There’s no better way to get the crowd on your side than telling them what bad fans they are.
That’s the track Houston running back Ben Tate chose when he blasted the Reliant Stadium crowd for booing his Texans during their 28-23 loss to the Oakland Raiders Sunday. Sometimes the boo birds were so loud that the offense had to switch to a silent count at their home field. After the game, Tate couldn’t hold back his frustration, saying, “These fans here in Houston are so up and down and so wishy-washy. I’m just shocked at that because this organization has come a long way.”
Tate is right that the organization has made great strides in recent years, finishing the last two seasons with 12-4 and 10-6 records after nearly a decade of losing seasons. Still, that doesn’t give Tate the right to silence his critics — once the team has established a winning reputation, at least in the regular season, that’s the new standard and anything less than the playoffs for a team with Arian Foster and Andre Johnson has to be labeled a disappointment.
Tate continued to criticize what he felt was an unwarranted, fair-weather treatment from Texans fans. “I just feel like if you’re a true fan, you stick with the team through the tough times and we’re going through a tough time right now.”
The Houston Texans dropped to 2-8 on the season following their Sunday loss to the Raiders. Thanks to the hapless Jaguars, they occupy just third place in the AFC South, and with upcoming home games against the Patriots and Broncos, those tough times and harsh jeers from fans are sure to continue for the struggling Texans.
Photo via Facebook/Houston Texans
