Geographist

Elvin Hayes Born: November 17, 1945 Sport: Basketball (2-time All-American, Collegiate Player of the Year, 12-time All-Star, 6-time All-NBA, Hall of Fame) I originally had other plans for our focus this week, but hopefully my change of plans is well-received.  All of the major professional sports are currently underway, with baseball about to wrap up and crown a new champ, football in the midst of their regular season, and both hockey and basketball recently getting started.  It was basketball that caught my attention, however, as the local team has welcomed a new superstar who will likely end his career in the Hall of Fame.  But since he's new in town, I'll give him a year before we let him get onto our list.  Instead, I've decided to go back in time to learn about someone who had a laundry list of "firsts" for the city of Houston, a giant man known as much for his skill as his durability, Elvin Hayes. Hayes played at numerous arenas across Houston during his thr...

George Blanda Born: September 17, 1927 Sport: Football (4-time All-AFL, 4-time AFL All-Star, MVP, Hall of Fame) I hope everyone has had a wonderful time since my last post, because I had a blast on a short cruise with my wife.  We definitely recommend the experience to anyone who hasn't had a chance to enjoy sailing away and disconnecting for a while.  As indicated on last week's post, we crossed the 300,000 threshold for views on this blog and it's mind-blowing to me to think about that many clicks on a website that just has a bunch of things I'm learning and want to share.  Thanks to all!  As we climb back into the study of Houston athletic figures, this week we'll go back in time to our city's first professional quarterback and the only man to bring football titles to a city that is obsessed with the gridiron.  Since it's been a long time since my last post, I thought it would be fun to look at someone who spent a long time playing the game he loved - Geo...

Hey all, I'm taking this week off to cruise around with Mrs. Geographist.  We'll get back to our study of Houston athletics once I'm back onshore.  By that point, the blog will have surpassed 300,000 views - thank you to each and every one of you!  If you've enjoyed what is on the site, I would encourage you to find and purchase my 52-week devotional, Our Story With God.  As of this writing, it's discounted from its original price on several sites, so take advantage now!  I've linked some popular sellers where it's available, and it is the perfect complement to the audio blogs that started this site a few years ago.  Our Story with God by Brian W. McClain on Apple Books https://share.google/sjKofhzAmq3NVhOCb Our Story with God: A One-Year Devotional Study of the Bible by Brian W. McClain | eBook | Barnes & Noble® https://share.google/oxr7uJoPwlS4gPO83 Amazon.com: Brian W McClain: books, biography, latest update https://share.google/nItHMJFtojY9yfe1...

Dicky Maegle Born: September 14, 1934 Sport: Football (All-American, Pro Bowl, All-Pro, College Football Hall of Fame)  Most sports fans align themselves with certain teams, while others pick particular players to cheer.  Personally, I've always been a homer, rooting for my local teams no matter what the sport happens to be.  There have been a few players that have caught my eye over the years, however, that have drawn my interest and caused my to cheer their successes, as long as it didn't interfere with anyone from Houston.  But one thing nearly every sports fan has in common is the excitement over the remarkable play.  The thrill of watching incredible athletes perform at the highest level sometimes results in a moment of amazement, disbelief, or awe that embeds itself in our collective memories, causing us to think (or say), "I've never seen that before!"  This week I wanted to give a nod to one of Houston's universities that has a distinctive sports pa...

DeMeco Ryans Born: July 28, 1984 Sport: Football (All-American, Defensive Rookie of the Year, 2-time Pro Bowl, 2-time All Pro, 21-17 coaching record) This week was bittersweet for Houston sports fans as our beloved Astros missed out on the playoffs for the first time in 8 years, and the Rockets announced starting PG Fred VanVleet will likely miss the entire upcoming season after tearing an ACL, but at least the Houston Texans finally got their first win of the year.  I was going to do a post on someone who had ties to Houston and the team we beat, the former Oilers and current division rival Tennessee Titans, but then I decided that the spotlight should stay on the home team.  After all, why pay attention to the franchise that we just beat down 26-0, our first shutout win since 2010?  So this week seems like a great time to look at the history of the man currently serving as the head coach of the Texans, DeMeco Ryans, and understand why his playing career meant he was suc...

The Undertaker (Mark Calaway) Born: March 24, 1965 Sport: Wrestling (7-time world champion, 7-time world tag team champion, Hall of Fame)  As baseball season winds down to its final week of the regular season and football season continues to progress, I find myself increasingly frustrated with my local teams.  Both the Astros and the Texans have struggled to score in recent days, displaying less "offense" and more "offensive" play with both teams dropping three straight and currently sitting outside of any sort of playoff scenario.  Some of the recent sports TV news has focused on a major wrestling event that happened this weekend, and the persona of a Houston-based star of that sport may end up being the only kind of help my beloved hometown teams will need if they don't improve soon.  With that in mind, I figured that this week we should take a look at the story of The Undertaker, one of the longest-lasting celebrities of professional wrestling, and a proud pr...

Ray Childress Born: October 20, 1962 Sport: Football (2-time All American, 5-time Pro Bowl, 5-time All Pro, College Football Hall of Fame) Both professional and collegiate football are continuing to march through their early season schedules, and already there have been a few marquis matchups that have caught the attention of fans across the country.  This week, in recognition of nearby Texas A&M's victory over Notre Dame, who had been ranked in the top 10, I thought it might be good to look at a player who competed for the Aggies as well as for Houston's NFL team.  Because none of the players from College Station have made a major impact yet for the Texans, we have to go back in time to the previous franchise.  In the mid-80s, a defensive lineman named Ray Childress was drafted by the Houston Oilers and became a staple for the team for over a decade.  Even after his career ended, he stayed local to start a business and remained a recognizable face on TV.  L...

Arian Foster Born: August 24, 1986 Sport: Football (4-time Pro Bowl, 2-time All Pro) Today the Houston Texans officially kicked off their latest season.  Since the first game in the franchise's history (almost exactly 23 years ago, a 19-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys) there have been a few seasons that have created the sort of success that made the fans cheer a little more, and a handful of players that have combined talent and personality to become true fan favorites.  Houston loves cheering for the underdog, so when an undrafted free agent named Arian Foster emerged as the team's first-string running back the city was ready to rally around him.  His quirky style and unapologetic individualism endeared him all the more with anyone who followed the Texans.  By the end of his career he had etched his name in the record books, so this week let's take a look at the story of Arian Foster.  Houston's Reliant Stadium, home of the Texans Born in Albuquerque, New Me...

Billie Jean King Born: November 22, 1943 Sport: Tennis (782-192 career record, 39 Grand Slam titles - 12 singles, 16 doubles, and 11 mixed doubles, World #1 Player, Hall of Fame) As college football continues to get underway with its first full weekend of action, pro football enjoys its final moment before the season begins next week, and baseball approaches its final month before the playoffs arrive, another sport has taken its place on the usual highlight shows.  In the heart of New York, the best tennis players in the world have gathered to compete in the 2025 US Open, which will have its final events wrapped up by the time next week's post is made.  The venue for one of the sport's four major tournaments, boasting 17 individual courts, is called the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.  While not from Houston, the namesake had a memorable match in the city's most iconic venue with which she will forever be associated.  As a sad coincidence, both King's younge...

Andre Ware Born: July 31, 1968 Sport: Football (All-American, Heisman Trophy, College Football Hall of Fame) The NFL preseason ended this weekend while the college football season kicked off with a partial slate of games.  The city of Houston has been no stranger to producing talent at both levels, and with several universities calling the city home we've had our share of local players to cheer for.  But only one player to play their college career within the city limits has ever brought home the top individual award for performance on the field, and that was Andre Ware.  A local talent who soared to unprecedented heights, Ware made it to the professional ranks as a quarterback after his time in college and then returned to his roots to be a long-time contributor for his hometown team.  This week, we'll learn more about the local legend who is now heard every week by fans across the region. The Astrodome, home of the UH Cougars during Ware's 1989 season As the only c...