I am sitting in Pappasitos across from the Toyota Center excitedly waiting for the doors to open for the Rockets preseason home opener. Tomorrow and Saturday, I will be at Minute Maid to watch the Astros begin their march for a two-peat. Sunday, I will be at NRG for the Texans clash with the Cowboys. An exciting long weekend of Houston sports as Houston sports as any weekend in history.
My only concerns are for the expected ugliness in the tailgates in the parking lots for the Texans/Cowboys. The most disgusting thing I have ever witnessed at a Houston sporting event was the parking lot of then Reliant after a Texans/Redskins game. A group of bullies has surrounded a young couple in Redskins gear in the blue lot and were taunting them. The woman, in her late teens or early twenties, was in tears. The young man was surrounded on all sides by men shouting in his face. People walked by. I stopped. Intervened. My action snowballed. The girl thanked all of us who helped. They went on unmolested. The bullies shrank back to the cowardice they climbed out of. It was disgusting.
Last night, the Yankees pummeled the Athletics but a single bad act memorialized on video cost the City its dignity. I know. Yawn. Eye roll. Hyperbole. A fan threw a beer on another fan. Who cares? I do. All genuine fans of professional sports should. The rivalry is supposed to be fun. We should be joyous in victory. Chagrined in defeat. But a playoff win should never engender animosity to the opposing team’s fans. What a clown. What a punk. His parents obviously did a piss poor job raising him to be a piss poor man.
Let’s all start to champion the return of etiquette and the spirit of friendly competition in America. Let’s push back at this ugly cloud encroaching upon our national pastimes. Let’s play ball. Jump ball. Kick off. Into a new era of getting back to enjoying rivalries, celebrating wins and commiserating in defeat. Most importantly: Let’s go Astros.