Man it feels so weird doing this right now. A bunch of you (and me) have friends and family in Southeast Texas/Southwest Louisiana. For like three years I've been on Lafayette's 103.7 The Game for about 15 minutes every Thursday morning from February-November at 7:32am. I love those guys. I was 12 or 13 when I first started reading James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux series of crime novels, set in New Iberia and southern Louisiana (I'm putting the list here, but encourage you to visit an independent bookseller or your local library). For almost 3/4 of my life I've felt a spiritual connection to Louisiana, and my heart breaks for what is currently happening there. The Astros didn't even play yesterday. And that's not even mentioning that the entire NBA Players Association just took a massive stand for justice, and a couple of MLB teams followed suit. What a crazy day, in a year full of crazy days.
*Here's Brian McTaggart's picks for Houston mid-season awards.
*Richard Justice says the Astros should Go For It.
*As of yesterday afternoon, the A's were still planning on coming to Houston for tomorrow's series opener (earlier in the week, I just assumed that all August games against Oakland were bound by law to be held in Oakland).
*Chandler Rome has four key questions for the Astros when they open the second half.
*The Brewers and Reds followed the Milwaukee Bucks' lead and said they would not play (or, THEY WENT ON STRIKE) last night. The Mariners and Padres also refused to play. The Cardinals' Dexter Fowler and Jack Flaherty followed. What we are seeing is one of the most powerful acts of civil disobedience we've witnessed from athletes since 1968. And if you want to throw a fit that you couldn't watch the Tall Guys Play, I kindly invite you to find a different Astros Blog & Grill.
*Texas Monthly: The wildest insurance fraud scheme Texas has ever seen.
*The time Abraham Lincoln stopped a murder trial in its tracks.
*A Musical Selection:
