JERMAINE EVERY'S Every-Thing Sports
Holiday Blues? Let sports help
Nov 20, 2018, 7:48 am
Thinking of lost loved ones during the holidays can be rough. Jermaine Every
Every now and then, I like to be transparent with my audience. People often talk about how they “keep it real,” but few often do so. I’ve talked about my vasectomy in regards to men’s health, making memories with your kids, and wrote about how some die-hard female Astros fans felt about the Osuna trade. I’m not one to shy away from how I feel on any given subject. Except that time AJ Hoffman shamed me into the vasectomy on-air, but that’s different.
That being said, let’s talk about something most people don’t like to talk about: holiday depression. Mental health is a taboo subject. Some seek help, some self-medicate, and some refuse to acknowledge they need it. But holiday time can often bring about some tough times for those of us that deal with holiday depression.
Holiday depression may be a term I made up because I doubt the medical profession would call it that. But I sometimes deal with it when I think of my little brother or grandmother. One was my best friend and knew me better than anybody, the other taught me how to cook and how to put others above yourself (especially those less fortunate).
One of the things that have helped me throughout this time in dealing with it has been sports. The memories of playing sports video games, collecting cards, and studying sports with my little brother helps. As does the countless hours debating with my grandmother why Shaq is a great player and not just a “big ol dummy who bullies people,” or who’s better Elway or Montana.
Chris and I would spend any allowance or birthday money we had on cards and video games. Our favorite was Bill Walsh College Football on Super Nintendo. I still have our collection of basketball cards from the early ‘90s. We have the Bulls’ roster from their first title win, as well as a rare (I think) Magic vs Mike card from the ’91 Finals.
Another thing that makes me smile is remembering how my grandmother also taught me how to talk trash. It goes back to watching the Lakers/Celtics matchups in the NBA Finals in the ‘80s. She even trolled us by wearing her Colts gear when the Saints played “her boy” Peyton Manning. Sometimes I wish she were still here to see how her sister (my godmother) is now an Alabama fan given they were born and raised right outside Baton Rouge. (Side note: My godmother sent Mad Dog and I a crystal football after Bama beat LSU in the national title game with a note saying “Bama is a real dynasty.”)
People all deal with depression around this time of year differently. Sports can be a nice respite from it all. A few months ago, a good friend of mine lost his niece in a senseless act of violence. It’s going to be tough on him and his family, but I know sports will help them through their first holiday season without her.
We can often times allow sports to depress us. Let’s try to use them to our benefit this holiday season. While I know this may not work for everyone, give it a shot. All of you going through it this holiday season, you’ll be in my prayers. God bless.
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It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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