The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Astros Fall vs Rockies, Michigan Wins Natty, Rockets vs Sun Tonight

Episode Date: April 7, 2026

Astros Fall vs Rockies, Michigan Wins Natty, Rockets vs Sun Tonight 

is the Matt Thomas show with Ross. H-Town, hello, and welcome in to a Tuesday edition of the Matt Thomas show with Ross. I need somebody out. The three Rockies, the carnage

continues. Won't you please, please? Oh my gosh. I left town, Ross, Aster's pitching, crushing, Astros hitting, crushing, We've already got the American League West Banner hung at Dyken Park. And then Sacramento happened.

And then what Denver happened? Well, how much did Denver happen and how much did bad pitching happen as well? And unfortunate circumstances with that was supposed to be the Hunter Brown start yesterday. Ross, it's been a traumatic, first of all, the traumatic hour. I had massive computer issues. For those of you that work in the computer world, VPNs are like a private way to make sure that nobody jumps into your computer and steals and viruses and all that kind of thing. You know, it's funny. Our I-Hart company decided to change my VPN 45 minutes before the show started.

So that's been a little harrowing. Then the audio equipment was down and the internet was down on my RCS. Our computer news system was down. So it's been a minute. Good morning, by the way. It is the Matt Thomas. I'm sorry, Ross here from Phoenix. Hi, Rossie.

How the hell are you? I'm doing great, Matthew. It's good to hear your voice. What's that? It's good to hear your voice. Yeah, yeah. How was to tell the truth yesterday? Oh, incredible.

It was one of the best editions we ever did. And how was missing you? Oh, man, it was some great updates. Jonathan, they didn't do either one of them, did he? No, we're not going to do it to tell the truth of Brian Pogosavik in. We're talking Astros. Okay, that didn't kind of funny. You'd be like, what is this segment?

Yeah, I don't want to waste his time with that. No, no, I agree with you on that. Now, I was missing you at 1.30. Oh, we skipped it. Are you, like, how much do you really want me to do them? I can do them. I just was like, and we'll skip it. Oh, it's fine. You know what?

You, you know, we both get time away, you just do the show how you think is best. I have to, I have to totally trust you to have the show. Okay. That's a bad idea. But thank you, Matt. We had Dan for the first hour. Brian Bogussevick hung out for a couple hours as well. It was a good show.

Talked a lot of Astros. baseball. Yeah. And are people losing their minds after last night's loss of the Rockies? Rockies suck, by the way. They just suck. Astros pitching last night sucked. I mean, you had a deal in realities here.

And Ryan Weiss is, I guess, not happy that he's not starting. Well, you know what? Easiest way to do that is to accept the ball and get the major league contract that you got and throw some strikes and get some outs. And that didn't happen last night's sports, Harvey. Yeah, he also didn't get much help from his friends. and I mean baseball was baseballing as the ball was bouncing off of the second base. Jeremy Payne missed read a ground ball and then he also just completely mishandled a ball.

So there was three times in that inning where they scored eight runs in the fifth where the inning could have been over and it wasn't. And unfortunately because of all the pitching issues, he had to wear it and that's exactly what he did. Yeah, can he petition the league to not get those earned runs where the Jeremy Peña is waiting for a routine ground ball and then it bounces off the bag 30 feet into the air? It feels like that's not your fault, Ryan Weiss. Yeah, it isn't.

And again, he was into bad luck, but you know what? Not everything is fluid in sports. Balls bounce funny, ricochets, if you will, and sometimes just going to overpower it and get past it. That was not the case. It's still a bad loss. It's just, I mean, look, Colorado's going to win games. They're going to, every major league team wins at least 60, typically,

except for Chicago White Sox. but that was a bad one last night. And it didn't help that the team got beat up in Oakland with its pitcher, Oakland, Sacramento. And then you hear about Hunter Brown. I mean, and look, last week,

Ross, you and I were kind of having a good time and laugh about how great it's going to be to talk to Joe's spot at 1230. Today, man, and that's a week-to-week thing. They'll be okay, though. At least they're hitting.

That's the most important part. Yeah. They looked at the lineup. OPS is fantastic. I mean, Rossi, everybody's hitting right now. Everybody for the most part. Everybody's hitting. But also, of course, you did, the Red Sox are terrible.

Angels, probably not good. And then you went to Sacramento and Colorado. But still, everybody's hit. It's good. Including Cam Smith hitting a massive, massive home run last night. It was the longest home run hit by an Astro ever in Coors Field. 462 feet, I believe they set on the broadcast. So 462 with North Carolina.

normal sea level, is that like $296? Somewhere around there. Well, the funny part to me is the center fielder, whose name is escaping me, he thought he was going to catch it, and that bad boy was way gone. I mean, when Colorado Springs Flight Control Center is asking for the ball and land,

you know you're not going to catch it. That bad boy was carrying. Yeah. I feel like we, you know, and you've been there before, I see a baseball game. I have not. It's beautiful. Really, really want to go.

Oh, it's gorgeous. It's one of my favorites. I got to take you something. I'm here in Phoenix right now, and it's amazing. I know it's hot as you know what during the summertime, but right now it is absolutely spectacular. Denver, same thing. If you get the weather in the right time,

I mean, the Intermountain West or whatever this area is called, this part of the country, the Mountain Time Zone. I got news, right? You're ready for a hot take, Rossi? Maybe the Mountain Time Zone has the most beautiful cities in America. Okay That's not the craziest thing ever I would go a full West Coast

Just because I love Oregon And Washington and California Has a bunch of stuff Yeah But that's I mean you're also I don't know Gonna get here by an earthquake or a volcano But

Yeah and you may have to run into poop On the streets You know No other here nor there That happens here in Houston So Yeah Well yeah

I also need to admit I see in the B-LON Yeah Exactly It used to be just the C lot and moving to the B lot now? A little bit of the A lot too. Anyways, weather's beautiful here in Houston, Matt.

High of 75 today, a low of 52, partly cloudy. That's your sports talk 790 weather report. What are you? Are you the Frank Billingsley of 790? I love that. Yeah. So, yeah, weather's been beautiful here in H-town. Just a little allergies have been acting up, but I think that's everybody, too. Yeah, for sure.

Allegra's your friend, right? Zyrtec. Yes, all that stuff. On the radio show today, we've got 1130. I've got feelings coming up. 12.30 will have Joe Spottable join us from Denver, and then we've got to believe it or not today at 150. I have to tell you in the first couple minutes of the show here,

that I almost completely melted down Sunday night, late Sunday night, calling the Rockets game with Golden State. Rockets were up double digits in the fourth quarter, and Alpy shot a three-point shot that I didn't like, and clearly his head coach did not like. If you've seen the video, it's moving on the social media street sports RV. And then Steph Curry became 26-year-old Steph Curry

and was hitting from everywhere on the floor. And if that shot would have gone down, the 30, whatever it was, they listed as the length of the shot, which was actually put back in by Dan Anthony Melton beautifully done, but it was just too late, I probably would have destroyed a bunch of radio equipment and had to write a big fat check to my engineer in San Francisco because...

No, you wouldn't have. I had... I was like, and I don't want to use PTSD because that's not a good statement to use. But when something happens and it's traumatic and it happens to you over and over and over again... And it's after the trauma, it's like a stress disorder. Whatever you want to call it. I was not ready for him to hit a 30... After missing 27 games or whatever it was in a row, hadn't played since late January,

Golden State is under 500. They're going to be a nine or a ten in the Western Conference in season, or not in season, the playing playoffs. I was not ready for that, and I couldn't have been ready for it. And I'm just, it was the most least satisfying win for me ever calling a Rockets game because that was that close for the Rockets to lose to Golden State again. What is it with the Rockets and Golden State? It's under the case of I wish I just don't get it, but I tell you.

totally getting because I've been watching it for the last 15 years of my adult life. Yeah, Steph Curry is one of the greatest shooter to ever walk the planet, one of the greatest players to ever walk the planet. Thankfully, you had the second greatest shooter. He was knocking down some buckets, and then they got a good set at the end with Alper and Ching-Goon flipping the shot in. But I'm with you. It almost felt like a loss because of the way that Golden State has terrorized us over the years.

But thankfully they were able to escape from the wind. But not only was Steph Curry knocking down shots and layups and in-wins, he's like shimmying on everyone. He's in rare form, whining to the referees when he barely got a finger laid on him. It was just annoying. He annoys me. I respect Steph Curry to, as far as basketball,

but he still annoys me. And I, of course, recognize I'm biased because he's just terrorized the Rockets organization his entire career. Yeah, yeah. And by the way, the NBA official report came out. Two calls benefited the Rockets in the fourth quarter in the final two minutes.

So for those that say the Rockets don't get calls, they got two calls late. Now, again, as I've said hundreds and hundreds of times, those things balance themselves out. So there will be calls that will go against the rockets, ultimately, but there were two calls that benefit to them. So we will get into little rockets chatter as well. They're here in Phoenix to take on the sun's first time ever

that the Rockets will face their old teammates, Dylan Brooks and Jalen Green, on the floor at the same time. So we'll look forward to that tonight. It's a 10 o'clock start. Got to love this new TV deal, a sports RV. 10 p.m. Central time on the tip time. I've never heard of that. Have you?

Never this late. Uh-uh. Now, West Coast teams can do it because if you play Portland, plays Phoenix 8 o'clock, it's no big deal to them. And it's no big deal out here because it's 8 o'clock. It's just an hour later. But 10 o'clock in the central time zone. Aren't you trying to build your product and give,

I mean, isn't there a lot of people living east of the Mississippi? Well, there's a double. Well, there's one game that goes to most of the country. and then the West Coast markets get a second game. They're trying to keep them in their time zone of which they're in, which they're in. But, yeah, I don't think it does. If you're sending a team that's in the central time zone or Eastern time zone out here to play a 10 o'clock game, you've just lost the audience.

So, all right, back to more on the Astros where we come back. I'm going to assume, are we hitting the panic button on Hunter Brown? I really need to know these things. Save it and we come back because I'm just thinking we need to have a conversation about it because we're going to ask Joe about it, and I'm going to assume he's going to say we'll announce something later. Maybe he'll be forthcoming with us. Who knows?

Joe is spot at 1230. Got feelings before that 1130, believe it or not, 150. And, of course, you guys may join us throughout the course of the show at 713-212-5-790. 7-13-212-5-790. Matt here in Phoenix, Ross, back in Houston. 7-1-3-2-5-790. 19 on Sports Talk 790. It is Matt and Ross with you here.

on a Tuesday. 713-212-5-7-9. If you want to get in, 7-1-3-212-5-7-9-0. If you want to visit with us through Twitter, you may do that as well at SportsMT. Ross, I'm losing so many followers because of so many deactivated accounts.

I may have another 30,000 Twitter party when I get down to 30,000 again. Well, you mean when you hit 30,000? Yeah, like I'm at 30-4-down. If you go like a 29-5 and then get back over? Yeah, we should do another party, don't you think? I guess. It's Twitter's a wasteland.

Oh, my God. Yeah. We need something that's like Twitter, but just for sports, or anything but politics or what this has become. Or porn scenes. I don't see those, Matt. That's on your algorithm. Okay. That's, okay.

Well, teach his own. 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-2-5-7-9. I'm here in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. We're tonight at 10 o'clock. And we just had somebody on Twitter sent it. It does the NBA no disservice. If you're going to put these games on at 10 o'clock at night,

well, first of all, you're not going to put them on 10 o'clock at night. You should only have West Coast teams playing West Coast. If you're going to do these double-headers, you've got to figure out the schedule to make sure it's always only mountain and West coast teams playing each other. To have a central team playing on the road in the West for a 10 o'clock start, it doesn't, I guess I said before, it hurts the team. It hurts the fans.

It's just, you know, 99% of you tomorrow will not watch this game, or tonight will not watch this game. and 1% of you will stay up late until 10 o'clock. I'm staying up for the Jalen Green Revenge game. Yep. All right. So let's get back to the asterisk for a second. Again, if you want to join us, we'd love to have you at 713-212-5-7-90.

How much did you guys discuss Brian and Barry yesterday? Now, your gut feeling is still in play. Yes, it is. Not blowing a save. Yes, sir. Still looking good. He's one-for-one. Now his ERA is like 24

Yeah we discussed Brian and Brayu a little bit And it was I believe I'm trying to remember what Bogie said I believe he said his main concern was the fastball He said that for sure with Javier But I think he said it with Brian Brayu as well Like the slider's looking good But the fastball velocity hasn't been there

And it's certainly something To keep an eye on It's better than where he was All the fast balls were like 95-96 Which is better than the 93 he was hitting earlier in the season, but not to the 97-98 we're used to and occasionally touching up to

100. So we're alarmed, right? This is not a one-off. This is a even when he finishes games and there hasn't been a lot that he's done, he's giving up runs. I mean, has he had a clean inning yet this year? No, he's got four outings and he's given up

runs in all four of them. Even when he got to save, he gave up the solo home run, I think, to Roman Anthony to start. And then he struck out the side from there. So, I mean, striking out the side, good, giving up home runs, not good. So I don't know, I'm not alarmed, I'm concerned, but I'm not like, oh, oh, the season is over, Brian Abrae, who's done, they got to immediately put Brian King in there.

We'll see what happens. I mean, it's early in the season, and it's been four bad outings, or I don't know if you want to call it three bad outings and not good ones or horrible outings or whatever, but it's not ideal. But I imagine he's still going to get some looks because you need him. He's going to keep going out there because you're not going to just not throw Brian Abrae. No, because as much as the Astros bullpen's been beat up in the last handful of days, he's going to have to throw.

And my guess is regardless of the result tonight, he's going to have to throw anything in this game. The thing that bothers me and I watch a lot of the game on Sunday is not only that he's struggling, but he just can't, you know, when Josh Hater is at his best, and look, Josh Hater is significantly better than Brian O'Brien. Brian Brayorue is a nice pitcher and has been one of the best. best set-up guys in baseball the last couple of years, but I think you have to have a different mentality, and maybe some guys are built differently for the ninth inning as compared to the eighth. The thing that bothers me is, not only is he not finishing off games, but his pitch

count is getting really, really high. I mean, he's, when Josh Hader's at his best, or for that matter, any closer is at his best, it's nine, ten pitches tops. We're seeing Brian O'Brien, you, you know, routinely rossie up north of 20 pitches per out in here. Yeah, I mean, that's, that's everybody that's having issues that we're talking about. It's been a control problem. Javier's having control issues. I mean, Lance McCuller Jr. and his follow-up start had some control issues. It's also early season. So it's not a shock that everybody's having some control issues. And that can just be something very, very minimal that can cause big control issues that they need to work out the kinks. Yeah, for sure. All right. So let's get to Hunter Brown. Now, you remember when Josh Hader was hurt or was D.E. not ready for the start of the season. I said, you know what, I'm not going to go to the sooner rather than later. It sounds optimistic, blah, blah, blah. I'm going to do the same exact thing with Hunter Brown. When he shows up, he shows up. I mean, I know Dana Brown on Sunday was talking

about, well, you know, Hunter was like it doesn't feel super bad. You know, you always want to, like, quantify things. For instance, Rossi, I'll give you a great example. Myself and my children. and we've gotten a fair number of car accidents in our life. What? See if this analogy works. Okay. Or you run into a pole or a side of a wall and you go, oh, this is not too bad. This should be an easy fix for the body shop or the collision department.

And then you take it over there and they're like, yeah, we've got to replace the door and the bumper and it's going to be $4,600. Okay. Stay with me on this Okay When someone When something bad happens You typically go to the It's not that bad card

I guess Hunter Brown was doing a little bit of that Yeah Or at least Dana Brown was on Sunday Maybe I mean was this Did he say that before or after imaging I think the imaging was here in Houston

Or no there was a little bit done in Sacramento Two got from not mistaken right Okay I don't know I will just say in general Dana Brown has been optimistic about injuries and sometimes a little too optimistic. Yes.

Just because it's not going to soothe me that Dana Brown says, ah, yeah, he's barely filled a little tweak, he's been fine. Okay, maybe. We'll see. Because we have been over the last handful of years, and it goes back to how long Kyle Tucker has been out. It goes back to how long Jordan Alvarez has been out. It goes back to, I mean, there's a variety of different players over the last couple of years,

in particular that we hear about, well, this isn't, we don't think it's too serious. In my mind, as a Houston Astro Observer, and we talk about them all a lot on this show, and certainly as a fan,

that optimistic card for me is done. Every time I hear about an injury, it's months. And that's not even fair to the athlete, frankly, but this is kind of how I feel. And I said May 1st for Josh Hader, as a bear,

it's like a, well, that's, you know, then we'll, And again, we're in early April here. So there's an opportunity for him. Obviously, to be around May 1st. But I would think, and hopefully maybe Joe will give us some speculation, not speculation, some spotlight on it. But if things were going really well,

you can't run to the media fast enough and tell the story, right? I would say so. The longer they wait to tell us something, the scarier I get about it. Is it better or worse that it's a right shoulder strain and not right shoulder discomfort? See, you and I are not doctors. How do we know that?

Maybe it's good. It's just a little strain. I got a little strain. I'm under a little strain. I'm under a little strain. It's fine. I'd rather him say, I have a right shoulder, owie. That'd be nice. Or a grunt.

Oh, here's the thing I think about. And again, I'm not a doctor. I've never been in a sports medicine lab in my life. And I'm certainly not known the world of being a professional baseball pitcher. but if you're right shoulder straining in April, and it's the start of the season, you don't, unless you take significant time off, Ross, how does a right shoulder strain all of a sudden wake up the next day and feel better? I mean, I don't think it's too aspirin and call me in the morning and it'll be fine to go, right?

Well, he was put on the 15-day IL rather quickly as well. It wasn't talked about it's something he was going to try to work through or anything like that. So, I mean, it's going to be 15 days and then some. So how much longer than that? I have no idea. None of us really know. and I apologize, Houston, because I don't want to be that guy. But that guy tells me this is what I've watched is the Astros the last handful of years.

Unfortunately, injuries do happen in all sports, and I'm just, I've just learned that I can't be optimistic when every time I'm trying to be optimistic about things, it winds up biting me in the ass. Yeah, I mean, and everything's a different case as well. So, I mean, there's no reason to be optimistic about things. optimistic right now. We don't know anything. It's just happened. But I'll tell you the thing is that

we don't have to be optimistic and we just know that your ace is out and everybody else right now is a question mark. No matter how encouraged you want to be from Tatsu Ma and Mike Burroughs and their last couple of starts and stuff like that, everyone else on this pitching rotation is his question mark. And Joe's Bada said

they are still going to go to a six-man rotation. It troubles me sports RV that I had no idea who the hell the starting pitcher was for the Astros yesterday. You're that big Cody Bolton guy? If Cody Bolton would have walked into our studio three days ago. Okay.

And he says, hey guys, I'm Cody Bolton. I would have said, hi, Cody. I'm Matt. My friend here to my right is Ross. And you just said, hi, Cody. What do you do for a living? He pitches. And he pitches effectively to start the game.

Then he got hit by a comebacker. Yes, literally in the back. I mean, honestly, not terrible. Three hits, two walks, five Ks over four and a three. third spot start. I'm okay with that. Yeah. You'd take that.

You did take that and then Ryan Weiss came in. We were so happy five days ago, sports TV. Now we're like, oh, the doom. Yeah, look at this, Ryan Weiss. Astros might have found some gold with Ryan Wise. Look at this. It's baseball.

It's baseball. Some guy's going to come in and he's going to shut everyone down and everyone thinks he's the best. And then the next game he gives up six earned runs and he's the worst thing ever. To the Rock. too. I mean, I get if it's a good team, but damn, they're Rockies. In Sacramento with like 6,000 people in the stands.

Hey, this is the first couple games were sellouts. That's true. You would expect their sellouts, I guess, in the early going at least. I think it was their opening weekend. It was. Okay. See, you know what this is? I'm transferring my almost disgust of the Rockets Warriors game. Yeah, Rockets won the game.

We need to get over it. Get over it. They won the game. Okay. Suck it, Steph Curry. Go chew on your mouthpiece. He was shimmy in later night, too. I know.

He's shimmy. I know. If Steph Curry's shimmying, think bad things are happening to the rockets. I'm surprised Mike Breenen come in and call the game two bangs in a row or something like that. No. All right. Positive?

You know what? I feel like, you know, and I've only been on with you half an hour today, I think I'm trying to, I'm trying to bring the show down. Don't bring me down. I'm concerned. Okay. You should be. We're going to bounce back.

It's going to be all good. Mike Burrell's going to shut the lads down, and the bats are going to still stay hot, even though Yord on went 0 for 4. Let's try to go yesterday. I thought we're trying to keep it positive. Oh, I'm sorry. 713, 212.

He's not going to hit 400 all season. Well, it wouldn't be terrible. It's not going to happen. By the way, I think I'm going to lose my bet. He's pacing for 162. It's early. It's early. No, no, no. I'm waiting for that one. It's not ridiculous to say Kyle Tucker is going to get a short-term deal.

I hope I'm wrong. And I'm going to stop the sentence there. I hope I'm wrong. And I hope that when he gets to 131, you attack me with the, you know what, and vinegar that only you can do. We'll see. It's early. It is early.

1036 on 790. Matt and Ross with you here. I'm here in Phoenix. Ross is back in Houston. We've got gut feelings coming up in one half hour from now. By the way, I want to add another member to a potential D of the year candidate. We've already got Lina Hidalgo locked and loaded for the end of the year. Gino Oriama.

My gosh, what a douche. He's always been a bad guy. Hell of a coach. But what a mess. What a mess the women's final four is. And the reason I bring that up is it was here in Phoenix just a couple days ago. Forget about the games and forget about who won, and UCLA won, and Ryan Holland is running around the hotel like he's got a ring coming his way.

But just an ugly, ugly situation with all of them. It just was a bad look. It was a bad look for everybody, frankly. But Gino just, is he in all time? I mean, he's like Bobby Knight, right? I mean, respect the hell out of him, great coaching acumen, but just in the day, just a miserable human being. Let's see.

Bobby Knight, Mike Shoshchevsky, Nick Saban, Dan Hurley. We can go down a list probably. Extremely successful and extremely miserable. I mean, Greg Popovich and with the media for years. Yep. Maybe it's impossible, Ross, for you to be a good coach and a good human being. It maybe is, now there's going to be some one-offs for sure. Now, hold on, Matt.

I think we did a great job at the university. of Texas and we won a championship and Sally was by my side the entire time. And I had media members of the Austin area barred from my campus because they weren't saying positive things about my school. Oh, that's true. I had people removed from the radio in Austin for saying negative things about my program.

Maybe you're right. I got one for you. Okay. Maybe Tony Dungey's the only one? Oh, Tony Dungey? I think people still had some beef with him though. Yeah, maybe it's, I don't know. Yeah, I don't know.

but and Dan Hurley again I watched God I hate to say this and I don't want y'all don't be mad at me but the reality is you got to play the hits Michigan versus Yukon in a hit in Houston Texas I watched maybe 30 seconds of the final championship game yesterday

I have something that I really don't want to admit you watch less than that I forgot it was on I was watching the Astros I mean we are the Astro Station we are a Houston sports show we're not a great college basketball time to begin with we're sure as helling going to be breaking it Michigan and Yukon.

I mean, I wanted Dan Hurley to lose, so I'm happy he lost. Me too. What it, what it uns I mean, God, I want to use another word I was going to get trouble for, but I can't even use. I'll text it to you. Okay. It's rhymes with brick. I imagine.

Okay. You've said that one before. But yeah, can't we, can't these coaches understand that at the end of the day, they're not reinventing the wheel, they're not curing cancer, they're not health. helping build roads. They're not teaching our kids. They're largely and not largely. There's a group that are insufferable,

hold bigger than thou, just people you don't want to hang out. Ego maniacs. Yeah, and the product, I mean, look, it looks like I didn't miss much. I'm looking at Yukon shot 31% from the field. And Michigan, the national champion that just won the final shooting 38% and then 13%.

13% from three. They made two threes. Two of 15 from three. Man, if I told you after the game, hey, Rocket shot 38% and they were two of 15 from three, how much you think they would do? Like, okay, how much they they lose by? 30? Yeah. I think part of it is, and I've talked about this with you before, I think part of it

is that these dome stadiums they're not conducive shooting environments. They're just not. Yeah, apparently Dusty May was preparing for that, and they shot better in the final four game, where I don't know, they had they were using like a moving basket or something like that to help with the depth perception.

That's not what you do basketball. That's not how basketball is supposed to be played. Screw you, NCAA. Putting 60,000 people. And by the way, all these photos over the weekend, people are showing pictures of where they're sitting and how they can't see the game. What did you expect?

I mean, I wish people would just say, you know what, I'm going to watch on television. Put it back in arenas. Because I think the game suffer. I think the fans, I think people that are, die-hard alums. Now they want to be there and be a part of the parties and all that kind of thing. And, you know, look, I did this. I mean, I did it.

I did two years ago. I literally jumped on a plane, ran to San Antonio as fast as I could to go get any seat that I could. But man, these monstrosity football stadiums that are putting these basketball games on for fans to get up there and just to sit up in the section 600 where you're like

9,000 feet away from the game. It ain't worth it. Listed attendance? 70, 720. 70,000 people. Yeah, that's crazy. But yeah, it's just, it's just, I didn't think Ariema handled himself well.

I think Dawn Saly, the coach South Carolina, wanted to throw hands with him after the game. I mean, it was just, it's just ugly. There may not be a bigger group of boorish people in the world than college basketball coaches. It takes, it takes, a certain something. I don't know.

That is interesting. I don't know. College baseball coaches can be pretty bad. I just want to say this. Every college coach I met, it was on that side. Even track? Yes.

There you go. What makes an arrogant college track coach is a team? What makes an arrogant college track coach? I'm curious how that rolls. Think about it the same way as so track is more like you've got to do certain workouts, even if you're hurt, right? Like in a coach, so say like, Yukon coach has a certain particular way he runs this program every year and every like playbook, right?

Think about that, but for track workouts, but for track, it's different. Like everybody's different. You hurt differently. You run differently. And if you don't do it the same way, it's like a control thing. Like you got to do it this way, this only way you can get good, but that's not the same thing for track. You know what I'm saying? Does that make sense?

Well, maybe because a particular coach says, I know what I'm doing. Now, again, I don't know if Dan Hurley. I mean, my guess is Dan Hurley is an excellent ex-as-o's coach. I'm sure he knows how to run a practice. I'm sure he knows how to build a program. But the contiguous attitude that he has towards officials and towards the media, that just can't, he can't be a sweetheart

when he's blowing a whistle during practice and being a complete curmudgeon. Now, I've heard about that with Greg Popovich before that once you get in the building and the doors are closed and nobody gets to see who you really are, that maybe he's a much more of a of a friendlier man to his coaches and his teammates, but I don't want life to operate that way. I don't want to treat as a human being,

forgetting about, you know, as a coach, you shouldn't, you should try to treat everybody as fairly as you can and as equally as you can. But I'm telling you, coaches, college basketball coaches, maybe in particular, just, you know, unless you're in my bubble, you do nothing for me. I mean, I think also one thing that fosters the behavior is, I mean, winning. If Dan Hurley was going like 11 and 20 at Yukon and he's bumping heads with referees and acting an Ahold of everybody, you're out of there. Yeah.

Everybody we named is also wildly successful. So, yeah, at LR.R. Emma was winning seven games a year. He'd be at Albany State coaching the team or something. You know, a good analogy, I think, Matt, how you get so upset when people tell you how to do your job and you do it so well for so long. Now, think about that for a college coach. you have all of these people, like even the kids, parents, like fans. Yeah, you know what I mean? So that probably plays a part into it as well.

And that goes to the territory. I mean, it doesn't mean you like it, but it does go with the territory. But I don't think, do you, I mean, again, I don't spend a lot of time looking at Dan Hurley's post-game press conferences or Genia Orie M's press conference. But those guys have tremendous resumes. I can't imagine a lot of media wanting to go up there and tell them how they should be running a two-three zone or they should have trapped in the corner with two minutes left to go. I don't know if it gets down to that. I just think that when you are on top of the hill sports RV, you just don't have time for the little things.

And the little things, if they irritate you, you are, you know, like if you're mad about something and you are a middle-level employee, you just kind of just gritting and say, oh, it's part of the job, let's go. But if you're a high-end CEO or you're a general manager, you can pretty much tell people how you feel. And for the most part, get away with it as long as you still have good results. Yep. Keep on winning, baby.

Just win. I mean, I was watching the postgame press coverage. You know, I've been here to, the last 41 Final Four is I've taken 25 teams and he said, oh, God, God, who are you? You coach women's basketball. That's it. You do nothing else. Except make lives miserable for the people in and around you.

And it takes a regular Joe like me and you, Ross, to really. root against Connecticut women. We don't really particularly care about Connecticut women, but we root against them. I was rooting against them. As was I. I'm rooting for the Lady Longhorns. They let me down, but it's okay. Hey, final fours are good.

Yes, they are. Back-to-back final fours. 7-13-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. 7-1-3-212-5-79. So we got the Astros. But did you ever think, we were going to utter needs pitching help in the worst way because we just said it they do the injuries

are hurting depth in the starting rotation lance not going five that or day did not help the cause and then a spot start and then hunter brown okay you know what's early shoulder strains are nothing more wrong it's a little bit more than an owie he's getting the injury out of the way now yes because he'll be able to build up and give you seven strong innings by the end of the month Over and over. Which month? This month? Okay.

I guess I should say a certain month. By the end of May, hopefully. 1047, Sports Talk, 790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. We've got feelings coming up in about 45 minutes from now. 7-13-212-5-7-90. That's 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. 10-52 on Sports Talk 7-90.

Matt and Ross with you here. I'm here in the beautiful city of Phoenix. 713-212-5-790 7-1-3-2-2-5-790 The Astros fall yesterday to the Rockies by a score 9-7 So Rossi, the Astros' offense is putting up prolific numbers And the Astros pitching staff is not getting 27 outs in time

Just like we all predicted in preseason So we all saw it playing it out It's almost like we need to stop even doing Preseason predictions because If there was anything we were worried about it was the offense. It was the outfield play. It was the, you know, is, you know, can Altuve pick up where he left off a couple of years ago?

You know, honestly, you got Camp Smith smack on the ball. Lophafito's held his own. Jake Myers, your buddy, with a couple of hits yesterday. You had a home run over the weekend. Yeah. It's almost kind of sad the team is hitting his wall as it is, and they're only six and five. Yeah, it's, I mean, but the water will find its level. It's good.

You just, no, Matt, you don't look at it at that. It's not sad. It's happy. It's great they're hitting the way that they are because if they weren't, what would their record be? And it's a fun feeling, too, as our good friend Brian Bogosev was bringing up yesterday, like, you got down four runs last year. You're like, okay, let's go and pack this bad boy up. I don't think, I don't think Zach Shorten the boys and Taylor Tremel are going to be able to come back in this one. But the way that this lineup is and the way that this lineup is and the way that they're hitting. Even last night,

after that eight-inning, eight-run fifth inning. I was like, okay, they can still claw back in this one. Maybe they can, and they did make a run. They did try to claw back. They didn't get all the way back, but they made it interesting. And that to me is something I would have never anticipated at any point last year.

And Yordon's hitting tank jobs. I mean, Cam Smith home run we talked about earlier. It does give you hope that once people start getting back, what of that, that's Ben and Sousa to a small, or extent. Obviously, Josh hit a real big extent and obviously big for Hunter Brown. Now,

I don't think the Astros are going to be putting up seven runs a game over the next 150 games or so, but... It'd be a lot cooler if they did. And as you brought up, it is nice that you're down two, three nothing in a game and you don't think the game's over. Yeah. Christian Walker, we haven't mentioned.

He's been amazing. So PS in over a thousand. It's awesome. Just as we all thought it was going to. Now, we talked about this. We did think he was going to bounce back. I was buying in, and I think you said you were too. Just being in front of him

when we interviewed him and talking about losing the weight and the attitude and the energy. You never know because especially when somebody of Christian Walker's age, he's 35 years old. Did he just have some slippage or was it decline? I was like, all right, you know what, I'm buying some Christian Walker stock, so I'm

feeling good now. I remember last year you went and you were starting to look up the bat speed, and that's when you were like, I don't want to look at this bat speed anymore. Yeah, but numbers got better in the second half. And I think that oblique injury did hurt him more than he was willing to admit because he's not going to make excuses. No, no, no, no. And I understand that.

I mean, you know, if you have a player talking about injuries and how that's the only reason why it's not succeeding, that gets kind of tiresome after a while. Right. Because if then if a player gets healthy and only uses the injuries and excuse and doesn't perform, then we have to use an excuse after that. Yeah, and your bat speed is going to go down if you're compensating for an injury. So it's all good, baby. Are we on the air?

Yeah. So we'll make sure. Yeah, first hour flew by. It did fly by. I wish you're here in Phoenix with me. This is a beautiful... This is maybe one of my top three spots now in the NBA. Well, I'm more interested in that 3D2 blackjack.

I am taking a blackjack respite. What happened? I took up the shorts yesterday. Dang, all three? Three to two as well. All three to two. Dang. $15 to $3.2.

Wow. And you ever been with a blackjack dealer where he knows he's going to beat you? Well, that's all of them. They all know. It just depends on if they act like it. This one's like, go ahead and get your wallet out. I need to take the rest of the money. It was like Vegas vacation?

It was exactly like Vegas vacation. I split sevens against a six thinking, okay, I'm going to get fat and happy. off of this one. Then I got another seven. Ooh. So I had two 17s and an 18 and he had 19. It cost me $30 on one bet. Sorry, Matt.

Is he going to your wallet again? I said, no, sir. He said that? I hope you have a bad day. You should have said that. I did not say that. I wanted to, though. That's pretty funny. Because I was scolded by the Thomas family by telling the guy at the gas station. That's good. I'm glad they all shamed you. They did shame me.

You know, sometimes you've got to shame people and it be a better person. But what I mean from both of you is I could have swore at the guy. I didn't swear it. Okay, yeah. No, I think, honestly, if you would have custom out, it would have been a lot better. I know. I would have been taking you to the hospital. You mean the guy that ran out of his little cubicle at the gas station?

It was going to come after me? Yeah, we would have missed our flight. No, I had like a five-hour delay, so you were good. Oh, you'd have missed your flight out of time. You know what? I would have just called 911 and said, I'll see you at the... I got to drop off the riddle, Matt. I'm sorry.

Good luck. I've flown from Fort Lauderdale to Charlotte to the Shiner on my eye. That neck brace looks like it's got you stable. I'm going to go to the airport. You'd have loved me in some random Florida town of the gas station. That's what I work with, ladies and gentlemen. Weekday is Ted the two. He's bleeding out in Juneau Beach.

It's all good. But it just shows you how. powerful that words are I simply told him not to have a nice day and I got you crushing me Jonathan crushing me, my family crushing me.

At least you know we're honest. That's what I need from you folks. Don't sugarcoat things. I want all of you listening to the show, the nine of you that are, to have a wonderful day. It means a lot to me. 713-212-5-7-90. Gut feelings.

Coming up after in about a half hour here. This is the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Sports Talk 790. We start our number two of this radio program that takes you until 2 o'clock this afternoon. Congratulations, I guess, at the Michigan Wolverines for winning the national championship. By the way, did you see Rossi over the weekend that they're going to most likely expand the NCAA tournament, both on the

men's and women's side? You know, it's just what the people are. First four. Yeah, they listen to the fans and that's what everybody wants. it. Everybody said, we need more games. Or they didn't. What are the odds of a perfect bracket going to now? Oh, my God. Did anybody get a perfect bracket this year? No, I think it literally in day one, nobody had a perfect bracket, I think.

Literally no one's ever had a perfect bracket after day two. Yeah. So, yeah, I guess they're going to go to 76 is what they're saying on both sides. I mean, honestly, why not? Just cut the checks, give them to the guys. forget about class and just play 76 games. Hell, go to 150, what is the 76? 152.

Because Ball State sure is hell needs a trip of the tournament. Sure, why not? I don't want to be on, get off my long guy. I try not to do that, so I'm not going to do it. But? 68's just about perfect. I got a hot take. No one's one on here.

Ooh. Can I guess what it is? Sure. hot take for you would be actually reducing the tournament. Correct. How did I know these things? Nobody will do it like it used to be? Yeah.

I mean, you'd have to do away with automatic bids, and nobody's going to want to do that. But 68 is fine the way it is. I like it still, because you have the occasional 16-1 and stuff like that. But I have a crazy idea. How about the best teams are the only ones that compete for the actual national championship? What if that happened? regardless of conference regardless of the championship is that a crazy idea well i'll say this though we do part of the charm that of the incidentally tournament that we do love is when the upsets

yes the win the win and those upsets teams don't get in unless they win their conference tournament when a totally undeserving team gets lucky this is the greatest um you know it's fun it's not terrible for me i can live with that yeah but the last two years i don't want to be hypocritical on that. The last two years, the whole suite 16 has been power, well, four slash five when you add in the big east and basketball. Right, right. Last two years, the entire suite 16 has been power teams.

And that doesn't mean somebody can't squeak in the next year or two. You know, it's funny because there are two different, there are two different trains of thought that NIL is going to make the powerful teams even more powerful because there's more money. But then the transfer portal, if guys go to those super power teams and don't play, will wind up taking less of morning to go play, thus giving the Wichita states and the Nevadas and some folks like that an opportunity.

To me, the evidence shows that if you don't have a massive bankroll with star players that are getting lots of cash, you're not going to be around and come to elite eight times. Yeah, you're not only getting the elite players, but you're filling out the roster one through eight with at least solid to very good players. It's not only that they're more top-heavy and better,

it's also that consistently these power rosters are better 5, 6, 7, 8. And that's when a lot of these other Cinderella teams, they're having some of them, they had to play their starters basically for all 40 minutes or play like one guy off the bench and then eventually those guys get gassed and they can make a run in the beginning of the games and then they lose at the end of the game. So it's that much more difficult. It's almost like, and I didn't see it last night because I was out, but the one shining moment song that CBS does every year,

that was built off of you know Utah Valley beating you know Arizona right you didn't do one shining moment built off at Georgetown versus St. John's yeah well it is now

after the Sweet 16 yeah we still love it I mean Vegas did well people you know television radio are great and it's funny we belabor and we do this as host

talking about the different televisions and times and how late the Final Four was yesterday and how late the the lead eight games were as you've said before and it really rings true they've got metrics that say

you put the game on when we want to put a game on and we're going to have people going to watch it regardless of the time yeah I question and we can question but they have the data and I guess we'll see what the ratings were for this game but I totally forgot I was on, but also I was just like yelling at my TV about the Astros.

So what were you yelling? I'm curious how this one day. It was a bad luck, man. Like Jeremy Panyan misreads a ball. Then it literally bounces off the second base. I mean, this weekend, everybody's losing the ball in the sun. Even Jake Myers, too. Hey, yeah, I know. You lost the ball in the sun.

It's tough out there. And as remember Cam Smith told us, because there's no upper deck in Sacramento. Right. You asked him where what his least favorite place to play is. He didn't even hesitate, right?

Wouldn't he just like Sacramento? Well, think about no triple deck, no third deck. Yeah. And the ball carries very well there. So you're adding a double recipe for disaster, basically. And we saw it.

Even on the Sacramento A's were dropping balls in the outfield. Yeah, they can't get to Vegas fast enough. It's next year, right? No, two more years. my god. You. Terrible.

What are we doing, folks? Oh, we're building a 35,000 seat stadium next to the old Tropicana's what we're doing. Okay. So what Vegas is doing, and I was doing a little reading of this, because I was like,

how are you going to make money at 35,000 seats or whatever than I mean? It's going to be probably, it's going to be like Fenway Park small in terms of attendance. They're going to just sweep the hell out of it. You know, put the math, the big sweets in. Yeah.

And then they're going to comp high roller they're going to have rollers, the RIA or whoever. MGM and Caesars are going to buy up their suites, so they're not worried about that. Yep. Now, they don't get the TV revenue like the other leagues do, but they're going to,

they will do well with the average ticket price to go to a game. We'll be very high. Yeah, I don't go to Vegas to watch a baseball game, though. But we got to go, right? We got to go see the Astros. Yeah, well, we said we were going to do that with the Raiders, and we didn't.

Yeah, but I don't want to, but you and I had to go by the season 10. tickets and we don't want to pay for the PSL. No, we said we were going to go in the Texans played there. Didn't they play there? They played there once, yeah. Yeah. She got credentials. It's easier for us to sit here on our couch and be like, yeah, we'll go and then, yeah, I'm good. Like you say, you're going to go to OU, Texas every year for the last

20 years. All right, if I'm available this year, I'll go. I don't believe you. Not going to be available. Playoff runs happening. Why not? I mean, nobody else is just suffering is separating themselves. Astro's still in first place at six and five. Yeah, let's go, baby. Am I standing's watching? Yes or no? Yes, of course you are. Of course I am.

You've got some kind of, you've got a neurotic tick. You can't help yourself. Well, it's like looking at, I mean, there are things that look at every single day. One, 401K, you got to stop doing that. 401k. Just got to lose my mind over. Got to stop. A little bit of a rebound, not enough. Certainly these days.

By the way, gallon of gas here in, Um, food. Can I guess? Five bucks. Oh, I was going to guess high. Yeah.

Okay. Well, actually five bucks sounds really high. Yeah, I think I saw it yesterday for $4.99 a gallon. Uh, we're up around $3.89 around here. It's going to, it's ticking up, at least that I saw. Okay. So things I look at, standings. And by the way, if you don't think I'm super obsessed with the NBA standings right now,

you've got another thing coming to you. Yeah. T. Wolves are locked in the six, basically. Thank you, by the way, for Denver beating Portland last night. Denver has now jumped the Lakers by a half game for the fours, for the three spot in the Western Conference. Yeah. Rockets, Lakers is the matchup we want.

Yes, we do. But I was also talking about this with our friend Jonathan Allen. Would you rather try, I mean, would you rather make the three and take on the Timberwolves and then you also get to avoid the thunder for as long as possible? Or is the spur? Spurs and Thunder, six in one hand, half a dozen than the other. I would like to avoid Denver under all circumstances. Oh, you and both, you and Ross are both the same thing.

I'm saying, but if you can get up to the three, you would be Timberwolves and then Spurs would be your path? Or would you rather do Lakers and Thunders? If you're telling me to pick my poison between San Antonio, Oklahoma City, I'm going to probably lean San Antonio because they've never done it before. They've also won 60 games. The Rockets have only won 60 games ever once. Spur Talk 790 will continue. It makes me sad. I know Missy's happy.

Who's Missy? Yeah, not familiar. I don't know her work. Granted, if she, if the Rockets and Spurs, she's going to be calling like every day and being sneaky about it. Oh,

all right. I don't know. You play the Lakers. You can get rid of them in five, get some rest, then take your chance with Oklahoma City. I don't know. Who knows?

You're just picking. It's like, do you want rat poison or do you want, what else? Snake old to ingest. It's just bad. Just enjoy the time. The first thing's first. I want a playoff series. Yeah.

Yeah. We got all our head of ourselves last year and they lost to the Warriors. I want them to make the two. Got to make the two so you can avoid the Thunder for as long as possible. Well, maybe you want to avoid the Warriors for as long as possible. All right. Speaking of that, we're going to segue to this before we get to cut feelings at the bottom of the hour. me watching step curry do terrible things to the houston rockets i.e. making baskets gives me

night terrors i want all of you to think about this for the second as we go to break here who in sports gives you night terrors it can be you can have more than one but stepf getting on the floor thrown up 30 footers, shimmying, and everything else that he was doing, underhand layups, off the top of the backboard, falling through, falling down, that damn mouth guard, that man gives me night terrors. Who in sports gives you a night terror? Jonathan and Ross will give it their answers. If you've got answers for that as well, let us know.

713-212-5-790. 1120 on Sports Talk 790. 7-1-3-21-2-5-7-90 if you want to chime in. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. It's Matt and Ross with you here today from Phoenix. We've got Astros baseball tonight with a 740 start time. Rockets and Phoenix Suns 10 o'clock. Oh, my gosh.

Late night for you, Rocket fans. I'm going to presume that many of you will put it on and lay in bed and do you fall asleep? And hopefully by the time you wake up the next morning, the Rockas will 1 by 11 points to further solidify their spot as the worst case. Five, maybe moving up to 4 or 3 in the Western Conference. All right. So I brought this up. I have night terrors on Steph Curry.

I have night terrors about U of H versus North Carolina State clearly at 83, and that's just one moment in time. I'm talking about a guy that has infiltrated my... my sports dream slash nightmares and continues to cause me plenty of unrest. Steph Curry for me is the guy. Ross, who in your life creates your night terrors in sports? Steph Curry? But I'll go Albert Poo-Holes if we're going all-time.

Man, I get, I mean, do I really need to say more? No, no, we know. Okay, I don't even want to bring it up, right? We got it. Thank you very much. Yeah, Albert Pools. Let me give you some more Okay

I mean Lamar Jackson maybe a little bit Lamar Jackson's a good one Little Tom Brady I mean it was it was Peyton Manning Would always crush the Texans back in the day Was there any oilers? O T. Y Hilton

Oh T Yilton is a good one Frankly any Colts receiver for about a 10 year stretch Marvin Harrison before that Reggie Wayne Reggie Wayne Tim Hardaway, Jr. It's a deep cut. That is too deep.

But applicable because they're playing, he's playing well for the Denver Nuggets. Can you repeat that? Yeah, go ahead and repeat that, Matthew. What did I say? I said it was a deep cut. What did I say after that? You tell us.

Yeah, you tell me. I really forgot what I said. Okay, it doesn't matter. It's fine. It's fine. I'm going to hear it Friday at 12 o'clock. Yeah, might. The follow.

wasn't as good. But you said, Matt said that it was too deep. What's wrong with you? Me? I didn't do anything. Jonathan was the one that made a face immediately. Yeah, Jonathan, what's going on with you, Johnathan?

This is my job. Don't get that. Yeah, he's got his ears open for all the crazy things you say. By the way, I need you to start. You did this while I was gone a couple weeks back. Getting the other people on the 790 air staff to get some funny things, and we've got to start clipping those. Yeah, well, we've got to put it on the other producers.

Jonathan's busy. Yeah, Jonathan, tell Triple E and tell Josh, we've got to get some clips from other people because Lord knows you guys are just really trying to get me in trouble every time you try to find something that I say. It's fun. All right, Jonathan. What former, let's see, SFA's main rival is,

hmm. Washington, Kentucky's main. Who's Western Kentucky's? Big rival. You got to be Eastern Kentucky, right? No, it's, um, Middle Tennessee. Ooh, the Blue Raiders. All right, who gives you night terrors on sports, Jonathan?

Sports? Hmm. Honestly, the Chief, so I've been... Oh, because you are a charger guy. Yeah, I, that's on the game. That feels fair. That's very fair, actually. Because Mahomes doesn't do it for me, because, look, the Texas were never going to beat the Chiefs.

And maybe why, maybe even Tom Brady shouldn't even get us nine tears because the Patriots were never going to lose to the Texans. Now, if you're an old school, if you're an OG list in the show and you were an oiler fan growing up, Terry Bradshaw gave you night Terrys because every time the Steelers and Oilers would play, the Steelers would win.

And they would go on and win four Super Bowls in the 1970s. I'm trying to think of who else, especially like Rocket's side. I mean, Dean Lillard. I have Mike Terres, the blackjack dealer who was just basically smirking as he was taking my money every hand yesterday.

I could see that. Damien Lillard hit that shot, but I don't feel like it was consistent enough. No, uh-uh. Yeah, that's what I would agree with. One moment in time that went to give you night tears for sure. Steph Curry, Draymond Green, he was back cutting out. Yeah, if we just list, Clay Thompson, honestly, is on the list for sure.

Oh, absolutely. Anybody associated with the Golden State Warriors? Steve Kerr. Come on, Looney? Andrew Boggett. Sean Livingston. Sean Livingston. Leandro Barbosa?

All of them. Andre Aguadalla? Yeah. Any of those guys? I almost swore. I didn't want to swear. I know. Family radio.

I'm glad you just didn't go Zaza Pachulia. So at least we'll leave him off the board. That is a deep cut. Let me tell you, there are another radio show in the marketplace. It gives you a Zaza Pachuliac Rando at 1125. I can tell you that for sure. 713-212-5-790. Our friend to George,

in West University is going to join us. George, who gives you sports night terrors? Hey, I think this counts as a deep cut, and it was over 20 years ago, but Jim Edmonds of the St. Louis Cardinals, that guy, you know, he was a good player, not a great player, but he played out of his mind against us

in the 04 and 05 World Series. And, you know, in 2004, he made that amazing, just ridiculous catch, center field that robbed us of a hit that would have won game seven for us and then in 05 we still end up winning the series but everybody remembers the Poo Holes home run but it was Edmonds nursing the walk right before Poo Holes that set up the home run and if we got Edmonds out like we should have nobody would have been talking about you know nobody would have remembered that game we would have won the ALCS in five games instead of six Roy Oswald would have pitched game one of the

five World Series against the White Sox, and the entire World Series would have been different. So I hate Jim Edmonds. Fair enough. I don't have that. Thank you, George, for the phone call. My memories of him are not nearly as vivid as George's are. Yeah, Edmund was a decent one. That's that.

Once he said the name, it rang for me a little bit. Oh, I'll tell you what, if you're going to go really, if you really want to tell me a night terror, Astor-related, the Atlanta Braves pitching staff for about a half decade. Yeah. Greg Medics is name. popped in my head when you were talking about that. I don't feel like Chipper Jones was that

crazy good against the Astros at least in my memories. It was the pitching. It was the biggest strikes on. By the way, do you think Greg Maddox could have survived with ABS in 2026? Oh, hell of no. He would have figured it out, but yeah, he also, he's pitching outside because you didn't have to pitch inside.

Yeah, we're going to go Kevin Brown and Sterling Hitchcock. Oh, the entire Potteries of 98. the entire 1998 Padres roster terrible at least that you know what

it feels a lot better since the Astros won in 17 and especially 22 because we know 17 was under fire we can shake you know what's easy for me I can shake 86 I can shake 98 off I can shake off the Atlanta Braves there were two World Series 1

thank God we've got those thank God now those 17 was kind of It's fine. And we're cheating in the playoffs. It's too loud. It's just littered with asterix. I get it.

I understand why everybody's upset. People are still arguing about it on Twitter to this day. Oh, no, it'll never go away. It'll never, no. No, we're never going to, we, it's a Houston sports community. We're never going to shake it. It'll dissipate, but it'll never be completely shaken. Like Boston's won two World Series since the ball went through Buckner's legs.

They don't forget about that. That's true. All right, it's time for us for gut feelings. Did we have the, any of us had the Rockets winning six straight games? Well, we'll find out. We'll find out. I'm feeling good. All right.

Rockets have four games left to go in the season. Where will the Rockets end up in the playoffs? That's a good gut feeling. We'll have it for you next. 713-2-790. 7-1-3-212-2-5-790. Listen up, girls and boys. feeling.

Because Russ and Matt Thomas. Yo, they got a gut feeling. This is their gut feeling on the Matt Thomas show. All right, Roger and Anna, we'll get to you guys at a couple of minutes. If you want to join us today on gut feelings, you know where to find it. 713, 212, 790.

713-212-5-790. This is where we make our sports predictions. If you get them right, you get to call back later and brag on them. If you get them wrong, as long as they're not absurd, we will not make fun of you. Please tell me. we had a winning week on gut feelings because I feel like we've had a little bit

of a drought sports RV with our great sports actually a couple of weeks ago it wasn't that bad you had Cam Smith over 775 OPS a couple of weeks ago and I think he's closing in on that I think he's around there he's got a couple of home runs

the outfield's been really nice I mean because Jake Myers has been hitting a little bit Joey Lope of Joey Lopheedo. He's been OPSing about 850. I'm trying to pull up this Cam Smith OPS. Oh yeah, you're good.

It's a thousand. Shut up. He's got three home runs. Let's go. And can we trust? That was two weeks ago, but let me go ahead and let's see. Rocket sweep the homestan, you have them? And get out of sixth?

Yes. Texans trade out of the first round of the draft. Still feel good about that. Kenny and Charles off of NCAA coverage next year. You got to wait for a while on that. I don't think you're going to hit that one. I think I'm going to lose that one. I think you're right.

You had the Arizona Wildcats winning it all. Oh, well. You had Deshawn Watson, QB1 in Cleveland. That's still a possibility. And you said end of April, Bray you over four. But I mean, he was at like 27 at the time. And he's like, he's at like 23 something now. I'm going to win that one.

that one. I said Rockets 2 and 1 home stand. They swept it, correct? Yes. Matter of fact, lead. Only time they didn't lead in the three home games was when they were down one nothing to the Knicks. Every other time in the game they led.

Okay. That's so I was wrong on that. Then I had Hunter Brown better than a quality start. It was six innings of one run ball. And then we don't have to talk about what happened to after that. Oh, I said Michigan will win it all. That's good. Congrats. And I said, next Astros home run, Christian Walker.

I think it was Yordawn. So I think I lost that one. But Christian Walker did eventually hit a home run. And then I said, Yorda Nauriz over 130 games this year. You know what? You're pacing beautifully on that. The pace is good. the pace is real good the pace is incredible

Jonathan had the rocket sweeping the homestand oh and he was so close do you remember what you had Jonathan yes I had him sweeping the homestown no no but the next one uh uh-ucon yeah Yukon winning it all

close that Michigan looks like a grown those grown man versus kids man they didn't they need to fix this transaportal stuff going on I felt bad for him do you see there was a big panel discussion with like Jay Billis and all the ESPN people

about the transfer portal and fixing the economics of college basketball. What did they say? I'm curious. Yeah, actually, I would say. Jay Billis, it's basically a pro sport and the players need to unionize. So how does that fix the portal? I don't know about fixing the portal. I think the portal is just going to be the portal.

I just feel like now if it's going to be professional sports, man, they can have a limit, like a team has limited. You get three, you know, starters from a different team from a different school. Something like something that, you know, guidelines. Because nobody from the Michigan team started, was even a freshman at Michigan. They all came from two other schools. Yeah. Well, doesn't President Trump want to put in a one-time transfer and that's it?

That's not going to stand up in court. That has a zero percent chance of standing up in court. I just saw that over the weekend. I was just kidding. Well, yeah, I mean, he's trying to. They've already struck that down because, I mean, if, if Jonathan, or whoever, if you, Matt, can go from North Texas to U of H and we can go to, why can't a student athlete do that?

It doesn't make any sense. I would think maybe the only reason why I would be maybe because there's scholarship ties to it. Because I mean, I could transfer all I wanted to, but if I'm not getting any scholarship money, why does I need school care? Well, the school is giving them scholarships. Yeah, you can. Well, any of the sport, like say Carly, Matt wants to transfer and she's not getting like,

it said she wasn't even a scholarship athlete, right? Mm-hmm. She can't even go and try to progress itself to get money in another school to go transfer. So she transferred from Rhode Island to Texas. Okay, coach left and then something happened. All right, I'm going to go to Wisconsin. Yeah. She can't even do that to elevate her own status as an athlete to be pro or anything like that.

Yeah, why not? I don't understand why should be a limit of one transfer. Yeah, I don't think it's going to last. And you know the biggest hypocrisy of all of this guys is that they have these panels. Like trying to get Nick Saban to talk about NIL when basically every athlete that ever played for Nick Sabins basically said Nick was giving me money under the table. I mean, it's just hypocrisy. Yeah. Now, what I like some regulation, would I like it to not be out of control like it is now?

Of course. But the people that are asking guys to do this, to act on behalf of the wellness of the student athlete, they're the biggest ones. the biggest people that were condoning this to begin with before it really became NIL. Yeah, I wonder if there's any of resource to find because John Calipari was on the panel as well. He signed like a $52 million deal

with Arkansas. The coach money, it's gotten crazy and nuts. And it's crazy to me that a coach is making $52 million and nobody wants to leave. A lot of people don't want to pay that. Yeah, and can leave and can transfer. Yep.

And the players don't get anything from the not it's not that they're not getting anything but for years and years weren't getting anything from the school right and it was like it just didn't bother anybody that's crazy all right let's get to our predictions this week um oh i'm gonna put my name on these rockets predictions put your name on it not necessarily put my name out but you know like we got to kind of declare you got to put your name on something i got you okay semantics um rockets okay let's think about the schedule phoenix tonight Philly, Minnesota, Memphis.

Three playoff teams, one non, one road game left. Rockets, because of the tiebreaker, will finish fifth and have to open up at L.A. playoffs next week. I will flip that, but I think you're probably the most likely, but this Lakers schedule, now, I don't know, they play the Thunder tonight. Yes. I don't know how much the Thunder. They're still trying, right?

Yeah, well, they're very close to capturing the number one. They need one more victory, I think. At Golden State, home for Phoenix, and then home for Utah. I'm going with the Rockets hosting the Lakers. Why not? All right. Now, the only reason why I would say that's not going to happen is that that would mean the Rockets are going to have to win every game. And the Lakers would have to lose a bunch because right now the Rockets and Lakers, the tiebreaker goes to L.

That's the reason why I understand they have the tiebreaker. I'm still going to go with it just because. Why not? Okay. I'm going to be optimistic. All right. Astros win the next two games in Denver. Boom, I said it.

Okay. I like that. I'll go with you. Astros win next two. Okay. And I will... I don't know if I should say this. Just say it.

No Hunter Brown at all in April. Oh! And I'll leave it there. I'll leave it there. I'll leave it there. You know what you're doing? You're adding question marks to the end of that statement is what you're doing. I'm not.

Okay. I think you are, but you can't go out of the audience if you want to. I know how your devious mind works. Because you look at it from me. It's fine. Oh, man. I'm going to stay with May 1st for Josh Hater, but I am not overly optimistic. I'm staying away from that.

I might have to add some more days. Okay. but I'm staying with May 1st at this point Let's see I'm trying to see Okay Colorado Oh then they have Seattle over the weekend After the day off on Thursday

I'm not even talking about Seattle series Not even doing it Jonathan what do you got? I'm going to Yeah Astros are going to go Three and three in the next six games And Lance McCullors on Saturday

We'll have a quality What is it? Quality Plus Is it quality? Quality Plus? Quality plus Just go quality Just quality No I'm feeling

I'm feeling it I'm doing this Last time of the Dodgers In the summer he showed out when he came back. He likes to eat pressure. He thrives under pressure. That's true. Quality plus in Seattle. By the way, is anybody buying into your quality plus metric?

Jonathan just did. But it's Jonathan. It's spreading like wildfire. Astros won the series in Seattle. What's up? I ain't scared. Okay. I'm happy you did that.

I'm going, that's a classic. The kids would say classic stay away. I ain't scared. I ain't scared. Let's go. All right. Let's get a time out. Anna and Roger, we're good to you folks coming back.

If you want to join in, 713, 21, 212, 790, 7192-790. 2-790. Matt and Ross with you today up until 2 o'clock this afternoon. 7-13-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. If you want to follow us via Twitter and or Instagram, you can do that at SportsMT and at SportsRV. Those are both our Twitter accounts and on. are Instagram accounts.

The Instagram account is thriving, Ross. I'm team Instagram. Oh, it is? Good job. And if you follow Sports RV between now and 1 o'clock today, he will follow you back. That's true, actually.

And then you will probably unfollow you by 2030. Check it in two weeks. Okay. I'm just saying. 713-212-5-790. 713212-579 with the incredible folks here for the Shell Federal Credit Union. All right. From remodeling to buying your dream property, every chapter of your story begins at home,

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If you've got any gut feelings you want to get to, 713-212-5-7-90. Let's go to, we've got two night terrors in a gut feeling. So we'll take care of the gut feeling first. Koso, what's your chilling gut feeling here on the Matt Thomas Show at Ross? Good morning to you. Good morning. All right, first of all, Rockets went out. Lakers, this, Mr. America.

uh force speed and on top of that look at that third stuff series gets hurt it doesn't matter if rockets win for that place only six that's my gut feeling guys thanks all right thank you okay so uh how much of that do we catch our phones are blipping don't do that because that's what i'd like to do deep breath well what do we get i don't know what do you mean I think he said rockets went out.

Okay. And he says Rockets play the Lakers, I think is what he said. I'm not sure, honestly. Yeah. Okay, so we're just going to assume that you love the Rockets, and that's all we need to worry about. We'll go with that. We appreciate you. Thank you for calling.

Thank you for trying to call. Anna on 790, Anna, good morning. Do you have night tears about a certain athlete? Please tell us. Oh, come on. Let me tell you that chin, hairtail, first base, part-time, $30 million Jose Abraeu.

That's who gives me night care of. And I have a gut feeling for you, too. Please. Champ Smith's going to hit 30 bombs this year. Wow.

Uh-oh. Okay. That would be insane. Write it down. On LA, standard wholesale of Texas. Ann Smith's going to hit 30 bombs. That would help his OPS above 775 Sports Army.

You just would. I think 30 bombs would probably get them there. I think so. I like your optimism. Thank you for the phone call. Appreciate you listening. Wow. I don't have nightmares of Jose Abrae.

I think Jeff Bagel does. You know, if there's anybody that does, it's him. Yeah. That's pretty funny. She chose a local player. It's funny. I had lunch yesterday with a friend of mine who lives here in Phoenix as a former Major League Broadcaster.

We were talking about Jeff Bagel. I said, you know, Jeff, it doesn't happen a lot, Ross, but somebody that is beloved as an athlete is hated as a post-athlet. Yeah, I think he's been kind of out of the limelight now. Or for the most part. Do I still think he's got Jim Crane's ear? I think the answer to that is yes. I would say probably.

Yeah. Yeah, people rip him on television. I think part of the reason why they rip him on television is because of the Jose O'Brien situation. And that's not, and, you know, honestly, Ross, that's not fair to Jeff. he's either the greatest or the second greatest astro of all time depending on how you judge him and so what if he cost this team millions of dollars

why can't you get mad at Jim Crane you can get mad at Jim Crane is the one that ran to Jeff if Jeff Bagwell is a legendary player who are a lot of times legendary players are notorious for not being good player evaluators if Jim Crane's saying hey Jeff Bagwell what do you think and then he's getting all this power

I mean, yeah, Jeff Bagwell is somebody that we can blame and get mad at, but also I think Jim Crane would deserve some of the blame too. If I hire a consultant and this consultant gives me bad advice, that's my fault too. Well, the reality is this. You never should have been without a general manager. If you were going to let click go, have somebody locked and loaded to go. Yeah. Running it by committee just doesn't ever seem to work.

I think the Astros understand that. they're going to publicly come out and say, yeah, we goofed, but I think they know. Look, look, look, no organization's perfect.

But, and look, Jeff Bagu and I are not friends. I mean, I respect the hell out of them, and I've interviewed him a handful of times over the years. But it is,

I mean, you didn't have to worry about first base for over a decade from defense to base running, to slug, to defense, to leadership, I mean, you just penciled, you penciled number five over there at first base, and you left him alone.

Yeah, as long as his hand wasn't broken. As long as his hand wasn't being cracked. Just saying, let's go to Roger on 790. Hello, Roger. Hey, guys. Yeah, there's only one, so-hung kind of way with the screen for sobriety. Dirty bombs. Huh.

A little egregious. So, I would do a good thing. feeling and then I'll do it. Well, let me do the night chairs first. Every Seattle Super Sonic team that we faced in the Elajuan era until Charles Bocke came down. And then we couldn't beat Utah. Yeah.

Those guys, we, it would hurt more because I thought we always had the best player on the floor, no matter what, defensively and offense, Elijuan would just, he would have these superhuman games against them. And we just couldn't win, whether it be Dana Barrows or a, It's Dale Ellis comes in mind. Michael Soglo Cage. Just all those teams. And I just,

Xavier McDaniel, you know, guys like Aaron McKee would just kill us. And then I, you know, and then we've got, you know, they're not household names, but they would absolutely destroy us every time we play them.

It's just, it was gut-wrenching every time, tormented to me as a child. Anyway. Yeah, my gut feeling. Yeah, I think we're going to be very prolificant on the office. We're going to have a lot of big numbers. I think Alvarez and Walker is going to have 100 plus RBIs.

I just don't know how we're going to get this pitching staff to get us and write this shit. But if anybody can do it, we can't because we have a trackwork for it. That's all right, guys. Have a good one. Thanks, Roger, for the phone call. Appreciate you listening. He went, did he go Dana Berrios on you here? That is like late 90s NBA right there.

I'm not familiar with Dana Berrios. Yeah. Philadelphia and Seattle, I want to say, the two spots. Okay. Again, my, that my, that's, what, I haven't heard the name Berrios in like 30 years. What are you going to do? Anthony and David, hang tight, we'll get to you. Ross, I got a simple question for you.

Okay. Does the Astros pitching staff need some? Help? Perhaps they may. You never know. Maybe it's on the way. It could be, well, is it on the way? That'd be breaking news.

By way, Joe Spada joins us in one half hour here on Sports Talk 790. 713-212-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. This is the Matt Thomas show with Ross. I need somebody. heard from Andy Gonzalez, an RBI single for Caros, and it's 8 to 3 Rockies. The carnage continues. Oh, come on now.

Carnage. This is one rando Monday game in Denver, Colorado with 12,000 people there. After losing two out of three in Sacramento. Sacramento. Please, please, please, Ross, help me. You know how you can help Houston, Texas right now, Ross? How can I help people in Houston, Texas? Giving them the news at noon.

Yes, Matthew, we start the news at noon with the results in Denver, Colorado. We're not going to do the real news at noon, are we? I don't think what's actually happening in the news. Oh, is something going on? because it's getting pretty wild I'm not for the show okay anyways

I'm going to look at the 4 U tab but I don't follow anybody politically so it's got to be something political let me go look I think well do you want to read you the top trends top United East

Hungary 25th Amendment Tucker Taco do something Iranians what's the top six trends I see in the United States I'm good

All right, so the Astros lose to Colorado 9 to 7. As unfortunately, off to a pretty good start, Cody Bolton. Four in a third innings, he did end up giving up two earned runs. But Ryan Weiss came in and was a disaster. Also didn't get help any help from his friends or the baseball gods. There was an error. There also was a misread on a ground ball by Jeremy Pena. Also won right in front of him.

hit the second base and just went like 30 feet up into the air, just some bad luck and unfortunate circumstances and some bad pitching because it's not going to like Ryan Weiss didn't give up eight hits. Let's not forget that. But overall, eight runs in the fifth inning. Nine scored in total by the Colorado Rockies. Astros lose nine to seven. Back to the drawing board they go.

And they will take them on 7.45. first pitch here on Sports Talk 790, yes, and then KBME. I'm sorry, News Radio 740 KTRH for the Houston Rockets tonight. Matthew, as they will be in action, of course, against the Phoenix Suns a revenge game

for Jalen Green and Dylan Brooks. But Mike Burroughs getting the start for you, Houston Astros. How are we feeling? We're feeling extraordinarily confident, as I said the Astros about 20 minutes ago. We're going to win the next two games in series in Denver, so it's a Rastro's win. You know Christian Javier's pitching tomorrow, right?

In elevation. What are we going to have that talk about? In elevation. Just asking for a friend. What kind of talk you're looking for? I mean, I think we're talking about it. A bounce back. Fly ball pitcher in Denver. What could go wrong, Matt?

By the way, these overs, I believe we advocated for the overs all weekend in Sacramento. I'm going to continue to do it in Colorado. And thus, I can bet on such things because it is a non-basketball-related issue. They do sports betting in Arizona? Absolutely. Oh, wow. Well, that's good news.

All right, rockets in action against the Phoenix Suns. They are at this moment a game behind the Los Angeles Lakers who are in the four spot. Rockets in the five spot. Timberwolves all but locked into the six seed as they are three games behind the Houston Rockets. We're also a game behind a game and a half behind the Nuggets. And they do not have the tiebreaker against either. team looking like the five spot or potentially the fourth for your Houston Rockets because the Lakers remaining schedule Matt home for the thunder at Golden State love it home for

Phoenix yes and home for Utah need not worry Rockets Lakers first round now who has the home court to be determined hopefully game number one here Houston, Texas, and of course that's going to mean late games again. By the way, everybody's asking what times of games are going to be. I have no earthly idea. They're going to be like 8.30 and 9.30 if they're playing the Lakers, every game. Well, they play, my guess is they may get the prime time spot on Saturday night, which would be at a normal time on Saturday.

That'd be good. And then Monday would be like a later, Monday, Tuesday will be a later night game. Not at their home court, I'd say this. If you're playing home court at the Toyota Center, you're waiting for some 830 games. Just saying. Rocket schedule themselves. No cakewalk. We've got Phoenix.

And then they're going to come home to finish out the games at home against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and then end the season against the Memphis Grizzlies. How are we feeling about that? Would you say three and one? Well, I want them to all four. I know you want them to. Three and one sounds. We can also live in the human world, Matt.

As scary as that sounds. Three and one sounds reasonable. Yes, it does. Okay. All right, there you go. Elsewhere in the news, the Michigan Wolverines are your national champions as they defeat the Yukon Huskies, 69 to 63. I mean, it was blistering hot shooting from the Wolverines. They shot 38% from the field, 2 of 15 from 3.

They were on fire as they won the national championship against the Yukon Huskies, Matt. Can we just say a generic statement, college basketball largely sucks? I mean, it's going to pale in comparison against the NBA. It's just going to do it. That's just how it's going to be. I think anything, if you're going to enjoy high school football, which people get really into, you just got to know, baked in. Products not going to be great.

Same thing when it comes to college sports, anything relative to the highest level. If you want to go watch, I don't know. Well, Space Cowboys are pretty good. We've got to check on their record. Oh, by the way. By the, I'm glad you brought that up. Did you see the crowd at the gamblers game over the weekend?

No, I did not. There was nobody there. Nobody. they sectioned off the second level of uh, rail energy stadium. Which has, which is the main level.

Oh, really? Any of you that are gambler fans? Well, first of all, none of you, but those are the things to say, can we please talk us and gambling football?

Shut your bum ass up. James did call yesterday. Talking about the win. He did. Of course he did. He didn't get in, unfortunately. Oh,

imagine that. Sorry to hear that. I was going to make him hold as long as you do. I was going to take him like in the next segment and then he hung up. So that was on him. Very busy. Going to get his gambler playoff tickets.

Gambler talks not Topekae. No, it's not. Space Cowboys, six and three. And in first place in the PCL, Matt, that's not good enough. Well, they're going to lose a little bit of their depth with Herigetti coming up and whoever else. Jason Alexander could be pitching, too. You never know. Because you did have Joe a spot as sitting yesterday.

Excuse me, coughing over here. You did have Joe a spot. You talk, Matt. Follow me on Instagram. Okay, I'm ready. SportsMT. SportsMT Instagram. Yeah, follow SportsMT on Instagram.

That's fine. Yeah, Joe Spott, I did say yesterday that they are still planning to go to a six-man rotation. What exactly that'll look like? We shall find out. And we'll find out directly from the manager in about 18 minutes here on Sports Talk 790. And that is the news at noon. It's got a quick timeout in. Come back and talk to you, the great people of Houston, Texas.

713-212, 5-790, 7-7-19. 713-212-5-7-90. Again, Joe Espada, Astros manager to join us here in about a little short of 20 minutes here on Sports Talk 7-0. Please be listening for Joe Espada. We'll be witnessed in about 10 minutes from now on Sports Talk 7-9. I'm about here in Phoenix. This might be Ross the perfect place to be, if not for the summertime. You know, like summer gets 1-15 and balls in the wall hot, right?

But, I mean, God, is what a beautiful city this is. I'm sure it's wonderful. You've been to Phoenix? I have not. Ooh. It's kind of on my list, but it's lower down. I can feel that. I understand.

How far is it from the Grand Canyon, like four hours? I'm not Mr. Arizona, Ross. I'm Mr. Texas. I know you're not Mr. Texas. How far has Big Ben from El Paso? It's a hall. Okay. You know, I was signing autographs with the Rockets game with the weekend.

I'd sign a couple of Mr. Texas. People ask it about that, so. I'll take your word for it, I guess. Must have been drunkards and degenerates. Well, I mean, they do drink beer. Three hours and 23 minutes. All right. I'll think about that.

I have a gorgeous view of some big mountain or hill or whatever to my left. Sun splash day in Phoenix, temperatures in mid-70s. That's wonderful. Beautiful people. Sure, why not? I am prostitutes walking around the in and around the area. Oh, really? Not the low price and the high price ones.

Okay. I'm sure you're keeping tabs in the market. No. It's not couching the prostitutes. That's what it sounds like. I'm just making an observation. That's all. Okay.

Joe's spot at 10 minutes from now. David, 790. Good morning to you. Or good afternoon. I should say. Hi there. Good morning. Just well, first of all, as for the night sweats guy.

No question in my case, but I'm of a certain age, as you know. know, so this won't mean much to most of your listeners. But as a lifelong San Francisco Giants fan and a lifelong Dodger hater, the scariest thing in the world to me ever is Sandy Kofax. And you've got to go back about that that guy was so fast, so unhittable. ERA never over too awful. Couldn't beat him. Anyway, subject is also baseball.

I just, this is somewhere between it. I'm sorry, and I just just don't get it. But when baseball season started, and I'm looking at the chance to bet a new sport, okay, great. And I looked at the Astros, and I said, you know, I think this starting pitching is good stuff. And hitting, I don't know. Roster doesn't look bad, but they didn't really hit very well in spring training and so on. So it looks to me like the way to play the Astros this year is under. And I made that bet on that first day, and it was three to nothing.

And I felt, wow, I got this figured out. How do you think betting unders and Astro games have been going lately? You are in a poor house right now. I actually stopped doing it, but I mean, or I didn't really do it. But I'm amazed at what I'm seeing on my TV every night when I watch these guys. I just never expected scores like this. Good luck tightening up the pitch in, and I think it's going to be okay. Also, another gut feeling I had.

I predicted we were going to go the first six games of the road, a trip here against the A's and the Rockies, I predict that we'd go six, five and one. So, you know, there you go. I'm sorry. Take the L's, take the L's, but you appreciate, we appreciate you being a fan. David, thank you for the phone call.

Safe travels to you, and sorry for your unders loss. What the heck could you be buying these unders? Yeah, I don't, you know. That, to me, is one of the things we'll talk about what Joe right out the top, is that, I mean, If the pitching settles down, which I would assume it's going to.

Now, granted, you're also not going to score eight runs a game, but there's a greater sample size of that than what we saw in the first two games of the year. It's been entertaining. It probably makes Domingo Ryan's uncomfortable, but it's been entertaining. Back and forth. Why D'Miko Ryans? Offensive explosions? D'Mico Ryans?

Come on, man. Oh, he doesn't believe in that. He believes in Kiami Fairbairn. He means to run the damn ball and win 13 to 10. And make Kiami the most expensive kicker in NFL, which is, you know, what, Fair Valley. He is their MVP. He is their MVP.

He's going to be the next guy put into the wall of honor over there at NRG. Or, excuse me, he'll be the first one in the Toro, or in the Toro dome. He maya doca probably wants more, a lower scoring games. Oh, no, yeah. It's funny, two of our three coaches in this town

are, quote-unquote, defensive-minded guys. Yes. And, I mean, you're never offensive or defensive-minded as a baseball manager. Yeah, you want one more run than the other team. scores. Both would be nice. That's true. All right. 713. 212.790. 713.

2.1.2.5.7. We did mention you just said the E. May is here in Phoenix. Rockets and Sons tonight. That'll be over on KTRH. I'm going on the blowtorch tonight, Ross. I've got to act on my best behavior. Come on now. Although we're in the late harbor, aren't we not, at 10 o'clock at night? Safe harbor? Yeah, after 10.30, I believe. That means, for those of you don't know, that means you can curse. Well, you can't, like, religion.

You can't like that nauseam curse. Right. If it's natural, you're right. You can't force it. And I would never swear on a broadcast. I may be frustrated. I may pound the fist in the table. I think I've sworn on air twice.

I've got to be less than five in over 30 years of doing this. I'm 17 years in, by the way. We've got to get you a watch or something. I got a plastic plaque for 15. That was nice. Where is it? It's actually on my TV stand next to pictures of me and my family and, yeah, my nieces and nephews. Where's the picture of me?

Well, you and what? Just in general. I don't know what you're talking about. Actually, I do have a picture of you on my wall. That's an actually fact. It's also the World Series trophy and me. Oh, I just haven't given me in the background. Yeah, it wasn't a natural way to snip you right out.

So I left it on there. You could have cut it around me. I mean, I would have not been nice, but I understood it. Yeah, I understand. I left you in there. You know how good that was. Those that don't know, we had the trophy come to the station. It was nice.

The legitimate one, not the full one they sent out to people, you know? Yes. I've held. It was like holding a baby. Yeah, they didn't want to let you do it, but you insisted. Yeah, because I wanted to take all the flags off the trophy and then put them back on. Yeah. Sir, do not touch it.

I want an NBA trophy, too. I mean, not that I don't love the 94-95 trophies, but it's time. It's not to freshen that up, too. Speaking of which, did you realize, they changed the Larry O'Brien trophy? It looks horrible, I think. Would they do?

The one of the last couple of years? It's just like the slim-fit Larry O'Brien trophy. Like a skinny margarita, if you will, yes. By the way, a little note for you women out there, drinking three skinnies is the same as drinking one regular one. So I don't know why you keep selling this full-paw idea that you're trying to keep it lean in light on the old

margarine the alcohol let them do their thing no i'm calling them out for what they are at least cutting back some just drink one like a grown ass person and then be fine but i'll have a skinny i'm trying to cut back yeah i'm a second one yeah you have a skin that means more booze and less calories matt yeah unless sugar yeah unless sugar what are you what are you talking about matt shut your bum ass up can a guy order a skinny margarine be okay why not Jonathan? Don't you order, what is it called? On the beach? What is it called?

Matt orders sex on the beach. Yeah, why are you coming after people's in their manhood? Mr. Sex on the Beach and Cranberry Vodkas. You order whatever you want. I don't drink either one of those very often. I'm not drinking much anymore. I'm such a hypocrite. Joe Spada.

Next. I'm segueing out of this. Thank you. 1227 on Sports Talk 790. 1230 on Sports Talk 790. The Matt Thomas Show with Ross Matt here in. in Phoenix, Rockets and Sons tonight, and Ross back in Houston. Let's say hi to our friend, the manager of your Houston Astros,

trying to get a victory tonight in Denver. Skip, it's Matt and Ross. Good afternoon to you. My guess is when the dust settles, you want to come back and play in a regular ballpark. These thin airs of Denver and Sacramento, they're making your team kind of quirky the last couple days. Oh, man, they're not easy. Not easy to, you know, playing. in this kind of elements and yeah you know seeing some wild ones here in

Colorado throughout my career in Sacramento has become one of those ballparks where you know it's just challenging but you know we we have to we have to find a way to to get the job done you know and if not you know it's you know both both teams are playing under the same element so we just got to find a way to win. Joe take us through and we'll I would say ask you about a hunter in a second, but just since you found out about Hunter's ailment, what did you do with your intelligence, with your pitching coaches about who's starting, who's coming out in a back-to-back situation, the thought about the six-man rotation, where have you settled,

if you have settled anything at this point, about how your pitching rotation is going to look for maybe the next week or so? Yeah, you know, and we still, you know, that's still work in progress, right? But we do have some guys that we know are going to start for the next couple of weeks. We also have a bullpen, which we still try to put it together and develop some of these guys who haven't really have those roles in the past, really good arms. We also got to be careful. Some of them have not been back to back very often in their career.

and we also been into a few games here where, you know, it's been hard for our starters to give us, take us deep in the game, which puts us in a really tough spot. So as we try to answer all these questions, we try to keep in mind, you know, the health of our pitchers and also try to communicate with their roles and how we need to execute and give our offense, which is doing a phenomenal job, opportunities to, to winning and close-out games. I will say this, if there is a silver lining during these last few days, which I obviously very frustrating, is that your team has been able to show the ability to come back.

And I don't think that's lost. Hopefully you and I, when we're visiting what this team say in July and August, are still talking about this comeback ability. So even though the pitching staff has been roughed up the last handful of days, you do have an offense that has been able to really top-to-bottom, give you enough offensive production to win most nights, even if the pitching staff, unfortunately, has not to be able to come through for you.

Yeah, and that's been, you know, that's been the character of our team. You know, we'll fight until the end. You know, even last year when we didn't have the full arsenal of our offense on the field at all times, we always find ways to fight through the end and give you a run for the money, and that's who we are.

Right now, we have, we have an, offense in which we understand what makes us successful. We're going to grind up bats. We're going to make pitchers work for every pitch. We're not going to give a bats away. We have from one through nine giving you quality of bats, and our offense is clicking. Now, we have to keep that going, and at the same time, you know, understand that, you know, the pitching is going to

it's going to come around, right? So, you know, we have some really good arms. We went through a stretch where we were able to roll, you know, bullpen out there and we got some clean innings and stuff like that. It's been challenging the last couple of guys, but I do have confidence in these guys that they'll turn it around. But I'm very pleased with our offense and just being able to fight and keep us in games.

Feels like there's a ton of guys we can highlight that are hitting well for you. But let's focus on Cam Smith. What have you seen from him at the plate? And how about that shot he had last night? Bomb. It was a bomb. You know, in that game,

your done hit one straight center. You know, I think walk or someone else in another ball where I thought these balls have a really good shot of leaving the ballpark and he didn't. But once he hit his, it was like a golf ball. He was like a tee off. Like he tee off. and it was just an absolutely bomb.

You know, he's driving the ball to right field for homers. He's driving the ball in the air, straight center. You know, he's pulling the ball with confidence. It just bats are really good. His presence, his confidence has been really, really good. And, you know, we know what this guy is capable of doing with time, with experience. And hopefully we're talking about. we're starting to tap into into his talent.

Astros manager, Joe spotted with us here on Sports Talk 790. How has Jeremy Pena been coming along? And do you have a plan about as far as in terms of integrating him daily? Yeah, I think, you know, we're getting to a point where you guys will see him there every day. We are in a position where he's built up pretty good. We'll continue to, you know, keep an eye on him and not only him, but the rest of the guys, you right? We've been playing some really long ball games. And I want to make sure that we give not only Jeremy, but other starters from time up their feet.

But he's in a really good spot. You know, you mentioned Hunter. And I'll be sharing some information today with the media. You know, once I meet with the media at around 4 o'clock mountain time. So, you know, you stay tuned for that information. wait a minute we're your friends joe you can tell us won't tell anybody just to ourselves i know i i know but you know everybody's listening to your show i thank you i appreciate that you know uh oh esock's back off of arrevement uh how much

time does he need to get get ready for you to start plinking him back in line up here yeah he'll be in there he'll be in there tonight um you know i wanted to make sure that you know he was at home for a couple days and i wanted him to get get back to Colorado, get a full day of work, do some sprints hit, and, you know, temperatures are cool here, so I didn't want to rush him on the field. Last season, right after the All-Star break, he played in that first game in Seattle, and that was the injury happened. So I want to make sure that we do it, you know, we do it the right way, get a day of work

in the wait room and all that, and then, you know, he's able to get back in there today. Before I let your run, Skip, Brian did not perform well for you in that game on Sunday. and the ERA is inflated. Obviously, it will go down with some better performances coming up, hopefully. You know, there are some will say, you know, does Joe need to be thinking about maybe making some changes and maybe altering the late games leverage situation? The reality is, wherever you put him in with the way you're pitching staff right now,

and the way your bullpen is going to be used a lot because the starters haven't gone as long as you want to. You need to go to Brian. Whatever your conversation has been like with him as he left the mound on Sunday, you know, he needs a clean inning, and he needs only a clean inning in your mind, I would think, but he also needs an inning where he's not overtax in terms of a number of pitches being thrown.

Yeah, no, you're right. And, you know, I've talked to Brian about it and, you know, some mechanical issues that he's been working through here. And, you know, and I've, like I told him and some of the late inning guys, just to be ready to pitch any time late in the game. You know, I want Brian to, you know,

potentially be open to, you know, doesn't necessarily be the ninth inning. could be leveraging the eighth, a pocket where he can take cleaning and throw that eighth. And, you know, I do have Brian King. I do have 10 guys that could throw laying in the game. I have Bluba who can also be deployed laying the game. So I want to be looking at ways to get him going. And because we, obviously, we need him.

He's been so good and so valuable to us for years. That for us to get him back, probably getting him in some situations where he can go in a little less leverage and get a clean inning and get him going. Mike Burroughs on the mound for you, and of course, I mean, well, we'll see what happens. You do want some length from him. What are you kind of keying in from him from him from him in the first start to the second start now to now what you'd like to see in Colorado? Yeah, obviously, you know, like you mentioned, Lent, but also, you know, he's change up.

It's a big pitch, though. You know, the Rockies will throw out there, five, six left east in there today. he's going to need that change up to be effective. You know, they, they're a ton of free swingers. Maybe we'll get some early ground balls, get some early, early contact, get some quickouts. You know, we expect them to go deep. We need them to go deeper in that game. You know, we do have a fresh bullpen today.

Hopefully, we can, we don't have to use a ton of those guys and be in a good position, you know, win the series winning today and then position of being a winning series tomorrow. and then off day and four games, four big games in Seattle. So, you know, I expect Mike to go out there. He'll understand the situation that we're in and expect him to go out there and give us a strong outing. Very last question. ABS, the process in challenging, finding it to be smooth,

we're still rough and work in progress. Where do you put it? No, I think, you know, it's going to be working, you know, working progress. We're learning from Ed, right, we're getting reports where are the umpires missing the most and where are players challenging the less? And we're finding out that the top of the zone is where a lot of the pitches, a lot of the players don't really feel comfortable challenging that pitch, that upper rail, right?

Some of them are, how that pitch is up and they go and actually look at it. and they're like, oh man, that pitch actually clicked the top of the corner. Same thing with our catcher. So we are learning, we're getting information throughout the league, and right now it's that top of the zone is where a lot of the pitches have been, umpires have been missing, but also the players are, I don't know, on the size, if they should challenge it or not. But I feel like, you know, the umpires are locking it in and they're trying to

get every pitch right. And, you know, strategy-wise, you know, our guys would be more aware when to use them, when not to use them. So this is going to be work in progress. But so far, my players actually liking it. You know, they like the fact that they could challenge pitches and have that, you know, that tool in their tool built. Skip, thanks for the time.

I know you have some news to announce in a few hours. We're going to have to speculate, unfortunately, since you won't tell us now. but best of luck in Denver, enjoy the off day, and have a great weekend in Seattle. We'll talk again next Tuesday. Thank you for the visit. Bye, fellas. Thank you. Appreciate it.

We'll see you later. That's Joe Espada, manager of the Houston Astros. He won't tell us. It's okay. I don't think it is okay. We're still friends. We're a great friend. I like it.

It's probably not great news if he's holding it back. But we're speculating. Who knows? Wouldn't he? He's like, hey, guys. Oh, man, I got, glad you called. I got great news. We're going to, he's going to be just five.

Oh. Now, it doesn't mean season ending. I'm not saying that. But, okay, just being context clue guy. Ross, the ending, I'll be just 15 days. Believe me or not. I said no one, nothing can April. I don't want to hear sooner or other than.

later. It doesn't sound like it was a case of the owies. I don't want to hear anything about motator Duffs. You know what? I'm glad you rhymed. You know what? You're a fraud. You rushed me last week for

sponsor, non-sponsor. Yeah, this is not a sponsor. This is an injury I don't want to happen. Then you can say it. Let's say that a lot. So I don't want to speak it into existence. It's different. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. You're selective. You're a selective rhymer. Yeah, it's very clear. One is products and one is injuries that I don't want to happen. It's a clear distinction.

This show has value, and if you don't want to spend money, you're not getting to run. That's fine. All right, Houston. Oh, boy. As Ross would say, and he's done this many a times on his Twitter account, which is, you know, it's a great follow at Sports RV. I'm going to say the first, I'm going to ask a question that Ross has asked many a time. How are we feeling? 1244.

Matt and Ross with you till 2 o'clock here on 790. All right, I made an executive decision at least for me. I will not speculate on how we're going to hear from Joe a spot in a few hours.

Why not? Because I already know what I think already and I don't want to say it publicly. We're just speculating, Matt. It's a talk show. All right. We're not reporting. We're not journalists.

Like, for example, a Chandler Rome. Chandler, a good friend of the show? Yes. Or Brian McTaggart? Brian McTaggart, a great friend of the show. They're both great friends. Of course. Matt Kawakara, not a great friend of the show, but a good guy.

Hey, nice guy. Yeah, really good. We have decent beat riders here. I think we have great ones for the Astros. Yeah. We have spectacular beat writers. Great fellas. And have our sick war sense of humor in large.

in many accounts, too. By the way, I'm getting texts from all of my friends that are listeners to show. They're all freaking out. Really? Yep. I understand. He says he's going to have something for the media later, and he doesn't want to say into this show. It's probably not great.

Okay. I'm going to put this down on these separate... Oh, gut feelings. Yeah, okay. I think we're going to hear the term six to eight weeks. Okay. that's not that bad. I would take that.

Well, of course, the alternative is he's going under the knife tomorrow. Yeah, that's what I don't want to hear. I don't want to hear rotator cuff or labrum. Ooh, labrum's sneaky. On the big board, that's a sneaky pick. Because here's what I'm thinking. And again, I'm trying to go into the mind of how PR works.

Assume we to write this down, six to eight weeks for Hunter. Six to eight weeks. If it was something more than that, like out six to eight weeks or reevaluate? Now they go to the reevalue. You're trying to narrow me down. The re-evaluated card generally doesn't mean that's not a real timeline. Okay, here are the two leaders on the big board.

Out six to eight, and then there's another side bet re-evaluated in three to four. Let's say re-evaluated in four weeks. I'm going to go with that. To my original point, though, I think Ross, if it's something super severe, we would have heard it from a national person by now. That's a good point.

It's possible. How about this? Hey, guys, he's fine. He's going to play the series opener Friday in Seattle. Where's that on the big board? No, it's actually not possible. It's not, yeah, unless they're going to break league rules. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Oops, we actually injured and listed him by a mistake. We're taking him off. Yeah, immediately under the 15-day IL, the first we'd heard of it. That is cause for concern for me. Not like, eh, he might work through it. We're thinking about it, and we I-L them.

No, it's like, boom. My mind, the two favorites are six to eight, and then either B, that's A and B is out through to four re-evaluated after that. I'm going reevaluated in four weeks. Okay. Which of ours is worse? Probably mine. Neither one of them are good.

Because they don't normally give, like, massive timelines these days anyways. No, because, again, that just holds them up for speculation. Well, okay, we told us for four weeks. And if you don't make the timeline, then everybody gets mad. Yeah. Just like that's what. the Astros were so vague for so long because they felt like they were getting crushed by

media folks because they weren't matching the timelines were not matching when the player came back. It's like when you ship stuff and they over prom, they under promise. It'll be here in three to five days. Oh, your package is here. And then you're like, oh, this is great. Like, I have a friend of mine. I've talked about it before, and I won't mention Zane because he could be

listening. I take every statement he has, whatever it is, and I either double it or cut it in half. Hmm. Are they in sales? no oh oh i know what you were going there that's not bad that's not a bad call on your part sales people do that all the time it happens i'll give you example uh how long does it take you get from your house to the airport oh it takes 30 minutes no it usually take it's probably

it takes them 60 you just don't want to tell you it's though i'm down the street because the person i'm down the street and they're there and it's like 25 minutes right right how far are you to you get home 15 minutes well no you're probably 25 and then i'll say hey What was the crowd of the gamblers game? And somebody will say, oh, there was 19,000. Well, there was only about 8,500. Actually, that's not a. They would die for 85.

Yeah, 85. Don't you, you got to have a front of like that, right? The embellisher of the group? Overestimator. Oh, big overestimated person. Ross, what is believe it or not today? I don't know. Parts of the shoulder.

No, that's not fun. Okay. Corysfield. That's actually not bad. You know, it's got to be Michigan basketball, right? By the way, we have a statement from South Carolina women's basketball. Okay.

Would you like me to read it really quick? Go ahead. This is where the four U-tab comes into play because I don't follow South Carolina women's basketball. Yeah, hopefully this is the real account, Matt. You've been ball sack sports a few times. Oh, it is. It is. It is.

It is. Okay. Okay, good. This is from Don Staley, the head coach. With the women's college basketball season behind us, it is time to move forward and close the chapter on how our semifinal game with Yukon ended. I spoke with Gino, and I want to be clear.

I have a great deal of respect for him and what he's meant to this game. One moment doesn't define a career, and it doesn't change the impact he's had on growing women's basketball. The standard at Yukon is what it is because of him, and that's something this game has benefited from. So I'm asking everyone to turn the page. Let's refocus on what matters most, continuing to elevate our game,

creating opportunities, and pushing it forward. That's always been my mission, and it's not changing. Signed, Don Staley. A, that's awesome. B, do you believe she wrote it or did somebody from the PR department write it? A PR. It's probably collaborative. Now, you can't lie on a statement.

I spoke with Gino. It doesn't say how that conversation went. They could have just met each other for 30 minutes. You never know. Shit your bum ass up, man. That's exactly right. They just said, catch these hands. I'll see you next time.

They said, catch me outside. Gino said kiss the rings and we hung up. Yes. It is. Yeah. Now, she does say, I have a great deal of respect for him, and that's what he's meant to this game. So that can't be a lie either, right?

I don't think so. All right. So the beef between Gino and Don Staley is over with, and we can all sleep a whole lot better now. Oh, thank goodness. Don three-time champ, Gino 12-time champ. That's crazy. Well, the problem with women's basketball has been

the discrepancy between the haves and the have-nots is so much different than it is in the men's game. Well, it's almost always the four number one seeds in the final four. Yeah. And then apparently UCLA kicked Salcana's ass here on the other day. Yeah. well deserved by the UCLA Lady Bruins.

Lady Bruins, that's what I was going to ask. I don't know, some teams don't do the... What is the South Carolina ladies? They can't be the game cocks. No, they still are. Huh. Go ahead and... I'm staying away.

Turn on my golf and say... No, no, no, no, no, no. You can't leave. You can't finish what you were starting. Jonathan, finish, do not turn his microphone off. All right. I was just going to say, well, it is 20. 26 and I'm closing my mic

how this show's gone on 16 years I don't even know at times 713212-5-7-0-7-0 and do not send tweets about what you of what they call themselves I don't want to hear it I don't want to see it don't bring it up Astros Joe Espada gives us somewhat of an update on Hunter

or maybe the preamble to the big stage when he'll make an announcement later today. Rockets and Phoenix Suns get to that as well 713-212-5-790. Believe it or not, coming up as well in about 50 minutes here on Sports Talk 790. This is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross. 102 at H-Town, final hour of the Matt Thomas show with Ross here on Sports Talk 790. It is an absolutely spectacular, sunny, cloudless day in the Valley of the Sun.

Rockets and Suns tonight. Late night with the Rockets and Suns and the Jalen Green. rematch for the first time against his old teammates, the Houston Rockets. Ross, how are we feeling? I'm feeling like I need a Rockets victory. One and a half point favorites are the Phoenix Suns. Should be a late night barn burner on NBC and Peacock

and of course on News Radio 740, KTRH. Y'all need to listen to me tonight. I mean, I'm prepping like a muddough for this. That's great. I'm treating this like this is game seven of the NBA finals. That's good, Matt. I'm glad you put it. in the work.

Thank you very much. Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Jalen Green, Reed Sheppardaro. What? Bless you. Osa Igaro. Bless you.

Grace and Allen? Well, there's some serious Duke power in this game. And Dylan Brooks is back. Yeah. By the way, Dylan was supposed to miss the game. He got a technical foul

over the weekend, which was his 18th. And conveniently enough, the NBA rescinded it. So he's playing. That's okay. Full strength, baby. Let's go. By the way, real quick, before we get to other things going on, the number of Waymo's in Phoenix,

it's like, I wouldn't say every other car because that would be an embellishment, probably every fifth car is a Waymo. Oh, wow. And people are shooting videos of them in the Waymo, and they're like, I'm scared for my life. Yeah, I'm never getting in one. I don't think I'm going to either, Ross.

I'm good. I'm trying to support our working class drivers. as a former Uber driver myself. Yes. It's a nice way to make, it's a good way to make an income where you don't need a whole lot of training or a degree or anything like that and you can make some decent money

and contribute to our society. And be polite. That's all I got to do. Most of them, yeah. If you're bad, you literally can't drive if you're under like four and a half, I think. Yeah, yeah. All right. So Rockets and Sons, Astros will be here on 790. That'll be a first pitch of,

7.40 p.m. They play 640 games. Now, I asked them on the trip, I said, if we move bumped every big back to 640, would that help for the Astros again? They're like, no, we've got to go stay at 7.10. So, that makes sense. Yeah. All right. We had Joe Espada with us earlier, and we had point blank asked him about whether he could give us an update, and he's going to wait to give it to the assembled media in Denver. How are we feeling? Not good, honestly. not good and I hope I'm wrong

but the leaders on the big board are re-evaluated in three to four or out six to eight this is a tough here because this is where this was the year that Hunter could have gone now here we are presuming things again we have to we can't we ask and if he can't have his answer that

it's our job to potentially responsibly speculate this is a big ear for him he wins a bunch of games he's going to be able to write the check wherever he wants to go. But if he's missing a large chunk of the season, that's going to obviously affect, I don't know, his long-term forecast, but at least it would affect negotiations involved with the Astros.

Well, yeah, I mean, he can still get hurt for a little while and come back and still be effective and still make a ton of money. So, yeah. I mean, obviously, pending on what kind of news, if we get, like, disaster news, we're not getting disaster. I hope not. I believe disastrous news is not on the big board.

I agree with your thought that if it was disaster news, we'll we would have heard about it from a large from one of the national reporters a nightingale a rose but i mean that doesn't mean that can't happen in the next couple hours that doesn't mean that can't happen during the a team coming up here starting at two o'clock on sports talk seven they get all the good stuff they don't get all the good stuff there was some big news that broke on our show recently what was it oh we've done okay could be better though 713 212 577 if you want to join our conversation 713 2 1 215

790. Oh, by the way, Justin Verlinder went on the injured list over the weekend. Did he? I didn't know that. Yeah, so that would have been

part of the missing you segment yesterday. Oh. Yeah, we skipped it. It's your segment. We didn't want to steal it from you. Okay, well, I'm going to do missing you during basketball and football season, too. Okay, yeah, it's your segment.

Okay. Let's see what else is going? It's not a heavy sports day, is it? not exactly unless you want to break down the Michigan versus Yukon game if we did an instipole if you watch the game last night

it would go like 10 to nothing zero in Houston yeah it wouldn't be great let's see the odds of the next national champion in basketball are out and Duke is the favorite 8 to 1 Michigan second favorite 12 to 1

I know you're waiting for a certain school it's going to be down there little bit. We're losing players. Arizona and Florida, 14 to 1 15 to 1. Yeah, yeah. Houston and Illinois at 18 to 1. That feels about right.

I mean, Kingston Fleming's is going to go to the draft. Kristen Neck has not made his decision yet. You've got some good recruiting class coming in or something, right? You've been cutting in checks. Are you kidding me? That's what I'm saying. You just line up to come play basketball at the University of Houston. Of course. Yeah, I don't, uh, it could be a rebuild.

Who knows? But I think the smart thing that Kelvin did do is he, He didn't waste any time in making the decision to definitely come back in coach as compared to, like, you know, waiting a month or so. And everybody's on a one-year contract anyway, so you can't negative recruit against that that much. No. Do you even think there's negative recruiting going on anymore? Absolutely. Well, I just think it's about cash.

I think it's taken, it's not the only number one thing anymore. I think it's about, what do you have? Well, it never was the number one thing. But, yeah, of course it's about cash, but of course guys are negative recruiting. they're going to have playing time for you oh that coach is going to leave oh this and that of course what if that coach wants to offer you 2.3 million dollars playing next year i'll get past that i'm so good i want to i want to stay yeah but i think in general i don't know this for a fact but probably highly sought after recruits are getting somewhat competitive offers from multiple places and then

then you go to other factors cash is king for sure but then you you can go from there i got a serious question for it and i don't know this and i guess i could ask you coach this to get the firm answer on this. Do kids even go to class anymore? Some of them do not. Like, I'll give you an example. Fleming's, when he signed with the University of Houston, was already thought of as a one-and-done guy.

And there's one-and-done guys all over college athletics, but I'll just use the local example. Has Kingston gone to a class at U of H? I don't know. I'm going to say he's taking classes, yes. Now, that would be in the fall. Spring? I don't know.

Yeah, that's true. How many hours taking the fall? 18. Looking for late registration. How many in spring? Well, it's funny. I was going to take 18 more, but I couldn't get into any classes. Awful.

I hope he's getting some kind of credit. Well, I don't know. It was a farce before NIL, and it's just now even a double farce. It's just, it's a, it's the amateur league. I'm glad to play. It has been ever since big money came in in the 80s with TV money. Yeah. So, I mean, I'm glad that they're getting their piece.

Yeah. But, yeah, I think part of the reason why college basketball doesn't resonate with just a general sports fan is that for two reasons. One, guys don't stay very long. We've had that problem. But now, you're having teams completely rebuilt year-to-year because of the portal. So let's see you have fallen in love with a certain guy or certain guys. They're moving on another school within a year. So you're like introducing yourself to a brand-new collection of players every year.

Yeah. It's like you're a third-grade teacher. get new faces you get new faces every year she was my eighth grade teacher if you got if you get repeat faces then probably something went wrong mrs canoose was my third grade teacher

i loved her too mrs canoose yeah k nusty it was her name okay she had a big southern draw this is like a nuss miss nis and then mrs cordon was my eighth grade teacher for science i loved she was in all time miss hessian was my third grade teacher shout up miss hessian wherever she is

Yeah. Conley, I think they shut that school down. Wait a minute. You went to a school that's been shut down? How does a school shut down? You're not a for-profit organization, are you over there? I don't know. I'm pretty sure Conley Elementary and Aldeen shut down. Shout out the Conley Cougars.

We made it about the traps, Maddie. has your here's one for your audience if you're going to a school that was shut down and for what reason I don't know lack of funds lack of school probably this probably the tests were so bad

I mean they had to spread you out to other schools right I have no idea I don't know that is so odd all right I thought it was weird we had to pump our own water uh yeah did you guys talk at all

yesterday about LeBron in his Memphis hating? No. I don't know if you... I thought we talked about it last week. Did we? Okay. You know what was our thought?

You mentioned how everybody hates that hotel anyways. Well, there's two hotels that they hate. But they really hate the city more than they hate the hotels. It's just not... And I've said this, and I'll make this very brief on this. A lot of any of the players have started the dog on Memphis. And it's gotten the ire of some people in the African-Americans. American community, but it's like, hey, you know, we're, we are very proud of who we are

and what the city has become and yada, yada. And my philosophy has been this. You, I get asked this, guys, I get asked this all the time. What are your favorite this or your least favorite this? And one of the questions is going to ask to me is, what's your favorite place to go in the NBA and what your least favorite? Memphis is by far my least favorite place to go. Can I jump on this real quick?

Real quick, let me finish it. I'll let you jump in. Yeah, I was there are 30. I'm agreeing with you, hold hard by the way. Memphis is one really bad city. There are 30 towns. And so somebody has to be one and somebody has to be 30. And I think what these players are saying is Memphis is 30.

Now, if you want to make it more socioeconomic or you want to make it something about cultural, that's everybody's own individual prerogative. It's just an unsafe city with not interesting things to do. And again, you can go to some of the museums, which are very cool. But if you've done the museums, once you've done it a thousand times, and there's a lot of crime there. I don't know where they want, and the hotels are not great. Now, if you want to shame on hotels,

then that's more of an issue for professional athlete staying in five stars. So I just think that LeBron's wearing it, but it's not just LeBron. It's just about every NBA player. Nope, we try to get to Memphis as late as possible when we can. It's not a great place. Yeah, and this is any time. Remember when Joe Keen-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-Know is, like, talking down on Cleveland, and the whole city of Cleveland got mad, and, like, the mayor's releasing a state?

But this is anytime anybody says anything about any NBA or NFL or whatever city. I mean, if you're going to compare Phoenix, L.A., Miami, Orlando, New York, those are in that tier-1 class. There's a tier-five class, and Memphis is in it. Mm-hmm. And it's, you know, look, the people in Memphis, generally speaking, are nice. But it's just not a great place to go. It's just not.

And so somebody's got to be 30. Milwaukee is, and that's what Brons said. Look, I don't like going to Cleveland either. It ain't cool. It's not fun. So I just thought it was much to about nothing. But again, somebody's, if you're doing anything in life with a group of 30, somebody's got to be 30. And unfortunately, for Memphis, I think, collectively among NBA players, it's number 30.

713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-2-1-2-5-7-90. three things we love about the Astros right now, three things we're concerned about. We'll get to those lists next here. It is 116 on Sports Talk 790. I think it's stop me. I'm all the way up.

Three things I love about the Astros. Number one, the top and all the way down the lineup, I think exceeding expectations. That's number one. Number two and also goes along the line with what number one is, is the Astros have shown the ability to fall behind if they've been able to fall behind, or in some cases fall behind and come back and win.

They have a leg game heroics. It's not something that is easily taught. It's either the team's got it in their DNA or they don't. That's a encouraging sign. And number three, and a lot of this maybe is because of the injury status or the bereavement, but we've gone two weeks here, Ross, without it being an issue about who's playing where and how much. And so the less drama that is on that particular situation, the better off the Astros have been. Those are the three things for me that have been the most encouraged.

Yeah, it could be coming to a head with Isak Pratis off the bereavement list and Joe Espada telling us he's ready pretty, going to be ready pretty soon to be in the lineup every single day, so we'll see what happens. From that standpoint, and the fact of the matter is, if you're not going to have Yord on left, you're going to have somebody who's wanting to play every single day, not in the lineup every single day. All right, three things for me that have been discouraging. One, the pitching staff has been beaten up the last handful of days. look, you're not going to go perfect against the A's or the Rockies, but it doesn't feel good when it's back-to-back situations.

Number two, and probably the most important thing, what's going on with Hunter Brown, which we try to get an answer to at this point where it's been unsuccessful. And then number three, this, I think, was an important year for Yarnier Diaz. The Astros Ross are going to have some serious catching concerns coming up. If they can't get Walter Yonick rated at the big, leaves pretty soon here. Yeah, I mean,

0 for 6 on Sunday wasn't great for Diaz. He did have three hits on Saturday, so that was good. I don't remember how he did. Yeah, one, I'm pulling it up. One for four yesterday. I mean, he's just going to have to be at the end of the lineup. OPS of 563.

I'm talking about the defense as well. Yeah, defense isn't great. But that's just kind of the situation. Christian, let's pump the brakes. Certain Astros fans want him out there every day already. Vasquez. Not happening. His body can't do it. He just can't. Well, if not,

Yiner Diaz is just going to have to figure something out. He swings at everything, so he's prone to high variance of slumps and of hot streaks. And unfortunately, it's been a slump for a long, long time now.

Oh, I forgot number four in my top three. Sorry, I got to add a fourth. Positive things? No. You said a pot? No, no things you're encouraged. All right. If I give you a fourth negative, I give you a fourth positive.

Okay. Let me give you the negative first. We're all good. Yeah, we're in the trust tree. Brian Brayu. What? What about him? He's fine.

Ernie's 24. Is that bad? Wait, how many pitchers have gone with an irony of 24 and have been successful? Not many? No. It depends on how you define success. I'm going to go usually with the ERA of If you're a position player

And you're, you know One sixth of that would be Okay, I guess It's going to go down Eventually I would hope so He'll be fine If it goes up

He's gonna be a Rotary Munoz He's not gonna have Roder Munoz What was your favorite Roderie Munoz was an Astro moment? I don't know That time he was giving up a bunch of runs Our good friend

Adam Wexer Was bringing up a good point Like I think it's something like Half or maybe more The runs given up by the Astros have been by Javier, Munoz, and Abraeu. So generally speaking, it's been, and Weiss got worn out on that yesterday a little bit.

And Weiss didn't help. I think Weiss is like, Munoz is gone, Javier and Abrae, we're going to improve, and Ryan Weiss will be fine. So we're all good. Oh, can I give you a fifth one? Oh, well, fifth what?

We're going negative or positive? Negative. What? Christian Javier. What about, it'll be fine, maybe. You don't even believe. believe that. I do believe he'll be fine, maybe.

He hasn't, well, but he hasn't, I mean, he wasn't even really particularly good at the back end the last season. You think about it? Correct. Location has been a problem. So I owe you two more good bright spots through the early course. Let's go. Okay. I'll help you out.

Cam Smith? Yeah. Tate measure job. OPSing well north of 775, which I had as a good feeling. One thousand right now. Yeah. If you want to, if you OPS is 1,000, the dude's going to get MVP votes. I'll give you one.

Not that he needs to come back, but Altuvae's hitting, and did you see the play on Sunday? Second base behind the bag, throws a runner out at home. Yeah, diving stop. I mean, a six-footer would have picked it up, but that's good. That's good. You're terrible.

You're terrible. I've been waiting for you to come back and say something about that so I could drop that long. I tweeted you. You got nothing back. I got nothing back from you. Is that true? I thought it responded. No. I responded. You responded to your excellent tweet that I gave you props for. Oh, well, I also responded to a guy who always argues with me about Yordon being in the two spot.

What did you say that? I said, hey, your one's looking good in the two spot. Here, where's your tweet? What's your name? At SportsNcy. I was going to see. Well, you know what I'm dropping Twitter followers like flies. Let's go now.

I know what I was going to say. And then I just decided not to be sarcastic and to just let it. I was going to say... You know what you did? You waited for the radio show and for that. I was going to say gold glove finalcy ads. Because people don't... This is what happened.

People, you would know I'm joking. Uh-huh. But people on Twitter wouldn't, and then I'm going to get attacked, and I just don't want to deal with that. Please, folks, never attack. Ross. No, you can. It's fine.

I'm just going to mute you. It's not a big deal. That's interesting. It was a great play. I mean, I didn't think he was going to make it, but he did. It was. It was a nice play. And I do believe, and I, again,

I think there is not a heavy weight lifted off of his shoulders, but just a little bit of a weight of, hey, I know who I am, I know where I want to play. I was trying to be a good soldier last year playing left field. It ain't my bit. I don't like it out there. I'm uncomfortable with it and probably indirectly affected some of his batting numbers because of that.

I just think its numbers were affected by having to be out there in the field, 150 plus games. He was only in left field like 40 games, 45 to 50. I think it was like 47. I'll go look it up. But if Isak is still here with a team, then, you know, that's going to obviously be alleviated a little bit and some more D-H-days.

713-212-5-7-90. Ross, today's edition, believe it or not, for spectacular prizes, would be what category? I was going to do Phoenix, but apparently we've done that twice. And what was I pivoting to? I think I'm going to do the Rockies, maybe.

Okay. Greatest Rocky of all time would be? Larry Walker? Uh, Troy Toulowiczki? No, it's got to be Larry Walker, Vinnie Castilla. Yeah, uh-huh. Dante Bichette? Dante Bichette.

Larry Walker probably, right? Didn't Larry Walker get in the Hall of Fame? We were like, Larry Walker's in a Hall of Fame? I'm going to go with Mike Hampton. No, Mike Hampton are the greatest pitch, not the greatest Rocky. Oh, we missed a big one. I was trying to think of him, but I couldn't think of his name. Oh, Andre is got a wrong.

Rocka? No. Todd Hilton. You said, don't tell me as I was saying it. Sorry. Todd Hilton should have gotten. We just named six Rockies. I don't think people in Denver can name six Rockies.

Well, here's their top all-time war leaders. Helton, Walker, Nolan Aronado, Troy Tillewski, Trevor Story. Yeesh. What a crap franchise this has been. I mean, Trevor Story, good player, but be fifth all-time in your franchise.

you dropped to Troy Tilloiski twice in one segment. Again, I dare another radio show the marketplace to do that. Charlie Blackman's seventh? Woof, woof. Kyle Freeland-Athe? Woof. Rockies, believe it or not, coming up in 15 minutes or 20 minutes here on Sports Talk, 790.

7.13, 2,1, 2, 2, 5, 790. So a number if you want to join him in, anything you want to get to. Rockets, Suns Tonight. Rockets, where are they going to finish? in the playoffs. Astros, what is Joe Espada going to tell us

later today or tell the media that's assembled in Denver, Colorado? What will he say? 713, 212-5-790.

135 on Sports Talk 790. We'll be getting a draft person on, hopefully the next couple days. I attempted one person and that person did not respond back to my text. Not to go to hell.

Not so I can't do it. Just not respond at all. it's fine you get mad when people say they're busy too I'd rather than say I'm busy I'm slammed yeah it's fine NFL draft three days

I mean to me first day super interesting day two and day two okay kind of want to see who's finangling what what second round guys should have been drafted the first round what first round guys

dropped to the second round. Day three, I could give Gratz ass. Just filling players out. Now, again, that's not my job. General managers live for that kind of stuff. And frankly, Ross, if you looked at some of the best teams in the history of the NFL, especially in the last 20 years, I'll use the Seattle Seahawks as a great example of that, they load up on those day three guys, and those day three guys want up being massive contributors to football teams.

Yeah, it matters. But we don't know the names or get too deep into the draft and stuff like that. That's okay I thought you were curating your big board though I couldn't bring the board on the plane with me Oh okay I got you You'd have to check it and pay extra I'm still holding on to the notion

That Nick's going to trade out of the first round Okay Because he has an itchy trigger finger when it comes to trade He loves trading on draft day and around it Like he'll call some random team and say I'll give you two six for a seventh and a fifth in a second and it's like oh my god yeah i think i think dale brinton was talking about him trading his sides on his barbecue plate

wait a minute nobody wants his plain broccoli with no seasoning on it at all and brown rice with no salt and pepper he no you can't get fair trade value there yeah i don't think dale serves that probably everything it sounds like every i don't know dale but it sounds like everything he serves is made with a lot of us couple sticks of butter. Okay, housekeeping is knocking on the door. Tell them to come in. Hi. Can you come back in a few minutes?

Like 20 minutes? Thank you. Have a nice day. I was polite, right? Yeah. I said, have a nice day. And I meant it to her. That's for once. It's good. You know what? The road to recovery is paved one step at a time. Let me tell you something. I have to take L's in life. Uh-huh. And I will take the L. I will never, ever, is long as I live, never tell somebody not to have a nice day ever again. Okay.

No, not to have a nice day. Right. Tell everyone to have a nice day. Even though I'll say, have a nice day, and I'll not mean it. Okay. Apparently, it's less abusive than telling someone not to have a nice day. I get you. All right, where we're going with this?

Oh, on the cassarial stuff. The main thing about, oh, another thing, are we absolutely feeling still super confident they're going to go with an offensive of the line in the first round. I feel like they've done a lot of the lifting in the off season. I don't know. How are you feeling about it? I'm feeling that I'm not ready to absolutely demand

that he takes an offensive line in the first round. And then all bets are off the one, the training in the second round. Yeah, I mean, you've, they've signed a lot of guys to where it doesn't have to, they're in a, not a luxury position, to where the backup plan would be not getting someone. Because wasn't Cam Robinson signed last year before the draft?

Yes. And we all were like, I don't know if they're going to get a tackle. And they got Arionte Urstery. So if the right guy falls, you don't have to press. And that's what Nick Asario never wants to do. He likes to say true to his board and all that stuff. So you don't have to reach or press or anything like that. And I think they're going to be in a position to where they don't have to do that.

But it would still be nice for any kind of often. I'm still on board with an interior guy or attack. Yeah, that's where I really want to get somebody because, again, I can't speak to this, whether it's, I would assume that 28 is a sweet spot for that. You know what I mean? Mm-hmm. That you could go get that player that would be not necessarily the number one or two guy, but it feels like to me you just, you would, if you're, if you really, if there was somebody that you just thought was a generational type player, they could stick on the offensive line immediately right away, they would try to go up and go get him as compared. going down. And I just feel like that from the little bit of reading that I've done,

there isn't that guy that's, you're going to plug and play for the next 10 or 11 years at that particular position. Center would be nice. You're not taking, I don't think you're taking center at 28, right? You don't take centers ever in the first round, do you? I forgot. There's,

I'd have to pull up my big board, Matt, but I believe, yeah, there's not necessarily anybody that's going to be on the board at 28th that you really feel like you have to take. Yeah. All right. I'm watching the Rockets get back from shoot around. They just got back after they were at the arena downtown.

Okay. How are we feeling? Kevin Durant looks good. Okay. Reed Shepherd walking around nicely. Everybody's doing great. Okay. Rocket's going to try for their seventh consecutive win this evening as they take on the Phoenix Suns.

Boy, I'll tell you what, if you're a Laker fan, you're not feeling good about your postseason thoughts, no matter who you play. Oh, yeah, Reeves out for the season, regular season. and for sure, and then Donchich as well, and probably even the first round series minimum. Both soft tissue, right? I know it was hamstring for Donchich, and what was, no, Reeves was like oblique or something?

What was it? Well, how about the fact that Luca is going overseas to try to get some help? Basically telling the Lakers medical staff, I don't trust you. Do you buy into that kind of plateman, Richmond plasma injection kind of thing to quick heal somebody?

Because that's what he's trying to do. Yeah, I think that, I mean, I think it works for guys, but generally guys who do it and then try to come back early, it doesn't work out. But they're going to do whatever they can. I mean, I guess I give him credit for trying to exhaust every avenue possible. Yeah, which, by the way, why can somebody not use human growth hormone to recover, but he can go to Germany and get platelet rich in directions where they were his blood in a machine and it spits out and it's supposed to help him recover extremely fast? Why is one legal and one's not? and it's different by sport too, correct? I guess.

I don't know anybody doesn't allow the platelet-rich injection stuff. They allow out on track and field? It feels like that. I don't know. That's like you can't blood dope. I don't know. That's a question for Jonathan. Well, it'll be our topic A lead off tomorrow.

Okay. Topic A. 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-750. It is all things about the Colorado Rockies for today's edition of Believe it or not. And you know what I'm going to do, I'm going to tell you the prizes ahead of time. I usually tell you the prizes right before you play, but I know people are going to be like,

I'm not going to call in and play unless the prizes are really good. And that, of course, is a lie because you'll play for anything. 7-1-3-21-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. Today's edition, believe it or not, you're playing for either a 7-0 T-0 T-shirt or... This is a good one, Rossi. A pair of tickets to see ACDC on their pretty reckless tour,

August 31st, no, excuse me, the Power Up Tour with the group pretty reckless August 31st and Energy Stadium. ACDC. Greatest strip club music, pound for pound? What's that? Like if you were to go to a bar, a strip club and you said, I want to get a good song

and gets the girl dancing good. Don't you go ACDC for the win? No. All right. Not in this day and age. Okay, maybe 1987. Yeah, in 1987 when you were, you're hitting the clubs. I don't, okay, I'm going to bring that up. Ticketmaster.com for those ACDC tickets.

We're playing for that next. It's, uh, believe it or not, all things about the Colorado Rocky, 713, 212, 579. 719. 7.1.3212-5.790. Five minutes left to go on the show. What should we do? We should play America. This fastest growing sports radio game show, we simply call it B, believe it or not. And here's how we're.

Your call 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. Today's edition of Believe it or not is all things about the Colorado Rockies. I'll read your statement about the Rockies. Statements completely utterly accurate. You'll say this. Believe it. If the statement is erroneous full of bunk and made up, you will say this.

Not. Two believe it or nots in a row when you have pair of tickets to see ACDC on their power-up tour, 2026 with the pretty reckless on August the 31st and NRG Stadium. Tickets are on sale now. at Ticketmaster.com. Let's play. We'll start with... My computer going down momentarily,

and back out goes. Line number two. Javier on 790. Javier, you ready to play, believe it or not? Believe it. The franchise nickname Rockies was chosen by fan vote over other final contenders, like the Grizzlies,

the miners, and the Mountaineers. Believe it or not. Believe it. He was not. All logical thoughts, but just still made up. Let's go to Mark on 790. Mark, what was your favorite part of today's radio show? The girls got rhythm.

In their first two seasons, the Colorado Rockies were first in Major League Baseball in attendance. Believe it or not? Not. They were. They played at Mile High Stadium, a football facility. Cal on 790, Cal, you're ready to play, believe it or not? Believe it. The Colorado Rockies' all-time war leader is Larry Walker.

Believe it or not? Believe it. No, it's Todd Helton. Duh. We talked about that. Like 12 minutes ago. Prize whores. Ken on 790, Ken, you're ready to play, believe it or not?

Believe it. The Colorado Rockies AAA affiliate is the Reno Aces of the Pacific Coast League. Believe it or not? Not. That's right. The Albuquerque isotopes are.

Statement number two for the wind. Purple became a primary color for the Rockies because of the line in America the Beautiful for Purple Mountain Majesties. Believe it or not. Believe it. Yes. Congratulations.

Let's go to Matt on 790. your favorite part of today's radio show all of it in the history of the franchise there is not a rockies manager with a record above 500 not a single one believe it or not that's believe it it let's love all four hours of the show today wasn't it nice of him who is very nice i approve we need the support kyle and cypress on seven 90 call you're ready to play believe it or not i'm ready Original Rockies owner Michael Monas insisted on pinstripes on the team uniforms as he wanted to replicate the success of the New York Yankees. Believe it or not. Not.

That's made up. Statement number two for the win. The Colorado Rockies' all-time leader in pitching wins is Jorge de Ros. Believe it or not. Not. Believe it. I thought Ross you would have made that up. There is, I have no idea who Jorge Dilla Roas is.

That's why it felt perfect. Huh. We had one winner today, Ross. All right. Tomorrow I'll be traveling back to Houston, so Ross will handle the reins of the radio program. You do have shut your bum ass up tomorrow. You're going to do that, right? Sure, why not?

And you also have Brian Bogus Evic for another segment tomorrow? Yes, we do. He's getting overtime. Intense Rockets Suns recap? Intense. I'll be staying up and watching it. Can I call you after the game? Absolutely.

You want to just talk ball after the game? We can do like a... Okay, forget it. Up next, Clinton, Wexler, the A team. Talk to you for Rockets on KTRH at 10. I'm 790.