NERDS AROUND TOWN

Nerds Around Town: Gronk, Disney and Marvel #1000

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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The Texans play their final preseason game against the Saints on Sunday night. Composite Getty Image.

The 2023 NFL season is basically here. Yes, there's another preseason game left to play. Yes, there's still 37 guys that need to be cut. Yes, there are some last minute tweaks and changes to season plans that need to be made. Yes, DeMeco Ryans will name a starting quarterback (cough, C.J. Stroud, cough). And yes, bets will be placed. With that being said, here's a look at some of the futures that involved the Texans:

O/U 6.5 season win total: When last season ended, this number was hovering around four or four and a half in most places. Enter DeMeco Ryans, his new staff, C.J. Stroud, and Will Anderson Jr. Expectations shot up to the tune of an additional two games. If Vegas thinks the Texans can potentially win seven games, who am I to argue? I'm leaning on the under here, but barely. The run defense in that Dolphins game scared me. So does a rookie quarterback starting when his offensive line isn't all healthy. I'll be glad to be wrong about this one.

Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr +350: The rookie EDGE is the leader in the clubhouse for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Next best odds belong to Eagles' Jalen Carter at +600. Anderson Jr is easily the one guy that will have the highest impact on his new team when comparing the rookies. This defense has been void of an effective pass rush since J.J. Watt's Comeback Player of the Year award in the 2018 season. He's the prototypical pass rusher playing for a coach that helped shape one of the baddest defenses in the league over the last several years. I think this is a safe bet.

Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud +850: While Stroud has shown signs of his skill set that made him the number two overall pick, he still has a way to go. The receivers aren't great, the offensive line is banged up, the run game is decent, and he's presumably going to be thrown in the fire. This award usually goes to a rookie who contributes to a playoff team, or the quarterback that puts up good numbers on an exciting losing team. I don't see Stroud putting up crazy numbers. Instead, I'd put money on a running back or receiver to win it this year. Another one I hope I'm wrong about, but worth a small flyer on.

Texans win AFC South +850/AFC +10000: Miracles happen every day. The blind regain sight. The cripple walk. You get the point. However, I can only see a scenario of the Texans winning the AFC South if the Jags fall completely off, the Titans continue to take steps back, and the Colts implode after trading their best player. Too much has to go right for them to win the division, much less make a Super Bowl appearance. If you want, place the minimum bet allowed just in case.

While Vegas seems to see the Texans as a team on the come up, they're still not convinced this team is worthy of contending for a playoff spot. I'm okay with them not being highly thought of right now. That will give them the element of surprise when it comes to others taking them lightly. By others, I mean other fan bases and media of opposing teams. No NFL team should be taken lightly by another NFL team. They're all professionals who work incredibly hard to get to where they are. Again, I hope I'm wrong about a couple of these. I'd love nothing more than to be writing another article eating crow in January. This is why they play the games. CUE HERM EDWARDS!

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