The Houston Sports Awards were this week honoring local sports icons and newcomers alike. Now former Mayor Sylvester Turner was honored for all of the sporting events that took place during his tenure, but if things continue the way they are, current Mayor John Whitmire might be grabbing his own award in a few years.
The fact is, Houston is having a sports moment. Fans have all discussed how the “golden age” of Houston sports felt like it happened with the Astros first championship combined with the success of the Texans and Rockets at the time, but we could argue that was just a precursor. More importantly, it isn’t just a run featuring Houston three major sports teams. In fact, the Bayou City is having a pretty epic run of sporting events and successes in general.
We can start with the major sports given that they dominate the sports headlines, but what is happening with sports in Houston goes well beyond that.
Houston Texans
Let’s start here since it’s pretty well agreed that football is the beating heart of the state, from Friday Night Lights to NRG Stadium. And as bad as it was for the Texans (and it was mind-numbingly bad), it’s incredible what a few significant changes can make. First, the hiring of GM Nick Caserio followed by the return of DeMeco Ryans, this time as coach. Caserio quickly righted the draft process and through some tough losing and a series of smart moves (and luck), the Texans landed their franchise QB in C.J. Stroud along with pass rusher Will Anderson, Jr. As a result, they returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and appear poised for something special.
Houston Astros
The demise of the Astros has been well chronicled by the national media, but, as usual, is premature. They just completed their seventh straight trip to the ALCS and were one game from the World Series. Despite the retirement of Michael Brantley, loss of a couple of veteran bullpen names, and the aging of several of their core players, this is a team with loads of talent up and down the roster from Yordan Alvarez to Cristian Javier to Yainer Diaz to newly added Josh Hader. And with a new manager and recently hired GM, the future still looks bright. Owner Jim Crane says the window for winning is always open as long as he helms the ship. He might be right.
Houston Rockets
After three of the worst years in franchise history, the Rockets, like the other two pro teams in town, began again with a new coach to shepherd a very young roster of remarkable talent. Coach Ime Udoka has transformed a rag-tag bunch of undisciplined players into a tough, defensive-minded unit that has already won as many games this year as it did in its entire last season. Alperen Sengun has become a star and Jalen Green’s star continues to rise. There is now veteran help in Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks to go with even MORE young talent in Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith, Jr. and Cam Whitmore.
Houston Dynamo
After exploding out of the gate, Houston’s MLS representative was mired in soccer no man’s land for what seemed like forever. But, as seems to have been the case for the other professional teams in Houston, their fortunes swung on some seismic shifts in the front office and coaching staff. Owner Ted Segal bought the team in 2021 and after two disappointing seasons, he remade the lineup including signing Mexican star Hector Herrera, and changed coaches twice. Seems like he may have gotten it right as the Dyanmo made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals this past season, an unexpected but welcome surprise.
University of Houston Men’s Basketball
Since Kelvin Sampson took over as the coach at UH (and Tillman Fertitta assumed the reins of the entire UH sports universe), the team has become a perennial contender, something the city hasn’t seen since the Phi Slama Jama days of Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Guy V. Lewis. Once again they are in the hunt ranking as high as number three in the country this year with Sampson’s trademark stifling defense and a stream of unselfish, talented players. With Sampson running the show, it feels as if UH hoops are back on the map to stay.
Simone Biles
Arguably, Biles is the greatest athlete in the world. She certainly is the greatest gymnast of all time and she’s a Houstonian. Biles is must-watch television, particularly at the Summer Olympics which convene this year in France. She’s already won her eighth U.S. Championship and a gold medal at the World Championships in 2023. She is poised to, once again, dominate the competition in what is almost assuredly her final Olympic games. No Houston sports list is complete without Biles.
So…many…events.
The city hosted the Final Four in 2023, the NCAA Championship game just a few weeks ago and will now be a major part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the biggest world sporting event outside the Olympics. It seems only a matter of time before the city hosts another Super Bowl. That is in addition to the PGA and LPGA tours making annual stops in Houston, the annual Houston marathon and on and on. We even have a premier Cricket stadium just northwest of the city. If we weren’t already on the map for the great athletic performances by our own athletes, we have enough signature events to plant the flag for Houston sports now and in the future.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
