Culture of Mediocrity?

There was a column a few days ago in the Houston Chronicle that made a very compelling argument concerning the Texans and Head Coach Gary Kubiak. The crux of the opinion was based on a comparison with the early stages of Coach Kubiak’s career and that of Jeff Fisher of the now Tennessee Titans. It asked us to be patient, with Kubiak and brought up some interesting truths.

Very true facts:

           14-20 in their first 34 games (now add another loss)

           Some glaring missteps early in their career

           Some corrections since

           Now, I really like Jeff Fisher and Gary Kubiak, but is this indeed where we are headed? Is that the dream that Texans fans have had every since it was announced that Houston would have a football team again. So, let me get this straight, Houston’ goal is one Super Bowl appearance (a loss mind you) and years on mediocrity. Granted, the Titans HAVE been to the playoffs and the Super Bowl. But let’s get serious. If you have a dream for your team in the NFL, that isn’t generally it. Brian Billick would object. As would Dennis Green, Jim Mora. If I recall, and oh yes, I believe I do-Bill Parcells was criticized for not winning a playoff game after taking over a 5-11 team.

           In the NFL there are three ways to be better than that. One – have a Coach that is considered top 10 in the league like Bill Belichick, Dick Vermeil, Bill Parcells, Tony Dungy, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Walsh, etc. Two - have a quarterback that is in the top 5 in the league – Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner, Steve Young, Troy Aikman, Joe Montana, etc. Three - have a top 5, dominating defense.-the Bucanneers, the Ravens, the Steelers. Now, if you have two or three of these things then you are well on your way. If you don’t have any, well – you get better on defense, get a better quarterback, and/or get a better coach. Why do you think that the league was so engaged in the Bret Farve saga that ratings even went down on “As the World Turns” during the summer?  Or why did the Kansas City Chiefs take a flyer on often injured Joe Montana (oh yeah-they made it to the playoffs didn’t they). Why do you think that people like Parcells and Bill Cowher, and retreads like Joe Gibbs and Dick Vermeil are courted like Queen Guinevere in a short skirt? This is how you create the culture that other franchises have and the Houston Texans don’t. 

Problem-quarterback is adequate-and I really like him, but I like fajitas too, but I know a rib eye when I see one. Problem-defense is adequate- but not the Ravens. Problem-coach is adequate-this is hard to say, but Kubiak isn’t it. I am not saying that he isn’t a good coach. I am saying that in his few years at Houston, the culture hasn’t changed. The fact that Jeff Fisher is our measuring stick proves that. We might as well compare Kubiak to Jerry Glanville. Gary Kubiak has not changed the culture, since pundits are still NOT comparing him to the elite Bellichick, Dungy, Jimmy Johnson, etc. This is the problem. We, instead, are left in Jim Mora mode, “Playoffs?!” Instead we are, as we were Sunday, waiting for something bad to happen. Something bad did happen.