The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - 60 Game Or Less MLB Season, Kelly Iko On Rockets, Fun Rule Proposals

Episode Date: June 2, 2020

It's larger than life. Yeah. Lunch timers is the Matt Thomas show. 12-0-1-1 in H-town. What's happening in lunchttimers? Good afternoon to you. Welcome to the Matt Thomas show, Sports Talk 790, with our producer Joe George.

My calls, Rosville, a real. I'm Matt Thomas. It's nice to have you guys with us on this Tuesday. where today at 1.30, we welcome a new guest to the show. Kelly Iko covers the NBA and the Rockets for the athletic. He'll join us in 90 minutes to kind of give us a little update on what's happening around the NBA. He has a good feel for what the players are doing during this off-season time. He did a nice expose.

I'm not an ex-posé. That's not a two. Nice feature story on the James Harden Weight Loss. Ross, think you and I can lose 15, 20 pounds in the next couple weeks here? We're calling him Slim Jim now, right? I mean, you want to. You would say to his face? Well, I thought that was the nickname. Are we calling Slim Hardin?

What are we calling it? What's his new name? I don't know. Beard sounds fine. Okay. I mean, if you chop the beard off, you lose like three or four right up the top, right? Yeah, he's not going to do that.

You can never cut your beard. It's like when I go to the doctor for physicals and whatnot, I always wear the loosest fitting clothes. I usually don't wear underwear to save every ounce possible. Don't eat before you go. Is that really what you do? Well, son of it. That's true.

Something may not be completely true, but no, I do wear loose fitting clothes. I do not eat or drink before going. Yeah, but he can't lose his beard. It's part of his identity. Abraham Lincoln, him, and Mr. T. They just never shave. Kenny Rogers. Well, he's dead.

Yeah, he had a legendary beard. I guess so was Abe Lincoln. We've done legendary beers before on the Fantasy 5. Have we? I don't, you know what? We might have, and I think if somebody took Chuck Norris. I think we did do best beards. And again, for those of you that have an expert in mind.

So we've literally done everything. We're talking about male facial hair. Yes, best beards. It's not like we took Olivia Munn or something. She's nice. We should get her on the show. Okay. Joe, can you book it before you leave us?

Book who? Olivia Munn. Matt's a big fan. You know what? I'll try because she hates Aaron Rogers. So I might be able to get in on that conversation. You know, it's funny because when I was in Minneapolis, one of our shows I was on the station I was at,

celebrated a big anniversary and one of the producers booked the it was either Hall or Oates for like his anniversary show. You're not sure, Matt? They're two different people, you know. Yeah, but I think people

only care about Daryl Hall. Why not? What John Oates do? It's a lot of backup. Really? Oh, I didn't know that. I thought there were a yin and a yang. It's more Daryl Hall

and than the other dude. I mean, that guy plays guitar and fine. He does a backup ooze and Oz, but he's more. Garfunkel's his Simon? Like if Darrell Hall said, I'm leaving you, Oates. He could still sing kisses on my list. He could still sing Rich Girl. He could still sing

She's Gone. It wouldn't be mad. Wouldn't miss that. Has Gladys Knight slowed down because the Pips are gone? No, she's still star. Yeah, but the Pips were just background singers. Diana Ross. They had names. Done great without the Supremes. I mean, John Oates had his name in there. I know, but it's more of as a courtesy.

So he's more of an art, Garfunkel, is what you're saying. No, because Garfunkel, sang a harmonic next to Paul Simon. John Oates didn't even sing? I think he sang. What the hell did he even? What was he doing there? I don't know.

I don't know enough about them to tell you whether or not he was an integral part, but I felt like every video I've seen, I saw them in concert, not so long ago, and Daryl Hall sang 90% of the songs. And there's the level of musical expertise I can bring this radio. So he's more of a Ringo than a, say, a Paul and John. No, Ringo sang.

Ringo had four or five hits. Yeah, I mean. Yellow submarine? Huge. The hell submarine. That song sucks. Uh-oh. That's anger.

Why you won't fight this early? Under five minutes, if you had under five minutes before I made that mad upset. Sorry. All right. Go ahead. What were we talking about? I'm trying to replay the show in the last one and a half. How did we get to Hall & Oates?

I don't even know how... We're talking about Olivia Munn. Hallin Outs is my go-to karaoke. Is it? Yeah. Rich girl. Rich girl? Will you sing a little bit before this show?

Yeah, give us a couple bars. No way. How about I take you out for fajitas and margaritas if you sing a minute? No, no, but I have to do it. I can't do it on the air. Why? I need to be intoxicated. I don't do it.

Oh, that's ridiculous. I don't act like you've never been drunk at noon? Yeah, I mean, I was, I feel safe to say that 60% of my audience is drunk. Constantly. And probably because of this pandemic, probably up to 70, 75%. Yeah, I feel like 60's a little low right now. It's probably a lot higher. I mean, we are number one.

in the day drinking audience. There's no doubt. And been number one for years. Like, I'll take a day drinker right now. I want to prove Joe, I want to prove them. If you are day drinking right this second, I'm not asking you to be blitzed. I'm not asking you to be like the inability to talk.

Well, if you are, that's okay too. Well, yeah, it might actually make for a better part of the show. But if you are day drinking right now, 713, 212, 5, 790. I want to know your drink of choice of what you're doing. If this is part of your workday or you're just like, you know, sucks right now and I just need to have a cocktail.

After watching the Big Labasky the other day, I feel like I need to try our white Russian. I don't know if I'd like it. I'm not a big fan of the Kalua coffee-esque type drinks, but he drank them every five minutes. I feel like I watch it. So I'm looking for a day drinker right this second at 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-2-1-790. If you want to reach out through Twitter, that doesn't be no good because you can't, you can't prove me that you're a day-drinker on Twitter. You've got to do, I got to hear your voice. What if they send you a picture of them drinking? I'd accept that, sure.

But my computer is down. Joe, you work on getting it fixed? Okay, that'll be a no. Put it over a question. Did you? We're efforting, Matthew. That doesn't sound like it's a very good option there. But yeah, if you're day drinking, you want to send me a picture on Twitter,

you can do that as well at SportsMT. A real quick shoutout. And we, again, we spend 90% of the show laughing and teasing and talking sports. Just shout out to our friend Bunby and his friends. They're going to have the rally tonight with the Floyd family. I hope everyone is safe and everything goes according to playing and is peaceful. So if you are on your way downtown for that or Bunn, if you listen, because Bun does listen to show occasionally. We wish you nothing but the very best. I will say this. It's very difficult for me as I raise

my children to explain what is going on in this very tumultuous world of ours. And I think about people that I trust to get the proper message out. And Bunn and I are by no means best friends, but Bunn and I have been, we've been friends for what, how long, seven, eight years on the show. and I trust him 100% to represent our community. And so with him and his group and his friends that are going to march today to City Hall, and it sounds like the police will be involved in it as well, I hope that we as a city of Houston can be an example. And that today the national news programs,

instead of talking about the destruction and the sadness that is happening, we show a peaceful rally today. So if you're going, please go of peace and as they honor the life of George Floyd. All right. To the news of the day. Oh, we got a day drinker. All right. Essie is a day drinker.

I mean, there's no piping hot sports heads. I can go to a day drinking call earlier. Yeah, right. All right. Let's say hot, Essie, how are you? Hi. I'm a first time caller. Nice to hear from you, Essie.

What's going on? And I'm a day drinker? Yeah. What are you drinking? And I had the screwdriver. A screwdriver or still drinking it? Just one. I just had one.

Just take the edge off. Yes, just take the end of the epidemic. I understand. And so, and you was talking about the white Russian, and I wanted to tell you about my experience with a white Russian. I was in Galveston, Texas back in 19, 782, and I had my first white Russian. And it was very nice, but I haven't had one anymore. So you're, so you're, I just want to share that with you. You were one and done with the white Russian, and now you are on to only do screwdrivers.

Yes, right now, yes. Now, if we weren't in the pandemic, would you be having a day drink right now? Oh, probably not. What do you do? Are you retired or are you working? I'm retired. I retired from Gulf War, Chevron, back in 1999. Mm-hmm.

And right now, I'm just kind of seeing my way around Houston. It's kind of enjoying life, really, right now. Well, I'm glad. Yeah. And being safe, and God bless everyone and everything that they do. That's right. I just want to say that. Absolutely.

Yes. And I love grandchildren. Oh, yeah. I have eight. You have eight grandchildren. Do you buy them gifts every time it's birthday and Christmas? No, no. As they got older, they kind of, you know, because they taste kind of changed.

So grandma wasn't able to keep up with all that. But the last one I bought a bubble. She loves the bubbles. So I bought a bubble machine. Oh. It's the last gift I just bought. Bubble machine is the jam. Hey, Essie, it's a pleasure for you to call the show.

enjoy that screwdriver don't drink and drive just sit back or listen to the show today and we we don't want you be a stranger with our program okay i thank you and uh i'll be a second time call i'll be calling you again i love that thank you as my pleasure as you take care yourself all right god bless you man it's okay to say god bless right i'm always worried about what you can and cannot say i'm telling you i have i love essie i don't i i don't are you a screwdriver drinker i haven't had a screwdriver in years. I'm not a big vodka guy. See, my vodka jam is vodka cranberry. But

people think I'm metrosexual for that. Well, it's... You know, Matt, the lines are blurred in 2020. It's fine. Whatever you want to drink is okay with me. We're just all drinking more in 2020. Probably we are. Vodka cranberry is okay. I wouldn't order out with a steak or

anything, but I'm saying if I'm in the craps table and I'm trying to nurse a beverage. I've seen it. I've seen you spill one all over the carpet. Yeah. you have to bring that up see again I'm working with Debbie down on a regular basis here it's just something that happened okay I just told you that it's okay to drink a cranberry vodka

if I were Debbie Downer I'd be making fun of you or telling you how it's horrible or how well you're gonna have high sugar levels if you put it in the cranberry juice Matt can I get Diet cran can you do a Viatic cranberry right do they have those are very yeah if I go to the golden nuggin I say can you have Diet cranberry juice are they going to have it probably A little carb beverages, though.

I mean, vodka's got no carbs, correct? Correct. Can I drink vodka straight? Yeah, if you want. That's a little tense, right? It's going to shoot some vodka. I'm supposed to go to Lake Charles again this weekend. I don't know if a certain tropical depression or storm or whatever is going to preclude that from happening.

I think it's got a name now, right? Yeah. Tropical. I think it's in the seas now, right? Am I right about that? I don't know. All right. Cristobal.

Just like Cristobal Colombo. Are you confused about the Major League. baseball what they're negotiating because I am thoroughly confused. Well, we can talk about it in the next segment. We'll do it next. 713, 212, 7190, 719, 719. 12-12. It's a Matt Thomas show, and this is Sports Talk

790. Hey, it's Jeff Blum. Blum fact number 14. I was on the White Sox in 2005. Yeah, sorry about that sweep, H-Town. But we're all good right now, right? World Series champion. lunchtime champion, Matt Thomas.

Maybe we're getting back to the normalcy, Ross. Only one day drinker called in the day. Maybe the others are too drunk to find their phone. Yeah, I'm not a huge drinker at home. How often you just, you go home and say, I'm going to have two or three. I feel like most of my drinking is done outside. Yeah. But more recently it's probably been happening more than it ever used to.

It used to literally never drink either alone or at home. I knew I had a problem with the to go. ordering when we ordered a thing of margaritas, frozen margaritas, you know, in the bucket. Yeah. I think it was from, uh, it may have been from big city. And they do gallons. Yeah, whatever it was. And I wind up throwing in my own freezer after I used it for the first time.

And then it got so frozen and I'm like sticking holes in it. Like, this is $30 something. I got to get every ounce out of this thing. I was getting aggressive with the frozen margarita, uh, just sit on the counter for a a few a little bit, Matt. Sometimes patience isn't what you want, you know? You want to drink it right now. Okay.

It's just the aggressiveness of this whole thing. Mm-hmm. You got a lot of pent-up anger, Matt. Yeah. By the way, I'm writing in my first journal entry on the... Oh, nice. What the F I dreamed last night? Can I tell you what mine was?

Yeah, let's go. Real fast. I was living in an apartment. Okay. By yourself? That I can't tell you. And I went up to my apartment with... I had two friends with me.

and I had the key to the apartment. I had to been married because I wound up calling Kim. So I opened the door and the alarm goes off. And the people that were with me were like, are you worried that the police are going to be called? I said, no, I'll just take a couple of stabs at the alarm thing. I must have just forgotten what the alarm code was. You couldn't remember your own alarm code. So I hit it a couple times and I didn't get it correct.

I call Kim and she's like, I can't give you the code right now because I'm taking off on an airplane right now. What could she just say it? I don't know. So the police, you know, you hear the sirens like, police are coming, police are coming. And I'm screaming at the, I'm inside this apartment of mine. I don't know why I'm in an apartment. And I'm like, I'm not going anywhere.

You can come. I just don't know my code. So I started to try to call Cameron. He doesn't, he doesn't know the code. And that's when I woke up. Wow. Interesting. You want to analyze that?

Why would I want to be in an apartment with my, wife on a plane, my son not knowing the code, and me being very, like if you had the alarms going off, off and off and off, they're probably going to come arrest you, right? So you're dying for a change of scenery, but if that scenery does change, you would be exercising a lack of control. You wouldn't be able to, there would just be too many things that would happen that you just can't keep controlled. You are Dr. Sports RV.

But I don't want to live in an apartment. It doesn't have to be an apartment, Matt. It's just a change of scenery. You're tired of the 40-minute commute I would love to live in the city It's too expensive It's a little pricey Especially when you're trying to send three

You got one kid in college One's on the way soon and one will be after that Make them pay for their own college You get student loan debt like the rest of us Yeah we already saw the first band for Cameron The interest rates Eish, yeah Not fun

America doesn't make it very advantageous for you to go to college It's a little more difficult It's a little more for-profit now than it was years ago. No, no doubt about that. Even when I was there, it's skyrocketed. Yeah, it's bad. All right. So let's play, let's rewind the MLB owner slash players timeline.

Okay. So let's go back. What, 10 days ago, it was a major league baseball wants you to prorate your salary based on an 82 game schedule. Way back, way back. Well, it started with revenue sharing. Oh, that's right. Revenue sharing got shot down immediately. It was like, no.

Thanks. Like, you're high. Right. I mean, they literally told the owners they're high. Owners said, okay, you don't want revenue sharing. We get that. You're the only sport that doesn't have it. So we're going to give you an 82 game schedule, and we are going to, at that point,

we're going to pro rate your salaries based on 82, and then we're going to ask you to take a pay cut because we have no fans in the stands or we'll have limited number of fans in the stands. Thus, we can't make what is 40% of our overall profits, not profits, but not profits. revenue. Revenue, that's right. 40%. Then Major League Baseball said, the players said, F you.

They didn't say like, well, that isn't something. They dropped an F bomb right on them. Right. And said, oh, hell's no.

Max Scherzerer, one of the richest players in the sports said, this isn't even a topic of conversation. And then they responded with, we don't want 82. We do not want a pay cut

off of the prorated. We want full, proration and we want to play 114 games. So basically I want to a middle finger to what the last two things that Major League Baseball proposed. Anything wrong what I've said so far?

They did extend an Olive Branch which was like hey, we'll throw a home run derby for you want. We'll do that for free. And we'll answer emails on air. Then the latest Major League Baseball's like, okay, we will give you full prorated salaries.

We will not cut. But we're going to play a 50 game schedule. And they said we have the right to do that based on our March agreement. There's nothing you can do about it. We have the right to start the season whenever we want and say how many games. This is all accurate. Rossi, you and I have slightly disagreed on whether 82 games makes it a flimsy season, whether it's gimmick here or not. I can't argue with you on that.

I can definitely think you and I on agreement if they go to 50 games, it is a full on 100% gimmick. I feel like 82 is a gimmick anyways, so 50, anything under 100 to me is a gimmick. See, 82 for me, I can justify again because of the fact that this season

has been cut in half because of a virus. So if you're playing only half a season, it fits the calendar. They're going to get as many games they can get in. They're going to play in home buildings as often as they can, as long as the states allow that to.

And it sounds like, More and more states are doing so. 50 seems like a joke. As I brought up last night on the Monday night meeting, and for those of you that joined us, thank you very much. We had a good time. We're doing that again.

It feels like a 50 game season would be as long as the postseason. And I think you're not a sport if your postseason is close to or equal than the length of your regular season. Yep. 50 is definitely going to be pretty bad. It's going to be gimmicky. And I think because people are pointing out, I think 50 games into the season, the nationals were like 19 and 31 or something like that.

And they had a long term around. And that's why the beauty of a baseball season going 162 games is you can have those ebbs and flows. And we talk about how Alex Bregman always starts off slow. What if he's slow for 50 games? It's possible. It's not just Alex Bregman. Anybody.

Anybody. Anybody. So it'll definitely be, well, we'll see. It's good. I feel like there's going to be a meat in the middle. I don't think we're going to go as few as 50. This seems like negotiating where the players say we want 114. Owners say, okay, 50.

The exact middle of that is 82. So, hopefully that's where they meet. Please, Ross, I cannot justify a 50 game slate. 60 games where you're only playing the teams in your own division seems super gimmicky. And the owners can say, hey, we're going to go ahead and do this and this is what we're triggering, but the players don't have to show up. So they have to agree on something. I thought we figured this out yesterday. I thought we had it at 100 games.

We thought we had a pro-rated salary of 100. We thought we were going to take some of them. We were going to ask them to take a 25% cut of which 5% would be sent back to the following year. And to get deferred. Yeah. We negotiated yesterday. We had this done yesterday. Why are they still doing this now?

I don't know, Matthew. But 50. Rossi, let's put this back in common terms. You and your dad and mom are fighting over your allowance. Okay. Okay. They want my allowance? No, you're asking for an allowance.

Okay. I want $20 a week. I think I used to get like five bucks a week. Then mom and dad say, no, times are tough. Mom's lost her job. Dad's still working. We're going to give you $4 a week. But we're only going to make you work four days a week for that $4.

Well, then I'm calling CPS. You're like, wait a minute, I will work for my chores more than four days a week. week, but I want $11. Then they come back to you and say, well, we only want you to work now two days a week. We'll give you $2. That's what I feel like they're doing. That's basically. They're having these odd back and forths.

There's no middle ground. It's one extreme of the next. Yes. It's almost like a cartoon or a sitcom where they say 82. They say 114. Okay, 50. What? No.

It's like, it's like having a bad auctioneer. It's like having a bad auctioneer. Yes. Two, number two, double who wants a three or three. to three. We want three, three, there's four, there's four, there's four, there's four, there's three, there's one or not. He's going the wrong direction. We went backwards. Yeah. We went back in time.

That's what I'm alarmed about, is that we have a terrible auctioneer at the negotiating table. But hopefully that gets us to where we want to be at 82. And they've got essentially, I know that there's no hard, fast clock, but Rossi, I don't, and we mentioned this again last night during the Monday night meeting. I think October 31st is a finish date is a recipe for disaster. unless you're going to do the postseason games in a neutral site. Not this, well, if your weather's conducive to it, you can't say, well, San Diego you'll be fine, L.A. you'll be fine, Florida, you'll be fine.

But if the Cleveland Indians make the playoffs, then we're going to put you in Dallas. I think you've got to do it all the way and say neutral site in 2020, or you've got to say, let's finish as soon as we can so we can give the weather gods a little break before they start pounding us with sleet and cold weather. Yeah, I mean, I guess if we look at the World Series of the last several years, probably pretty much L.A. and Houston is the only one that would be

as far as weather safe. Well, San Diego would be safe, but I don't think they're not legitimate. Arizona would be safe. I just mean over the last several years. I mean, last year, of course, you had the Nationals, Red Sox before that. Cubs, Mets.

It's just not normally going to play out that way because of the way where all the teams are. So I think you would have to set beforehand if you're going to go that late neutral site World Series. I think it would be cool. You and I, we also, not you and I, but we had a conversation last night

about whether or not a neutral site World Series would be able to fill up a stadium if the stadium was seating $10,000. I think it would. See, I think the prices knock out a lot of folks. Now, if you want to say those people from those other cities fly to Houston,

then you may have a puncher's chance. but they're working on my computer. Sorry, gang. I don't know. Let me ask you all that. I'll ask you a question. Is there somebody in our audience? What does the average World Series ticket cost?

Would it be $200, be fair to say? No, way more than that, right? Okay. If you had $300, that's you, and I'm assuming in pairs of two or four. Let's say you and your date or your wife or your girlfriend or a buddy, want to go to a World Series game. It was the Washington Nationals versus the who's a good American League team.

Let's say Toronto surprises. It was Washington versus Toronto. Would you pay $300 a ticket to see those two teams play the World Series? Knowing that this may be the only chance in your life you ever get to go to a World Series. In 2019, in Houston, the average, well, the first game one was $936 average. Game seven was $2,100 average. Now, that's on stuff. Yeah, on reset.

I'm talking about face value. I don't know what faces on those. You would know more than I do. Yeah, I think face is about 300. Oh, get in price. Here you go. No, never mind. Get in price means bottom barrel.

So, never mind. Okay. I say they'd have a tough time. I think they could do it easy. Could there be 10,000 you starting that would pay $300 a ticket to see the Nationals and the Blue Jays play for the World Series? Maybe not the Blue Jays. No, no, that's the rule. You can't.

It is the rule. You can't pick and choose. Blue Jays aren't making the World Series. Neutral site World Series teams. Yankees Dodgers. Yankees Dodgers, absolutely. You really think that it would make that big of a difference. You think Yankees Dodgers makes a difference over national Blue Jays?

Of course it does. But I'm asking average Houstonian, average Astro fan. I'm not saying Astro fan. Houstonians have, there's 4 million people here. Okay, well, then that's an easier case then. Yeah, I'm not saying average Astro fan. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Dodgers fan, Yankees fan.

There's a ton of, there's Yankees fans in this building. But that's the risk that you would have to take because you can't, if you're going to make MinutMade Park the home on the neutral site World Series, you can't predict who's going to be there. I still even think you can have people traveling. I mean, well, maybe not from Toronto, but people would travel from Washington to come see the games as well. Okay.

I would think. Would you guys do it? 713, 2-1-2-5-7-90. If I put World Series, how about this, Ross, you know how they put tickets in advance for games, regardless with the opponent is, like Super Bowl? If I gave you a chance to sit at Minute Maid Park to watch a World Series game and you didn't know the opponent,

300 bucks a ticket, would you do it? 7-1-3-21-2-5-790. 713212-5-790. Here to tell you right now about Shaw's jewelry at the corner West Grand Montrose. Shaw's jewelry is a place where you can go to give your wife that diamond ring upgrade she's always wanted. Perhaps there's a pair of a gorgeous diamond studs she's been thinking about or a diamond tennis bracelet. These and many other purchases are available at 0% financing for 12 months. Some exclusions do apply.

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1235. It is the Matt Thomas Show for a two-year-old. Tuesday. Kelly I go from the Athletic. I'll be with us in an hour from now. I don't know how many people particularly care how the sports media industry is doing, but I'm curious about how the athletic is doing. I think they've got to be doing pretty well, right? They had they made the announcement a few months ago how the subscribers are

exceeding projections or something like that? I think they're down right now, but they got people like me. I mean, I've got like 20 days left on a free trial. Yeah, I'm on the 90 day deal. Yeah, I think I've maybe like 50 days left, something like that. I'm never going to give it up now. You're going to buy. Before I was like, I'm never going to get it.

It's not honestly like everything Ken Rosengall writes, he tweets. And I was just like, I'm not going to get it. And then now I have it. And I'm just like, oh, this is. Well, here's the problem is that he tweets and then you go to click on his story and you can only watch the first two paragraphs. I have purchased it each of the first two years. Because first we have a lot of guys on the show. And they do something that newspapers don't do.

They don't give you the recaps of games. I mean, if you watch an Astros game or you watch a Texans or Rockets game, you know how the game ended or how it was played out. They give you the behind-the-scenes stuff. I love Rossi, you heard me say this like 9 million times when they peel back the curtain. Yes. I feel like the athletic is nothing but peeling the curtain. A lot of curtain peeling. And frankly, that's where a lot of those guys that were laid off from like SI and Fox and other network, you know, they've gone to the athletic because they're given a lot more freedom.

But subscriptions are a tough business. really are. But what is it? A 60 bucks a year? I pay it every January. So it's easy to me. Yeah. I don't even know if it's, yeah. It's not too much. And the best part is about this, because I'm a terrible person of renewing things is that when it's done, it's done. They cut you off as compared to like, like, serious XM and I always getting a fight every year. Oh, because they auto renew? They auto renew at the highest possible rate. And then I have to call back and tell them I cancel. And they're like, okay, well, hold on a second. We'll cancel your order. Okay, Mr. Thomas. We will let to give you what we gave you last year.

Okay, we did this again last year. We did this. There are three things in life I do on a daily basis, a yearly basis. Give great Christmas gifts. Wish my wife a happy anniversary. And I have to call Sirius XM to work on a new deal because we go through this every single year. And DirecTV? No.

That's good. No. Now, if the DirecTV bill gets too high, you tell me you want to cancel, they're like, oh, we've seen you've been a cuspur since 1997. We'll give you stars six for free. Stars 6. Like they gave me one year they were mad they were I was like this is just too expensive they said we'll give you the sports channels and I'm like that's great but I know what these sports channels are they're everything but the game tennis channel and the well I mean you get to get you get Fox Sports Ohio but you don't get the cavaliers yes you get Fox Sports Indiana but you don't get the Pacers you get MSG but you don't get the Yankees right or yes that's of the network so they black it out so those regional sports networks do nothing. for you. Right. And they're like, we gave you 50

sports channels. I mean, I can only watch so many fishing episodes. Yeah. I can only watch so much inside Rutgers football. I was going to say inside the Grizzlies basketball. Grizzlies All Access, Matt, record it. So I had AT&T on the other day. They're showing old

Mountain West football games. Yes. Instead of the Matt Thomas show. I mean, you talk about an ego bruise. Like, what is on right now on AT&T? It's the fisherman handbook. That sounds like a book they make you read in the eighth grade. Rossi, you're a consumer of sports media.

I am. Would you rather watch the fisherman's sports book or seeing you and I live on studio on that channel? I don't know, man. Bass fishing can be pretty thrilling, but I think I'd have to go with the Matt Thomas show. I would have to go with my show too.

No, you and I would dress up for the occasion. I guess I would have to get you a better pair of headphones for sure. Well, oh, my ratty ones? They're fine. I wouldn't care. You'd be on one screen. I'd be on one screen. Then the producer will be on the other screen.

Mm-hmm. Kind of see the behind the madness. Well, we would need somebody to make it better. Like if we start talking about, I don't know, LeBron James, we'd need like LeBron James highlights or...

Yeah, the 18T people can handle that. Yeah. But that would actually take manpower. Well, then they'd have to pay them, so... Yeah. You know what? The fisherman shows might do anything. Yeah.

The amount of money it takes to run the fisherman show, zero. Mm-hmm. The amount of money it would take to run this show to a high level? Very little as well. I'd be a little as well. I mean, I would want a certain stipend to lend my talents.

I'm sure you like clothing allowance. Or maybe we could get sponsored. Yeah, exactly. We could get sponsored by Nike and we'll get a bunch of free Nike clothes. Oh, I don't wear any shirt with any sponsor. I'm sure you would. Big City wings want to give me a t-shirt to put on AT&T, I would do it. Hmm.

Shell Federal Credit Union, I'm all in. I'm with it. Yeah. We'd be like the NBA players. And then the producers who make zero money would get a little shine. Not like those dorks that run the Dan Patrick show, but I mean, you know.

McLevin? Yeah. There's like nine people on that show. Yeah. I could do an award-winning show and have 300 affiliates if I had 10 people working behind the scenes. Could you? I'd mail it in.

It'd be a lot easier, actually. I mean, Rome gets his first hour scripted out. I mean, a little bit for word. And then he repeats it in the third hour? Yeah. And then he, my favorite would be, I would list. to Jim Rome to his show, and then I would turn on his TV show, Roman's Burning, and it would be the exact same scripted monologue. Like, what is happening here? Yeah. Yeah. My favorite is he hated

everybody until they came on the show and then they ever became best friends. Or hated NASCAR until his, he'd called Dick Vitale one eye and all that kind of thing. Hated Charles Barkley until Charles Barkley came on his show. Dick Vital, he would call him one eye? Yeah. What does that mean? He's got a glass eye. Dick Vitel is a glass eye? Yeah. I never knew that. What happened? I don't know. I think he said, okay for himself. I am extremely fascinating. Dick Vital class. Don't do it during a break. Look, focus. All right, we have some Carole Baskin news. We do? We do. Remember when Tiger King

was a thing like nine years ago? Or was it like two months ago? Was that before the pandemic or after? It was the first big thing during the pandemic that distracted us. It was like a week and a half in. Yeah. It was almost like right away. Tiger King came out on nothing. Can I be honest with you, Joe? I've watched too much television. You're telling me. I should have lost weight during this time. He's blown through like 200 episodes of Grey Anatomy. Not that many yet. Only nine seasons deep.

Do you wear a lace or a regular-sized panties? A lace. I do love the fact that you've admitted to a semi-miniscule audience. Well, he said he's getting close to tapping out. Yeah, I am. It's going to be a very difficult conversation with the lady. Okay, we'll discuss that in Carol Bast. We come back.

We got stuff to get to. I want to hear how you're going to tap out of the. Your wife's not like she's wearing this. There's no chance. 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-21-5-790. Nothing wrong with a little carol-basket conversation. That is coming up after I tell you about what's happening with bronze roofing.

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Wash off the glitter and daddy issues. There's a lot of warped people out in this world. Strow's relegation time and downtown, you're one of them. Rossi, he suggested for a future fantasy five Are there enough people to do a fantasy five of famous people with glass eyes? Dick Vitale, San Diego, Sammy Davis Jr., can we get seven more? I don't think so.

Don't look it up. Don't do it. Famous people with glass eyes. I feel like that's an easy. Let's see. I've got famous people who are blind in one eye. Before we get to Carol Baskin. Teddy Roosevelt.

How are you dumping out of Grays Anatomy without your wife saying? we're not going to have sex anymore. Well, it's more I just told them. I'm like, I'm not really sure I'm interested in the show anymore. It's like you said, Matt, they kill off the best characters. Grusomely. Grusomely. So I'm on season nine.

So the plane crash has happened and the hospital has been bought. So if you watch the show, you know where I'm at. And I'm just kind of at this point where I'm like, I'm kind of out. And what was her reaction when you said this? Yeah, so watch another episode. He didn't say I'm out.

See? I said I'm almost out. He's mentally out, but he hadn't had the heart to completely say that yet. At this point, I give you a little marital advice. You'll sports him to your marital advice. Just finish the seasons? Here's the issue. Play along.

You're never going to have as much sex as you are in this first calendar year of marriage. Good to know. Okay. You should say that I'm going to get out of this show like in year nine of marriage. Because at that point, your sex has dropped almost down to zero. And there's nothing you wouldn't be losing anything. But right now. So now just...

You are a rabbit. So you're telling me now I'm at that I have to watch seven more seasons. Yeah. The key is, have your phone with you so you can check sports scores. Well, not scores, but just like general... Like check Twitter. Well, once games come back, it's different.

That's why we're watching so much. I don't believe it for a second. No, I told her. Before we got married, she knew this. I was like, if there's an Astros game, I'm going to watch the Astros game. Now, some nights... The deal is that we would switch off, like one person gets the big TV.

would be the Astros game one night the next night I'll watch it like on my laptop and let her have what she wants. See this is also the thing though and now I haven't been married for how many years you've been married Matt? I haven't been married ever let alone 20 plus years like Matt 23 November and I'm like five months

but I will say this I would want to not set a precedent of forking over this control right because you give somebody an inch they're going to want a mile so if you if she's making you watch the whole thing of Grey's Anatomy and then you don't put your foot down, then she's going to watch something, maybe want to watch something else.

And then you can't get out of that. And you can't get out of that. And it's just going to be a slippery slope. And you're just going to keep on sliding down. You understand once Gray's Anatomy's done, you're going to the voice. I tried to, I used to watch the voice because I actually liked it. I'm, I think the show's boring now. Well, see, but here's the problem.

That's face. So I, I messed up. So I tried to introduce a TV show. I tried to introduce a TV show, but the TV show wasn't good. So we watched all 10 episodes of Space Force. I did not enjoy it, and either did she. But you still ran through the 10 episodes. Well, because it's new, and I was hoping it was going to be as good as the office.

That's what people have tried to say, and it's not funny. I knew my marriage was in good shape when she started watching the show called Nip Tuck about these two. It's got a lot of nudity, right? Well, it does, but the problem is it doesn't, the nudity doesn't overcome the grossness that is the show. it's about women and men that go to see these two weirdos that are plastic surgeons in Miami and it's really grotesque the things they do the scenes they're in all that sort of thing now there is some nudity in it and I did get to meet Kimber in person one time she was the actress I won one of the show and she's as hot as ever she was a Minneapolis girl but I'll tell you this

Joe I separated myself from my wife during that time but that was only after about seven years of marriage you are pot committed to watching the exact same thing for the first six seven years of your marriage, then you come to us and say 20, 25 with the first show that she watches and you separate yourself from, and we'll see where your marriage is at that point. I think I'll bear it. If it withstands the Sleep in the Other Room category or don't touch me, then you know she's good for her life with you. But if the only way she'll let you touch her is if you have to watch the same television

shows together, the marriage was never meant to be. But the thing is, she only watches one television show. Apparently she's watched Gray's Anatomy's all the way. through a bunch of times or something, right? Graves Anatomy. She's not really into TV. Except Grace. Except Grace.

What does she do for like, does she read? No, like, I don't know. It's their family, like they watch the Food Network at home. Like, they just like hang out with their family and watch Food Network. So, like, watching an Astros game

is not going to be a big deal. She watches me all the time. Maybe you didn't marry the good girl, though. I'm pretty confident. All right. All right. Keep us updated on these things. I will.

Tell us when you fully 100% complete your departure from Gray's Anatomy. I don't think I will. At this point, Matt. So you're a fraud. No, based on your advice, I'm just going to push through. Yeah, because again, remember I told you about the first year? I know, so I don't want to jeopardize the first year.

Carol Baskin, Ross, she's in the news today. Yes, she is, Matthew, and you would like me to read the story? I can do so. Yeah, I'd love to you too. Joe Exotics, former zoo handed to rival Carol Baskin. Wasn't Jeff Lowe in control of this? Weren't there two guys, help me out? Weren't there two zoos, one that Joe Exotic had,

and then the other dude had, and that he opened up a few, miles from the state line of Texas Oklahoma. Jeff Lowe? Yeah. Maybe. So the zoo formerly owned by Netflix star Tiger King is to be handed over by the woman he was convicted of trying to have killed. A federal judge has given Carroll Baskin control of Joe Exotic's old zoo in Oklahoma as part of a

ruling in a $1 million trademark dispute. Exotic of course currently serving a 22 year sentence for his involvement in a murder for hire plot and animal abuse. The zoo's current operator has been ordered to leave within 120 days. So basically, he owed her so much money that she took the collateral of the zoo. He couldn't pay, so she's taking over the zoo.

Carol Baskin is winning. Terrible. I got one for y'all. Who's a bigger winner in life? O.J. Simpson or Carol Baskin? Say that again? Yeah. OJ. Simpson or Carol Baskin? Who's a bigger winner in life? Because OJ did have to go to prison for a while.

remember he was trying to get he was stealing his own stuff yeah what he's talking about she was a she killed her husband got all her money defeated joe exotic won his uh might have killed her husband she killed her husband with uh with uh what it was it uh sardine oil sardine oil sardine oil yeah she's won i mean o j did win the the trial the century he did but he also want to spending multiple years in prison for other problems. Exactly. And was broke for a long time. I don't think he's rich today. I mean, I think he's doing okay, but...

How's he doing on Twitter? Has he tweeted much lately? I don't follow him. I feel dirty following him. You do follow him or you don't? I do not. I don't follow him. I actually have him muted.

I think ultimately, he says something so outrageous that people will retweet what he's got going. Hey, Twitter World. That's what he says. What's a better intro? Hey, Twitter World? Or hey, all you cool cats and kittens? Cool cats of kittens.

I think so. I say that in my daily life now. Yeah. And her YouTube channel is still going, right? Oh, is it? I think so, yeah. And again, I don't understand why Baskin's husband has this blank eating grin on his face at all times. She served her husband to the Tigers with sardine oil.

How do you sleep at night with a woman that would do something like that? And he has his happy, go, that dude is happy go lucky. She probably makes him dress up in cat outfits and whips them and stuff. They have weird sex. Yeah. A lot of whips and chains. A lot of really, really bizarre. Cat role play.

Yeah. Hear me, I'm Tiger, hear me roar kind of thing. Groom each other with their tongues. All right. Anstein. We start the second hour of the Matt Thomas show. Kelly Eichol on the NBA beat from the athletic with us in a half an hour.

How much do you put into power rankings, Ross? The only power rankings I care about? Of course, O'Rond five. Peter King's power rankings have the football world losing their effing minds. We'll discuss that in the start of the next hour, the Matt Thomas show. 713-212-5-790. 7-13-212-5-790 with a message here for TGS insurance. I'm so happy that so many of you have made the switch to TGS insurance,

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We are very happy to have you with us. Again, if you're on your way downtown, please be peaceful. Please be safe. As the George Floyd rally gets together a little bit as they walked towards City Hall. And thanks to Bun B and his friends for putting together, hopefully will be a very, very peaceful celebration of his life.

713-213-212-5-790. 7-1-3-2-790 if you want to get in. On Twitter, it's at SportsMT, at SportsRV, and at Joe George Radio. I will say this, Ross, and we've got to get to this Peter King thing here. Twitter doesn't seem nearly as important as it did five days ago. And I feel like I say that every about every five or seven days from now. Explain. Just it's been overly volatile.

As in you, so you've been staying off or you don't want to? Yeah, not nearly as much. Okay. Not nearly as much. Yeah, I get that. And so, and I told us to Craig Ackerman and I, Craig and I tease each other about Twitter accounts all the time. That's what you and I do. And, you know, it's, we used to joke about first to 30,000 wins, has the big party in Vegas.

I can't even think of a less important thing in my life than reaching things. 30,000 Twitter followers. It has, I've muted, I've unfodeled, I've blocked a few, I just, and it's friendly from both sides. There isn't, I need calm in my life. I need calm in our country. I need our leaders to step up.

I lead our civic leaders to step up, and I think Bunn's doing that today. We need peace, and there's something called Twitter.com that does not have peace in it. It has nastiness, bitterness and a lot of keyboard warring. Warring?

Is that a word? Not that you know war. Warrior. Warring? War rearing. So I'm going to continue to just do the occasional here's on our show. Funny little anecdotes. Like I thought your gift for me yesterday was really good.

What the F that I dreamed last night. That kind of stuff. I'll put songs I'm listening to on the radio. But I got to keep it as light as possible because there's so much seriousness and so much despair in our world. I'm not letting something like Twitter add to it. So if I don't tweet as much, and I'm not doing you all counting how many tweets I have, it's just because I'm just so disenfranchised with that form of social media, for that matter, all of it. Really, Instagram is probably the safest place to go.

Look at really hot girls. That's about it. That's good. Yeah. It's nice and simple. I feel like especially over the last few years, yeah, Twitter can be assessable. Twitter is fun, but Twitter can also just be a dark, troubling place. And I'm just trying to find like-minded people right now that just want, that want,

change in our society that want, and I don't mean to sound political. I just want us to be in a happier place. And dog videos and food and hot women. Yeah. And really hot women. And I think my wife understand this. Hot women is okay. Because I'm sure if I went and looked at her Twitter account, there's just loads of hot guys all

over that thing, too. Oh, is there? I don't know. I think I blocked her. All right. On the way less important things. So this Peter King puts out his football. what does he call it

football Monday morning MMQB he's not on there anymore no no it's FMI it's football morning in America yeah he left MMQB and I don't even know what he does anymore like who's paying it oh it's NBC Sports yes okay and that makes sense because he's on their Sunday night show

there and pro football talk I think aggregates his stuff as they aggregate everything so I've seen numerous tweets speaking of Twitter that have been sports related to the last handful of days that are just losing their mind over where their particular team is on Peter King's power rankings. Rossi, what have we said really for a better part of a decade about power rankings?

They are fooie. Any Nimrod could do them. It's true. I mean, Peter King has been in the NFL for covering it since, I don't know, I'm sure the early 70s. He's got a lot of cachet, and he's very, very popular. And he's really hung up on Michael Connor. Yeah, you can't make him wait very long because he's a very busy guy.

Yes. He's so busy that he can't wait through a 90-second commercial stop. So, so busy, Peter. But who made him the Messiah of football analysis? I don't think anybody. Well, Twitter is not happy with where some teams are. The top five in his power rankings. No surprise.

Kansas City won, Baltimore, 2, New Orleans 3, San Francisco 4, and Tampa Bay 5. and Tampa may be a little bit of surprise because of the Tom Brady Factor. Yeah, I like, okay. I could see that, though. But Texans Karen Ross does not like the fact that the Houston Texans are number 22

in his power rankings. Ooh. That low? Who's above them? New England at 21. Who's above them? Denver at 20, who did not make the playoffs last year?

Denver did kick their ass. Who's above them? At 19, the Miami Dolphins who in 5 and 11? The dolphins? Who's above them? 18, the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals? Who's above them at 17, the Chicago Bears?

Dabairs. Is the city of Chicago, Joe George, having a massive celebration because Peter King called them the 17th best team in the NFL? Thoroughly mediocre. At 16, the Los Angeles Rams, who did not make the playoffs. Damn. That's why Texans, Karen, is so beside herself. Now, she does hashtag everything we are Texans.

That's true. I mean, Texans Karen's doing that. Even when she puts the most spiteful, hateful tweets out about anybody who doesn't love her team, she hashtags them, hashtags tags Toro, hashtags, we are Texans. I like to throw that out after a bad turnover or some bad coaching decision by Bill O'Brien,

ironically. Can we do that? I guess we can. Yeah. Because anybody that follows that hashtag is going to catch on that, right? Okay. Note to self, September. If they're games. There's going to be games. I think so, too.

Crowds? No, at least not initially. Full crowds. No, at least not initially. What was the biggest? How about this one? I'll put your name on it. What is the largest crowd, the NRG Stadium this year?

Half capacity. So would they be like 35,000? Give or take you. You say 35,000? Yeah. I will take the bull under on that, under 35,000. So let me read you what he, the Messiah Peter King, has said about the Texans. Again, what I'm going to read you, Ross, you could write.

Okay, go ahead. Not much is going right for the Texas in 2020. Could you have said that? Correct, yes. It started with getting totally embarrassed, outscored 51 to 7 in the last 40 minutes of the playoff debacle of Kansas City. Could you have said that? It continued with the trade of a top three NFL receiver in DeAndre Hawkins. Tell me where Peter King has said something you couldn't have said or haven't already said.

By the way, they traded him for 55 cents on the dollar. Most of us have been saying 25 cents. or as Michael Orvin said, a ham sandwich. A 55 on the dollar seems a little high. Left with one draft choice from the top 80, Houston used it to replace DJ Reader, a defensive tackle loss in free agency to Cincinnati. Again, nothing prolific on that, right?

With T. H.C.U's Ross Blacklock. The Texans also acquired a pair of other receivers in Brandon Cooks for his fourth team at the age of 26, along with Randall Cobb and Deshawn Watson. Again, nothing that he said is there should be of a surprise because everybody that's followed the Texans know exactly what they have done, right? But the Texans' path of the playoffs will depend on the defense, which sunk from 12th in 2018 to 28th last year,

then gave up four touchdowns in 10 minutes in the collapse of Kansas City. Due defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver takes over for Romeo Cornell, and he has to wonder which J.J. Watt will play this year, the three-time defensive player of the year, or the one who's missed 32 of his last 64 games with injuries. without Watt, the cupboard is bare at pass rusher. Whitney Merseilles' last 32 games, 11 and a half sacks. Seems the best hope.

Actually, the best hope, even without Hopkins, is building a top five offense that can simply outscore teams. The Texans should already know where they stand by the end of September. They open up against the last two MVPs at Pat Mahomes and with Lamar Jackson at home before traveling to play in the rehab to Ben Rafflesberger to play the rehab Ben Rafflesberger and the one of the best defenses in football, that, of course, being the Minnesota Vikings. They start the year O and four, Ross.

They should be 22nd the NFL, correct? I could very well see an O and 4 start. If you were, you not talked about this before. If we ran to Vegas and we could open up and better, we'd put it on the O and 4, right? Most likely outcome. I think I've won in three. Maybe they could steal one.

But O and four a second. I bet you're getting better value at O and 4. Yeah, it depends on the value. You can move for value, right? Of course. I would say probably, I'm thinking, I think I predicted one in three, and O and four wouldn't shock me. See, one and three is easy to predict because it doesn't sound nearly as off. Like, teams rebound from one and three.

Teams are going to four that you think are going to the playoffs, don't start the year O and four. And they could win. The most likely outcome to me is one and three, then O and four, and four, and four, and four, and four, and one. And then four. The last thing, wherever, if they go four in that stretch. If the Houston Texans go four in order in that stretch, I will hold a press conference. and apologize to Bill O'Brien because he will have done the most masterful coaching job of his entire life in the first four games of this upcoming season. Well, you won't even have to worry about that after the opening Thursday of the season.

Or will it be the opening Thursday of the year? Yes. Think about this. If you take those games, those first four, because you want to delay the NFL season in four weeks and you put them in the end, you can be playing a Thursday-9 game in middle of January in Snowstorm and Arrow. That'd be cool. I love Snowstorms. They know. The NFL knows ratings are going to be up when there's snow games.

That's why they make sure they schedule them and try to have them like the games in Green Bay in December and January. And you know that they're always the ones that are playing the late games. Green Bay, England always played at 7 o'clock at night because you're hoping that it's 11 degrees at kickoff. 1-11 on Sports Talk 790. 7-13-212-5-790 with Ross and Joe. I'm Matt. If you are here, we appreciate it. And if you'd like to chime in anything we've talked about today from the fact that Texans Karen is pissed because the Texans are only 22nd in Peter King's rankings. If you are holding out optimism about the Major League Baseball season, are you as confused as I am about how the different sides are trying to lay out a plan for a 2020 year?

Some say 114, some say 50, some say 82, some say 70. I'm thoroughly confused on that. if you want to talk about what could be the ultimate of the 2020 season, what the ultimate result will be. We look forward to hearing from you. 713-212-5-790 on Twitter at SportsMT at Joe George Radio and at SportsRVR. Time is 112 with a message for Berkeley Eye Center. Hey, would you like to finally take the best opportunity perhaps that Berkeley has ever had

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7-1-3-5-26 E-Y-E-S for Welcome-LASIC Savings from Berkeley Eye Center. No fear. No worries. And no hair. It's the Matt Thomas Way. Houston Sports Talk continues with the Matt Thomas Show. Well, there was a story last week, Matthew, about the Astros. and then paying their minor league players until August 31st. Did you see about the Nationals yesterday? Or was it a couple of days ago at this point?

No, tell me. They were not going to pay their minor leaguers, their fully weekly stipends. Then Sean Doolittle and other Nationals players said it was unanimous. They were going to pony up their own money in order to pay the minor league players. Well, since they said they're going to do that, the Nationals have now reversed course. they say they're going to pay their minor league players.

Because they're embarrassed. Yes. David Price, I believe, is paying for the Dodgers, right? He's giving them, I think just allow. I don't know, Joe was talking about this yesterday. $1,000. Yeah. $1,000.

I think you'd give them like $1,000 each. Okay. So the nationals, I think their family is worth like $5 billion, the family that owns the Nationals. I don't even know what their name is. And they did win the World Series, right? Yes. Which meant probably a lot of extra money.

I imagine they're doing okay. Three games of $300 ticket. at prices per game. Exactly. Anthony Rendon no longer on their payroll. True. Right? And yeah, I guess Bryce Harper had been on their payroll for now two years.

Yeah, so I guess it's the Lerner family. They're worth like $5 billion. And so the players were going to step up and pay them with their own money pooled together. And so now they've reversed course. They're going to pay their money. Have the players reacted to what the nationals have doing now? I have not seen that as of yet. You know, there's this notion.

we're talking a little bit about the playoffs, not the playoffs, the resumption of the season, when they say open the books up, would we be like really uber pissed at those books? Or is there part of me that's a fundamental belief that says if I own something and I'm the one that is in chart, that owns the company, meaning a team, that I should never have to ever answer to your request of opening the books. that's absolutely right if you own a private company and it's your company you don't have to open up the books but if you want to cry poor and say this is why we can't pay you and while you're dealing with a union and something that's going to be collectively bargained they're going to say okay well show us prove it

prove it if you're saying you're losing all this money and you haven't been making anything in the last few years I wonder how fast the books could be cooked and that's a great question and I don't know how I'll say that you're in the Players Association. I want to see this, this, this, this, this, well, you're not going to be able to just go to the Internet and find it in 30 seconds. They're going to say, well, the owners are going to say, we'll get back to you in three to five days with his numbers. And then every accountant who's been on call for each of these 30 teams, like,

you've got to put this there, this, this there. I mean, that would seem like that's how they would do it, right? Yeah, we say open the books, open the books, open the books. I don't even know what that would mean or entail. I guess the players union representatives would have to go in, Each individually meet with some kind of accountant with each owner. Well, the question would be is. Or a team of account.

What is your team revenues? Mm-hmm. And then they would say, well, we make this off a TV. We make this off a stadium sales. We make this off. I would think the number one number that the owners would want to give the players to back their side, Ross, would be gate receipts. Every dollar that has made at Minutemade Park or Dodger Stadium or Regnard. field. You show them what that is, and I think it would turn a few heads. You really can't make

any money if there's not 36,000 people in the stadium. Think about if you're the Chicago Cubs. You bank on 30,000 people. I mean, they don't sell out in the first month of the year because kids are in school. But after that, that's 40,000 people at every Cubs game, every night. big parking, big cost of old style beer, big cost for hot dogs. You know the Cubs sell a boatload of merchandise. That's, if I was going to show them anything, I'd be the owners. I'd show them that. See, that's the thing is because the owners aren't all, you know, monolith.

They don't all, it's like you said, the C, the Yankees and the A's are on different levels. Yeah. But they have to, they have to make an agreement to get. They have to act as one. And that's, I think, definitely why you will not see any opening of any books. I think this 50-game thing is to try to figure out really, honestly, how bad both sides want to play. Because 50-game season, it sounds so absurd. There's no way.

There's no way. Because the owners wouldn't agree. The owners are throwing that out there. But it's a scare tactic. It's a bargaining chip. and it's not going to happen. If they say we're going to have a 50-game season, this is what we're doing, pro-ration, boom, take it.

You know, the players won't show up. It's just not going to happen. We will sooner have no baseball before we have 50 games. We're running out of sand and the hourglass. You understand that? Yes. Like sand through the hourglass. These are the days of our lives.

That's right. 50 games is a tactic you would use three months ago. They've only been on the table, basically, for two weeks. But you know what it does? every time the number comes back, it's a lower number. They must really not want to play the number of games because they really do believe the more games that are played, the more money it costs them.

Yeah, that's true. But how do you get full television dollars if you're only tele... Like, AT&T is not going to pay the Astros for a 50-game slate, which some of those will be on national TV because of the Astros, you're looking at probably 43 or 44 games? Would you have a scenario where you just, for one year, you can broadcast every game, or is Fox and whoever else? Fox is going to want theirs?

The SPN's going to get pissed about that as well. Yeah. Yeah. ESPN's going to want their share. Fox is going to want their share, which means just like the Rockets, the Astros are not going to reach a 50-game threshold or whatever than it may be. Oh, man, this is – this is where I wish we had a vacation time coming up. This is where I need almost hourly updates, especially in the hours between noon and three would be very nice. Because right now we're in a current stand still.

of now the players are having to react to a 50 game schedule when just the other day they were asking for 114 games. See, I think some national people that I've been reading actually feel like because there is so much back and forth that there is an intense desire on both sides. I think so too. That if one side said, we're not going to talk to you anymore until you come to exactly what we want, that at least when you're hearing stuff being thrown back and forth, there is a desire that both sides want to play baseball in 2020. Yeah, as I said on the Monday night meeting last night, I'm actually encouraged by this latest thing by the owners because at least they're now speaking the same language. Before it was, we want revenue sharing.

Players say we want proration. Then it was, we want sliding scale discounts. Players said, we want proration. Now the owner said, okay, we'll give you proration. It'll be X games. Players 114. Owners want 50. I can see a middle ground.

I can see where they would negotiate that. and come to an agreement. As long as we're... So we're speaking the full pro-ration language, that is a step in the right direction. So what's the next step? Try to play... Let's play guess the next step.

Let's go it again. It went from 82... Yeah. ...to 114. Yes. To 50. Yes. What's the next one?

Players will say, okay, 100. Players will say 95 and then boom. 100s go back to 82. Yeah. Then players say 100. I think we're going to be somewhere between 80. and 100 games. I really do. See, I would think we're going to be south of 82.

Oh, over and 80s? Because of the calendar. You think under 82. Because here's the thing. If you play 60, it's nice and simple. You play each of your division opponents 15 times. 60 game schedule. So you really are ultimately, and this is how you sell it as a positive, Ross. You sell it as the true champion of that division comes out of that division because all you play are the teams in your division. Yeah, but they're still going to be expanded playoffs, correct?

Right. Maybe there's a thing where the division champs each get some kind of buy, and then I don't even know what you would do next. Take the next six teams? No, I guess the top two would get a buy. Under that scenario, who has got the best chance? I don't really know the national league teams as bad as well as into the American League teams. The Yankees should win the American – if they play just 16 games within the division,

the Yankees should win the division by 15 games. Tampa Bay is the second best team. probably Boston, then Toronto, then Baltimore. But you're going to get fat and happy off of Baltimore? Yes. That's 14 right there. The Yankees did last year. Yeah.

In the central? Probably Minnesota. Although the White Sox could be sneaky good this year. Cleveland might be decent. Cleveland's always there. That might be a three-headed monster in that division. I don't think Detroit and Kansas City are in the mix. And in the West,

honestly, the Astros should win the game. Astros. The division by seven or eight games. Yes, they should win comfortably. The only negative for them is they've got brutal travel. They're going to have to go probably West Coast three different times. Yeah, they and the Rangers would have the craziest travel issues. All right.

So just throwing some things out there. If you are a baseball fan and you want to add you two cents, we are more than welcome to the luck that happened today on the radio show. 713-212-5-790 if you'd like to get in today. 7-1-3-212-5-790. We go on checking what's happening around the NBA. It could be a very big week. could be a very big Thursday for the Board of Governors in the NBA.

Kelly Iko from the athletic give us as a preview next here on 790. At home say, Alexa, play Sports Talk 790 on I-Hard Radio. Time is 131. We are in the midst of hopefully getting some good news from the NBA. And to talk about that and how he's been able to keep track of all the players during this offseason. Let's say how to our friend and a first-time visitor to the Matt Thomas show, Kelly Iko, on the NBA. and Rocket Speed for the athletic. Kelly, you have been busy chasing athletes and their routines.

I feel like the one common storyline, Kelly, is we got some rockets that are losing some serious weight during this pandemic. Yeah, I'm seeing the hashtag Slim Jim and Slim Rockers going around Twitter, so it must be a good thing for this. Well, the number one question I have for you is, are you still wearing your Turnuluck here in 1990-5-degree temperatures? Man, my toe makes for collecting dust in the closet, man. I'm itching to pull one out. It's June 30 right now. Yeah.

We invite people to, yeah, for sure. We invite people to check you out on the athletic on the NBA rocket speed. Tell me about the background a little bit behind James going to Arizona with the trainer that's here in town. And what made him think about dropping the weight to begin with? Yeah, so obviously, you know, whenever NBA does resume, it's going to be more about endurance and fitness and X's and O's. and James is the kind of guy who knows he has a high workload. He knows he has to be in shape, you know, for those fourth quarters,

for those overtime, for those game six and seven. So, you know, he got with a trainer, Justin Allen in Houston, and they worked out in Houston over the sand, grass hill, different workouts, different things for his body. And he decided to take it back to his roots in Phoenix, you know, where he went to school, went to high school, went to college there, to the mountains, tops, to the sunny Phoenix. He, and, you know, over the course of the week,

he wanted to improve his homework, get more explosive, trim a few pounds, you know, getting some sweats and throw up here and there. And there you have it. Kelly Ross, Xavier Real here. And what is your feeling just from the guys you're talking to about not necessarily from a physical standpoint, but kind of emotionally and just what is their thinking as far as coming back? Are most everybody just ready to come back and they want to play basketball under any circumstances? Just how are the guys feeling right now, do you think? Well, obviously, you know, there's the need to come back because, you know, this is their job and they haven't worked in, you know, two and a half months, so there's an urgency there.

But obviously, what they were going on, you know, there are things that are a bit more important than, you know, NBA in sports right now. But it's kind of a weird feeling for, I guess, all athletes who have the need to come back will also have the need to speak out and protest what's going on. And that is for sure, and their voices are certainly being heard during this time especially. Let me ask you about, this is hard to ask because there's so many different guys with so many different stories. Do you get a sense of how nervous they are about being in the bubble, about the amount of tests, about once they get there? Or is it just a lot of just reading and kind of watching TV shows?

And then once they get in the basketball world and they get their temperatures checked, and they get cleared of any sort of COVID that they'll get their minds back on the sport of basketball, at least for a short period of time. I think the good thing about Disney World and the facility that it's so large that even though it is a bubble, you're still able to, I guess, move around. Now, obviously, the league hasn't put out an exact plan on protocol and the date of return and what players can and can't do. But I think the sense is that they'll be able to move around, their families will be there,

even though they might not be able to bring in their entire family, but they'll be able to bring some family members to stay with them during this time because you are going to be away for three months if you want to put that way. If you're going all the way, you are, yeah, yeah. Yeah, they'll be able to do certain things. So while it is a bubble, you know, it's not like you're going to be in super quarantine, if that makes sense. It does.

Kelly Ico from Athletic with us here at 135 on Sports Talk 790. Have you running any NBA players? Maybe your colleagues that don't want to say they don't want to play. I feel like there's a bunch of teams that are not on the chance of winning a championship that are like, why bother going through all this? But beyond that, is there anybody that's showing some tremendous skepticism? And you have to say names, obviously, but are there some people that are maybe perhaps a little more nervous than they're letting out to be at least publicly?

Yeah. Obviously, there was some skepticism about going back to, you know, the facilities too early. you know, in fear of possibly catching the virus or if you had it spreading it to others. So there was a natural fear in some people to not just jump right back into things after teams, you know, try to open up the facilities. But I think as the days go on and more and more tests are available to, you know, be had amongst a lot of number of people, I think those fears will come down a bit. But I think right now there is going to be some schedules in between guys like,

Deniamian Lillard, who didn't, you know, jump to come back and play in the NBA again or other guys on the league who are on other teams who aren't in playoff contention, who might try and wonder why do you have to come and play and risk my life and do all these protocol while I can stay at home. Have you heard much about what the Rockets have been able to do? I know that some facilities, actually most of the league facilities are now open for those really small-esque-type practices. What have you heard about what's happening inside TOTA Center?

Well, there have been a couple of guys that have gone in. Obviously, Isaiah Hartstein has gone in. PJ Tucker has gone there and Bruno Caboclo. And those guys have been able to do, you know, one-on-one workouts. They get there. They get the temperatures checked. They come to the court. Shooting drills only.

Everything has to be sanitized from the floor to the ball. And the weight room, you know, you have to wipe down constantly, and you have to stick to lightweights. And just it's not really a workout. More of, I think that's why they're called voluntary, because you aren't really getting a real NBA workout. You're just, you know, getting used to your surroundings again. But as far as the other guys, obviously, Coverson and the State and Shake, Tucker, State and they said they said, they're going to have the state of shape. Because, you know, this is a market group is an older group of guys.

And the onus is going to be on them, you know, to have those legs if they do want to advance to the second round, the conference finals and the finals. Hopefully that is the case. Kelly Iko and the athletic with us here. So what is your gut fill about Thursday's Board of Governors meetings? I know they're going to go off of the recommendation ultimately that Adam Silver says, but I'm reading so many conflicting reports about just playoff teams, 20 teams, 22, all 30. If you are a betting man right now, Kelly Iko, how many teams show up in Orlando at the end of July? I think 22.

It could be, you know, 24, but I think right now. out 22 is a good bet. Just because it's kind of a sweet spot with, you know, the 16 teams and then you have the teams that are within six games of the eight seed, obviously they're going to be more in the West than the Eastern Conference because the Eastern Conference really, you know, as you all know, is not really on par. It sucks. From top to bottom.

From top to bottom. But I think 22 teams is a good number. it gives some excitement to the fans of having to play in tournament for the 8th seed if you have the pelicans the blazers the spurs things like that that are kind of within that range I think it brings some kind of excitement and it will bring about you know increased competition and intensity for those to those games do matter to get into you know the 80 because who knows

you know if Zion finds a way to sneak in you know anything can happen do you think they'll get to an even number of games in the regular season before starting the playoffs, or do you think it'll be one situation where everybody plays five and then they figure out the records after that? I think they'll get to 70 or 72. I think that's fair because I think up and for the hiatus, they had played when it was 60, something. Yeah, so I think give or take, yeah. Yeah, so I think 72 is a good number. And who knows, maybe if this works, they might even, you know, shape games off the season going forward. If this 72 playing playoffs works,

this might be the plan going forward. Well, since you brought that up, I'll let you answer it then. If you're an NBA owner and you'd heard Kelly I go on the Matt Thomas show say that, then I want you to explain to me where I'm going to get those other 10 games of revenue that you want to kick to the side. Well, if you want to do that, take 10 games off the schedule, there are ways you can't recuperate the money. Obviously, the

playing tournament will generate a lot of money. Obviously, there's if you want to even expand the playoffs, you know, 72 games doesn't mean, you know, you have to stick to 1 through 8, you know, and play. You can even do it have the NFL did it and add

an extra spot in the playoffs. Well, too. There are ways to get creative if you really want to get about, you know, getting your money back and getting your money's worth. So, um, I think the biggest thing right now is to see how this works and then see if there's ways to tweak it and improve it, change it, you know, going forward. All right. Last thing before I let you run, barring a new outbreak of COVID.

Yeah. What holds this season from coming into play? Because I think they obviously have done their due diligence on Walt Disney World. It feels like the owners and the players are agreeing. Nothing to fight over finances because they know the more they play, the more they put in there. Is there anything else in your mind that you're thinking? I hope they can overcome this so we can definitely get this season finished off

in Orlando. No, I think the biggest thing was, I guess, the corona and the money. I think, as you've seen all the leagues, the money isn't really a black and white issue. You know, we're seeing a lot of contention on both sides. We're looking at MLB, you look at, you know, and they tell,

some contention on either side. So it's good for the NBA and the NBA players associations to have that agreement going forward. because this is a fight that we have to do together. And you aren't going to achieve anything if you keep going back and forth over some money. So there are bigger things that stay like players' health and the livelihood.

Those are the biggest important things. And the league as I've said, it would do the league in professional sports a terrible injustice if they don't make everything as safe as humanly possible. I mean, I almost feel like, Kelly, that if you're an NBA, player or a coach, and you're going to Orlando, you're going to be in the safest environment humanly possible. The last thing they would want is to have anyone get any sort of outbreaks because that would ruin other sports moving along, and that the NBA, or for that matter, Major League Baseball wants these places to be as clean and cleanses as possible, so everybody

stays healthy and shows that, yes, you can recuperate and you can resume sports again. Right. And credit to the NBA for being a progressive league that really champions as players association. As we've seen in the other places, that's not always the easiest route to go. And credit to Chris Paul and Michelle Robinson, everyone who's involved with those decisions because those are pretty hard to do.

And it takes one accord and it takes guys on the same pace to get up with something as big as this because it's unprecedented. Kelly, next time I'll talk, hopefully we're talking about games, my friend. I appreciate you coming on the show this afternoon. Yes, sir. Appreciate you. All right, buddy.

Good luck with those turn legs. We want to see him in mid-July. I swear I do. I do. We'll see you, buddy. Kelly Aikko from the athletic with us. Kelly is a top seven dresser and NBA Beat Rider Worlds. Rossi, he'll wear a... Top seven? Yeah, he'll wear a turtleneck in a middle of a Phoenix hot, sunny day. Okay.

You just... Because I don't think guys can pull up the turtle neck like most... He can't. I don't wear a turtlenex. I have not worn a turtlenex then it was like seven years old. I have a few mock turtlenecks. Why don't you wear when tomorrow? Tomorrow?

And we'll grade it out. It's a little warm. Yeah, just do it for an hour. I'll stick to T-shirts. Okay. I wore a collared shirt today. First time, I think, since the pandemic started. I think since the pandemic started, I've done it like twice.

Yeah. Jeans. Sweatpants, about 90% of the time. What are these jeans things you called? All right. All right. team with Adam Wexler and Adam Clayton. Right now, you have a chance to win $2,500 when you finance or refinance your mortgage loan or home equity loan in the month of June with the Shell Federal Credit

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Busting the wave since the stroves were in the dome. Who are you going to call? Wave busters. Houston Sports Talk continues with the Matt Thomas show. 147 on the Matt Thomas show. what's trending on Twitter Texas Gov Oh geez

The trends yesterday were Not Waffle House What happened They're not looting the Waffle House Are they? I got a check Is the Waffle House getting scattered and splattered I saw Woffel House

Is getting protected Oh, that's good Like sacred ground Oh, oh oh oh It is sacred ground Here are the companies That are supporting Trump's re-election And they're in there

Oh Well, let me tell you, I got news for you. If you are letting your fast food discussions, your political affiliations affect your fast food, you're never going to eat fast food. Yeah, didn't Chick-fil-A get canceled? I love Chick-fil-A. In and out, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell McDonald's, Wendy's, KFC,

pizza, Olive Garden, Waffle House. What's left? I hop, Carl's Jr., Papa John's White Castle. I don't seem Burger King in here. There's not one on the way home. Let's do it. Let me tell you by Berg. We did have the impossible Whopper, Matt.

Remember we did the taste test? It was okay. It was okay. It needed a lettuce and tomato for sure. Yeah. The real whopper is fine. The chicken sandwich they have is outstanding. The onion rings are good.

Everything else is crap. Fry suck at Burk. The Hershey Sunday pie is magnificent. And again, I've told this to the people for the five millionth time. You can go get the best thing they have in the morning is their French toastics. What about the croissant which? I like a croissant which. You can get three.

A waffle sticks French toast sticks for a dollar Hmm Or you can get five for $2.29. Didn't they have pancakes for like 50 cents or something at some point? Yeah.

How much is it costing them to make these pancakes? Like I don't even want to know. Stay with me on this. Yes. Three French toast sticks for $1. Five for $2.29. Oh, okay.

I'm sorry. I was thinking about pancakes. So you just could do two orders and get six? rent. And when I explain it to every time I do that, they look at me and go, well, you can get the five platter. I said, I don't want the five platter because I get one less stick for 30 more cents. For 30 more cents. And then they look at me like, oh, I didn't realize that. Sorry, bro. Not a whole lot of math majors working at the Burger King you're saying. So not Waffle House is trending. Carol Baskin-Kane's control of Tiger Kings, Joe Exotic, former zoo after court ruling.

Texas Gov is trending Nicosa is trending and COVID-19 updates man 20-20 sex I don't ever I don't ever swear on Twitter very very very rarely

but I'm ready December 31st 2020 to tell 2020 what they can do with themselves it's been a tough year like what's the best thing that's happened this year Tiger King

That's true Because really nobody died I mean there were some animals At one point tree It was bad in itself Well I think yeah I think Joe Exotic did shoot some tigers But

And Carol Baskin's husband Was Martin's dad That was years ago Yeah that was more like 88 Joe what's the best things That's happening Except your marriage The second best thing

You're a loon love for Grey's Anatomy No McDreamy McSemey are two different people I loved calling the game with Craig. Rockets beating the Lakers in Los Angeles on the first game in a smaller lineup. When Charles Barkley said you can't throw a bunch of munchkins out there. The two biggest wins the Rockets have had this year on the road are games that Craig and I work together.

Rockets won at Boston, even though the Celtics sent the game to overtime on a buzzer beat, a rocket still won that game. Man, that's why Rossi, the NBA scene's got to get going again. There are too many unknowns. Yeah, I mean, always with you guys, we were before the show. There was randomly, like this day in history, some George Springer walkoff or something, and it was just watching it. It really warmed my heart for 15 seconds.

I would die for some out-of-town non-Astra fans of call in and start bitching and moaning about the Astros talking about cheating. Let's not get crazy. I don't want that. Oh, that's easy to defend, though. Yeah. Because we spent two and a half months talking about it. That's like getting on the old biking and riding it again, Ross. I don't want to ride that bike anymore.

What would you like? I want a new bike. Okay. So here we got. So the George Floyd passing, which is terrible, the protests, which are terrible. Not passing. He was murdered in the streets. Murdered.

Yeah. The George Floyd murdering, of course. COVID. Kobe's helicopter crash in the gas. Ebola's back. There's a tropical storm in the Gulf. Not being about to Joe's wedding. I mean, this year has sucked.

It's been terrible. I feel more terrible for you than the other. else. Me? Yeah, because Joe could, were there any single girls at your wedding? Not a ton, but some. Is there one that you don't want to name her name would have been a good match with Ross? How available in promiscuous were they?

Neither and neither. Oh, you didn't have a single promiscuous friend at the wedding? Not ones that I would pair with Ross for the benefit of Ross. Oh, thank you. So they're all nuts. Or threes. They were either nuts or threes. threes.

Look, man, you stack up three-threes. You got yourself a nine. And honestly, like, I feel like Ross and nuts girls is like, is your wife listening to shit? There's no chance, right? No, she doesn't listen to anything I do. That's good. Well, that's actually kind of sad.

She just called your friend, you just called her friends a bunch of threes. Not all of them. How many of them? The available ones. So if you were at Joe's wedding. If you were at Joe's wedding and you did not have a ring on your finger, you're at least you're a three, Max. Only the friends.

So they were going to, well, then Ross did you do, oh, oh, man. I don't want to be family with Ross, so I feel, why not? Ross, we're not even friends yet. That's true. We won't hang out. He won't hang out with me outside of work. I've never been invited to anything.

Yeah, when's the homeowner? When's the, uh, the housewarming party for us? When all this is over? Yeah, I'll bring you a blender. When the COVID goes away. It's like a 600 square foot apartment. I don't know if we can fit many people. They have a nice pool, though.

Ooh. Once that's open. Yeah, is that even open? Have you? It's open, but guests are not allowed. It's kind of a bummer. Well, how are they going to know? What are they checking your apartment keys?

All right, so great out the girls in your apartment complex. Oh, geez. I mean, I'd say they're closer to, they're a little bit above your age, demographic, Matt. So you're saying these 48, soon to be 40-year-old eyes can't look at them. No, you can. Yeah, man, they're like 70. Oh. We live in an apartment complex of 70-year-old one minute at the retirement home?

The people in my apartment complex are mostly like us, young, married, or you can tell like it's their final home. What do you live at Del Wad? Is their final destination? Not final destination, but like you can tell like they're downsizing. Are they playing a pinnacle in the park? So there's an awkward smell coming from in the apartments? It's not the cooking.

It's decaying flesh. Could be the cooking. This is got disturbing. Not my cooking. This is your fault, Matt. We're not going to his apartment. No, Ross can come. Yeah, I'm going to go over.

They got grills at the pool? We do. We got two of them. All right. We can grill at the pool. My wife is not listening to show. She just sent me a photo of her listening to Mickey by Tony Basil of 1982. Hey, Mickey, you're so fine, that one?

Yeah. So she'd rather listen to 80s on 8 than me. Probably not a horrible call at this point. You know you love some 80s on 8. No, I don't actually. After by 83, the music of that decades sucked. You love more of a 70s on 7 guy? I'm yacht rock, is what it is.

That's the only benefit of the weather being incredibly hot as we get more yacht rock in these worlds. What are you looking at? Strauss Relegation. Any of these all single women rich with heart conditions. Hmm. I could see Ross bringing somebody double his age for the cash. Ross would never do that.

I have a cougar hunter? No. They hunt me. Oh, really? I've seen that personally myself. Interesting. I didn't know that. Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Oh, geez. The cougs are all over them? This one, I'd be cougars. These would be, what are great cougars? Like really old cougars. First of all, that was a story you heard secondhand from Michael. And it's totally false. He said I was hitting on them.

That's not true. You may not have been hitting on them, but they were definitely hitting on you. Okay, that's true. Large elderly women wanted Ross to go to the bar with him at the Nugget. Was it the Nugget? Or was it a Liberg? I can hardly recall that night. Why did I get so drunk on that night?

That kind of zero surprise. I was out of control that night. I had a little too many. Ross loves 64 plus after 11 p.m. That's not true. The final hour of the Matt Thomas show starts at a matter of moments. We will get to some baseball and where exactly we are in this mess of a negotiation. 713-212-5-790.

7-1-3-212-5-7-90. Is the Matt Thomas Show. 2 o'clock Sports Talk 790. Final hour, the Matt Thomas show. And we look forward to having it. you with us this hour if you'd like to do so on a variety of topics. 713212-5-790. 7-1-3-21-2-5-790 is how you reach a show.

And if you want to reach out through Twitter, you can at SportsMT, at SportsRV, and at Joe George Radio. Headlines of the day? Not a damn thing. If you're on your way to protest and the rally and the walk towards, City Hall, please be super, super careful. I'm proud of those that are taking the time to represent our city. Leaders.

Just hope for a nice, peaceful rally. We need Houston to set the example, sports RV. Was it already writing over the weekend or looting over the weekend? But it feels like it's been a lot less than other cities. I don't know. I can't speak to that. Yeah. You're doing the right thing by not watching. Every day it's...

But I feel like I'm doing it in front of my kids because I want them to see what's going on to see how our turbulent. That definitely makes a lot of sense. And you know what? That makes you a good father. I'm trying. Matt. I wish I could do more. Uncomfortable conversations are part of parenting. Yeah. But we got to be open about it. And so hopefully everything works out well. I think the Floyd family has done a beautiful job of keeping the peace and saying yes, it is okay to voice your opinion, but do it in nonviolent ways. And I hope that it continues to be that way. Oh, man. Tough, tough times. That's why we feel like this show for three hours is kind of a little escape. I mean, that's how I feel with the C, the two of you guys.

Well, I mean, we lose Joe this hour because he's focusing on the things. But have you with him. He's busy. He's show prepping. That's fine. Yeah. They got a really, really power-pack show with probably a channel of Rome, a Jeff Blum, a Matt Bullard. Who else? I don't know.

Other various guests that you can hardly hear on the phone. Yeah, that was a tough listen yesterday. Love him, but it was a tough listen. Fun's going to be tricky. Yeah, it's fine. It happens. All right. Did you hear knocking noise?

They're not working on our... I'm scared. Is everything okay? No, I think you're tapping your own foot. No, I'm not. 713, 212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. The 25th, somebody's texting,

the 25th anniversary of the Mario Ellie Kizz of Death was May 20th. Why am I hearing about this now? We already talked about that. I think somebody's trying to correct somebody. Oh, okay. So, look, if you want to play the call again, we can. we might we could also just play old highlights of stuff remember when how cool it was we did whatever happened to that stradomatic season that was going on remember we were we were doing a postgame show

everything putters out at some point right yes we're gonna we're gonna clean our house we're gonna eat better like what's the longest resolution you've ever kept in your life six days you you really vividly remember it's being six days like i think one lent i behaved myself That's good. I don't know, not so much. I used to do Lince when I was a kid. I grew up Catholic.

But that's the thing is that, you know, we're going to start this new group. We're going to start doing this. We're going to start treating each other better. We're going to start, and everything comes full circle. We all usually go back to our normal ways.

And that includes, like right now, there's a lot of love for James Hardin out there. My guess is the next time he goes two for nine in a game, which very well could happen. There'll be a lot of, well, the weight hasn't made any difference, he still sucks. That's why these games have got to happen, Ross.

I don't want any more computer simulations. I don't want any more of what Stratomatic is saying. We need these games to get going, not sooner rather than later because later has won over sooner. But to get these guys, at least in training camp, to see what they're all about. And that's why, if you're telling me we've got to wait until July 31st, so be it.

We really know the choice. So you don't want the Stratomatic standings? Well, go ahead. You might as well. How are their Astros doing? The Astros are doing pretty well, actually. They're 41 and 19. They've got the best record in the American League.

That's the season, right? 60 games, 41 and 19. We're done. They are five and a half games ahead of Oakland. The Angels are 28 and 31. Tampa Bay Rays are leading the ALE East at 37 and 25. Over the Yankees? Yeah, four and a half games ahead.

Please tell me, Garrett Cole, struggling mightily. Well, I don't know. I mean, I don't wish anything ill harm on him personally, but I'd like for him to be a 500 pitcher at best. Making an obscene amount of money. And the Astros had the day off yesterday, so there's no simulation from yesterday. So if the playoffs were to start today with 60 games, which very well could be a possibility, who the Astros playing? Oh, geez. Now I just put away the standings.

Do they have the best record in that group? Yeah, they have the best record in the entire American League. So they would take on, if the playoffs were extended, they would have a buy in the first round, right? Yes. And they would take on then the winner of the 4-5 matchup, right? Two-place 7, 3, 3-6, 4-place 5? Let's see. They have the Indians leading the Central.

So then the six seed, it looks like it would be the, it looked like it would be the Yankees. Astros, Yankees in her first round stratomatic series? Yes. And Garrett Cole's on disabled list? No, I haven't seen that. Garrett Cole's retired due to the non-love of the sport again? Garrett, wait a minute, Garrett Cole wants a trade because he insists on having facial hair and long hair?

No, I haven't seen that either, Matthew. That sucks. Astro's going to play the Mets. It's Austin Pruitt versus Marcus Stroman. Oh, Austin Pruitt's having a good season, huh? He's three and two. Not bad for number five starter, right? Yeah.

How's that Jose E. Keeney doing, if you will? I can't find the season stats for some reason. Has Forrest Whitley made the Major League roster at this point? Forrest Whitley. Can we talk real baseball for a second? You know what here? I do have season averages and stuff for you. How's Forrest Whitley?

He is not on here. Another year without us. Oh, wait, they do have today's results. The Astros beat the Mets 11 to 3. Is Kyle Tucker playing? He is not. Or at least not today. For real.

Yeah, he was one for four. He's got a 269 average on the season. For real baseball for a second. Are we going to see Kyle Tucker? and Forrest Whitley at all this year? Kyle Tucker, yes. Forrest Whitley, maybe. Yes, yes, at some point.

Will he, it's got to be sink or swim for him. It feels like it. Which would then, if he, if he does sink, that's on the Astros, that's on the old organization, right? That's a Jeff Leno big mess. That was a Jeff Lunow, Untouchable. Right? Your untouchables need to perform.

Alex Breggman was made untouchable. He's performed. That's a good call. Let's go over some untouchables in the last handful of years when it comes to trades. Kyle Tucker, untouchable. Should have been touched. Maybe.

Not maybe. We'll see. Forrest Whitley, untouchable. Alex Bregman, untouchable. AJ Reed was untouchable. You should have grabbed him. Derek Fisher was untouchable. Oh, you should have just kicked him. Dragging him out by his feet.

Who else? I'm sure there's some others. Carlos Correa was untouchable. What did they see in those guys? Derek Fisher had some tools, man. He was fast. He was hitting for power. He was.

A good outfielder? And then he was given the job two years ago in left field and batted 201. He didn't do so hot. That's why the Astros had a devil and finally that's why the Michael Brantley for agent acquisition made so much sense because they kept

given, I mean, Marwin Gonzalez was playing a lot of left field. No disrespect to Marvin Gonzalez, but that's not what you want for a cornerstone outfield position. That was supposed to be Derek Fisher's job. Mm-hmm. Yes. Who was the guy

And I'm forgetting his name. He was fat for a while. Oh, Brett Wallace? No, no. Daryl Ward? Oh, Tatar White. Okay. Yeah.

Remember Tatter White had that two months stretch a couple of years ago that he was, every time he stepped up in a pinch hitting roll, he would hit the big bass hit and the Great White Sound would sound and go. And then all of a sudden, the month of September of 2018, he was, could know where to be found. And then you used him a little bit and some pinch hitting rolls in a playoff. and he was nowhere to be found. And he'd go down in AAA and he'd hit like $3.50.

Yeah. With mashabund. He's the quadruple-a player. The quintessence of a quadruple-A player was Tyler right. He was a Howard from Memorial 4A player. Yes. And then didn't he go to the Dodgers and lose a bunch of weight? He was okay with the Dodgers, I think.

Yeah. Well, actually, he hit 045. Well, I said okay. 26 plate appearances. Nah, it's a very small sample size. They're the smallest of sample sizes. The smallest ones possible. So the Astros have quite a collection of first baseman and outfielders.

And that's why when Yuleiguriel was first brought here, they're like, why are you bringing this 30-something-year-old guy here? He's not going to play more than a year. Well, guess what? He's still playing first base as we speak. That's a good, another good Jeff Ludo ad. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Jeff had way more hits than he had misses.

Of course. But probably his biggest misses were the untouchables. Mark Apell, can't trade him. Got to draft him as the first overall pick. And then was it? Brady Aiken he wanted to sign. Well, then they, then he had, he had the UCL issue. He didn't sign and then they, when he did have, ended up having Tommy John, yeah.

Oh, Francis Martez was untouchable. Somebody's tweeting us in. Frankie Tuesday. Trying to, not, uh, Guadine wasn't a, uh, Raymond Gouduan. Gouduan. He wasn't on touchable. I don't think so. And he didn't go ahead and touch him up for the right package.

I feel like you, again, don't take this wrong, but I think you could have touched a lot of Astros. But, well, you couldn't say that about the Rangers three years ago. Touching is a very, very sensitive conversation piece there. As it should be. Yeah. All right. So, yeah, Jeff, for me, still gets an A, but he missed a few on the test. Yes.

Nobody's perfect, Matt. Certainly not a general manager. Who knew nothing about what was going on with the trash cans. That's what the report said. The report was vague. The report couldn't prove that he didn't know. Oh, so you're going to tell me. When we summarize and put a period and close the book on a Jeff Leno, that we're going to put that he was unaware or the report was less than solid in terms of his involvement?

The report needs, the report says they knew something happened, but they couldn't prove it necessary. Like, I can know that you sped to work today, but I can't prove that it happened. Okay. I can buy that. I guess they're using in a court of law setting of course you have to be able to prove it Does Jim Crang fall in that same category

or do you feel more confident that Jim knew nothing about it at all? I think Jim didn't know I think he's more insulated I think Jim is busy running 10 companies Yes And would not have known the idiosyncrasies of an event like that

And whether or not he knew he came down He did the right thing Firing A.J. Hanch and Luna was tough pill to swallow But I think it's the right thing It was the right thing to do Gotcha. 212 on the Matt Thomas show. 713, 212, 5, 790 if you want to get in.

We just actually went through some baseball chatter. And then it involved a 50 game or 84 game schedule, 112 game schedule, 114 game schedule, 114 game schedule. Find on a radio show in the marketplace that wants to do that right now. 713, 212, 5, 790. The time is 2.12. It is Sports Talk 790. Astros, buddy. You of H grad.

Tex-Mex connoisseur. Is there anybody more Houston than Matt Thomas? No way. Back to the Matt Thomas show. One of the great NBA players of the 70s has passed away, Wes Unselled. And I say that only because one of my good friends, the Hall of Famer, Elvin Hayes, Big E, was teammates with him on those Washington Bullitt great teams at the mid to late 70s. I know E's hurting today.

I just texted him a little while ago. So keep, we got a lot of thoughts and prayers worth to send out these last a handful of days. Harvey, we'll send it out to the Unselled family and our friend Elvin Hayes, who lost to one of his best friends today. So, was Unseld, also a long-time NBA front office guy and was also a former coach of the Washington Bullets.

No, I didn't know he was a coach as well. Yeah. Yeah. If you ever catch yourself watching some old school NBA basketball, do you get NBA TV at home? Yes, I do. There's nothing better than a 1976 game once in a while, just to show you how strange

the league was. No three-point line at the time. I have every hardwood classics on set to record. And I'll just pick and choose through them and watch them every now and then. And then there are some things called playoff pop-ups where they like add a little podcast, popcast, yeah, they add little anecdotal things to these broadcasts. Yeah, I watch all that stuff. Was there a shot clock in the NBA at that time too?

In the 70s, yes. I think it became in vote, I think late 50s, early 60s with the shot clock. I wonder, and you and I were, well, you weren't a lot, but I was too young to watch basketball. I wonder what it was like trying to convince the NBA to add a three-point line. Or 1954 was the shot clock in those instituted. I wonder if it was hard back the night. And we'll have to ask an old school player back then because there were some guys that are that listen to the show or in the community that played without a show.

Calvin Murphy didn't play with the three point line for a lot of his NBA career. What could be the next really revolutionary thing that each of the next three sports could add? In football, the massive use of instant replay is something that players of the 70s and 80s couldn't even think of. How about field goals over 50 yards count for four? Well, okay, I'll go with that. I think the NFL, the official on the field would have to characterize and put his hands up as a four-point attempt. Yeah. Well, it's usually whatever plus 17, right?

That's right. But you can't assume that. Yeah, we could say if the ball's at this yard line, it's a 50-yarder. Or whatever. Say any field goal passed the 35-yard line. That makes better sense. Anything from the 35-yard line pass is worth four points. Then you can set it up however you want.

Then that'll be a 52-yarder generally, 52-53. But is that enough with the way that there's thin air and dome stadiums, I would have to think. It's one extra point. If you want to do that, I'd have to make it a 60-yard field goal or more. How often are those going in? A lot more than they did 10 years ago. How about this? 60s are worth five.

Nope. Now you're getting too crazy. Now here's something that put a wet blanket over your argument. In Denver, the ball carries a lot better. Does that give the Bron. No, you can't shrug your shoulders on that. The other team gets to kick them too. Yeah, but Denver gets eight home games a year.

That's true. You don't get to play in Denver eight times. Well, their opponents get to play there eight times too. But it's eight different opponents. Right. You're giving one team a sizable advantage every time they play a home game. Like, for instance, in Pittsburgh, it's very difficult for kickers to make field goals at Heinz Field because one side of the stadium is open and the winds are always swirling.

One side is easier than the other. You know that going in, it's not necessarily advantage. But in Denver, you know that kickers are always going to be able to get five or seven yards more distance off of a kick. The other team has a kicker, too. So it's null and void. But Denver gets it eight times. You, you're as an opponent, you only get that opportunity one time. The opponent gets it eight times.

Not an eight, you're not going to eight pulp, eight stadiums that have, they can kick longer than the additional yards. They get eight opponents. No. The thin air in Denver would give the advantage to the Denver kicker, because they play in that thin air eight times. The opponents, well, they get.

No. No, I'm right. No, you're not. They, they have eight opponents. It's eight different kickers. I get that. But what's the, he's going to score more,

point at the end of the season, the Denver kicker is going to have more points. You're going to have more points to kick four point field goals in Denver than you are in Pittsburgh. So the Denver kicker is going to kick more points than any other kicker, but also it's not a team advantage. Yes, it is. It's worth on, if you're, if you can, if you can kick field goals in Denver, that's part of Denver's offense that most teams NFL don't won't be able to have for them. It is an advantage. They're playing. Okay, for example, at Coors Field, Larry Walker's numbers are going to be pumped up. Yes. But the opponent can hit the ball out a bunch too.

Yes. So it affects them the same amount. But the difference is a home run in Denver counts the exact same as a home run counts at Fenway Parker, Yankee Stadium. You are telling, you're giving Denver the advantage of having thin air and kicking field goals for more points on a field goal. And the opponents have the same advantage because they're on the same field. But the opponents don't get. Am I crazy?

No, Joe, help me out with this. Denver gets, the Denver kicker has eight times more of an opportunity. than another kicker because they're playing in a stadium that would give 60-yard field goals an opportunity. So Todd Helton's going to hit 40 home runs, would normally maybe he would have hit 30. But the opponents of the Rockies have the same opportunities to hit those far-home runs. So it's not a home field advantage. You're saying it's an advantage for Todd Helton and not anybody else. No, I'm saying it is an advantage for Tom Helton.

It's advantage for both teams. But he doesn't get two points for the home run as compared to it's one other place. You are giving him an opportunity to kick more field goals in thinner air, take more chances because Denver has known for kicking longer field goals. Their opponent has the same chances too for four points. So in the individual game... I'm not arguing that point. My point is that the Denver kicker gets it eight times more often than their opponent's going to.

Because every time they play in Denver, there's thinner air. They're going to take that chance. More often, they're going to do it in Pittsburgh. What's the advantage? The advantage is my stadium allows me to kick longer field goals. more chances are taking on longer field goals and mile high than anywhere else in the NFL. Of course. By both sides.

I'm not arguing that. I'm arguing the fact that Denver is going to be able to say we have a part of our offense, part of our home field is that every single time we play a home game, we're going to have a chance more often to kick four-point field goals. Where the kicker for the Raiders only gets two chances here because he's going to go to Denver once, and it may go one other place. Okay, so their season averages for points might be up. So what?

I don't think you can do it. I don't think you can do it because all the atmospheres are not the same. Dome stadiums would also play an advantage too. They would. Yeah. But the advantage would be exactly. Okay, let's use the dome example. I can't use, if I'm kicking, I'm Chris Boswell for the Steelers.

I can't use that four-point thing very often because my stadium sucks for kickers. Okay. You're the Steelers head coach. You're Mike Tomlin. Yep. You're going into Denver. You're saying I'm at a disadvantage in this game. It's hard because Hinesfield has more missed field goals than any other stadium in the NFL.

Okay, but I'm my, if I'm playing in Denver. Say, hey, guys, we're going to Denver this week. Yep. We're going to be at a disadvantage because their kicker can kick more than we can. It's not an advantage of advantage or disadvantage. It's a thought of I get to use it more often. Yeah, you get to use it more often. So that's just going to put your season statistics up, but who cares?

Who cares? It's, it's Denver. Denver is down three. and has a chance to go for the win, and I'm playing in Pittsburgh. I'm not sending my Denver kicker out there, but if I'm playing the game in Denver, I can kick that four-point field goal.

But so can the other team's down three from Denver. Then they can also do it. They have the same advantage. The advantage is equal in the site to both teams. Yeah, both teams can do it. That's right. That's what I'm saying. But you're not,

you don't take an account that Denver has the ability to do that every single week. where some teams won't have the opportunity to do that every single week. Some teams won't have that opportunity, but it's their opponent will every week. No matter who their opponent is, every team has a kicker. Every team presumably has a kicker who's going to benefit from that advantage. So it's even, it's an even playing field.

Like it's course field. The pitchers are going to be at a disadvantage. So you're saying my pitchers are going to be a disadvantage in course field. Guess what? So are the, are the Rockies pitchers? It's the same. It's the same playing field. It is the same playing field.

I'm just saying that I don't think when you said we're going to allow four point kicks that people are going to be like, wow, Denver's going to get more opportunities than anybody else in the NFL to try the four point kick. You can't argue that. There'll be more four point opportunities for Denver kickers and anywhere else in the NFL. So the kicker is going to kick more points at the end of the balance of the season, but their opponents will have more. They'll give up more points. So it washes. To me, it's a wash. Okay.

Well, we spent a lot of time talking about an extra point, one bonus point. I'm exhausted. I'm not. I'm fine. Let me tell you. What else are we going to talk about? I don't have a baseball season. That's true. All right. Okay, so let's do this. We've already gone to the NFL. What are we going to do? Do you want to add a four point line or is there too many lines in the NBA? I mean, how would you even do that? On the baseline, there's, I mean, how often do we see PJ Tucker? There's no room. Often do you say PJ Tucker out of bounds? Like at least twice the game, it seems like, right? So maybe the four point line would have to be, I guess the four point line wouldn't be on the edges. It would only, it would only. be above a certain line? What if, like, the big three model, they have, like, circles farther back?

Concentric circles? Yeah, so, like, they had, like, three circles closer to the half court line, that those were the four-point spots. They weren't, like, another, it wasn't, like, another extra line. I like that. It seems a little gimmicky, but so was the three-point line when it was first introduced, right? Yeah, if you were going to add it, I mean, I don't think it would be a huge hit, but... Well, let's be smart about this.

Let's add a huge hit. Do you want to add a seventh foul? No. Patrick Beverly does. Do you want to add an extra foul to the team before they shoot free throws? I like what the D-League did, or G-League. The free throw rule change, though one for two and one for three. So you get fouled on a shot, it doesn't go in.

You get one free throw. And it's worth. You get both points. Yeah. And if you get filed on a three-pointer and it doesn't go in, you get one free-felled. throw and accounts for all three points. I would love that rule. James Hardin hates this, by the way. Why? Because he's not going to be able to make two free throws every single time. It's the same thing though. Uh-oh. We're going to argue again? The math is the same. If you

have an 80% chance of making one, it's going to end up being the same amount of points and it's going to save time. That's why they did that. Okay. I can go with that. See, I'm affable. Yes. It's going to be kind of crazy. So you don't want to add, you don't want to add a foul. Do you want to change the scoring rules in the final two minutes of every quarter have every half in what way you want to make two's make three threes are worth four no what would because there was a bunch of what was what was what was this was like a year ago or so there was all these crazy rule changes where they or uh was it some foreign league we were running through or something like that I can't remember where where they changed it it was uh oh it was the Korean basketball rules remember

oh it's like everything's every basket's worth like five at the end of the uh at the end of the game or something like that? You know what I want to get rid of? What's that? Goaltending. Yes, yes. I'm with that. I like that.

FBA doesn't have goaltending. If you can get to the rim and take it away, go get it. Because I feel like goaltending is highly, highly subjective. I agree with that. I like the, well, the Feeba rule. If it's bouncing off, it's good. Whatever. It doesn't matter.

Yes. Yeah. I guess you can't literally take it off the rim. But I mean, yeah, there's no whether it's on the way up or on the way down. Yeah, I'm right. Here we go. The Korean rules three points for a dunk, four points for a three pointer that swishes.

Oh, no, no, we can't have that. Minus one point for missing a free throw. Eight points for a basket scored in the final three seconds. No. Shut your mouth on all these things. Let's go, baby. Yeah, I say in basketball we get rid of the goal tend for the most part. Is there anything in baseball we want to change?

change. You know what I'll go with? Extra innings, runner at second base. I'm down with that. Start after the 10th. So the 11th inning on. Yes. So we've agreed on two of the three things. Yes. We're batting 667 as a rules group. Hey, as far as America in 2020? And we just confused a hell out of the audience with a four-point show goal.

Like three or four people are tweeting us. They're very confused. Guess what we are too. All right. We miss sports. We miss sports. Somebody says, we really need sports, Twin City Rod. y'all just argued about a rule that doesn't exist. It's for it. Soon. Soon.

July 31st, allegedly. 2.30 on the Matt Thomas show. Give us something else to argue about the confuse the hell out of you. 713-212-5-790. Hey, Alexa, why don't you be sexy and put on some Houston sports talk? Matthew, just say, Alexa. Play Sports Talk 790 on I-Hart Radio. All right, all right, all right.

Now pass that. Over here. If this year couldn't suck anymore, I'm looking at the weather and seeing the big red blotch of Christo, is it Christobal? Is that what we're calling? What is the name is here? Tropicals. We're going to let some Frenchy ruin our, is Christobal a French name? I thought it was a Spanish translation of Christopher.

Okay, I'll go with that instead. Cristobal doesn't know what he wants to do. Except it looks like it's headed right for Louisiana. Yikes. Texas is in danger as well, correct? Yeah. The east side of Texas. There goes my birthday weekend.

Oh, you can't go to New Orleans? Can we stop slamming New Orleans in Houston with tropical storms and depressions and hurricanes? You know, if 2020 really, if the weather gods wanted to help us out, this thing would just fizzle. We'll see. Because I don't even want it to go to Brownsville. They don't deserve this. No, of course not. Yeah, we don't want to go anywhere.

Like, where is the most remote? I mean, I could say goes towards Corpus. There are people down there, too. Port Aranda. Nobody wants this. Yeah, Mississippi. No, don't say that.

That's a nice people. If we're choosing somebody, we've got to choose one. These two is, name a state you think would just, you know, if you wanted this have it to seed on its own, bye, go ahead. Which one would you choose?

Alaska. It's too far away. California can just break off. beautiful though. It is beautiful. Except the two times I've gone, it's been during Thanksgiving time, and there's like a mushroom cloud that hangs over it. You went twice? You've been basketball tournaments. Oh, that's right.

Alaska shootouts, yeah. Used to be an awesome tournament. Now it's just, me, if anything. Yeah, they don't have an Alaska shootout still? I think it's gone. Okay. But. Yeah, you got to go to the Alaska shootout instead of, say, the Maui Invitational?

Oh, yeah. Like, Houston's going to play in the Maui. I think in two years. Okay. Where there's a Bahamas one, too? There's everything better than Alaska. Notice respect to Alaska. Literally.

How many of those games get snowed in? In the history of my life, I did one Hawaii tournament. Okay. But it wasn't even a tournament. It was just a round-robin thing where it was four teams. We wound up playing TSU. Oh, really? In a consolation game.

You all traveled like 5,000 miles away or whatever. It's not that far, but yeah. Nine-hour flight, for sure. Sure. And there was a fight in the stands, too. Really? Oh, yeah. Who was fighting? Who's there? There's not a lot of fans there at that point. Was it family members? I definitely know it was a Houston Cougar family.

Okay. I don't remember if it was a TSU family or not. But definitely a Houston Cougar family. About 3,800 miles, Houston to Hawaii, to Honolulu, from IH to Honolulu. The trip to Hawaii is amazing in so many regards. There's only one thing that... How long does that fly, but? eight hours? One way it's eight

and the other way it's nine. I can't remember which is which. I think it's a little longer coming back for some years. The one thing I don't like about it and it's because I just get the heby-jeebies and that's why you'd probably have to take medication is that I always think about once you leave California there's a pretty, there's a significant stretch where it's just water. It's just, yeah, a lost

situation. Yeah, that is scary. So what I don't like flying over water either. So what I've done in the past is that, you know, on those flights, they let you see where you are. And I just stare at it and I stare at it like, get me to some piece of land just in case. Okay. Another thing, I don't mean to just, you know, not send you to Hawaii.

I guess this is a great place is that there's also a lot of clear art turbulence in the Pacific over that time too. So you'll be just humming along beautifully and you'll feel a pretty good vibration. Isn't it also dirty and expensive? you get there? It's not dirty. It's expensive, though. A certain part.

I mean, Honolulu is a city. So there's going to be some dirty parts to it. Dirty parts to every city. That's true. Yeah. But generally speaking, it is heaven on earth. And really expensive. I mean,

so, like, like you, to take the family to McDonald's just for just like a cheap lunch is $35, $40. What? Yeah. How much is a big bag meal running? Five bucks. I think gallons of milk,

and this is going back 20 years with $6, $7 a gallon. I don't have a lot of cows in the islands, I'm guessing. No, because everything's got to be shipped in. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. But it is, it is heaven on earth.

Beautiful people, beautiful scenery. Everybody's calm. And Ross, the four hour time difference is pretty, or five hours is pretty damn good, too. Why is it good? Just because you're like, it's seven o'clock at night. Let's go out. Meanwhile, your friends at home are at 1 a.m. going, I need to go to bed or I've already been sleeping a couple of hours. I guess I'm guessing that's put it on the list.

And you never have to wear, you never wearing a shirt and tie there, ever. Yeah, you're, yeah, you have to wear your Hawaii. You have to wear a Hawaiian shirt, right? It is a great place. But the water thing kind of wigs you out for a little bit, unless you just make the triple quarter. No, that would make me uncomfortable. Like the University of Hawaii had a play-by-play opening many, many years ago. Oh, really?

I said, Kim, what do you think? She's like, no, none of our family would ever be able to come see us because it's so expensive to get there. The rainbow warriors? Yeah. Their basketball team would go and play in the United States and would stay for like two or three weeks. Go play a bunch of games. Yeah. Yeah.

Their football team would usually go travel. If they weren't flying to California, like going to play rice or playing Tulsa, they would probably stay in the States for two weeks, go to Tulsa, go to school, do their thing, and then go back to Hawaii after that, save on cost. Interesting. That makes sense. Yeah. And the University of Hawaii, if you were played there, is it with a regular,

they would give you an extra home game because it would cost you so much. So it would cost you so much money to go to Hawaii to play them. So there's your University of Hawaii Hawaii update. We get an NBA team in Hawaii. Then you can go. How long is the flight from L.A. to Hawaii? Four hours.

That's not bad. But imagine going if you are the Honolulu Warriors or the Honolulu. Yeah. The Honolulu Jam playing the Knicks. That's got to be a 10-hour flight, right? Yeah, it's probably not great. Like who do you think is the next city, not United States to get a team? What sport and what city?

You can put a team in Mexico. city. You really could. I feel like there's going to be an NFL team in London eventually. And just play three games here, three games there, off weeks in between that kind of thing. Maybe. But how do you convince free agents to go play there? Do you give them a little? Difficult.

Do you give them a larger salary cap? Yeah, plus their salary caps in pounds. But I mean, I could see NFL cap being X and then the London team getting X plus 20%. One point two X, yeah. Yeah. A nice trip. Well, it's a good trip. It's the difference in living there is a different story, though.

And then what about Mexico City? I've already said that. Do you see an NBA team in London? I think there's too much travel. It'd be very hard to be an NBA team. You'd have to come over and play here. Because everyone of your opponents would be at least a six-hour flight. Maybe something like Mexico City.

Do you ever envision a time where every NBA and NFL team in a season has to play overseas? No. No. Okay. because I mean, it is a moneymaker for the league. London, England, Scotland, all those places, they all embrace. That's why you see the international series. It's four or five games.

The question is, would they be able to solidify it and play it for 17 weeks? Problem is you don't, I don't think it'd be fair to send a team overseas in like middle of the summer when you're sitting there in a playoff chase, you know, trying to win the division. It's like you don't have those Thursday night games late in the year because they shouldn't, you shouldn't have to, if you're sitting here competing for our division, you shouldn't be having to, forced to work on a shirt work week. So we'll see. Something to ponder, Matthew. Yeah, we got a lot of time to ponder. We do have a lot of time.

We got to ponder four-point field goals in Denver. Yes. We've got to ponder how long you have to fly in the air in Hawaii from one piece of land to the other, from Los Angeles to say Honolulu. Yes. And do planes float if a 777 has to land in the Pacific Ocean? Do you know how to properly use your cushion as a seat cushion as a floating device? Are there sharks out there?

Oh, probably. Probably. Are they hungry? Definitely. Definitely. Do they like overly white guys with non-tan? I don't know. Or do they like something else?

These are things we will ponder. Back to wrap it up in a moment. I need a Jeff Pass and tweet in the worst way. Good or bad. I don't care what it is. 243 on Sports Talk 7-90 with a message for the Woodhouse Day spas. Hey, would you... This is what you know when you're pondering in a spa?

Closing your eyes thinking about it. Maui or thinking about Kauai or thinking about London or just thinking about nothing at all because you want to relax. That's why you get with the Houston Woodhouse Spa folks. North side as you go to the vintage location, south side you go to the Sugar Land location. Do yourself a favor and enjoy the experience of an incredible spa experience. Put on the sandals, the slippers, put on the robe, peaceful music, get the beverage of your choice and enjoy the experience of over 70 different spa options, manicures, pedicures, facial, sleep treatments. All different sorts of options of all the things I just mentioned, all in a very relaxing atmosphere.

And it's also a wonderful gift for that mom who's been teaching your kids and cleaning your house and picking up the dry cleaning, doing all the things, getting your kids from one school event to the other. Do yourself a favor, do her a favor, and give her the gift of relaxation at Houstonwoodhouse spas.com. Houston Woodhouse spas.com. Please tell them that Matt Thomas from 790 sent you to the Woodhouse Day Spas. he's having trouble seeing Dallas win anything anytime soon sorry about that friends to the north back to the matt thomas show i don't know if this is true but adam clayton just went to burger king in our suggestion

in order to whopper and much to his dismay there is mannings on it such a rookie move anybody that's ever gone to a burger king knows there is a wopper and then there's the mustard wopper i was get mustard on my wopper. But if you're so opposed, see now Matt, I prefer mustard, but if I get mayonnaise and they screw up, I'll eat it. If you're like Adam Clanton where you just

hate, you have vicious, vicious hate for mayonnaise, right? It would behoove you to check every time, right? So you don't get burned like this. You have to ask what's on it. That's just being, that's really on him. It's being lazy for him not asking what's on a, first of all, he's 40-something years old. He has to know what's on the wapper.

The wapper, that hasn't changed. Well, he said he said with only mustard cheese and bacon. No vegetables, too? What are you six? Come on, Adam. The fact that he does not accept blue cheese, ranch, or mustard or mayonnaise in his life makes him a child. Exactly. I'm with you on that, Matt.

Craig Ackerman, when we travel with the Rockets, same deal. He hates all that, right? Nothing cream-based. What about gravy? Don't know. We don't usually go to places with that gravy. I don't know. It's good question.

You really head out to the Shoney's a good. No, but he's like no ranch, no mayonnaise, nothing of that sort. It's funny. The only two people I know that are like that are like that are those two people. And they're both in broadcasting and affiliated with the Rockets. Yeah. And it's not like the Rockets say, you come work for the Rockets. You must borrow mayonnaise from your life.

Is it on the resume? Like, yeah. You've imagined a career. Do you know about the NBA? Yes. What are your favorite condiments? Ketchup, check, mustard, check, pickles, yes, mayonnaise, leave it blank. Yeah, because they were both hired when the Les Alexander.

So it was maybe like a less thing. He hated mayonnaise too and he would only hire people, like-minded folks. Yeah, I don't get it. There is so much anger towards mustard and or mayonnaise. You know what I am, Ross? Just like America. I love every condiment. I mean, I can get down with anything, yeah.

Yeah. You and I, you always say that Matt, when I get to your ultimate cheeseburger, please don't have them put a mayonnaise on it. But if you do it, something in the world. If it does, I'll eat it. That's right. Is there a condiment on a sandwich that is, like, for, instance, I will, even if I hate olives, but if olives show up on a pizza, I'm a grown-ass man, I can pick the olives off and throw them on the ground or throw them in the trash.

Yes. People make mistakes. Yeah. Burger King workers aren't going to be perfect, Matt. They're not going to bat a thousand. No. What do they bet? That's up for conjecture.

Most of them are in the 475 range. It depends. When really you want them in the 925 range. This happens. You know what, what percent of the time do you order an unsweet tea and get a sweet tea? Half the time. I would say it happens to me about half the time. So what I do now is, because it's a pro tip move, is I take a sip before I leave the window.

Yeah. Yeah. And so you, so if you get the sweet tea by accident, you don't have to go around the drive-thru, be mad, waste 10 additional minutes. What you do is she said, man, this is sweet tea, hand into her right away, and she feels awful and gives you another unsweet tea right away. and maybe a wink in a smile. Yeah, you know, and follow me on IG for some reason. I don't know what that is. At SportsMT.

Yeah, my IG accounts. It's okay. We have to 30,000 followers yet? Not even worried about it. What if we combine IG and, how about we do that? It's a 30,000 follower party. It's not, doesn't say what platform. But I think most people that follow me on Instagram also follow me on Twitter too.

Well, that's fine. You can double dip. I told us to my wife it or didn't. I hope I didn't get in trouble. You know how they have, like, people you should, you should follow. Yes. Every one of them

is an IG model. Every single person is. Well, that's because they tailor to what you're looking at, Matt. But I'm not looking at that. Matt.

I'm not. Matthew? I swear. It's okay. You said you know your wife's not listening. She's listening to 80s on 8. Go listen.

Look at my history and Instagram. It's not about looking at rando women and do the same thing with yours. I'm going to go look at your likes. You can anymore. Oh,

really? They changed it. Yeah. That's, But go look at your potential people you may follow. I bet you're in the same spot. Hold on. I'm seeing a lot of...

I don't think... I think everything is... I'm seeing a lot of... Yeah, yeah, you're right there with me. Same deal. It's all black. Oh, okay. I thought I'm about girls.

No. No, those are people that you follow. I'm talking about people they suggest you fall. Yeah. It's the I... Are people paying for IG models like that? There's no sponsors tags on them. No, yeah.

Sometimes. No, no, no, they're not paying, but the models get paid. They're influencers. Based on what they're like, the sunglasses they're wearing or the suntan lotion. Yeah, they get money for the suntan lotion or the hydrates yourself with this drink and they gram about it. Well, here's what I'll do. I got 1,700 people on Instagram. I will drink your drink and represent.

I'll eat your food. I'll wear your clothes. For a price. For a price. You do it on Twitch? Yeah. Well, followerships is pretty low there. I've been doing.

I've been doing these special introductions on the Rockets website. Yes, cameos. Camios kind of slow because I've been doing this rocket stuff first. That's okay. Got to take care of the charity first. That makes sense. Yeah, so there it is. Oh, there's Mr. Manet's.

Can you even hear me? There he is. How's that Whopper today? Do you throw the burger out? Oh, he's got the Burger King Cup. He's not happy. You say mustard Whopper. That's the pro move.

When you order something like that, you say it a specific way. So it's not even a question that manages in the vicinity of the thing. Right, right. You took a bite. Did you eat? Do you eat it? I took the top half, which it contained the bacon and the cheese, slathered in the disgusting substance, and threw it to the side, and I ate the bottom half like it was distata.

So you didn't want to go in there and say, you put mayonnaise on this? You had a whopper toastata. It was down, I got it on Richmond. Got it on the way in. Why don't you check it on your way out? I almost did. I was telling Wex. I almost unwrapped the thing, but there was cars behind me.

I was trying to be considerate. You pull out, there's a lot of things going on. He's very upset. He's more important, but you know, as if 2020 couldn't get any worse, he got manis on his walker. And you know what somebody said to me that they're right about? If you go to Waterburger, that's not a problem because I don't even have that stuff in there. That's true.

You have to ask for it. Yeah. Why would you ask for it? Because mayonnaise is okay. Do you ask for all it is? Do you ask for mayonnaise on your water burger? No, I do you know. What do you put it on?

Mustard? No, I mean, what do you put on your burger? Or what do you put mayonnaise on? I can put it on a hamburger, chicken salad sandwich? But you don't. Tuna salad? Tunis salad, for sure. Turkey and Swiss?

Turkey and Swiss? Yeah. Turkey and Swiss? But you don't put it on a burger. I could, but I don't ask for it intentionally. So when you're saying, when you have a burger, you don't prefer mayonnaise on it. I prefer any condiment. I prefer mustard.

I am a Rainbow Coalition condomit guy. Rainbow Coalition condiments? Dean, I got a minute for you. Dean, what's going on? I'm just calling to let you know how much I enjoy the show with a random talk. Well, thank you, Dean. I wish I had more meaty stuff today, but there's frankly Jack Squat going on the world of sports. So we talk about mayonnaise on burgers.

I apologize. Well, that's okay. Tell Adam when he goes to Burger King, if he orders from the kids menu, the child's menu, they tell you everything that's on the burger, and that way he won't have that happen again. Child's menu Clayton. Absolutely, my friend.

Thank you, Dean. What? You want you to order from the child's menu? No possible issues with you and mayonnaise at that point. Order these, Dean. Chandlerone, Matt Boulder, Jeff Blum, who else? John McLean, all part of the A team. They're next.

Talk to you all tomorrow at noon here on 790.