NERDS AROUND TOWN
Nerds Around Town: Realmz, Disney+ and the Dallas Cowboys
Aug 7, 2019, 6:52 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, how are you doing? Don't let this week get away.
GOOD DEED OF THE DAY
The Regional Gulf Coast Blood Center is for us. It's here to save our lives when we are in a crisis and need blood and they get that blood by donations from us when we're not in such a bad place. This weekend hit home for many and reminded the country that bad things can happen anywhere and everywhere, so donate blood. It may be your own life you save. Also they're giving away Blue Bell Ice Cream this month, so get out there.
AN ALL AROUND GREAT GUY
As I've started into this Indy world of comic books I've already encountered some genuinely good dudes and Anthony Moore is one of them. He's been supportive and he's a worker and he has been grinding on his own projects for a long time. Last night he launched a Kickstarter for one of his big projects called Realmz. It sounds pretty awesome and I've already personally put my money where my mouth is and donated. It's a cool story about Gods and Kings and Monsters having to swallow their pride and work together to save the universe, how does that not sound AMAZING? Anyway, great art, cool ideas and awesome characters, check it out!!
DISNEY MAKES THEIR MOVE
Disney has fired their shot across the bow, on an investor call today the price point and initial offer for the Disney+ service was announced. You can get the ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu together for $12.99. As a package price that's aimed right at Netflix who also is priced around that number, which means, it's your move Netflix. The Disney+ is set to come out in November and currently will have all the Star Wars stuff and four Marvel movies by the time it debuts and eight by the next year. They're aiming for 90 million subscribers by 2024, so they have some work to do.
NOW, IN THINGS THAT ARE RIDICULOUS
Cowboys RB Elliot has said he's prepared to sit out all season if he doesn't get a new contract. The fact of the matter is running back is the disposable position in the NFL, but only if your quarterback is any good and honestly Dallas doesn't have that luxury. On Around the Horn the other day, one of the pundits said Dax's QB Rating is 30 points higher out of play action when Zeke is on the field and his completion percentage is 15% higher when Zeke is on the field. That's 1 in 6, so if he's already a 60% QB, then Zeke is off the field because he's holding out, that goes from 4 in 6 to 3 in 6, so while that's a lot of numbers what it really means is more than likely, you're punting on a lot more fourth downs because of incompletes on third down when defenses expect pass and aren't respecting the run, cause Zeke is you know, absent. I'm not a Cowboys fan but even I see his value for this team.
NOT THAT YOU ASKED
Antonio Brown sitting out with blisters is hilarious to me, because the Raiders are one week into camp and already a complete mess. It's beautiful.
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.
Takeaways from the Tigers sweep of the Astros
Total butt kicking. The offense was dreadful, scoring just two runs over three games. However, what’s killing the offense the most is the outfield. Outside of when Altuve plays left field, Houston doesn’t have another major league-quality outfielder right now. Jesus Sanchez not only swung at a Charlie Morton curveball that hit him in the knee, he’s also ice-cold, going 0-for-28 at the plate. At least he’s someone you expect to turn things around, but he’s in a huge slump currently. Beyond him, Jacob Melton, Taylor Trammell, and Chas McCormick have all been dragging down the offense. Cam Smith is struggling too, with just one hit in his last seven games.
Is Framber Valdez going to be okay?
Starting pitching was another big issue against the Tigers, and Valdez was a key part of the problem, basically losing the finale in the first inning after allowing six runs. This isn’t an outlier—he’s got a 7+ ERA through four starts in August. Spencer Arrighetti isn’t faring much better, posting a 7+ ERA through three starts. One silver lining with Valdez: the Tigers know him well. They had success against him in the playoffs last season, and it looks like they’re continuing that formula—force him to throw strikes, hit the other way on the sinker, and if the curveball isn’t up, let it go. AJ Hinch knows the deal.
Is the return of Yordan Alvarez enough to boost the offense?
It has to be. The only real way to give this lineup a spark is getting Yordan and Jake Meyers back. Yordan had a successful first rehab outing, collecting a couple of hits, a walk, and even a stolen base. Adding him back to the top of the lineup gives the Astros a formidable top four: Peña, Altuve, Yordan, and Correa. As for Meyers, the outfield has been the biggest drag on the offense. The key is whether he can continue to hit near .300 when he returns from injury. If he does, Altuve and Meyers in the outfield makes a huge difference, and Joe Espada can figure out right field with Sanchez and Smith.
Is the schedule not as soft as anticipated?
We’ve seen some strange results across the league this week, and some of that has to be chalked up to the Dog Days of Summer. Players are tired, and results have been wild. Thankfully, the Mariners are struggling too, giving the Astros some breathing room. Player adjustments after the trade deadline could also be a factor—Sanchez, anyone? Many big free agents have struggled immediately after changing teams, Walker and Juan Soto included.
Can they recover and take advantage of bad teams?
One thing we know about this year’s Astros: they can flip the switch and win multiple series on a moment’s notice. They’re just as capable of sweeping a series as they are of getting swept. Let’s hope that starts with four wins in Baltimore.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode on Thursday!
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