The Poll Scott Refuses to Allow
In light of Phillip "Showtime" Buchanon's release on Monday afternoon, I suggested to Scott that we create a new poll asking our readers which of Charley Casserly's tragic personnel moves was the most heinous. Not surprisingly, Scott refused to do it. I couldn't make out his explanation between the blubbering and wheezing about how I'm always so mean to his Uncle Charley, but I feel it's my duty to see where the people of Houston stand on this critical issue. Thus, a new poll on H-Town Sports:
Which of these disastrous, putrid, abominable acquisitions by Charley Casserly is the most inexcusable and indicative of the Texans' plight?
A. The selection of Tony Boselli (never played a game for the Texans) with the first pick in the expansion draft.
B. The selection of Jabar Gaffney (not re-signed by the Texans and out of the league this season until recently being signed by the WR-challenged New England Patriots) with the first pick of the second round in the 2002 NFL Draft.
C. The selection of Charles Hill (zuh?) in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft.
D. The selection of Bennie Joppru (repeatedly injured, finally waived, and recently signed to Chicago Bears' practice squad) with the team's only second round pick in 2003.
E. The trade of the Texans' second, third, and fourth round draft picks to the Oilers in the 2004 NFL Draft for the right to acquire Jason Babin with the 27th pick of the first round.
F. The April 2005 trade of a second round pick and a third round pick to Oakland for Phillip Buchanon (released halfway through his second season with the Texans).
Although "E" makes me cringe every time I think about it and causes me to flash back to screaming at the television in April 2004, I think the acquisition of petulant malcontent and tackling-averse Phillip Buchanon has to take the cake as Casserly's all-time worst move while stealing money as General Manager of the Houston Texans. Given the plethora of plagues he visited upon this town, that's really saying something. Feel free to post a comment with your vote for the most harmful of Casserly's "wizardry" during his Reign of Terror.
Which of these disastrous, putrid, abominable acquisitions by Charley Casserly is the most inexcusable and indicative of the Texans' plight?
A. The selection of Tony Boselli (never played a game for the Texans) with the first pick in the expansion draft.
B. The selection of Jabar Gaffney (not re-signed by the Texans and out of the league this season until recently being signed by the WR-challenged New England Patriots) with the first pick of the second round in the 2002 NFL Draft.
C. The selection of Charles Hill (zuh?) in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft.
D. The selection of Bennie Joppru (repeatedly injured, finally waived, and recently signed to Chicago Bears' practice squad) with the team's only second round pick in 2003.
E. The trade of the Texans' second, third, and fourth round draft picks to the Oilers in the 2004 NFL Draft for the right to acquire Jason Babin with the 27th pick of the first round.
F. The April 2005 trade of a second round pick and a third round pick to Oakland for Phillip Buchanon (released halfway through his second season with the Texans).
Although "E" makes me cringe every time I think about it and causes me to flash back to screaming at the television in April 2004, I think the acquisition of petulant malcontent and tackling-averse Phillip Buchanon has to take the cake as Casserly's all-time worst move while stealing money as General Manager of the Houston Texans. Given the plethora of plagues he visited upon this town, that's really saying something. Feel free to post a comment with your vote for the most harmful of Casserly's "wizardry" during his Reign of Terror.
posted by Anonymous | 1:50 PM
5 Comments:
Congratulations on the scoop. You, Dick Justice and The General are certainly free to assign every last iota of blame for the Texans' current demise as you see fit. Personally, I think it is a horse deader than Man O' War, and it proves nothing. As I mentioned to you yesterday, I recall no one criticizing the Buchanon trade at the time of its consummation, so why point fingers about it now?
I am in the business of solving problems and planning for the future, not performing a molecular examination of every failed sports team in town. You and Dickie J have fun now - the winner of your bitching contest gets a $25 gift certificate to Urban Retreat.
A little defensive about your idol's pathetic record being published, aren't we? I can't help but notice you didn't vote. I assume that's because you can't read the choices from tear-stained, squinting eyes.
A is ludicrous. Tony Boselli was a Hall of Fame offensive tackle who came with Seth Payne and Gary Walker attached. Would you have preferred an all-rookie defensive line?
Jabar Gaffney and Charles Hill were both bad picks. I'd argue Dave Ragone may have been even worse. If you care to peruse the draft histories of every NFL team, even the perenial playoff teams, there are busted picks all over the place. Big deal.
Bennie Joppru suffered three consecutive season-ending injuries. I guess we should criticize the Celtics for drafting Len Bias, too.
The Babin trade has always had the earmarks of a Dom Capers move, to me, and the Buchanon trade was lauded at the time. Both failed miserably. But let's pretend for a moment that Buchanon was a good enough cover corner to validate the trade and Babin was a good defensive end to validate his trade. How much better would the Texans be today? One win a year? The players who have stuck around stink too, and the coaching regime prior to this one are now lepers in the NFL coaching community.
The success or failure of multi-national corporations, towns, sports franchises and even countries is rarely dependent upon the acts on a single individiual or even two. It takes a systemic failure or fraudulent conspiracy to spiral a project as massive as an NFL franchise (or a natural gas trading company) to its current depths. I realize it's more scintillating to demonize a single person, but it's not accurate. What about the scouts? The coaching staff? The training staff? When a team is such a cataclysmic failure as the Texans currently are, the blame gun should be a large-gauge shotgun, not a pinpoint rifle.
There is only one step left for you and your boy Dickie to take in this neverending Blame Game - I can't wait to see you and Dickie standing on the Hazard Street overpass across the Southwest Freeway banging your tom-toms and hanging a Casserly doll in effigy.
I find it both amusing and tragic that your preternatural lust for all things Casserly blinds you from assigning even an ounce of blame to him. You could successfully rationalize his involvement in Armageddon, much less his role as chief culprit in the downfall of the Houston Texans. For shame, Scott. For shame.
E by a long shot for me
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