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Brian Barefield

Stories by Brian

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Some Habits Are Worth Keeping

For the ninth consecutive time, the Astros won their opener which ties the longest streak in the modern era joining the St. Louis Browns, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners and New York Mets who have all done it since the 1900’s. Houston (1-0) defeated the reigning American League West Champions Oakland A’s (0-1) 8-1. It was the second year in a row that the Astros put eight runs on the board to start the season.

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Astros Open Their 2021 Season Against Divisional Opponent Seeking Revenge

Although the fans of the Houston Astros will have to wait a little longer to hear the umpires yell “Play Ball” to open up the 2021 Major League Baseball season for the Astros, most do not have a problem with that at all. Houston will take on the reigning American League West Champions Oakland A’s in a nationally televised game in Oakland on Thursday.

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So Close, Yet So Far Away

For the Houston Rockets, it seems as if their arms are too short to grab consistent victories this season. They dropped another game on Wednesday night losing to the Brooklyn Nets by a score of 120-108 after being up by as much as 18-points at one point during the game.

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Astros To Celebrate Opening Day On Thursday

HOUSTON, TX – As the Astros prepare for their Opening Day game on Thursday night at Oakland (9:07 p.m. CT first pitch), Astros fans all over the city are encouraged to celebrate Go Astros Day and show their Astros pride this Thursday, April 1 by posting a photo of themselves in Astros gear on their social media accounts with the hashtag #ForTheH.

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It Has Been A Long Three Months For The Houston Rockets

If I had to take an educated guess. I would say that this has probably been the longest three months of Rockets Head Coach Stephen Silas’s career. Yet despite opening up the 2020-21 NBA Season three months ago to the day, coach Silas has to feel like Friday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves is his team’s season debut having finally being able to put all the season’s turmoil behind him for now.

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Astros win their third straight game behind masterful pitching performance

With one week left before Opening Day, the Houston Astros are getting themselves into regular season form. On Thursday night they won their third consecutive game defeating the St. Louis Cardinals by a score of 3-0 at Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.

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Rockets Look To Extend Winning Streak Against The Hornets

As one of the hottest teams in the NBA prepares to play on Wednesday. Ok. Wait. I know you are saying to yourself, “Slow down sir. It was just one game.” Semantically speaking you are right. It was just one game to us, but to the Houston Rockets, that game meant everything.

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Texas Southern Drops Home Opener To Southern

Things didn’t go according to plans for Texas Southern on Saturday against the Southern Jaguars. In front of a very limited home crowd at BBVA Stadium due to COVID-19 Protocol, the Tigers dropped their 2021 Spring Football home opener by a score of 51-23.

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Rockets Look To Avoid Their 20th Consecutive Loss On Sunday Against The Thunder

If you watched the Houston Rockets on Friday in the 113-100 loss to the Detroit Pistons, you could see why some consider them the perfect conundrum. Even with losing their franchise high 19th game in a row, many fans still support them and can find more positives in the loss than negatives.

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Help Is On The Way

Now I don’t know how spiritual Rockets Head Coach Stephen Silas is, but if I have to take an educated guess, I will say that he has done some praying in his alone time or maybe even on the bench during this current 18-game losing streak which is also a franchise record.

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Texas Southern Men’s Basketball Team Begins NCAA Tournament Play Against Mount St. Mary

On Thursday, the NCAA will get back to some sort of normalcy as its First Four round of the 2021 Men’s basketball tournament begins and the opening game will feature one of two Houston schools to reach the “Big Dance.” Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament Champions Texas Southern (16-8) will face Mount St. Mary’s (12-10) who also made it to the NCAA tournament by winning the Northeast Conference Tournament.

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All Football Related Activities Halted At Prairie View A&M Due To COVID-19 Related Issues

PRAIRIE VIEW, Tx – The anticipated matchup between Prairie View A&M (2-0, 2-0 SWAC) and Alabama A&M (2-0, 2-0 SWAC) on Saturday March 20 has been postponed due to COVID-19 Health and Safety protocols being implemented inside of the PVAMU football program.

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Adversity Is Making It Tough For Rockets First-Year Coach Stephen Silas

It’s getting harder and harder for Houston Rockets Head Coach Stephen Silas to do his daily press conferences as the only thing he can provide that is consistent is an injury update. The Rockets currently hold the longest NBA losing streak of 16 games this season and although the rookie head coach does not want anyone to have sympathy for him, it is hard not too knowing that he himself has to make decisions on the fly just to have an adequate number of players to even play a game.

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Tucker Receives Invite To NFL HBCU Scouting Combine

Tucker gained national recognition in 2018 when he rushed for over 220 yards in back-to-back games against North Carolina Central (224) and Sam Houston State (245). He finished the 2018 campaign with 1,096 yards where he gained Second Team All-SWAC honors.

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Panthers Senior LB Storey Jackson Named SWAC Defensive Player of the Week

On Monday, Jackson was awarded for his play on the field being named the SWAC Defensive Player of the Week after registering 17 total tackles, two sacks, an interception and a game ending forced fumble that secured the victory over Grambling State 17-10 in the State Fair Classic.

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Astros Welcome Back Two Key Players As They Defeat The Washington Nationals 5-0

The Astros got a familiar face back in the lineup on Sunday as they defeat the Washington Nationals 5-0. Manager Dusty Baker got a glimpse of what his potential 2021 regular season lineup will look like in a 5-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday. Although they were without the services of third baseman Alex Bregman who is still nursing a hamstring injury, Baker had what some would predict as the starting lineup for the Astros.

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Panthers Defense Shine Once Again In Victory Against Grambling At State Fair Classic

On Saturday, the Prairie View A&M football team claimed it’s third consecutive victory over Grambling State defeating the Tigers by a score of 17-10 at the State Fair Classic at Global Life Park in Arlington, Texas.

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Texas Takeover Pt. II: In-State Rivals Prairie View and Texas Southern Faceoff In SWAC Championship Game

On Saturday, the state of Alabama will witness what a true “Texas Takeover” looks like as the No. 1 seeded Prairie View A&M University will take on No. 3 seeded Texas Southern University in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Men’s Tournament Championship Game at 5 p.m. (CST) on ESPNU. The winner will advance to the Men’s NCAA Tournament.

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Texas Southern Cruises To Victory Over Alcorn State 78-55 To Advance To The Semifinals

BIRMINGHAM, AL- Texas Southern used a strong second half run to defeat Alcorn State 78- 55 in the Quarterfinals of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament sponsored by Cricket Wireless. They now advance to take on number two seeded Jackson State University on Friday in the Semifinals.

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Panthers Routs Mississippi Valley In The First Round Of The SWAC Tournament

Birmingham, AL- Top seeded Prairie View A&M coasted to an easy first-round win against Mississippi Valley State by a score of 91-64 in the Cricket Wireless Southwestern Athletic Tournament. It was the 14th win in a row for the Panthers who have not lost a game since December 2020.

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SWAC Announces New Partnership with #NOWINCLUDED

The Southwestern Athletic Conference is excited to announce a new partnership with #NOWINCLUDED, a multi-generational healthcare movement that engages, educates, and empowers minority populations to take better control of their health. #NOWINCLUDED is designed to help minority families advocate for themselves in various healthcare settings.

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Prairie View A&M University Men’s Basketball Program Awarded With Postseason Awards

Tuesday was a happy day on “The Hill” as the Southwestern Athletic Conference released its 2020-21 All-Conference team selections and Coach of The Year Award.

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Houston Texans And Amegy Bank Presents First Small Business Boost Winner Award Of 2021

The Houston Texans organization was back out in the community with partner Amegy Bank on Tuesday awarding their first of eight 2021 Small Business Boost program packages. DeMarco Howard, owner of The Artz Studio located in The Heights received a $2,500 donation, marketing and promotional support from the Texans and Amegy Bank and an award plaque.

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Texas Southern Remains Optimistic After Tough Season Open Loss

After a heartbreaking 20-19 loss to open the season against Prairie View A&M, Texas Southern will enter the bye week looking to address some in-game mistakes that helped aid the Panthers in the Labor Day Classic at Prairie View this past Saturday. The Tigers (0-1) had a total of four turnovers (2 fumbles, 2 interceptions) with one fumble coming on the potential game winning drive that was recovered by the Panthers.

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Prairie View’s Next Opponent Is Seeking Revenge

The Panthers will need a repeat performance of that defensive effort as they prepare to take on another long-time rival, Grambling State University in the State Fair Classic this Saturday.

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Prairie View uses late score and turnover to defeat Texas Southern in Labor Day Classic

Prairie View A&M (1-0, 1-0 SWAC) defeated Texas Southern (0-1, 0-1 SWAC) in the Labor Day Classic 20-19 at Panther Stadium. It was the season opener for the Panthers who had a limited home crowd in attendance.

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Panthers Crowned Champions For Third Year In A Row

The Prairie View A&M University men’s basketball team won their third consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship as they share the honor of Co-Champions with Jackson State for the 2020-21 season.

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Fountain of Youth: Rockets looking for their “Used to Be” mentality with the addition of two players from the G-League.

With an 11-23 record in the first half of the 2020-21 NBA season and a current 13-game losing streak, the Houston Rockets took their bucket to the fountain of youth (G-League affiliate Rio Grande Vipers) looking for some of that “Used to Be” from earlier in the season and came up with two young and athletic players in Kevin Porter Jr. and KJ Martin.

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NFL makes history by hiring first African American female official

Maia Chaka has been added to the NFL roster of game officials for the 2021 season, the league announced today. Chaka makes history as the first Black woman ever named to the NFL's officiating staff.

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Double Entendre Harden’s victorious return to Houston leads to the 13th consecutive loss for the Rockets.

The number 13 can now be considered a double entendre in the city of Houston. It is the jersey number worn by former Houston Rockets superstar James Harden and in his return to the Toyota Center on Wednesday night, the number also represented the amount of consecutive losses for the Rockets.

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Prodigal Son James Harden returns to Houston for the first time since being trade.

If you are or have been a regular parishioner at any church in your city you have heard the story in the Bible about the prodigal son. It’s a parable based on redemptive mercy, love, grace, and forgiveness. The premise of the story is based on a father excepting one of his son’s back home even though he left on bad terms. On Wednesday, former Houston Rockets player James Harden will play the role of the prodigal son as he returns to the Toyota center as the starting point guard for the Brooklyn Nets. It will be a site very unfamiliar to fans who have watched him go up and down the court in a Rockets uniform for the past eight-plus seasons. The former MVP was traded to the Nets back in mid-January after what some considered as a half-hearted effort on the court to open the season.

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Breaking the losing streak won’t be easy for the Rockets against the Cavs.

One thing we know for sure is. It has to end one day. Right? That is the only positive spin I can put on this current 11-game losing streak that the Houston Rockets are a part of.

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Astros open up Grapefruit League with fans in the stands for the first time in over a year

For the Houston Astros, Sunday’s Grapefruit League opener against the Miami Marlins was more than just a spring training game. It was a chance to get back to some sort of normalcy. The team had not played in front of fans since March 11, 2020 in a game against the Washington Nationals.

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Astros pitcher Brandon Bielak is eager to get back on the mound.

As the Houston Astros prepare to begin play in the Grapefruit League on Sunday against the Miami Marlins, one player will start on his road to redemption. Right-hander pitcher Brandon Bielak will take the mound for the Astros in hopes of convincing manager Dusty Baker why he deserves a spot in the starting rotation this upcoming season.

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Rockets drop ninth straight game in Cleveland

As human beings, sometimes our emotions can get the best of us. On Wednesday night they finally caught up to Houston Rockets head coach Stephen Silas after he watched his team drop their ninth straight game losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers 112 – 96. "Our defense wasn't good, and our offense was disjointed," Silas said lacking his normal positive and upbeat tone. "It wasn't very good all around."

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Houston Texans Donate $500,000 Toward Winter Storm Relief

The Houston Texans organization has always been there when Houstonians were in need and they have once again stepped up their relief efforts to be there for those in need. Janice S. McNair and the Houston Texans today announced a $500,000 donation to the Greater Houston/Harris County 2021 Winter Storm Relief Fund.

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Cousins and Rockets are set to part ways at some point this season according to reports

The Houston Rockets organization has been a standup franchise this NBA season. For a team that has been through a ton of adversity, they keep doing what’s best for the team and the players. On Saturday, it was reported that the Rockets and reserve center DeMarcus Cousins are set to part ways sometime this season and a transaction could happen before the NBA All-Star break which is set for the first weekend in March.

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Godspeed Mr. Watt

It has been one week since arguably the best player in Houston Texans franchise history announced that he had come to a mutual agreement with ownership to be released from the organization and become a free agent. The news sent the sports world and Texans fans into a whirlwind, especially since the future first ballot Hall of Fame defensive end J.J. Watt was a fan favorite on and off the field.

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Rockets rally comes up short in Philadelphia

I am a firm believer that most individuals believe that there are no such things as moral victories in professional sports. Many have the mindset like the majority of the athletes that only wins, and losses are the only thing that shows up in the standings.

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5-year-old involved in car accident caused by former Kansas City Chiefs coach awakens from coma.

The family of 5-year-old Ariel Young received some good news on Monday. Young, who was hospitalized in critical care after being injured in a car crash involving former Kansas City Chiefs coach Britt Reid has awaken from her coma according to Tiffany Verhulst, who was in charge of the GoFundMe page for the family.

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Rockets fall to the Wizards in John Wall’s return to D.C.

Monday night was not the return home visit that John Wall envisioned when he circled the game against the Washington Wizards in D.C. on the schedule. Wall, who was traded this past offseason to the Rockets for Russell Westbrook and a first-round pick did everything he could to keep his injury riddled team afloat by scoring 29 points and dishing out 11 assists. But in the end, it wasn’t enough as Houston (11-16) lost to Washington (8-17) by a score of 131-119.

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Texans President Jamey Rootes Resigns

HOUSTON – Things are continuing to change in the Houston Texans organization as long-time president Jamey Rootes is leaving the organization to pursue his interests as a writer, public speaker, consultant and professor at the University of Houston.

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Rockets look to get back on track against the Pelicans

The Houston Rockets (11-2) will be back in action tonight against the New Orleans Pelicans (10-12) as they play their second game of a back-to-back that started with a loss to the Charlotte Hornets last night by a score 119-94.

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Correa avoids arbitration by agreeing to one-year deal with the Astros

The Houston Astros have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa. Correa, who was the only remaining, unsigned arbitration-eligible player on the Astros roster signed for $11.7 million. He was seeking $12.5 million, but the team ha only offered $9.75 million.

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Win Comes With A Cost Rockets blowout Grizzles but lose a key starter in the process.

One night after being blown out by the Oklahoma City Thunder and having their six-game winning streak snapped, the Houston Rockets (11-10) bounced back to defeat the Memphis Grizzles (9-8) by a score of 115-103 to 3-1 on the road. Although the blowout victory feels good to a team that lost by double digits the night before, it came with a huge cost.

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Identity Check The Rockets have established themselves during six-game winning streak.

Two weeks ago, the Houston Rockets was a team with no identity. They had just lost their third game in a row to drop their record to 4-9. The rotation was about as stable as a three-legged table due to injuries, health and safety protocols in accordance with league policy on COVID-19 and the trade of franchise superstar James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. Those were just some of the things keeping head coach Stephen Silas up late at night.

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Black History Lesson: Rockets Head Coach Discusses African American NBA Pioneers

The first of February begins Black History Month and on Monday Houston Rockets head coach Stephen Silas took it upon himself to talk to his team about some of the African Americans who paved the way for them to be able to play in the NBA.

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Streaking: Rockets take command early to extend winning streak to six games.

Houston Rockets first-year head coach Stephen Silas has been repeatably saying to his team over the last two weeks that he has wanted them to come out and be more aggressive in the first quarter of games. The Rockets have trailed in their last three games by an average of 8.6 points heading into the second quarter and failed to score over 30 points during that stretch.

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“Aha Moment” Rockets defeat the Pelicans as the winning streak continues.

The Merriman-Webster dictionary defines an Aha moment as a sudden realization, inspiration, insight, recognition, or comprehension and nothing makes a coach feel jubilated, then when his players experience it for the first time. For Houston Rockets head coach Stephen Silas, he could see it coming for his team in spurts as multiple lineups caused certain players to have the moment at certain times. Now with a healthy lineup it seems as if everyone who has touches the floor for the Rockets is having them.

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The "WOW" Factor Rockets defeat Portland to win their fourth straight.

There are many more moments throughout the Rockets history that has that “WOW Factor” to it and on Thursday night at the Toyota Center first-year head coach Stephen Silas had his as the Houston Rockets (8-9) defeated the Portland Trailblazers (9-8) 104-101 to extend their winning streak to a season high four games.