Category Archives: Other sports

Second group of cheerleaders sues the Texans

Posted on June 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Different group, same basic complaints. Hannah Turnbow spent the 2017 NFL season wearing a bright smile and a Texans cheerleaders uniform, dancing on the field, waving pompons on the sideline, meeting fans in NRG Stadium suites and concourses and attending … Continue reading →

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Former cheerleaders file lawsuit against Texans over pay

Posted on May 25, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I’d been wondering if something like this was going to happen here. Three former Texans cheerleaders sued the team and its cheerleading supervisor Tuesday, accusing the Texans of failing to pay minimum wage and overtime and accusing the cheer squad … Continue reading →

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Add taekwondo to the list of problematic sports

Posted on May 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Also a sport with local ties. Last week, four female USA Taekwondo (USAT) athletes filed a joint lawsuit against the USOC and USAT, alleging that the two organizations engaged in sex trafficking by forcing its athletes — including minor females … Continue reading →

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Stadiums and sports betting

Posted on May 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Sheryl Ring at Fangraphs adds another dimension to the SCOTUS sports betting decision story. But there is another incentive for states to legalize sports betting aside from just basic tax revenue. We’ve talked about ballpark deals, particularly in the context … Continue reading →

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Will the AG get involved in the Karolyi case?

Posted on May 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The gymnasts who were victimized by Larry Nasser at the Karolyi Ranch would like to see a higher level of action. The Texas Attorney General’s Office should take the steps of the Michigan attorney general in aggressively pursuing charges against … Continue reading →

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Tina Thompson

Posted on April 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations to original Houston Comet Tina Thompson for her selection to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Tina Thompson was honored for her stellar college, professional and Olympic career when she was named to the 2018 Class of the Naismith Memorial … Continue reading →

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Houston makes final cut for FIFA 2026 bid

Posted on March 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Now it’s up to FIFA. The Houston Dynamos might have to make some room: Space City has been included in the bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. On Thursday, officials announced that Houston is one of 23 cities … Continue reading →

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SaberCats Stadium

Posted on February 11, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Houston’s new pro rugby team will soon have a home. The city’s burgeoning rugby community is poised to have a new home after City Council inked a $3.2 million deal Wednesday that paves the way for the Houston SaberCats to … Continue reading →

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Investigating the Karolyis

Posted on February 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I’m fine with this, but I feel like we’re overlooking something. Nearly a week after prominent USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to prison for the sexual assault of several female gymnasts, Gov. Greg Abbott has asked the Texas … Continue reading →

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The XFL will be back

Posted on January 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

And this time the gimmick is there will be no gimmicks. WWE founder and chairman Vince McMahon announced Thursday he is giving a professional football league another go. It will be called the XFL, the same name of the league … Continue reading →

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The Karolyi Ranch

Posted on January 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good riddance. Once viewed as a beacon of “dreams, desire and dedication” for a generation of young women, now symbolic of years of abuse and betrayal, the Karolyi Ranch north of Houston will no longer serve as the national training … Continue reading →

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Cricket in Houston

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

If cricket ever becomes a big deal in the US, the Houston region will play a key role in that. Houston has had adult [cricket] leagues since the 1970s. Most players, then and now, are from Commonwealth countries – nations … Continue reading →

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Hockey for Houston (again)?

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It could happen. It’s early, the initial talks have only been exploratory and Mike D’Antoni doesn’t have to worry about slipping on the hardwood any time soon. But I can tell you this: [Tilman] Fertitta and Co. are interested if … Continue reading →

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Texans take a knee

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. On Sunday afternoon, before the Houston Texans faced off against the Seattle Seahawks in Washington, all but approximately 10 Texans took a knee during the national anthem. This was a direct response to Texans owner Bob McNair … Continue reading →

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The Sports Authority at 20

Posted on September 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A few stadia, a little mission creep. Where has the time gone? As the Harris County Houston Sports Authority celebrated its 20th anniversary Monday night with a reception for current and former directors and board members, it moves into its … Continue reading →

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Tilman Fertitta buys the Rockets

Posted on September 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Meet the new boss. Houston billionaire Tillman Fertitta has reached an agreement to purchase the Houston Rockets from Leslie Alexander. The $2.2 billion sale price to break the NBA record sale of $2 billion from when the Clippers were sold … Continue reading →

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Houston part of bid for 2026 FIFA World Cup

Posted on August 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. Houston and NRG Stadium are on an official list for cities and venues that may be considered to host a FIFA World Cup match if the event comes to North America in 2026. The United Bid Committee of the … Continue reading →

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The bathroom bill is a threat to Quidditch

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

How much more do you need to know? It’s not quite time to get out the broomsticks in Round Rock. A national quidditch tournament headed to town next year has been put on hold while legislators consider the bathroom bill … Continue reading →

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Hey lady, wanna referee a high school football game?

Posted on July 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Texas could really use you. The Houston chapter of the Texas Association of Sports Officials is somewhere between 50 and 200 officials short for the 2017 football season. TASO Executive Director Michael Fitch has referred to the statewide shortfall of … Continue reading →

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Rockets for sale

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The end of an era. Rockets owner Leslie Alexander, among the longest-tenured owners in North American professional sports, has put the franchise up for sale, team president Tad Brown announced Monday in a stunning, hastily-called news conference after Alexander reached … Continue reading →

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Texas needs more refs

Posted on June 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe you have what it takes to be one. The Texas Association of Sports Officials has been around since the late 1970s. The organization has seen a decrease in its numbers in recent years. At the same time, more and … Continue reading →

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Super Bowl economic impact was about what we expected

Posted on June 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not too bad. The receipts are in, and February’s Super Bowl LI appears to have been a substantial boon for Houston — albeit with slightly less spending than expected. Gross spending during the nine days of Super Bowl programming, minus … Continue reading →

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Major League Rugby in Houston

Posted on March 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Meet the Houston Strikers. A group of rugby supporters are kicking around plans to build a rugby stadium in the area. The ownership group behind the new Major League Rugby franchise the Houston Strikers is finalizing plans to develop a … Continue reading →

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Tom Brady’s jersey recovered

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Our long national nightmare is finally over. On Monday morning, the NFL and Houston’s police chief reported [Tom Brady’s Super Bowl] jersey was located and will be returned to the Patriots. Investigators with the Houston Police Department’s Major Offenders Division … Continue reading →

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More on Mack Beggs

Posted on March 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I like this kid. In the wake of winning a controversial Texas state girls’ wrestling title over the weekend, Mack Beggs, a 17-year-old transgender wrestler, spoke to the need to “stay strong” while also calling on state policymakers to “change … Continue reading →

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Mack Beggs

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I guarantee, we have never paid as much attention to the Texas high school wrestling championships as we did this past weekend. If the fervor over Euless Trinity transgender wrestler Mack Beggs during the last week could be swelled into … Continue reading →

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The Super Bowl economic impact calculators have figured out it’s all a game

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

They’ve adjusted their methods in anticipation of your criticisms. With less than a month to go before the big day, let no one say that Super Bowl LI — as an economic event, not a football game — has been inadequately forecast. … Continue reading →

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Time once again to talk about the Super Bowl and its economic impact

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We’re less than 100 days out from Super Bowl LI here in Houston. I don’t know how much people who are not directly involved in the planning and execution of it are thinking about that. The economic benefits of hosting … Continue reading →

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Big XII declines to expand

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, UH. The University of Houston’s campaign to join the Big 12 Conference was crushed Monday by the league’s presidents, who ruled out expansion without discussing the merits of any individual applicants, including the confident, fast-rising Cougars. Bob Bowlsby, the … Continue reading →

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“The only game in college sports history whose the final outcome was decided after the game”

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

If you follow sports, you have probably heard about this: In one of the more improbable finishes to a football game, Central Michigan wide receiver Corey Willis grabbed a lateral from fellow receiver Jesse Kroll at the 12-yard line after … Continue reading →

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The MOB and Baylor

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

So you’ve probably heard about this by now. If it’s possible for a band to steal headlines away from a football game, Rice’s Marching Owl Band found a way. While Rice made strides but ultimately fell against No. 21 Baylor … Continue reading →

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ACC makes it three

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

So long, North Carolina. Just two days after the NCAA announced they were moving scheduled tournaments out of North Carolina in protest of the state’s anti-LGBTQ House Bill 2, the Atlantic Coast Conference—which includes North Carolina’s biggest Division I programs … Continue reading →

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NCAA removes all championship games for 2016 and 2017 from North Carolina

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Actions, they have consequences. Based on the NCAA’s commitment to fairness and inclusion, the Association will relocate all seven previously awarded championship events from North Carolina during the 2016-17 academic year. The NCAA Board of Governors made this decision because of the cumulative actions taken … Continue reading →

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UT will not push UIL on transgender athletes

Posted on July 31, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Unfortunate. Despite objections from LGBT advocates, UIL’s longstanding informal policy is set to become official August 1 — when it takes effect as an amendment to the league’s constitution. The amendment, initially approved by UIL’s Legislative Council last year, wasoverwhelmingly ratified … Continue reading →

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