When Forrest Gump was on the All-American Ping-Pong team, he just loved playing
ping-pong with his Flexolite paddle. Okay, so Forrest Gump didn’t really exist,
and Flexolite manufactures pest foggers, but don’t hold that against ping-pong
— or, rather, table tennis. As far as paddle games go, it’s more popular than
age-old fraternity spankings and, arguably, tennis itself. In Houston, there’s
a great following for the sport, and the Houston Table Tennis Association ensures
that local players get to take a swipe at it. Founded in 1998, HTTA is an organization
whose mission is to promote table tennis locally and internationally. Table
tennis is, after all, a pretty wholesome sport. Located on the west side, the
HTTA’s facility has several tables and a few world-ranked players. But no worries:
The place welcomes all. Says Bob O’Neill of the HTTA, “We have some players
in their seventies. I do it for the enjoyment and for exercise. It’s an addictive
sport.” No word on any 12-step groups dedicated to ping, er, table tennis. 6
p.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays;
and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. 11109 Bellaire. For information, call 713-270-5511
or visit www.htta.net. $4 to $7. — Eric
Norvell

Road Rage

SAT 8/21

Of course, if you were a true fan, you’d hop a 737 and follow the Texans
to Kansas City, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. But maybe you’re broke, or you
just don’t want to interact with anyone north of Austin. Then the next best
thing might be to hit the official Texans Road Show at one of Houston’s three
Baker St. Pub & Grill locations. You and the other half-assed fans can watch
all the games — home and away — on plasma TVs, eat fish and chips and hang
out with the occasional cheerleader. It’s no Reliant, but it beats staying at
home, drinking by yourself and throwing Fritos at the dog every time Carr goes
down. The Road Show kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, August 21. Baker St. Pub
& Grill, 15970 City Walk, Sugar Land. For information, call 281-494-0774. Free.
— Julia Ramey

This article appears in Aug 19-25, 2004.