NERDS AROUND TOWN

Nerds Around Town: Adrian Peterson is broke, a cool indy comic and Cowboys news

ART BY JESUS RODRIGUEZ

Born with a comic book in one hand and a remote control in the other, Cory DLG is the talent of Conroe's very own Nerd Thug Radio and Sports. Check out the podcast replay of the FM radio show at www.nerdthugradio.com!

Hey Nerds!

What's up Wednesday! We're halfway through another week and we can do this. Let's conquer this week and the last of this month. Let's run through and conquer July.

GOOD DEED OF THE DAY

Make sure to help support The Adventure Begins as they participate in The Longest Day fundraiser, they will have tournaments and games all day in support against Alzheimer's. There are all kinds of things to get involved and ways to help, check out their website for more details.

FRONTERA

So as I've dived into the world of Independent comics I've noticed some great projects that people should be reading, and this is another one. Frontera. A sci-fi, western kind of feel with some cool story telling elements, things like a call in cable show and great color and art make this is a an easy buy. Written by AJ Kinkade and drawn by Myk Emmshin, this is a dynamic project well worth checking out. There is a wolf clan who has taken in a young woman and taught her their ways and honestly she looks pretty awesome so maybe learning their ways isn't a such a bad thing and then there's a conman hero type in the vein of Starlord who is just as charming and funny as the arch type. This is a great project to check out and the colors by Eve Orozco and Letters by Erek Foster are great and it's obvious the editor Laurie Foster had a clear focus for this project. Worth a read this weekend, trust me.

DOES THAT MAKE PEOPLE AN ACCESSORY TO MURDER?

Just yesterday, news was released that the young boxer Maxim Dadashev has died from the injuries he sustained boxing on Friday night in a fight that was aired on the ESPN+ app. This man was killed in the ring essentially and many people paid to watch it. Clips of the manager begging to throw in the towel between rounds were aired extensively today, as the manager then tells the Ring Doctor they want to end the fight. After the match Maxim needs help leaving the ring, he then vomits back stage, they rush him to a hospital and after surgery to try and save him, he passes yesterday. This is an absolute tragedy in a two man sport, it doesn't even make sense that it's possible. What was the Ring Doctor checking between rounds? What was the ref watching during the match? What were his corner people looking at between rounds? There's a lot of questions there to be asked and a lot of people who were supposed to be protecting this man during this fight that all let him down. People aren't supposed to die in the boxing ring.

THE STORY OF ANOTHER BROKE ATHLETE

And after having discussed this on my sports show before, it's being confirmed, Adrian Peterson, greatest running back still playing, is broke. It looks like he's about $3 million dollars in debt while also in court disputing another $6.6 million in unpaid loans, fees and legal fees. It seems like he's been using bridge loans to cover gaps in pay and now he's behind so far that it's come to this. It looks like it's another case of bad advice, poor investments and awful family members which has turned about $100 million dollars of income just from NFL contracts into debt, lots of debt. He's scheduled to earn roughly $3 million dollars this season. If he manages to play another two seasons, he basically can retire broke? Here's hoping someone takes this guy under their wing and shows him a few things before he winds up on the A-Rod financial rehab show in about four years.

NOT THAT YOU ASKED

Two weird roster announcements this week from the NFL. Mark Sanchez retired and Allen Hurns got cut from Dallas. Sanchez retiring is odd because well, I kind of forgot he was still in the league. I think he got out there and played one half (?) for Washington last year and got hurt himself, or maybe I'm thinking of Colt McCoy and Sanchez played for him in relief? I honestly have no clue. Because I didn't realize Colt was playing either. Also, how did Hurns take up $5 million dollars of cap space for Dallas? They don't throw it and when they do they don't throw it to Hurns. Who gave him any money? These are the things that bother me….

Feel free to check out my brand new comic book Another Day at the Office or buy a shirt from Side Hustle Ts where some proceeds help people struggling with cancer or listen to Nerd Thug Radio. Thoughts, complaints, events and comments can be sent to corydlg@gmail.com.

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM
A new hotel is in the works near Minute Maid. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images

Astros owner Jim Crane says the team is ready to break ground on a major construction project that will include a hotel and entertainment complex across the street from Minute Maid Park as soon as the 2023 baseball season wraps up – hopefully with another World Series parade in downtown Houston.

AstrosWorld!

But another hotel? Another entertainment complex? More construction downtown? My first reaction was, how much more does Houston need? I remember when the Super Bowl was held in Houston in 2004, clubs and restaurants sprung up downtown practically overnight, only to disappear virtually the morning after. When it came to downtown development, the expression “less is more” turned out true. At least that Super Bowl.

I asked my contacts in government and the Houston welcome wagon, is this a good idea, building a hotel and entertainment complex next door to Minute Maid Park? Do we need it? Can we sustain it?

The answer every time was a resounding yes! For a couple of reasons: first, downtown Houston, coming out of Covid, is booming, leadership is creative and budget-minded these days, and most important, if Jim Crane is behind the idea, you can trust it’ll work. The guy’s got a track record.

“In 2004, the idea was to turn downtown’s Main Street into Bourbon Street. Is that what we really want? It was a misguided plan, the wrong philosophy, and businesses opened and closed in short order,” a source told me.

It was a different story when the Super Bowl returned to Houston in 2017. This time Houston saw the Marriott Marquis, a 1,000-room hotel complete with an iconic Texas-shaped swimming pool, open in time for the tourist onslaught. Also, Avenida Houston greeted downtown visitors with new restaurants and entertainment venues. Both the Marriott and Avenida Houston have continued to thrive long after the Super Bowl left town.

“We want our downtown to attract visitors while providing services for the growing number of singles and families who are making their home downtown. As we continue to host major events and conventions, there will be a need for more hotel rooms,” the source said.

The Astros’ plan to build a sprawling hotel and entertainment complex originally was discussed in 2021 but was put on hold due to Covid. Now Crane and the Astros are ready to come out swinging. Similar complexes operate successfully next to the baseball stadium in St. Louis, Chicago and other cities.

An Astros-themed hotel adjacent to Minute Maid Park is particularly intriguing. The lobby could be home to an Astros museum and team Hall of Fame. Rooms and restaurants could be decorated in honor of Astros legends – the “Nolan Ryan honeymoon suite,” or “Strech Suba’s Bullpen Bar and Grille.” There could be meeting space for autograph and memorabilia shows. There could be a broadcast facility for post-game interviews and analysis. And maybe one day, fingers crossed, a betting parlor like the Cubs have at Wrigley Field.

The Astros have a contract to play at Minute Maid Park through 2050 – the only long-term contract that doesn’t make Crane cringe. Anything that enhances the fan experience and generates revenue is good for the team and the city. I might even consider going downtown on non-game nights.

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome