Rez

Someone can correct me, but it seems to me the secondary was "ok" last year. Our biggest problems were in first-level tackling.

Welp...

Do we know anything about his previous success on defense? Any salary info?

I know we aren't really talking about taxes here, but just to throw off a misperception: Amazon doesn't have a $0 tax liability. Amazon pays millions and millions and millions of dollars in taxes. In particular, Amazon pays property taxes across the states it is located in in (including Texas), as well as turning over billions of sales taxes in every state that has sales taxes (and those taxes have only gone up over the past couple years due to a recent Supreme Court decision). Amazon, due to credits and incentives from the federal government, has had a relatively low federal tax payment, but that doesn't mean Amazon isn't contributing to federal and state revenues. Not to mention the fact that the money is taxed when it is paid out to Amazon's employees, meaning Amazon's people are contributing millions of dollars in federal income taxes. The real question isn't whether Amazon pays taxes, or whether Amazon should pay more. It's whether it's worthwhile and beneficial (to individuals and to the economy) for the government to incentivize investment by offering credits and incentives to companies who have the option of going elsewhere. Every community where Amazon sets up a distribution center instantly gets thousands of jobs, with all of the money and investment in the local economy that brings with it. It's not Amazon's job to choose to pay more taxes, it's Amazon's job to follow the law. So if Amazon can pay fewer taxes in one state as opposed to another state, it's the fault of the high-tax state for driving away jobs, not Amazon's fault for choosing a place where it can keep more of its profits and pay its employees more (money which will be spent, and taxed, anyway).

SmashMouth has a point. The IRS doesn't look that closely at tax returns as they come in, at least in the few weeks after they are sent in. The IRS has the resources to catch about 3% of tax evasion/fraud. Sometimes a discrepancy, error, or lie on taxes won't get caught for years, and many don't get caught at all. The IRS is even required to send out refund checks so quickly that they will send out the checks without doing a deep look to make sure the refund isn't fraudulent, and then follow up after the fact and come after the fraudsters they sent the checks to (that kind of fraud doesn't work every time, but I have seen it work in big enough numbers to get people in a lot of trouble).

I'm sorry for the old DC. I hope he finds another assignment and is able to keep his young coaching career going, if that's what he wants. That being said, I hope the new DC can bring PNG's defense to the right place this season.

Condolences to all.

Defense has to improve. We probably played the best defense in the state the night we played Fort Bend Marshall (and easily our best defense of the last 15 years against anyone) but the rest of the season was among the worst defense of our last 15 years. We've played plenty of bad defense, but this season was something else.

I don't know the precise numbers, but it definitely seemed like they executed that offense nearly perfectly. It came down to three crucial moments on defense for Crosby: (1) holding LH to a field goal on one drive near the end of the first half, (2) getting that fumble in the second half when LH was driving, and (3) LH fumbling the last snap. If LH had scored a touchdown instead of having the field goal, they win. And, the way they were moving the ball you almost have to think they would have been guaranteed a touchdown if they hadn't fumbled in the second half. And number (3) goes without saying. So there were three moments where if LH had just done one of them differently they would have won the game. Crosby went 3-0 on those three plays. It makes the win all that much more impressive to me.

Any ticket info?

That was an awesome game.

Wow! Hate that for LH, to lose on a botched handoff, but Crosby earned it. A good game. Someone had to lose. Congratulations Crosby. Now go slay the Aledo dragon.

Dunn didn't get enough credit during district play. He is delivering strikes.

Crosby is looking good. And I've never seen a Slot T offense run this well. Great game.

I'll be cheering via Texan Live then ! Go win it!

I'm going to ask a dumb question: Are there tickets at the gate? I live close-ish to Bryan. If I showed up at the game, could I get in?

If you make it to the 5th round, there's no reason to think you can't beat anyone in the state. You're a top 4, you may as well be the top 1. Go get it.

Good work!!!

About 20% of my support for Nederland next week is based on fraternal support for PNG's Mid-County Madness rival, 10% is given as a Christmas present (you're welcome, Nederland), and 70% is to see a rematch between Crosby and Nederland. Get it done!

I think if Nederland plays tough defense they are more than capable of beating FBM.

Congrats Nederland!

Is there a way to watch this live?

Right -- At the first round there was a clear disparity between 12-5a and 11-5a, but all of that advantage falls off in the later rounds. There are usually a couple teams who don't belong in the second round, but for the most part everyone is good now.

Good work!

Sorry to see it, Titans. Good season!