Well, we’ve finally made it. The big ol’ American birthday is upon us. On the official calendar, America celebrates 250 years of life as an independent nation. The US government says that happens this Saturday, with the observed federal holiday being Friday the 3rd. There has already been more than a few events to kick off those celebrations, with more expected. It is not every year that your country turns 250. Expect a lot of representations of America, highlighting aspects of American history,
life and culture.
Yet, one aspect of American culture will not be at the forefront this weekend. That would be the top sports league, the National Football League, representing the most-watched sport in the country: football. Ok, have to throw in the caveat of American football since there is the whole futbol/soccer thingy with the World Cup here on the continent. Still, for a sports league that generally dominates all other pro sports competition when it comes to headlines and money, there is a certain irony that on America’s most special day, the NFL is nowhere to be found. Given that the NFL holds sway in the fall and winter, starting with Labor Day and the promise of Kick-off Weekend (that will go from Wednesday to Monday), covering Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and that it will still dominate sports coverage in the spring, with free agency, the Draft and mini-camps/OTAs, and given how the NFL is trying to expand its year-round reach, you must admit that the NFL can’t be all that thrilled that they cede July 4th to others. Not that they may not try to gain control of that day in the future, but for now, July 4th resides full-up in the NFL “Dead Zone”, where everyone is enjoying that last little breather before the opening of training camps and the start of the next NFL season.
This is not to say that NFL doesn’t make news in July. It will primarily be for some sort of personnel news, be it good (a contract extension or some nice human interest-type story), or bad (the all-too-common legal issues that can follow NFL players (see CB Terrion Arnold) or some health-related news (former NFL RB Chris Johnson)). For the Houston Texans, it has been mostly quiet on the NFL front. No new big contract extensions, no big injury news…which is not the worst fate for a team in the Dead Zone. There is the whole CJ Gardner-Johnson interview where he alluded to Nick Caserio being the primary reason his Houston tenure was short (even by his standards), but aside from that…yeah, not too much to report. There is no shortage of promise and pressure facing this squad. It may not be an “all-in” year, but given the investments in the defense and the money spent on the offensive line, Houston is not going to be a team content to just get back to the postseason. They want and need to make some major postseason noise.
That we will get to in due time as training camp will open before the calendar turns to August. Until then, we can focus on the here and now, which means celebrating America’s birthday. Yes, the government says that the birthday is on the 4th, and for the most part, America has no heartburn with that issue. Yet, there is a school of thought that perhaps the 4th is not the “real” birthday of the US. Going back to Philadelphia in 1776, when the delegates of the 2nd Continental Congress were debating on whether they should separate from Great Britain, the final vote to formally approve that separate happened on July 2nd. On that day, after a month where delegates consulted with their respective state legislatures and a group of five men, led by John Adams and authored by Thomas Jefferson, created the written Declaration of Independence, the Congress held a decisive vote. By a margin of 12-0 (New York abstained, but would eventually vote in favor), the Congress approved the motion for Independence. That next day, John Adams, the driving force for independence in that Congress wrote to his wife Abigail:
“But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”
Adams was almost correct in that sentiment, except the date. On July 4th, the Congress ratified the actual Declaration (also didn’t hurt that the building had a massive influx of biting horse flies, thus limiting debate on that day). While signatures did not appear on the document until August, and the final signatory lineup wasn’t completed until 1777, the US would look to July 4th as its Birthday. So, even as we celebrate on the 3rd as the observed federal holiday, and the 4th as a Saturday extravaganza, perhaps we should have launched a few fireworks this past Thursday?
Whether you chose the 2nd as the “real” American birthday, or the 3rd or the 4th, we at Battle Red Blog wish all a wonderful and happy 4th of July holiday weekend and take full advantage of the government-sanctioned time off (as able). As always, we ask that you enjoy it smartly. We want everyone back at the end of the holiday break in the same, if not better, condition than at the start of the holidays. Given how momentous this particular season for the Houston Texans might be, we really want everyone along for the ride.
