John Royal

Crystal Ball Part Deux: Looking Ahead to 2013 Houston Sports, Astros/Dynamo/UH/Rice Edition

Yesterday, we took a look at the futures of the Texans and Rockets. Predictions were made. Accusations were tossed about. But no one is Carnac the Magnificent. All we can really do is guess...except when it comes to the Astros.

Comment of the Day: Go Fast, Go Slow, Go Astros!

We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning or afternoon from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula i ... More >>

App of the Week: Grocery Time

App: Grocery Time Platform: iPhone Website: GroceryTimeApp.com Cost: $1.99 I've tried grocery-helper apps before and never found one that blew me away. I was persuaded to give this one a shot when our own John Royal told me he was doing a story on a Houston Aero who designed the app and I gave it a ... More >>

Aeros Searching for Clues and Consistency As Mid-Season Arrives

For a team coached by a man nicknamed "Torch," the Houston Aeros (20-8-2-7, 49 points) have been a pretty lifeless entity the past month. And as the team moves into the second half of the season this weekend, lifelessness appears to be the least of their problems. The Aeros opened the season fine, ... More >>

The Year in Aeros Hockey: To the Top and Back

To wrap up my year in review of the teams I cover, here's a look back at the 25 most significant moments with the Houston Aeros for the year 2011. 1. The Aeros added veterans Jed Ortmeyer and Patrick O'Sullivan to the team just as the New Year hit. From that point on, a team which had been strugg ... More >>

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: The Year Just Past In Cougar Sports

John RoyalCase Keenum was the Man of the Year for the Cougars​Yes, it's that time of year. That time of year when I take a look back at the year just past. On Friday, I looked back at the sports year for the Rice Owls. Today, let's take a look at the top 25 events, in no particular order, f ... More >>

The Top Moments In 2011 Rice Owls Sports

John RoyalRice's Anthony Rendon became a very rich baseball player this summer​It's that time of year. The time for end-of-year lists and bests of, etc. And I'm not immune to tossing off an easy post. So, without further ado, and in no particular order, here are the Top 25 Events in Rice Ow ... More >>

Comment of the Day: On Astros' Management Catering to Red Sox Fans

​We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involv ... More >>

Aeros Keeping Their Eye on the Prize

John RoyalJed Ortmeyer, the veteran leader​The Aeros' record on Christmas Day was 17-15-1-2. They were in seventh place in the division. They were in the midst of a long stretch of road games. They had been defeated 5-0 by the Hamilton Bulldogs in their most recent game, they had lost five ... More >>

Aeros Take 2-0 Series Lead Over Hamilton

John RoyalThis, amazingly, is not a penalty in the playoffs​Word began circulating through Toyota Center late in the third period of Friday night's game one conference final tilt between the Houston Aeros and Hamilton Bulldogs. And as the word got around, the building seemed to deflate despit ... More >>

Aeros Whip OKC, Now Bring On The Playoffs

John RoyalThe Aeros are going to the playoffs​ The Houston Aeros started the regular season way back in October in Oklahoma City. They ended the season yesterday, hosting Oklahoma City. The Aeros won that first game in Oklahoma City, and they won yesterday's game, 6-3. The win yesterday was ... More >>

UH Baseball: Cougars Engulfed By The Blazers

John RoyalCodey Morehouse trots home after hitting a home run on Friday​The Houston Cougar baseball team has been on a bit of a rollercoaster ride this season. They weren't supposed to be very good, not with the new coach, roster turnover, and a near non-existent pitching staff devastated by ... More >>

Hey Houston, We Have a Real Live Playoff Team

John RoyalAeros head coach Mike Yeo and assistant coach Darryl Sydor oversee Thursday's practice.​It's hard being a fan of Houston's professional sports teams. The Houston Astros suck. The Houston Rockets just failed to make the playoffs. Again. The Houston Texans are the Houston Texans, w ... More >>

And in the End: 20 Final Thoughts on the Final Four

John RoyalLeAnn all dressed up for a white wedding.​In an attempt to wipe that awful excuse for a basketball game on Monday night from my head, I thought I would purge a few things still running through from my mind about the whole Final Four weekend. So... 1. I like attractive women. And ... More >>

The NCAA Title Game: Forget One Shining Moment, Try a Brick House Instead

John RoyalAnd so begins one of the worst championship games in NCAA Tournament history.​Houston is the home city of two Conference USA basketball teams. That means that there's been some really bad basketball played in this city the last several years. So perhaps it was the lingering stench ... More >>

The Aeros Are This Close to Clinching a Playoff Spot

John RoyalJed Ortmeyer providing the team leadership​It was a playoff atmosphere inside of Toyota Center this weekend as the Houston Aeros battled the Oklahoma City Barons in a rare three-games-in-three-nights situation which saw the Aeros playing all three games at home against the same team. ... More >>

Owls Soar Over The Cougars And Continue To Dominate Cross-Town Series

John RoyalHouston Cougar Ryan Still leaps high for an overthrown ball on a first inning Rice sacrifice bunt​The Houston Cougars (11-11) grabbed the 1-0 lead from the Rice Owls (15-9) in the top of the first inning last night. The Owls scored two runs in the bottom of the first, and the game w ... More >>

Jed Ortmeyer: The Houston Aeros' Medical Miracle Man

John RoyalAeros right wing Jed Ortmeyer watches the aciton unfold on the ice​Right wing Jed Ortmeyer joined the Houston Aeros on New Year's Day. The team had already started showing signs of life right after Christmas, but when Ortmeyer came on board, the team soared, going on a January spree ... More >>

The New Minute Maid Park, Same As The Old, Just Now With A Big-Ass Video Screen

John RoyalThe Astros have a new big-ass video board​So during the Houston College Classic I got a chance to get a bit of a preview of the new, improved Minute Maid Park as the new baseball season approaches. So I've got some observations. 1. That's one huge, big-ass video screen/scoreboard. ... More >>

Houston and Rice Pray for a Miracle As C-USA Tournament Starts Today

John RoyalHouston Cougars coach James Dickey​The Houston Cougars and Rice Owls men's basketball teams take to the court again today. Possibly for the last time. Possibly for the start of a miracle run. And while the Owls eagerly look for such a run to happen, using the Cougars of last year ... More >>

Looking Back at This Weekend's Houston College Classic

John RoyalRice's Michael Ratterree slides across the plate to score a run yesterday against Baylor​The 11th Houston College Classic was played at Minute Maid Park this weekend, and though it's only March, it's probably safe to say that the best baseball to be played in Minute Maid Park this se ... More >>

College Basketball: Owls Lose a Heartbreaker While Coogs Appear to Give Up

John RoyalRice's Arsalan Kazemi battles for position under the Rice basket​No coach wants to have to draw up a play with 2.3 seconds left that, if it works, merely ties the score and sends the game to overtime. But such was the position Rice Owls coach Ben Braun was in last night, his Owls do ... More >>

College Baseball: Rice Sweeps the Trojans While UH Struggles Against the Rebs

John RoyalRice's Michael Ratterree tags out USC's Matt Foat trying to advance on a sac fly​In the first weekend of the college baseball season, it was the Houston Cougars pulling off the home sweep of UT-Arlington while the Rice Owls were losing two of three to visiting Stanford. The competit ... More >>

The Admirals Sink Houston As Aeros Fall Out of First Place

John RoyalThe Aeros celebrate Patrick O'Sullivan's first period goal​The Houston Aeros led the Milwaukee Admirals by a score of 4-2 with 16 minutes left in the third period. And while they hadn't been playing their best hockey, they did seem to be in control of the game. Then it was as if so ... More >>

Cougars and Owls: Hey, What Do You Know? At Least Some Houston Teams Can Win Baseball Games

John RoyalHouston's Caleb Ramsey knocks a first-inning two-run triple on Friday night​The expectations for the Houston Cougars baseball team are almost nonexistent. Hustle. Stay competitive. Aim toward being better next season. The expectations for the Rice Owls are high. Win Conference U ... More >>

Aeros Hockey and the Sounds of Silence

John RoyalWhat if they played a hockey game and nobody came?​What if they played a hockey game and there were no fans? What if the players came out with no energy, got off to a slow start and never got started? What if what was just last week the hottest hockey team in the AHL was suddenly b ... More >>

It's a Brand-New Day for Cougar Baseball

John RoyalCodey Morehouse throws a pitch during Friday's practice​The sun was bright and high Friday afternoon. The temperature warm. The breeze slight. It was one of those absolutely beautiful days that make one happy to be alive. It was, quite fittingly, the first practice under a new co ... More >>

Owls Basketball Searching for a Reason to Believe

John RoyalRice cheerleaders need a reason to cheer​The Rice Owls were heading high come the start of conference play. They'd already won eight games, matching their total from all of last season. They'd played a difficult non-conference schedule against such college powers as Arizona, Texas ... More >>

Max Noreau: Hey Now, You're an All Star

John RoyalMax Noreau leads the team onto the ice Saturday night​Let's hear it for the Houston Aeros. The team appeared doomed by a difficult December schedule that found them playing nearly every other day, with most of the games on the road, while traveling back and forth between the U.S. an ... More >>

Owls Basketball: Just One or Two Plays Away, Again

John RoyalBen Braun questions a call in the first half​Rice Owls head coach Ben Braun says that his team is close. One or two plays away close. One or two plays away from winning those close games and being a good basketball team. But all that actually matters is that the Owls are still a f ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Suspecting Jeff Bagwell

​We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involv ... More >>

Believe It Or Not, It's Time For College Basketball

John Royal Cougars prepare to play basketball​They were just exhibition games, and they tell us that exhibition games are meaningless. They don't count in the standings. They're a chance to test game conditioning. To see how well everyone understands the offense. To see what improvements ne ... More >>

Our Next Mayor, The Cougars Victory and Sex for Tickets

Our readers weigh in.

Plagiarism? Or Great Minds Thinking Alike? A Lunatic Rant Inspires Controversy

Tuesday we wrote about a long, long manifesto making its way around the net, by the father of a one-time UH baseball player convinced coach Rayner Noble had sabotaged his kid's career.Our item was written by freelancer John W. Royal, who covers baseball and hockey for us.Today, the writer of the ... More >>

Design Haters and Soccer lovers

Over the Weekend: Sports Illustrated, Dr. John, Neville Brothers, Pretty Things Peepshow and Aerosol Warfare

Morning! We've been plenty busy these last few days. Time to share. Top Ten Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Photos John Royal started things off with an in-depth cultural analysis of the phenomenon that is the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Dr. John at House of Blues Mark C. Austin and ... More >>

John Royal's New Year's Resolutions for 2009

In honor of the New Year, I thought I would go the cliché route and give you my Ten Resolutions for 2009. 10. I'm going to continue to be as objective as I can when it comes to my coverage of Houston sports. 9. I'm going to find some way to get the Houston Press to pay for my MLB Extra Innings pa ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Special Bikini Edition

Over the Weekend: Pearl Bar, Los Tios, Escalante's and Houston Aeros

In the Shade: Owner Woes

Over the Weekend: Boozing, Bret Michaels and Baseball

Over the Weekend: Bar Hopping and Political Posturing

Random Thoughts from a Stupendous Sunday of Sports

Jason Friedman’s NFL Picks, Week 16: On a Quest to Become the Bizarro John Royal

Best and Worst Houston Sports Moments from 2007

Over the Weekend: Turkeys, Aggies, Cougars, Rockets, Girls Gone Wild, Swedish Rockers and Gratuitous Drinking

Mail Call

Sports Columnist Smackdown

Weekend # 2

Houston Astros, Netflix, Congressman Ron Paul

It could be a year of despair for Astros fans

What Goes Around Comes Around

Watch your head at the National Boomerang Expo