I still don't beleive the press here in Houston fully understand how huge a mistake the Texans made in not taking Vince. the next several years should be fun to watch.
Wow, what a post! I agree with just about everything written, especially with those saying that Vince is the reason that they have any interest in the NFL. I was never a big Oiler fan even though I grew up in the Houston area (sidebar: I acted like an Oiler fan at Texas during the late 80's and early 90's simply because the Cowboy fans were so damned obnoxious. It also didn't hurt that they had a good team during that time.) but when Bob Mcnair got the Texan franchise I was going to be on board. It never really happened, and when they chose to not draft Vince that was all it took for me to become a Titan fan.
Thanks for the outstanding post, SLX. You have always been one of our best on these boards. It is great to see another fine offering.
As usual, your post articulated many of my thoughts, particularly:
* Despite his outrageous physical gifts, Vince's greatest attributes are the intangibles: competetive spirit, willingness to do whatever it takes, charisma in the locker room. The "Vince vibe" makes everyone around him better.
* This was going to happen for Vince in the NFL. The only surprise is how soon.
* After a decade of utter apathy, I too am once again interested in the NFL because of you-know-who. It is a pleasure watching "the man do what he does" as Justin Blalock aptly described after the Rose Bowl.
* I count myself privileged to have been a Texas fan and have a player like Vince come to Austin. He will continue to make us proud for the rest of his life.
* Vince's legacy will continue in Austin for years to come in ways over and above recruiting. As an example, I think Colt McCoy reaped benefit this season from the previous year of watching and working with Vince, particularly in his summer work which reportedly put him past Jevan Snead in their competition for the QB job. He lacks many of VY's physical gifts but his poise, resourcefulness and resiliency are reminiscent of his predecessor. Certainly Colt brought some of those qualities with him. His time wih Vince had to help in bringing them out way sooner than most other players.
That resiliency seemed to spread to the whole team. Despite the losses at the end of the season, I will remember this year's team for those qualities. Despite crippling injuries and questionable schemes on both sides of the ball, they found ways to win in Lincoln, Lubbock and again yesterday in San Antonio in what easily could have been deflating losses.
Before Vince, Texas tended to fold a bit when things went wrong. That is no longer true and I give a lot of the credit for changing the team's culture in that way to Vince. That is the quality that I hope to see endure.
I keep imagining VY developing into a (much) bigger, (much) faster Joe Montana. I say that because I think Montana (the best QB I've ever seen) had a lot of traits similar to those that make Vince special-
Always calm under pressure
The game is never too fast for him
Makes great decisions during a play
I believe that sometimes they overthink things in the NFL. Montana was an All-American, MNC-winning QB from NOTRE DAME (!) and every team in the NFL passed on him twice, and most passed three times. I think the Texans used similar logic in passing on VY.
Today's outcome wasn't good for the Titans, and I wasn't able to see the games. I gather, though, that the Titans put their season in Vince's hands, and the Texans tried to keep their game out of 5th year vet Carr's hands. Ironic, huh?
You have to take your hat off to Boob McNair for bringing football back to Houston.....(don't get me started on that construction package)..they were over budget after a month...no problem, pawn it on the taxpayers.
Make no mistake about it...it was the owner that was the leader of the anti-VY card. He's in love with David Carr, loves his Christianity.
Kubiack has basically won the past 2 games by taking the ball away from Carr...Carr passed for less than 100 yards today against Cleveland.
It will be interesting to see Kubiack tell McNair that Carr sucks cock and see McNairs response