Geographist

Mike Munchak Born: March 5, 1960 Sport: Football (All American, 9-time Pro Bowl, 8-time All Pro, Hall of Fame)  The current Houston professional football team played the former Houston professional football team today, and for the second time this season the Texans ended up on top, beating the Titans.  Plenty of figures have been involved on both sides of the rivalry, or have at least called both locations "home" during their careers.  It has been a sore point for many years that an organization in Nashville can claim the legacies of Houston's best players, but that just adds to a hard-fought rivalry that has a historical head-to-head record of exactly 24 wins apiece.  This week we'll get to learn about a great player who spent his entire playing career in Space City but landed in rival territory when it came time to have a coaching career.  It should be noted, however, that only the Houston portion of the resume of Mike Munchak was worthy of being enshrined in ...

Jim McIngvale Born: February 11, 1951 Sports: Football (2-time national champion), Gambling (world record gambling payout) With so many sports seasons currently going on, I thought it would be fun to look at the life of a Houston legend that has had his hand in many of them, if not all.  Having made a name for himself with a local furniture store and its memorable commercials, Mattress Mack is one of the biggest superfans of our local teams.  What many within the city may not know, however, is that one of our favorite sons was also involved in a bit of sports history along the way, and it has influenced his life every step of the way.  So let's get to know the story of our very own Jim McIngvale. The home of Gallery Furniture has remained at its original location since the early 1980s Jim McIngvale was born in Starkville, Mississippi, in 1951 as the second of six children born to George and Angela McIngvale.  George had been a soldier during World War II and worked i...

Brian Cushing Born: January 24, 1987 Sport: Football (All American, Defensive Rookie of the Year, Pro Bowl, All Pro) As the pro football season marches on, I thought we should look at yet another member of the Houston Texans that left a memorable mark on the city's sports scene.  As the team took the field today, one of the early success stories of the franchise was present in an especially visible manner, as Brian Cushing gave a speech to help induct former owner Janice McNair into the team's Ring of Honor.  It was a special moment, and an interesting one for a player that many believe is one of the most deserving to receive that honor that still remains on the outside.  Whether or not he'll get the call someday remains to be seen, but the longtime defensive anchor for the Texans certainly had a career that merits the conversation.  Let's dive into the story of Texans linebacker Brian Cushing.  Reliant Stadium in 2009, Cushing's first season in Houston A produc...

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...