Oklahoma No. 1

Making sense of Texas' No. 24 ranking: Reasons to be excited — and worried aboutthe Longhorns

It will not be long before University of Texas football once again dominates Saturdays for some. However, what is usually a magical and exciting time of year carries with it some caution, as the Longhorns come off their worst season in 15 years.

Yet, the USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll — released Thursday — has Texas ranked No. 24 in the nation (of course arch-rival Oklahoma ranks No. 1 overall and Texas A&M is No. 9, adding more than a little insult to any sense of surprise praise).

Following up a trip to the national championship game in 2009 with a devastating 5-7 record in 2010 can cause a few fans to lose enthusiasm, and cost a few coaches their jobs. But it is still football and this is still Texas, so we present good reasons to be excited and cautious about the upcoming UT campaign.

Get excited:
It’s Football dammit!

Football season is so much more than the actual games. It is also defined by the things that go along with it: Boots, Beer and BBQ. These remain fall football components that Austin does better than anywhere else in the country, no matter how well the team is playing.

The recruits No. 1 in the nation

One of the key indicators of a team’s long term success is ability to recruit incoming players. ESPN recently ranked UT's incoming class of recruits as the best in the nation. Texas regularly collects a top five recruiting class so this is no guarantee of future success, but right now these players are better than everyone else’s new players.

Increased likelihood of Matthew McConaughey sightings

Austin’s own Dazed and Confused movie star is a fixture at Texas football games. McConaughey has also lent his trademark drawl to promoting the launch of the Longhorn Network, the first sports channel dedicated solely to one school.

The landmark deal should further solidify Longhorn football's status as a national brand.

Mack Brown still head coach

Now entering his 14th season, Brown faced a lot of criticism for his team’s performance last year. But remember: He is the winningest coach in school history and one of the winningest in all of college football. A run of 10 consecutive seasons of nine wins or more (before last season of course), two trips to the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game and the 2005 national title create a pretty impressive track record for the former coach of the year.

Brown also still has a winning career record against Oklahoma. And, unlike powerhouse schools USC and Ohio State, he didn’t have to violate NCAA rules to do it.

Be Cautious:
Last season

We’re not going to lie, 2010 was rough! Losing to UCLA was bad enough. But Texan A&M and Iowa State? Even the most diehard Longhorn fans have a right to be nervous.

Players from last season, still on the team

Another thing to remember, though many poor coaching decisions will surely be corrected, many of the players executing those decisions are still on the team. We'll see if the little brothers of Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley, Case and Jackson respectively, are able to match that magic in order to save the team.

Increased likelihood of Matthew McConaughey sightings

See above. Not everything Matthew McConaughey touches turns to gold. Consider the following movies: Failure to Launch, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Fool's Gold.

Mack Brown still makes all that money and you don’t

With a salary of $5.2 million — one of the highest in college football — Brown’s talents come at a hefty price and not everyone is pleased. We can forgive him for one bad season.

But two bad seasons? It’s going to take a lot more than Bevo to fire up the fan base in that case.

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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