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Houston Texans 2014 schedule includes one of highest priced games ever, Robert Griffin III opening test

First-year Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien, an East Coast guy through and through, is certainly getting an Eastern introduction to his new job.

The Texans play three NFC East teams in the first five games of the upcoming 2014 season, including a Sept. 7 home opener vs. the Washington Redskins and the highly-anticipated regular season clash with the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5 on Oct. 8. That's just part of the slate revealed in the NFL's now holiday-like schedule release — a buzzy event that's turned into another professional football TV night.

Less than two hours before the Houston Rockets would take the court for a crucial playoff game, Texans fans found out what their team's road back to relevance looks like.

The game at Jerry World will be one of the most anticipated Texans games ever.

The Texans play three of their first five games on the road and face another stretch of three road trips in four games — highlighted by an Oct. 20 Monday Night Football date in Pittsburgh — but they get to close at home with matchups against the Baltimore Ravens (and former coach Gary Kubiak) Dec. 21 and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 28.

If the Texans are fighting for a playoff berth late in the season, that finish could be an advantage.

Having arguably the best defensive player in the NFL in J.J. Watt, one of the most exciting offensive weapons in all of football in Arian Foster and a wide receiver still putting up crazy numbers at age 32 in Andre Johnson — not to mention holding the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft — apparently still isn't enough to entice the networks too much. The Texans only get two prime time games this season — the Monday nighter against Pittsburgh and a game vs. the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 9 in the now much more high-profile CBS Thursday Night slate.

That's less than half the total of prime time games Houston played in both 2012 and 2013. The stink of 2-14 certainly lingers some.

Still, the game at Jerry World will be one of the most anticipated Texans games ever. Patrick Ryan — co-owner of The Ticket Experience, a Houston-based ticket broker — tells CultureMap that it's going to be one of the five highest priced regular season games on the secondary market this year. Not just the Texans' highest price game. One of the highest priced games in the entire 256-game strong NFL schedule.

"I think it’s great," O'Brien says of the Cowboys matchup. "I think Texas is such a great football state. The city of Houston is a football city and any time you have the two pro teams in the state of Texas playing each other, that’s a fantastic thing for the National Football League and great for both fan bases.

"It’s an exciting time for both teams.”

Tony Romo won't be the only controversial quarterback the Texans face off against. They get Robert Griffin III, trying to pull off a comeback season, in the opener, and old friend Matt Schaub in Week 2 game at Oakland.

The Texans' complete 2014 regular season schedule:

Sunday Sept. 7 Washington Redskins Noon
Sunday Sept. 14 at Oakland Raiders 3:25 p.m.
Sunday Sept. 21 at New York Giants Noon
Sunday Sept. 28 Buffalo Bills Noon
Sunday Oct. 5 at Dallas Cowboys Noon
Thursday Oct. 9 Indianapolis Colts 7:25 p.m.
Monday Oct. 20 at Pittsburgh Steelers 7:30 p.m.
Sunday Oct. 26 at Tennessee Titans Noon
Sunday Nov. 2 Philadelphia Eagles Noon
Sunday Nov. 9 BYE
Sunday Nov. 16 at Cleveland Browns Noon
Sunday Nov. 23 Cincinnati Bengals Noon
Sunday Nov. 30 Tennessee Titans Noon
Sunday Dec. 7 at Jacksonville Jaguars Noon
Sunday Dec. 14 at Indianapolis Colts Noon
Sunday Dec. 21 Baltimore Ravens Noon
Sunday Dec. 28 Jacksonville Jaguars Noon

The Houston Texans and Andre Johnson are diving back in, trying to re-grab the NFL's attention.

Photo by © Michelle Watson CultureMapSNAP.com

The Houston Texans and Andre Johnson are diving back in, trying to re-grab the NFL's attention.

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pucker up

Growing pickleball franchise smashes into Houston with 2 locations

Two men play pickleball on a Picklr court.

Photo courtesy of The Picklr

A Picklr court campus similar to the ones soon to open in Houston.

Pickleball is one of the hottest sports sweeping the nation, and one of the biggest names in the game is setting up two new facilities in Houston. Picklr is scheduled to open indoor sports campuses in Cypress and The Woodlands in the coming months.

“Bringing a pickleball facility to Cypress will not only provide a fun and engaging recreational outlet for residents of all ages, but will also foster a sense of community and promote a healthy and active lifestyle,” said Steve Nguyen, owner of The Picklr Cypress.“This facility will serve as a vibrant hub for social interaction, skill development, and friendly/competitive competition, enhancing community bonds and offering a welcoming space for everyone to enjoy.”

Although the game is approximately 60 years old, pickleball saw a massive spike in popularity following the pandemic when people were looking for fun group activities with easy points of entry. Though a racket sport like tennis, it is far easier and slower thanks to using perforated balls, smaller courts, and lighter paddles. This means the game is open to players of all ages, and was originally most popular with retirees. Now, there are roughly 5 million players across America, with players under 24 making up the majority. Houston even has its own professional team, the Hammers (not the Texas Hammer; that's this guy).

The court in Cypress will be located in the old ASI Gymnastics building at 8920 Barker Cypress. It's a relatively modest facility with only six courts including a practice court. By contrast, The Woodlands location will be much more opulent. At 66,517 square feet, it will have 20 courts, 4 private event spaces (one with an exclusive viewing area), as well as a shower, changing room, dry bar, and kitchenette. Picklr The Woodlands will be located at 16590 Interstate I-45 South.

These locations are the first for Picklr in Houston. They have twelve locations all throughout Texas, including in Round Rock and McKinney, and many more nationwide. Picklr locations operate on a membership model similar to a gym. Memberships run $159 a month for adults and $89 for minors, with unlimited access to open play, league play, and tournaments , as well as four free clinics a month. Additional coaching is available.

There is currently no set opening date for the two Houston-area Picklrs. Players interested in learning more may sign up for updates at ThePicklr.com.

pickleball openings