Every-Thing Sports
Which Houston sports figures are invited to Thanksgiving dinner?
Nov 28, 2019, 6:55 am
Every-Thing Sports
Thanksgiving is one of those holidays in which the family will gather even when you haven't seen some of your family members for a while. It's a time in which loved ones, families, friends, and the like come together. Differences are set aside, or not. Beefs are looked past, or not. But there's always a few things we can agree upon: if the food is nasty, it will get roasted. There's tons of other things you could get roasted for. But most important thing is who do you invite? Family, friends, coworkers, exes, neighbors, church members...the list is endless.
Let's say we wanted to narrow the focus of who'd be the best, or worst, guests to invite over for Thanksgiving dinner. As many of you know, not only do you consider who to invite, but you may ask them to bring something. This list is compiled by personality, relationship, and ability to cook/bring a dish. Here's a list of Houston sports figures that made my cut:
Personality/Relationship: He's the super cool younger cousin that dresses nice, has a great career, keeps a nice car, always has a beautiful lady friend, but will always lack something because he hasn't fully grown into his potential as of yet. He's the one that will break generational barriers for the family and everybody does whatever they can to make sure he does. Generous with his wealth, but won't splurge outrageously.
Dish: He will go to the liquor store and bring a good bourbon for the mature crowd, a flavored vodka for the younger crowd, and a really good dessert from a fancy bakery because he doesn't like cooking in his kitchen and is frugal enough not to ask his personal chef to cook anything so he avoids paying overtime
Personality/Relationship: One of the older uncles who's been moderately successful. Because of his moderate success, he thinks he can tell everyone what they should do in life. He's pretty annoying, is pretty good with his money, does have some valid life advice, but the way he talks to everybody is off-putting. He only gets invited because Big Momma and Pawpaw love him. His wife keeps him in line when she's around, and his kids are well behaved.
Dish: His smoked turkey is always too dry. It has good flavor, but it's better as turket jerky or swimming in gravy. His fried turkey once caused a fire and ended in the family ordering pizza and wings. Therefore, he's been tasked with bringing the mac n cheese his wife makes because she's been around long enough for someone to teach her how to "make it right." He always stands around and talks about the uncle who makes the turkey and ham because that used to be his job. He's competively jealous and is waiting on his turn for the spotlight to return.
Personality/Relationship: AJ is the cool uncle who's old enough to be in charge of cooking the turkey/ham since the older uncle has been messing it up, but young enough to relate to his nieces, nephews, and cousins. He will sneak off to smoke a joint, but will also make sure the main dishes are prepared correctly. He's the perfect blend of the older and younger generations, therefore, he keeps the family together. Whenever there's a disagreement or crisis, he's the one they look to for help. He teaches the younger guys how to "game the system" so they can take advantage of loopholes or skirt rules. He is known for sneaking off with the youngsters when they go to smoke weed at family functions.
Dish: Because he's taken over as the most responsible of the uncles, he's also now responsible for the main dishes. Smoked/fried turkey, glazed ham, pork tenderloin, duck, or prime rib...he will make sure everything is done properly, flavorful, and cooked at the right temperature. He's asked to only bring the main meat because the other uncles, cousins, adn such are jealous of his ability to do everything he tries just as good, if not better, than everyone else.
Personality/Relationship: He's the ultra-talented cousin, who's also very weird. He dresses weird/nice depending on who you ask. He got a good job after going to trade school and moved away. He's barely 30, but runs one of the most successful HVAC companies around because he perfected way to service air conditioning units. Although he's very smart and talented in the HVAC industry, he can't do much else. Most of his company's business comes from servicing units and only a fraction comes from rebuilding them. They usually refer rebuilding jobs out because it's not a job they like to do, although they're completely capable.
Dish: Whenever he's around for holidays, this cousin is asked to bring the alcohol. He's a known partier and likes to have fun. He's been in charge of alcohol and the playlist at family functions since before he was old enough to drink because his partying has been legendary. The older relatives would often ask him what's new on the party scene even when he was in high school because he's been a club promoter as his part time job since he was 16.
Personality/Relationship: This is the cousin who grew up over seas and nobody really got the chance to know very well because his parents worked for their church as missionaries. He, along with his wife and kids, are very well liked and respected by everyone. He built a successful non-profit that helps bring fresh water to communities around the world and now partners with major international corporations and mega-churches. Although he's very well-known now, he remains extremely humble and lives a modest lifestyle. Has been known to anonymously pay bills for or take less fortunate family members shopping.
Dish: He and his wife make the best side dishes given their experience in other cultures around the world. Although he's very successful now, they still shop at the local grocery store and have been known to frequent Walmart and/or Target. While they know the family doesn't share their love for all international foods, they will stick to traditional fare. They have been known to show up with more than enough of side dishes and Christmas gifts for everyone since they'll be serving the less fortunate for Christmas and won't be at that family function.
Personality/Relationship: Here's the cool younger uncle who was the accident baby. The older uncles can't stand him because he's treated as if he can do no wrong and hate it when he's around because everyone acts as if he's some sort of diety or something. He's been known to miss most of the family functions lately because he's always sick. Lately, he's fought off pneumonia, a bad case of mono, and a nasty staph infection. Big Momma lets him get away with anything he wants because he makes sure she has all her groceries and meds. Other family members smile in his face, but talk about him behind his back.
Dish: Whenever he's not sick, he's asked to bring soda and juice. He will often times show up with more than enough and people will bring the rest home. Whenever he's sick and can't make it, Big Momma will make an excuse for him and mix up Kool Aid and her famous sweet tea. His fiance makes sure he buys the name brand sodas and juices, so everyone really likes her.
Personality/Relationship: Here comes your sister's arrogant boyfriend! He's a wildly successful IT guy who's company took off. He left college early to start his business and quickly became well off after a couple years. Your sister met him while they were in college, before he became rich. Although most outsiders consider him a dickhead, the family loves him because they know he's just a passionate guy who's obssessed with being great at anything he does. Super competitive to the point he will use signals and stuff to bend the rules and win while playing card games.
Dish: Whatever he's asked to bring is based off what Uncle AJ cooks since it's his daughter he's dating. While Uncle AJ will cook, Alex will have a chef cater whatever he's supposed to bring because he's typically working. While he does kow how to cook, he doesn't always have the time to do so. Your sister doesn't have time either because she's the accountant for his business and a few others.
I hope this article helped you get through the holiday some. I wanted to write something light-hearted and fun because I know all too well how hard holidays can be for some of us. I could have kept going, but didn't want to write a novel of my stupid jokes and comparisons. Have a happy Thanksgiving guys!
Counting up "should win" and "should lose" results is routinely a fool's errand. That said, the Astros enter a stretch which features a bunch of "should win" games. On one hand, beginning this weekend at Daikin Park, the Astros run a gauntlet of 10 games in 10 days, then after an off day, they play another 13 days in a row. On the other hand, over the first 17 games of the 23 in 24 days, the Astros play 14 of them against losing teams: seven vs. the American League East cellar-dwelling Baltimore Orioles, three vs. the utter joke Colorado Rockies, and four vs. the not awful but below .500 Los Angeles Angels. Additionally, the Astros get 10 of those 14 games at home.
The only good team they face until after Labor Day is Detroit, with three games at the Tigers next week. That series looms large. If the Astros are successful in fending off Seattle and yet again winning the American League West, they have a real shot of finishing even with or ahead of Toronto and Detroit. Finishing with the best record in the AL is the ideal, but having the second -best record among the division winners means a bye past the high peril best-of-three first round series. The Astros' 2024 postseason was over in an eyeblink because they had the third-best record of the AL division champs, and then had the Tigers dismiss them in two games.
If the Astros can take two of three in Motown next week, they not only gain ground on the Tigers, but clinch the season series (Astros beat the Tigers two of three in Houston back in April) and with it the tiebreaker should that come into play for playoff seeding. The Astros swept the Blue Jays three straight earlier this year, so winning just one of three games in Canada next month would secure that tiebreaker.
Growing pains
Big picture, it's been a fine rookie season for Cam Smith. Nothing special, but plenty acceptable for a guy with just 32 games of minor league experience before earning/being handed the primary right field job coming out of spring training. Smith's tools and athleticism are clear, so are a couple of holes in his game that need patching if he is to develop into a star. The standards are different for a rookie making the minimum MLB salary of 760-thousand dollars versus a big ticket free agent signing making 20 million dollars, but a higher percentage of Smith's official at bats have ended with strikeouts this season than have Christian Walker's.
Along with improving his rate of contact, Smith needs to tweak his swing path to hit the ball in the air more. With his strength Cam can hit it hard. But hard grounders aren't the objective. Cam has a pair of two-home run games this season. In late June he homered in back-to-back games. In the other 100 games Smith has played, he has just one other homer. One in 100 games. His last dinger was June 28. 138 at bats later he's still sitting on seven for the season. Mauricio Dubon and Taylor Trammell have higher slugging percentages, as did Zack Short in his limited time with the team.
Smith has been feeble since just before the All-Star break, posting a paltry 13 hits in his last 90 at bats for a .144 batting average. He figures to play less down the stretch, a lot less should Yordan Alvarez actually return to the lineup. If ever back, Alvarez figures to slot only as the designated hitter, reducing Jose Altuve's DH opportunities. When Altuve plays left field, Jesus Sanchez is the clear better option to play right against righthanded pitching.
Jose Altuve at his best
Credit to manager Joe Espada for realizing that Altuve at 35 years old needed his load lightened. Should have happened last year, but live and learn. Altuve has been the DH 35 times this season (just five times last year). It is highly likely not a coincidence that after a hot start last year, Altuve was mediocre the last three-quarters of 2024 with a .740 OPS over his final 119 games. This season Altuve started atrociously. He was a straight up lousy player into late-May, waking May 22 with his batting average .238 and his OPS a woeful .629 over 47 games played. In 70 games since: .316/.947. In his 2017 AL Most Valuable Player season Altuve finished with a .957 OPS.
Astros HOF weekend
The Astros retire Hall of Famer Billy Wagner's number 13 Saturday. 12 players wore 13 after Wagner's time in Houston ended. They do not exactly comprise a Who's Who of Astros lore. Tyler White may have been the best of the dozen. Hey, I said the pickings were slim! Cooper Hummel goes down as the last to wear 13 as an Astro in an official game. Hummel wore 13 last season, before being assigned number 16 when he rejoined the team this season.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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