HOUSTON -- Bill OBrien got a bit antsy as his introductory press conference with the Houston Texans started to drag on and a question was posed about how much he knows about his new team. "Ive got a lot of work to do on this team and the sooner that I can get back to my office and start that work, itll be better," he said straight-faced as the rest of the room erupted in laughter. Less than two years after replacing Joe Paterno as coach at Penn State, the 44-year-old OBrien has returned to the NFL as coach of the Houston Texans. He was an offensive assistant under Bill Belichick at New England from 2007-12, but the Penn State job was his first as a head coach. Now he gets the Texans, who spiraled to an NFL-worst 2-14 record last season. "He showed that he has the ability to step into difficult situations and turn them around," Houston owner Bob McNair said. "He did that at Penn State under very difficult circumstances and did an outstanding job there. We expect to see good things happen immediately." OBrien was 15-9 at Penn State, hit hard by NCAA sanctions levied for the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal that cost the late Paterno his job. He takes over for Gary Kubiak, who was fired with three games left in the Texans dismal season. Despite Houstons collapse, many believe it is a plum position because the Texans have many talented pieces in place and could make a quick turnaround. Houston won consecutive AFC South titles before this years disaster. OBrien said he planned to meet with Houstons assistant coaches on Friday and begin making decisions on who will make up his staff. After his first season at Penn State, OBrien interviewed with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns, among others, only to stay in State College. This time the lure of the NFL was too strong to resist. "I do regret not being able to continue with the great kids on that team," OBrien said. "While I tried never to mislead anyone, I understand that some people feel let down. But again, it was a decision that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me." He said an attractive aspect of this job was Houstons world-class medical centre. OBriens 11-year-old son Jack cant walk or talk because of a rare neurological disorder that also causes seizures. Almost exactly two years ago, OBrien fidgeted with a water bottle while taking questions from reporters at his introductory news conference at Penn State. He said then that he couldnt wait to get going, and he feels that way in Houston, too. The first-time NFL head coach was relaxed and confident throughout most of his first press conference in Houston. He did squirm a little when asked about his lack of ties to Texas in following Houston native Kubiak, and stammered some when asked about his infamous sideline blowout with Tom Brady in New England. He escaped the first question by saying he was going to buy his first pair of cowboy boots after the press conference. As for the second issue -- he downplayed the screaming match that ended with other coaches pulling OBrien away. "These things happen," he said. "There was a camera on it which I feel bad about, but what people dont understand about that was 30 seconds after that was over, we were sitting together looking at the pictures ... that quickly passed." OBrien follows Dom Capers, who led the team from its expansion season in 2002, and Kubiak as the only coaches in Texans history. Like Kubiak, OBrien is known as a quarterback guru, which will be important for a team searching for a solution after veteran Matt Schaub had a terrible season and lost his job to Case Keenum, who also struggled. OBrien has almost exclusively coached offence with a focus on quarterbacks, though he was a defensive end and linebacker while at Brown. "Its a job thats never-ending," he said of coaching quarterbacks. "Its a job that you can always improve if you like coaching quarterbacks and its a lot of fun to do." Houston has the top overall draft pick and could use it on a one of a trio of talented signal-callers who could be available. Louisvilles Teddy Bridgewater, 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M and Fresno States Derek Carr, younger brother of Houstons first-ever draft pick, David Carr, are the top-rated quarterbacks expected to be in the draft. "If we wound up with a young quarterback, wed probably bring in a veteran so we dont have to depend on that rookie," McNair said. "Thats tough putting a rookie in there and expecting them to be able play right off the bat. Thereve been a couple of them that have done it but a number of them didnt do so well. I think having that veteran presence is important." Houston has had the first pick in the draft two other times, choosing Carr in 2002 and defensive end Mario Williams in 2006. "The defensive player worked out better than the offensive player," McNair said with a laugh. "But that wont lock us into anything. Theres always a possibility. (General manager) Rick (Smith) and the coaches will trade around. Maybe well trade down and still get a quarterback that can do the job and get an outstanding defensive player." Al Macinnis Jersey . The Marlies centre set up three goals, including the game-winner, as Toronto cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Oklahoma City Barons in American Hockey League action. Brian Sutter Jersey .9 million deal Thursday. The 25-year McGinn had 19 goals and 19 assists in 79 games last season in helping the Avalanche tie a franchise record with 52 wins. http://www.officialbluesnhlshop.com/kyl ... ak-jersey/. Ricciardo made it only halfway around the Jerez track before his RB10 rolled to a stop and began spouting smoke from the back. After team mechanics tended to the car, Ricciardo went back out for a mere two trips around the circuit before calling it quits. Kyle Brodziak Jersey . Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as a free agent with Cleveland in March, reported symptoms on Monday morning, a team spokesman said. Patrik Berglund Jersey . Detroits powerful offence made that unnecessary. Scherzer allowed two hits and struck out seven, and the Tigers backed their star right-hander with three early homers in an 8-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night.Less than two weeks after reconstructive right knee surgery in February 2013, Lindsey Vonn already was sounding a positive note, saying she was "really looking forward to Sochi" and defending her Olympic downhill gold medal. Along the way to the next Winter Games, though, Vonn began facing more setbacks. As shed move past one, another would surface. In the end, it was too much, even for Vonn, the most accomplished U.S. ski racer in history. Expected to be one of the biggest stars at the upcoming Games, Vonn announced Tuesday -- exactly one month before the opening ceremony -- she wont be able to race in Russia. In a Facebook posting, Vonn said she is "devastated" to miss the Olympics, "but the reality has sunk in that my knee is just too unstable to compete at this level." Her personal publicist, Lewis Kay, said in a statement the 29-year-old from Vail, Colo., will have knee surgery again "shortly." Like many in her risk-filled sport, Vonn has dealt with injuries often, particularly at major events. She withdrew midway through the 2011 world championships because of a concussion. She raced with a severely bruised shin at the last Olympics. She skipped a race at the 2009 worlds after slicing her thumb open on a champagne bottle. She hurt her knee in training and missed a pair of races at the 2007 worlds. She took a scary fall during training at the 2006 Olympics, then left the hospital to compete. "Shes come back. Shell be back," Vonns father, Alan Kildow, said in a telephone interview. "Youll see a lot of Lindsey Vonn in the future." Vonn left the 2010 Vancouver Games with two medals: the first Olympic downhill gold for an American woman, and a bronze in the super-G. She is also a four-time overall World Cup champion, by far the most recognized name in Alpine skiing at the moment -- and, as it happens, the girlfriend of Tiger Woods. Add it all up, and she would have been the focus of plenty of media coverage in Sochi, certainly a main character in NBCs coverage for a U.S. audience. "Lindsey gives you great promotional value, and shes an amazing athlete and an amazing story," said Gary Zenkel, president of NBC Olympics. "But there are amazing athletes that are going to be in Sochi, many of which we know, some of which we havent identified yet." To those in the world of skiing, theres no doubt about the sports most important athlete of late. "Without Lindsey Vonn, the races are just not the same," Canadian womens Alpine coach Hugues Ansermoz said last month. "She just attracts so much interest. When Lindsey Vonn is here, there are more people coming to watch the race, there is more interest on TV, more journalists are interested. And her relationship with Tiger Woods makes even more people interested." But Vonn has rarely been present on the elite skiing circuit the past 12 months. She tore two ligaments in her right knee and broke a bone in that leg during a high-speed crash at the world championships last February. As Vonn neared a return, she re-tore her surgically repaired ACL in a crash during training in November. After finishing 40th, 11th and fifth in a trio of World Cup races at Lake Louise, Alberta, in early December, Vonn sprained her MCL during a downhill at Val dIsere, France, two weeks later.dddddddddddd "I did everything I possibly could to somehow get strong enough to overcome having no ACL," Vonn said Tuesday via Facebook. "Im having surgery soon so that I can be ready for the World Championships at home in Vail next February," she wrote. "On a positive note, this means there will be an additional spot so that one of my teammates can go for gold." Mikaela Shiffrin, the reigning world champion in slalom, and Julia Mancuso, a three-time Olympic medallist , will now draw extra attention as American women trying to reach the Alpine skiing podium in Sochi. Top skiers from other countries who will be favoured for medals include Germanys Maria Hoefl-Riesch, Switzerlands Lara Gut, Slovenias Tina Maze and Liechtensteins Tina Weirather. Shiffrin, the U.S. teenager labeled the "next Vonn" by some, wrote on Twitter that its "hard to swallow" that Vonn wont be competing in Sochi. Another American racer, Stacey Cook, posted on Facebook: "Our team is not the same without you. You leave big shoes to fill." After skiing in two downhills and a super-G at Lake Louise last month, Vonn sounded optimistic, declaring she would be in Sochi, "fighting for my medal." But shortly thereafter in France -- with Woods watching in the finish area -- Vonn lost her balance. Her left ski lifted, forcing weight onto her right knee. She grimaced, then clutched that leg. Kay said Tuesday an MRI "showed an MCL sprain, which coupled with the torn ACL, has made it impossible to stabilize her knee and be ready to safely ski again next month." Now Vonn will turn her attention to the 2015 world championships in Colorado. Theres also this: She needs three wins to match the World Cup record of 62 race victories set by Annemarie Moser-Proell of Austria. "I have every ounce of confidence that Lindsey will be in the starting gate next World Cup season, ready to compete," said Bill Marolt, the CEO and president of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. "She knows the hard work it takes to get to the top and still has significant goals to achieve in what has been an incredible career." U.S. racers captured eight Alpine medals four years ago, their highest total at any Olympics and twice as many as any other country at Vancouver. That figure may be tough to reach with Vonn sidelined and Bode Miller, who won three medals in 2010, trying to return to form at age 36 after left knee surgery. Whats more, Mancuso has been struggling this season. Off to a poor start in pre-Olympic races, Mancuso recently headed home for a short break. "We have a strong team that is well prepared. ... Now is the time for those athletes to step up," Marolt said. Vonn, meanwhile, will go through another operation, another rehab, another road back. "You need to look at the long run. The problem with the knee is there is not an insignificant risk that youre going to do more long-term damage that cant be repaired," said Kildow, her father. "So have it repaired now. So you can compete in future years. So you can ski and enjoy yourself after you get done competing." Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '