WATT A SHOW!
J.J. Watt, Jose Altuve, and Carlos Beltran score big at Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Awards
Steven Devadanam
Dec 9, 2017, 10:54 am
Jose Altuve and J.J. Watt won big. Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated
Originally appeared on CultureMap/Houston.
If your Sunday morning plans are centered around TV and chill, we suggest you tune into NBCSN, as Houston will be the MVP of the 2017 Sportsperson of the Year Award Show.
As seen all over social media this week, J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans, and José Altuve of the World Series Champion Houston Astros, are both 2017 Sportsperson of the Year recipients. (Cool local angle: Houston men’s style house Festari dressed and styled Altuve for the SI cover.) The show originally aired Friday night.
You can expect some serious Htown love when Houston native (and NFL great) Michael Strahan presents the award to the two local legends, with a speech recognizing their contributions to the Houston community.
With his trademark humility, Watt credited first responders and citizens in his acceptance speech: “I don’t think I could accept this award without mentioning the 200,000 people who donated to the fund…without mentioning all the firefighters and policeman, and all the people who got their own boats and went out in the streets to help save people. This award is about humans being good to help other humans and I think it’s incredible,” he says. For a refresher, Watt’s total donations topped $37 million.
Fresh off his retirement announcement, Astros star Carlos Beltran has been given the first-ever Hope Award from SI for using his platform to help Puerto Rico rebuild after Hurricane Maria.
“As a Puerto Rican, I’m extremely proud to be from the Island that has given me so much support throughout my 20-year career in baseball,” Beltran says. Beyoncé even makes an appearance — furthering the Htown dominance — as she and Daily Show host Trevor Noah presented Colin Kaepernick with the SI Muhammad Ali Legacy Award.
But who are we kidding? It’s all about Justin James, and Altuve.
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The Sports Illustrated 2017 Sportsperson of the Year Award Show first aired nationally on NBCSN at 7 pm, Friday, Dec. 8. NBCSN will air an encore presentation of Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year at 9 pm, Sunday, December 10; and 10:30 pm, Tuesday, December 12.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.