crane and co. step up

Houston Astros pitch in to help bring smiles to grieving families in Uvalde

Astros owner Jim Crane addressing family members at the private brunch.

Texas’ town in mourning recently hosted a welcome visitor from the Bayou City. Houston Astros owner Jim Crane, along with members of the Astros Foundation, visited Uvalde’s Robb Elementary to bring some smiles to the grieving city.

Crane and foundation members visited the elementary school, site of the deadliest shooting in Texas history, on Friday, July 8.

“It’s hard not to cry,” Crane told Adam Winkler at CultureMap news partner ABC13 after visiting the school where 19 children and two teachers were killed and another 17 people were wounded. “It isn’t easy to see that. You’ve got little kids. It’s tough.”

After visiting the school, the Astros contingency hosted families of the victims, among others, at a private brunch at Uvalde’s Civic Center in Uvalde. ABC13 cameras captured images of some wearing shirts depicting photos of loved ones they lost inside Robb Elementary.

At the brunch, the families received Astros jerseys that displayed the name and age of each child lost. The jerseys were also autographed by Astros players and coaches.

“We’re in the fix-it business,” Paula Harris, executive director of the Astros Foundation, told Winkler. “We want to help. There’s nothing we can do besides what we do, and that's to give out a little joy and introduce kids to baseball.”

The Astros will also host families of the Uvalde victims for a home game on August 14 against the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park.

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hockey news

NHL taps Houston billionaire to launch new Texas hockey franchise

Photo by Morris Molina

Houston has been without a pro hockey team since the Aeros folded.

Hockey fans in either Houston or Austin may have a new opportunity to root for the home team. The NHL has committed to adding a 33rd team in the Lone Star State, according to multiple media reports.

As part of those plans, the NHL has reached an agreement with Pursuit Sports, an arm of the Houston-based Friedkin family. Per the agreement, the NHL has granted The Friedkin Family, led by Houston billionaire Dan Friedkin, the exclusive rights to own the future franchise. Pursuit Sports, the family’s company that owns three European soccer franchises, will evaluate both Houston and Austin as potential homes for the team.

The family issued the following statement about the NHL’s decision. It reads in part:

Each city brings unique attributes that would make a new team a huge success — both have the infrastructure, passionate fan bases, and economic strength needed to support a championship-caliber franchise for years to come.

We have wanted for some time to bring an NHL team to Texas, and we are excited that the process has now begun. Selecting a new market for an NHL franchise is a special and important responsibility, and we are grateful to the league for their faith in us and their support. Working with Commissioner Bettman and the NHL, we will undertake a principled, disciplined, and methodical process to ensure we find the right long-term home for this new franchise.

Houston has been without a professional hockey team since the Houston Aeros folded in 2013.

With a net worth of $11.4 billion, Dan Friedkin ranks No. 279 on the 2026 edition of the Forbes World’s Billionaires List. That’s good for Houston’s third richest resident, behind only Kinder Morgan chairman Richard Kinder (No. 232, $13 billion) and Landry’s owner Tilman Fertitta (No. 268, $11.7 billion).

His wealth primarily stems from his ownership of Gulf States Toyota, which has the exclusive rights to sell Toyota vehicles in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. The company sold more than $13 billion worth of Toyotas in 2025 alone, Forbes reports.

The Friedkin family launched Pursuit Sports last summer. It currently owns three European soccer clubs — A.S. Roma (Italian Serie A), A.S. Cannes (French Championnat National 2), and Everton F.C. (English Premier League).