NEW YORK (AP) —atchup in mind for the Super Bowl: Bears vs. Texans.Could happen.The native of Chicago and lifelong Bears fan also is close friends with Houston star defensive end J.J. Watt. So what could be better for the popular standup comedian than his favorite team facing off with his football buddy in the big game? "We were just talking about that Cullen Gillaspia Jersey , a friend and me, talking about going to the Super Bowl this year. It could be a Watt/Bears extravaganza," says Maniscalco, who also is an actor and author. "It would be nice."The last time the Bears were this good with this kind of swagger about them and a lot of confidence, they were doing the ‘Super Bowl Shuffle.' "Maniscalco is headed for Madison Square Garden for four shows on Jan. 19-20 that nearly are sold out. The Garden is a natural spot for comedy — have you seen the Knicks lately? — and Maniscalco recognizes the tie-ins between sports and funniness."Madison Square Garden is the epicenter for lots of great events," he notes. "Comedy and sports definitely go together, though it's not something I build my standup around. I tailor my act to whoever is there. It is something for me that I always loved, incorporating some sort of sports material into my act, some of it's improvisational."You're out there and exposed in both. If people are not out there laughing, you are out there like a pitcher who cannot throw strikes. Comedy is very naked and very exposed. So is anybody who is kind of doing something on an individual level, like in sports."Maniscalco, who threw out the first pitch for a Mets game at Citi Field last season and enjoyed the camaraderie of hanging out in the dugout http://www.texansfanshop.com/Kahale-Warring-Jersey , was a soccer player as a youngster. Part of his comedy routine — he has a Netflix special that premieres on Jan. 15 — centers on his father, who would come to Sebastian's games with a legal pad, write down what he saw, then break down what his son did and didn't do.His father would sit away from the other parents in the stands."No one knew who he was," he jokes. "They were saying, ‘Hey, does someone owe money here?' He looked like he was coming to collect a debt."Now, Maniscalco says, dad comes to his shows and does the same critiquing of the comedy.Much of Maniscalco's material focuses on family relationships and stuff people go through in their daily lives. He steers clear of politics, despite the deep well of potential material there."The recipe for success to me is staying true to who I am, to my family, and sharing experiences people can relate to Max Scharping Jersey ," he says.His friendship with Watt started through when the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year said he was a fan of Maniscalco since high school. The comic and his family have visited with Watt when they were in Houston, and marveled at the impact Watt has had in the community."He is like a leader. He inspires people," Maniscalco says, noting Watt's fundraising role after Houston was hit by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. "If something needs to get done, he gets it done. You kind of strive to do the things he does. It makes you a better person."So if Watt and the Texans play his beloved Bears in the Super Bowl, where will Maniscalco's allegiance be?Well, he isn't quite saying. But, though he has lived in Los Angeles for 20 years, he still roots for all the Chicago teams.If the Texans and Bears get to Atlanta, and you see a guy on the street wearing a Watt jersey and Bears jacket and hat, it might be Maniscalco.No kidding. This is the beginning of a golden era of Texans football. That may seem like a hyperbolic statement, considering the team is by no means perfect and has shown off flaws with a consistency that many would consider to be the hallmarks of a bad football team. Yet http://www.texansfanshop.com/Lonnie-Johnson-Jersey , despite all of this, the Texans may be (if they are not already ) in what can only be described as a ‘‘championship window’’. It’s a time period that is often times fleeting and brief for any team that isn’t the Patriots. This window is a culmination of various factors coalescing together to form what might be the most talented team in the history of the franchise. Players such as DeAndre Hopkins and Jadeveon Clowney are hitting their primes, which makes them among the best at their position. A defense that is elite at a key facet of the game.Perhaps most importantly of all, the emergence of Deshaun Watson. We’ve waxed lyrical and poetic about Watson various times around this blog, to the point one might mistake him for something of a minor deity capable of feats few could imagine from a quarterback wearing a Texans’ jersey. These factors, and Watson’s emergence in particular, are shaping the potential opening of the Texans ‘‘championship window’’. In a league that revolves around attempting to maximize the productivity of players against a salary cap, the young quarterback on a rookie contract is Willy Wonka’s golden ticket. The most important position in football is often times the most expensive. The toll it takes on team’s ability to shape and mold a quality roster around the QB is a difficult task at the best of times. The mathematics are quite simple. If you have a good young quarterback on a rookie deal, you have the cap flexibility to invest on the various other elements of the team that are lacking, thanks to not having to devote $25 million or more to a quarterback’s yearly contract. As soon as the quarterback’s rookie contract runs out and he needs to be extended, the amount of resources available to a team to build and maintain a roster drastically diminishes. That isn’t just for free agent acquisitions either. The room for error with draft picks is larger when there’s a quality QB under a smaller contract.When you have to pay that quarterback, the limited cap space available stops you from being able to address issues in free agency. The team becomes much more reliant on rookies to fill key positions.This idea has historical support. Both of Seattle’s Super Bowl appearances in the past decade occurred with Russell Wilson under his rookie contract. Carson Wentz (kind of) Tytus Howard Jersey , Joe Flacco and Colin Kaepernick were all starting quarterbacks for teams who went to the Super Bowl, and all of those QBs were or still are on their rookie contracts. It was easier for the Seahawks, Eagles, Ravens, and 49ers to invest in stud defenses when they didn’t have to dedicate a huge chunk of their cap to one player.This is where the Texans are right now. Being in this window means the Texans should be pouring their assets into everything around Watson while they still can. This means doing things like re-signing Jadeveon Clowney because you have no idea when windows like these are going to open again. The Texans should realize the urgency of their current situation. These are the best conditions for a Texans’ title run since the Gary Kubiak led teams in 2011-12.Even then, where the Texans are now is probably better.The upcoming Texans’ offseason has to be framed within these parameters. Every decision, every draft pick, and every free agent signing will be judged by how it’s going to affect the Texans’ championship window. The clock is ticking.This window won’t be open forever.
