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This is my last Breakfast with the Bulls article before we take off for West Virginia for the start of training camp on Wednesday. So, I like to tell this short story of the first time I ever went to the Houston Texans training camp and it included my good friend, former co-host and conspirator Sean Pendergast, current co-host of the number one rated radio show in Houston on our flagship Sportsradio 610.
In 2007, we had both just moved back to Houston to start our radio careers but we weren't scheduled to go on the air for about three or four weeks. Regardless, we wanted to get to as many Texans training camp practices as possible. Content was, is and always will be king, so we wanted as much of it as possible and training camp could provide it.
2007 Texans training camp kicked off on a Saturday so we figured that there would be a large throng of people waiting to get in. Media would be all overthe place because it was the first practice of the season. It was the first Texans training camp for quarterback Matt Schaub. Plus, this was Houston. We knew traffic here. We knew that Loop 610 could get backed up on a sneeze. So, we planned accordingly the day before.
Practice was slated to begin at 8:30, if I recall, so we decided to meet at our station, over in the Galleria, at 6:45. Then, the more we talked about the traffic, doing this for the first time, not sure where to go exactly, any issues we might face, meeting time changed from 6:45 to 6:30 to 6:15.
In the morning.
On a Saturday.
Both of us are punctual, maybe to a fault, so we ended up getting there at 6ish. We got on the roads, prepared for traffic, and…we pulled into the teal lot at 6:11 am. Nearly two hours before the first horn to practice blew. Not one ounce of traffic, which made perfect sense after the fact.
We drove in and it was like that scene in National Lampoon's Vacation when Chevy Chase and his family drove into Wally World. We had every spot to pick from, but didn't want to be eager beavers, so we drove all the way over near the Kirby Street pedestrian bridge. This was before the Teal lot became a festival at training camp. So, here we are two hours plus ahead of practice, all the way over by the bridge, not even close to the gate, a couple of knuckleheads.
Of course, we both sort of dozed off for a bit, until we heard this F-350 pull up alongside on my side of the car. This Duck Dynasty looking dude looked down at me and with the thickest drawl we'd heard to that point.
"Hey, y'all here to build the goal posts?"
Yeah, we were there so early, Willie Nelson thought we were putting together the goalposts the team used for practice.
Bemused, I just looked at Sean, unsure what to say. Finally, we just said.
"No, I don't think so." but considering we were there that early with nothing to do, I gave it thought for a split second.
Thankfully, the time passed and we were able to see our first NFL practice. There have been a lot of them since for the two of us and, of course, I'll be there for every one, broadcasting with Marc Vandermeer starting on Wednesday, piling up more training camp observations than you can handle. Sean and the Triple Threat will be at the Greenbrier starting on the 31st. Luckily for him, he's got an afternoon show and doesn't have to worry about being there too early.
This time around, we won't be asked to build goalposts.
