The B-Block

- Having fun on Twitter and Instagram doesn't make Antonio Brown a realistic option for the Texans.

- The Astros are back to working out in preparation of the 2020 season. It looks like they're going to really do this.

- If anyone can get the most of what's left of Cam Newton, it has to be Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels and the Patriots.

- Maya Moore deserves to be in the pantheon of social justice heroes in sports. 

Support the show

The NBA released its schedule for the bubble experiment. I stress "experiment" over "bubble" because that's more of what it is. 

What are we looking to see from the Rockets when the games start?

Plus, a tribute to DJ Screw and the black entrepreneurship that allowed it to become such a phenomenon.

Support the show

- Deshaun Watson reportedly wants a shorter contract extension - why that's a good idea for the young QB

- The Texans don't have the assets to trade for Jamal Adams, making it a virtually impossible hypothetical. But it's not crazy to want the All-Pro safety on the team, or to try and consider ways it could happen.

- Why NASCAR is such a fascinating avenue to the larger discussion about race

Support the show

- Texans and Cowboys players tested positive for coronavirus. Isn't it odd how normal the NFL is treating this?

- Baseball doesn't know what it wants to do, but being relevant apparently ain't it.

- Chuba Hubbard's beef with his head coach Mike Gundy isn't about a difference of opinion. It's about what Gundy stands for and how that measures up with who he's recruiting. 

- NBA players and other athletes have cautioned that sports returning would be a distraction to the movement. They might not be giving enough credit to the movement, or the people behind it.

Support the show

- As awful as 2020 has been, Major League Baseball still needs to play this year. And it will, but likely a watered down 48-game season in the context of the bickering and penny-pitching that got it there. 

It's too bad for the Astros, who provided the league with a villain to root against.

- Also, Drew Brees apologized for his national anthem comments and gave listening a shot. So did the NFL.

Support the show

It is unclear whether this is actually the monumental moment it feels like, when things turn and we go from focusing on simply not being racist to aggressively being anti-racist. 

That’s the hope.

It starts with listening and acknowledging your own privilege wherever it applies. Bill O'Brien understands this. Drew Brees does not.

Support the show

Major League Baseball team owners want players to take paycuts so significant that it might not even make playing worthwhile to them. The players' counter is to propose more games, but to get the prorated salaries they agreed to in March.

J.J. Watt spoke candidly on the death of George Floyd, a Houston-native who died in police custody in Minnesota. It's important for white athletes to speak out on these issues, because that's who people actually listen to. 

Support the show

• With the conclusion of 'The Last Dance' it's time we show the Houston Rockets their proper respect. A lot of fans assume the Bulls would've won those two championships in 1994 and 1995 had Michael Jordan not retired. I wish that was a rivalry we could've seen to avoid these hypotheticals.
• Also, Alex Bregman ditches his agent because LeBron James' production company crossed him. But there's some more background that makes this move pretty interesting.
• And leave Paul Pierce's Top 5 list alone, he entitled to be wrong on this.

Support the show

- The Texans have only one primetime game in 2020, but the one they got is going to be a MASSIVE event. It will be the first post-pandemic NFL game, possibly the first live competitive sporting event from the major sports, post-pandemic. The Texans are going to be part of history one way or another on this night. 

- If Earl Thomas is going to be the married dude who cheats on his wife and does orgies (not condoning, excusing or judging, just saying), why's he on Snapchat?

- Also, it's getting annoying hearing people discuss whether 'The Last Dance' is good journalism. It's entertainment, with some journalistic elements and principles sprinkled in. Deal with it.

Support the show

Let's admit it. With some of the questionable moves Bill O'Brien made this offseason, it was hard to imagine how he wouldn't mess up this draft. He'd already traded away the next two years' first round picks for left tackle Laremy Tunsil and we know about the other controversial deals, liking trading away DeAndre Hopkins for a bloated running back contract and a second-round pick. 

But the Texans made that pick on Friday, and it turned out to be Missouri City native Ross Blacklock (defensive tackle, TCU). He was the first of five Texans draft picks over the weekend. Let's break down what they have now, and a look at the Tunsil contract extension.

Support the show