NERDS AROUND TOWN
Nerds Around Town: Stephen A Smith, Walking Dead and Hell freezing over
Jul 2, 2019, 6:42 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!
Hey Nerds!
Hey Tuesday, I didn't see you standing there, that's cool. Let's do this!
GOOD DEED OF THE DAY
This week is the Fourth of July, which is a federal holiday, not because the fed rocks! But because this date is literally the date that matters in the formation of our country. This is the most important date on a calendar in American history. So let's not waste it being selfish and foolish, let's focus on things that matter and be good people and good citizens. #NerdsUnite
THE DEATH OF A LEGEND
One of the most impressive and important stories in modern comic books, The Walking Dead has let it slip that this Wednesday the series ends with a monster 70+ page book at issue #193. I'm not sure how it ends, I honestly haven't been reading it for a little while, but what Robert Kirkman did was nothing short of amazing. He took an indy black and white comic book at a time when Image Comics and comic books as a whole were struggling and struck a chord that no one was ready for. The timing was amazing as over the next couple of years the zombie craze grew and grew and eventually there was a television series made from this little book that never quit. I remember I found out about this book and bought the first trade and issue #7 and bought every monthly issue for about two years, those 24 books were worth over $300 when I sold them a few years later. It was crazy how big the hype got for this series. Hats off and congrats to Robert Kirkman and company for The Walking Dead.
STEPHEN A SMITH
So I enjoy watching most of the sports shows, but I can never really get into Stephen A Smith. He is just too over the top and then Max Kellerman always says the craziest stuff, I just can't get into those guys. That being said there was nothing more entertaining than watching him be so humiliated and frustrated with The Knicks on television yesterday. All reports were that they didn't even offer Kevin Durant a maximum contract, which is just foolish. Of course you offer Kevin Durant a max contract, you offer him everything until he proves he's not one of the best players in the world. For them and the Clippers to be left holding all this cap space and having no one who even wants their money, is pretty telling of the NBA and how the players view those two franchises. There was a time a few years back where the Clippers were supposed to be the dark horse pick to win the Western Conference and now their big news is the resigning of Patrick Beverly. That is not earth shattering. The Knicks went out and got a bunch of guys on limited contracts to fill out a roster that honestly no one will be excited about, and their fans are devastated. Finally some good television.
IS HELL FREEZING OVER
Apparently over the weekend three feet of hail fell on Guadalajara, Mexico? This is a crazy story especially considering two key ingredients. Number 1, it was June 30th in Mexico at the time and Number 2, it was Mexico in the summer at the time. I know you think those are the same fact just re explained, you're right it is, but that's how important that fact is. There is literally no reasonable way to examine that situation and not be concerned that maybe there are some weird things happening and we may want to check with our local climate scientist, and soon.
NOT THAT YOU ASKED
Jason Aaron's War of the Realms is coming to a close soon at Marvel and all the tie in and stories are wrapping up, however there have been hints dropped of more events coming down the road. I honestly hope that's wrong. I don't know that we need to keep doing event after event after event, it's crazy to me. I'm worried how much more customers will want to buy before they start to wander to other companies and lines, which is great for indy creator for me but bad for the me who wants to one day write X Men.
Feel free to check out my digital short story The Wilson House 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.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! 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 now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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