New NFL fans looking for a team should support the Houston Texans

In recent years, soccer has become a more popular sport here in the United States, and much of that rise in popularity comes from weekend morning television broadcasts of the English Premier League, arguably the highest level sport practiced in the world. global.

Now, when watching a sport, it helps to have a deep interest, and while gaming can certainly provide that mercenary feeling, some people like having a team they can call their own. So, one consequence of the soccer boom phenomenon was that Americans asked longtime EPL fans “Which team should I root for?” Of course, the right answer depends on one’s criteria, but the campaign run by fans of some teams to welcome people to their team’s bandwagon can be informative and entertaining.

As the National Football League continues to grow in popularity globally and the league exports games to two continents outside of North America (and perhaps more in the future), we will attend without no doubt a similar phenomenon among neophyte NFL fans in South America and Europe. , and elsewhere, ask the same question American EPL fans are asking: Who should I root for?

Just a year ago I would have never said this, and there’s still a part of me that can’t believe I’m about to type it right now, but you, fans NFL newbies looking for a team to lean on, should definitely support the Houston Texans.

Sure, you can look for a ready-made Super Bowl contender in the Kansas City Chiefs or San Francisco 49ers, but there are degrees when it comes to jumping on the bandwagon, and choosing one or The other one of these teams is downright lazy.

Sure, you can hop on board one of those franchises whose fan base already extends across the globe, or at least every major metropolitan area in the United States, with teams like the Cowboys, Steelers, Raiders, Packers, Giants and Patriots, but half of them. teams suck and the other half doesn’t need you, or may not even want you.

Instead, I encourage you to choose the Houston Texans, one of the few franchises to have never appeared in a Super Bowl and the only NFL franchise to never appear in the conference title game, but they have a young and stacked core. It’s the perfect balance between jumping on the bandwagon and possibly choosing futility. Anyway, you can look in the mirror if you choose the Texans.

Here are some more specific reasons in my case for the Texans:

The Texans are young, elite and likeable at the two most important positions
The trajectory of an NFL franchise is largely determined by two people: the franchise’s head coach and quarterback. Last season, the Texans became the first team in NFL history to win their division, with both people in those positions being starters. First-year head coach DeMeco Ryans came within one vote of winning Coach of the Year, and CJ Stroud was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year on a runaway. These two are expected to work together for a long, long time. Both are already betting on their work, and each would tell you they have plenty of room to grow. Choosing an NFL team with stability and elite performance at both spots is a wise fandom decision.

The Texans have established a young and dynamic foundation
Beyond Ryans and Stroud, there is the makings of a very good football team throughout the rest of the roster. In addition to Stroud at quarterback, the offense has two young wide receivers who should be there for the long haul in Nico Collins and Tank Dell. Almost the entire starting offense was under team control for three more seasons. On the defensive side of the ball, young DE Will Anderson and CB Derek Stingley, Jr. are good bets to become the highest paid players at their respective positions at some point. General manager Nick Caserio is one of the bright minds in the NFL, and the influx of young talent should continue for many years.

If you want to catch a game, the Texans are an easy visit for home games
Part of being a fan of a team is fulfilling the fantasy of seeing them play in person. Choosing cold weather prevents trips from going smoothly for the majority of the season. Choosing a blue blood like the Cowboys or Steelers can make tickets extremely expensive. The Texans are in a good position where they are an ascending team, but ticket prices are still reasonable on the secondary market. Plus, the year-round warm weather makes Houston an easy place to travel, and if I may say so, the people here in Houston are welcoming and friendly. Plus, from a memorabilia standpoint, the new uniforms are widely considered the best uniform upgrade of recent NFL seasons, so you’ll look good cheering on your new team!

So this is it ! Case closed. Welcome to the Texans bandwagon, worldwide! See you soon for a big Super Bowl celebration!

Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6-10 a.m. weekdays. Also follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/SeanTPendergaston Instagram at instagram.com/sean.pendergast, and like him on Facebook at facebook.com/SeanTPendergast.