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    Beyond the Boxscore

    United Airlines flight attendant pimps the Texans, angers insecure Andrew Luckdevoted passengers

    Chris Baldwin
    Dec 30, 2012 | 6:04 am
    • United Airlines might have a little bit of Houston spunk left in it after all.
    • Arian Foster has plenty of fans in the friendly skies.
      Photo by Michelle Watson/CultureMapSnap

    INDIANAPOLIS — The airline formerly known as Continental lost much of its Houston identity with that shameful move of the corporate headquarters to Chicago.

    But it turns out that there is still some H-Town pride left in the combined mega United Airlines.

    When my United Express flight to Indianapolis touched down Saturday evening, the flight attendant — a perky, actually-often-smiling flight attendant — took to the plane microphone and said, "Welcome to Indianapolis. And go Texans!"

    Well, this didn't go over too well with many of the people actually from Indianapolis on the plane.

    "Come on now!" an older woman in a Indiana University sweatshirt loudly called out.

     

      Indy fans could not even let a little light-hearted moment go without exposing their town's rampant insecurities. 

    "I ought to report her," another woman muttered around her breath. A guy in a J.J. Watt jersey just grinned at her.

    Now, the flight attendant, Ashley, clearly was from Texas. Again, she smiled and was not wearing a Midwest special sweatshirt or holiday sweater. But Indy fans could not even let a little light-hearted moment go without exposing their town's rampant insecurities.

    (This group was flying back from Houston. You'd think they'd be happy for having been granted special permission from the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce to experience a real major city).

    Every time I come to this strip mall posing as a downtown, I'm reminded of how wishy washy the Colts fan base is. I've already detailed how eagerly and disgracefully Indianapolis completely dismissed Peyton Manning to go crazy over Andrew Luck. But even as they pretend Luck is doing something completely amazing that's never been dreamed of being done before in the NFL (rather than just something Andy Dalton did last year to a thousand times less fanfare), there is little real belief in the team.

    When I heard someone on Houston radio say this week that the Colts are the worst 10-win team in NFL history, I wished I'd thought of the line myself.

    I didn't expect to have so many people in Indianapolis basically saying it themselves.

    "Oh, it doesn't look good for the Colts," my cab driver told me, unprompted. "I think they are in trouble."

    It was more of the same in the bar at St. Elmo's Steak House, the iconic Indianapolis institution that is the one place worth eating at in all of downtown. (When I asked the concierge at my hotel to recommend a place besides St. Elmo's, hoping for a change of pace, she stumbled around for a few minutes before citing Champps and Weber Grill. Enough said.)

    One guy at St. Elmo's said that he believed in the Butler Bulldogs, who happened to be playing Vanderbilt on the main TV, more than the Colts.

    So much for that Luck pluck.

    It turns out you need to go to Houston to find anyone who thinks the playoff-bound 10-5 Colts can beat the 12-3 Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Even if the Texans are 0-10 lifetime in this town.

     Pagano Power

    Sure, there is plenty of genuine, heartfelt excitement over the coach Chuck Pagano's courageous return to the sidelines after a three-month leukemia fight. That is going to be one powerful moment at Lucas Oil Stadium, otherwise known as the house that Peyton Manning built, on Sunday afternoon.

    There is no doubt that Pagano is one of the great stories in recent sports history. Of course, there is also no doubt that he'll be putting the emotion of his cancer return ahead of winning in the playoffs if he actually goes through with what he said and plays Andrew Luck most of the game.

    Then again, maybe making a cancer statement is more important than winning a playoff game.

     

      Every time I come to this strip mall posing as a downtown, I'm reminded of how wishy washy the Colts fan base is. 

    No one in this town seems to really believe in these Colts anyway. (And I still can't believe that Luck will play more than a series or two against the Texans at most. Especially not when they see what J.J. Watt going for an all-time record looks like.)

    Indianapolis has nothing tangible to play for on this Sunday (the Colts are already locked into the AFC's fifth seed and know they need a healthy Luck for a playoff game in seven days or less). The Texans are essentially playing to move onto round two of the playoffs and ensure their road to New Orleans only runs right through Reliant.

    "We know if we win, we don't have to play next week," safety Danieal Manning says of the bye on the line. "That's big."

    That's the type of thinking the people of Indianapolis do their best to avoid. They love their Colts. They're just not sure they're any good.

    Which is probably why a sweet, smiling Texas stewardess can drive them so insane.

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    in this corner

    Premier Japanese women's wrestling league performs in Houston this weekend

    Jef Rouner
    Jul 9, 2025 | 12:30 pm
    Two Japanese women wrestlers compete in a ring. One is stomping in the other with both feet.
    Photo courtesy of Tokyo Joshi
    Hard-hitting women's wrestling for two nights in Houston

    For the first time ever, one of Japan's premier women's wrestling promotions, Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, will be touring Texas, with a two-night stay in Houston this week.

    "Bringing TJPW to Texas reflects Tokyo Story’s broader strategy," a Tokyo Story representative writes in an email. "As a Japan-inspired toy and event company, we see major Southwest cities — especially in Texas — as prime for the growth of Asian pop culture. Houston, Dallas, and others are becoming more diverse, culturally curious, and open to new entertainment formats. This isn’t a one-off stop — it’s part of a long-term push to bring Japan’s creativity to cities with eager audiences. And we are making TJPW Live an annual event!"

    The events happen on Thursday, July 10 and Friday, July 11 at POST Houston (401 Franklin). Tickets are available at TokyoStoryUSA.com.

    TJPW split off from DDT Wrestling in 2012 as a sister promotion (or "league") that ran alongside its male counterpart before becoming its own entity in 2015. In that time, they've launched the career of international superstars like Yuka Sakazaki and Mina Shirakawa (both currently signed to All Elite Wrestling in America), as well as hosting non-Japanese guest grapplers like Thunder Rosa.

    The fighting is excellent and often brutal, but TJPW is also known for its playfulness. Matches embrace anime-like absurdity, such as having a wrestler work in a giant panda mascot costume. The promoters are hoping to one day partner with Texas truck stop icon Buc-ee's for a more mascot shenanigans. Many of the women also perform in J-pop girl groups on of their wrestling duties.

    On Night 1, strike specialist Miyu Yamashita will take on Maki Itoh, known for her flamboyant style and high risk maneuvers. Night 2 will feature much of the local guest talent, such as Houston's own Kaylia Capri (Reality of Wrestling) vs Yuki Arai in a singles bout, and Austin's Vert Vixen teaming with reigning TJPW tag champ Hyper Misao. Other Texans slated to appear ar Maya World, Alejandra Quintanilla, and Billie Starkz.

    The last decade has seen a marked rise in the quality and prestige of women's wrestling in America, with WWE hosting all-women Royal Rumbles and stars like Rhea Ripley and "Timeless" Toni Storm becoming household names. Most major promotions now feature robust line-ups of Japanese women wrestlers, with some like Asuka and Iyo Sky becoming world champions.

    For Japan, women's wrestling has a more consistent history of legitimacy going back decades, and the talent pool there is vast. TJPW branching out into Texas tours gives them a chance to showcase their wrestlers in the land that spawned legends like The Undertaker, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and the Von Erich Family.

    "The response has been overwhelmingly positive," said the TJPW spokesperson. "Many who had never experienced joshi (women’s) wrestling before are discovering how entertaining, emotional, and uniquely captivating it is. Since announcing the Texas shows, we’ve received a flood of enthusiastic messages — not just from wrestling fans, but from people drawn to the theatricality, comedy, and creativity of TJPW. We've also heard from fans in other states asking us to bring the tour to their cities."

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