THE NERD REPORT
Nerds around town: What next for TV, not legal weed and Rockets
May 1, 2019, 6:24 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, Sports and Wrestling. Check out the podcast replay of the FM radio show at www.nerdthugradio.com!
Hey Nerds!
It's Wednesday and we're already cruising through another week. From here we're a hop, skip and a jump from the weekend and maybe going to see Avengers again!
GOOD DEED OF THE DAY
The American Red Cross came to Houston during the hurricane a few years back and they helped out a lot of people. They weren't perfect and there were tons of people who got declined and had to deal with more issues but they also came here and put food in front of a lot of people who didn't have it, clothes on a lot of people who needed them and that's more than some churches *AHEM* did during the hurricane in their own hometown where they take money and resources in the name of a certain lord and savior who was known for turning the other cheek and giving charity and aid for those in need. I'm just saying. #NerdsUnite
ANADARKO BUYOUT
For a little while The Woodlands will be the center of the oilfield world as Anadarko is in the middle of a rather interesting buyout deal. Two competing offers, one from Chevron and one from Occidental, a much smaller oil company than Chevron with Chevron's being smaller in value than Occidental but Anadarko chose to sign a "walk away" agreement where if the deal falls apart Chevron gets a billion dollars in cash. A billion dollars. The deal got even crazier as now Warren Buffett has stepped in and bought a ton of preferred shares with an option to buy more preferred shares at a set price later, injecting even more cash into Occidental to help make this purchase go through. Shareholders of Anadarko have votes to make, for the fate of their shares, then Occidental or Chevron has votes to make to decide to follow through on the purchase or not. We live in interesting times.
WHAT'S NEXT?
With Avengers over, Game of Thrones coming to an end and the Star Wars story ending this December it is time to start looking ahead to what's next? Amazon is gearing up to begin making their Lord of the Rings television series, HBO is working on as many as four prequel shows from the Game of Thrones universe, there are of course going to be more Marvel Universe movies and there will be streaming shows from Disney set in the Star Wars universe, but really, what's next? What will be that next thing that catches fire and becomes the big unexpected hit? This is a real opportunity in the world of Nerds to make the next big thing, find a way to spark America's zeitgeist and steal the pop culture wave again. I'm going to say it's going to get harder and harder to find the next big thing because of streaming services dividing audiences. Shoot me an e-mail and give me your picks, corydlg@gmail.com
IS IT LEGAL YET?
So I saw a headline the other day that basically said the marijuana bill in Texas' Senate is basically dead. What kind of nonsense is this? Are we really going to be the last state to get on board the legalization plan? This is crazy, we can't have casinos but for some reason we can have lotteries, dog tracks and horse racing. Now we're going to hear that in Colorado they brought in almost a billion dollars in tax revenue from pot and we still want to be the guys who go, "naw, we're good."? Are we crazy? We want more money for schools, we want money for roads, we want money for firefighters but we don't want to do the things to bring in more money? How is this going to go exactly? What's the plan?
NOT THAT YOU ASKED
There was a ton of conversation in the build up to Rockets game 2 matchup against Golden State about the referees. I have a few thoughts on this. First of all, if the Rockets have actually put together an accurate report showing that some 70 fouls were missed over the seven game Rockets vs Warriors series then it bears being turned in and discussed before this series. If I'm the Rockets, I want the league to have a talk to the refs before the playoffs and remind them to call fouls equally and fairly and correctly. The two minute reports are destroying the league's credibility, no one in Houston wants to hear that Curry should have been fouled out well before he makes the three pointer that puts the Rockets away, no one. I also would say that complaining to the refs isn't a good idea but then I remember the Dallas Mavericks and Mark Cuban putting together a film package of Yao Ming not being called for his moving picks in 6 games and in game 7 he was in constant foul trouble and Dallas won by double digits because Yao was on the bench. So it's either brilliant or a terrible idea…. It's tough to say.
I'm going to jump out and wish you guys a great Wednesday and remind everyone to be kind to each other and try a little harder to have a great day! I'm coming back Thursday and we'll be bringing more good times your way. Feel free to check out my digital short story The Wilson House or buy a shirt from Side Hustle Ts where $.50 from every shirt is donated to a good cause or listen to Nerd Thug Radio or support our Patreon Page. Thoughts, complaints, events and comments can be sent to corydlg@gmail.com.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
We have 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!
*ChatGPT assisted.
___________________________
Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!