Hey NFL, can you hear and feel that? It's the excitement of a true regional rivalry. OK, so the Cowboys don't exactly see it that way. But we do. And if the Texans pull off "19-10, The Sequel," you can bet the Cowboys' fans would want another shot at Houston prior to 2010.
That's why this game should be played every year.
The current schedule format is considered sacred. We know all but two games yearly on every Texans schedule from now until the end of time. Each season, you play your division (6 games), another division in your conference (this year it's the AFC East, 4 games) and another division in the other conference (the NFC East this year, 4 games). The Texans are playing Oakland and Cleveland because they also finished last in the other divisions in the AFC.
So now that we defined the format, let's change it. Let's give every team a rival that they must play every season. For the Texans, it would be Dallas. And there are others that make a ton of sense as well. For St. Louis, it would be Kansas City. Oakland has San Francisco. The Jets have the Giants. Miami has Tampa Bay. Jacksonville has Atlanta. Pittsburgh has Philly.
Even if you have to match up in the same conference, do it. Buffalo's rival could be Cleveland (even though Detroit would be a nice fit). Washington can have Carolina. There are some that may take a bit more brainstorming, but isn't it worth it? Of course, it would create a bit of an imbalance, but so what? We live in the AFC South and have to play the Colts twice each year. Don't talk to us about imbalance.
Back to reality...This is the big one. Talking with the players, they feel in tune with the fans' hunger for another upset. I told a couple of players that a win might bring four years of good will. While that may be an overstatement, a win is certainly something that would always make fans smile even through some tough times. That's the way we feel about "19-10." It was an unforgettable night that will always make us feel good.
Personally, I have called nine NCAA tournaments, a college football national championship and a college baseball national championship. But Sept. 8, 2002 is the most fun I've ever had calling a game. Let's do it again.
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