Geographist

Gordie Howe Born: March 31, 1928 Sport: Hockey (4-time Stanley Cup Champion, 23-time All-Star, 6-time MVP, 6-time top scorer, Hall of Fame) This week will see the start of a championship series for two different sports leagues - the NBA and NHL.  While Houston has a storied basketball history, which we've already discussed with several of our previous posts, our connection with hockey is a bit less-known.  But in what may come as a surprise to casual visitors to a city known better for its hot-and-humid summers than its prowess on ice, we can boast a strong connection to one of the greatest players to ever strap on skates.  Originally hailing from Canada, the man who became known as "Mister Hockey" came to Space City for a significant period of time and legitimized the sport to local fans, many of whom had relocated to Houston from northern cities and who were excited to see the game played at the very highest level.  Today, in advance of the Stanley Cup Finals dropp...

Yao Ming Born: September 12, 1980 Sport: Basketball (8-time NBA All-Star, 4-time FIBA Asia Cup Champion, Hall of Fame) Since my last post a few things have happened.  Each team in baseball has reached its 50th game, hockey and men's basketball have both progressed to their conference championships, women's basketball season has officially begun, and football has continued to be present in daily sports shows for reasons that continue to baffle me.  But not to be overlooked is the draft lottery held by the NBA, where the Dallas Mavericks won the right to have the first pick in the next draft despite only having a 1.8% chance of the ping pong ball numbers going their way.  This event reminded me of the last time Houston found themselves with the first overall pick, back in 2002.  Although the odds weren't quite as long that year, they still turned a 8.9% longshot chance into a player that took Rockets basketball literally around the world.  That year, they took Yao...

I've been traveling with my oldest daughter over the past weekend, so there won't be a new post until next Sunday.  Have a terrific week until we meet again! 

Cynthia Cooper-Dyke Born: April 14, 1963 Sport: Basketball (2-time MVP, 3-time All-Star, 4-time WNBA Champion, 2-time NCAA Champion, 2-time Olympic medalist - Gold in 1988 and Bronze in 1992, Hall of Fame) Happy Mother's Day!  This week I thought it would be nice to focus on a player who is not only a mother herself, but was significantly impacted by her own mother's journey.  As a kid playing competitive basketball throughout the 90s, I enjoyed watching my local NBA team win titles twice, as the Houston Rockets were victorious in 1994 and 1995.  After a one-year gap, the newly-formed WNBA was launched and I saw that my city's women's team was dominant, with the Houston Comets winning the league's first four championships from 1997-2000.  An integral part of that team, and now recognized as one of the greatest women to ever play the game, was Cynthia Cooper. The Summit, home to the Houston Comets upon Cooper's arrival in 1997 Although she was born in Chicago, Il...

Phil Garner Born: April 30, 1949 Sport: Baseball (All-American, 3-time All-Star, 985-1,054 managerial record, 2005 NL Pennant) I had a few options to go with this week, but eventually decided to go with the birthday boy, former Astros manager Phil Garner.  He had a big week even without blowing out his candles, as the most successful team for "Scrap Iron" to manage celebrated a milestone, and many of his former players made a point of showing up to participate and support him.  While not the most decorated player or coach in Houston history, he nevertheless made a big impact and has certainly earned his spot in this list of memorable figures in the athletic history of Space City. Minute Maid Park, home of Phil Garner's NL Champion Houston Astros in 2005 Born in eastern Tennessee, Phil Garner grew up in the greater Knoxville area as the son of a Baptist minister.  After he had made it through one year attending a high school that didn't include a robust athletic progra...

Warren Moon Born: November 18, 1956 Sport: Football (5 time Grey Cup winner, 9 time Pro Bowl, Canadian Football Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame)  I know it's not football season, but this weekend was the NFL Draft and it seemed a good time to remember one of the greats that our city has supported.  The franchise that moved out of Houston when I was a kid made headlines by having the #1 pick, and a former Houston Oilers quarterback was gracious enough to present his retired jersey (sporting the number 1) to Cam Ward, the young man who was selected and will attempt to lead his team from the same position.  That man, Warren Moon, had one of the most unique and improbable career paths in football history, and was the first local QB that I rooted for.  The Astrodome area during Warren Moon's first season with the Oilers Warren Moon's childhood years were not easy, as he was the only boy in a family of seven children and his mother was forced to raise them alone af...

Rudy Tomjanovich Born: November 24, 1948 Sport: Basketball (All-American, 5-time NBA All-Star, Gold Medal, Hall of Fame) As of the time of this writing, the Houston professional sports scene is buzzing.  The Astros are nearly a month into their season as they try to return to the playoffs for their ninth consecutive season, and the Texans are preparing for their draft next week after back-to-back seasons with division titles and one playoff win each year.  But it's the Houston Rockets that have garnered top billing as they play their first postseason game in five years.  So with that in mind, I thought it might be a good idea to look at the story of Rudy Tomjanovich, one of the faces of the franchise that was not only there for the first Rockets playoff series win, but was at the helm when the team claimed their first two championships. The Summit, home of the Rockets during their championship seasons Born just outside of Detroit, MI, young Rudy's parents were both of Cro...

Fred Couples Born: October 3, 1959 Sport: Golf (62 professional wins - including 1 Masters and 2 Players Championships, former world #1 golfer, 2-time PGA Player of the Year, World Golf Hall of Fame) This weekend the eyes of the golf world focused on a town along the border between Georgia and South Carolina which is home to one of the most beloved golf courses in the world and possibly the most famous tournament.  Every spring as the magnolias and azaleas bloom, Augusta National Golf Club welcomes the most elite players, scores of celebrities, and thousands of fans to compete in the Masters Tournament, one of four major tournaments in men's professional golf.  I watched a significant amount of this year's tournament, and was happy to see recognition for a competitor who, although he is well beyond his prime playing days, still manages to play this challenging course well.  Fred Couples, a seasoned veteran with Houston ties, is a past champion and has etched his name into...

Clyde Drexler Born: June 22, 1962 Sport: Basketball (All-American, 10-time NBA All-Star, Gold Medal, Hall of Fame) Sometimes the headlines write themselves and this is one of those instances.  With the University of Houston scoring a stunning victory yesterday to advance to their first championship game in over 40 years, this seemed a perfect time to recognize one of the greatest basketball players in their program's history.  As a member of the school's so-called Phi Slama Jama team of the early 1980s, Clyde Drexler was one of the smoothest and most impressive men to ever play the game.  Let's look at this Hall of Famer that left his mark in not one, but two of our city's basketball programs.  South Park neighborhood during Drexler's high school years Born in New Orleans, LA, Drexler moved to a neighborhood in southeast Houston while still in school.  He made his high school varsity baseball team as a sophomore, but was cut that year from the basketball team....

Larry Dierker Born: September 22, 1946 Sport: Baseball (139-123, 3.31 ERA as a pitcher; 435-348, 4 NL Central titles as a manager) Baseball season kicked off this week, and like most Houston sports fans I love my local team.  The Houston Astros have been the most consistently great team in the area in recent years, although there have been significant strides made by the football and basketball squads of late.  Houston has certainly been able to claim a significant number of baseball stars, both those that grew up around town as well as many stars that have played here and have been adopted into our city's family.  Larry Dierker may be the man who epitomizes the organization like no other.  So this week, in honor of Opening Day 2025, let's learn more about a man who has spent his entire career (and beyond) representing our city. Houston's first two major league fields: Colts Stadium and the Astrodome Born in Hollywood, CA, young Larry was like many boys who grew up p...

George Foreman Born: January 10, 1949 (Marshall, TX) Died: March 21, 2025 (Houston, TX) Sport: Boxing (76-5-0, 68 KO) As I began to think about my latest discussion point and started planning for the particular details of its format and style, it was difficult for me to decide on who deserved the honor of the first post.  Obviously it should be someone memorable, even when compared against some of the great sports figures that our great city can boast, and preferably well-loved.  And then two days ago we were stunned by the passing of one of the absolute legends in our community, a man who was quite literally larger than life: George Foreman.  With utmost respect for his legacy and sympathy to his loved ones, I now open this new topic by focusing on the amazing life of one of the best that Houston has to offer. Houston - 1978 Born in Marshall, TX, young George grew up in the Fifth Ward neighborhood of Houston, just northeast of downtown.  He took the family name of J...