stroud proud

Ken Hoffman on why Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud is the best in the NFL — period

Our columnist knows what we all know: No. 7 is No. 1.

Photo via Houston Texans

We love our quarterback in Houston. And for good reason. C.J. Stroud is lighting up the league and led the Texans to a 45-14 absolute demolition of the Cleveland Browns in the post-season wild card. It's all good.

But let’s be real: This is Houston. We’ve all watched thousands of football games. We’re not giddy high schoolers. We've seen bubbles burst in Houston.

That's why I’m not saying that Stroud is as good as the NFL’s brightest star quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts and others.

I’m saying that Stroud is better.

I’m not talking careers, or 10 years ago or 10 years from now. I’m saying right now — last week and next Saturday in Baltimore where the Texans will face the No. 1 seed Ravens.

No. 7 is No. 1

Give me Stroud over any quarterback still alive in the playoffs. And that includes the Ravens' odds-on favorite for league MVP Lamar Jackson. Just look at the comments:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Houston Texans (@houstontexans)

You don’t need to google NFL passer statistics. All you need is two eyes. Have you ever seen a quarterback throw a more accurate pass than Stroud does? Or make all the right moves like Stroud? Who squeezes the most of his and his teammates’ abilities? Who has taken this Texans team and the city of Houston to a place nobody dared to dream a season ago?

Last weekend, Stroud and the Texans faced the favored Cleveland Browns, their heralded pass defense and seasoned, grizzled quarterback Joe Flacco in the AFC wild card. Flacco was one of the most successful post-season quarterbacks — ever. Stroud was … you might have heard he’s a rookie. Everything is the first time for him.

The rookie dusts the season veteran

Flacco entered NRG Stadium as a 38-year-old veteran. In some parts of the country — and definitely on the Maury Povich Show — he was old enough to be Stroud’s father.

When the smoke cleared, Flacco was a beaten mall walker throwing dying quails and multiple pick-sixes. He looked like someone needing to call an Uber to escape a dangerous part of town.

Meanwhile all Stroud did was throw for 274 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a shimmering 157.2 passer rating. Or as we’ve come to know it, just another day at the office for Stroud. He barely made it to the fourth quarter before head coach DeMeco Ryans pushed the pity button and pulled him.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Houston Texans (@houstontexans)

Stroud is the model of precision efficiency. Throws touchdowns. Doesn’t throw interceptions. Dinks and dunks. Hurls bombs. It’s fun to watch on TV when the screen shows Stroud releasing the ball and we cut to Camera 2 to find a Texans receiver tracking the pass like NORAD.

In the Texans’ playoff-clinching game, he effortlessly unloaded a long-distance missile to Nico Collins on the first play of the game, the ball spiraled 60 yards in the air, like they were playing catch in the backyard.

What Stroud doesn’t do is almost as important. You don’t see him risking injury for an extra yard that isn’t critical. You don’t see him risking interceptions by flinging the ball backwards over his head to avoid a sack. You don’t see him making dumb decisions. You don’t hear him boastin’ and braggin’ like a crazy person on ESPN.

C.J. Stroud does a lot of things. He just doesn’t do stupid.

-----

What do you love most about C.J. Stroud? Let Ken know at ken@culturemap.com or on Twitter.

a new hope

Houston group seeks fresh ideas for the Astrodome — including a data center

Photo courtesy of City of Houston

undefined

The Astrodome may have once been touted as the Eighth Wonder of the World, but its current condition remains one of Houston's most famous follies. In an effort to find a better use for the building, The Astrodome Conservancy released a Request for Information (RFI) this week, inviting proposals from interested parties on how the historic landmark might be used. Respondents have until September 8 to submit their responses at the official conservancy site.

“This RFI is an opportunity for the market to help shape a shared vision for the Astrodome,” said Beth Wiedower Jackson, executive director of the Astrodome Conservancy. “We are looking to gather creative, feasible, and financially viable ideas that reflect both the significance of the Astrodome and its potential as a catalyst for future development.”

When the Astrodome opened in 1965, it was a marvel of engineering and the world's first air-conditioned, multi-purpose domed sports stadium. It remained an iconic part of Houston until changing trends in sports sent the Astros and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to newer stadiums with modern amenities. After the 2003 Rodeo, the Dome was closed except for a brief use as an evacuation shelter for Hurricane Katrina.

A decades-long fight over what to do with the Astrodome followed that closure. The City of Houston condemned the building for various code violations in 2009. Fully renovating it would cost over $700 million, a tall order for taxpayers. Demolishing it would be far cheaper (around $55 million), but its status on the National Register of Historic Places makes that virtually impossible. Meanwhile, Harris County pays hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to keep the building from turning into an indoor swamp and health hazard.

Proposals for the space have run the gamut. In 2024, the Astrodome Conservancy proposed Vision: Astrodome, which would transform the building into an indoor mall and event space. That still appears to be the foundation of the plan according to the RFI. Or maybe a casino would work? All of it has been slow to get off the ground for a variety of cost and feasibility reasons.

The RFI is seeking private investment to partner with the Harris County property. Proposals are merely for planning purposes and will not automatically lead to contracts for development. Section 2.3 states that participants in the new mixed-use space will "require back-of-house infrastructure improvements to support reliable operations at scale," likely meaning that the plan is to fund some of the much-needed renovations via tenants. However, the RFI points out that participants in the revitalized Astrodome will also be eligible for historic space preservation tax credits.

While Vision: Astrodome seems committed to using the stadium as a public space for the entertainment of Houstonians, the RFI is clear other options are on the table. The Astrodome possibly being used to house a data center is specifically mentioned, though the RFI mandates such a proposal would need to be very upfront about the infrastructure demands and continuing operating costs of such a project. Public backlash against data centers led to Governor Greg Abbott ordering a pause on grid connections to them pending further review. In the unlikely event a data center operator received approval from both the Astrodome Conservancy and Harris County Commissioners, it would likely face opposition from other parties no matter how much money was involved.

astrodome conservancy