Houston daily showing bias in Super Bowl coverage?

The Houston daily published this story, written by an AP writer, about one of the participants in Sunday's Super Bowl but neglected to point out the subject of the story, Rocky Bernard, is from Baytown, 30 miles from Houston. Rocky played his college ball at Texas A&M.

Then, today, the Houston daily assigns one of its staff writers to do this piece about another Super Bowl participant, Casey Hampton, who's from Galveston, 60 miles from Houston. Hampton played his college ball at the University of Texas.

It might be tempting to conclude that the Houston daily's decision makers are showing bias.

Rocky from Baytown and A&M gets the wire service treatment (which fails to mention his hometown) while Casey from Galveston and UT gets the staff-written treatment (including mention of his hometown.)

The story about Rocky from Baytown gets less prominent display that the staff-written story about the nose guard from Galveston.

If you were a conspiracy theorist, you might point out that since the Houston daily is full of Texas Exes, including many in high and powerful positions (who reportedly wear orange underpants and recently put orange all over their Web site), that they are showing outrageous bias.

But that's hard to imagine as it would be "unethical," so we are not prepared to levy such a serious charge.

But what's the better story? A guy named "Rocky" who was a 5th round draft pick who's from just down the Baytown Freeway, or the guy from Galveston who was a first-round draft pick? Both are starters on their respective defensive lines, but only one is named Rocky and he happens to be from Harris County, whose county seat is, yes, HOUSTON.

Only the readers can answer the question of bias, I guess.

But it's probably not that big a deal. I mean, it's just sports, and we're at war and all. Never mind.