Attorney, uncle, and former mediocre sportswriter @John_Royal@mstdn.party
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by John Royal
Our “Confinement”
If memory serves (an increasingly dubious supposition), my theatrical debut occurred in the first grade, when I played an elderly Civil War veteran.
Broken Altars - The Catholic Thing
On December 10, 1989, at the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers under the shadow of Devin Castle, tens of thousands of Slovaks marched from Bratislava to Hainburg, Austria, piercing the Iron Curtain. Large crowds also assembled at the castle to protest peacefully under the slogan “Hello, Europe!” The protesters cut through the barbed wire separating Czechoslovakia from the Free World.
The Astrodome, Whitey Herzog, and Me: the Incredibly True Story of How I Pissed Off the Umpires, Got the Video Boards Shut Down, and Almost Lost My Job
The following is mostly true (I’m relying on my memories for most of this, and memories aren’t always 100-percent accurate). The game details are courtesy of Baseball Reference. I know that this is the correct date and correct game because it happened on a Memorial Day, and it happened during the time I worked at Channel 2, and I only worked at Channel 2 for a short time off less than a year between November 1989 and August 1990, which is when I started law school.
It's Time for Bowling Season, But First, Don't You Dare Try to Force that Deshaun Watson Redemption Arc Crap on Me.
Before I get started with the big stuff, I need to ask a question: do any of my readers live in London? I ask because I’m traveling to London in a few weeks, and from there, I’m supposed to be on the Eurostar from London to Amsterdam on December 23rd. And it’s my understanding that the British Eurostar security staff are planning to be on strike on the 23rd? Will this impact my travel? Do I need to get to the station several hours early? Will the train still travel?
Believe It Or Not, There Is Fan Interest In The Astros
John Royal 4 AA The Astros season mercifully ends this weekend. Another 100-plus loss season. They are chasing the all-time strikeout record for a team -- a record held by the Arizona Diamondbacks. It's the only visit of the season by the New York Yankees and the final chance to see Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte before they retire. The Astros a god-awful baseball team. The subject of national mockery.
YOUR TURN: Gov. Phil Murphy should keep NJ’s promise to Camden kids
Camden High School is more than just a school building. The Castle on the Hill is an icon in our city and has served as a home, a haven and a source of immeasurable pride to thousands of students, educators and residents in its 100-year history. As a new administration takes the reins in Trenton and assesses promises made by the last governor, we ask that the state follow through on its $136 million commitment to rebuild Camden High into the Parkside center of academic excellence we remember.
Trying To Figure Out How Romantic Houston Is
I get why not everyone celebrates Valentine’s Day, but I don’t understand why some have such a loathing for it. Even before I was married and I was simply an often single, sarcastic malcontent who spent too much time online — which is to say precisely the type of day who you expect to hate a day for couples — I never hated Valentine’s Day.
Philadelphia Eagles Shock the Patriots In Super Bowl LII, 41-33
See, America? THAT was why I couldn't go out on that limb with you two weeks ago, and root for the Jacksonville Jaguars against the New England Patriots merely because "Hey, we are all SO TIRED of the Pats in the Super Bowl!" I said it after New England beat the Jags, and I stand by it after last night — you want the Patriots in the Super because you KNOW you'll get a good show.
Come to City Hall on Saturday to show your support for missing persons and their families.
According to the National Crime Information Center, more than 647,000 missing persons cases were reported in the U.S. in 2016, and while many of these are ultimately resolved with the help of law enforcement and organizations like Texas Center for the Missing and Texas EquuSearch, there are still over 88,000 active cases. This Saturday, February 3, is officially the 1st National Missing Persons Day.
Patriots Try To Capture History Sunday Against Eagles
The hype is nearly over, and the game is almost here, and soon I can stop being shamed for saying that I am GLAD Tom Brady and the Patriots are back for an eighth Super Bowl of the Brady/Belichick Era. To be clear, I am not a Patriots fan, but I am a fan of suspenseful, dramatic, episodic television, and the numbers are undeniable — when Brady is playing in a Super Bowl, we inevitably get a hell of a show.
Are YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Amazon Responsible for User Failings?
In today's world of technology, it seems there is always a new controversy. They crop up in an instant and spread rapidly. Some, like the #MeToo movement, affect tremendous social change while others (cough...#TidePodChallenge...cough) seem to only set us back. But, what exactly is the responsibility of the companies that provide the platform for these things to exist? Recently, the aforementioned #TidePodChallenge caused YouTube to remove videos of people inexplicably eating Tide detergent pods.
Several Former Texans Dot Rosters Of Two Super Bowl Teams
Another year, another year without the Houston Texans in the Super Bowl. I won't get snarky and call it a "tradition like no other" because making the Super Bowl is a very difficult thing to do. Someday, it will happen, and with Deshaun Watson as the franchise quarterback, that day may come sooner rather than later. We can all dare to dream.
Tom Brady Is a Certifiable Workout Maniac
I arrived late Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis, and aside from roughly 90 percent of the media members dealing with some degree of system-shock because of the sub-freezing temperatures during the day (and sub-zero temps at night), the biggest storyline so far this week has been the world's reaction to Tom Brady's reaction to a Boston media member's reaction to Brady's Facebook documentary called Tom vs. Time. Yes, there is a LOT of reacting going on.
John Royal Says a Few More Things Before Saying Goodbye
I have decided my time at the Houston Press is at an end. Thank you all for reading over the past several years. It’s been something that I’ve enjoyed doing, but sometimes, things just have to end. Before I go, however, I just had a few things I wanted to say. 1. For many, many years, I have said that Bill Wood was the best general manager in Houston sports history.
Cougars Go Back to the Future On Anniversary of the Game of the Century
It was 50 years ago Saturday that the Houston Cougars hosted the UCLA Bruins in the so-called Game of the Century. The first major college basketball game played in a domed stadium before a packed crowd and televised on national television, the game saw the second-ranked Cougars bring down the No. 1-ranked Bruins in a thrilling game that delivered college basketball to the national consciousness while announcing that the Cougars were a now national presence. Fifty years makes quite a difference.
Sam McGuffie Goes from Football to Bobsled
Sam McGuffie was a do-everything offensive threat for the Rice Owls. A Rice Owl from 2009 to 2012, McGuffie primarily played running back, but he also spent lots of time in the slot and at wide receiver. He finished his career with 2,299 all-purpose offensive yards, scoring a total of 16 touchdowns and placing 11th all-time in receptions among Rice players.
Was Gerrit Cole Really Almost an Astro?
Gerrit Cole is a 27-year-old starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. For a few brief, glorious minutes on Wednesday, it was nearly universally accepted that Cole was a 27-year-old starting pitcher for the Houston Astros. Multiple reports had the trade for Cole as being a done deal, the hold up being agreement on what exactly the Astros were going to send to the Pirates. Then came word that there was no trade.
What's A Little Sexual Assault When it Comes to Winning Football Games?
The Houston Cougars decided to go all in on the #MeToo movement this weekend, announcing the addition of former Baylor assistant coaches Kendal Briles and Randy Clements to the football team’s coaching staff on Saturday morning. Of course, UH is going all in on the movement by hiring two men who were part of a staff that apparently looked the other way in a sexual assault scandal involving players on the Baylor football team. But hey, what’s a little sexual assault if the offense gets better?
Shockers Declaw Cougars | Houston Press
Wichita State has been one of the best mid-major basketball programs for many years. But tired of not being treated as a major player in college basketball, the school made the leap during the off-season, joining the American Athletic Conference, perhaps the best of the mid-major conferences. The Houston Cougars were once one of the great powers of college basketball.
Case Keenum Proves the Doubters Wrong (Again)
The NFC’s No. 2 seed for the playoffs is the Minnesota Vikings with a 13-3 record. Not many predicted the Vikings would end up in this spot. Especially not after starting quarterback Sam Bradford was essentially knocked out for in the first game. And especially not when Bradford’s backup was Case Keenum, the former starter for the LA Rams. Thinking like this should have been nothing new for Keenum, however. He was barely recruited out of college.
Tax Reform Bill Kills Tax Deductions to University Athletic Programs
College athletic departments depend heavily on donations from alumni to fund buildings and programs. Lots of these donations come from rich boosters who see this as a way of giving back to the schools where they got their degrees or met their spouses or got the idea for the item that made them rich. These monetary donations have, in the most part, been tax deductible as charitable gifts. Rich people love to make charity donations. It makes them look like good people who give back to the community.
Aloha Means Goodbye as Cougars Lose Hawaii Bowl
The Ed Oliver 2018 Heisman Trophy push got underway on Christmas Eve. The 2017 Outland Award Winner had four tackles, two of them for a loss. He even scored the first touchdown for the Cougars. But while the Cougars may be aiming to get the country’s best college defensive player a Heisman, the team itself lost the game as Fresno State got the 33-27 win. The Hawaii Bowl was an appropriate end for the Houston season. The Cougars struggled to find an offensive rhythm.
Marlins Not Following Path of Astros
The sale of the Miami Marlins to a ownership group featuring former New York Yankee great Derek Jeter was approved by MLB on September 27, 2017. Jeter is the front man of the group. The guy who meets the media, is the focus for the fans, and is the baseball guy of the group. The Marlins are an interesting franchise. The team has won the World Series twice, and it has undergone a massive rebuild after both titles.
Astros Get Some Relief Help
The Yankees and Angels have improved, but the Astros are still the best in the AL The Houston Astros are the defending World Series champions. That’s good. But now it is time to start preparing for the 2018 season. Spring training begins in February, and the Winter Meetings have just ended. Over the past several weeks, the Los Angeles Angels have acquired Japanese phenom Shahei Ohtani (a dual threat pitcher and power hitting outfielder). The Seattle Mariners have traded for Dee Gordon.
NHL Says Yes to Seattle, Puts Houston on Hold
It was just last month that the NHL coming to Houston seemed like a sure deal. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta met with the league in regards to getting a team, and he has stated to the media that he has an interest in getting a team in Houston. There’s also a NHL-ready arena just ready to be used in Houston. The league has only 31 teams and several franchises are possibly looking to relocate.
Cougars In Search for New Athletic Director
Houston Cougars basketball coach Kelvin Sampson lamented his team’s attendance after last Saturday’s win over Arkansas. His hope, so he said, was that at some point people would come to see his team because they want to see the Cougars play basketball, and not because they want to go see the Cougars’ opponent. Perhaps he should have spoken to his athletic director, Hunter Yurachek.
Mike Bloomgren Hopes to Bring Stanford's Winning Ways to Rice
The Rice Owls went searching for a new head football coach ten days ago. But Mike Bloomgren targeted Rice two years ago. On Thursday, the two formally came together as Bloomgren was officially named as the new head coach of the Owls. Bloomgren was the associate head coach/offensive coordinator for the Stanford Cardinal before taking the Rice job. He had been at Stanford since 2011. During that time, the Cardinal have made eight straight bowl games and have gone 72-20 on the field.
It'll Be a Cougar Christmas in Hawaii
It will not be a White Christmas for the Houston Cougars. The football team instead heads out to Hawaii to play Fresno State in the Hawaii Bowl at 7:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve. This will be only the third time the Cougars (7-4) have played a game in Hawaii, and it will be the first ever meeting between the Cougars and Fresno State. The Bulldogs finished their regular season with a 9-4 record after losing to Boise State on Saturday in the Mountain West Conference title game.
Cougars Defeat Arkansas, Hope Fans Will Return
The Houston Cougars and Arkansas Razorbacks played a basketball game on Saturday night at TSU’s H&PE Arena. It featured an improving Arkansas basketball team seeking to return to the spotlight of the Nolan Richardson era of the 1990s. The Houston Cougars are also an improving team coming off of two straight NIT bids while seeking a return to the glory of the Guy V. Lewis era. If these two teams would have played in the 1980s, the arena would have been packed.
Cougars Await Bowl Destination
The Houston Cougars are going to a bowl game this season. Which bowl game is still in question, and that answer won’t come until Sunday afternoon. It won’t be one of the glamorous big boy bowl games played on New Year's. It may not even be one of the middle tier of bowl games. But it will be a bowl game. Football coaches love bowl games, but the actual game is really secondary to coaches when it comes to the minor bowl games.
Owls Start Over by Firing David Bailiff
The Rice Owls fired head coach David Bailiff on Monday morning. This was expected from this last point last season when Bailiff was brought back for another season despite a 3-9 record. But Athletic Director Joe Karlgaard made it clear last year that he wanted the Owls to win football games, and win the team did not. Bailiff coached 11 years at Rice with a record of 78-95 (1-11 this season). The Owls won one C-USA title during his tenure and went to four bowl games, winning three.
North Texas Downs Rice Owls by 30-14 Score
The 2017 Rice Owls football season ended with a 30-14 loss to North Texas (9-3) and a 1-11 overall record. This season was supposed to be a make-or-break year for head coach David Bailiff; a decision on his future should come down sometime Monday. The Owls briefly led the game thanks to cornerback Brandon Dotson-Douglas jumping a curl route and taking an intercepted pass 75 yards for the Rice touchdown. North Texas quickly tied the game, then just as quickly got two more touchdowns.
Owls Hope to Grow from Losing Tournament Experience
College basketball coaches love to talk about how basketball is a game of runs, and how it is a game of confidence. All teams go on runs, bursting out for spurts where no shots can be missed while the opponent struggles to make a shot. It’s even an official stat made available to the media during games. The key, coaches say, is knowing when you’re caught in another team’s run, and surviving that run with limited damage.
Coogs Sink Navy 24-14
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was a tale of two halves. The Navy Midshipmen (6-5) won the first half. The Houston Cougars (7-4) won the second. It was the second half that mattered as UH came back from a 14-7 first half deficit to win 24-14 before a crowd of 29,252 at TDECU Stadium. Navy dominated the Cougars in the first half, taking a 14-7 lead to the locker room. Navy’s offense was on the field for 20:29 minutes in the half, out-gaining the Cougars 212 yards to 119 yards.
Tilman Fertitta Meets With NHL Regarding a Franchise for Houston
The expansion Vegas Golden Knights have the fourth most points of any team in the NHL’s Western Conference. The Golden Knights have won 12 of 19 games and sit right behind the Los Angeles Kings for first place in the Pacific Divison. The first major professional team in the city of Las Vegas is averaging 17,893 fans in a building that seats 17,500 people. Stores and shops throughout Las Vegas and up and down the Strip are dotted with Golden Knights merchandise.
Houston Drops Close Game to Tulane
The Houston Cougars (6-4) lost a winnable game to the Tulane Green Wave (5-6) on Saturday afternoon. The Cougars trailed 13-3 at the half, thanks to turnovers and questionable play calling. They came back and scored two second half touchdowns, taking a 17-13 lead with just under seven minutes left in the game. But seconds later, the Cougar defense gave up a 64-yard catch-and-run for a the Tulane touchdown. The final stats point to just how equal the game was.
Astros Seek Pitcher Britton To Repeat as World Series Champs
Springer and Altuve will be back for 2018, but what else do the Astros need to do to repeat as champs? The Houston Astros are the 2017 World Series champions. So what about 2018? To most fans, it is too early to think about next season. Especially now after the Astros have just won the team’s first ever title. But repeating is something that no MLB team has been able to do since the New York Yankees pulled it off in 1998, 1999, and 2000.
Rice Comeback Falls Short as Southern Miss gets the 43-34 Win
It was just another home game for the Rice Owls, playing before a sparse crowd and hosting a better squad. And just like with every other home game this season, the final result was a loss as the Owls lost 43-34 to Southern Miss to drop to 1-9 on the season before a Rice Stadium crowd of 18,124. It was legitimately a good effort by the Rice offense, who, after quickly falling behind 13-0 found a way to get back into the game.
UH and Rice Have New Arenas and New Coaches, but It's Still Basketball
The Houston Cougars are playing in a different arena. The Rice Owls have a new coach and lots and lots of new players. For the TSU Tigers it’s essentially more of the same. And Friday night, the 2017-2018 college basketball season officially gets underway. The Houston Cougars are coming off two straight NIT appearances. But the goal this year is a return to the NCAA Tournament, which the Cougars have not made since 2010, the last season of Tom Penders’ tenure as head coach.
Astros Survive Harvey to Win World Series
August saps the will to live of every Houstonian. The unbearable heat and humidity make existence miserable. Yet the joy that is the Houston Astros winning the World Series would not be possible were it not for the month of August. It was in August that the ability of the Astros to win games appeared to have vanished. The team went 11-17 that month, and it was the only losing month of the club’s 101-win campaign.
Cougars Gain Bowl Eligibility in 52-27 Thrashing of ECU
D’Eriq King took the reins of the Houston Cougars (6-3) offense on Saturday morning and it was a beautiful thing to behold. The very first University of Houston drive was an 11-play, 75-yard drive mixing rush and pass and climaxing in a King TD rush. The Cougars led from that point on, easily dissecting the East Carolina University Pirates (2-7) defense for the commanding 52-27 win.
Astros Defeat Dodgers 5-1 to Win World Series
The Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game Seven in a game that the Astros led the entire way. George Springer started the game off with a double. He then came home to score the first run of the game on a throwing error. Dodger starter Yu Darvish struggled the entire time that he was in the game, and he was pulled in the second inning after giving up a two-run homer to Springer that made the score 5-0.
Dodgers Win 3-1, Tie Series at 3-3
So Game Seven it is. The Astros and the Dodgers playing for the championship after the Dodgers got to Justin Verlander in the sixth inning and took a 2-1 lead that would never be surrendered, ultimately winning 3-1. It is not that Verlander pitched bad — for the first five innings he was spectacular, and it's not like the Dodgers pounded him for home run after home run in the sixth inning. He left the game after giving up just three hits and two runs and striking out nine Dodgers.
Astros Just One Win Away From First World Series Title
The Houston Astros trailed 4-0 with Clayton Kershaw, one of baseball's best pitchers, on the mound for the Dodgers. Dallas Keuchel had been chased and the Astros had to go to the bullpen way, way early.
Astros Beat Dodgers, Take 2-1 Series Lead
The Los Angeles Dodgers had to feel comfortable coming into World Series Game Three against the Astros. Dodger starter Yu Darvish had dominated the Astros at Minute Maid Park. So of course the Astros destroyed Darvish, scoring four runs in the second inning and chasing him from the game. The Astros got the 5-3 win to take the 2-1 series lead as Lance McCullers Jr. and Brad Peacock teamed up for the win.
Cougars Upset Ranked Bulls in Tampa
The Houston Cougars did three surprising things on Saturday afternoon in Tampa. They won a game after losing two straight in disappointing fashion, defeated a ranked team and scored tons of points in the second half. The Cougars (5-3) defeated the No. 17 USF Bulls (7-1) 28-24 on Saturday on a 20-yard scamper by quarterback D’Eriq King with 11 seconds left in the game that finished a comeback that saw UH score 28 second half points.
Dodgers Beat Astros 6-2, Tie Series at 2-2
Game Four of the World Series featured a no-hitter into the sixth inning. It featured the Astros taking the lead 1-0 lead and breaking up the no-no on a massive George Springer home run. Yet as feared, this game came down to the bullpen, and the Astros relievers were lacking. The game was tied 1-1 going to the ninth inning only to have Astros closer Ken Giles blow a save again as the Dodgers scored five runs to take the 6-1 lead.
Bob McNair Upsets Texans After Calling NFL Players Inmates
DeAndre Hopkins was a no-show at Houston Texans practice on Friday. He was nearly followed by many other Texans players. Head Coach Bill O’Brien and GM Rick Smith held a meeting with the players. It’s expected all Texans will be on the team plane to Seattle on Saturday, and that they will all suit up on Sunday, but until the plane leaves the ground, and until the game starts, nothing can be taken for granted.
Astros Take Extra Innings Classic From Dodgers
Justin Verlander gave up just two hits in Game Two of the World Series. Both of those hits were home runs, and when he was pulled from the game after the sixth inning, the Astros were trailing 3-1. The offense was non-existent yet again, and it was looking as if the Astros would be heading back to Minute Maid Park trailing 2-0 in the World Series.
Dodgers Only Obstacle Left to Houston's First World Series Title
So it’s time for the World Series. The Astros have really made it. The opponent is the Los Angeles Dodgers, the old NL division rival of the Astros. The last time these two teams met in the postseason was in 1981 when the Dodgers knocked the Astros out in five games. Both teams are surprisingly equal. They both won more than 100 games. They both have ace pitchers who are among the best in the game. There’s an analytical bent to both teams.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with John
Contact John, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack