dickey will coach out the remainder of the season. Dickey was UNT's head coach for nine years; the Mean Green's record over those nine seasons is 42-62.
News of the firing did not sit well with Houston furniture mogul Jim "Mattress Mac" McIngvale. McIngvale, an alumnus of the University of North Texas and a personal friend of Dickey, even took out a full-page ad (click here to see it in .pdf form) in the Denton Record-Chronicle to protest the firing. In the ad, which is an open letter to the UNT administration, McIngvale asks that UNT's football practice field, which was named after him when he donated one million dollars to the school for construction of a new athletics facility a few years ago, be re-named after Darrell Dickey instead. If not, McIngvale demands that his donation be transferred to the school's famous One O'Clock Lab Band.
In his ad, McIngvale argues that Dickey should not have been fired because he led the Mean Green to four consecutive appearances in the New Orleans Bowl, which he claims is a "a feat which is nearly unparalleled in college football." (One wonders what Mattress Mac would say, then, about Michigan's record of 31 [and counting] bowl appearances, all of which in games much more prestigious than the New Orleans Bowl.) McIngvale lauds Dickey's leadership of the team following the tragic death of quarterback Andrew Smith two years ago as well as his loyalty and support for the University of North Texas, and declares that "UNT will not find a better coach for the price they were paying, period." He continues:
You would think that McIngvale, as a businessman, would understand this "produce-or-get-fired" concept; Dickey stopped producing and now he's out of a job. However, Mattress Mac instead blames the program's recent downturn on the untimely loss of Andrew Smith. This is a peculiar scapegoat. Smith's car crash occurred right before the start of the 2004 season, in which the Mean Green had a winning season and made their fourth bowl appearance. That would suggest that the team regrouped from the emotional devastation of losing a fellow player to have a reasonably successful year. Why would the emotional trauma of this loss not manifest itself until the 2005 season?
Even more peculiar is McIngvale's demand that his one million dollar donation to the athletics program be transferred to the One O'Clock Lab Band if the practice field is not re-named in Dickey's honor. This donation was made in the summer of 2004 and was intended for construction of a new athletics center; this facility is now complete so it can be assumed that McIngvale's donation has been spent. It would be difficult for North Texas to transfer one million dollars from the athletics department to the music department if said money no longer exists. Furthermore, McIngvale's demands regarding the use of his two-year-old donation imply that such gifts somehow have "strings" permanently attached to them. While it is logical to assume that big-dollar boosters (such as McIngvale) expect influence and access in return for their generousity, there's something about his demands that go against the basic premise of charitable giving: his money was a gift to UNT. Once you give something away, it's not yours anymore.
One point McIngvale raises that is legitimate is the relatively low funding level for UNT football. Mattress Mac correctly argues that head coaches at UNT make less than assistant coaches as powerhouse schools and notes:
While UNT's decision to fire Darrell Dickey can be debated, Mattress Mac's decision to place a full-page ad in the local newspaper, publicly denouncing the UNT administration and placing conditions upon his donation to the school, is disappointing. It reveals a sense of narcissistic arrogance and entitlement on his part. "Look at me," McIngvale screams. "I'm a big donor with influence, and if the UNT makes a decision I don't agree with I'll throw a temper tantrum!" It also indicates that McIngvale is more concerned about Darrell Dickey as a person than he is about UNT football as a program.
This afternoon, UNT officials announced that they would honor McIngvale's demand.
News of the firing did not sit well with Houston furniture mogul Jim "Mattress Mac" McIngvale. McIngvale, an alumnus of the University of North Texas and a personal friend of Dickey, even took out a full-page ad (click here to see it in .pdf form) in the Denton Record-Chronicle to protest the firing. In the ad, which is an open letter to the UNT administration, McIngvale asks that UNT's football practice field, which was named after him when he donated one million dollars to the school for construction of a new athletics facility a few years ago, be re-named after Darrell Dickey instead. If not, McIngvale demands that his donation be transferred to the school's famous One O'Clock Lab Band.
In his ad, McIngvale argues that Dickey should not have been fired because he led the Mean Green to four consecutive appearances in the New Orleans Bowl, which he claims is a "a feat which is nearly unparalleled in college football." (One wonders what Mattress Mac would say, then, about Michigan's record of 31 [and counting] bowl appearances, all of which in games much more prestigious than the New Orleans Bowl.) McIngvale lauds Dickey's leadership of the team following the tragic death of quarterback Andrew Smith two years ago as well as his loyalty and support for the University of North Texas, and declares that "UNT will not find a better coach for the price they were paying, period." He continues:
I teach my children that you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear — Darrell often did — four bowl games on a pauper’s, not a prince’s budget. He should be recognized as such and should have been given a fair chance to turn around the team he loves so much.Whether Dickey should have been fired, now, only two years removed from his last bowl appearance, is certainly a subject of legitimate debate. However, McIngvale's implication that Dickey's four consecutive bowl appearances constitute some sort of amazing feat, given UNT's meager resources, is slightly overblown. While the Mean Green did indeed win the Sun Belt Conference and go to the New Orleans Bowl four years in a row from the 2001 season through the 2004 season, it also needs to be pointed out that:
- the Sun Belt is by far the weakest conference in Division I-A;
- in spite of the fact that they dominated the Sun Belt, UNT's out-of-conference record during those four seasons was an abysmal 3-18 (with one of the three wins coming against a I-AA school);
- these out-of-conference losses were not all "body bag" games for big paychecks against powerhouses like Texas, Oklahoma or Arkansas (as McIngvale suggests); UNT lost a considerable number of out-of-conference games to "lesser" programs such as Florida Atlantic (before they joined the Sun Belt), Baylor, Air Force and South Florida as well; and
- the Eagles lost the New Orleans Bowl in three out if its four appearances there (Lori and I were at the Superdome for UNT's lone victory in 2002 against Cincinnati).
You would think that McIngvale, as a businessman, would understand this "produce-or-get-fired" concept; Dickey stopped producing and now he's out of a job. However, Mattress Mac instead blames the program's recent downturn on the untimely loss of Andrew Smith. This is a peculiar scapegoat. Smith's car crash occurred right before the start of the 2004 season, in which the Mean Green had a winning season and made their fourth bowl appearance. That would suggest that the team regrouped from the emotional devastation of losing a fellow player to have a reasonably successful year. Why would the emotional trauma of this loss not manifest itself until the 2005 season?
Even more peculiar is McIngvale's demand that his one million dollar donation to the athletics program be transferred to the One O'Clock Lab Band if the practice field is not re-named in Dickey's honor. This donation was made in the summer of 2004 and was intended for construction of a new athletics center; this facility is now complete so it can be assumed that McIngvale's donation has been spent. It would be difficult for North Texas to transfer one million dollars from the athletics department to the music department if said money no longer exists. Furthermore, McIngvale's demands regarding the use of his two-year-old donation imply that such gifts somehow have "strings" permanently attached to them. While it is logical to assume that big-dollar boosters (such as McIngvale) expect influence and access in return for their generousity, there's something about his demands that go against the basic premise of charitable giving: his money was a gift to UNT. Once you give something away, it's not yours anymore.
One point McIngvale raises that is legitimate is the relatively low funding level for UNT football. Mattress Mac correctly argues that head coaches at UNT make less than assistant coaches as powerhouse schools and notes:
Interestingly enough, USA Today just released a comparison of compensation packages for all but a handful of Division I-A's 119 head coaches. Dickey's total compensation package (salary plus incentives) of $266,625 falls towards the bottom of the list, a far cry from the $3,450,000 package received by Bob Stoops or the $2,840,000 earned by Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz. Perhaps, as Mattress Mac suggests, the Eagles would see better on-field performance if they were able to afford a more talented and experience coaching staff than the one they currently possess. Of course, for a program that plays in the low-profile Sun Belt and only averaged 16.4 thousand fans per game in 2005, finding the money to raise the football program's budget will be something of a task.Albert Einstein’s definition of Insanity: Keep on doing what you’ve always done and expect different results. If the football budget isn’t raised considerably – the results will never get better.
While UNT's decision to fire Darrell Dickey can be debated, Mattress Mac's decision to place a full-page ad in the local newspaper, publicly denouncing the UNT administration and placing conditions upon his donation to the school, is disappointing. It reveals a sense of narcissistic arrogance and entitlement on his part. "Look at me," McIngvale screams. "I'm a big donor with influence, and if the UNT makes a decision I don't agree with I'll throw a temper tantrum!" It also indicates that McIngvale is more concerned about Darrell Dickey as a person than he is about UNT football as a program.
This afternoon, UNT officials announced that they would honor McIngvale's demand.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Coogs clinch C-USA West title
Since I was up in Dallas for business late last week (where I am again for the first half of this week as well), I decided to stay through Saturday to catch the University of Houston's game against the SMU Mustangs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the SMU campus.
Things weren't going well for the Coogs in the first half. They jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead, but then the Unholy Trinity of University of Houston football - penalties, turnovers and lousy special teams play - began to manifest itself. The Coogs fumbled deep inside SMU territory on a botched handoff, which led to a Mustang score. Later, the Coogs jumped offsides while SMU was attempting a field goal, which gave the Ponies a first down that they later converted into a touchdown (to add insult to injury, the field goal SMU attempted sailed wide). Then the Cougars had a punt blocked well inside SMU territory. The Mustangs capitalized on these miscues as well as a confused UH defense and rattled off 24 unanswered points to make the score 24-14 at halftime. Things weren't looking good for the Cougars.
But then the Coogs did what they have done in the second half of so many games this season: they stepped up and started playing smart. Anthony Aldridge ran off a 77-yard touchdown run - his second of the day - and Jackie Battle added a 61-yard scoring scamper of his own to put the Cougars on top. Kevin Kolb did not have a great day, amassing only 147 passing yards and a touchdown, but his perfect strike to Donnie Avery to convert a third-and-19 from the shadow of the Coogs' own goal line midway through the fourth quarter was a back-breaker for the SMU defense. Houston's defense did their job as well, holding the Ponies to a single field goal in the second half and recovering a fumble that sealed the deal. The Cougars won, 37-27, and notched their eighth win of the season.
Even better: Rice's double-overtime win over Tulsa a few minutes later secured the Western Division championship for the Cougars. If the Coogs can take care of Memphis next Saturday, they will host the Conference USA Championship at Robertson Stadium the evening of Friday December 1st. The winner of that game will represent the conference in the Liberty Bowl December 29th.
Another Dallas-area team, the University of North Texas Mean Green, notched their third win of a disappointing season with a 16-7 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette. This is the Cajuns' third loss in a row. How did the Coogs manage to lose to these guys?! Unfortunately, the Mean Green's victory was too little and too late for coach Darrell Dickey, who was fired by UNT athletics director Rick Villareal last week. Dickey will continue on as head coach for the final two games of the 2006 season.
This was my first visit to Ford Stadium. I really liked it. SMU has a very beautiful campus. I was especially impressed by their tradition of tailgating along the tree-lined "Boulevard" that stretches through the heart of campus. All in all, it was a good afternoon on Mockingbird Lane.
Not to be outdone, the Cougar mens basketball team opened their season with an 102-99 victory at Rhode Island this evening. Right now, things are rolling for University of Houston athletics.
Things weren't going well for the Coogs in the first half. They jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead, but then the Unholy Trinity of University of Houston football - penalties, turnovers and lousy special teams play - began to manifest itself. The Coogs fumbled deep inside SMU territory on a botched handoff, which led to a Mustang score. Later, the Coogs jumped offsides while SMU was attempting a field goal, which gave the Ponies a first down that they later converted into a touchdown (to add insult to injury, the field goal SMU attempted sailed wide). Then the Cougars had a punt blocked well inside SMU territory. The Mustangs capitalized on these miscues as well as a confused UH defense and rattled off 24 unanswered points to make the score 24-14 at halftime. Things weren't looking good for the Cougars.
But then the Coogs did what they have done in the second half of so many games this season: they stepped up and started playing smart. Anthony Aldridge ran off a 77-yard touchdown run - his second of the day - and Jackie Battle added a 61-yard scoring scamper of his own to put the Cougars on top. Kevin Kolb did not have a great day, amassing only 147 passing yards and a touchdown, but his perfect strike to Donnie Avery to convert a third-and-19 from the shadow of the Coogs' own goal line midway through the fourth quarter was a back-breaker for the SMU defense. Houston's defense did their job as well, holding the Ponies to a single field goal in the second half and recovering a fumble that sealed the deal. The Cougars won, 37-27, and notched their eighth win of the season.
Even better: Rice's double-overtime win over Tulsa a few minutes later secured the Western Division championship for the Cougars. If the Coogs can take care of Memphis next Saturday, they will host the Conference USA Championship at Robertson Stadium the evening of Friday December 1st. The winner of that game will represent the conference in the Liberty Bowl December 29th.
Another Dallas-area team, the University of North Texas Mean Green, notched their third win of a disappointing season with a 16-7 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette. This is the Cajuns' third loss in a row. How did the Coogs manage to lose to these guys?! Unfortunately, the Mean Green's victory was too little and too late for coach Darrell Dickey, who was fired by UNT athletics director Rick Villareal last week. Dickey will continue on as head coach for the final two games of the 2006 season.
This was my first visit to Ford Stadium. I really liked it. SMU has a very beautiful campus. I was especially impressed by their tradition of tailgating along the tree-lined "Boulevard" that stretches through the heart of campus. All in all, it was a good afternoon on Mockingbird Lane.
Not to be outdone, the Cougar mens basketball team opened their season with an 102-99 victory at Rhode Island this evening. Right now, things are rolling for University of Houston athletics.
Congratulations Dynamo
Okay, so I've already expressed how I feel about the overwhelmingly defensive nature of soccer, which makes 0-0 or 1-1 ties commonplace, and the fact that these ties have to be broken by the peculiar mechanism of the penalty kick, a tiebreaking procedure that is unique to soccer. Yesterday's MLS Cup was yet another example of what I think is wrong with soccer and why soccer will never be anything more than a niche sport in the United States.
Nevertheless, it's fun to have a local team that actually wins championships, for a change. Thanks and congratulations are in order for the Houston Dynamo.
Nevertheless, it's fun to have a local team that actually wins championships, for a change. Thanks and congratulations are in order for the Houston Dynamo.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Coogs defeat Tulsa, 27-10
Last Saturday's Conference USA matchup between the University of Houston Cougars and the University of Tulsa Hurricanes was supposed to be a pivotal battle to decide who would take the lead in the conference's western division. Instead, it turned out to be an easy victory for the Coogs, who all but shut down the Golden Hurricane offense (Tulsa's one touchdown was a result of an unfortunate Houston fumble inside the ten yard line) while amassing 471 yards of their own against what was supposed to be Conference USA's strongest defense.
A respectable crowd (by University of Houston standards) of 22,452 was there to see the Coogs notch their third consecutive victory and seventh of the season, equaling their best win total since 1990. For all the teeth-gnashing about Houston's attendance this season, the Coogs end their home schedule with an average of 20,494 fans per game - an improvement of over five thousand fans per game over 2005's dismal attendance average.
With the win, the Coogs control their own destiny in the Conference USA championship race; if they win the next two games on road against SMU and Memphis, the Cougars will host the conference championship game at Robertson Stadium in December. Win that, and the Coogs are on their way to the Liberty Bowl.
The Coogs are now "also receiving votes" in both the AP and Coaches' polls. Who knows where they'd be right now had they not blown that game against Louisiana-Lafayette a few weeks ago?
A respectable crowd (by University of Houston standards) of 22,452 was there to see the Coogs notch their third consecutive victory and seventh of the season, equaling their best win total since 1990. For all the teeth-gnashing about Houston's attendance this season, the Coogs end their home schedule with an average of 20,494 fans per game - an improvement of over five thousand fans per game over 2005's dismal attendance average.
With the win, the Coogs control their own destiny in the Conference USA championship race; if they win the next two games on road against SMU and Memphis, the Cougars will host the conference championship game at Robertson Stadium in December. Win that, and the Coogs are on their way to the Liberty Bowl.
The Coogs are now "also receiving votes" in both the AP and Coaches' polls. Who knows where they'd be right now had they not blown that game against Louisiana-Lafayette a few weeks ago?
Meanwhile, in Denton...
A follow-up to my screwy liquor laws post of a few months ago: Denton voters have overwhelmingly approved a local option election which extends beer and wine sales to all areas inside the city limits. Previously, beer and wine sales were limited to areas of Denton which were inside the city's 1977 municipal boundaries, when the city first approved a local option election.
Opponents argued that "making alcohol more accessible could worsen societal problems such as alcoholism and drunken driving." As if keeping the convenience store on the south side of the intersection of Teasley Lane and Ryan Road from selling beer and wine, even though the convenience store on the north side of said intersection could sell such products, would really make a difference.
Denton voters also chose to eliminate the practice of requiring local bars and restaurants to obtain a private-club permit in order to serve mixed drinks to patrons.
Opponents argued that "making alcohol more accessible could worsen societal problems such as alcoholism and drunken driving." As if keeping the convenience store on the south side of the intersection of Teasley Lane and Ryan Road from selling beer and wine, even though the convenience store on the north side of said intersection could sell such products, would really make a difference.
Denton voters also chose to eliminate the practice of requiring local bars and restaurants to obtain a private-club permit in order to serve mixed drinks to patrons.
My take on the midterm elections
I don't devote a lot of time to politics on this blog; it's really not my favorite subject to discuss and there are other political blogs out there that do a much more thorough job, on both the local and national levels, than I ever could. However, I thought I'd at least say a few things about Tuesday's election.
I am surprised by the results. I expected that the Democrats would take over the House of Representatives, given Bush's unpopularity, frustration over the war in Iraq and the so-called "six-year itch" that historically favors the opposition halfway through a president's second term. But I expected Republican redistricting efforts and the much-ballyhooed Karl Rove "ground game" to limit Democrat gains to twenty seats at the most. Instead, the Democrats have picked up 29 seats, with a handful of races left to be decided. All in all, that's a pretty emphatic mandate for change from American voters. I also thought that Democrat reconquest of the Senate was a "bridge too far," given that the Democrats had to win in "red" states such as Missouri, Tennessee, Montana and Virginia in order to make their dream of recapturing the Senate a reality. However, unless there is a major change in the outcomes of the Virginia and Montana results in the coming weeks, the Democrats have apparently pulled it off and will control both houses of Congress when the new session begins in January. The Democrats picked up all these Republican seats without losing a single seat of their own, which is a rather remarkable political feat.
In the hours since the election, I've heard the argument that the results of this election were more a vote "against" the Republicans more than they were a vote "for" the Democrats. That's certainly possible; a lot of people are going to be spinning Tuesday's results one way or another for a long time to come. The bottom line, however, is that the Bush Administration is going to spend its final two years being forced to work with (or against, as the case might be) a Congress controlled by the opposition. What results that arrangement might have remain to be seen, but the effects have already begun to manifest themselves, as evidenced by the resignation of embattled Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on Wednesday (who was replaced by Texas A&M University President Robert Gates).
Texas is still a predominantly-Republican state, and the "winds of change" felt elsewhere in the nation amounted to little more than an gentle breeze here. Rick Perry was re-elected to the governor's mansion in spite of the fact that over sixty percent of Texas voters voted against him; all of the other statewide races were won by Republicans as well. I'm not a fan of Governor Helmet-Hair by any means, but the writing was on the wall when all of Chris Bell, Carole Keeton-Strayhorn and Kinky Friedman decided to run against him and, subsequently, divide up the anti-Perry vote such that nobody could win except him.
Of the few local races that were competitive, one of them ended in delicious irony: Democrat Nick Lampson, who was forced out of the House of Representatives after his seat was essentially redistricted out from under his feet, now gets to occupy the seat formerly held by the architect of said redistricting, indicted former Representative Tom DeLay. Lampson won the 22nd Congressional District, 51.8% to 41.7%, over Houston City Councilmember Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, and for the next two years this predominantly-Republican district will be represented by a Democrat.
Having watched and listened to Sekula-Gibbs on City Council over the past several years, I can honestly say that I've never been very impressed with her. Nevertheless, the fact that she got over forty percent of the vote as a write-in candidate (she could not actually be listed as the Republican candidate on the ballot because Tom DeLay resigned from Congress after he had already won his party's primary) is impressive; she ran an effective campaign. Sekula-Gibbs, incidentally, will get to warm Lampson's seat as the 22nd Congressional District's Representative through the holiday season, winning a special election to fill what was left of DeLay's unexpired term. The results of this election represent the only Democratic pickup in the state's House representation (although there will be a runoff in the 23rd Congressional District out west). No other of the local House races were particularly competitive; I was hoping that local debate teacher Jim Henley would fare better than 38.5% of the vote against Republican John Culberson in the 7th Congressional District, but no such luck. Here in the 18th Congressional District, Democrat "Queen Sheila" Jackson-Lee easily and unsurprisingly won re-election with almost 77% of the vote.
The Democrats fared somewhat better in the state House, picking up four or five seats (which is good news for Texas's moribund state Democratic Party but unlikely to result in any major legislative changes). Two such races were heavily contested here in the Houston area. Hubert Vo easily won his rematch against Talmadge Heflin in State Rep District 149, which is another example of a Democratic victory in a suburban "red" district, and Martha Wong was knocked off by Ellen Cohen in State Rep District 134 by a decisive margin. Like Sekula-Gibbs, Wong was once a Houston City Councilmember and, like Sekula-Gibbs, I've never been particularly impressed by her, so I was personally pleased by this result. Here in State Rep District 147, my neighbor (he lives three streets away) Garnet Coleman was unopposed in his bid for re-election.
Kuff crows about Democrat progress at the national, state and local levels here. John explores the predictable sour-grapes whining from assorted right-wingers here. For ongoing political updates and analysis, I recommend Taegan Goddard's Political Wire blog.
Many political pundits are already looking forward to 2008 and wondering what Tuesday's results might portend for the upcoming race to replace Bush in the White House. Personally, I don't really care. A lot can happen in two years (if, in 2004, you'd have told me that the Democrats were going to regain control of both houses of Congress in 2006, I would have called you a liar) and, quite frankly, I've had enough politics for awhile.
On a personal note, I'm glad to have been able to help my visually-impaired brother-in-law navigate through the ponderously long electronic ballot at his precinct at Houston Community College's central campus. He repaid the favor by patiently waiting for me as I voted at my precinct at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, and then hung out with Lori and me at our house to drink a cold beer (or several) and watch the election returns. Beer and democracy: the perfect combination!
I am surprised by the results. I expected that the Democrats would take over the House of Representatives, given Bush's unpopularity, frustration over the war in Iraq and the so-called "six-year itch" that historically favors the opposition halfway through a president's second term. But I expected Republican redistricting efforts and the much-ballyhooed Karl Rove "ground game" to limit Democrat gains to twenty seats at the most. Instead, the Democrats have picked up 29 seats, with a handful of races left to be decided. All in all, that's a pretty emphatic mandate for change from American voters. I also thought that Democrat reconquest of the Senate was a "bridge too far," given that the Democrats had to win in "red" states such as Missouri, Tennessee, Montana and Virginia in order to make their dream of recapturing the Senate a reality. However, unless there is a major change in the outcomes of the Virginia and Montana results in the coming weeks, the Democrats have apparently pulled it off and will control both houses of Congress when the new session begins in January. The Democrats picked up all these Republican seats without losing a single seat of their own, which is a rather remarkable political feat.
In the hours since the election, I've heard the argument that the results of this election were more a vote "against" the Republicans more than they were a vote "for" the Democrats. That's certainly possible; a lot of people are going to be spinning Tuesday's results one way or another for a long time to come. The bottom line, however, is that the Bush Administration is going to spend its final two years being forced to work with (or against, as the case might be) a Congress controlled by the opposition. What results that arrangement might have remain to be seen, but the effects have already begun to manifest themselves, as evidenced by the resignation of embattled Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on Wednesday (who was replaced by Texas A&M University President Robert Gates).
Texas is still a predominantly-Republican state, and the "winds of change" felt elsewhere in the nation amounted to little more than an gentle breeze here. Rick Perry was re-elected to the governor's mansion in spite of the fact that over sixty percent of Texas voters voted against him; all of the other statewide races were won by Republicans as well. I'm not a fan of Governor Helmet-Hair by any means, but the writing was on the wall when all of Chris Bell, Carole Keeton-Strayhorn and Kinky Friedman decided to run against him and, subsequently, divide up the anti-Perry vote such that nobody could win except him.
Of the few local races that were competitive, one of them ended in delicious irony: Democrat Nick Lampson, who was forced out of the House of Representatives after his seat was essentially redistricted out from under his feet, now gets to occupy the seat formerly held by the architect of said redistricting, indicted former Representative Tom DeLay. Lampson won the 22nd Congressional District, 51.8% to 41.7%, over Houston City Councilmember Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, and for the next two years this predominantly-Republican district will be represented by a Democrat.
Having watched and listened to Sekula-Gibbs on City Council over the past several years, I can honestly say that I've never been very impressed with her. Nevertheless, the fact that she got over forty percent of the vote as a write-in candidate (she could not actually be listed as the Republican candidate on the ballot because Tom DeLay resigned from Congress after he had already won his party's primary) is impressive; she ran an effective campaign. Sekula-Gibbs, incidentally, will get to warm Lampson's seat as the 22nd Congressional District's Representative through the holiday season, winning a special election to fill what was left of DeLay's unexpired term. The results of this election represent the only Democratic pickup in the state's House representation (although there will be a runoff in the 23rd Congressional District out west). No other of the local House races were particularly competitive; I was hoping that local debate teacher Jim Henley would fare better than 38.5% of the vote against Republican John Culberson in the 7th Congressional District, but no such luck. Here in the 18th Congressional District, Democrat "Queen Sheila" Jackson-Lee easily and unsurprisingly won re-election with almost 77% of the vote.
The Democrats fared somewhat better in the state House, picking up four or five seats (which is good news for Texas's moribund state Democratic Party but unlikely to result in any major legislative changes). Two such races were heavily contested here in the Houston area. Hubert Vo easily won his rematch against Talmadge Heflin in State Rep District 149, which is another example of a Democratic victory in a suburban "red" district, and Martha Wong was knocked off by Ellen Cohen in State Rep District 134 by a decisive margin. Like Sekula-Gibbs, Wong was once a Houston City Councilmember and, like Sekula-Gibbs, I've never been particularly impressed by her, so I was personally pleased by this result. Here in State Rep District 147, my neighbor (he lives three streets away) Garnet Coleman was unopposed in his bid for re-election.
Kuff crows about Democrat progress at the national, state and local levels here. John explores the predictable sour-grapes whining from assorted right-wingers here. For ongoing political updates and analysis, I recommend Taegan Goddard's Political Wire blog.
Many political pundits are already looking forward to 2008 and wondering what Tuesday's results might portend for the upcoming race to replace Bush in the White House. Personally, I don't really care. A lot can happen in two years (if, in 2004, you'd have told me that the Democrats were going to regain control of both houses of Congress in 2006, I would have called you a liar) and, quite frankly, I've had enough politics for awhile.
On a personal note, I'm glad to have been able to help my visually-impaired brother-in-law navigate through the ponderously long electronic ballot at his precinct at Houston Community College's central campus. He repaid the favor by patiently waiting for me as I voted at my precinct at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, and then hung out with Lori and me at our house to drink a cold beer (or several) and watch the election returns. Beer and democracy: the perfect combination!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Say goodbye to Sadie
Our six-week stint as dog owners has come to an end. Last week, Lori and I sadly agreed that Sadie, as friendly as she was, was simply too big and too rough for Kirby and therefore had to go.
We really did want to provide a good home for a stray dog. And we did understand that it was going to be a chore, especially for a dog as big and as hyperactive as she was. I didn't mind the digging and chewing so much - that's what puppies do, after all - and I enjoyed taking her for walks (especially since I needed the exercise). But she loved Kirby just a bit too much; she would constantly jump up on him and knock him into walls and floors. Attempts to train her not to jump up on Kirby proved unsuccessful. She was also becoming increasingly aggressive with Hermes, which concerned me.
Maybe if we had more experience with dogs, or had more time to properly train her, or if she were a little smaller (she was a good 10 pounds heavier than Kirby) or older, things would have worked out differently.
So last weekend, Lori regretfully took Sadie to a place that will take good care of her until she finds a new home. Hopefully, that will happen soon. She's a good dog and would be a great pet for the right family.
We really did want to provide a good home for a stray dog. And we did understand that it was going to be a chore, especially for a dog as big and as hyperactive as she was. I didn't mind the digging and chewing so much - that's what puppies do, after all - and I enjoyed taking her for walks (especially since I needed the exercise). But she loved Kirby just a bit too much; she would constantly jump up on him and knock him into walls and floors. Attempts to train her not to jump up on Kirby proved unsuccessful. She was also becoming increasingly aggressive with Hermes, which concerned me.
Maybe if we had more experience with dogs, or had more time to properly train her, or if she were a little smaller (she was a good 10 pounds heavier than Kirby) or older, things would have worked out differently.
So last weekend, Lori regretfully took Sadie to a place that will take good care of her until she finds a new home. Hopefully, that will happen soon. She's a good dog and would be a great pet for the right family.
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