The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Cam Newton Heads To Pats, MLB Rules Changes Official, Next Step For Sports

Episode Date: June 29, 2020

So much larger than life. Yeah. Lunch timers is the Matt Thomas show. Almost 12 noon at H-town. What's happening in luncht timers? Good afternoon to you. And welcome to a Monday edition of the Matt Thomas show on Sports Talk 790. I'm Matt.

Joe George filling in this week for a variety of different folks. folks. Ross is still out and we are here with you this afternoon until three o'clock on a gorgeous, hot, steamy day in our city where, frankly, it's a heavy national news day on terms of sports, a lot of it revolving around the New England Patriots. So we'll get to that. The good news from them, if you're a Patriots fan, which unfortunately we have a few Patriots fans in our city for some unknown reason. Maybe it's because they've won a bunch of Super Bowls. We'll talk to you about the Cam Newton situation. We'll also talk about how once again a Boston sports franchise gets hardly any penalties. Case and point, their little video interrogation they had last year. We'll get to Johnny Football says, well, maybe you just call me Johnny Mansell that football is no longer a part of the equation. A current and future, I should say, a current Houston Texan who has yet to make it here to Houston is a little concerned about the protocol in the NFL,

the rocket schedule is announced, baseball, the 60-man roster has been put together. So a lot of little things here to get through on the course of the show today. And we welcome you at 713-212-5-790. If you'd like to join us on any of all things, 7-13-212-5-7-90. On Twitter, it's at SportsMT and at Joe George Radio. All right, let's get first to Cam Newton here. and I was listening a lot to the In the Trenches Show, and I don't think you're the only show that's brought this up,

but there's some people that are really curious as to why Cam signs for the low dollar amount he originally signed for. Now, there are some incentives in his contract that gets him to about $7.5 million. And my guess, it's based on, you know, number of games started, number of completions, touchdowns. I mean, all the things that you would think would go into other quarterback that doesn't,

doesn't have a guaranteed spot. To me, and again, maybe I'm naive on this, all the leverage of Cam Newton signing with anybody, whether it was the Chargers or the Patriots or the Lions or any NFL team, lied with the team that wanted to sign him. I mean, here we are, gang, at the end of June, with basically a month until training camps are supposed to open. you tell me when a player that doesn't have a team to sign with a month before the start of the season has the leverage to say here's what I want in terms of money

now first of all cam's on hurting for money I think cam is going to have every opportunity and then some to take over the starting quarterback spot so really any talk of this million dollar deal that he signed may be weak because he's probably going to wind up making a lot more money because he's probably going to be starting I mean obviously the Patriots like Jared Sennan, but they want a huge insurance policy. And Cam comes in and does it. And it's now a legitimate competition, provided they actually do have a competition. But he goes there, even if he's the backup, it's a million dollars to backup. If he goes and starts, he's going to make it a lot more than that. So I like Cam Newton a lot. There have been some things in his life that he probably wishes he should have done differently

in terms of some of things he said and whatnot. But I didn't think his career was over with, even though. Basically, anybody was a Carolina Panthers fan would tell you it was. He has had injury concerns. And as I said a minute ago, it comes down to what kind of leverage you have. And at this point, this late in the game, he had no leverage. So, Cam's like, you know what? I want to be in an NFL camp when training camps do open, whenever that is.

And the only way I've got to do that is I've got to sign a contract, and I've got to take what's offered to me. And so while again, there are a lot of bum backup quarterbacks making a lot more money, it's right place, right time, right situation. And at this point for a guy that has missed a lot of the last couple of seasons and a guy that had not been looking for, couldn't find work up until then, he chose the only situation I think that was really presented to him. And that situation was to go compete for the Patriots job.

And if he gets it and starts and does some things successfully, he's going to have way more than this $1 million contract. So I applaud him for getting the deal done. I think it probably gets people in New England very, very excited about it. Because even though Jared Stenheim, obviously, from everybody that you've watched and seen anything, appreciates what he's done and learned from and a little bit of time he's had in practice, he's done some good things. But sometimes if you think you're a contender,

you want to go with a little bit more of a secure blanket when it comes to a guy. that has been there and done that. And Cam Newton has been there and done that. I noticed on Twitter today that the Patriots of the first team, I think in NFL history, that got rid of a MVP and picked one up in the same offseason. And I'm not going to try to compare Cam Newton and Tom Brady, but this is not chop liver. If Cam Newton is healthy, Cam Newton is going to help the New England Patriots. So for anybody else to spend a whole lot of time worrying about what is financial,

are why does they just go up there win the job he'll make more money and then even if it's just a one year kind of bit he'll be able to go find something else in a two to three year deal making way more than this we've seen this before in sports we've seen a lot of guys have been hurt multiple years hey i'll go on a test a testing situation here i'll try to be successful and if i am i'll get my money i guarantee you that if cam newton winds up being the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots and he throws for 3,000 yards and throws 30 touchdown passes, he's going to make a lot more than $1 million in future contracts. But he's got to stay healthy and he's got to win the job.

And I think obviously with him and Stineman Hoyer, there's legitimate competition in New England. And if you're a Patriots fan, you got to feel good about that because, again, the great unknown is scary. Now, sometimes it works. Case in point, Alex Smith gets sent to Washington. to play for the Redskins and the great unknown as Pat Mahomes. Well, two years later, he's the MVP of the NFL or one of the best players in the NFL. So it's all about what you see in practice and what you see on film and what you see when he's with you.

And while I think Stenham could be the long-term solution, certainly New England, right now, they want to add competition. And it's a great value for the Patriots. That's what makes the Patriots who they are. They get terrific value more times and not in the players they agree. require. They also get great trade value. They also get great value when it comes to cheating. Do you guys remember when they, a few months ago, the Cincinnati Cleveland game was being videotaped by people from the Patriots and they gave us this manby, pamby ass, well, we were doing this for a feature on, I don't even remember what it was for. But they're basically

trying to steal signs again. So instead of basically saying, yeah, we goofed. They came up with this ridiculous thought of the video crew was doing this for a Patriots TV special. The NFL's like, yeah, whatever, you're lying. So the NFL, apparently, is going to say, and I guess I don't know if it's been official yet,

but a lot of reports out there, Adam Schepter puts it out there. You know when Adam Schepter says something. It's gospel. That they're going to be having to forfeit a 2,021 third round draft pick. Okay. I mean, mid-round guys usually tend to make squads.

Sometimes you get tremendous value. Sometimes you get guys that just don't even make out of training camp, i.e. the Texans. They're going to get fined a million bucks. And the Patriots cannot film anything for TV shows. They can't use their own production crew. Yet again, another slap on the wrist to a Boston sports team. It's not shocking. I know I'm not supposed to Joe be a conspiracy guy,

but it's becoming painfully clear. if you're an elite sports franchise in any pro sport you're going to get treated differently than those that maybe don't have that kind of pedigree. I think that's probably pretty fair. I mean, if you look at the teams that are often getting the harshest punishment,

they're lesser teams. Even if you just, even at college, the college level, I know at one point SMU was a big deal and then they got the death penalty, but no one, like, no major program has ever come anything near that, not Baylor or Penn State or, you know, This Zion stuff is true with Duke.

Like, they're not going to get the punishment that SMU got. If you're the top of the line program, it's like you don't get a pass, but you just, you don't get on the scale of one to ten punishment. You don't get the 10. You get like the six or the seven and sometimes even less than that. I mean, I don't know how severe it could have gotten. I mean, what would be the worst thing you would do to the Patriots on this last thing, which you...

Just higher draft picks probably. Yeah. Why don't you knock him with the first round pick? that'll shut them up. That's how you do it. That's the reality of it. Just get rid of a first, you lose a first round pick. That will tell you in your video department to stay the F away from everything. Instead, third round pick. Now again, third round picks, that stings a little bit, but it's a slap on the wrist. It really is. So if you're a Boston sports fan today, which we have a few that listen to us, I don't know why, but we love you anyway. You are really

happy. Your Red Sox got away with cheating. Not to the level of the Astros. I'm willing to admit that. But you cheated. And your manager cheated. And your manager was a mastermind behind the Astros cheating. So clearly he brought his technique to Boston. And then he puts it on the video guy. And ironically enough, all the players don't say a word about it. Wink, wink, hint, they knew what the Astros gotten into. And then the Patriots, they get another slap on the wrist. So let me tell you something. If you're a Celtic fan or if you know if the Celtics involved in cheating, they might also just do it. Because apparently Boston is is foolproof when it comes to doing things illegal. Bruins, go do whatever you have to do. Cheat on the ice. Boston College,

pay players. Do whatever it takes. Boston is immune from serious penalty. It's just the truth. because Patriot fan is very lucky. Well, Matt, you know what Boston's known for. Cheating? The mob? I was going to say baked beans. Maybe they've paid off everyone. Lobsterol?

Lobsterol, definitely. Lobsterol is so good. So good. But maybe the mob is just paying off all these pro commissioners, and that's how we're getting lighter punishments. Yeah, but there's a mob in New York, too. There's mob in Philadelphia? Yeah, but we know, like, Wightie Bulger was, like,

one of the greatest mob bosses of all time. So you're saying the history of mob? that started in Boston is helping in 2020? Well, look, if we're going to go conspiracy theory, we just got to go all the way. I mean, you've got to push it to the limit, so why not? Here's the thing about Boston. Beautiful city. Crazy-ass weather.

Basically, some of the rudest people you ever find in America. And I don't mean a stereotype, but I'm going to anyway. And sports teams cheat. I think I've described Boston in a nutshell. Great history. Great food. beautiful summers and cheaters and rude people. That, my friends, is Boston Mass.

713-212-5-790 if you'd like to get it on the show today. 7-13-212-5-790. Does Cam signing with the Patriots affect the Texans at all? We'll tell you what Vegas has on the Patriots being a new contender or perhaps a better contender for an AFC championship after this. Matt Thomas Show, 713, 212, 579. Rockets, Basketball. Rockets, PA announcer and sports talk show host.

One might get the impression Matt Thomas loves to hear Matt Thomas's voice. Go ahead, Matt, talk for us. I'm kind of sad that I won't be doing any more PA for the Rockets the rest of the year because obviously the games in Orlando, but I'll be doing some of the radio games. I don't know how many I'm doing or which ones, but the rocket season will go on starting on Friday, July 31st. Matt Thomas Show on Sports Talk 790 continues. Joe George helping along the way. We look forward to having you guys throughout the course of the afternoon at 713212-5-790.

7-13-212-790. I mentioned Vegas. So how does the Cam Newton effect? Cam Newton effect. that's right I meant to say that right the Patriots when it comes to what they could do by the end of the season the Patriots Super Bowl odds were originally

28 to 1 now they're 25 to 1 the Patriots to win the AFC remains unchanged at 12 to 1 Patriots division odds went from 17 to 10 which is a plus 170 for those of you that are thinking dollars and cents to a 13 to 10 meaning that at this point, the Patriots and the bills are tied for the prediction of who's going to win the AFC East this year.

Joe George, there is a prop bet. Are you ready to make a prop bet? How many games will Cam Newton start for the New England Patriots during the 2020 NFL regular season? The over and a half, which is, first of all, a tricky, good number. Um, I'm guessing if the NFL season is short and it changes the bet. Yes. It takes it off the board. So a full 16 game season, I'll take the over.

So you think he's going up there going to win the job? Yeah, I don't see how he doesn't win the job. Because here's the thing. While again, Sinem might be the future of the Patriots. I think they're thinking weird, short season, no mini camps, no OTAs, probably very limited training camp. I need a guy that's been there done that. That's why I think this move was made. Because if Sinam is they're really their guy and they had no reservations about it, they wouldn't have signed him.

Yeah, that's why, because when they first brought him Brian Hoyer, they're going to sit down. Well, they're just now they're definitely going with Sidham. Like Jared Sidham is the guy. Right. And Brian Hoyer is being brought in to help coach, to help assist and prepare for a game each week and help help them learn the Josh McDaniel's offense and what Bill Belchek's all about as a starter. and then that's it. But now you're bringing Cam Newton after all this time, and it's like, why now?

Besides to be the starter. Yeah, because the reality is this. I don't think Cam would have taken the job to say, Cam, we just need you to be the number two this year. Yeah, I think he would have waited. Yeah, he would have waited to have someone get hurt. He probably was told, and I don't think the Patriots are in the mood of lying to him,

that you've got every much, every bit of chance of making the squad as anybody else does. And on top of that, we're going to give you heavy incentives for you to, if you make this team and start and do some things, you're going to have a chance to make a lot more money than we're originally going to pay you. Just something to think about. So I would probably lean the over as well because, again, I think a lot of it's going to have to do with how much time does a quarterback need in this altered training camp slash preseason to get ready for a season? and if Cam's 100% healthy, he gets the playbook, he goes with it, he knows what he's doing. He's also been there, done that over a guy that he's only taken, what, four NFL snaps, I think, give or take, somewhere in that range.

Let's go to some phone call, see what you guys are thinking. What do you all think of Cam Newton wearing Patriot gear? 713-212-5-790. 7-13-212-790. Astros punishment, always the topic of conversation on the show. Martin and Angleton at 1221 and 7-90. Martin, what do you have today? Yes, sir, yes, sir.

This may have been already asked and addressed. Maybe I missed it. But, you know, next June, of course, the Astros and the MLB draft will not have a first and second round pick like this past couple of months ago or last month. Well, anyway, I was wondering, can the Astros follow an appeal about these abilities? and maybe like get one draft pick back or can they, do they have any recourse? No. Okay. Yeah, I just don't.

Joe, I try to teach you a little about radio sometimes. Yes? And I just figured if I just give the one word answer, I wanted to find out what his response would be back and he didn't have anything. Because I kind of knew he wasn't going to have a response. But he was excited to hear himself on the radio, turned it back real quick. Yeah. he that was more about hearing himself on the radio than it was like getting my answer i think i mean i understand why the question would be asked of will the can the punishment be appealed but that's

something that would have happened had to have happened months and months ago i mean yeah and who would be who will be doing the appealing by the way jim crane fires his manager and his general manager oh but i'm going to appeal that we're having too stiff of a fine against us yeah because i think You know, I still think people, man, I feel like they forget that Jim Crane fired A.J. Hinge and Luno. It's like people, they hear Astros punishment. And even outside of Houston, like, they're like the Astros, you know, they fired their manager. Right. Their manager got fired.

Their GM got fired. The Red Sox got this. It's like, no, that's not what the punishment was. Jim Crane decided to take that step because he felt it was necessary to reset the franchise and to remove that history from the team. by eliminating those two guys from the Astros. And I think people forget that that was his decision, not baseball's decision. You got to understand. You got rid of two of the five best at their position in their jobs, right?

I mean, you're talking about guys that were very highly thought of. I mean, Jeff Lunoz, even to this day, say what you will about maybe how we conducted business inside the organization in terms of employee relations. but from a strict result standpoint for a team that started from the very bottom and worked its way up the top through good draft picks, through relevant trades, through relevant signings, to a manager and A.J. Hinch who got the job here after failing miserably in Arizona and recreating his career, rebuilding his image. I mean, these guys were very, very, very highly respected. So to me, and to your point, the draft picks, okay, it sucks. The only thing worse than losing your general manager and losing your manager would have probably been if they had taken the trophy from the Astros.

Now you could say, well, the memories are still there. I was there when they won, or I watch on TV when they beat the Dodgers in Game 7. I was there when they beat the Yankees in the American League Championship Series. but my thought is you having to go to the offices and Major League Baseball of the Astros and pulling the hardware out, that would have been the ultimate embarrassment. That to me would have been the stiffest penalty of them all,

but not far behind is moving the manager and the general manager and having to start from scratch. Look, we have no idea what James Click's going to be as a general manager. He comes from terrific pedigree, and by all accounts so far, he's a very affable guy, he's done it the right way through a long-term tenure in Tampa, but it's a little bit different when you are the guy as compared to being an assistant to the guy. And in Dusty Baker's case, I mean, a tremendous, tremendous background as a longtime Major League manager, but he's also on the other side of 70, and frankly, when he got the job, he didn't have a real great grasp of his team. and now he does, but it wasn't like he was looking at box scores of the Astros the last couple of seasons. So this is a major, major life-altering organizational path here with the Astros have gone with.

And as far as I'm concerned, the only way the Astros are really going to make immense for all these changes is by still having their core players and being successful and winning the 2020. World Series. By the way, the Minnesota Twins have told two of their coaches over the age of, I think, 69 that they are not to take part in activities this year, citing COVID. The Astros have, I think, three members of their coaching staff over the age of 60, including pitching coach and manager. The Astros at this point, obviously, have not done that, but age is becoming a factor clearly when it comes to what is happening around baseball with who should be in their baseball. bubble and who should not.

Time is 1227. It's the Matt Thomas show. Sports Talk 790. 713-212-5-790. So how you reach our show today. 7-13-212-5-7-90. I don't think you can appeal it. Matter of fact, I know you can't appeal it because it would have been done by now. And do you think Rob Manfred would have given the Astros any breaks?

He only gives breaks to Boston teams and New York teams. I'm going to be really pissed that they don't. reveal that letter in August. I don't care what's in it. If it totally exonerates the Yankee, I'm okay with that, but just show the damn letter and stop hiding from us. But my guess is majorly baseball on the Yankees wanted that letter hidden for very, very good reasons. And if they win, we'll never know. But the presumption is going to be that the Yankees were doing a lot of cheating in 2017, just like the Astros were. 1228, Sports Talk, 790, 713, 212-790. If you want to join us on the show today.

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Sure, Mr. Bunby. Would you like it regular? Or chopped and screwed. Ha, ha, ha, ha, keep it trill. Nothing can stop me. I'm all the way up. 1231, making 1232 Sports Talk 790. It is the Matt Thomas show. We take it until 3 o'clock today. Still, we've got to get to some Johnny Mansell conversation. I don't know why this story came out, but,

Johnny understands his career in football is over with. We could have probably told him that three or four years ago. Man, what a monumental bust he was. We'll discuss him a little bit. Also, a Texan's wide receiver is very concerned about the lack of information coming from the NFL. We'll tell you about that too coming up in just a minute. Let's go to John on the northwest side at 1232 on 7.90. Hi, John.

Hey, man, how you doing? Been a long time. Good. What's going on, man? Oh, no, man. You know, this is Jim Crane team, so he can do whatever you want to do. My person's feelings I thought he got to get carried away firing the general manager. Firing the manager is one thing.

But I really don't feel like he really needed to fire the general manager, especially since, you know, everything really, it kind of looks like that's gross and Jim Crane does not get a fair stake like these other great. so-called franchises like the Yankees and the Red Soxed. Now, it took him a long time to come down with the Red Sox phone, and that wasn't nobody to slap on the wrist. You know, that just took too long. And then this thing here, this letter that the Yankees and Manfred is doing their best to try to take that high court that it's not open.

You know, that smells. I mean, especially why would the Yankees want to involve themselves in that? You know, I'm going to tell you, man, you know, when you think about it, you know, we could all, this thing here, in that letter, man, we could think about that there's all kind of stuff in that letter, man. It could be that the Yankees was cheating since 2015 or 2014. You know, they made it look like the Astros was doing this advanced cheating and everybody was trying to catch up and around with Daylon. Hell, it could be that the Astros was trying to learn what the Yankees was. already was doing collapse off since they was Belcane over there.

And I'm not blaming just Belgrade because I still like him a lot, especially since I think everybody was keeping. But, you know, I just I'm like, man, I sure hope they open that letter because, you know, when Napa punished Astros, you know, there was a few times

when he did interviews and he bashed Astros. He said some things that were a professional of a guy that's over baseball. You know, he intentionally made Astros look bad, you know, with things you're saying that he wasn't supposed to do. I don't like it at all,

and I hope he opened that letter, and I hope we find out that maybe Kansas City was beaten. I'm still trying to figure out how to hell. They made it that far as we started. Well, I don't want to throw everybody under the bus, because that's not fair either, John, but I will say this. Wasn't Carlos Belcher on the one that basically walked in the Astros Clubhouse and said, you guys got to catch up at the time

is because everybody else is doing the same thing? I mean, it was either him or Cora that said that. One of those two guys said that. And so obviously they brought whatever they had from other baseball teams into their clubhouse. And that's because the Aster doesn't have any history of this part of 2015. Not that they really would care because they were terrible. But when you have veteran leaders come in from other baseball teams, either to be an assistant or a player, and they tell you what's happening around other baseball,

it's either you either go by what they're doing and play along by their rules or you're going to be left out. That's what I think the Astros did. Doesn't it mean they excuse it, but it also means that they're not the only team in baseball doing the exact same thing. Exactly, man. It's so true. But you know what? I found very hard to believe. I mean, if every team had bitter at ways, man, you know, that's like putting a plate of donuts on the table and telling the fat lady she can look at it but don't touch it.

You know, I just find that such a temptation. But, you know, I just want to let her open and I hope it's been dirt. I hope you find out that math. is not the guy that should be over baseball because he's tough enough for these things. All right, thank you, John, for the phone call. Yeah, I don't know if he's an ineffective leader, afraid to make decisions on tough baseball teams,

or he just didn't have the smoking guns that he had with the Astros. I got a question for y'all, and Joe, you can jump on this. What if the Astros would have said nothing and said, I don't know what you're talking about? how much punishment could they have given the Astros? And how long would it have been held up in appeals if they had said based on what we think was being said, we're going to give you this punishment.

The players of association would have said, wait a minute, you can't punish him if you don't have the evidence. Why were the Astros so forthcoming? And if so, was it a mistake for them to do that? I think it's just because of Mike Fires, like he gave them all the information. If they didn't have Mike Fires, they could have just done with, like, I think the Red Sox cheated more than their, there than what's been reported. But there was no snitch on their team.

So they didn't have to confess to anything that they didn't know. So they were able to get together on a story and say, this is what we're going to do. And with the Astros, Mike Fires laid out in detail what was happening. So MLB already knew. So at that point, if they believe him and there's other sources that say this is the truth, then it's like you have to confess. You're basically backed into a corner. That's what I think happened with the Astros.

I think, frankly, they took every war that Mike Fires said as the gospel and said, man, you must have this down to a T. And that we don't need your cooperation to absolutely destroy you. And my guess is they went to the Astros and said, we have such unbelievable evidence of this in game tapes and with what Mike Fier said that if you don't tell us what's going to go on, we're going to absolutely crush you.

I bet you, Joe, they were going to pull the title away from them if they would not have cooperated. Because that, to me, would have been the all-time, right? Yeah. The all-time slap in the face would have been, we do not recognize the Houston Astros as the 2017 World Series champions. It would have been.

I just, I don't know if it's on the table because they haven't done that yet with like Barry. Have they? I mean, Barry Bond still holds a home run record. They haven't scrapped his name from history yet. Okay. Well, so if that's the case, then why did the, why the Astros cooperate so much? Because were they going, I have a feeling they were, again, I'm just, this is just playing, we're just faking this up a little bit.

What if you're the commissioner's office saying, hey, we got Mike fires. He sold us everything. If you don't want to cooperate with this, we're going to give you much harsher penalties. Or you can tell us what you really think, and we're going to save you a little bit, which they really did.

I mean, they didn't pull the trophy. But in retrospect, how much did they save themselves from public embarrassment by being so forthcoming? unless, unless, here's one for you, unless they went to Major League Baseball and said, we will tell you what you want to hear, but you can't ask at us about it.

We can't ever tell anybody what we tell you. And that's kind of a way to say basically, if you ask us about it, we can't say anything because we told Major League Baseball, we couldn't say anything. Does that make any sense in terms of we gave up the goods under the protection of, we don't have to keep discussing it for the rest of our career?

Yeah, I think that makes a lot of sense And then I think we also had to go back to the player immunity thing Like that's what if they were threatening those guys with like year long Suspensions? Because I would make me want to talk more too Once you get that player immunity And you say like if our if our bosses came to us Matt and said Joe like something happened

You're not going to get in trouble if you tell us everything Right I'd be way more inclined to tell because I know my job is secure and then if they say, if you tell us nothing, and then we found out you were part of whatever happened, you're going to lose your job, then I would go with, I would talk because it's,

it's my money, it's my life that they're now affecting. And I think everyone's belief, I think the Astros belief was like, well, AJ will be back next year and we'll get this over with, and Jeff will be back next year, and we'll be,

it'd just be a one-year hiccup and we'll move on. That to me is probably at the root of all of it too, is just the player immunity made them talk. Because without it, I don't think they do in all honesty. So basically, you know, so do you ever watch NYPD Blue when you were younger? Yeah. You know how Sipowitz would go in the room and would say, we're going to make this very easy for you or going to make this very difficult for you.

You can go spend 12 to 15 years in Rikers if you don't want to talk. But I can get you probation or a light sentence if you tell us what really happened. Exactly. So that's exactly what they were. Rob Manfred in the Major League Baseball office put the Astros in a witness room, an interrogation room, so to speak. And they said, we're going to make it easy for you or going to make it difficult for you. You want to miss a 2020 season without pay?

You want to be suspended for 100 games. You want to lose that trophy. You want to lose any stats from that season. You better damn will cooperate with us, right? now. That's exactly what they did. Sipowitz is Manfred, circa 2019. And thus the reason why the Astros have been able to say, yep, we did it. Can't give you great details.

And they were all able to come back and work this season. Not so much for AJ Hinch and for Jeff Luna. 1242. Matt Thomas Show Sports Talk 790. 713-212-5-790. is how you reach our show today. 713. 212.

5-790. What will the reaction be for the Astros when they get back to playing? Keith Oberman was on the Dan Patrick show today, I think it was. And he had a few comments about what he had to say. Coming up next, 1242, Matt Thomas Show on Sports Talk, 790. The morning sports show for those who partied in Midtown way too hard last night. The Matt Thomas Show on Sports Talk 790. 1247 on Sports Talk 790 the Matt Thomas show with you today until 3 o'clock 719 if you want to get in anything

did you watch anything special this weekend in sports I could not find anything that was overly interesting except one thing Joe it was the serena Williams versus the umpire 30 for 30 it happened to be on ESPN on ABC the other day and I just watched that and I was mesmer summarized by that, but other than that, it was hard finding anything sports related. I'm a big golf guy, so I did watch most of the golf on Saturday, and then yesterday I was watching it until there was a lightning delay, and then I didn't catch back up with that afterwards. But I was watching the golf for the most part, but besides that, no.

Golf's a good napping sport. You ever notice that? Definitely. And like cleaning sport, too, like if you need to do some cleaning around the house, it's good to throw golf on, walk around, do stuff. You're good to go. I don't know what this cleaning is you speak up, but that's another here nor there. But yeah, it was just, we're in that wait-in-C mode until we get the games.

And by the way, the rocket schedule obviously was announced Friday. They will play eight games. And then the playoffs will start like three or four days after that as long as there's no eight, nine get-together. But that should be cool to see. Basically baseball has not announced their schedule just yet. although there was a story out yesterday that said that apparently the Yankees and the Nationals will open up the season together. Symbolic.

I still can't believe the Astros lost all those home games. I mean, it's a tough pill to swallow, be honest with you. You have the, I mean, you fight all year long to have the best record in baseball so you can have the home field and nobody in that series won a game. I don't think we'll ever see that again because I mean Minutemate Park was rocking I'm sure Nationals Park in D.C. was rocking

and nobody won a game just a very peculiar odd way to end that season and then what happened after that was even more peculiar Keith Oberman was on Dan Patrick's show he thinks

that there's only a 50-50 chance that camp start on time and start on time he's like next week right Joe the time everybody gets to their respective cities? Yeah, I think they start July 7th. That's a week from Friday? Is it because of the numbers increasing everywhere, I'm assuming? Yeah, I think it's just...

I guess his concern would be like if there's all these positive cases, camp can't really start on time. But I don't... I mean, the NBA camps have started, right? Or those haven't even started yet. No, they're not going to get down there. until, well, they may be in their own respective cities, but they're not going to get down to

Orlando until, I think, with July 7, 8, 9, somewhere in that, right? Yeah, I mean, I think he's saying, just it depends on the positive tests on teams. And, you know, if there are teams that, like, let's just say the Astros, just as an example, can't start camp because it's really bad

for the amount of players they have right now. I don't think they'll start anyone's camps because that's an unfair advantage, but then what do you do? Like, it's just, you're either going to start or you don't. They've only got three weeks to figure this thing out. Yeah. So if they're not starting on time,

I don't think they're going to push the season back. They're either going to start and they're going to play and they're going to figure it out as they go or before camps even start, they would cancel the season. Because right now these squads are 60 players. You know what? They may just keep playing this bad boy, Joe, and say, if we've got to go deep into that roster,

so be it. Which means a Jack Mayfield may have a significant role in this Astro baseball team in 2020. Well, you know, when Brian T. Smith was on Friday, I thought what he said, it really resonated with me about the 5%. And he said that if the leagues can stay at 5% positive test cases that we're going to have full seasons. And I think he's really spot on. And I think it goes probably personally, I think it can go a little bit higher than that.

But if the MLB comes out first and they're like, oh, yeah, we got, you know, 5% of our players. It's going to look like a much larger number because they're testing so many guys. You know, they're going to be testing 1,800 guys, whatever, plus. Right. But if it's at 5%, like, I think you just keep, you push forward and you go forward. I think it's when you get

close to like that double-digit range where it gets a little sketchy. I think America needs everybody at 5% basically. So Keith Uberman on the Dan Patrick show this morning said it'll benefit the Astros' legacy at baseball as played in 2020 and the year ends with a World Series. Otherwise, the year in

baseball will be remembered for only two things. The Astros scandal and no baseball. He goes on to say, if they get to a 2020 World Series, the Astro thing will have not been wiped from history, but it will be less of an urgency. In that eventuality, he said history likely will judge the Astros, quote, slightly in worse shape than, say, the 1951 giant sign stealing scheme. I'm going to have to slightly disagree. I think this sign stealing and whatnot in 2017 is going to stick with the Astros for a long period of time. And I really only blame one thing. Social media, right? The Astros, if they wanted to, could make a donation of any amount of money. One million, two million, five million, ten million. It really wouldn't matter. It could be to social justice. It

It could be to food banks. It could be to stopping breast cancer. It could be to stopping AIDS. It could be stopping for any of the issues that address our country today. And while you may get a handful of, this is great, glad you all stepped up, go to Twitter. And you'd see the remarks of, well, you know, cheaters, you stole a championship. Where's the trash can? So I think of anything, the easiest thing the Astros can do is when, you know, it's.

a championship because they're clearly going to be behaved themselves, hopefully for the rest of the franchise's existence. But anything short of that is going to be no matter what the Astros do, no matter how great Jose Al-Tube is, no matter how many home runs George Springer hits, no matter how many strikeouts, a particular pitcher gets, it's going to be you guys cheated. And unlike 1951, there was no social media, there was no internet, and most people that were around to see that saw the 1951 Giants play

are dead. Truth, right? Honestly, before I listened to the interview this morning, I didn't know anything about the 1951 giants. Nor did I. I've been reading all day and I still don't, like they stole signs. Okay, when you think about

it right now, besides the Astros, what's the greatest cheating scandal that you remember in your life? Stereodera. Spygate. Let's run through a few of them. Steroids, spigate. What's third?

I mean, the Apple Watch is sort of, but that's not really overly memorable. No, because I think because of the Astros, we've definitely just passed off. We've forgotten about it. I would say point shaving, Tim Donahey. Definitely. But that was just one rogue guy. This was a rogue baseball team. He claims it's not, though, doesn't he?

Doesn't Tim Donahey claim that it's more, it was more than him? He can claim it, but there's been no evidence, and it's been years since he's done it. So either the other guys protect themselves very, very well, or he's just trying to do it because he doesn't want to take the blame exclusively for himself. So as much as baseball historians will talk about how bad the 1951 New York Giants were, it's largely out of sight, out of mind, because, again, most people that watch baseball, Even the diehards have no recollection of the 1951 New York Giants scandal. Anybody that's watching baseball now, even the most average baseball fan knows what's happening in 2017 and how social media will never let it go away.

And frankly, if we're Dodger fans, Joe, we got to be honest here, would we let it go away? Never. Would we give up on that? Not until we win. until the Dodgers won a World Series they're going to always bring it up and once they win a World Series I think they'll move on

but until then like Cubs fans kind of don't really talk about Steve Bartman as much anymore once you have your championship the bad history kind of goes away a little bit so Bill Buckner agrees with you on that too don't forget yeah so the Dodgers until they will probably never win a world series

because they just choke all the time they'll never get over it but if they ever win one maybe they'll move on a little bit All right. Second hour of the Matt Thomas show starts with an update from a Houston Texans player who's not happy with the lack of information coming from his league. We'll tell you who it is and what he had to say. And of course, he went to Twitter on it. 1257 Sports Talk 790. Here we go.

The second hour of three on Sports Talk 790. I'm Matt, Joe George, with us as well. Ross with the day off. We look forward to having you a part of the show this afternoon at 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90 on Twitter at SportsMT and at Joe George Radio. Randall Cobb, brand-new Texan, highly compensated Texan, tweets at NFL at NFLPA. So if you look at his timeline, you wouldn't see it because it's a direct reply. He didn't put a period, so it doesn't appear in his timeline.

He says to NFL and NFLPA, can we have an update on training camp procedures, testing, etc. We're four weeks from the assumed start a training camp, and it would be nice to have an adequate information before I attempt to move my family across country during a pandemic. Huh. I wonder, first of all, and Joe, you and I've talked about this as well as Rawls-Ross. I don't think you're on the Twitter every time you're mad about something. It'd be easier to do it that way, but it's just more responsible to call your team rep or call the league office. Do you think he's done that?

Do you think Randall Cobb did the proper protocol in doing that before obviously trying to out his own players association and his own league for not giving information to its players? before the start of the season. You know, I'm going to say yes. I'm going to guess yes because we just, no one knows what's going on with the NFL. Like, they're just going business as normal, but how? Like, there isn't any real clarification from the NFL about what's going on.

All we know is that Camp Start July 28th. We haven't heard anything about testing protocols, about manuals, about none of that stuff. None of the stuff we got from, we got it from the NBA, from the MLB, way before they figured out that they were, actually playing their sports. We got the 100-page documents that, you know, like the athletic would go through.

We haven't got anything like that from the NFL. So if it hasn't been released to the public yet, I'm guessing it means it hasn't been released to the players yet because normally Schefter would have that information. Yeah, I've not seen one word about a 100-page manual from the NFL yet. Or for hockey, for that matter. I think hockey's just kind of danced out there in the win. I don't know what they're doing either. They can't even figure out where they're going to have the rest of the season, but that's for

hockey fans. So when Randall Cobb puts that out there, and from what I understand, Randall Cobb has been a model citizen in the NFL, a thoughtful guy, very well respected among his peers, did have some great seasons. And I'm not talking about his on the field player, off field play. But, I mean, I think he's going to be brought in here to be a good locker of influence where maybe Bill O'Brien thought that Downer Hopkins was not. But it's curious that has he made an attempt to really get some information that?

and got stonewall and said, all right, well, I've tried, maybe I should go to social media in order to push things along a little bit. And this isn't a question of highly compensated athletes. This is a question of human beings taking family, moving them in a certain area of the country, whether it be Texas or moving to another team in, say, California or Arizona or any of the East Coast teams. This is just one grown-ass man trying to figure out why these. NFL and the players association have said nothing about it. And that's why, again, I am double and tripling down.

And if I'm wrong, I'm wrong. There will not be an NFL season like we've ever seen before. There will be a delay. And I don't expect training camps open up in July. I don't expect there to be much of a preseason. And I fully expect at least the first three or four games to be pushed back where you take those chunk those first quarter games and you move to the start of the calendar year 2021.

Because as I've said before, I know the NFL likes to push an agenda and stay on schedule because they know there's a lot of fans. And the draft was cool. We embraced the draft. We loved the draft, but that was also involving 32 Zoom cameras, the commissioner is cozy little downstairs bunker

and some reporters. That has nothing to do. with 75, 80 guys on 32 football teams, with coaches, with staff, with trainers, with the commitment people. And if you don't have a protocol set by now with training camp opening less than 30 days away from today, how do you do it? How do you do it and not risk a massive outbreak? Because the reality is this.

The NBA teams are going to go to Orlando, like July 7th, 8th,000. the ninth. They're going to quarantine those folks. They're going to make sure that the entire campus is safe for those guys to move around and do their thing. And they're not even going to start their first basketball game until, you know, the 30th of the month. So they are being overly cautious. Or in fact, it feels like to me the NFL is just like, yeah, we'll put something together for you. We'll get back to you. And this feels like the first time a player has come out and said, well, if you're going to do that, you might as well tell us what's going on, because not having information is scaring myself and my family.

So it is definitely noted today that a Houston Texan, a new Houston Texan, is set to move his family to Houston, at least for season two, whatever the case may be, is very concerned about why the NFL has done nothing at this point to announce what these players are supposed to do in terms of getting themselves ready. Because if there's any sport that is going to have a massive outbreak, you would generally think it would be football, right? Close quarters, 52, 55, 70 players, your high contact, film rooms.

Again, you can do some of that virtually, clearly. But you can't social distance on a football field. Yeah, you can social distance until Sunday. You could set it up to where the offenses don't practice with the defenses, where that's not allowed in training camps or in practice, and then you're not seeing an actual defense until Sunday. Like that's extreme and would probably make the product awful, but... The product would be awful.

It wouldn't be tough to watch. It would be impossible to watch. Yeah, but like... You're telling me a defensive player can't hit somebody until the first week of the regular season? Exactly. Like, that's not going to work. Good luck with that. So they can't do that, so they know that.

Like, at some point, there has to be contact. Now, I would think maybe there's a way you can quarantine them or not, like, isolate them in practice where like maybe the offense and defensive line like that's the only contact they have. And maybe like running backs and then linebackers and safeties and corners are only working

with wide receivers and quarterbacks and tight ends and maybe there's different ways you can spread the guys out on the field so you're not going full 11 and 11 as frequently even though they don't do that much now but it just I don't say any way where you can you can't have good football

and remove the contact from practice. You have to practice. You have to hit people. Or the product's going to be atrocious to watch. It's not like baseball. And you have to have receivers being covered by people in practice too. Yeah. So they can run their rounds.

And you have to have offensive linemen push people aside so your running back can find the holes. No, this contactless practice will not fly. And the NFL knows that. And if they don't know that, get ready to watch some amazingly bad football. But maybe the NFL doesn't care. I'm just telling you, when Randall Cobb goes out there and says that on Twitter today, and they're supposed to be, today's a 29th of this month, 30th is, when does training camps supposed to open up?

July what? 28th. Yeah, so less than 30 days. And the Texans probably before that, because normally those teams on opening night, like the Texans are with the Chiefs, usually report to camp first before everyone else. Yeah. Good luck with that. Just, and so are you, are you all mentally prepared?

to start the season later? I think American can wait. Well, if the other sports happen as they're going to, I'm totally good with waiting. In September, we're going to be in the MLB playoffs and the NBA finals still, the conference finals. I'm good if the NFL pushes back four weeks. I don't need football to start September 2nd or 9th

or whatever it's supposed to. Well, here's the thing. Regardless of even if MLB and the NBA were playing, I don't want the NFL to go to training camps. have outbreaks, have a high COVID positive test, and they've got to shut the league down for a month or two months or three months. Because that's going to open up a whole new Pandora's box of problems. Why did you bring these players in when you guys weren't ready?

And my guess is the NFL is not just sitting on their thumbs going, not caring about what's going on. They obviously have something going, but they've just apparently had done a very poor job of communicating that to their player union. and this is nothing new about their money or playing a kid's game. This is a grown-ass man who chose to be a professional football player, a job, and said, you know what, I'd like some information. I just hope that he didn't do it just for the sake of getting some tweets

and people going, oh, look, he's mad. I hope that he's doing it as a second or third resort to say, you know what, what's going on? We've asked for information. We haven't gotten any, and now it's taking me to go to social media. in order to find out some information. 713-212-5-7-90 is how you reach our show today. 7-13-212-5-7-9.

If you want to reach out through Twitter, you can do so at at SportsMT, at SportsRV, which he's off today, and at Joe George Radio. A lot of you still want to talk about this Astro stuff. Really nothing new on them, but we can discuss that. We can discuss the fact that the University of Houston is going to host some of the back-end guys on that 60-man roster as a second facility.

They're trying to socially distance the players in workouts, so they'll be using U of H and they'll be using Minutemade Park. Man, you must really be low on the total pole if you're having 1 o'clock workouts at Minutemate Park or at U of H Field in July. That's got to be hot as hell. But let's face it, I'm sure it's not the most extraneous activities because, again, they're having to alter the way they practice.

And they're just taking some batting practice, I'm sure shagging some fly balls. Pitchers are getting their work in. So it probably won't be very long workouts, but at least get those guys ready in case they're needed for the season. Because, look, Major League Baseball is anticipating COVID test to go up. How much? Hopefully, as Joe said, under that 10% number.

Anything under 10%, I think these sports organizations are going to feel good about themselves. If it gets above 10, then I think a lot of folks are going to start to get really worried about it. Time is 112. 713-212-5-790 7-1-3-212-5-790 it is a matt thomas show we take you today until three o'clock this is sports talk 790 good news it's the matt thomas show for lunch let that boring brown bag lunch rot in the employee refrigerator oh what's that smell the matt thomas show on sports talk 790 time is 116 it is the matt thomas show we take you to three clock this afternoon here on Sports Talk 790.

713212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. Johnny Mansell update, so to speak, coming up in about 15 minutes here on Sports Talk 790. Headlines the day so far. Cam Newton signs a one-year deal with the New England Patriots to compete with Brian Hoyer and notably Jared Stinnum for the new quarterback spot there.

The Patriots get penalized, a third-round pick at a million-dollar fine, and their video crew can't shoot any video in 2020. Then again, the Rob Manford way of penalizing Patriots. And Randall Cobb, they just talked about a minute ago. Not happy with how the NFL and the Players Association are advising the players about what to do when it comes to getting themselves ready for the start of the 2020 season. 713-212-5-790.

Let's get ready and say hi to Brad's in Florida on the Matt Thomas show. What are you got today? What's up, Matt? Hey, how's it going? Good. What's going on? I was thinking the Astros aren't going to happen. Hello?

I was thinking the Astros won't have a problem with draft picks because they're going to have plenty of compensatory picks. The problem I think is the biggest challenge for the new GM is resigning George Springer. And my one question to you is, how much do you think he's going to want? Is he going to want Bryce Harper-type money or is he going to want a little bit above Jose Al-Tuvae money? Well, Brad, I've got to be honest with you. I'm not a great determination of a money guy. I don't know what he wants. I don't think he's going to get Bryce Harper money.

I don't know. The Astros have given out that kind of cash. They've taken care of Bregman ahead of time. They took care of Al-Tube. They took care of Justin Verlander. to me, Brad, I think it comes down to who the organization

wants to spend that next big contract on that's either going to be on George Springer or on Carlos Carrere. And I think this year will go a long way to determining the plans for both those gentlemen. I thought they were going to trade Correa. I mean, because of all his

injury situations and his past has not been George Springer's been the consummate pro, and I think I would rather keep George Springer. You can always move the third baseman you got over now to shortstop, and then you got that new rookie. I forget his name, but he came on last year.

I think he was a third baseman, shortstop two. I think you can fill that position. I think it's George Springer. Do you lose George Springer? Asers aren't going to the playoffs at all. I think they're going to go right back down where they came from. I think George Springer is the key. I don't think Carlos Correa is a great player, don't get me wrong, but he's going to want a ton.

George Springer's going to want. You can't sign them both. So I think George Springer, to me, would be the one you keep. And Correa, like I said, can be easily replaced at short. I mean, you say he can't. He's not going to be replaced. Yes, he can. Our third basement can move over to Short, and you can put one of those rookies.

I think that's going to be on the team this year on third. Well, I'll see this. I don't know if George necessarily will sign a big contract this year because the finances of baseball obviously are all screwed up because of this short season and the pandemic and whatnot. It might behoove him and be in the best interest of what he does by signing maybe just a one-year deal for a good amount of money. The Astros don't necessarily commit long-term.

And then if baseball resumes and starts playing a normal schedule again and having fans in the stands and whatnot, he may have been able to strike it rich. I just can't imagine there being a lot of super rich deals this offseason. And ultimately, the number one offseason acquisition for teams in the outfield would be Mooky Betts. And then Georgia would be right after that. But, yeah, I don't think anybody's going to strike it rich in this short season because obviously the finances of baseball are all screwed up right now. I agree. I agree.

All right, Matt. Enjoy your day. You're doing great. All right, man. I don't have a chance much of football. listen to talk anymore, but I listen. All you're the best. Thank you very much, Brad. Sorry that Brendan McCurry did not make the 60-man squad.

For those of you that know, there isn't a bigger fan of Brandon McCurry than Braden, Miami. Big fan. 713-212-5-790. 7-13-212-5-790 if you want to get in the conversation. Again, Twitter is at SportsMT and at Joe George Radio. Am I right on that? think Joe, do you think there's room for both?

I think Springer's going to sign a one-year deal, so I think there's room for both for at least one more year, but then it's after that. So I think it's the mighty question that we don't know the answer to yet. There's a change. You lose both of them, honestly. Definitely. So that's why maybe, at the end of the day, the Astros better win a World Series this year and or next year, hopefully both, but at least one, so we're not miserable for a long

period of time. God, I even thought about that. Man. Could you imagine having to start from scratch after all these years? All these winning years and only one World Series to speak of? So maybe you just have to, ooh. You really overpay maybe George for one year to keep him here, and then you go from there. But there's a realistic chance of two years from now.

Both those guys will be going. I don't want to think about that. I love George. There isn't a moment in time that I've ever watched George Springer, play an inning of baseball that I didn't think that George gave it as all. He's got maybe two things going against him. One, he's in the other side of 30. That doesn't mean he can't play.

That means he can't be successful. But he's realistically got one super big free agent contract ahead of him. Because remember, he didn't start as a major league until he was 25. Remember how what a big deal that was by the Astros keeping him? down because they wanted to, you know, preserve as much time with him as possible. And secondly, and the same thing can go for Carlos Correa is that, you know, George misses time because of his complete athleticism and want to to go out and play and succeed and do anything he can't help his team, but he runs into a wall or bangs an arm or something

like that and he misses time. Now, that can be said for a lot of different players. But the most important times in Houston Astros history, George Springer has been there not only to play and compete but help. So I wouldn't even count that necessarily against him. If anything, my guess is he'd like to get a one-year deal from the team, full season, full 162,

that'll still put him at about 32 years of age at that point. And then he can go get that one big three or four-year contract upwards of $25 million, whatever the number may be for guys like his of his ability. but it's just going to be very hard, in my opinion, to really try to push how awesome you are when it's a 60 game schedule this year.

And frankly, we could see some guys' numbers be a little skew because of the fact that it's not normal circumstances. I don't even know how you look at numbers this year and try to figure out what it means. I mean, what if someone hits 400 or hits 395? How do you take that... They don't count in my mind.

Like, how do you take that into effect when they're going to free agency? I don't know, like if Springer hits 20 home runs and leads the league in baseball, like, what do you, what does that mean even? It means nothing. There's not a single stat this year, Joe, and a good point by you. There isn't a single stat this year that makes any bit of difference. If a guy hits 400, so what? It's 60 games.

That's why this season, even though we're still going to like it, even though we're still going to root for particular players and teams and the Astros, has a monumental asterisk. I mean, a huge asterisk next to it. It just does. There is nothing, generally speaking, authentic with this 2020 season coming up. It's really, I mean, it's most of the pandemic's fault. But at some of it's the players and the owners

that couldn't agree on a longer season. I don't know. If you bat 400 over 80 games, does that make a big difference? I would think so. I mean, it's half a season. season at least. But there have been a lot of, there have been a handful of guys over the last 30 years

that have gone 400 past 80 games. I don't know. That to me is such an incredible feat that you have to be able to say, you've got to be in the 140 to 150 club if you're really going to be in the Joe DiMaggio category. You know what I mean? Yeah.

Teddy Williams category. Yeah. So I just, the whole season is just weird how it affects free agency. Because I could also see Springer saying, well, you know, I know it's not what I wanted, but with fans still potentially not in stands next year and revenue being down again

and then potentially a lockout, maybe I do want to just get paid right now and just take whatever he can on like a three-year deal. Who knows? He could handle it in so many different ways. Every free agent could. Mookie Betz could get $200 million or he could get $110. Like we just, we don't know.

That's going to be fascinating. Is there anybody else besides Mookiee? It would be right in front of George Springer in terms of free agency. Not that I can think of. I haven't really thought of it, but I mean, we've been thinking about George for quite some time. And frankly, Mookie being out there kind of helps the cause a little bit. Because say what you will about how much we love George,

I think Mookie probably has a better reputation overall in baseball. But Mookie doesn't play nice and Mookie gets traded. So we'll see how much of an impact that makes when he's out in California this year. 713-212-5-790. 713-212-5-790. All I know is when I hear about the future of Carlos Correa and the future of George Springer, I think, damn it, they better win this World Series this year. Well, we're going to be sitting around thinking about the great era of Houston Astros baseball between, say, 2015 and 2022. And we know we're going to be thinking about all those close missed opportunities and the one world series that was won when the team got to. busted for sign stealing.

We, meaning Houston, needs an authentic World Series championship. Why not in a crazy 60 games season? 128, Sports Talk 790, 713, 212-5-790.

I-Hard Radio, the free app for your music, your stations like Sports Talk 790, and number one for podcasting. Thomas Joe, Joe George, in with me as well? Joseph, if I tell you that George Springer has only played 162 games once in his career

140 140 and 122 in the last three years does that concern you about signing him long term? No I mean I'm I'm pretty happy with 140 games out of 162 because that's like what one DL stint probably and days off it's not too bad I would generally say yes but you also have to understand that as guys get older did that does that DL stint go to twice a year or and I'm not trying to sell one guy over the other because I'm a huge, huge George Springer fan.

But he'll be 30. If he signs a one-year deal, it'll put him at 31. And then after that, you're looking to sign a three-year deal for, assuming three to four years, it'll put him at 35. I guess part of it probably like factors in with Yordon if he can play a position because Springer is like definitely good enough for the bat where at some point is career, you could just move into a DH, but if that spot is permanently filled with Jordan, he can't play in the outfield or he can't play first eventually, then it might

change your perspective and a little bit, because I would just say, like, eventually George would become the DH. I just don't know if that's possible right now. Here's the problem. There has been never a sign from the organization that they believe Yordaun Alvarez can be in a major league defender. Yeah, nothing. It's almost a running joke.

I think his weight probably has something to do with it. And sometimes he's just a natural feel for it. Now, could you train him to play first base? But the problem is the first baseman's spot. Remember, I mean, 20, 30 years ago, you could always hide your worst defender at first base. Because all you do is, in theory, has got to catch the ball. But I think the position itself has gotten a lot more complex, a lot more. you need a lot more agility.

And, you know, even Dusty Baker, for a guy that really didn't know much about his team, down in Florida, we were there in February. It's like, yeah, you know, we got to worry about his knees. And I'm thinking, man, if you're worried about a guy's knees at this age, then he's not going to play. And the outfield, first base, whatever the position, more than, say, once a week.

So the question is going to be, do you have your DH for the long term, which I'm okay with. If Yorna Alvarez wants to hit the way that he hit last year and wants to provide the punch, then that's just going to have to alter the way the organization is going to have to treat the DH spot. For years, we've bitched and complained and moaned about the team

not having a legit D.H. We now have one. The Astros now have one. You've got your own big poppy now for years and years to come. There's nothing wrong with that. And if he has to play out, feel once in a blue moon, okay. Just make sure you're in the right ballpark that would do that wouldn't expose him for his lack of range

or whatnot. But it does hurt a guy like George, and frankly, under A.J. H. H. He loved to move to the H spot around because he wanted guys to keep their bats going, but he wanted to give them a day off in the field. Michael Brantley took advantage of that a lot. Springer would do that. Jose Al-Tubi would do that on a somewhat frequent basis. That also closes that down a little bit. So you might have to be able to, you may have to alter your franchise

your roster a little bit because essentially you're going to play your Don's six days a week, right? You're not going to be able to move that around and give different guys an opportunity to be to the age because that's the number one focus he has for your baseball team. These are good problems to have because if Yordaan can do it and he's your big poppy for the next decade, there isn't going to be a single soul that's going to complain about it. It's just going to be different for whomever long-term manages his baseball team on how to move guys around, give them the day off on the field,

but yet still have their bat available to them if you need. 713-212-5-790 is how you reach our show if you want to get in 7-13-212-5-790 Mike's and Angleton on the Matt Thomas show Mike what do you have today Hey Matt how you feel and sound like you had a little allergy to something working today A little bit little bit just trying to make sure we're all separating ourselves a little bit What's going on Mike? I got you hey you know I worked down at the ballpark and stuff and Talk amongst my season ticket holding of the stuff is that I think probably Corray is going to get the short end of the stick on these two deals because yes, Springer's going to be on the wrong side

of 30. Correa's got more upside, but Correa's missed a whole lot more time over the last couple of years than Springer has. And the question within an organization, can Correa stay healthy? And if Correa plays all 60 games this short season, I think that will give him a little more leverage on the deal, but I don't know what they're thinking. But I think that Correa probably be the odd man out on the deal. Well, all I will say is this.

Correa, we keep waiting for him to have that MVP-type season, that breakout, cleanup hitter, power, stolen base, do all the things he's doing, plus his magical defensive work. And we see glimpses of it. We just haven't seen enough of it over a consistent basis. Right. If he misses a significant period of time this year for any reason, that's going to put a huge caution flag on him in terms of trying to sign him for the long term. Right, exactly. And that's what I'm thinking might be the red flag, and he may be the odd man out. Because like you were saying earlier, Springer has that bat.

You know, he can still play a very solid center field or right field or whatever you need to play him for a couple of years. Still got the great bat. We need to teach Jordan how to play first base so we can alternate out that D.H spot like AJ was doing, you know, giving the studs a day off occasionally but let them use their bat into D.H spot. but I think George will get the two to three year long-term deal and I don't think you're going to see the mega deals either because the finances are so uncertain for the next couple of years it would be flat out thank you Mike for the phone call good to hear your voice

friend have a good one thanks buddy it would be flat out foolish and beyond hypocritical frankly for both sides to be pushing the envelope for heavy heavy money think about that for a second if you sign any group of players And we'll use Mookie Betz as an example. If a team signs Mookie Betz to a contract that pays him north of $200 million, how in the world does anybody that watches baseball, would they ever side with an owner on anything financially ever again?

Wait a minute. You were crying poor about what your sport was losing from a day-to-day basis, yet you still were able to find money to put $200 million in Mookie Betts' paycheck. fraud. I mean, when you think that? And then, on the other side of it, if you're mooky bets,

oh, you know, we're all worried about the pandemic. We're all worried about social distancing and COVID, and we're all worried about a number of games and what's the say for our family. Oh, by the way, somebody wants to offer me $31 million a year. I'll take it. I think it's very, very, it's a very sensitive time for both sides

to figure out what they can get away with without coming across as money grubbing. For owners to cry poor and yet pay out big money and for players to cite do the

owners really care about us and yet paying out these big contracts and taking these big contracts. It was like Blake Snell's thing the whole way through. Blake Snell goes on his on his Twitch account and is bemoaning the safety concerns and the pandemic and COVID.

If you want to pay me full price, though, I guess my health has a price. And that was the number one problem with him to begin with. No one argued the fact that he should be concerned about his family and him pitching in these situations and playing and, but it was, it had a price to it. And that's why I think that it rubbed people like myself and some of the others in the wrong way, because he didn't really care about the pandemic as long as financially it took, you know, it was okay for him. If you're worried about the pandemic, there should be no amount of money that should make you rid yourself of those concerns. But it came across a very callous, very, you know what, you want to pay me for my health, I can go with that.

So that's why Major League Baseball owners are in a tough spot here because they can't be the one dishing out these hilariously big contracts. When just months before, meaning right now, they're asking everybody to take a rebate and cut because their business model right now is screwed up because of the pandemic. So I think Joe's right. Is Mookiee Betts worth $30 million a year, $35 million, whatever the top dollar guy is? Sure, why not? He's been one of the best players in baseball for the last half dozen years. But is he going to get that? And then what does he do if he doesn't get that kind of offer that he thinks he's supposed to get?

yet. Man, this is going to be tricky. And it's tricky for Mooky Betts. It's going to be tricky for any free agent, including George Springer. And it's going to be tricky for the Astros, too, because they've got to make a decision, I think at the end of the day, about which one I would hope they'd be able to keep both. Him and Correa. But I think you guys know that have been following baseball at all that, unfortunately, mega-superstar teams don't always get to stay together for a super long period of time.

And that's why the window of opportunity for this Astro baseball team is really this year, hopefully next, and then we don't know after that. But I just can't imagine Correa and Springer both getting the heavy paydays they think they deserve for different reasons. 142 on the Matt Thomas show, 713-212-5-790 is how you reach our show. 7-13-212-5-7-90. Johnny Mansell says farewell to football, sort of. We'll discuss that next.

here on Sports Talk 790. Matt Thomas, we'd like to thank his parents for only giving him two first names. Because who would listen to Billy Ray Thomas talk about Houston Sports? The Matt Thomas Show on Sports Talk 790. It's 147 on the Matt Thomas show, Sports Talk 790. Joe George in for Ross today. And we appreciate him doing so. 713-212-5-790.

713-212-5-790. There are some official Major League Baseball rules that are in effect beginning today about the upcoming season. We'll tell you what those are coming up the top. Plus Cam Newton has a new home and the Patriots get away with more cheating and get another slap on the wrist. All coming up at the top of the hour. Johnny Mansell spoke to the Lubbock Abilanch Journal, Joe George. I didn't realize that paper out there where my son goes to school. carried that kind of power of these big interviews.

I didn't either. Apparently, he was in some golf tournament called the Hillcrest Swinger. Huh? That's right. He was at the Hillcrest Golf and Country Club, and a columnist from the Lubbock Annal Abilance Journal found out he was there and said, I'm going to go talk to you. So he did.

And here are the couple of things that were said in the conversation concerning Johnny Mansell. I know a lot of people probably want me to come back and play and give another chance, but I don't know as far as being a person in figuring out life as a young adult trying to make it out and figure it out if I've ever been in a better place than I am right now. I can honestly say I'm happy and I'm doing the right things to try and put a little smile on my face every day, and that means more to me than going out and grinding on a football field. When asked about his football career, quote, in the past probably is the way I'd characterize it. I finally got to a point where I'm trying to achieve happiness in life, not happiness on the

football field. I believe him. Why wouldn't I, right? I just don't think it's his decision. But what he's basically saying is, I guess I couldn't be happy on the football field, on it, and then be happy off of it, which I don't believe is true. If Johnny Mansell was throwing for 4,000 yards a year in 35 to 40 touchdown passes and leading to Cleveland Browns to a playoff appearance, I bet you Johnny Manzo will be just fine.

I don't think playing football prohibited him from having a good life off the football field. It just comes across to me, not knowing Johnny at all, that Johnny just got caught up in the hysteria like so many other professional athletes are done, especially when they were the BMO season of college campus. I thought he probably thought he was bigger than life. He thought he was immune to any of the same.

criticism. I thought he was immune probably from hard work. I think he was probably immune from someone telling him no or getting in his face and explaining to him that what he's doing is not the right thing. I mean, he's had off-field issues. He's had on-field issues. He wasn't very good as an NFL player. He was going to have to be, he was going to put some time and work in. Because say what you all about what magical things he did at Texas A&M, he was just not the the prototypical looking starting quarterback in the NFL. Some guys put the work in. I'll give you the greatest example of that in the last couple of years, Joe, is Lamar Jackson.

There were a lot of people that thought Lamar Jackson would be better serving the NFL as a wide receiver because he was just a freakishly good athlete. But Lamar Jackson said to himself, I want to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. So whatever I have to do to make that happen, I'm going to make it happen. and he did because he took a bunch of naysayers and a bunch of people that thought he couldn't do it and won up being the NFL's MVP i don't think johnny minzel ever had that um desire in his body to say you know what i'm undersized i'm not the biggest guy in the world i don't have the biggest arm but there's things i can do in this football field a lot of other

nflorebacks can't and i'm going to i'm going to show you what i can do and i think the money got to I got the fame, the fortune, the hangers on. And this is what he was doing in college, too. So he just never matured. No, he just got too big, too fast. And he became such an icon, it feels like in college football, like the money symbol and everything. It's like it grew too fast for him. And then he couldn't figure out how to tame those expectations for even himself.

Like he thought he became a person that it sounds like he probably really wasn't before. before he beat Alabama. Like, I don't know, just Johnny's like, it's, it's bizarre. How long was he known is Johnny football? It seems like right away, right? Like as soon as you got to A&M and started winning games. So he took that positive publicity and that new nickname, and he carried a lifestyle with it.

Instead of saying, you know what, I'm enjoying this. This is fun. I won the Heisman. I beat Alabama. I crushed Oklahoma, yada. I mean, I've done all these things, and now the next chapter of my life is to go to the NFL and prove those naysayers.

But he never did that. Meanwhile, he would get into trouble in Cleveland, fights, laid for practices, wasn't very good in either of the leagues he played in, honestly. He basically was this college phenom that didn't take it to the next level. And the thing of it is, it was such a spark plug that any time that Johnny Manza did anything, whether it was show up at a mall or a restaurant or a club, it became a national story.

And so I've always liked him. This isn't a question mark of whether you like the guy or not. I've always thought, I guarantee you, Joe, if he walked into our studios right now and sat down and talked with us, we would really enjoy our visiting with him. Yep. I'm sure I would love Johnny. I don't think anybody's ever gone that Johnny Mansell is a punk as a bad dude

I just think he was a classic example of getting caught up in the headlines and when it normally does is when you don't put the time and the effort and the work in it catches up with you because the NFL is a cruel business way way way more failure than there is success even for a first round pick

even for a Heisman trophy winner and so it sounds like he's got to his life in order. I don't think he's ever had to worry about money because, A, he got a rookie contract in the NFL, and B, his family came for money as it is. So it's not like he was ever in a sister situation where he was having a struggle to pick his next paycheck.

Yeah, I also think at some way, it feels like Johnny's going to end up on TV. Oh, of course. I'm surprised. I mean, he's 27. So it's not like he's done with his career. And he's got his entire life ahead of him. If I was him, I'd call ESPN, right? right now and put them on the SEC network and give him a start on that.

I mean, that network's always looking for people, right? It sure feels like it. Why wouldn't, you know, why hasn't he thought about television? He's charismatic. So, yeah, I think that's his next step. And he could have, you look at Tim Tebow's career on television. He's still doing it every fall. You put Johnny Mansell and Tim Tebow in the same pregame show?

I mean, that's almost much to watch television. even if you don't care about the game between Ole Miss and Arkansas. You'd watch it because you'd want to see what kind of rapport they would have each other because they both live at this point completely separate lives. It's good that he's out there. He's good that he's mentally good, well, but there's still a large department that says, man, you just, you were behind the eight ball, so to speak, going into the NFL because you were undersized and there were some deficiencies in your game.

You just were able to expose, you know, to highlight. a little bit of that in the college level and he never really gave a damn about improving himself at the NFL level and then to the, what was that Strange League? He was in for a short period of time. Well, he was in the CFL and then he played for one game for the San Antonio

Commanders, right, in the AAF, and then the league got shut down the next week. Not how a former Heisman tournament tournament winner is supposed to end his career so shortly. He's only 27. Yeah. And he's got money and he's not in jail?

get on television now. People will watch you. A lot of people will. I'll watch it for that matter. 157 coming up here on Sports Talk 7.9. We start the final hour of the show. The new baseball rules are starting to officially be put out there. We'll run through some of those for you. Plus later in the hour.

Cam Newton's new contract, I think it's a huge, huge quarterback competition now in New England. The Patriots getting a mixed blessing kind of day. They sign Newton in a very small amount. relatively speaking million dollars I mean I'd take it but then they also get another wrist lap for basically video cheating that organization does it over and over and over and over again and never seems to get the big penalty I don't know why maybe Rob Manfred's doing penalties on both leagues now 713 212 790 712 790 final hour the Matt Thomas show next here on Sports Talk 790

This is the Matt Thomas Show. Here we go with the final hour of the Matt Thomas show on Sports Talk 790. Along with Joe George, I'm Matt Thomas. We take your phone calls and look forward to visiting with you in the next hour. And to 713-212-5-790. 7-13-212-5-790 on Twitter at SportsMT at Joe-George Radio. since I'm working remotely for a little bit, we're going to save Joe the frustration of believe it or not

because that would be just a CF with you doing by yourself back there. So that's one of you know. Awesome. About you. But it will return shortly. Trust me on that. All right, Major League Baseball officially announcing some rule changes for the 2020 season. I'll run through them, Joe.

Give me initial thoughts after you say them. D.H. the National League. Awesome. I'm indifferent. I don't mind pitchers hitting, but I don't like different rules for different leagues. So if you're going to go with one league all the way, one rule, I'm okay with that. Extra innings will start with Runner at second base.

I'm not a fan. 11th inning for me. By the way, this will not be in play for the playoffs. You don't want the playoffs to be given. Yeah, no, that's fine. Arguing and brawling and spitting are prohibited. Good luck. Yeah.

A call doesn't go your way and you're not going to say something. they just have to social distance fight you can dusty's going to have to be 10 feet away when he's yelling at the umpires you know how you really do it if there's a call that's bad you let you let the players have phones in there in the dugout you just tweet it did you notice that's what we do george in 2020 we just we just complain about things we run to our social media is compared to actually doing something yeah definitely but it's majorly baseball's fault we can't argue so if you complain about a call

at hoselle l tube 827 man i got robbed I like that idea. Rundle social media, run to your Twitter and your IG in order to complain what a call. Next, no pregame lineup card exchange. You'll do it through MLB digital. Who cares? Okay.

I was going to say, really? Three batter minimum remains in effect for pitchers. Love that. Yeah, I was good with that. That rule was already in place before the pandemic, before COVID and everything. So they're just keeping it. Here's one I don't understand Because I thought this was already in play

Any player may appear as a pitcher Okay, I'm confused by this one too I thought are there just designated guys on the roster that can No No Like we've seen Tyler White pitch before Often unfortunately Yeah he wasn't designated as the only guy that could do that I don't think

That's right That to me was really really There must be something that was brought up that made them think about changing that rule. But yeah, when you're, I mean, in theory, you don't want Alex Spregman pitching, but there'd be nothing to prevent him from doing so. Now, again, the DH can only hit for the pitcher. So if you put Alex Bregman on the pitching mound, you lose him as the DH, correct?

I mean, you lose the DH. How does it go? Oh, wait, maybe that's the rule. Maybe that's what this rule is changing. Is that... No, because if the Astros... No, it's just if it's... That's for defensive purposes.

Yeah, it's just... If as long as it's only defensive purposes... Yeah, offensively... Now, if Alex pitched and then he hit as the DH, then the DH would go away. Correct. That's right. But he can pitch and then come out,

and then the DH stays intact. Yes. We're going to study this up because I feel like some of the, it's been so long since I've watched a baseball game, I forget about some of the nuances. But yeah, the DH can only hit for the pitcher. So just think about that. All right. Any other rules that I've noticed? I just saw a couple of tweets on anything else that I've noticed that it should be brought up?

No, I think that's everything. The hardest one for me is you can't spit. I mean, what are you supposed to do? One them and then throw them out of the game? They're just going to find them. An undisclosed amount. It's going to be like minimal. When did brawling, when was brawling ever allowed?

Okay, that was one of my things that caught my attention, too. Is like, are they saying that fighting's okay in baseball? And only if it crosses a certain line, that's when suspensions get put out, because I thought that was already a rule in place. But now they're just saying it's definitely not a lot. They're like, they're doubling down. Do not fight. Do not fight any circumstance.

And by the way, if you do fight, you got to bring out. You got to bring out sanitizer. Could you imagine that? There's two guys on different teams that are just pissed off each other. That's ready to brawl. And then somebody comes out in the middle of the field and puts a squirt of sanitizer on their hands before they start to fight. Just got to put gloves on. Put on boxing gloves.

Let them go. Oh, like automatically throw them from the dugout. They pick them up and they put them on their hands and they get after it. Yeah, you have a designated glove thrower. So when someone in your dugout is like, okay, this has gone too far. they throw the gloves on the field and try to start a fight? But what if somebody is so, once again, a competitive advantage and while the guy's putting the gloves on, he goes and attacks him.

What about if one guy puts his gloves on faster than the other? You got to wait, and then there'll be a bell that rings. What? What? Just let him fight. Ladies and gentlemen, please wait for this moment in time while the guys put their gloves on. And then you hear a ding-dang and then resume your fight. I still think the hantitizers a better way to go

At least you're going to fight and brawl You're going to have clean hands How do you feel about being called It's being called a summer camp Spring training Is that something from major league baseball marketing or what Every single team is using it as the reference And then

I saw someone say that Camping World is sponsoring it As summer camp brought to you by Camp Imagine that I'm trying to make money off of a short season. Well, I mean, they got to figure out ways to make more summer revenue, right? Yeah.

I mean, like, and if you're going to call it, summer camp is probably better than the spring training, too. Are we going to see ads superimposed in the stadium? I don't know, because I know the NFL added in their rule where they're going to lower off the first, like, 7 to 8 rows and put tarps and put ads on there. Baseball hasn't said they're doing that yet, which I'm surprised by. What about the superimposing signs along the wall? of, you know, the little, the, the nannning.

You put some, you can put some signs on that. Yeah, you definitely could. Now, I'm not saying put full-link messages, but you could put a Nike swoosh, couldn't you not? Yeah, and I wonder, like, some of the, yeah, and, like, some of, like, the ballpark deals, like, maybe they're going to have to make up for it. Like, what are the, what are the foul poles,

Chick-fil-A-right? Yep. Like, they, if they bought those flagged, those foul poles for this year, no one's going to see them. So, like, how are they going to, get that advertisement so it would make sense to put that on the field somewhere you know you and I work in a business where advertising is everything right so it's it would be extraordinarily hypocritical for me to criticize how you sell ad time that's why I've always said do whatever you

do sell what if you want to sell patches on uniforms if you want to just litter the outfield with stuff the only thing I don't want you to do is I don't want you to alter the rules of the sport because of a marketing piece for instance if a ball lands in center field and it lands in the Dunkin' Donuts spot that the home runs worth two points, you know, two runs. If you start changing the rules because of a marketing ploy, then it becomes too much. Yeah, but no one really does that.

No, but I'm saying that's why I can comfortably tell you, if you want to put uniform things, names under patches, or anything you want to do, foul, superimpose things, I'm okay with that. If it helps everybody get more money, and helps these ridiculously rich billionaire owners and millionaire players get along better, I'm okay with that. But I just don't, I don't see how it benefits the players at this point because they had a chance to vote in.

When they voted, when they voted what 30 or 28 to 5 or whatever it was, against the 60 game proposal that included expanded playoffs, part of the thing that was in there was expanded advertising with advertising on jerseys for the season. They voted that down. So do you think Major League Baseball ultimately is, screwed up by not revenue splitting their sport? Yeah. Yeah, because if they revenue split,

I don't think we'd be in this problem. Because, and again, maybe, you know, the anti-revenue split guy says it's a salary cap, which it is because you're only going to pay out a certain percentage of what is brought in. But if the dollars are so good and you're making more than you think you're supposed to make, or like the NBA, when they find out that 50,

that their revenues, from say $4 billion to $4.3 billion, everybody gets a piece of that. Because aren't players, they don't believe, aren't their salaries not commissar it with the number of dollars that Major League Baseball owners have made the last handful of years? That's why they don't believe them

and they say, hey, you've made all this money off us the last handful of years, you're taking a loss this year, don't blame us. I would think if you did a revenue split that if things were sold and you got more money, money that you'd be able to ultimately get a piece of that money. Yeah, I completely agree. Like, I think it makes way more sense.

I just, at this point, the concession to get rid of that or to add that in from the owner's side would have to be so drastic. I just don't even know if it makes sense. Like, I think we were talking about this. I was thinking I was talking about this with the ATM at where I suggest that you'd have to basically get rid of the six years of service time and make it four years of service time from the day you're drafted, just like in the NFL and the NBA. Yeah.

The owners would never give that up. Like, they would rather not have a salary cap than not be able to keep Carlos Correa in the minors for five years and then put them up for six years. I mean, look at, I guess Springer is the best example. He was in the minors for way too long. Yep. You'd have to completely blow up the financial system of Major League Baseball. Yeah, you'd have to basically just start over.

And I just, I don't think that what we've seen for how bad these negotiations are that they could ever come to an agreement. No, that's right. To add in a salary cap and to make it worth the players while. Unless you gave the percentage way higher to the players and you did yourself. Yeah. And like a 52-48 split. And at this point with how sour the negotiations have gone with the players, why were the owners wanting to want to redo everything? Because let's face it, gang, we're setting ourselves up for.

at least tumultuous negotiations and probably a lockout by the end of the 2021 season. So if you think this was bad, this offseason before this pandemic, imagine how bad's going to be in a couple of years when we can ultimately, I think, get fans back in the stadium. It is the Matt Thomas show on Sports Talk 790. 212 is at time. You are welcome to join at 713-212-5-790. 713-212-5-790 on Twitter at SportsMT at Joe George Radio. We take you to 3 o'clock right here on Sports Talk 790.

Lunch timers. This is the Matt Thomas show. Do people still have lunch at 2 o'clock in the afternoon? They're too late. It's more like a snack, right? I think it just depends on your work schedule, right? If you were a 10-to-6 guy, what time would you have lunch? I think like 1 is the right answer.

1-130? the way, you were able to break the NBA rocket schedule on the nightcap on Friday, filling in for Ross, right? Yeah. Do you all break it down like a motto? We tried. It was fun. My conspiracy theory or the conspiracy theory that we're doing this just for Zion to play

LeBron in the first round, I think, was proven because the Pelicans have the easiest schedule of all time. Now, was it easier than what they were supposed to have? Well, that I don't know. Well, so, wait a minute. You went out there and said all that. that and didn't know what their schedule was left before you started saying those things? It's the NBA.

It's always a conspiracy theory. Come on. The lottery is the biggest conspiracy theory of all sports. No, there's only one conspiracy theory, I believe in. Okay. You know what it is? Is it Patrick Gowing? Yes.

But see, I think LeBron and D. Rose are right up there. Like, the Bulls had like a 7% chance to get the first pick in the draft, and they happened to get it the year Derek Rose, the people. prodigal son from Chicago was available or LeBron James I know I know they were awful but they got the first pick when LeBron was there

and then as soon as LeBron left they got more first round picks I don't know I think that you saw like you're a heavy conspiracy guy I think the lottery's rigged how I think they just draft I think they pick ahead of time they don't tell us no

yes No chance I mean is Adam Silver Looked like a guy he would cheat you Yes Damn you're not helping the cause here Well I'm just saying like if you watch a if you watch a gangster movie And there's always like the little weasley guy

Who's like an accountant He's usually bald kind of nerdy looking Yeah But he's the one that knows all the dirt Sort of like in the godfather With Dennis Quaid's character I'm so glad you know those references now Because you didn't before right

No No chance. I do now. I just forgot his name. But he was sort of a brother, but not really a brother. Yeah. But he knew where all the skeletons were hidden. Yep. So I'm very pro-conspiracy theory, and I think this whole thing has been a conspiracy theory

just to get Zion in the first round verse, LeBron James. Makes sense, though, because I want to see that, too. You don't want to see Jean-Morant going against LeBron? I love Ja. I think Jha's a great player. I'm very much in the minority of Jaws going to be a better player long term than Zion. But I think, like, Lanzo and Brandon Ingram

and Josh Hart, all these former Lakers players that LeBron kicked to the curb so you could get Anthony Davis and then Zion, the next supposed LeBron, going against each other in the first round of the playoffs, is way more exciting than John Morant and Jared Jackson. They're not bad. Triple J.

Speaking of John Moran, did you hear the trend? his guys talking about what he wanted to put on the back of his jersey? Yeah, not good. But I don't even know if he had to apologize for it, but he did. Now, do he, I didn't see the Instagram. I don't follow athletes on Instagram. Did he actually put a jersey with the word with the phrasing on there? For those that don't know what he said, it was, F the police.

I don't think so, but I haven't seen it either. Yeah. Not a great look. And as ND eloquently said, for instance, anybody that hates the police, if something happens in your home and you need help, you call them right away. So I know there's a lot of irritation about what's going on today with the way police are handling some things, but I don't think that would have helped the cause by having a F the police.

By the way, the NBA is not going to allow that. The NBA is not going to allow swear words. There's a lot of positive things that these players can do, but what they put on their jerseys, F the police probably isn't going to be one of the things on there. But yeah, the Rocket's schedule gets started on July the 31st. It'll be a late game against the Dallas Mavericks. It'll be on all the games, by the way, will be on AT&T. All the games will be right here on Sports Talk 792, so don't forget about that.

We'll also have 740 on some of the games too. But the Rockets, all the games, there's nobody on the schedule they weren't supposed to play the rest of the way. So they didn't invent a new schedule for the teams. They were supposed to play Dallas. They were supposed to play San Antonio. They were supposed to play Philadelphia. Supposed to play Indiana. I mean, I just think, honestly, this was a very, very difficult, tough task

with the schedule makers to do. And I'm not going to buy any new conspiracy of New Orleans. It's got an overly easier schedule. I think their schedule down the rest of the way was, frankly, easier than anybody else's was. That's totally possible. And that's why I think a lot of people thought that if they would have played out the rest of the season, that the Pelicans provided that Zion was healthy, would have been able to overtake Memphis for the eighth spot in the Western Conference.

But, you know, that's kind of a move point. I guess here's the question for you. What if you're the, you know, you're the schedule guy in the NBA office, right? And you've just grinded out this entirely difficult schedule with 22 teams playing over a couple weeks. What do you do for next year's schedule? I mean... Make like 10 versions? But how hard is that?

No, it's almost impossible. But, like, we had that initial report that they were hoping to start December 1st, then Michelle Roberts, the NBA PAVP, right? Right. She says that's going to have to be negotiated. We're definitely not having fans. So the NBA felt they had to play in a bubble

and then in two months after the finals they're not going to play in a bubble. I don't buy that the NBA season is necessarily going to start in December like they're pretending is going to. So how do you make a schedule? Because you have to make one.

just like the NFL had to make one. Now, the NFL is easier because they're not fighting with any other buildings largely. That you can pick up the four games. Let's say the NFL delays their season by four weeks. You just pick up those four and you throw them in the end of January and you play your Super Bowl. Everything gets moved back a month. That's no big deal.

Now, the NBA doesn't have to fight with concert date yet because I don't think anybody is scheduling concerts, but you are having to compete against the NHL because they're going to want to build a season. and a lot of NBA arenas share with NHL properties too. I really don't know the answer this question. Because I've been told in the past that when you, the NBA schedule makers,

when they release it in September for starting in night November, what they do is they basically start in January of that year, starting to put together a kind of a template for a season. Now, granted, it's a lot more confusing because when you have a temple like that, you know that certain aren't available for, say, concerts, conventions, the San Antonio Rodeo that takes over the AT&T Center in San Antonio. NHL has some specific dates.

You have dates that you don't want to do it. I mean, but really it's a free and clear event calendar. Problem is you just don't know when to start and end it. And are you really going to have fans in the arena? You're really going to play in those venues, or are you going to go back to Florida? Let me ask you this, Joe. If they have a free and clear, relatively few problem bubble, are they going to send everybody back to the bubble in December to start a new season?

I don't think the players will agree to that. I mean, the Raptors are already there. Like, they're going to be, like, let's say the Raptors won an NBA championship. They're not going to. But they'd be in Florida for four months. And then they would be done October 18th or whatever, and then have to report back at the end of November

for camp after Thanksgiving? Like, they're not going to go back. Now, maybe if you're saying, hey, we're going to go three months in the bubble and then we're going to take two weeks off and we're going to go from there, like maybe you can make an argument or two months in the bubble,

so it's only 60 days. Maybe they could try something like that, but I just... There's no, you know what? I don't think there's any way. You had me at the first sentence. You had me at the first sentence. There's no way, no how, no chance.

they're going to put those guys in a bubble for unlimited amount of time. Because here's the thing. They're in the bubble right now because they have a chance to go win a championship or at least make a playoff run. You're going to try to play an 82 game schedule and had those guys go to training camp and work out and quarantine it all over again just to play a manby, Pambi, December basketball game? Oh, hell no.

So I think we answer our own question. The NBA season will not resume until end. NBA buildings are ready to be opened, at least for the guys to play the games. Fans, don't know. But, yeah, the bubble's one thing for a maximum of three months for the championship teams. Could you imagine saying, hey, we're going to send you all to Orlando again. We're going to start the season off December 25th, and your return back to Houston in normal life or any of the other NBA cities is to be determined. Yeah, I just, I don't, I don't buy it.

I mean, maybe they could get more creative with the bubble. and like where like maybe you isolate like five or six teams together at a time and you have like these like mini tournaments but like it's the regular season but you just play the same teams over and over again so that way like you're kind of self-isolated

with your opponents and like your new year family still but I just I don't know I just don't see how they do it like I think they're going to have to go back to a season as planned and how they make a schedule for it I think is it's kind of be nearly impossible. You've got to make six or seven different schedules and just be like, which one are we releasing?

Like, I'm sure the NFL has this. The NFL has probably got four or five different schedules that we haven't seen yet with dates and opponent changes and opponent removals and all that stuff. We just haven't seen it yet. The NBA is going to do the same thing. Yeah, for sure. But, I mean, if whatever money of those people are making

the schedule department, they're probably asking for double because they're going to have to basically midway through their schedule go, oh, we don't do this after all, scratch tried all over again. 228. Matt Thomas show 713212-125-790. More on the bubble tomorrow. I've just confirmed that Kenny Smith,

the Jets, going to join us at 1230 here on the radio program tomorrow. Looking forward to visiting with him. He's got a brand new adventure going on with NBA and WNBA players and we'll get to talk to him about celebrating 25 years at Clutch City Part 2 and

the return of the NBA to the bubble. We'll talk to him about that tomorrow. Kenny Smith joins this radio show. Right now at 228. You could join us right now at 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. It's a Matt Thomas show. Come on and join us here on Sports Talk 790.

Houston, it's your home team. A lifelong Astros fan here. Anytime, anywhere. We love your home team. The goal rockers. Just tell your smart device. Play Sports Talk 790 on I-Hart Radio. Playing Sports Talk 790 on I-Hard Radio.

Joe is just checking the Twitter streets during the timeout. A pair of Washington Nationals are not going to play this year. 232 on Sports Talk 790. Ryan Zimmerman says he is out this year citing family concerns. And Jill Ross, who was supposed to be the number five starter for the nationals, says he's out for the year. I had a feeling we were going to see quite a bit of this. I don't know if it's because of the spike in the corona positive cases. If it's the, this isn't worth it because it's only 60 games.

Is this, you know, we didn't get our way when it came to what we wanted for a season. Could be some of all the above. But it feels like to me, Joe, the NBA hasn't been really hit hard by the megastar. There have been a few. But really, of those few, very even just most, of them aren't really COVID-related. Yeah, they're just sitting out because of family things. Like Willie Collis-Stine as a new baby.

Avery Bradley has a young child who, if they got it, wouldn't be good. He's all in my mind that thinks it's COVID-related. I mean, Bertolt is doing it to save his free agency status and makes some money. And Areza doing it because of a custody situation with his son. Yeah, exactly. So, like, no one, they're all just, for the most part, they're sitting out because it's the best interest of them to not go to the bubble. Yeah. Which I'm fine with.

I don't have a problem with that. And then Kelly Uber is like injury related, I think, or he's out, but that's it. If you're watching, if you're watching a wizard, do you even bother going? I mean, really, why? No. There was talk today on ESPN about whether or not they should have gone from 22 teams in the NBA at 20s. And why are the Phoenix in Washington going to be there? They're just wasting their time.

And the answer to that is simply more teams get to collect in their local TV packages. you put all their games on TV. And so that's money that the Wizards probably do want. It's money the sons do want. So you put all their useless games on, and you still get to put eight games on local television. You get to your 70 number, and you get paid off of that. Zimmerman, to me, is interesting.

There was original talk that he was thinking about retiring, but he says that is not going to be the case that he's going to try to play again in 2021. In this particular case, I don't think it's going to hurt him. I mean, I don't think he's ever going to. He was not looking for a major contract to begin with, but I don't think Ryan's remember missing a 60-game truncated schedule with odd circumstances and odd locations. It's going to necessarily make him a guy that no one wants to sign with.

But the only time it's really going to really hit home is if it's somebody who's like to say 25, 26 in the problem of his major league career, he's got no family, no overriding health concerns. He says, yeah, I'm just not into it. But no, I'm going to do that. My guess is every one of the players that do decide not to play baseball in 2020 will because they'll cite family concerns. Because there's still money to be made this year.

A lot of it, frankly. Even if you're, you know, if your guys making $20 million, prorated at over 60 games, is still a very good chunk of change. And most Major League Baseball players, it feels like to me, are making beyond comfortable money. I mean, look at Josh Reddick. I mean, probably was overpaid with the day he got here, but still helped out this cause.

he stands to make, he's in double digits and salary, he's going to go to make that because the chance of Josh Redick making any kind of money similar to that for the rest of his major league career is probably very slim. If you're a veteran player, I would go do it because it may be my last great paycheck. Zimmerman's hoping that it doesn't mean the end of his career and then someone will try to find him a spot to play in come 2021.

But to each his own. And I think, again, family concerns have to be a huge part of this. And I certainly understand that. 713-212-5-790. 7-13-21-2-5-7-90. Cam Newton signs a one-year deal to go compete with the quarterback spot. Do you think he was always on the radar for the Patriots, ladies and gentlemen? Or do you think that at the end of the day when Bill Belichick was lying awake at night, eyes open,

being grumpy as ever at 3 o'clock in morning, he's like, you know what, I don't know if Jared said him as a guy I want to put my entire first. faith in. He looks the part. He's been a good teammate. He learned a lot over with Tom Brady. He has shown plenty of signs. The organization trust him. But if there's a quarterback out there that has been there and done that

and clearly Cam Newton has, do you say to yourself, if I can get him on the cheap, which they did at a million dollars, what's the harm in bringing him in? Because I don't think Cam Newton is a guy that's going to be disruptive to a locker room. I don't think Bill Belichick allows

that. And to say what you want to say about Cam Newton is flamboyance and maybe some of the things he said and some of the things that has rubbed him the wrong way in the years past. I've never known him to be a guy that created a lot of turmoil inside his own locker room. I've always, generally speaking, been a big Cam Newton fan. He got a little pouty towards the Super Bowl season and whatnot, but mistakes are made. I think if Cam Newton is 100% healthy, shoulders, knees, whatever, has been aching him the last couple of years, he's had a year away from the game, essentially, that he should be able to go in there and at very least compete and probably win the job.

He's not that far removed from being the MVP of the NFL. He's not that far removed from taking the Panthers of the Super Bowl. And, you know, I don't know if, you know, part of what made him so good is the fact that he was able to be so elusive and take a lot of hits. Will he be a different quarterback when he come back when he come back? Don't know. But part of what makes him so good is that he was hard to bring down, whether he was running out of the pocket or trying to take a sack or not avoid a sack.

He still has a rifle of an arm. But clearly last year the injuries got the best of him, and he just wasn't even close to the same quarterback that he was the previous couple of years. And for those people, there are some that are complaining that he got signed for the cheap. He didn't have a whole lot of leverage to begin with, because, again, we're sitting here less than 30 days away from the start of training camp, allegedly. And on top of it, he has a chance to take that $1 million guarantee and turn it into with incentives $7.5 million. So it's up to him what he does with that time. If he takes

the spot as thin as a starting quarterback, if he plays and completes passes and throws touchdowns and leads to victories, it's all under his power. But he just didn't have much of an opportunity. There are no teams in the NFL that right now are waiting for a quarterback to come in and be the starter. So knowing that, it was going to have to be a backup somewhere. And if you're him, why don't you go back up or maybe take a job from a guy that has been given the keys to the organization when he really hasn't deserved it? It doesn't mean that Jared Sinam can't be a great NFL quarterback. Doesn't mean he won't be down the road. But I think if you're Belichick, you want to make sure there's as much competition as possible.

I will say I'm a little surprised because when Brian Hoyer was signed there you would have thought okay everything was given to Stenham and Hoyer was going to be the number two and they were going to go with that. Clearly Belichick must have thought the middle the night get me somebody in here that's done it before that's had some success

and even if it doesn't work out even if Cam is 30% of the player that he was and he's not very good and he doesn't win the job or Stim you do have an insurance policy a guy that has been there and done that and again for a million bucks it's pretty damn cheap so as far as I'm concerned, I think it's a win-win deal for the Patriots, unfortunately.

I don't know if I buy into all of the different odds makers making them a better choice to go to the Super Bowl or win the AFC. I mentioned this earlier on the show. They are now tied with the Buffalo Bills as co-favorants to win the AFC East. How does this affect the Texans? Not much. Because if you love the Texans and you think they're a good quality playoff team, so they may have to, instead of being a four, either a five, or a five being a six.

They're a division champion. They're a division champion. Can't do anything about that. But I don't know if you believe that Texans are going to the playoffs regardless if you were worried about the New England Patriots. If you're a Texan fan right now that you're thinking to yourself, I want the Texans to go deep in the playoffs. You're trying to upend Kansas City in Baltimore.

You aren't worried about Buffalo and New England. You've been there and done that for years. you want your team to do something different, and that's being a number one or number two seed, have the home field game, avoid the wild card, and play as a divisional champion. Now, if you are hesitant about thinking that Texans are a championship team, then you're saying to yourself,

I don't care if Cam's the quarterback there. My team's not making the playoffs anyway. So I don't think, now again, some will try to sell it differently, but anybody that's going, Does Cam Newton affect the Texans' playoff chances? Coming up next, we'll tell you all about it. That's just grabbing at a headline that's just not supposed to be there. If anything, it probably alters the AFC playoff,

ladder, so to speak, a little bit. But we don't even know if Cam's going to start a quarterback yet. Again, $1 million, not a tremendous amount of fate that he's going to be a starting quarterback. Over under on Vegas, number of starts is seven and a half. What would you all go with? 242 of the Matt Thomas show. Final segment straight ahead. We'll run through again the headlines of the day.

And Randall Cobb of the Texans need some assistance from the NFL and the NFLPA about getting him and his family ready for the season. We'll briefly discuss that too. Final segment, Matt Thomas, show straight ahead here on Sports Talk 790. Hi, this is former running back of Herschel Walker. You're listening to Matt Thomas on Sports Talk 790. Brought this up earlier in the show today with repeating Randall Cobb, new text and wide receiver, tweets at NFL and at NFLPA, which is a players association. Can we have an update on training camp procedures, testing, et cetera?

We're four weeks from the assumed start of training camp. It would be nice to have adequate info before I attempt to move my family across country during a pandemic. The replies, Joe George, are not surprising. Shut up and play. you don't have a real job did you ask your boss this person that's the only thing I would say did Randall Cobb

through proper channels reach out to union reps and the NFL and did they stonewall him and say don't have anything for you sorry or did he just run to social media as soon as something went wrong I still feel like he went through the proper channels

because it's not as drastic like he could like really be crushing them on social media but he's not he's just saying like what are we doing here but unfortunately history shows that a lot of athletes not all of them but a lot of athletes we see this especially in college

run to social media right away what was the most recent example was it the Oklahoma State kid that that uh ran to so yeah was it was the kid that was a mad that uh Mike Gundy wore that that TV networks t-shirt and instead of going to Mike Gundy right away he went to his social media and said I'm not playing for this guy anymore blah blah blah blah blah

blah and he came back and later apologized and said I should have gone to him before I almost feel like if you're going to own a social media account you should have certain rules like first things first if you ever have a complaint about anything go to that person first and then a lot of this stuff would be resolved. Again, I don't know Randall Cobb at all.

He apparently hasn't even made it here yet. I just hope he's the kind of person that wouldn't throw the NFL and the Players Association under the bus if he didn't have unless he was getting nowhere with the information. And if he did go to the leagues and they gave him nothing, then I would say, all right, if I got to do something to make sure people are aware of the fact that we don't know what's going on, maybe the best way I can do that is by showing people on Twitter that the league and my players association are not doing their jobs.

Again, I hope that isn't the case, and I certainly hope it's in the case that you ran the Twitter saying, all right, I need to make some headlines here by me saying what I'm saying. But it is rather odd that with training kids, less than 30 days away from the supposed start we've heard nothing about a manual protocol at least anything publicly and the fact of matter is these sports leagues need to put this stuff out as public as possible because that then shows you that they are aware of what's going on they are aware of the

pandemic they are aware of the concerns of the players and they are doing everything within their power to make sure the spread of the the virus doesn't extend inside of a training camp. I'm not a doctor and I don't play on the radio typically. But man, oh man, I just, I can't envision a situation where the NFL is going to be able to go in there and not expect some sort of major outbreak. Unless, as Joe and I talked about last hour, you have contact, you have no contact drills, which that doesn't get ready.

That doesn't get you ready for the season. if a defensive player doesn't touch another offensive player until the start of the regular season, you will see some of the worst tackling attempts in NFL history. If a wide receiver doesn't, if a quarterback can't watch a live wide receiver go through his route, you will see every wide receiver in the NFL catch every pass is thrown to him because the defense backs will not be able to stay away.

The defensive players need to contact probably more than the offensive players do. Now you protect the quarterback, you don't make sure they'll get hit during training camp. Running backs will get hit a lot. But offensive linemen need to know what it's like to push a couple of players around. And I know all of them have been there and done that. But no. If you have no contact drills up until the start of the season, it will be the worst football you've ever seen. And it will take, first of all, the injuries will be highly, will be impacted.

because guys won't be know what it feels like to get hit and know what the bruising of that is. Secondly, you're going to see that the amount of crisp and execution drop considerably because rod receivers have to go against cornerbacks too. They're going to make adjustments on the fly.

Every time they go down the field and they sprint down the field for a 10 or 15 year pass, there should be somebody right in the front of them. They don't have that in a practice scenario because you can't have contact. Good luck with that. And then you're going to worry about forgetting about all that, how about trying to separate blocks of receivers and blocks of running backs and blocks of linemen or defensive women, any of the position groups, just in case one or two of those players?

Because think about this, if one linebacker gets it, don't you think you're going to test every linebacker? If one of the quarterbacks gets it, aren't you going to test all of them? Do you separate them in different rooms? I think that's where the NFL needs to guide its players and its teams. Here's how you should conduct practice. Here's where you should put players. Any sort of team meetings will be done virtually, so you don't put together each other next to each other.

And you have to minimize contact and do everything you can to cleanse and sanitize after every handful of plays. And I think it's all what Randall Cobb wants at this point is, hey, please tell me something. Tell me what's going on. I'm just afraid that's unlike, well, I should say, like so many professional players and college players do, instead of going to their unions and going to their leaders

and their coaches and their administrators, they think they can make a bigger impact by outing those groups on Twitter. And that's just not the way it goes. And we've done way too much of that in society. Forgetting about sports. We've complained about products. We've complained about our bosses.

We complain about our president. Instead of doing something about it, we just ran to Twitter as fast as possible and crush those people. I'm trying to be better about it myself. If I got a problem with somebody or someone, I'm going to do it privately before I would even think about doing it publicly. Like Buster Only. I don't know. That may be different. Because, man, I was so bummed with what Buster Only said in terms of how he tried to equate the labor problems in baseball to what,

the Astros did last year. That's going to be still very hard for me to fathom. All right, on the radio show tomorrow, we'll have Kenny Smith will join us at 1230. He has a brand new virtual NBA. He's calling it the Jet Academy, and it's going to feature, it's a basketball camp featuring NBA and WNBA All-Stars. We'll talk to him about that. We will talk to him about the current NBA structure. What do you think is about the bubble and how TNT is going to broadcast games?

from the bubble in a round. I'm sure him and Kenny and Shaq will be in Atlanta, but he'd be curious in Charles too. But just to get his thoughts about the NBA schedule and its return and what the long-term effects could be. Plus, we'll talk about his camp that'll be on the show tomorrow beginning at... He'll be with us at 12.30. We'll start at 12 o'clock.

We'll also get an update on baseball as well and see if any of these new rules are going to really alter the way we watch a baseball game. I love the fact that we do have uniformity in baseball. The DH on both sides of the league is. better. I don't mind pitchers hitting. I think it adds a nuance of managerial intelligence,

especially if you're having to worry about whether or not a pitcher should be used to go around to line up one more time or to give up his arm for another bat. But it's one of those things I fall on my sword on. I like it. I'd rather have National American League play by the same rules, and it sounds like at least for one year they're going to do that. And

what else is going on in terms of sports? NBA folks are going to slowly worked their way down to Orlando. Everybody's supposed to be there by July 7th, 8th, or 9th. We'll obviously update you on that as well as things move along. Plus, we'll find out indeed if anything that Randolph had to say reached an impact with the NFL and how they respond to that.

Thanks to Joe George for joining me. Thanks to all of you that emailed and called and tweeted the show. We'll look forward to doing this again tomorrow at 12 noon. Adam Clanton is off today. It's an old school edition of 790 featuring Adam Wexler and Matt Jackson. They're up next. Next here on Sports Talk 7. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow at 12 noon.