Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
- The Houston Texans are the youngest franchise in the NFL, having began play in the 2002 season. Despite being around for only 11 years and about to begin their 12th season of play, the Texans are one of the most valuable franchises in the league. In the annual Forbes list released today of each NFL franchise’s value, Houston came in fifth with a value over $1.4 billion dollars.
Thats not a bad investment at all for owner Bob McNair, who paid $700 million dollars when Houston was awarded the 32nd franchise over Los Angeles in 1999. He has received a solid return on that investment, thanks in large part to his patience with the team during its lean early years. While the Texans got off to a rocky start on the field, they are now one of the league’s most talented teams and a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
The Texans have had only one losing season in the last six, and three winning seasons out of the last four. Over the last two seasons, they have won 22 games, two AFC South division titles, and two playoff victories.
Much of that on-field success can be attributed to the job McNair’s front office staff have done building a top-notch coaching staff and a roster that’s loaded with a mix of veteran and young talent. GM Rick Smith has become of the league’s best.
Winning has no doubt helped the Texans’ national perception, but they have been a hot ticket since their inception. They have sold out every home game in their 11 seasons of play, and the season ticket waiting list is well over 20,000 people. The Texans are the hottest ticket in Houston, and Reliant Stadium has reaped the benefits as well.
Yesterday, team president Jamey Rootes presided over the unveiling of the stadium’s new high-definition video display boards, which are now the largest indoor displays in the world. Not only are they a valuable franchise, but McNair and the Texans do a wonderful job of giving back to the community. He deserves to look at this organization and be proud of his franchise.
As the Forbes’ list makes clear, he can smile all the way to the bank, which is always a good thing.
