Geographist

Robert Horry Born: August 25, 1970 Sport: Basketball (2-time All-SEC, NBA All-Rookie, 7-time NBA Champion) This week we celebrated Christmas, which has historically been a day on the sports calendar that NBA matchups grab the spotlight.  This year, the NFL decided to try capturing the attention of average sports fans but the matchups were exceptionally poor.  Every one of the basketball games was more compelling than the three contests that football was able to muster, including a win by the local team over LA.  Looking at the history of NBA games between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers, two of the marquis teams in the western conference, there have been numerous moments that have been relevant.  But today I thought it would be fun to look at the story of one of the players who wore both uniforms during his career, a man who impacted my own game when I was playing competitive basketball as a kid.  He has become one of the most scrutinized players ...

I've been on a cruise this weekend so will take the week off from posting.  I wish all of you a very merry Christmas, and thank you for continuing to visit this site.  Feel free to go back and read an old topic, and I'll see you after the break! 

AJ Foyt Born: January 16, 1935 Sports: Auto Racing (14 total national championships, 172 major race wins, Triple Crown of endurance racing, Hall of Fame) This week, NASCAR was in the news as a settlement was reached in a far-reaching antitrust lawsuit with team owners, including Michael Jordan.  The main figure on the NASCAR side of the dispute was chairman and majority owner Jim France, the 81-year-old son of NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr.  It was on this date, December 16, 1947, that Bill Sr. met in a Florida hotel with a group of influential figures in American racing to create the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing.  It would compete for supremacy with open-wheel racing (known as Indy car) over the decades, and many Texans have headlined the sport on both sides.  One driver, however, stands head and shoulders above the rest and has etched his name into history as one of the greatest all-around racers.  So this week we'll learn more about Houston'...

Bum Phillips Born: September 29, 1923 Sport: Football (82-77 record as an NFL head coach) Today is December 7, and although the generation that experienced the attack on Pearl Harbor has largely passed into the pages of history, the United States swore never to forget the events of that day in late 1941.  You can read my own blog post here on the history and geographic impact on that fateful day:  The Attack on Pearl Harbor .  There is a Houston sports tie to World War II that certainly merits the spotlight, as a figure who has been identified with the city's most memorable and beloved eras was impacted by the global events and made a decision that changed the course of his life.  The fact that both professional franchises that he coached, as well as the team in the city he called home, all found their way to wins today also makes Bum Phillips a great choice for this week's focus.  Let's take a look at the most Texan coach in Houston history. The Astrodome durin...