Every-Thing Sports

Santa Jermaine hands out gifts for the Houston sports scene

Santa Jermaine hands out gifts for the Houston sports scene
Houston Roockets Official Twitter account

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!" I'm sure you've all heard that jingle/song line/phrase in one way shape or form over the last few weeks. Probably more than many of you would have cared to hear. It's Christmas time and you'll be hearing all sorts of Christmas music, Christmas jingles, and the like.

Every year at Christmas, you inevitably get a gift, or gifts, that you don't like. You may have even gotten gifts you can't return. Here in Houston, there are some special gifts Santa Jermaine would like to give out to some of the local sports scene:

Chris Paul

I would like to gift Chris Paul some new legs this year. Last year, as many Rockets fans would say, the team was "a hamstring away from the Finals!" Well Houston, I'm here to take away the pain from the idea of paying a 33 year old point guard $160 million dollar extension this past offseason. Once he gets his new legs, think of the scene from Forrest Gump when he takes off running and sheds the leg braces.

The Astros

This team is poised to be a World Series contender for years to come. However, they have some key decisions to make, and they need to be made now. I will gift the Astros Yankee/Red Sox/Dodger money. Sure, this won't be the answer to all their problems, but it will solve a lot of them. Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole will be free agents after the season. George Springer, Carlos Correa, and Alex Bregman will all need to be paid as well. Hell, Dallas Keuchel doesn't look like he's poised to return this offseason and Lance McCullers is out with Tommy John surgery and will need to be resigned when/if he's healthy.

James Harden

The Beard won league MVP last season, but the team is off to a bad start. He's doing what he can to keep them afloat for now, but he needs help. Well, help is on the way in the form of a Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant-type killer instinct and defensive intensity. Harden is the best one on one scorers in this generation. The constant complaint across the board is that he lacks that killer instinct, defensive intensity, and consistent effort guys like MJ and Kobe had. If he gets this gift, do you think the Rockets win a ring any time soon? Better yet: why do they need this gift and Chris Paul's gift? Well…

Darryl Morey

…the Rockets need those gifts because their G.M. is sometimes too smart for his own good. I want to give Morey the gift of using his Jedi mind tricks when trading again. He was able to get Harden from the Thunder for a bag of basketballs and some magic beans. If Chris Paul's gift fails to work, or the team isn't able to improve from within or maybe even if it's not working over the next couple years, how could you waste Harden's prime?

Deshaun Watson

Watson is living up to all the hype. He's a playmaking quarterback that will be with the Texans for the next 10-15 years…if he's healthy and continues to improve. For Watson, I will gift him Tom Brady and Drew Brees' ability to stay healthy, as well as their decision-making. If there's a knock on him, it's his health and ability to read defenses and get the ball off. Taking sacks will contribute to his health questions. This is by proxy a gift to DeAndre Hopkins. A healthy Watson with better decision-making will help him in his quest to be this team's all-time best receiver.

Honorable Mention

Gow Media- The gift of me as a full-time employee. The Dynamo- A bigger fan base. U of H Football- A great coach who wants to be a Coog for life. Bill O'Brien- An offensive coordinator/quality control specialist.

There are more gifts to give. If you guys have any, hit me up. I'd love to know what you think.

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The Astros host Mike Trout and the Angels this weekend. Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Astros return to Daikin Park on Friday night looking to end a three-game home losing streak as they open a three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels.

Ronel Blanco takes the mound for Houston, aiming to bounce back after a rough start to his season. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 9.45 ERA and a 2.10 WHIP through his first two outings. He’ll be opposed by Angels rookie Jack Kochanowicz, who has impressed early with a 3.27 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and eight strikeouts.

The Astros enter the night at 5-7, sitting third in the AL West and still searching for offensive consistency. Despite the team’s slow start, Jose Altuve has been a bright spot, hitting .333 with three homers in his last 10 games. Yordan Alvarez, though still looking for his power stroke to fully emerge, has contributed eight RBI.

Houston will need a stronger showing at the plate to keep pace with a hot Angels squad that has won seven of its last 10. Los Angeles ranks fourth in MLB in slugging (Houston is dead last) and is led by Kyren Paris and Logan O’Hoppe, who have combined for 10 home runs over the last 10 games. The Angels have gone 6-3 on the road and are currently second in the AL West.

This is the first meeting of the season between the division rivals. The Astros are 2-1 this year when scoring five or more runs but have struggled in lower-scoring games. Meanwhile, the Angels have outscored their opponents by 15 runs over their last 10 contests.

Here's a look at the Astros lineup for Game 1:

Screenshot via: MLB.com

Shaking things up

Brendan Rodgers is hitless in his last eight at-bats, so Joe Espada is hoping Mauricio Dubon can give the offense a spark as he's hitting ninth and playing second base.

First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. EDT.

The Astros projected starters for the series:

Friday-Blanco

Saturday-Ryan Gusto

Sunday-Hayden Wesneski


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