NERDS AROUND TOWN
The nerd report: Comics, sports betting, Nerd radio and more
Apr 26, 2019, 5:56 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!
Hey guys it's been another great week, and now we've made it to one of the biggest nerd weekends in recent memory. This Sunday the battle between the living and the dead happens on HBO, Avengers Endgame debuts this weekend, Houston Outlaws actually play in Texas this weekend in Dallas on Saturday and the NFL Draft is this whole weekend. Pick your poison.
GOOD DEED OF THE DAY
This weekend have a good weekend, volunteer a little time this weekend helping out the elderly or hanging out with some sick kids or helping an animal shelter. I don't know, just find a way to actually add something back to this great thing we call life. Next week I'll make it easy for all of us again and point people in the direction of a cause. Also, I started using a new hashtag to try and rally people to causes, #NerdsUnite.
WHILE YOU'RE OUT
Check out your local comic shop, there's all sorts of cool stuff to get into and check out. Avengers #18 is part of Marvel's line wide War of the Realms, and is a cool reintroduction of The Squadron Supreme. They are essentially a team of Justice League knock offs for the Marvel Universe, each publisher has their own version, but here as of late they've tried to expand and include The Squadron Supreme in the Marvel universe and this is just the latest attempt. Punk Mambo #1 is a new series from Valiant and it looks really cool, it's a punk rock female version of Constantine kind of, is the vibe it gives off. The Valiant universe has been making a comeback as of late and this is just the latest step, check it out. Wonder Woman #69 continues Wonder Woman's promise to help Aphrodite find her son, the writer on this is one of my favorites and if you aren't reading Wonder Woman, why not?
THIS IS LEGAL RIGHT?
While I was watching the draft, a buddy of mine mentioned that the Raiders are moving to Vegas, and that got me thinking the NHL is already in Vegas and the NBA has an official sponsorship with a casino. The NFL has a business relationship with either Draftkings or one of those fantasy football gambling apps, so literally is this allowed now? Betting on sports is a billion dollar industry and the best sportsbooks make crazy money from this thing. Somehow we went from Pete Rose being banned from baseball to now you can actually bet anytime you want even during the games. This is starting to get a little surreal to me. Some states have totally allowed sports betting and some states are still making it illegal, it all comes back to me like, if all of this is going on, when are we getting a casino?
WHO ME?
This weekend I actually will be pretty busy, Nerd Thug Radio is booked to be out at Sportify. So for sure I'll be out there Saturday, Saturday is also the last part of the draft and there's an Outlaw's match so I mean, I'm going to find some things to get up to all day no matter what. Based on how it goes we'll either hang out Sunday as well or we won't. If we don't we'll find something fun to get into Sunday and maybe hangout at The Adventure Begins out in Conroe, we keep saying we're going to get out there more and we just haven't had time. Maybe this is the weekend.
NOT THAT YOU ASKED
So I LOVE the draft. I just do, it's fantastic to see how organizations show their thinking by the moves they make. You can kind of see if they're "desperate" or "happy" right now with their roster if they trade up or trade back, New England somehow trades back every year it seems and still takes great guys and obviously builds a top level roster so it was a little odd to actually see them make a pick but it might have been because Atlanta traded into the Rams spot right in front of them so they had trouble finding someone looking for their spot. I don't understand The Cardinals move yet of drafting Kyler Murray but I'm trying to wait and see what they do with the quarterback they already have. We will see, but this is why I love the draft.
I'm going to jump out and wish you guys a great Friday and remind everyone to be kind to each other and try a little harder to have a great day! I'm coming back Monday 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.
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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