If the Houston Texans are going to lose on Thursday, at least they will be doing it in style. The team announced on Tuesday that they will be hosting a “Battle Red Event” for their primetime matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles which will feature red end zones and their red alternate helmets.
Fans will receive a “Battle Red H-Town” towel upon entry to the stadium, with other themed merchandise available for purchase at stadium concessions. Along with the end zone’s color change will be a difference in text from previous games, with one end reading “Houston” and the other “Texans” with white lettering that will be outlined in blue for the occasion.
Rapper Slim Thug will serve as the team’s battle drum representative to get fans excited for what is likely to be a defeat of epic proportions.
This event will be sponsored by Mattress Firm, and the company’s chief merchandising officer Anne Dament set to be the coin toss captain. Mattress Firm also joined the Texans in surprising one deserving teacher at Mandarin Immersion Magnet School with supplies and equipment for their classroom, along with a $1,500 grant for the class they teach.
While it is nice to see the team invest in this primetime experience for fans, it won’t mean much to them if the Texans don’t play a competitive game of football for the occasion. After getting absolutely manhandled by the Titans on Sunday, anything less than a competent showing, even if they don’t win, on Thursday night will be viewed as an abject failure.
Their opponent, the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles, will be a tough out. Given all of Houston’s off-field investment in this game, the most disappointing outcome possible would be for the Texans to be systematically dismantled for a second time in five days.
Watch for them to play with an extra edge to prove that they aren’t a team that will be easily stepped on by more established opponents.