Oh Texans, My Texans

The question of whether Houston made the right choice in drafting Mario Williams (pictured, right) with last year's first pick in the draft was asked of me by a close friend. Hmm. the easy route to take would be to say, "No." However, there is a part of me that wants to defend the Texans by jumping on the conspiracy wagon. Well, maybe not defend them using these conspiracy theories, but at least entertain the possibilities, if only for the sake of argument. Maybe it's just that I am fascinated with the idea that there are forces operating behind the scenes that quietly control the outcome of many major issues. Yes, even in the sports world. And why not? Although much of what I'm about to discuss is a touchy subject with some people and there are some who may find offense in the nature of this subject, allow me first to offer the following disclaimer:

The opinions and ideas expressed in this piece do not constitute the whole or even a part of my beliefs in the matter. I only wish to broach this subject for entertainment purposes and to open the minds of my readers to the possibilities of the events that may or may not exist behind the camera's eye. While some of the ideas may seem offensive to some people, please understand that this subject is meant to foster thinking and open up a discourse for those who may wish to offer an opinion on the matter. I would like to encourage anyone with an opinion on this matter to freely express their opinions, however, I wish to state that tact and sensitivity is a prerequisite to such potential comments.

With that being said, let's get right down to the nitty gritty. There is an opinion floating around in space that the Houston Texans may have been coerced into taking defensive end Mario Williams with the first overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft over running back Reggie Bush because the uncanny talent and potential for superstardom possessed by Bush could foster economic growth in the city of New Orleans after suffering from the horrible destruction that Hurricane Katrina (pictured, below) imposed upon the city.


The theory continues as such: Should the New Orleans Saints have the opportunity to draft Reggie Bush, the marketing potential of this young prospect could be unrivaled in the years to come. Bush could bring in sellout crowds to every Saints game, attract sponsors who would be willing to spend money promoting Bush and the Saints while Bush promotes their products, and the increase in attendance and spending due to fans flocking to catch a glimpse of Bush's talents on display in the Superdome could give a jolt to the businesses surrounding the stadium and, in turn, trickle out into the rest of the city. Simply put, an increase in money spent on the team and surrounding business by fans would be one of the major economic catalysts to aid in rebuilding the city of New Orleans. Save the Saints, save the city.

I agree. Wow! It's a pretty wild theory, to say the least. Imagine, the commissioner, owners of the Texans and the Saints, and other influential business and government leaders meeting in secret to rig the outcome of the draft. Given the crazy stuff that occurs daily in this world, this theory could be possible, except that there is one gaping hole in the whole shebang: What do the Texans get out of it? Reggie Bush (pictured, right) was clearly the best prospect of the draft, and the Texans couldn't pass him up because they had Dominick Davis in the backfield. If you could hand the ball off to Davis or Bush, who would you choose? Right. I thought so.

And even if the Texans coaching staff were apprehensive about parting ways with Davis to make room for Bush, let's consider the new trend sweeping through the NFL: The duel running back threat. Teams are starting to go to an attack that features two running backs of great talent that compliment each other and offer a change of pace that keeps defenses on their toes. There's even a specialist position created for short yardage situations that has almost rendered the fullback obsolete, or if anything, has relegated the position to a strictly blocking role.

To return to the issue at hand, what would the Texans gain by passing up on Bush for Williams? To be fair to Mario Williams, he was rated as a top talent in the draft. The Texans had a weak defense, and adding the speedy Mario Williams (4.73 40) would give them the help that they needed on the line. In case anyone is wondering, Mel Kiper gave the Texans a B+ for their selections in the draft, citing that "[he] would have taken Reggie Bush with the first overall pick. But [he] ha[s] to respect the pick of Mario Williams, especially if he's consistent from game to game." Sorry Mel, looks like you missed that one...at least based on last year's performance by the underachieving Williams.

So, is there merit to the conspiracy theory? I doubt it. That's for you to decide. I think that there's craziness everywhere in this world, even in sports. I would suggest that, in this case of craziness, the Texans simply made a mistake, and the Saints were waiting with a smile and open arms. Reggie Bush...come on down!

Picture of Mario Williams taken from www.foxsports.com.
Picture of the New Orleans Superdome taken from www.abc.net.
Picture of Reggie Bush taken from www.allposters.com.