NERDS AROUND TOWN
Nerds Around Town: Gronk, Disney and Marvel #1000
Aug 28, 2019, 6:09 am
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!
It's Wednesday and we're halfway there, who is staying focused?
GOOD DEED OF THE DAY
In honor of college kids going back to school, I want you to look on facebook find one of your teacher friends and click on their Amazon wishlist. They're all doing it this year, they all should be doing it this year except that education is the most important thing in the world for children and we as a society should care more to educate them, poor or rich, white, black or brown. We should be teaching them how to think and ask questions and let them make this world a better place since obviously we don't know how.
GRONK SPEAKS, GRONK CRIES
Yesterday some comments newly retired Gronk made at a CBD event have blown up. He talked about how after winning the Super Bowl he was lying in bed for four weeks with a massive quad injury that actually resulted in internal bleeding. He talked about how even though he was a champion he was miserable, and this is the reality of the NFL. These guys are destroying each other, week after week and game after game they are just wrecking their bodies for glory and gold. Andrew Luck wasn't the first player to retire and he won't be the last, I think you're going to see a couple guys every year who are leaving the league after the put a fair amount of money in their pocket simply because it isn't worth it. At some point, you have what most would call "enough" money and suddenly they find themselves asking questions like "is it worth it?" And it feels hard to believe for us but there is enough money in the world for some.
ANOTHER BIRTHDAY
Today Marvel #1000 comes out, it's a tribute to the 80 years of Marvel Comics. It covers every year since the beginning, touching on all the heroes and characters that made each year special. With tons of creators involved each of them working on a small story with characters they are tied to by their vast and wonderful careers. There is no end to the excitement for this issue, as it's kind of a big deal and it touches on tons of important moments and character deaths and introductions. There are lots of people in the know who are saying this is going to be one of the most important comic books of the year, so get pumped.
EVEN MORE DISNEY NEWS
Disney continues to try and blitzkrieg the streaming world, first with their D23 trailer releases and line up reveals and now they are opening up a pre-order opportunity for fans who were registered for the D23 website already. Disney+ if ordered alone is $7 a month, if you buy a yearly long package it averages out to about $5.50 a month and if you get the three year plan it actually averages out to less than $4 a month. At this point, they re basically just taking customers away from everyone else out of spite by essentially giving away three years of the service in a bid to launch with massive numbers. They also are talking about having future FX shows (one of the channels they came up with out of the Fox Purchase) debut first on Disney+ or Hulu (where they plan to feature their more adult content) before bringing them to the actual FX channel. Disney is not playing around.
NOT THAT YOU ASKED
It's looking like The Clowney era in Houston is about to come to an end and I'm sad about it. He had a slow start to his career but the last three years he's been one of the most dominant pass rushers in the NFL. I'm not sure how we can not block for Watson, not be able to run the ball and then decide that we also don't want to have a dominant defense. It seems like we're just deciding to be bad when our window is wide open for as long as Andrew Luck is retired.
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.
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How latest Astros events highlight serious concerns around core philosophies
May 22, 2025, 12:59 pm
Two seasons ago the Astros were oddly feeble at home and warriors on the road. Now, this season is headed nowhere if they can't pick it up away from Daikin Park. In the first week of April, the Astros won their initial road series of the season. It will be June before they win another. Well, presumably June. Approaching seven weeks since they took a series at Minnesota, it's now seven consecutive road stops without a series victory. In six straight three-game road series the Astros have lost two out of three, including at the laughingstock White Sox. They did split the four-game set in Arlington against the Rangers last weekend. The Astros’ road record is 10-15.
Now they're home for 10 in a row, starting with four versus the team the Astros look up at in the American League West standings. The Seattle Mariners hit town three and a half games ahead of the Astros. Last June, the Astros trailed the Mariners by 10 games and wound up winning the division. Expecting a sequel as good as an original usually is not a good idea. Winning this series is certainly not a necessity given the season still only reaches its one-third completed mark this coming Tuesday. Still, at least getting a split is advised, or the Astros are looking at falling five and half games off the lead should the Mariners win three out of four, seven and a half back should Seattle sweep. But flip the script. If the Astros sweep, they go to bed Sunday night leading the division. Taking three out four would be just fine, and have the Astros within a game and a half of first.
The Astros are carrying a payroll roughly 75 million dollars larger than that of the Mariners. The M’s have a farm system (currently one of the highest rated among the franchises) vastly superior to what the Astros have (one of the worst systems in the sport). So if Mariners’ ownership opted to loosen the purse strings in pursuit of in season talent infusions, the M’s are way better positioned to make an impact move than are the Astros. Just remember, even if the Mariners are going to pull away, the wild card picture does not have three teams that are obviously ultimately better than the Astros.
Positive vibes only
If you're into good luck charms, dig up a four-leaf clover or find a rabbit's foot, then cross your fingers where Ronel Blanco is concerned. It is quite an ominous sign that the Astros sent Blanco back to Houston a day early after he reported soreness in his pitching elbow. I mean, who would be surprised to hear that Blanco is done for the season a la Hayden Wesneski. It's increasingly essential that Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez hold up physically and qualitatively the rest of the way. That Brown had his worst start of the season Wednesday in Tampa is no big deal. It's called being human. The Rays torching him for three home runs and five runs in five innings spiked Brown's earned run average all the way up to 2.04. Ooooh. Brown has been fantastic.
The Astros underestimated how long Spencer Arrighetti would be out. Shocking! Some boost from him seems necessary. There is only so much the Astros can reasonably hope for out of Lance McCullers, and the likes of Colton Gordon and Brandon Walter. That either Cristian Javier or Luis Garcia makes it back by, say, August is a best-case scenario. Then it would be hope about level of performance. The Astros hold no monopoly on serial pitching injuries. The Mariners have lost three-fifths of their stout starting rotation. George Kirby making his first 2025 start Thursday is a boost for them. Logan Gilbert and Bryce Miller are both still out.
Heart of the matter
Among the core frustrations for Astros’ fans are the continued crummy overall performances of Jose Altuve, Christian Walker, and Yainer Diaz. If it turns out that the 35-year-old Altuve has truly fallen over the hill as opposed to just enduring an extended deep slump that would be an obvious bummer. The same with the 34-year-old Walker though there is no emotional tug for Astros’ fans with Walker as there is with Altuve. Yainer Diaz is just 26. His regression is troubling, perhaps low-lighted by his one walk in his last 33 games played, four walks for the season in 170 plate appearances. That’s pathetic. Yainer, Victor Caratini, and Astros’ pitchers have collectively done a brutal job at dealing with opposition running games. The Astros have given up 62 stolen bases in 67 attempts, with one of the five caught stealings a pickoff, another a botched double steal.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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