So basically since about April of 2015 I've been off and on D2jsp. Around the time I hit 100,000 posts I basically retired from here. I've been gone for over a year on two separate occasions. It was mostly for personal reasons that I'd rather not discuss. I still love this website very much and all the people that are on here doing great things. Even the people that hate me I tend to respect them as well. But somehow everything became too overwhelming and stressful for me (my passion was gone), and the fun I had from 2009 to 2014 just wasn't there anymore.

I recently returned and I honestly don't know how long I'll be here this time around. I'm going to try and be active every day again if I can muster enough energy but I can't make any promises. Usually I wake up early in the morning and I like to read a daily bible prayer. Sometimes I'll workout and get a little exercise in the morning. At my older age and with my erratic health it's not easy to do anymore but I've got to find a way to feel healthy, physically and mentally. I enjoy listening to music so a lot of my future posts will likely be posting YouTube videos.

I'm still addicted to sports and PC gaming but I try not to let it consume me anymore. I still want to have fun and talk about those things because that is where my heart remains. The Houston Astros just lost Game 7 of the 2019 World Series a little over a week ago. It broke my heart to be honest but the Washington Nationals deserved to win that series and I congratulate them very much. With a 2-0 lead going to the top of the 7th, I'm still disappointed that A.J. Hinch didn't elect to use Gerrit Cole out of the bullpen with a championship on the line. It's hard to believe the Astros last two playoff eliminations they went a combined 0-7 at Minute Maid Park. 0-4 vs. Washington in the 2019 World Series and 0-3 vs. Boston in the 2018 ALCS. Home sweet home didn't ring true the past two years.

We still have the Houston Texans and Houston Rockets. Chances are both of them will make the playoffs only to break my eager heart yet again, but that's why sports are so amazing and fun! You know what's coming a lot of times and even then it's still unpredictable. I love the glory of victory and the agony of defeat, and I wouldn't change a damn thing because imperfections in life are beautiful to me. My emotions are all over the place with every win and loss. I invest too much of my energy into my hometown teams.

Thank you for your time. I'm sorry I type too much. I'll try to post smaller entries on this blog moving forward. Forgive me for any typos as well. I'm about to buy a new wireless keyboard soon. My current one is done for. The buttons hardly work anymore. Since 1997 I've probably used about 20 keyboards! All that passionate gaming and chatting about sports. I'm going to buy a new PC system before Diablo 4 is released. My current gaming laptop still runs okay. It can handle all the current games I play like Diablo 2, Diablo 3, Heroes of the Storm and Path of Exile.

I'm very excited for the Texans vs. Ravens game at Baltimore on November 17. In the past when the Texans would lose J.J. Watt to a season-ending injury I'd feel very nervous about their chances to win. But ever since Deshaun Watson has been starting games at quarterback the Houston Texans have only lost a game by more than one score just once and that was the 21-7 loss in the AFC wild-card game last year. They're practically in every game, win or lose, and that's truly remarkable given their inconsistencies on defense and special teams.

I had to endure 15 years of mostly bad football before the Texans finally landed a special game-changer at quarterback. I wish we didn't pass on Aaron Rodgers or Ben Roethlisberger in past drafts. My coworker and Dallas Cowboys friend still tries to tell me that Dak Prescott is better than Deshaun Watson. I always give him the Dikembe Mutombo finger wag and say, "No, no, no, no...!"

The Houston Texans offensive line has a chance to become the best in the NFL in a couple years. I've been very impressed with the two rookies, Tytus Howard and Max Scharping. Also Laremy Tunsil has All Pro ability. These guys just need to stay healthy and play together. Tytus Howard came back from a partially torn MCL in only a couple weeks and he's also played through a broken finger. That type of toughness goes a long way. Cohesiveness and consistency is the key for any great offensive line. In terms of building a successful NFL franchise the Houston Texans are definitely on the right track.

My cousin tells me the Houston Astros won't be any good if Gerrit Cole leaves in free agency. That's a bit outrageous! Don't get me wrong, I hope the Astros do all they can to re-sign a stud like Gerrit Cole even if they have to pay a hefty luxury tax. But the Astros didn't even win the World Series in Cole's two years here. We had won it all without him in 2017. We mismanaged a huge opportunity in Game 7 up 2-0 in the 7th inning by not using him out of the bullpen in relief. I'd hate to see his short stint in Houston end up on the bittersweet end. We'll see what happens in free agency. It's hard to really gauge anything this soon.

The Astros do have three talented and young starting pitchers that may play a huge role in 2020. Former all-star Lance McCullers Jr. is coming back from a season-long rehab from Tommy John surgery. Jose Urquidy had flashed some brilliant stuff as a rookie this past year and Forrest Whitley is looking to finally make the big league roster. It's not like the Astros don't have any appealing in-house options but obviously you'd rather have the dominance of Gerrit Cole or any other superstar free agent.

The James Harden and Russell Westbrook MVP duo still gives me a lot of hope that the Rockets will make a deep playoff run once April rolls around. Russ is dealing with that knee soreness and he's been given the green light (load management) to miss some games during the tough back-to-back games which thankfully happen less often in today's NBA. He's had so many knee surgeries in the past so it's hard for me to keep up with. I'm not too worried though. Every superstar player is dealing with something. Call it the Kawhi Leonard effect.

The Houston Rockets will try to improve to 6-3 tonight as they play the Bulls in Chicago at 7 PM. It's too early in the 2019-2020 NBA season to worry about standings and all that stuff, but the Rockets are in the 5th seed and in first place in the Southwest division. Clint Capela's emergence as an all-star caliber center is vital if the Rockets are going to go anywhere this year. Coming off his best game of the season with 19 points, 16 rebounds and 6 blocks. He has to keep displaying that domination inside the paint. He has the tendency to disappear at the worst times but when he's engaged in the game he's a beast.

We also need to get Eric Gordon going. He's been bricking too many threes in the early going and then missed the last game with a hamstring injury. What made the Rockets special during the past few years was their ability to hit threes at an all-time record pace. Even during their franchise best 65-win season a couple years ago when they reached Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals it was their shooting that got them there. Of course it backfired in Game 7 when they missed 27 straight threes and failed to reach their first NBA Finals since 1995! That's the style of basketball the Rockets play though. Daryl Morey's analytics. It can be fun to watch at times but it's also frustrating as well.

Our depth seems weaker with Gerald Green out for the season with a broken foot. I don't think the Rockets have the salary cap space to pull off a creative trade for Andre Iguodala. And I don't see the Rockets trading somebody like P.J. Tucker or Eric Gordon to make the salaries work. I think Iggy is going to end up with the Lakers if I had to guess. We'd love to have him in Houston though. He'll be 36 years old soon but an aging Iggy would fit right in with the Houston Rockets.

I'm about to compete in the Nexus as I play some Heroes of the Storm right now. It's going to be a pretty boring NFL weekend for me with the Houston Texans having their bye week. I wish they played at Baltimore tomorrow at noontime, but I'll have to wait an extra week for that huge Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson showdown. I have my lucky Houston Texans sweater and cap ready to wear. Let's go baby! November 17 can't arrive fast enough.

The Rockets defeated the Bulls in Chicago, 117-94. Very nice win!

James Harden with 42 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. He hit 9 threes.
Clint Capela dominated the paint with 16 points, 20 rebounds and 4 blocks.
Russell Westbrook added 26 points and 7 rebounds. Just a good team win.

It's a good thing the Rockets didn't take the Bulls lightly. Any road game can be tough to win and the Bulls were leading the Lakers earlier in the week going to the 4th quarter. They eventually blew a 16-point lead but they made the Lakers work hard just to win. I watched some of that game on NBA TV.

The Rockets are now 6-3 and they play at New Orleans on Monday Night. 7 PM on NBA TV.

No Houston Texans game this weekend. I'm going to play a lot of Heroes of the Storm and watch some movies.
Actually the Sunday Night Football game intrigues me a little bit. The Dallas Cowboys vs. the Minnesota Vikings.

I really enjoyed the Titans versus Chiefs game. I still can't believe the Titans pulled off the upset win.
It's going to be difficult for the Houston Texans to win the AFC South but I believe they can do it.

At 6-3 the Texans will likely need to finish 11-5 or 10-6.
Really tough schedule left. Here's a quick glance at it.

November 17: At Ravens 12 PM
November 21: Colts 7:20 PM on Thursday Night
December 1: Patriots 7:20 PM on Sunday Night
December 8: Broncos 12 PM
December 15: At Titans 12 PM
December 22: At Buccaneers TBD (Flex Scheduling)
December 29: Titans 12 PM

The next three games will be difficult. Two at home and on prime time TV.
And the Titans are looking like they'll be two tough games late in the year.

The Texans defense has to play well without J.J. Watt. That's my only concern the rest of the way.
I thought the pass rush and secondary played incredibly well versus Gardner Minshew last week.

I'm confident in Deshaun Watson and the Texans offense. They can be special at times.
The offensive line will be healthy and dominating. It's a well balanced offensive attack.
We'll soon find out if they have enough to overcome some flaws on defense and special teams.

With Deshaun Watson at quarterback all great things are possible! I'm going to keep my faith in #4!

Season 18 for Diablo 3 ended last night around 7 PM my time. I have so much gear to go through and organize that it's going to take me half an hour just to finish what I want to do. Because there's only a maximum of thirteen stash tabs it makes it difficult to enjoy what should have been a fun loot-based Diablo game. Hopefully Diablo 4 will offer an enormous inventory and unlimited stash tabs. Path of Exile does it right in that regard. The Season 19 preview blog should be ready later today and the new patch should go live on Tuesday. I'm going to make a whirlwind Barbarian for Season 19.

A couple of inspirational words to share with you this morning: Don't be afraid of failure. Learn from it and keep going. Persistence is what creates excellence. Never stop learning because life never stops teaching. Being a true friend means caring about someone enough to not give up on them even when they have given up on themselves. Don't be afraid of change. You may end up losing something good but you will end up gaining something better.

Have a great week and Happy Veterans Day to all those that have served. Thank you for everything you do!

The Houston Rockets improved to 7-3 with a 122-116 win at New Orleans.

Clint Capela continues to dominate the boards with another 20-rebound game.
During this four-game winning streak Capela is all over the glass at an elite level.

James Harden scored 39 points with 9 assists, and Russell Westbrook added 26 points with 5 rebounds.
It was great to see Eric Gordon shoot 4-for-7 from three-point range. Hopefully that will get him going.

It still feels like the Rockets are just going through the motions. They haven't played their best basketball yet.
And yet they're 7-3 and undefeated against the Western Conference. 3rd seed and climbing up near the top.

The Rockets host the Clippers on Wednesday Night at 6:30 PM. ESPN will air this huge showdown. I can't wait! Beat LA! Beat LA!

I don't have much planned for this really cold Tuesday. My body freezes in anything 35 degrees and under...
I've got two layers of T-shirts on plus my Houston Texans sweater. LOL, a blanket draped on me also.

I'm home right now and about to start my daily quests on Heroes of the Storm. My favorite game right now!
I have now mastered six character classes: Cassia, Xul, Kerrigan, The Butcher, The Lost Vikings and Rexxar.
My Diablo is level 14 and about halfway on the experience bar to level 15. I'll try to master Big D next!

I like to shout, "I'm not taking any L's today baby!" before every match. I'll see you in the Nexus!

Indeed Zack Wheeler is the Astros fallback plan if Gerrit Cole signs elsewhere. It would be an interesting turn of events. I'm still hoping that Gerrit Cole will re-sign. And why not Stephen Strasburg as a legitimate free agent target for the Astros? He just shut down our potent lineup multiple times in the World Series. If we lose Cole I want Stras baby! I know it's unlikely but why not aim for the best starting pitchers? If you lose one just try to sign another one. Although Zack Wheeler could be special pitching for the Houston Astros and their analytical approach. Brent Strom, the best pitching coach in all of baseball, would do wonders for him just like he did with Gerrit Cole and his untapped strikeout potential and elite spin rate coming from Pittsburgh a few years ago. Ditto for Charlie Morton prior to the 2017 season. He went from a journeyman to a top 5 pitcher in the American League.

It's all about Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson part one on Sunday! My goodness why does it have to be a 12 PM game though? If there was a game to flex schedule to prime time TV it would be this one. The 6-3 Texans vs. the 7-2 Ravens. The #2 and #3 teams in the AFC. The winner will feel so confident! These are the type of huge games I wish we had J.J. Watt playing. I'm still bummed out he's out for the season. Our defense will play hard but we're going to have to out-score the Ravens at their house to win this game!

I want to discuss the NHL one day. Hopefully a franchise will relocate to Houston, Texas. I can dream about it.
The Dallas Stars and Arizona Coyotes are pretty cool though. I'll try to watch their games when I see them airing.

Good morning and happy hump day! It's so cold on this Wednesday! I'm just not used to anything under 30. LOL
Where I live the all-time record low for November 13 was 27 degrees back in 1907. We'll be close to that today.

What a tough blow for the Houston Rockets. Eric Gordon is out six weeks after opting to have knee surgery.
He just had his beat three-point shooting game of the season. I think we'll be fine but this hurts our depth.

I'm still super excited about tonight's game! The 7-3 Rockets host the 7-3 Clippers at 6:30 PM on ESPN!
The Rockets are trying to win their 5th game in a row and remain undefeated against the Western Conference.

Have a great day! I'm going to drink a hot tea and try to remain warm. I'll play some Heroes of the Storm later today.
Patch 2.67 went live last night for Diablo 3. The Season 19 start date will likely be on Friday, November 22.

I'm so proud of the Houston Rockets for beating the Los Angeles Clippers last night, 102-93.
8-3 record and 5 wins in a row. They remain undefeated vs. all Western Conference teams.

James Harden was absolutely sensational! 47 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 steals.
Clint Capela continued his dominance on the glass with 20 more rebounds! He's on a mission.
Russell Westbrook added 17 points. He didn't need to do much with the Beard on fire like he was.

The Rockets next game is Friday Night vs. the Pacers in Houston. A 7 PM start time.
They also play at Minnesota on Saturday Night. A tough back-to-back will test us.
Russell Westbrook will likely miss one of the games due to load management.

I had awoken for a quick early morning blog. Time to take cover in my new blanket. I'm shaking because it's so cold!
Have a great Thursday everybody. Only three days until we witness Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson part one.

Also congratulations to Justin Verlander for winning the 2019 AL Cy Young award. His second at 36 years old.
I've got a jumbo sized bag of jolly ranchers that may last me until March of 2020. I'd gladly share some with you.

This post was edited by Madmartigan on Nov 14 2019 04:57am