Houston 10: Most Influential Sports Figures
Influence stretches beyond on-field performance
For the last couple of years, the Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle has put out a list of the top 10 most influential sports figure in Houston. The list in 2018:
1. DeShaun Watson (Texans QB)
2. Jim Crane (Astros Owner)
3. Jeff Luhnow (Astros GM)
4. Jose Altuve (Astros 2B)
5. James Harden, Chris Paul, and Daryl Morey (Rockets guards and GM)
8. Justin Verlander (Astros P)
9. JJ Watt (Texans DE)
10. Ed Oliver (University of Houston DT)
It’s a really bad list.
In all fairness, Houston’s sports scene has exploded since he began this practice in 2012 and . Robertson recognizes this as a “fool’s errand” with “25 easily defendable candidates,” but still.
Even though there are a lot of worthy candidates, this list is preposterous given the premise of “Most Influential Athletes, Coaches, and Team Executives” that the piece is called. No college player comes close to the top 10. And then the order of some of his choices is bad; it disregards important things like actually making an impact on Houston.
So, without further ado, I present my own ranking of Houston’s 10 Most Influential Sports Figures:
1. JJ Watt (Texans DE)
2. Jose Altuve (Astros 2B)
3. James Harden (Rockets guard)
4. Justin Verlander (Astros P)
5. George Springer (Astros OF)
6. Chris Paul (Rockets PG)
7. Daryl Morey & Jeff Luhnow (Rockets and Astros GMs)
8. Jim Crane & Tilman Fertitta (Astros and Rockets Owners)
9. DeAndre Hopkins (Texans WR)
10. Carlos Correa (Astros SS)
I tried to judge this list based off of a couple of factors. Given that this is a ranking of Houston sports figures, performance on the field or role in building a team is important. But there are other ways to make an impact and be influential; off field impact and influence on the city of Houston, especially in the disastrous wake of Hurricane Harvey, means a lot to me living in Houston.
JJ Watt has been the best athlete in Houston sports history. Three Defensive Player of the Year awards and a run at the MVP will do that for you. But in 2017, Watt only played 5 games for the Texans with a meager impact. Despite multiple surgeries and a rough season, Watt did so much good for the city of the Houston.
$37,000,000. That’s how much money Watt raised in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. His efforts to raise money and awareness, not just locally in Texas, but nationally, helped so many people in the Houston area. Beyond the financial and physical aide, is the psychological aide that Watt’s efforts provided. Here was an athlete, nationally known, doing the grunt work and leading efforts to raise money for a devastated city.
Watt’s co-Sportsperson of the Year, Jose Altuve, did just as much as JJ Watt to help Houston recover. Altuve’s magical MVP season culminated in the Houston Astros first World Series Championship, a mere 3 months after Hurricane Harvey hit. For those of us in Houston, the Astros became a rallying point, a beacon of hope that injected excitement into our devastated communities.
#HoustonStrong became Houston’s message of resilience and toughness and the Astros, led by Altuve, embodied #HoustonStrong. The Astros went through the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers in a thrilling postseason run.
Boston, New York, and LA. Major League Baseball’s greatest legacy teams. And then, Houston. The fourth largest city in the US, but still fighting for a seat at the big boy sports table. By winning, the Astros proved that Houston belongs. Beyond that, Jose Altuve diminutive size and gigantic spirit inspired Houston and helped provide a distraction and title for an entire city.
Jose Altuve and JJ Watt have cemented their places on Houston’s Mount Rushmore of athletes; the cities’ other MVP, James Harden, has a much more complicated reputation.
Since his arrival for the 2012–2013 season, James Harden’s Rockets have won 316 of 492 games (0.642 win percentage=53 wins a season). Each season has come with a playoff appearance; 3 first round exits, 1 semi-final exit, and two exits in the Western Conference Finals (both to the Warriors, one with Dwight Howard and one with Chris Paul).
Harden has led the Rockets to the winningest six-year stretch in franchise history. Yet, he has never been the last one standing in June. That the standard he will always be judged against; the 1993–94 and 1994–95 Rockets, led by Hakeem Olajuwon, that won back to back NBA titles.
Altuve helped lead the Astros to their first franchise championship and the Texans have never made it past the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. JJ Watt and Altuve are creating a standard of high-performance for their teams. For the Rockets, that championship standard is ever-present and looming over Toyota Center.
Beyond that, Harden’s impact is clouded by the fact that so many, even Rockets fans, don’t enjoy watching him play. His style of play, driving to draw fouls and take layups or shoot isolation threes, doesn’t appeal to the masses. It isn’t the crisp ball movement of the Spurs or Warriors. Instead, he plays like a battering ram; probing and searching for weakness and capitalizing on it.
He’s a master a that. Which is why he does it, because it works. And at times, Harden can be an absolutely captivating player.
Harden’s 60 point, 10 rebound, and 11 assist triple-double was arguably the best regular season game in the NBA. In fact, by Game-Score on basketball-reference, that game was the fifth-best in NBA history.
As the NBA’s reigning MVP and leader of the team that was a hamstring away from dethroning the Golden State Warriors, James Harden’s place in Houston sports history is set in stone.
JJ Watt, Jose Altuve, and James Harden are all entrenched in Houston, now and forever. Justin Verlander is a newcomer to Houston.
After being acquired at the 2017 trade deadline, Verlander finished the regular season dominant. His playoff performance earned him an ALCS MVP and he was instrumental to clinching the World Series.
That’s something that the city will never forget. I already talked about the impact that the Astros’ title had and it would not have been possible without Verlander.
Verlander was acquired as Harvey was wrecking the city. His first introduction to a city that was underwater could have turned him off; instead it seemed to energize him and his presence injected championship experience and drive into his teammates.
Another Astro, George Springer, deserves just as much credit and praise for the Astros’ championship. Springer was the first Astro of the rebuild to make it to the major leagues; Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman joined him shortly after. And it was Springer on the cover of the infamous 2014 Sports Illustrated proclaiming the Astros the 2017 World Series Champions. And then it was Springer on the revamped cover; the one that celebrated their championship.
Beyond the World Series MVP, Springer has had such an impact off the field. His stutter has been well documented, but he’s taken it beyond himself and partnered with outside organizations that help kids overcome their own speech challenges. Springer is a great ball player, but his off-field work is remarkable and has made an huge impact on so many kids.
Much like Justin Verlander, Chris Paul was acquired to propel the Rockets to a championship. And he almost did, until his hamstring gave out in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. Paul was the missing ingredient for the 2017–2018 Rockets and he almost delivered. Rockets fans will be forever grateful, even if his 4 year — $160 million contract ends ugly.
The next four men, Daryl Morey & Tilman Fertitta (Rockets GM and Owner) and Jeff Luhnow & Jim Crane (Astros GM and Owner), are the ones responsible for fielding Houston’s championship-caliber teams. Morey and Luhnow radically changed the process for winning basketball games and for rebuilding a MLB franchise. That’s the league-wide impact, but every single thing that has gone into the impacts created by the rest of the athletes has only been made possible by the GMs and Owners responsible for bringing them together.
DeAndre Hopkins is the biggest omission from the original list of 10./Quite simply, he’s been the best and most reliable Texans’ player for two years. His catches, even if the don’t count, are highlight reel worthy. But, as the Texans fail to win, Hopkins doesn’t get the attention he deserves as a top 5 NFL WR. During the post-Harvey mess, Hopkins was out with his teammates, handing out supplies and helping communities.
George Springer may have beat him to the majors by a year, but Carlos Correa was the Promised One during the Astros’ years of losing. Our LeBron James. And while Correa has been very good (maybe not otherworldly), his presence, even in the minors, was a reminder and indicator of the good times to come for Houston sports.
