03/05/23 Just do it! – Radically Rational

03/05/23 Just do it!

Just do it, Texans. Just go get Anthony Richardson. Lock it up. Make sure. Trade up to the top pick and do it.

No, I’m not jumping on the Richardson bandwagon. I’m leading the band.

That’s the guy.

Combine drills can be misleading, to say the least. The Underwear Olympics don’t determine who can play football. But I saw what I saw, and what I saw presents what I think can be an historic opportunity for the Texans.

In a league full of quarterbacking freaks, Anthony Richardson can be the Super Freak. Numbers don’t ever tell the full story, but here are the numbers.

6-4. 244. 4.43.

40.5” vertical.

10-9 broad jump.

And…that arm. Dang.

“He’s Super Freaky…”

Richardson is not road-ready. He should not immediately be thrown into the deep end and told to sink or swim. He is not a Day One Starter. If he doesn’t take the wheel until 2024, I’m more than fine with that. It would be great if the Texans had a veteran quarterback on the roster to tutor him. They don’t. But the opportunity here is just too great to pass up.

The idea is to win a Super Bowl. The Texans lost a franchise QB when Deshaun Watson self-destructed. Richardson can be more than a replacement. He can eventually be an upgrade.

I think I know what style of play new Texans’ coach DeMeco Ryans wants to develop. Think 49ers, on both sides of the ball. Think “intellectual brutality.”

Think Anthony Richardson.

If I wanted a Day One Starter, I’d draft C.J. Stroud. If my goal was to win seven games in 2023, I’d ride with Stroud. Right now, he’s a much more polished passer than Richardson, whose footwork needs an overhaul.

But this is not about 2023. And shouldn’t be.

Anthony Richardson is The Guy.

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Paul's Bio

I clearly have the attention span of your median fruit fly.Look! Airplane!

Sorry. I’m back.

It’s both a curse and a blessing. I’ve never bought this stuff about, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” But I do think that a wide range of life experiences helps us grow as people, and helps us better relate to other people. I’ve been fortunate. And I am beyond grateful.

I show up on time. I go like hell. I’m a good listener. I hold myself accountable. I own my mistakes. And I have a natural and an insatiable curiosity. I’m never afraid to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t. But then I try to find out.

The flip side is I’m a lousy ballroom dancer and my clothes sometimes fit me funny.

Stuff matters to me. I care. But while I take that stuff seriously, I try hard to never take myself seriously. As a result, I have sometimes been told, “Paul, it’s hard to tell when you’re serious and when you’re just having some fun. Which is it? Serious or fun?”

My answer is “yes.” But I think that is a legitimate criticism. I promise I’m going to work on that.

This has been the quickest and strangest half-century I’ve ever experienced. During that period, I’ve been afforded amazing opportunities in news and sports journalism across all platforms. I have taught wonderful students at the high school and collegiate level. Always, I learned more from them than they did from me. I’ve been a high school administrator. I spent ten seasons as a high school varsity football coach. I’ve been an advertising executive. I’ve hosted nationally syndicated television entertainment shows. In maybe the biggest honor I ever received, I was selected by NASA to be “Chet The Astronaut” for the “Land The Shuttle” simulator at Space Center Houston. (All I can say there, is “Do as I say, not as I do.” I put that thing in the Everglades more often than not.) Most recently, I just wrapped up a decade as a television news director, during which time our teams distinguished themselves in holding the powerful accountable, achieving both critical and ratings success.

What does all that mean? It means I am profoundly grateful. It also means I’m ready for “next.” So here we are. Radically Rational. It’s an idea I woke up with in 2017. I scribbled “Radically Rational” on a piece of notebook paper and used a magnet to stick it on our refrigerator. I saw it every day, and it just would not leave me alone.

I am second in charge at Radically Rational, LLC. My wife, Jo (also known as BB), is the president. Clearly, I have failed in my attempt to sleep my way to the top of this organization.

I hope you will learn that I’m loyal as a Labrador. But I will admit that this doggie can bite every now and then. My promise to you? I will show up on time. I will go like hell. I will listen to you earnestly and attentively. I will hold myself accountable. I will never be the least bit hesitant to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t.

But then I’ll try to find out. Let’s do it.