The Josh Innes Show - Random Thoughts: Changing Perceptions

Episode Date: November 4, 2022

Hi Friends! I'm trying to pump out content as fast as I can today. I've been busy. Friday's tend to be that way. Anywho, I told you we'd talk about perceptions. The perception of the Astros is that they cheated to achieved their greatest success. Trey and Chas may have rewritten the narrative last night. I explain in this segment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Before I get into anything, got to thank Billy Brown over at Aqueduct Plumbing Company. Billy is a great supporter of the show, still involved with the pod. I was talking with him today. He's awesome. If you need anything plumbing-wise in Houston, reach out to Aqueduct Plumbing Company. Of course, that number is 281-488-6238 or AqueductPlumbingCompany.com. They do it all for you. You've heard me talk about them for years and years. Repipes, leak detection, camera inspection, plumbing fixtures, water

heaters, tankless waters, all the stuff you need plumbing for, they got you. So Billy is awesome. That is AquaductPlumbingCompany and AquaductPlumbingCompany.com there at your disposal. Check them out. Now, perception. Now, ultimately, you don't want to believe perception matters, but it kind of does, right? Like, I hate that perception matters, because the perception, like, I'll look at myself. The perception of me is that I'm an asshole, and I don't get along with coworkers, and that I'm a trouble starter, and that I'm an asshole, and all this. And while there's some truth to probably all of that, nobody knows the reality of a lot of situations. They don't know that, hey, I only go back at people who start the shit or, you know, a lot of my stuff comes from wanting things to be

great. And when they're not great with a radio station or whatever, I get angry and I lash out. Like there's a lot of factors, right? But the perception, and I've asked my agent about this, the perception of me is that I am a malcontent and I don't get along with anybody and I start fights with coworkers and all that. That's the perception. What can change that? I don't know. I don't know what can fix that perception. What is the perception of the Houston Astros?

Well, the perception of the Houston Astros is it's kind of a dinky franchise that's had some moments. It had a couple moments in had some moments. It had a couple moments in the 80s, had a good team in the late 90s that didn't do anything, made it to a World Series, got swept. A lot of people, when they think nationally, if you care about what national people say, but if you ask a random person about Astros postseason history before this era, they would say, Albert Pujols destroyed Bradledge. They don't remember the Chris Burke home run. They don't remember all these plays.

Most people just remember Albert Pujols destroying Bradledge because that kind of happened right at the early, like at the onset of the social media boom in 2005 and onward. So that's why people remember that. That's how the Houston Astros as an organization has been viewed prior to 2016, prior to 2017. That's kind of who they are and who they've always been. Obviously, since the team got good in 2017, really dating back to 2016, the perception has changed of the organization. When Jeff Luno got there, it became an organization

that tanked to try to rebuild. And it became an organization that tanked to try to rebuild. And it was an organization that was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. It said 2017 World Series champions. The perception of the Houston Astros changed greatly, obviously, it had no choice to, over the last six, seven years, right? The perception from 17, 18, 19 was, wow, these young, talented guys show what happens when you build a roster of young, homegrown talent, what you can do. They've won a World Series. They've gone to another one. Well, then, of course, like 2020 and that era happens and the cheating stuff comes out and the perception is the entire thing was a farce and it was a fraud and the manager is fired

and the GM is fired and the team that had the swagger, the team that won that World Series, the team that everybody rooted for nationally because how could you not? A team loaded with young, talented dudes that were likable and fun to watch, had a little confidence about them, had a little bit of cockiness about them. That all changed, obviously, during the scandal. And it went from, hey, the Astros are kind of a beloved little team to fuck the Houston Astros. That's what that became. And now the perception of the team is that this is a franchise that has an ill-begotten championship. They cheated to get that.

And every time they've lost, they've deserved it. And they haven't been able to win a championship without cheating. That is the perception from 99% of the country. Like, go read Twitter. There aren't too many people that root for other teams that step up and go, I don't really give a shit that the Astros were cheating. They were loaded with talent. Most people out there don't know they were loaded with talent.

They think they're loaded with cheaters, with Altuve, and all these guys that cheated and stole signs, and that's what they're known for now. That is the perception. You cannot escape it. You are an Astros fan. You go to social media. You go out in public. You wear a T-shirt that says Astros. Cheaters. That's what people think of you.

When you post about your team, you say, fucking great win tonight. You know what people say? Cheaters. Fans don't even at you on social media. You know what they say? Fuck the Astros. They're cheaters. They ruin the integrity of the game. That is who the Astros are now. That is the perception. Now, how do you change that perception? Well, let me rewind. When you have a faith, when you talk with someone, and we're fans, right? And you don't want to care what other people say, but you do. That's why I get into fights with people on social media about me, because I know the truth. They know the perception. They know the perception of Josh Ennis. I know the reality of every situation. So it's in my DNA to want to fight

them on where they are wrong, ultimately knowing that it doesn't matter because they're not going to change their opinion of me. The perception of me is blank. I can't change it. The perception of me is he's a racist that got fired in Philadelphia because of Jason Kelsey. That's not the truth, but that's the perception. The perception is I got people kicked out of radio row for the radio station. That's the perception. It's not the reality. But where I have to learn is I can't sit there and fight these people constantly because I'm not going to change their opinions. Now, how does that relate to the Astros? You're an Astros fan. You go to social media. You're happy. Your team's winning. Your little avatar is the Astros logo or Orbit or Jose Altuve. You love it. And people will tell you,

hey, your team sucks. You're a bunch of cheaters. And deep down, just like it bothers me and it shouldn't bother me, but it does bother me when people say, oh, you got your job because of your dad. I know it's not true, but in my mind, the world thinks that when someone says that and I get pissed off and have to defend it. You feel the need to defend your team from these assholes that come at you on social media and say you only won because of the fact that you're a cheater. And you can say it doesn't bother you, but it does because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, it bothers you because it bothers me as someone who's a peripheral

fan of the Astros. I'm not a diehard like a lot of you, but it bothers you that the one championship this team has won is whether we like it or not, it's considered ill-begotten. And you hate having to deal with that. And you hate having to hear about it. And you hate having to hear that, yeah, you went to three other World Series, but you didn't win them because you weren't cheating. And you get sick of hearing that. You get sick of having to defend that.

And honestly, you don't really have a comeback for it. Not one that is viable in the argument. Because their argument is you cheated, which you did. Your argument could be everybody cheated. Ah, fuck that, but you won. There's always an answer. Well, we were the best team in 2017. We had all the talent.

We would have won anyway. Well, then why did you have to cheat? There's always a response, right? And you want that trump card. You want that next thing that you can give to them and say, oh yeah, but guess what? It doesn't fucking matter because we did it again. They don't care that you went back to the World Series. They don't care that you went back three other times. They care if you win one. And they'll still call you cheaters and they'll still shit on the

organization. But if you win one, you win another one, and now you have two, you have the Trump card. Because every argument they have is null and void when you say, great, well, guess what? We didn't cheat in 2022, and we won it. There is no, they cheated. There is no sign stealing. There is no buzzers. None of that shit. It's, we won the whole fucking thing, and we've done it twice now in this era.

We're a fucking dynasty. The best team in baseball over the last six years, whether we cheat or don't cheat, we're able to do it. And you want to have that. And that's a trump card that can come. And that's where the conversation goes to about Mancini and Chaz and what they did last night. Those two plays, assuming the Astros win on Saturday, which I think they will, I think Frommer's going to ball out, he's at home, he's going to dominate, they're going to win.

Those two plays completely altered history for this franchise, and they were perception-altering plays. And you see this all the time, like a lot of people, like here's perception, right? Another perception example. Their perception of Adam Sandler forever has been that Adam Sandler is just kind of a goof. He's kind of a whack. He makes, you know, dumb movies and they're comedies and he's funny, but that's kind of what he is, right? He's a doof. He's not a legitimate actor. You don't take him serious as a legitimate actor. He's just kind of a doof. Well, then he makes Uncut Gems and you go, oh, wow, that's Oscar worthy. That guy's pretty good. Like he's a

legitimate actor. Then he makes the, what was it called? Hustle, whatever the movie was. And it was set in Philadelphia. And you go, dude's like a legit actor. Like, yes, is the main guy, is he a comedian at heart? Sure. But this dude can do dramatic stuff and can do it well. That changes the perception. Fifteen years ago, if you said, hey, I think Adam Sandler's going to be cast in a movie where he can be the dramatic lead and could win an Oscar, be nominated for an Oscar, be Oscar worthy, you'd go, yeah, fuck that. Let's go make Jack and Jill.

But now you've seen that he can do it, and it changes things. The perception changes. The perception of the Astros is cheaters. They only won because they cheated. Well, the perception has to change if you win after you've already been popped for cheating. And you've got the trump card now. You can turn around on people and say, fuck you. We won without cheating. And that's a nice trump card now you can turn around on people and say fuck you we won without cheating and that's

a nice trump card to have so chas and trey those two plays they made sealing the game making it three two setting them up for the win on saturday or sunday to win the championship and have their second that's back to the future type shit That's what if this didn't happen type shit. That's wild, man. Like more so than any other moment in this franchise's existence, this is the greatest change in perception moment ever. If that ball gets under Mancini's glove and two runs score, game over. You lose.

You're down three to two. If that ball sails over the head of Chase McCormick, hits the wall, rattles around, and it's a double or a triple, they bring in the run, that changes history. And it changes perception. Or keeps perception the way it is in reality. It becomes, okay, you are who we thought you were. And there are going to be some people, if the Astros win this whole thing that are still going to say, fuck you, you still cheated, you're a cheating franchise.

Who's to say you're not cheating now? But now you, as a fan, have the ultimate weapon, which is, great, we won it in 2017 when we quote-unquote cheated. Then we won it in 2022 when we didn't cheat. We can do it doing anything because we are the best franchise in baseball

right now. And the Astros are the best franchise in baseball right now. And the Astros are the best franchise in baseball right now. Wild, man. Of all the people that are the franchise-altering pieces, when you really think about how wild that is, it's not Altuve. It's not Bregman. It's none of these guys. The person changing the franchise, the perception of the franchise, assuming. Like think about the names of people.

Like when you think of the history of the Astros and the biggest names, the Bagwells, the Bigios, all these people that change perception, the Bregmans, the Altuves, the Correas, all these guys, Springers, Verlanders. You know who's going to be remembered as the guys that changed the franchise? Or not even changed it, but were able to change the perception. Guys like Christian Javier, who I guarantee you most McDougals in Philadelphia had never heard of prior to him starting the other night. Guys like Frambois Valdez, guys that are just in the big picture no-name guys that the average fan would have no clue about. Chaz McCormick, Trey Mancini traded away from Baltimore,

doing nothing offensively makes the big defensive play in the eighth. Perception has changed now. Some people may never change, but you've got the weapon. You can tell these people to fuck off. And that's power. You say, fuck you. We've got two championships in the last six years or five years, six, whatever it is. Fuck you.

We rule. We've done it every way that's been necessary to do it. So good stuff. More to come.