Best of 2007: Houston Sports Storylines

Houstonist's Top Ten Sports Storylines of 2007:
10. Travis Johnson jacks Trent Green.
We hate to start off ugly, but honestly, it was an ugly year for professional sports in H-town. This play, on October 7th, was certainly the ugliest. Despite the fact that Trent Green was probably in the wrong for his block on Johnson, the reaction the block received from Johnson was way over the line. Subsequent unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and fines levied against Johnson have shown that this was far from an isolated incident. The Texans would be well-served to rid themselves of his unstable presence on an otherwise stellar young defensive line.

9. Eddie Griffin dies.
"Troubled." Almost every single article about the death of the former Rockets forward included that word. After a highly-regarded career at Seton Hall, Griffin began his NBA career in Houston before getting sidetracked by alcoholism and family issues. His life came to a firey end on a set of train tracks in Houston back in August, while driving drunk. In death, he became a footnote in NBA history, when his unfulfilled talent could've made him so much more.

8. Ed Wade shakes up the Astros' roster.
The 2007 Astros were pretty damn bad. They weren't unwatchably bad; Hunter Pence, Carlos Lee, and Roy Oswalt all gave Astros fans reasons to be happy. But the team was fundamentally flawed, slow in the field and lacking consistent pitching. After Drayton McLane fired manager Phil Garner and general manager Tim Purpura toward the end of the season, replacing them with Cecil Cooper and Ed Wade (respectively), Wade went to work overhauling the lineup, adding speedsters Kaz Matsui and Michael Bourn and a real closer in Jose Valverde, dumping dead weight like Morgan Ensberg and Brad Lidge, and adding mid-lineup power with Miguel Tejada. The Astros' much-maligned starting pitching and minor league system have yet to be addressed, but Ed's the man with the plan.

7. Mario Williams shakes them haters off.
Reggie Bush: adidas spokesman, emblem of the revival of New Orleans, 3.7 yard/carry, never going to be an every down back in the NFL. Vince Young: Madden coverboy, recipient of the adoration of every backward-looking UT alum and traitorous Houston Titans fan, 17 interceptions, 69.5 QB rating. Mario: Worst draft decision in modern history (worse than Sam Bowie!), 14 sacks, Pro Bowl snub, defensive anchor, and threat to any living quarterback anywhere. Your move, pundits. Queue the music.

6. Kevin Everett walks again.

After the stars have gotten their accolades, there are hundreds of players in the NFL, making their living on the second and third strings, playing special teams and trying to live the dream of being a professional athlete. Port Arthur native Kevin Everett was one of those players, anonymous until an unfortunately timed hit in Buffalo sent him to the turf, and the conventional wisdom proclaimed his prognosis: paralyzed. But with help from the Bills' team physician and the efforts of rehabilitation specialists at TIRR in Houston, Everett walked out onto the field in Buffalo last week as a true miracle. This SI article is a beautiful portrait of a true hero in an industry where that term is overused.

5. Rockets struggle to achieve potential
On paper, they look fantastic. Of course, on paper, so does Britney Spears.
Despite having one of the few remaining dominant centers in the league, and an electrifying playmaker who creates headaches for defenses around the league, the Rockets have yet to dethrone the Spurs and Mavs as the top team in the state, much less the league. Plagued by injuries, headcases, uneven coaching, and the glaring lack of a true point guard, the boys from the Toyota Center were booted from the playoffs by a feisty Utah team, and have underwhelmed so far in the 07-08 campaign. They seem destined to be a perennial fixture on future "most talented teams to never win a championship" lists, unless someone can find a way to fire up anyone not named "Yao", encase T-Mac in bubble wrap without restricting his ability to play, and steal Jason Kidd from the Nets. Any takers?

4. Astros named in Mitchell Report
Hoo boy. 24 hours after Big Trade Wade brought Miguel Tejada to Houston from Baltimore to revive his career as a power-hitting shortstop, Tejada's name was released as part of MLB's Mitchell Report on performance enhancing drugs in baseball. The team is standing behind Tejada, which is more than can be said for the man with the biggest name on the list: Roger Clemens. The hometown hero, the erstwhile Astro, the Rocket, the sure-thing Hall of Famer: the guy with the needle full of illegal steroids in his butt. Clemens has hired Rusty Hardin to defend him, surely the clearest indication of his innocence. All of baseball got a black eye on December 13th; Clemens got hit with a knockout punch that may have ruined his reputation forever.

3. Texans finally reach .500
The Texans are NOT the worst team in the NFL. That dubious honor falls to the Dolphins this year. But more than just not being bad, the Texans were actually good at various points this season. You could make a very convincing case that, apart from the injuries that crippled every area of the team at some point in the season, we'd be talking about the playoffs right now instead of the 2008 draft. Sage Rosenfels stood tall when Matt Schaub went down with an injured shoulder, DeMeco Ryans continued to make a name for himself as one of the league's elite linebackers, and Andre Johnson proved that you don't have to do goofy end zone celebrations or be a jackass to be the best receiver in the NFL. The future looks bright, but this was the year that Texans fans were able to hold their heads high for the first time.

2. Craig Biggio retires.
This is the story that put a lump in our throat. Craig Biggio, for the past 20 years, wasn't a member of the Astros: he WAS the Astros. 3,000 hits, 667 doubles, HBP bruises and pine tar, the Sunshine Kids, catcher, outfield, and second base. For as long as we can remember, he was our hero. Even though he was a liability offensively in 2007, we can't begrudge him the chance to go out on his own terms after all he's done for baseball and this city. It'll be hard to see the boys in Mud and Blood in 2008 without him. Vaya con dios, BGO.

1. Dynamo win back to back championships
By this point, all the soccer fans were probably pissed that something hadn't been said about The Orange yet. But in transition years for football and baseball and another year lost in the wilderness for basketball, it's the other football that provided the highest highs of the year. Without a permanent home, without a major tv deal, but supported by the most rabid fans in the city, the Dynamo brought home their second consecutive MLS Cup after a scrappy run through the playoffs, culminated by another win over the New England Revolution. On tap for 2008: new ownership, a possible stadium deal, and another championship. Business as usual for the La Narajana.

Honorable Mention: Art Briles stiff-arms the Cougars, Rice baseball, Jeff Bagwell's number retired, Jeff Van Gundy's bizarre "firing", Mike Sherman leaves the Texans to take over at A&M, TCU wins the Texas Bowl, Richard Justice continuing impression of a legitimate sports columnist.

That was 2007 through our eyes. 2008 looms ahead, with reasons for optimism. As always, the battle cry rings out: "There's always next year!"

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headline photo courtesty of flickr user jeffbalke