Time to hear from McNair
It’s past time for McNair to explain to jaded fans why franchise rests in O’Brien’s hands
Brian T. Smith says owner needs to explain himself.
Cal McNair has been “in charge” of the Texans for almost 14 months.
He has not held a single press conference discussing his thoughts about or personal expectations of Houston’s professional football franchise. He was publicly missing in action all week, despite his team being outscored 51-7 to end a playoff game and long-frustrated fans throughout the city screaming that sixth-year coach Bill O’Brien should immediately be fired.
McNair has never explained why he allowed O’Brien to become the team’s unofficial general manager — after O’Brien’s handpicked GM was abruptly fired last June.
McNair has never explained why the franchise continues to give unprecedented on-field and organizational power to a coach who is 2-4 all-time in the postseason and lost by a combined 38 points during the only two times he made it past the wildcard round.
When an enraged O’Brien furiously curses out a fan inside NRG Stadium in the middle of a blowout defeat, McNair is silent.
When the Texans enter another critical offseason that could feature the retirement of defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, the acquisition of New England’s Nick Caserio as a second right-hand man for O’Brien or the largest contract in franchise history for 24-year-old quarterback Deshaun Watson, the chairman/CEO of the Texans is … silent.
Jack Easterby, O’Brien’s No. 1 righthand man, didn’t speak to the media all season.
Standing interview requests for McNair and Easterby have never been granted.
When the Texans officially comment on their highly unorthodox power structure, the state of the union or tentative future plans, every word from above comes from a coach with a 52-44 career record.
In spirit and real life, O’Brien is the
Texans.
“I feel like where we are right now, the way that I see it right now, it stays the way it is,” O’Brien said Monday, when asked if he anticipated McNair would hire a GM this offseason. “We have, again, a great group of people that meet daily, that talk about the team, the roster, all the support staff, the subprograms that we have here and try to make the best decisions for the team.”
Now picture Astros owner Jim Crane taking the stage and sitting behind a table this week, answering all the pressing big questions for his franchise as the baseball world zeroed in on Houston’s pro team. Think of how many times you’ve seen Crane standing behind the batter’s cage, walking around Minute Maid Park’s infield or sitting behind home plate since 2012. How many times — no matter whether you love him or hate him right now, because of what he chose to do to your Astros — Crane has spoken to the media and, thus the fans, and told you exactly what he was thinking about the endless issues surrounding the club.
Friday night in downtown Houston, Crane stood in front of reporters and directly answered multiple questions about the Astros’ search for a new manager and general manager, the state of his in-flux team and a possible contract extension for George Springer.
Now picture Tilman Fertitta. Nightly sitting courtside, in the middle of the Toyota Center hardwood as James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Mike D’Antoni attempt to lift the Rockets higher. Behind a podium, answering question after question, when another NBA season begins. Visible and present, when needed, as the leading face of University of Houston athletics. Almost always willing to weigh in and say what needs to be said, when something needs to be said.
No wonder 99.9 percent of Texans fans are convinced that King O’Brien is literally running the Texans.
And would any of you be shocked if a press release was issued Monday morning, announcing that the Texans’ head coach/unofficial GM/offensive play caller had been rewarded with an ownership stake after 51-31 Chiefs?
Heck, O’Brien received a four-year contract extension after going 4-12 in 2017 and still has three seasons left on his revised deal.
If Mike Vrabel, ex-Texans defensive coordinator, leads the AFC South-rival Tennessee Titans to the Super Bowl, O’Brien will probably receive a statue on Kirby Drive. If Kyle Shanahan, ex-Texans offensive coordinator, leads San Francisco to SB LIV, O’Brien will surely receive a couple more years of locked-in job security.
Maybe Watson will eventually be great enough to guide O’Brien to the big game one day. But in late January, fans are at a complete loss when it comes to the numbing confusion and inconsistency of the O’Brien era. The emperor keeps receiving new clothes but has nothing to show for it, except more power. The organization keeps insisting that its way is the right and true way, even though the Texans still haven’t reached an AFC Championship Game and just blew their best shot to host one inside NRG Stadium.
The Texans are valued at $3 billion, give or take.
Paying, devoted fans keep purchasing tickets, packing the stadium, buying J.J. Watt and Watson jerseys, and waiting for something special to happen.
After 18 seasons of existence on Kirby, the Texans’ season has annually ended one way: the wrong way.
It’s past time for McNair to speak. To explain why, provide a little personal insight and connect with a burned fanbase that is tired of the Texans’ same old ways.
Right now, the only thing we know is that being outscored 30-0, 21-7 or 51-7 in a playoff game is good enough for the Texans.
The first question that Houston would ask: Why do McNair’s Texans keep believing in O’Brien so much?