I thought for a while about the best way to begin this introduction piece. Do I start with a joke? How about a monologue? Or, would the people want a wee lad’s tale of self-discovery that led to this exact moment in time where he joins a misfit bunch on an adventure to talk ball and maybe eat some Texas BBQ along the way?
It sounds like I just described the plot of The Goonies or Lord of the Rings. Regardless, the best way to approach this might just be to keep things simple and genuine. Hi, my name
is New Guy (Shout out fellow BRB’er Kenneth L.). But, folks around these parts just call me Clayton A. for short. (or C. Anderson if you’re on TikTok)
It’s a pleasure and honor to collaborate with Battle Red Blog and with you the audience. I say “you” because without your engagement, attention to detail, and enthusiasm for the game of football in the city of Houston, there would be no us.
With that said, my endeavor is to provide impactful content, unique takes, analytical yet consumable information, and another way for the average fan to feel immersed in the world of their favorite sports team(s) at the click of a button. That’s the beautiful part. We’re all just fans at the end of the day.
Now, a little bit about my fandom first:
- I’m a Houston sports guy to the bones. Professional, Collegiate, Semi-Pro, you name it.
- I have followed sports in our city full time since around 2008, when I was a freshman/sophomore in High School. Thus, I was there for the 2011-2012 Texans run that I considered the peak of Texans football until DeMeco and Stroud arrived (we won’t talk about Matt Schaub’s decline here).
- I have been an unofficial “analyst” for years. Just ask my wife and she’ll tell you.
- Over the years, I have grown to not just appreciate the product on the field. There’s also the innermost parts of team building, organizational structure, roster makeup, fan engagement, salary cap, and of course the players themselves and what drives them to be great at their craft.
- I actually was also an entertainer for the NBA by way of the Houston Rockets ‘Launch Crew’ team from around ‘08-’13. We performed at halftime, special events, around the world, and alongside Clutch the Bear from time to time.(the GOAT) Those moments were key in me seeing the up close sights and sounds of pro sports in our city. It’s been H-Town vs. everyone ever since.
For the finale I’ll pull back the curtain a bit on who I am as a person outside of just sports:
- I’m a Christian, routinely teaching Sunday School for 6th graders and semi-routinely for adults.
- I’m a 7th year full-time teacher, now serving 8th graders in our community as an ELA educator. So, this is right up my alley.
- I have the blessing of being both married to a beautiful wife and having three awesome children to grow with. Yes, they get the Texans treatment. And also yes, we have Cowboy blood in our extended family who get the business every chance we get. (We even have a designated “Cowboy Tears” cup. Liquid is quite delicious when consumed from it)
- I actually own a 1-0 record as an amateur professional wrestler. I won a triple threat match at a local TASW promotion show out of Humble, Texas. So technically, I retired undefeated. Boom.
Again, it’s an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to work alongside these dudes to bring you all the best product we can. Please, bring your ideas, your commentaries, your feedback, and even your disagreements. Because, in the end it helps us all get better and grow. That’s the standard that we hold players to all the time, and I will be no different.
This is the new guy signing off. Thanks for having me, BRB. Here’s to a great season of Houston football. Go Texans!
