The Astros' season is in full swing, and no one is swinging more than Hunter Pence. Good grief, Spaz, if you're going to be the number 2 hitter, you might want to be a little bit selective. We can't wait for Kaz Matsui to get off his aching butt and take over the job he was signed to do. Here's what the blogs are saying about our hometown teams and sporting events: - Apparently, there......

Former Houston Oilers linebacker John Grimsley was found dead in his Missouri City home this morning. After receiving a 911 emergency call from the Grimsley household, police rushed to the scene at 9:00am only to find a lifeless body. An autopsy is set to be performed by the Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office, however initial reports claim that an accidental gunshot wound was the cause of the untimely death. Grimsley was a sixth round......

In spite of what may have simultaneously been the best and worst game in Texans franchise history, we do have a lot of good stuff to share with you this week from the sports blogosphere. Pay particular attention to the gem at the bottom of the list. - Stevie Franchise may not really earn that nickname anymore, but he is back in Houston and he is wearing number 3 again. Just like 2002. Maybe we......

In case you weren't familiar, there's a large university in Austin, with orange and white for their colors, and a big, drugged cow for a mascot. You may have also heard that their football team is usually pretty good, and that a couple years ago, they actually won a national championship in football. Their quarterback that year kinda flew under the radar, so you may not have heard about him, either: regardless, he was......

Kickers are lame. When kids play pickup football games, no one gets chosen first because they can split the uprights with a perfect field goal. Plus, they're only on the field about ten plays a game, if that. But tonight, Kris Brown is the toast of the town after leading the Texans to a nail-biter win over the Miami Dolphins at Reliant Stadium today. After suffering a heel injury on his non-kicking foot on the......

Houstonist proudly names 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Bruce Matthews, the first of a series of great Houston athletes to be honored. Matthews, who was drafted ninth overall in the 1983 NFL draft, could possibly be the last of the Houston Oilers to be inducted. Matthews was a rare specimen. He played 19 seasons with one franchise which included 296 games, a NFL record for lineman and sixth best in NFL history.......

Jim Nornton, the all-time Houston Oilers franchise leader in interceptions, passed away June 12 in Garland, Texas. He was 68. Nornton, was an original member of the franchise after being drafted from Idaho in 1960. In his rookie season in 1960 as a backup saftey, the Oilers won the AFL title game 38-28 over the Chargers. In his second year, Nornton earned the starting job at safety and he helped the Oilers back to......

The Houston Texans have known their list of opponents for months, but did not have dates for games until today when the NFL published the regular season schedules for 2007. The Texans face several noteworthy opponents on their home turf this season. The home and season opener looks to be winnable with the Kansas City Chiefs visiting on September 9th. Competition kicks it up a notch as Peyton and the Colts land on the 23rd......

Houstonist has become aware of some slightly disturbing news: word on the skreet is that Leon's Lounge may be under new ownership. Leon's is a Houston institution like the Oilers, the Summit, AstroWorld and the AstroDome. See. We told you it was disturbing. Actually news of a change in ownership doesn't always turn out to be bad. Just look what happened when Dan Snyder bought the Redskins. Oh wait. See wha ha happened was... Like......

The Astrodome has been home to many things. It bore witness to the highs and lows of the Oilers and Astros. It has been credited with helping to change the face of men's college basketball and March Madness. People roped dogies, jumped over cars on motorcycles, cheered on Ronald Reagan and promised to kick things in on the floor of the Eighth Wonder of the World. More recently, it has sheltered evacuees during Hurricane Katrina......

City Councilwoman and Mayor Pro Tem Carol Alvarado, who has found herself at the center of a city employee spending scandal, got a little more defensive Monday, hiring high-profile lawyer Rusty Hardin and a PR firm to help her cope. Though Alvarado has maintained that she didn't have anything to do with the employees in the mayor pro tem office taking extravagant payraises and more than $140,000 in unauthorized bonuses, the question remains how all......

Another school fight between Katrina evacuees and locals broke out at Westfield High School this morning; one student called it a "riot" HFD workers rescued a city employee who fell into a hole at a southeast Houston sewer lift station this afternoon Lewis P. "Bud" McFadin, a former player and coach for the Texas Longhorns and Houston Oilers, died in a Victoria hospital Monday at age 77 Looking for cheap gas? Head to Yale and......

Well, it's official: Houston's new soccer team will be called Houston 1836. The name was one of 13 choices in a "Name the Team" sweepstakes held earlier this year, but it's not clear whether Houston 1836 won the public vote. 1836, as well-informed Houstonist readers know, was the year the Allen brothers founded Houston on the banks of Buffalo Bayou. But the historical reference seems to be eluding many people, as the Chronicle noted today:......

So the Texans are facing an unusual conundrum going into Sunday's game against the 49ers: If they win, they'll close out a dismal season with a modicum of dignity; if they lose, they might be able to pick up Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush in the NFL draft. So, should the team try to lose? The Chronicle asked that question today, and the answer was a resounding "Hmm." Though she didn't come out and endorse......

By halftime at today’s Houston Texans game, the fans and Houstonist were feeling rather confident at our chances to improve the team's 1-9 season, especially after the recent comparison with a few of the worst seasons the Houston Oilers had back in those gloom days. A 24-to-3 lead over the St. Louis Rams, and their quarterback out for the remainder of the game — we have to win that one, right? It comes down to......

Houstonist is well aware of the talented people this city produces. It’s not often that you come across a NFL football player, noted physicist and inventor — all in one. Alfred Hildebrand’s death last month was noted in yesterday’s Houston Chronicle. Although his career with the Houston Oilers was short-lived, his work at Spectra-Physics, developing the barcode scanner used at your favorite supermarket and retailer, will be remembered. Granted, Houstonist was a wee one......