The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Christian Walker Injury Update, Cam Smith Playing 3B, Are Texans A Trade Destination For DK Metcalf?
Episode Date: March 6, 2025Matt Thomas and Ross Villarreal of "The Matt Thomas Show with Ross" give the latest update on Astros first baseman Christian Walker, who is dealing with an oblique injury. Matt and Ross also:discuss C...am Smith playing third base in the Astros spring training matchup against the New York Metsreact to the latest rankings from "MLB The Show '25"preview the Rockets at the Pelicansreview James Harden recording 50 points against the Pistonsdebate if the Texans are a possible trade destination for Seahawks receiver DK Metcalfreact to the Chargers releasing outside linebacker Joey Bosasay "I Just Don't Get It" and more.
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Launch timers.
This is the Matt Thomas Show.
101 in H-Town.
Good morning, everyone,
and welcome to a Thursday edition
of the Matt Thomas show with Ross.
Half of us today from New Orleans, Louisiana.
And where tonight the Houston Rockets will take on the New Orleans Pelicans,
Ross back in our Houston studios.
You guys traveling throughout the streets of Houston.
Y'all be careful today.
If you're listening to us on the IHeart Radio app, no matter where you may be, thank you very much for doing that.
And we are with you today until 2 o'clock where we will get into some of the headlines today, which will include another wide receiver.
It may be available that the Texans have been linked to, so says one NFL, quote-unquote, insider.
We have a major defensive star in the NFL will be looking for work.
We have Cam Smith starting at third base today.
And Rossi, any idea on a Christian Walker update at this point?
at 10 o'clock oh no we don't have to make one of those coming up do we i mean now they're
they're playing a night game so they don't even have to talk to the media until about two o'clock
today okay so adam and adam will be on the case so adam and adam will have all the breaking
news on christian walker we appreciate them all we need ross is prayers we cannot have the new
first basement with a first three-year contract having a left oblique issue for a significant period of time
apparently he's missed time with an oblique issue three times
since 2021
but it's okay he hasn't missed major time any of those times
the most of you miss with a month when that was last year
okay so your so your glasses half full on this
yes
are you shocked let's go it's spring training baby
I'm not going to be doom and gloom yet
yeah we'll save ourselves for April for that
the first week of April
that no and Aaronano step won't go away
hold it.
I just don't see it.
I mean, I don't think he's
overly enthralled about coming here.
I mean, isn't part of the requirement
of getting a player wanting to, a player that actually
like to play for the team he's playing for?
I mean, what are the Astro's doing?
Are they,
they're trying to have their cake and eat it too.
We're rebuilding, but we're
retooling, but we're
trading away Kyle Tucker, but we're
signing players.
It's a little
not unsettling but confusing.
Would that be a better fight?
Yes.
Yeah.
I do believe they're in wind mode.
I do believe that they did make the right move for Kyle Tucker.
I do believe they put together at the end of the day.
If you're in wind mode, you can't trade Kyle Tucker.
But I think there's two levels of wind mode.
There's wind mode for the long term.
I mean, I'm just saying.
Yeah, they're at the half gas.
Well, I don't think they want to be sitting there with their hands empty a year from now.
And Kyle Tucker tells them, I'm out of here, Biatchez.
I mean, that's what I mean, that's what I'm thinking.
Well, they'd get a compensatory pick, but that wouldn't.
Yeah.
I don't think you put compensatory picks on the front of Dikin Park's walls, right?
By the way, if they got Dikin Park, I think I saw one Dikin Park name on the stadium,
but I haven't seen very many.
I mean, it's going to take a while, I think.
Okay.
I imagine it'll be ready for opening days.
and time will be there until then.
But don't you think that they should, like, you know,
when they put up the players,
what players are showing up on the Diken Wall,
on the stadium wall?
You know, they put those long, long thing,
those little, whatever,
one of those things called, not posters, but.
Banners?
Banners, yeah, those big long banners?
Jake Myers.
You know, it would be really cool if they put you and I on there
with a big promo of the Matt Thomas show of Ross,
and the two.
Yeah, let's hold our breath on that one.
I mean, wouldn't that be the best marketing
the history of this radio.
I'm going to be locking down the infield for several years.
Okay.
That sounds good.
That sounds good.
30 bombs, OPS of 820.
I'm okay with that.
Unbelievable stuff, yeah.
Yeah, I don't know.
Are you confused?
And this isn't a serious question.
Are you confused about the future of the astronauts?
I'm not confused.
Okay.
What they're saying is we want to win, but we also want a standard of the tax.
Well, I also, I don't even think of so much the tax.
I think it's more of the, I don't want Kyle Tucker to go away and go, hey, everybody,
at least I've got a compensatory pick out of it.
Okay, then why did they trade Ryan Presley?
Because Ryan was in a bad mood here.
Because he stayed in the attacks.
Okay, I mean, there's part of it.
I mean, I'm not blind to that, but yeah, yeah, yeah, I know.
Look, if a brayu doesn't pitch 95 times, his arm should be great for the eighth inning of games.
Yeah, as long as he doesn't pitch as much.
He's a, he's, he's, he's, he's, he racking up stats on volume from last year.
And like I said, as long, you know, and again, if the Astros want to use them as much as they have the last two years this year, this year, this year, this year, this year, this, Ross, I don't think a lot of other parts of the bullpen are settled at this point.
going to be some names, but that's
really what most of majorly
baseball team. I mean, how many baseball teams
leave camp going, oh, we know who our six- inning guy
is. We know who our seven-th inning guy. I mean, it's a combination of folks.
That to me is not a storyline
for me for Astro's spring training, for that matter,
any spring training. Yeah, they've got a bunch of
candidates. They're going to shake the tree and a couple
guys of fall out and be good, I think.
Yep, that is right. All right. We are
with you today until 2 o'clock this afternoon.
We have, I just don't get it at 1130.
mine is of course black check related ross oh oh oh how'd you do can you even say publicly
um i will tell you what happened uh coming up at 11 30 you want to wait for 1130 okay
it's a it's a lengthy tease but it's a good tease man yeah i mean i think it's worthy of sticking
around and again i feel like if you've listened to show for any linked to time anytime i go somewhere
where there's gambling. I always have a loss.
I have a blackjack idiocy story
to give you, and I have another one.
And I was playing at a very high table
last night. And I
thought, and again, this would be the last thing,
I thought when you played at a really high limit
table, that you'd get better players.
And it's just not the case.
No.
Stupid is the stupid does.
And a stupid blackjack tealer, too, by the way.
And the last thing on that
is, he was showing a six.
at 12 he says, I said, stay and he goes,
are you sure? On against the 12? I said,
yes, I'm sure. I said, check the book. He went
and checked the book and went, oops.
The dealer? The dealer.
Oh my God, was he new?
I don't know, but he was really stupid.
People get really mad at you
when you hit a, what is it, a three against a two, but you're
supposed to do that. Yes, I wish I did every time, yeah.
12 is your friend, 13, not so much.
But against the 6, everybody should know.
He didn't even know.
I mean, Ross, seriously, I'm losing,
Ross, I'm losing faith in humanity here.
We're getting stupider, Matt, and it's not by accident.
Well, the house already has an advantage because of the name itself,
but don't give them more of an advantage.
That's all I'm saying, Ross.
I think casinos make their most money on blackjack.
Well, that's because they have stupid people playing it.
That's the reason why.
Which is crazy, because it's the only game that's actually beatable.
Yeah.
If you, if you, okay, we're done.
Now I'm just mad.
I just, I don't, I just.
Yeah.
This is good content.
Angry MT gives us good content.
I just want people to play by the rules.
That's it.
And I told me, I told one of the guys at the table, I said, the game within a game, one of the games is called blackjack.
The other game is called 21.
They're played by different rules.
He goes, how do you mean?
I said, it's all depending on what the dealer has, what you have.
It's not a race of 21.
It just isn't.
Matt, it's just as likely to help has hurt you.
Just let them play.
You got to leave him alone.
Okay.
When I give you what he did, you're like, you're right, Matt.
Sorry.
No, I'm going to be like, you let him play his money.
But we'll talk.
We'll discuss.
I'm going to.
I'm going to stop playing.
I'm going to start playing black dirt by myself.
You can.
I'm going to.
I'm going to put money on every one of the bets and just say, you know what?
I don't know if they're going to lie you.
You would do that.
You're going to be shacked up in my spare room in no time.
You got that right.
All right.
Headlines of the day, Rossi, what do we got here?
We got Rockets, Pelicans tonight.
We've got after a night game with the hated New York Metropolitan's.
What are they playing night games for in spring training?
Those people can't, they're dinner at 4.30.
They can't go to games at 5 o'clock, 6 o'clock local time.
That's nice.
Get a day at the beach and then go to the game.
Not going to the beach.
They're going to sit there with medical doctor.
They're four doctor's appointments.
That's the reason why they do it.
That's helpful.
too, Matt. But I mean,
it's only a smattering of people. Let the
Astros play these day games.
Oh, whatever. You just want more time off.
Well, we're sure, sure.
We haven't taken time of day off on this.
We've been grinding every day.
Yes, we have.
Yeah. All right. 713-212-5-790.
It's the way you reach the program today.
7-1-3-2-2-7-9-0.
If you want to join us on Twitter, you may do that
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and at Connor D. McGuvern.
Okay, we got Rockets, we have Astros,
we have D.K. Metcalf rumors out there.
He's the number one receiver for the Seattle Seahawks.
Was he now until, what's the guy with like the hyphenated name?
Jackson Smith Injigba?
Yeah, he kind of took over for Metcalf.
Yeah, Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalfe gone, the end of an era.
Well, Metcalf's not gone. He wants to be gone.
He wants to be gone, but.
Yeah.
Well, that's kind of.
Yeah.
early word is
somebody said a first and a third
I'm like no chance
no way no how who said that
well plus on top
it was just somebody on Twitter
it was like an NFL person
and then you gotta realize he's making a boatload of money
next year yeah first and a third
and there ain't no way
you think you think conservative
Cassario is going to give up a first
a third and then pay 30 million for the guy next year
when you're already paying me
Nico Collins as much as you are
well you keep calling him conservative he went all in last
year. Well, it didn't work. No, it didn't work, but he tried that that wasn't conservative.
He tried, he failed. He let the city of Houston down. Oh, please. That's it. We're done.
Trading for Stefan Diggs giving up a second round. Is it second rounder isn't conservative?
Okay. Well, let's see him, let's pull up this D.K. Metcab deal.
No, I don't, no. You want to be serious. Let's go. Now you can go get these second tier guys.
But isn't it crazy this year, Rossi, all of the, the number of want stars now, I wouldn't say mid, but step back, step
slower.
A lot of wide receivers.
Yeah, it's crazy this year of all years to do it.
And reality is,
if you think about it for Texans fans,
you should get one of these guys.
And I'm including digs in a mix.
You have an opportunity in 2025
to put a legitimate number two receiver
next to Nico Collins.
There won't be a lack of candidates for that matter.
So, I'm just going to stand by and watch
and see what happens.
I mean, I think that the next receiver
that will be adjacent to Nico Collins
on the football field for the Texas next year
will be somebody we recognize.
It'll be up to Nick to figure out
how much money that's worth,
whether it's trading for a player
or whether that's trying to sign somebody
on a one-year deal.
You know, Nick is the king of the short-term deals,
which I think is not a terrible idea to do.
You know, trying to catch lightning in a bottle for some guys.
Also, you know what?
You play really well for one or two years.
We'll either compensate you for the future
or go test your wear or somewhere else.
but of all years for the Texans,
the Nia No. 2 with now Tank Dell definitely out for the season,
this would be the year to do it.
So I'm kind of, I mean, I'm honest,
I'm kind of excited to see what comes up.
Because I think whatever the Texans do with the receiver Ross,
it'll be somebody that we go, okay, I get it.
As long as you don't overpay for it,
I don't think his Sarah is a big overpayer.
Now, he may not be the best evaluator,
but he's not going to overpay.
So I kind of see what happens.
I think he's done good with players who have NFL track records
better than he has in the draft.
So, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm feeling good, Matt, even though you're a Cassario hater.
I'm not a casseria hater.
No.
I mean, I just, we've got problems here.
What kind of problems?
You guys got beef?
No, no, no.
He's been on the show with us.
How many times he's been on the show with us?
Zero, that's fine.
Well, you say his content's no good, so what do we want him for?
Well, we enjoy the sound bites are much better.
All right.
713-212-5-79.
if you want to join our conversation today.
713-212-5-7-90.
Not a piping hot day of sports headlines,
so there may be a few things off the beaten path we get to.
But we do have the rockets against the New Orleans Pelicans.
We have a former rocket last night.
Excuse me, score 50 points.
And it rhymes with Bames Martin.
I think I'm going to figure it out.
You did?
Yes.
All right.
7-13-212-5-7.
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Matt Thomas and Ross Bia Real.
Two guys extremely passionate about Houston sports.
You can tell them to go get a room.
We've shared a hotel room.
But they already have.
And shared a bed.
Truth be told.
That's true.
Thanks for the visual.
Pillow in between.
There's no pillow between you and more lunchtime Houston Sports Talk on Sports
9.
1022, Sports Talk 790.
Matt and Ross with you here.
I'm in New Orleans for the Rockets and the Pelicans tonight.
We'll have the broadcast beginning with a launch pad at 6.6.6.30 will be the network pregame.
And the little of the tip time just past 7 o'clock.
Astros with a night game tonight.
So I believe the game, the Rockets is going to KTRH.
Am I correct on that?
Yes.
And I think there is no local pregame.
Oh, dang.
Well, who's doing the post game tonight?
That would be me, Matt.
Oh, Lordy, you won't be on very long.
I'll be talking to all my great friends on News Radio 740 KTRH.
No chance.
Where's Mark Levine?
Turn this guy off.
Nope, nope, no.
I think we just went Michael Barry over and over again.
Where's Michael Perry?
I can't compete with that, Matt.
But I'll be talking some Rockets Pelley's basketball on News Radio 740.
I mean, I love you like a brother, Ross.
But I'd rather listen to Michael Barry repeats in your post game show.
That doesn't sound you like you.
You love me like a brother.
Are you for clumped like I was?
I'm okay.
That's fine.
I just need some water, but I don't have any.
I can have some delivered.
That's fine.
I'll go get some in a minute.
That's fine.
We're going to power through.
That's what we do here, 10 to 2 every day.
Even when the sports handlines are not really overly robust.
Let's separate some other shows.
We could just beat us top.
You know what, Matt, this happened off air, but I just want to say it on here to commend the great employee that we have here.
Monomer Governor just volunteered to get me water.
He just walked out of the control room to get me some water.
Isn't he the best?
He's the best.
He's such a sweet kid.
We should do everything we can to keep him under all circumstances.
We'll say this while he's gone.
He's great.
Runs a great board.
And he's very nice.
Goes above and beyond.
And he's getting me some water right now.
Yeah.
But go ahead.
And the Friday opens are classic.
Oh, timeless.
People set their alarms for the front.
Yes.
Remember that one Friday he was out and somebody tweeted us like,
I lost on meeting in my life because Connor McGovern wasn't here.
I don't disagree.
I don't think the Friday get-togethers are nearly as fun on the show without those opens.
Hold on.
Hey, Jose, Connor McGovern's going to be in there a second.
He's running me some water.
I'm going to put you on hold.
Thanks.
No, he hung up all right.
Jose. Here's my water, Matt.
You all call the show and you only can let it ring three times.
I mean, we're going to get to.
I promise you.
We are our caller interactive show.
We do enjoy talking to the people.
Oh, man, I'm good now.
By the water in my room, they're in cans.
Oh, really?
Yeah.
May I ask the brand?
No, no, I can't see it from here.
It's by my bed.
I can't really tell you.
But, you know, the only time I've ever saw water in a cans was on a dark breast
airlines plane.
Well, it's generally they hand them out for a like hurricane relief, I thought.
I don't know if that's accurate or not, but I will give you the brand name in just a couple of minutes.
I don't want to take the headset off.
Because there was, I was actually in a, an, in a ten.
during rodeo cookoff and they had cans of water.
Does that defeat the purpose?
I mean, is aluminum better or plastic better for the water?
I don't know.
But somebody I was with was trying to walk out with one and they thought he had a beer.
They're like, sir, sir, you can't leave with that, sir.
Yeah.
And he was like, oh, this is a can of water.
It's not their fault, but they were kind of pushy about it.
You know how these security people can be?
Yeah.
Where is the worst security in Houston right now?
Worst?
play this out there, like in terms of grumpiest people.
Now, I can't use Toyota Center as an example, because I know a lot of those people.
No, those people are nice, but I guess they kind of, yeah, I know them a little bit too, some of them.
Not as much as you, of course.
No, I think Minutemate Park, generally speaking, is pretty nice.
I think the world love those people.
I don't go to NRG very often, so I can't really use that.
I mean, I would say, I would unfortunately have to say probably TDCU Stadium is probably got the grumpiest security people.
Really?
I mean, they see the least out of all those.
I know what you mean without really saying it on air.
I think Ross is trying to say there's very few people in the stadium.
No, no, Matt.
I'm saying there's only what, six or seven home games?
Astros is 81.
It's 41 for the rockets.
And it's fewer, Matt.
What are you talking about?
No, I think people when they heard you just say that,
they knew exactly what you meant without really saying what you meant.
No, it's fewer games.
Fewer people. Add it up, man.
So you were not thinking fewer people in terms of like empty stands.
Let me tell you something.
Things are going to change.
God, I hope so.
Let me tell you some.
If you age football doesn't change, we're in trouble.
I believe in Willie Fritz.
The reality is if your football program isn't very good,
you can't stay up with the big boys.
You can't stay competitive in NAL.
You can have great basketball teams you want to.
You can have great soccer.
teams and swimming and diving programs and baseball teams.
But, bra, you just can't survive.
You can't survive.
If there's anything during this NIL time and television contracts and revenue distribution,
Ross, it is about your football team must not only be good, but it must be something
that television teams want to see.
Yeah.
Can't argue with that.
And I guess it's always been that way.
I mean, I'm not making something up, right?
It's always been that way.
Yeah, I wonder how much bigger the Gulf got over the years.
basketball and football?
Like, for instance, Indiana and Kentucky,
I mean, two, I mean, legendary schools known for its basketball,
football money is, I mean, I don't know what the ratio is between the two,
but I can guarantee you that if the athletic director said he'd rather have one team successful
of the other, they'd both say basketball, they'd both say football.
They just would.
Mm-hmm.
By the way, we're going to crush next year.
We're going to get huge crowds for the August 28th, 3rd.
Thursday night game against Stephen F. Austin.
Huge.
Well, it might be a nice lumberjacks bump.
And then we have Dion Sanders coming to town, September the 13th.
That should be awesome.
And then we got Texas Tech coming to NR, to a TDCU.
That's all good.
That's huge.
Texas Tech fans will travel.
Willie Fritz is, like I said, he was the right hire, got a quarterback now.
Rest of the team falling in line.
Let's go.
Yeah.
Connor Wigman, I'm going to say.
It's safe to say all-American candidate?
Maybe shortless Heisman?
Yeah.
No, I think he's got to be the Heisman favorite.
I haven't checked the odds, but he's got to be number one.
You know it's actually funny, though?
Why is Arch Manning, like, number one in the Heisman odds?
Because of the name.
His name.
Yeah.
And by the way, he did play a little bit last year.
It's not like he will not step on the field like he's never been on the football field for the first time.
Yeah, but he wasn't that good.
I don't know.
I just feel like that you...
I mean, I'm bullish on him.
I think he's going to be really, really good.
I mean, all the stuff coming out of...
Well, you said he's going to be a bus
and he was going to be at some other school like five times.
No, I say he was going to transfer
because he's going to get tired of being considered a narcissist
for going to University of Texas.
Yeah, well, you're wrong.
So he was solid last year,
but, I mean, they went with Quinn Ewers with a torn oblique
or whatever he had.
Was it a Tornoblake, I think?
It was some sort of injury.
Are you resentful, by the way, of him going out there with that,
or do you go, man, good for him.
He played through pain.
No, I mean, I think everybody knew.
I don't think Steve Sarkisian didn't know.
And it does explain, he does, it does a good job of explaining some of his mid-performance.
All right.
10.30, more on this and other topics coming up on the radio program today.
713, 2.12.
7.90 at 11.30 today, one hour for now we'll have I just don't get it,
which is essentially a situation where you call the show,
something perplexes you and you just don't get it.
Well, Ross, Connor, myself are here to help you navigate these murky waters.
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All the details at Two Creek's Crossing Resort.com.
That's 2TW.O.Crexcrossingresort.com.
Matt Thomas, Ross Villariel.
It's the Matt Thomas show with Ross on Sports Talk 790.
The name of the can of water is called Open Water, and their logo is more ocean less plastic.
Made of carbon neutral cans.
How about that?
This is more environmentally friendly.
Oh, okay.
That's great for them.
I'm okay with that.
That's fine.
It tastes the same to me.
They're spitting into the wind, but I applaud their effort.
Yeah, that's true.
All right.
Let me get to
I'm not a video game player Rossi
I know that a lot of our audience is
My family is big time video games players
Of course
My son and my daughter
I have the MLB at the NBA
2K game that I've been voicing
And they've never heard me on there yet
But that's I don't think it's a huge sound of disrespect
Just a slight
MLB the show ratings are out
For the 2025
Season
And the Astros have five players on that list in the top group.
The doctors have the top five players for the Astros.
Jordan Alvarez, Christian Walker, Jose Altova, Jainer Diaz, and Framber Valdez.
Now, do you play MLB the show?
I have not played an MLB game in years and years, so I'm the last guy to ask, unfortunately.
Okay, I'm assuming that overall, a hundred is the top point number on that?
Yeah, I would imagine, yes.
Frobber has an 85
Yarnier 85
Hoselle Tuve 88
Christian Walker 88 and Yorna
Albares 92 if that makes anything
92
Yeah
Who's the best in the game
Juan Soto
Gotta be right
92 seems low
Unless they're like
FIFA ratings where
some people are
92 or 93 is about as high as people get on FIFA
You know who really gets mad about these rankings
It's the players itself.
The players do.
Yeah.
They lose their mind.
It would news at noon one of the weeks we did.
The coach was talking about the biggest headaches for him wasn't NIL or anything else.
It was the players upset about their college ranking.
Right, right.
That's exactly right.
Okay, hold on.
They got Aaron Judge a 99 overall.
I guess he plays the field.
But Aaron Judge in 95 and Yordon is a 92?
Hold on, folks.
I guess it's because he doesn't play the field.
Is this what's hurting him so much?
Can we get somebody who plays a lot?
MLB the show to educate us on this?
I think it's, yeah,
if you're an MLB the show player,
let us know how
outraged you are, because I happen to see somebody
on Twitter retweet what I
just read, and they're just losing their mind.
Okay. A 92.
Jose Ramirez,
okay, let's figure out why he's on
100. Does he strike out too much?
No. But Sluggers
always strike out a lot. He doesn't have
the super high strike out. He doesn't strike out
as much as Aaron Judge, who's
Does he draw enough walks?
He draws a good amount of walks.
Okay.
He has a good arm in left field.
But for a defensive player, he still would be considered what a minus player, right, defensively?
Yeah, this must be just factoring in both sides.
So that's fine.
Whatever.
You know what?
I'm not going to get upset about something I didn't know about five minutes ago.
I'm dropping it, Matt.
I'm leaving it.
Okay.
that's one way if you
let me give you a little
radio one-on-one if you're ever player
that you aren't
you haven't interviewed before and you're trying to like
well what's a good icebreaker
ice breaking good it would be
hey man do you see your MLK
MLB ratings oh yeah isn't that awesome
or you want to go
hey you want to get on his good side and say
I got to be honest with you
Jordan you got a 92 rating on MLB the show
that's outrageous how do you feel what are your emotions about this
right now? Wait a minute
sunny gray's a 90 and Frommers at 85
What is this?
Sources have told me that your son Cameron is good at the game.
Really?
Yeah.
You didn't even know?
Well, apparently he's got a lot of free time.
I don't know why, but that's a different issue.
By the way, speaking of camera, can I mention it in camera real quick before we go to the phones?
Okay.
He sat first row at Wreckling Park last night for the U of H complete annihilation of the Rice Owls.
Yes
So the game was on ESPN regional or plus whatever
You know the channel that we do games on
Mm-hmm
He's pretending he's the umpire behind home plate
Did he go viral?
I don't know if he's going viral
But he very well could have
He gave a strike call
Standing up in the first row
Of the lower level of Wreckling Park
Wow he is his father's son
And I was like
This is one of my proudest moments of my entire life
I was gonna say
You'd never been
more proud. First of all, he got into the stance, which was
props for him on that. And then he gives a strike call. It was authoritative.
It was demonstrative. It was right away.
He didn't have to wait for the umpire to do it. He guessed the strike before the
strike was even called by the homeploid umpire. That's pretty funny. How did you see
video of this? Somebody sent us. He put on his Instagram account. Oh, okay. Well, let me follow
them on Instagram.
By the way, follow Sports RV on Instagram. It's a really good hit.
I mean, for the three times a year, he puts a stuff up there.
I'm trying to use it more, man.
I'm trying.
At SportsRVee.
My latest post has a bunch of pictures of you.
I just gave me out a follow.
There you go, Matt.
I followed you.
Okay, thank you.
You all follow both of us.
And if we think you're interesting, we'll follow you back.
No guarantees.
At SportsMT, at SportsRV on Instagram.
Follow us there.
Learn, listen, love, appreciate.
All right, we're going to get some clarity here. Roddy and Katie at 1041.
Roddy, these rankings, give us your raw emotions after hearing the numbers about these five astros.
They sound legit to me.
I think, like what you were saying, Ross, like the FIFA rankings, it's kind of like that.
They're not like, you know, with Madden how the best player would be 95 or above.
so ranking you're down at 92
sounds about you know right to me
just off all the you know
how they've rated all the other players
it's a fun game I'm totally addicted to it
Ross I don't know if you remember me telling you
about getting that game
and I play it every day
I go home on my lunch break I'm playing in it
after work like I
it's fun man
It's a really fun game.
Thank you, Rowdy.
Thank you, Roddy.
No problem.
Thanks, Roddy.
Do people go home at lunch and play video games?
That's what Rowdy does.
I mean, Roddy, you, I don't know if you're the one-off or not.
I can tell you that in college, I think that's probably pretty frequent,
that people would go back to their apartments and their dorms and play games during, like, lunch breaks or in between classes.
But as grown adults, I, you know, teach.
his own. I'm going to shame you. It seems like you're trying to. No, not at all. By the way,
Alex Breitman comes in an 82. Does that feel a little disrespectful for the goal glover?
I'm sure he feels disrespected by it. I don't think he cares. I think it's $40 million a year
for the next at least one season, if not more than that. But yeah, you want to, you want to draw
up emotions for a major league baseball player, for that matter, any athlete. I think football players
are probably the most irritated by quarterback ranking, like with Madden.
Isn't that always a thing once a year, Ross, where players will go to their Twitter accounts
and social media and say, how did I get this ranking?
I'm better than that.
Yeah, it's definitely a go-to when the ratings come out for it to be talked about on podcasts or social media.
Oh, the Radio Row rankings are out, and I am at a 99.
That's nice.
Thank you.
Oh, that's out of a thousand.
That's tough.
No.
Jason Barrett, that has been a radio programmer who does a stupid website.
He got me at a zero.
That'll get you at a zero, Matt.
You're like a solid 67.
Well, it's because I don't pay for his services.
I'm not a goof.
All right, Matt.
713-212-5-790.
7-13-212-5-790.
I just don't get it coming up.
And, yes, it's blackjack-related.
Maybe this will be the last time I ever bring up playing blackjack ever.
because it's not going to change.
You know how Rossi, we have political strife in this country?
Republicans think what Republicans think Democrats.
And everybody's trying to change everybody.
Nobody ever changes, right?
Pretty much.
Maybe I should stop shaming crappy blackjack players, especially in New Orleans.
Yeah, maybe you should.
By the way, Ross and I have our bets in for the NCAA tournament.
We do.
Oh, yeah.
I have got the value on this.
It's terrible.
It was 12 to 1 a couple weeks ago.
Well, you should have jumped in, baby.
We don't have legalized games.
I was in a casino.
No, no, we've got to get that fixed.
1044.
Matt Thomas Show with Ross, 7-1-3-212-5-790.
This is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross on Sports Talk 790.
Today we have, I just don't get it at 1130.
The news at noon, believe it or not today,
we still have Rockets, Nuggets to get tickets to give away?
No, we gave away our last pair yesterday,
but we got tickets to go to the offspring.
It's a great concert.
All right. That's a recommendation. The offspring is the tickets we'll be giving away today.
Are the tickets are giving away today here on Sports Talk 790?
All right. So Hardin last night scores 50 points for the Los Angeles Clippers in their victory.
And look, the Rockets need two wins here in the next three days.
They're going to need to beat the Pelicans twice.
I know the Pelicans, Zion's playing and doing pretty well, but they're not, they're obviously in, let's wait for next season mode.
They need to win these next two games.
get back in this upper echelon and not let the teams behind them and think they got a shot at the
five or six spot. So the Pelicans, excuse me, the Clippers beat the Pistons last night,
123 to 115. James Harden scores 50 points for the first time. I don't know where he is on stats,
because I don't spend a lot of time looking at NBA numbers. They're probably the least
important of all when it comes to stats. You know, like baseball guys are always so much
stat driven. Do we under, we as a collective basketball fan base,
undervalue James is an all-time great.
Is he properly rated, underrated, or overrated
for what he has done?
Now, postseason success still alludes him.
He's only been to one NBA finals,
and it was a six-man for the Oklahoma City Thunder
very, very early in his NBA career.
Lots of Western Conference appearance,
playoff appearances,
nothing to speak of as a net,
nothing to speak of as a 76er.
As a clipper?
I mean, they got a shot.
I mean, I don't know if Quylon is going to be able to withstand and staying up.
They're obviously trying to get back into the top six and the Rockets are going to be careful of that.
Pure score.
Free throw line 10 to 15 times a game.
It felt like during the heyday of his career.
Great passer.
Great passer.
Good assist numbers for a huge score like he is.
I would say an average defender probably better is a low block defender than he would be on the perimeter.
Not an insatiable thirst for.
staying in shape 24-7, but look what he's doing at his age.
Seven seasons as top five MVP.
Three scoring championships.
One MVP.
Two assist titles.
Yep.
He's a Hall of Famer who just isn't in the inner circle of Hall of Famers.
13th all-time scoring.
I'll pull up the assist as well.
If you and I were sitting at a bar or at the barbershop
and we were just running through the all-time graham,
It would take a while to get to James Harton, would it not?
I don't think so.
As a rocket, he was excellent.
I enjoyed calling his games.
In fact, he's been friendlier to me as a non-rocket than ever was as a rocket.
I don't know why that is, but that's a different issue.
That's probably because you were crushing them on air every day.
Not at all.
I'm just kidding.
13th all-time and assist behind Andre Miller.
That's a weird kind of bring up.
Then it gets better, the list.
Gary Payton, Isaiah Thomas, Russell Westbrook,
and then it's like it's the elite point guards of all time.
So once he passes Andre Miller, which I think he will.
Hold on one second.
Come in!
Are you serious right now?
Yeah, my stats are coming in.
I can't.
Come on here.
Guys bring him in my start sheet.
Thank you, friend.
I appreciate it very much.
Have a day stay.
Okay.
It's a live radio.
I don't know.
I don't know what I'm going to do.
I'm just going to sit here.
Soak it in.
Okay, back to what I was saying.
11 time All-Star, three-time scoring champ, seven-time All-N-B-A, MVP, 75th team, sixth man of the year.
Yeah.
Listen to these nicknames listed for him on basketball reference.
Have I ever mentioned any of these names on air during a James Hart broadcast?
Okay, the first one is The Beard.
Many, many times.
The next one is El Chapo.
never
jimbo slice
never
honey bun
now
the honey bun is because
didn't he
buy something
for a rap buddy of his
that included honey buns in her
yes
was a little baby or duh baby
or one of the babies
yeah it was I think it was a weezy baby
yeah it could have been
okay
uno
nope
and the system
no none of those
Now, I remember him saying people are like, oh, they talk about me being a system player.
I am the system.
I remember him saying that.
That's pretty funny.
No.
Only a story I will tell you off air about James.
I'll tell you two quick, work ones.
One is he insisted on playing loud rap music on the planes.
We would go, even in the middle of the night, we're trying to get home, you know, from Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Miami.
Wherever we were, it didn't matter if it was a 45-minute flight or a four-hour flight.
It didn't matter if we left the airport.
at 11.30 at night or 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
It was loud, loud, loud, rap music.
Nice.
Not nice.
When you're trying to get a little bit of a few zees.
Sounds like a good time.
Not at 143 in the morning.
You know what they say, Matt?
If it's too loud, you're too old.
Story number two, I would have to say among athletes in sports.
You know how they always say athletes, you have to have rest.
You have to, you know, you have to keep.
body right and whatnot.
The man is the most productive athlete
that ever been around in my entire life
who didn't sleep.
And how I know this is I got to know his security
people over the years.
They all quit year after year after year
because nobody works like James does.
In terms of going to play a 42-minute game
and then going over and going out after the game
and parting to 5 or 6 o'clock in the morning
and then going to bed at 7, getting up at 10,
going to shoot around and play the next day.
I mean, he was a machine.
He was not a human in that fact.
For a man who has been, I'll say this,
he may be the greatest athlete ever been around that didn't sleep of all time.
Okay.
Which is weird.
So he's on your insomniac all time starting five.
Yes.
And then third, he had friends and I know somebody that was able to express their appreciation for James as being a friend.
and it was her birthday.
And apparently he forgot.
So he just took a wad of cash and threw a bunch of $100 bills in her purse and said,
go get yourself something.
Hmm. Okay.
Which is the gift that really nobody could ever possibly be upset about.
If somebody just came at me, like if James wanted to saw me and said, hey, it's your birthday
and June, I forgot.
Let me give you this.
I gave you a bunch of $100 bills.
I'd be like, thank you, James.
It was really kind and thoughtful of you.
That sounds wonderful.
Nice guy.
have you ever thrown a bunch of $100 bills in a woman's purse and say,
go get you something else, something nice?
I've never had a bunch of $100 bills.
I know.
I get it.
And fourth and most importantly, during his heyday,
he knew that he could control what was being done in terms of how he traveled,
where we stayed, and how the game was coach.
Mike Dantonie, one of my very good friends, he says, I've got to keep James happy.
He knew it, and coaches know that today.
Maybe, is it a little lesser in 2025 or about the same?
You got to keep the superstars really happy and wanting to be in charge or you're out of work.
I would say about the same.
Yeah, you're maybe running that.
It's a little different here in Houston because E. May Doak is clearly running the ship,
but also there's no superstar here.
Yeah, that is crazy.
That is crazy that a, you know, and that's why coaches don't, I mean,
I know that Mike Booneholzer and Kevin Durant kind of got sideways for like,
two seconds yesterday or a couple nights back
and they said hey that's just us being us
but if Kevin Durant doesn't like Mike Boonehuis
or Mike Booneholtz and maybe that's a bad example
because the son's made me even going to
yeah but
if Kevin Durant doesn't like you
you're not going to acquire him first
and foremost and you're probably not going to stay long term
that's the business
that is a business that's what happened with Boone Holzer
in Milwaukee right? Yeah oh absolutely
he's sideways with the onus
and also the other coach that got fired their
midseason before Doc Rivers took over
Adrian Griffin.
Adrian Griffin, yeah.
Yeah.
I think it was Adrian Griffin, yeah.
Sure, why not?
Could you imagine being a boss somewhere and saying,
if you can't keep your happiest employee happy, you're out.
No matter how productive you are, no matter how imaginative hour you matter,
how good you are X's and O's, no matter how you communicate with others,
you've got to keep your superstar happy.
Oh, yeah, we've got to keep Michael Berry happy, Maddie.
Let's go.
Oh, you know what?
That's a great example.
Eddie Martini?
Forget about us, a little 790 guys.
You keep Michael Barry happy.
You get to keep your job.
1058 sports talk 790 the second hour the matt thomas show with ross continues here from new
orleans after ross tells you about one of our great 790 sponsors yeah a lot of NBA talk there
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Launch timers. This is the Matt Thomas show.
1103, Sports Talk 790. It is the Matt Thomas show with Ross. I'm coming to you today from New Orleans,
where tonight the Houston Rockets will take on the New Orleans Pelicans. The rockets are
facing pressure from teams behind them in the Western Conference. Let me give you the
very latest standings as we speak, and I can do that right now as soon as my phone works.
I can do it, Matt.
I can tell you. I'm here for you.
You're good.
All right.
So the Rockets right now are in the five spot in the West.
They're a game behind Memphis who lost last night to Oklahoma City.
Wonderful.
Rockets would have the tiebreaker over Memphis.
Yes.
So if it's a four or five matchup with Memphis, the Rockets have won three of the four games against the Grizzlies and would have home court.
The Golden State Warriors are three back of the.
Rockets for the five spot.
Also, Minnesota is three back of the rockets for the five spot.
Minnesota is at seven.
The LA Clippers are four back of the rockets.
Jesus.
The Kings are four and a half back.
And the Mavericks who are going to drop out of the 10th spot for sure are five
and a half back.
Question is, will Dallas, Phil Phoenix, or maybe this hot Portland team inherit that 10
spot?
because Dallas can compete with AD still missing time
and Kyrie Irving's done for the year.
By the way, Dallas got destroyed last night in the NBA.
I'm getting nervous.
Rocket agencies too.
They just didn't.
I mean, they're not must-wins, but if they don't win both games,
I think it'll be considered a disappointment.
It'll be a disappointment.
I mean, well, they've already been disappointing us.
There have basically been a 500 team since the calendar turn.
Not great.
Fred Van Vlitz already looks out, correct?
Yeah, Fred is definitely out for tonight.
Is it because Fred's been gone so much?
Is it because the teams have caught up with the rockets?
Is it because the rockets have turned the ball over a lot?
Is it because the rockets?
And this is not my words.
I mean, I think, has been looking for an intensity boost here,
and it hasn't happened.
I think it's a combination of all those things.
You know, one of the things that Wex brought up yesterday was listening to A-Team on the I-Heart radio app,
which always should do.
You were?
Yeah.
He said he doesn't.
Yeah, he doesn't see the Rockets getting overly upset when they lose.
Now, I've said this before in every professional sport I've ever covered before my life.
Fans and media take losses way more in terms of passion, emotion, fire, hurt than the players ever do.
And that's not just the Houston Rockets, that's the Los Angeles Kings, that's the Denver Broncos.
that's every sports team.
Some guys are obviously upset,
but most of them Rossi,
it's just one game on the schedule.
Or it's one year,
or it's, I've got my money.
We just don't,
we don't ever think that,
so we should think,
that players are as upset about losses that we are.
I'm not saying the Rockets are guilty of this more than anybody else.
But point being is this,
is that they shake these things
because if you don't, if you all of a sudden let a game against Brooklyn where you lost two weeks ago,
sit there and manifest, you're never going to get over.
You have to shake it and move on.
Yeah, a lot of these, to reach these heights that they do, you're talking about a lot of mentally strong players,
and they also generally do view it as a business.
Remember, like, speaking of James Harden, remember they had that horrible loss to San Antonio,
and then there was video of Hardin to Club, and a bunch of fans got all upset, like,
how could he lose and then go to the club?
This is unbelievable.
He's like, oh, he had a bad day at work
and he went to go drink at the club?
You're shocked?
Relax, people.
And I think there's really no better example of things
is when you see two teams play a game,
what's the very first thing to do once the buzzer goes off?
They go to their team and go hug the player.
Yeah, and that especially happens more nowadays
because a lot of these players grow up in the same circles
and train with each other in the offseason,
and have the same agents.
It's just different time.
now I'll say this I don't think if you all of a sudden if the Rockets lose tonight to New Orleans should
anybody go in the locker room and throw the food around in the water in the in the in the Gatorade bottles I mean that that doesn't last either sometimes you have the heart to have the heart to hard talk sometimes you have to have the team only meeting whatever the case and it's funny anytime anybody you hear of having a player's only meeting and like oh oh something's really wrong it usually means the season is about to get worse right so it is a marathon but I what I would say is this I would hope there
Rockets can put together some sort of mojo here
towards the last third of the season because they
worked so hard, Ross, in the first
two, three months of the season, really in the
first two and a half months, to be the
second best team in the Western Conference.
They did work their
ass off to get to Las Vegas to
play in that game. They did knock off
Golden State in the first half of the year. They did beat
Cleveland twice this year. They did be Boston
in Boston. They did beat Oklahoma
City. They've beaten Demp. And they have
a lot of quality wins, and
I would hate for them to be ruined,
because of all of a sudden this 500 team,
they have been basically for the last two months or so.
Well, it's very simple.
They just have to avoid all that, just win games.
You've got the weakest schedule of those teams that we talked about.
And we've been talking about this for a while.
Yeah.
The Lakers, Nuggets, and Grizzlies all have harder schedules in you.
And you've lost three in a row.
And the reality is this.
I think at this point of the season,
for them to play 750 basketball at the rest of the way is a patently absurd.
You're not going to win every game.
I just think at this point with all of the subpar losses,
the Rockets have picked up since the calendar year turned.
I'm talking about the two games against Brooklyn, the Utah game.
Detroit no longer is a bad loss because Detroit's about to move up the Eastern Conference standing really quick.
I'm trying to think there's anybody else that was a terrible, terrible loss.
Sacramento at home wasn't great because, again, you want to win home games.
you're supposed to be beating teams that you think are talent-wise.
My point is, I don't think there's any more room for the shaking my head loss.
No.
Because if you get much more of that, you're going to be sitting there maybe dropping to six,
and then if really things get dicey, maybe you're having to play that playing game.
I mean, to go from 2 to 7, I think would be a huge buzzkill for what has been overall,
a very positive season for the Houston Rockets.
opponent win percentage strength of schedule remaining
Lakers second
Denver 5th
Memphis 11th
Rockets 23rd
get it done no excuses
And that would include
Again you think about this
You have the two New Orleans games
You got tonight here in New Orleans
And then you have Saturday for New Orleans
And then you got a boatload of home games
Let's let me look at these home games real quick
Before we move on some of the things here
Rockets have six of the next seven at home at New Orleans tonight, then six straight home games.
New Orleans, Orlando, they're tanking quick.
Phoenix, they're the 11th spot in the West, yeah, they're 11th.
Dallas, no Kyrie, no more Luca, no Anthony Davis, Chicago, who has sucked all year long,
and Philadelphia who sucked all year.
Ross, that's a 6-1 stretch, correct?
Nothing less than that would be disappointing?
In theory.
Then you have the Florida swing with Orlando and Miami.
My guess is you know you haven't played really well in Miami the last handful of years.
A lot of teams don't play well in Miami because, I mean, it's Miami.
Then you have Denver, Atlanta, who cares.
At Utah, at Phoenix and the Lakers.
That's a two-and-one road trip, you hope.
Then you have Utah, Oklahoma City.
You hope to split that.
at Golden State, at the Clippers, at the Lakers, and home for Denver.
Ooh, that's a tough four-game stretch to end the year.
Yeah, Ross, I'm going to say if this team does not go six and one,
I know one will publicly say this,
but I think that internally within the organization,
they've got to be thinking, we've got to win six the next seven games.
That'd be nice.
And that would, I think would put a lot of people at these.
Now, again, I don't think the Rockets are considered by many folks as NBA title contenders,
but I think for this to be a season where you go, man, this really was
fun. There were some ebbs and flows, and sometimes
there were some down moments. They're like in there isn't any NBA
season, but the rockets
have risen to the occasion. And what makes things
worse, unfortunately, is the fact that you've got
the teams in front of them, for the most part,
playing better. The Lakers don't seem to ever want
to lose. Denver's playing better. Memphis
isn't a tailspin. But Golden State, Minnesota, the
clippers are all playing better right now.
So selfishly, I want
6-1. And based on the calendar
and who they're playing, and the fact that six
of those seven home games are those games are at
home, they should go six and one.
It'd be nice.
Not going to hold my breath.
It'd be nice.
That would put them then at 43 and 26.
Sounds a lot sexy than right now at 37 and 25.
As a Rockets, I think I've lost, what, eight consecutive road games, I think?
Haven't won a game this month or in February for that matter.
I think the last road one was in Atlanta, and that was in late January.
That might include our NBA conversation for the day, Ross.
I hope it doesn't, but, you know, when we, we,
We do want to move around with a variety of different topics on the show.
I just don't get it coming up at the bottom of the hour here on the program.
713-212-5-7-9 if you want to jump in on anything we have talked about so far,
whether it be the Rockets, the Astros, as they get ready for a night game
with the New York Metropolitan's.
We will not get any word on Christian Walker until probably Joe Espada speaks.
My guess is it'll be about 2.30-ish local time, is that game today, is at 505.
5, and of course, we'll have it here on 790.
The Rockets game shifts over to KTRA, so if you want to catch that, that'll be at 630 tonight.
713-212-5-790 is high-reach.
To show that 7-1-3-212-5-790.
And again, on Twitter, at SportsMT, at SportsMT, at-Connor D. McGovern.
Matt Ross with you here on 790.
Matt and Ross return.
Return on Sports Talk 790.
I just don't get it in the next segment of the radio program.
713-212-5-790.
If you want to jump on the conversation, 7-1-3-212-5-7-90.
John Singleton, likely to play some first-base Rossi for the foreseeable future as Christian Walker.
Now, again, he can wake up today, and we don't know this until everybody gets to the ballpark later tonight.
but Christian Walker will be like, oh, I feel great, no problems.
Yeah, I've had a left oblique strains before, but this was just a bad night's sleep.
I'm going to say that's probably not going to happen.
I think you're probably right.
I'm going to say he'll miss a couple of weeks and he'll be fine for start of the season.
Okay.
I hope your optimism is accurate.
It's certainly not going to be a super long-term thing.
Although, how many games, Al-Tube missed a lot of games with the oblique injury a couple years ago?
Yeah. I don't remember Christian Walker's bile being injury riddled.
I mean, am I right on that?
I mean, he missed 30 games last year with an oblique injury.
But he's fine. It's fine.
What are we supposed to expect from our major leaguers these days?
Knowing the way that guys need days off here and there, if they get to 145, are we pleased?
No, you're going to say 140-ish, yeah, sure.
Oh, before that, 157, 160 games played by Christian Walker.
and 115 and 21
because he had two oblique injuries.
If you have the same injury over and over again,
is it just because the body wasn't prepared?
He swings so violently, Matt.
I mean, oblique injuries are very common in baseball
because of the bat swings.
Yeah.
It's going to be fine.
I appreciate your optimism.
So I have this straight.
Jim Crane doesn't want to sign long-term deals
because he doesn't want 34-year-olds
getting paid money, but he's okay signing a 35.
four-year-old to a three-year contract.
Yeah, I think...
And then he gets hurt.
In a nutshell, which you just said, it's completely accurate.
I'll sign 34. I'll sign
mid-30s, but I'm not signing for
long-term. And that's the reality is I don't think
Christian Walker was going to get deals like that anywhere else.
I don't think... I'm assuming
that Christian Walker wasn't getting five-year deals
from other cities.
Well, if he signed Alex
Bregman to...
What is it, Breggman? 31?
To a six-year deal. He'd play till he's
37. He signs a 34-year-old.
their three-year deal. He's going to play till he's 37.
But isn't there less financial
numbers attached to Walker's numbers than they were to
Breggman's? Yes, there are.
But he says it's about the year. It's not
necessarily about the money. Just saying,
just thinking out loud.
I can't completely
negate what you're saying,
but I would say there is
a little bit of difference. I don't think I'm looking for
hypocrisy. I think I'm looking for
maybe
that's all
you were worth to us
at the end of the day
that we were able to size things up
and say
we like you
will give you
six years
but we don't think
you're a $30 million year player
yeah I don't think
I don't think we're trying to
we're not trying to put the aster's in a
what are you doing with player A
that you're not doing with player B
I don't envision that but maybe
maybe I'm
misreading this.
But when I saw Christian Walker's deal,
you want slug at first base, for sure.
You want somebody that can defend the position well,
because defense has always been, at least far in this organization,
obviously Jeff Bagwell doing the things he's at at first base for all those years.
You look for value in that.
You look for a guy that's going to have a lot of home run potential at Minut-made
part.
And also a guy that never, you know, again, for much we love Breggman,
there was a history of very slow starts
and maybe there was a part of last year
because the slow start was so prolonged
that you're like, you know what?
Maybe his regression would be a little bit faster
than say other players.
You're dealing with some more complete information
because we know that as a 33-year-old
Christian Walker was good
and we don't know what Alex Spregman looks like
as a 33-year-old.
Right.
I'm just saying it just strikes me funny.
We don't want to pay somebody to those 36 or 37,
unless it's Christian Walker or Jose Abrae or getting back Verlander twice.
And also, frankly, a dire need?
I mean, Ross, you just could not put John Singleton at first base for 120 games next year, this year.
That just doesn't make any sense.
I mean, yes, he does hit Titanic home runs a right field, but he's limited defensively.
He's in the best shape of his life, Matt.
I don't care about that.
It's like a tiger cat out there.
So you tell me he's got zero body fat?
Very little.
Okay.
I mean, could he bench press me?
Yeah, I didn't see him.
Yeah, crack you in half.
Make you humble.
Let me tell you last year he could have cracked me in half.
That's true.
Five years ago, John Singleton, could have crack me in half.
I don't know.
You are thinking out loud, and this is a live radio show where you tend to generate thoughts on the spot.
I mean, I can't crush your take, but I'm...
I'm going to slightly disagree with it.
Okay.
Because I don't, you made the move with Kyle Tucker.
You got Peretti who's got obviously pull power.
You obviously had him on the radar.
As you mentioned many a time before, he is in arbitration control.
So if you keep him here for a couple of years,
you're not going to break the bank with a guy.
You may not see much of an OPS drop between the two.
You will see a defensive slippage.
And obviously, Parades yesterday had an errand of.
in the game. Not the spring training errors or everything,
but they did to have one.
Well, even Joe was spotted, right? We were right there.
Somebody asked him about his third base defense.
He was like, this average.
Yeah. I was kind of shocking coming from Joe. It was funny.
He said how average it was, and then he started
talking about all the things he does. He's got good range.
He's got a soft hands. He's got good movement. I'm like,
wait a minute, you just described him as average. The things you just
said do not match up the description.
You gave him a name,
and then you gave him a bunch of superlips
after the name.
Yeah, I don't know.
I just, I will say I was generally excited when Christian Walker was signed that I thought,
good money, reasonable, not, I mean, it was a perfect Jim Crane contract.
I'm glad he's here.
And the reality is, Ross, those, those longer-term deals just aren't found for many Astros.
Yardons got one, Altuve's got one, Christian Heavier has one.
Anybody else?
right off the top that I'm thinking of is a long term.
I mean, Paine is still under arbitration.
Yarnar Diaz is under arbitration.
I mean, this team is still littered with players that are not tied long term to this team for the foreseeable future or under club control.
And not as much star power as years past, but we'll see what happens, especially with the young pitching.
Yeah.
1126, Sports Talk 790.
It is the Matt Thomas show with Ross.
I'm going to ask you a very simple question, Houston, because I do love you.
is there something in life you just don't get?
I'm going to ask you that again.
If there's anything, whether it's something about sports,
whether it's about the way that your wife treats you,
whether it's the way that people are driving across major interstates around this area,
whether it's something that's done at the grocery store
or when you go to the pet supply store,
whatever you don't in your life you just don't get,
I want to hear from you.
Ross and I want to hear from you.
And we're here to help you because that's what we do here on the program.
If there's something you don't get,
you call 713-212-5-790 7-1-3-212-5-7-90 1127.
Matt here in New Orleans, Ross back in Houston.
We thank you for listening to this program on Sports Talk 790.
Do you have something in your life that you just don't get?
No need to worry, no need to fret.
We will discuss the topics to see if we comprehend the things that may confuse our friends.
It's time to say, I just don't get it.
Ross, I'm at a $50 table last night.
Okay?
You don't even enter the segment.
You've been waiting to get this off your chest.
The guy's playing $100 a hand.
So I think when you play $100 a hand,
you've got some comprehension of the basic rules of black check.
Dealer shows a four.
He's got 13.
The three people in front of him,
wave it off.
He hits the 13 against the four.
he bust out.
The person next to him
skips.
The dealer draws to 21.
And the entire table loses.
If he would have taken that card,
which was a 10,
it would have busted the dealer
and all of us would have won,
including him.
I just don't get incompetence
at the blackjack table.
And I've been talking about this
for years and years and years,
and some of you are tired of it.
And for that, I wholeheartedly apologize to you.
But I just don't get incompetence at the black jet table,
especially when the limits are $50 a hand, sports rv.
I'm sorry to say I get it, Matt.
It's just very simple.
People are stupid.
People like to give money.
Just because you have money doesn't mean you're smart.
People are idiots.
And I screamed.
I dropped a massive F bomb.
You did?
Yes.
Oh, what happened?
Did you get the confrontation?
I played two hands and I lost $100 on that one hand.
So can we just clarify for people like me who don't gamble that much?
You're always staying on 13?
It depends on what the dealer is showing.
Okay.
There's one card that's hidden and one is showing.
You assume a 10 is coming and you, yeah, you assume a 10 is coming and you assume the dealer's got a 10 and is getting a 10.
Got you.
Okay.
And that's how you play the game.
one part of the game of blackjack is getting to is getting to 21 the other part of blackjack is staying in the game so the dealer can bust doesn't always happen
percentages are in there's no there's no guaranteed rate of return when you don't hit on a car that the dealer's got to bust
but you want to stay in the game as long as you can and if you play by the rules and there are little cards you can go buy on amazon you can go to the grocery store you can go to a casino they'll
give you the card to say when the dealer
has this and you have this
playing by the odds
do this
Connor
I dropped the massive
F bomb and all the tables
around me heard it I got up and I said
play some GD
effing cards right
you said that
yes
and the guy didn't say
a guy looked at me he didn't say a word because
oh my God
there are
very few things in my life that will get me upset
than blankie card
players.
Wow.
That's why, and that's why I've decided
from here on out I'm going to try to play it by myself
as much as possible because the only person I can
blame is myself.
But I play cards right, so it's
not a problem. If I lose, I lose because the cards weren't
coming my way. But I'm not going to give
the dealer an advantage that
he already doesn't have to begin with.
Wow.
You're a...
He must have been a short, small man.
He probably wasn't six foot five.
No, no, he was obviously very successful.
He had about $2,000 in chips with him.
Wow.
He had a bunch of bling on his hand because that's what he likes to do.
He wanted to show that he hit a small penis.
He wanted to put as much as much of jewelry as possible.
Oh, my God.
And there were two rockets employees that were at the table across,
and they're like, you okay?
I'm like, no.
So I just don't get it.
Hmm.
Man.
But Ross, if you were with me, you and I are very tight.
We've done this together for a long period of time.
I haven't seen to react that poorly.
You would have done the exact same thing.
I don't think I would have. No, I wouldn't have.
Well, then you're a better man than I am then.
Because I lost my blank.
I mean, granted, it was 12.15 in the morning, so I'm probably swearing more than I should have to begin with.
Oh, how many vodka cranberries had you had?
I actually was doing coronas last night.
Oh, okay.
Yeah, you've been a corona man.
I do like Corona.
It is the white man's Mexican beer.
I had a Corona and a Modela last night, so I'm mixing up.
Ross, what don't you get?
I was going to say, I don't get you screaming at other back blackjack players.
It's an illness I have, and I'm sorry.
I let me tell you something.
I enjoy playing blackjack, and sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
But I just don't want to give the house any more advantage they already have.
That's all I'm saying.
Okay.
I'm sorry, Matt.
Are you really?
I'm a little bit sorry, actually.
Thank you.
I mean, I'm worried for you.
I don't want you getting in confrontation.
You know what, at this point?
I don't want you coming to blows over blackjack.
Well, I mean, it was $100.
I mean, I don't make crazy money.
I make good money.
I don't make crazy money.
But we would have won the hand.
I mean, I understand if we'd have lost the hand,
and some people would have busted someone,
but the entire table would have busted
with the dealer taking that 10, that jerk off.
off to the left and he took.
Okay.
As you were.
Connor, what don't you get?
Mine's kind of simple. I just don't get why people
make social media accounts for their
pets.
It's just
I get, you know, social
media accounts like they suggest
people to follow and it's because of my
contact list and their phone numbers are saved with their account.
I guess suggested to follow these, all these accounts
and it's just social media accounts for their pets.
I'm like, I don't need to see that.
Your dog is an
influencer, you know?
I'm going to go with,
I get it because people are bored.
How about that? People really
love their dogs.
Which I do. I have two great dogs.
People want to show other people how much they love
their dogs. I'm a dog person.
People also think that they are somehow going to have
their dog turn into an influencer and make a bunch of money and get a bunch of
followers. They have dreams of that. I've known people that
started Instagrams for their dogs and they're like, yeah,
I'm going to make a bunch of money off my dog's Instagram.
Then six months later, they're not posting on it.
Yeah.
I got news for you.
I pay $160 a month for the dog's food because they give the good stuff.
If I could put my dogs as influencers for their brand of food they buy, I would do it in a heartbeat.
Exactly.
People are trying to do that.
And then I got another reason for you, Matt.
Go ahead.
People use their dogs accounts as burners.
They're browsing or liking or looking at things that maybe they wouldn't otherwise.
Huh.
Okay.
So I've heard.
I don't have a dog Instagram.
Got you.
you on that. Do any of you use
your dogs and cats as burner accounts?
713-212-5-790.
Next pet account, I say I'm going to go
their follower list and see what
they're looking at. Why don't you send a DM to those
dogs and cats? And it's away from the browse
social media and kind of not have an account
if they don't want to.
Okay.
You know what? Now, after Ross
to just explain that, Connor, I got to tell you, I totally get it.
Totally get it. I guess I get it too, but now I'm just
curious.
I'm just even more curious about it.
What are they looking at?
What are they hiding behind their pet?
What are they hiding?
Oh, man.
Excellent work, excellent work.
All right, what don't you get, ladies and gentlemen?
713212-5-790.
7-1-3-212-5-7-90.
Tom's in downtown.
Tom, I have one simple question for you.
What don't you get?
What I don't get, and this seems to only happen in the Toyota Center in Houston-wise.
every time I go see the Rockets play like I did this weekend
I always get to there and there's a whole bunch of fans
either in Rockets gear or the opposing gear
but then there's always like a gaggle of like random jerseys
from teams that aren't there, players that aren't there
they're not throwbacks like I was at the Kings game
and somebody's walking around with a Curry jersey
in a Davis jersey
and a LeBron jersey. I'm like
why wear a jersey to a game?
for a player that's not on either team and was not ever on either team and not going to be playing in that game.
I don't get it either, but it's happening, Tom, in every NBA arena I go to.
Like tonight here in New Orleans, they play at the Ruthie Ring Arena.
Do you get Rudy still?
Yeah, but I don't drink it. Too much sure.
But if you ever come with me to a game, I'll get you mine if you'd like.
I did one. I came there one time.
Yeah, you did.
I see it in every MBA arena.
Maybe it's just people just feel like they got to put a basketball jersey on to go to a basketball game.
I don't know.
I think it is more than that.
They're like, yay, basketball.
I got a basketball jersey.
Let's go to the basketball game.
I think it's people who aren't huge fans.
Like, here's what I'll do tonight, Rossi.
Anytime I will take a picture of anybody I see wearing either a non-Pelican or a non-rocket jersey.
Okay.
And you'll make a montage?
Well, let's say, do you think I could find three?
people in the arena tonight, at least wearing something non-pelican or non-run.
Minimum.
And probably in the first three minutes of you being there.
Okay.
So, yeah, I will take some pictures tonight and show them on social.
And I'll ask the person.
I don't want to be like a creeper going, hey, why are you wearing this bucks jersey?
Yeah.
They still might sock you right in the mouth.
It's true.
But, you know what I wasn't even, I wasn't even afraid of that guy with all that jewelry on yesterday,
socking me in the mouth.
I was, because he knew he was being an ass.
You were blind with rage.
Yeah.
It takes the joy out of playing cards
When I have stupid asses around me
It just does
Maybe you should just calm down
Take some deep breath, though
Did he know it was directed at him?
When you drop an F bomb
And you slam both hands on the table
I said
F
The dealer would have busted if you didn't take the card
I think you figured it out
Maybe he just thought
Well, from the previous context
I thought maybe he just thought you were angry
Because everybody lost the hand
but not directly at him.
If the guy has an IQ of 70 to figure out
that him taking the face card against
a 13 with the four showing
and the dealer's putting 21
after that had been his card, then that's
on him.
It's tough, man.
Meanwhile, his buddy
was two tables down from us screaming
get our new shoe,
get on, shut up.
We don't want to be yelling at damn casinos at 12 o'clock
at night. We need to be playing cards, drinking our modellas,
or our coronas, and calling it a day.
or Irish coffees, which I had one last night.
It was quite refreshing, by the way.
I love Irish coffees.
By the way, I remember what I wanted to use for I just don't get it.
Go ahead.
Oh, we'll see if we'll do it come back.
Okay.
1143.
News at noon coming up in 15 minutes.
If something you don't get in life,
and maybe I should just give up on black check.
But, I mean, I'll lose the craps.
So I've given up on that.
At least I've smartened up to that.
But I still enjoy blackjack.
And I'm sorry.
Again, if you've heard the stories before,
I in all honestly, apologize.
I really do.
You need to remember the times that they play wrong.
and it helps you, Matt, because it does happen.
It does.
More times and not, if you play by the rules right, you got a better shot.
It's just as likely to help is hurt.
No.
713-212-5-790.
7-1-3-212-5-7-90.
The Matt Thomas Show with Ross continues on Sports Talk 790.
You're now supposed to hit on 17.
But if I have 17 and the dealer's showing 10,
I'm supposed to assume the dealer's other card is a 10,
so I'm staying on 17 because of 20.
I'm going out like a bitch.
That's not how I like to live.
So sometimes I hit on 17.
Situation came a pack table.
I had 17, dealers show, and 10.
I was the last one ago before the dealer's port again.
I said, hit everybody at the table gas.
Oh, no.
This dude is on tilt.
He's on full tilt.
He's out of control.
Even if Dillard said, are you sure?
Yes, I'm sure.
Hit!
Hit!
I'm hitting on 17.
I busted out, 27.
Turns out Dillard's other car was a 5.
I took his 10.
He would have busted out with 25.
His next car was a 6.
He got 21.
Everybody lost.
I took everybody down with me.
I don't know if that was supposed to make me feel better, but now I feel worse.
Mm-mm-mm.
Uh-uh.
Uh-huh.
says, I sat with Aretha Franklin and watched her split tens in Atlantic City for two hours.
Aretha Franklin?
Yes, God rest her soul.
She liked to play Blackjack?
The Queen of Soul?
Oh, my God.
Could you, I would, I would let her hit six against 16 if the Queen of Souls with me.
Let me finish this tweet.
She made me sit with her and bankroll my failure to compete for the entire time.
I toured with her, toured with her for three years and never went to a casino with her.
ever again.
That's a great story.
Wow.
He also sends another tweet.
He says, I don't get how we have no idea what the names of the remaining Maroon 5, 4 guys are.
I couldn't name one of Maroon 5 if he paid me to.
Adam Levine.
Oh, that's right.
Now with Queen.
Or what is it with Queen?
And PJ Morton.
PJ Tucker or PJ?
PJ.
Adam Levine and Adam Lambert are two different people.
Yeah, that's fine.
So, which one do we like?
Lambert or Levine?
Which one's more talented of the two?
Lambert is the one that's the front man for Queen.
Adam Levine is the frontman for Maroon 5.
Okay.
There you go.
This is very confusing.
And then Adam Clanton is on 2 to 6.
And then his partner is Adam Wexler, who's not in a band either.
Neither one of those two guys are in a band.
No.
Ross, most famous person you ever played blackjack with ever in your life was?
Besides me?
Nobody.
We played crafts with Omar Epps, and you didn't know who he was.
was in New Orleans, in New Orleans, actually.
Yeah.
Oh, no, I know with Blackjack. Can I say?
It was with you and him.
Who?
Former Rocket.
Oh, Eric? Yeah, I can say that.
Okay. Yeah, yeah.
Eric Gordon is the most famous player I've played Blackjack with.
Yeah, yeah. That's fine. He didn't care.
He was playing very low. He wasn't getting crazy.
I was actually disappointed. I was like, oh my God, Eric Gordon, sitting down with this is going to be amazing.
He's going to be betting like $1,000 a hand.
He was playing like $20.
550. He was just casual, having a good time.
The most, the craziest rocket black giant player ever played with was
Corey Brewer. Now an assistant coach in the NBA. He was betting crazy?
Yeah, several hundred hours a hand. Good for him. He could do it. He could afford it.
Yeah. That's what I'm saying. Like,
Eric Gordon was playing correct strategy. He was playing low limits. He was just sitting there
chilling. So was there. So was Corey. I got a all problem with Corey's game. Zero.
Yeah. He was very chill and fun. And then we were playing craps with Omar.
and you didn't know who he was.
I still don't know who he is.
Not Omar F, sorry, Mike Epps, Mike Epps.
And it's different Eps.
I believe they actually are related.
All right.
And then what is you right?
Mike Epps was in Friday after next.
He's in a bunch of movies.
And the only reason you knew who he was when I said he was Black Dug in the Hangover.
Yes.
That's when you finally got it.
Okay.
That makes sense.
Ross, before we wrap things up here,
I mean, by the way, if you got a last call for something you don't get,
713-212-5-790
7-1-3-2-1-2-5-79
Ross, what don't you get?
I was at the Rockets game
as a fan
on Saturday against the Sacramento Kings
shout out Adam Clinton, thank you for the tickets
and it was
Hello Kitty Night
and again
all these people are going nuts for Hello Kitty
and now the Astros for the second year in a row have two Hello Kitty nights
where last year I happen to get tickets from work on a dollar dog Tuesday or something like that
just happened to get to the game earlier than normal like an hour early
and they were completely out of Hello Kitty stuff
now I understand people go crazy for some cartoons and whatnot and children
I don't get how it's it's over the top for Hello Kitty
what is going on with Hello Kitty that I don't know
then people go absolutely bonkers for hello kitty stuff
you'd have to ask Craig Ackerman
he is a huge hello kitty-a-holic
Yeah why
Craig Ackerman is the weirdest
You know what I love about Craig Ackerman Matt
Is I feel like
If we're talking about a certain something
I can kind of maybe formulate
What your opinion is going to be on it
Just because I kind of know you
And your leanings or whatever right
And you can probably do the same for me
You're like oh you wouldn't like that
or you do like that.
I never know
with Craig Ackerman
when it's food,
when it's a band,
when it's Hello Kitty.
I never know with Craig Ackerman
more than probably anybody that I know.
Yeah.
In a nutshell,
Craig does not like,
he is adverse to mayonnaise
and ranch like Clinton is.
His palate is probably
10 times worse than mine
in terms of choices of food.
He likes
EDM music.
Exactly. Like, where does that come from?
Which is weird, but we're going to go to see
the festival. No, you're not.
There's a chance. Once you see the tickets
are $700, you're going to be like, I'm out.
I get media credentials.
They're not going to credential me. They're not going to credential
you to cover. Is a Houston rocket
performing? No.
Stephen Adams have a set, but I'm an
influencer. I mean, it can happen. No, you're not.
All right. And he
he also loves Hello Kitty, and he's got an insatiable
thirst for Fran Dresher of the Nanny.
That's his number one bucket list
She could just make that noise
Was Fran ever, I mean, I don't mean to be
Speak poorly, but she was cute
But to be the number one on the
Hold on, she's beautiful
Come on now
Prime Fran Dresser is beautiful
Okay
I don't know, the voice is so irritating though
Right
You just put some like some band-aids over her mouth.
Okay.
I'm glad you said that.
I was really scared for you.
What do you think I was going to say?
Something else.
Oh, I know what you were thinking.
You're wrong.
Christopher on 790 and 1155.
Christopher, good morning.
What's on your mind?
I want to say that I don't get it either, but hello kitty night for the Astros, which has two nights,
are the first tickets that are given away, that I give away to builders and contract.
because they want to take their daughter.
And that also goes for Barbie Night and Princess Night.
But I don't get it, but it's always packed on those games.
But why does a grown-ass male being obsessed with Hello Kitty?
Isn't there a little issue?
Craig Ackerman?
Yeah, I mean, he's grown.
I just think it's the guys taking their 9, 10-year-old daughters that want it.
He's got two adult-grown sons.
Thank you, Christopher, for the phone call.
Craig, I just don't get it.
We can call him.
You want to call him and see what he would say?
Yeah, it would be fun.
Do you have Craig's number?
We can call him real quick.
We're short on time.
Yeah, it's fine.
Maybe next show.
The next time we bring up Hello Kitty on the show,
which would be win, never 15th?
I'll bring it up tomorrow.
All right.
That was, I just don't get it for the show.
I mean, again, if you have got young daughters,
like my daughter is 17, she doesn't care for Hello Kitty.
No one, I don't get it.
it. I just don't get
the yellow kitty fascination.
Me either, Matt.
All right. The news.
At noon is next here
on the radio program that we call the Matt Thomas Show
Ross. If you'd like to join us over the main headlines
of the day, you may do that at 713.
212-790.
7-13-212-5-7-90.
Oh, by the way, yeah,
Yon-Easy. Fran Dresher
or Jennifer Coolidge?
Hmm.
Tresher.
Coolidge in American Pie,
Stiff's mom.
Yeah, and only the first one, just the first one.
Okay.
She started getting a little heavier in the second one.
It wasn't nearly as attractive.
More plastic surgery.
A lot of work done.
A lot of, I mean, those lips, I mean, my God.
Yeah.
All right, let's talk about Big City Wing.
Circus tense.
and that voice too Jesus
which voice would you live with
I'm saying probably neither but no
Fran is a bit
but actually both of theirs is a bit they both have normal voices
yeah for sure both are a bit
yeah for sure 713
like Bob Pat Gold's weight
Sorry go ahead
That's okay I'm just happy you pronounce his last name properly
I'm talking and Connor treats Connor to get us to break
And it's making him more and more upset
It's pretty funny
Look at his face
After all this
713-212-5-7-90 for the news at noon.
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The news is big at Big City Wings because today is Thursday.
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10 get you 10, 15, get you 15 bonus ones.
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To find a location near you, you go to big citywings.com.
Lunch timers.
This is the Matt Thomas Show.
It is the news at noon in a manner of moments right here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross.
713-212-5-790.
7-13-21-2-5-7-90.
Please join us between now and 2 o'clock today.
But right now, the top headlines today.
And the news center we go for Sports RV.
All right, man.
I mean, so many great, huge headlines.
I don't believe it.
We're going to see how really interesting you can make this here in the next
a handful of minutes.
I'm going to make it extremely interesting, man.
As you know, the Houston Astros, still in the spring of training action
in the Grapefruit League.
510 first pitch later today as they take on the Mets.
Dana Brown speaking yesterday on a number of topics.
Let's hear what he has to say about Jose Altuvae playing left field.
I don't think that we're fully committed to it.
I think that we are excited about it.
We like the path that is taking to trajectory of it.
It's good.
He's taken well to it.
he's actually running balls down in the gap.
Sometimes you forget how fast he is
until he went in the outfit.
I think he's got pretty good foot speed.
I think it's working out well,
and we're going to continue to see what it looks like
during spring training.
Hmm.
I don't believe him.
Now, he says,
I don't think we're fully committed to it,
but wasn't Joe Espada saying the other day
he's going to be out there in left field more than he is at second?
Yeah, I don't believe him.
I believe that the primary position for Jose L. Tuvae,
Unless it just becomes a catastrophe in terms of not being able to throw runners out or misplaying balls.
As long as he's adequate, as long as he's just replacement level, Ross, Jose Altuby is your left fielder this year.
Yeah, that's interesting to me.
Especially if they go wind up getting Nolan Aronano after all, after all this talk.
I don't know what the hell's going on with that.
But, yeah, I would say that you can pencil in Jose Altube in left field.
I would have say, I don't know, four times as much as you would if he's playing a second base.
I'm going to make a statement, man.
And you tell me, believe it or not.
Ooh, I like this. Go ahead.
It seems to me that there may be a disagreement just from what we've been hearing between coaching and front office on this Altuve move to left field.
Believe me or not.
Believe it.
One percent.
Yep.
Interesting.
Because it seems like it's going to happen.
And here's the bigger thing.
When you had Jeff Lunoe with those young managers,
not young age-wise, but experience-wise.
Bo Porter and Brad Mills,
you, 100% Ross.
Was Brad Mills ever with Luno or did he get rid of him right away?
Might have been after.
I think it was Bo Poulter.
When did Luno get in?
15 or 14?
Well, just for the sake of this argument, let's go.
I think Bull Porter did not control the lineup card.
I think Jeff Leno did.
I would agree with that.
I think we're going to figure out who's really controlling this team base off of what we've seen.
How many times Jose Altubi plays a lot of him?
I think it's going to be...
All of a sudden, he does, if it's a 50-50 mix, which I don't think would be in the best interest of Altube.
If Altube is going to spend the last quarter of his career Rossi playing in Majorley Baseball,
He needs to adapt to a position.
He's not going to get any better if he doesn't play left field
and doesn't know the nooks and crannies of playing in ballparks all across baseball.
Yeah, Luno got there in 11.
Brad Mills was there until 12.
Okay, so one year.
Yeah.
Then it was Bill Porter and then Hinch was 15.
Yeah.
I firmly believe that we will find out for sure
based of how much Jose Al-Tuay plays who's running the lineup card.
And I would think if I, if I'm a fan of a baseball team, which I am,
I want my manager running the lineup card.
I want my general manager creating the team,
giving the pieces to the manager to work through his lineup
in his bullpen and his starting rotation
in his everyday lineup.
But I want the lineup card signed by Joe Espada
because Joe Espato wants that lineup in place.
Why can't they be on the same page?
Why can't they collaborate?
That's what they should be happening.
Great teams do.
I'm not arguing that, but I would say
I am against this
whatever perceived mix that might happen.
If you're going to go, if you're going to go, it'd be like,
oh, here comes a terrible.
Here, let's go.
Take your time, man.
Take your time.
Here it is.
I'm going to diet five days a week and eat whatever I want, two days a week.
You're either going to commit to the diet or you're not going to commit to the diet.
Hmm.
Okay.
That's not bad.
That's not terrible?
That's not great.
It's fair.
How about you're in a band?
And they want you to play, you're playing bass and they want you to go to drums,
but you've got to play drums like every set.
You got to get better.
You can't just half ass.
it.
I like mine better.
Continue on.
Oh, mine's better.
Okay, that's fun.
Okay, let's keep it going with Dana Brown.
His thoughts on our good friend,
Cam Smith, friend of the show.
What's going on with him at third base?
The most exciting thing for me right now
is to watch Cam Smith and watch him develop
and to see him really play third base.
I ended up seeing him last year during the ACC tournament.
You know, we liked him.
Didn't know if he was going to be able to play third,
looking like he's developing at third base.
So he's really creating a lot of conversation,
and he's playing well right now.
Third baseman of the future, Cam Smith.
May 15th.
Outfield?
After, you said May 15th. Wow.
I mean, they get aggressive. That would be way aggressive.
Because here's the thing. Two things can happen if he's May 15th.
Either he's slugging over a thousand at AAA, right?
Yeah.
or Chas McCormick's batting 203.
That could happen.
We had Joe Spott have talked about short leashes for everybody, basically.
Yeah.
I mean, I think Paradius will hold his own.
Now, the only issue why you maybe hold him back is because if you're bringing up Cam Smith,
you're going to not do this hole.
Is he a right fielder or is he a third baseman?
If he's your third base from the future, you're bringing him up to play third base.
But I don't think they're a pot committed to that exactly at this point.
It would be my task.
Okay. We'll see.
All right.
All right, Matt, let's keep it moving on the news at noon.
You have a couple of things happening in the NFL.
Joey Bosa has been released by the Los Angeles Chargers after nine years there.
There has been some decline in his game.
And he has been let go.
And now you also have the re-signing of Max Crosby,
a three-year, $106 million.
deal by the Las Vegas Raiders. The highest paid non-quarterback in football is Max Crosby.
Is he worth it?
If his time is up, he's a great edge rusher, I'll say yes.
He's one of the shortlist best guys in football.
And I believe, go ahead.
He spells his name MAXX, right?
That is correct.
Now, I thought only adult film stars did that.
added exes of their names.
Mm-hmm.
For the most part.
I mean, he didn't name himself.
Yeah, but why are you crushing him?
Max, he could probably drop to one of the exes.
Speaking of people that would crack you in half,
like an egg.
Yeah, that's true.
I'm not going to, I'm not going to walk him and say,
dude, why you got a poor name?
He would not, I don't think he'd appreciate that underneath.
He probably, he probably wouldn't.
No.
Just seven and a half sacks last year for Max Crosby before that,
14 and a half, a lot of pressures,
a lot of tackles for loss.
Max Crosby is with a big deal in the NFL.
Also,
Cowboys reworking
Dak Prescott's deal
as they created $56 million
in Cap Room by restructuring
him and a CD Lamb.
Dak Prescott,
I believe,
I'm trying to find the exact number in this article
because I'd heard $60 million a year's
what's Dak Prescott is getting, by the way.
And by the way, also we should mention
that the Cleveland Browns renegotiated
Deshawn Watson's contract too.
I was also going to mention that. But yes, $60 million
a year, the highest paid
quarterback in football
is Dak Prescott.
Not worth it. And I'm
Dak Prescott. I mean, Dak Prescott was an initial
member of the Thomas Sports Enterprise
as a family. So props to him for
getting that money, but
good, not great, right? Here's your list
of the top paid
quarterbacks in football
by AAV.
Jack Prescott
Joe Burrow
Worth it
Jordan Love
Not worth it
Trevor Lawrence
Definitely not worth it
To a Tungovoloa
Uh
Wouldn't healthy worth it
But he just can't say healthy
And Jared Gough
That's your top six
Yikes
What a blessing to be a quarterback
What a blessing Ross to be a mid-quarterback
I still will tell you this
And I've told you this many many times
if you really want to tell your young player
your young man out there to become quarterbacks
to be middle of the road quarterbacks
maybe a slightly above average
go look at the career earnings of Kirk Cousins
yeah it's a little harder though
these are like the top tens
these are still top 15 quarterbacks on the planet
so I would go with a long snapper still
John Weeks is like man I still
still gonna go get real estate license after this job
he made 14 million in his current
He should be good.
He's got full pension.
You would think.
What is the NFL full pension?
Next time I get John Weeks on the show,
we'll ask him, are you ever going to work again
after your NFL career is over?
These guys have to do something.
He can't just sit on a beach.
You might try it, though.
Let's see.
Full pension is 43K a year from the NFL.
I thought it would be more.
That's it?
$43,000 a year?
Yeah, once you're 55.
Not based off a percentage of what you earned.
It's a player?
Guess not.
Dikes.
All right, anything on the off-the-beat and path, are we done?
No, we got hit break.
Let's do it.
You hit our breaks on time.
That's something about time.
We do okay.
1215, sports talk, 790.
7-1-3-21-2-5-7-90 if you want to get in.
7-1-3-212-5-7-90.
Rossi, a major league baseball analyst, has given his grade on a report card of the Astros off-season.
I'll explain who he is and what he said.
after I tell you about League One volleyball.
There's some new matches coming to the Fort Bend epicenter later on this month,
and I want you to go check out some of the best volleyball in America
with the new professional league known as League One volleyball.
They call Love Volleyball.
L-O-V-B is the website, L-O-VB.com.
L-O-VB.com.
Look out for the Houston team and to buy your tickets there,
tickets are starting as low as just $10.
I have become one of the biggest fans of volleyball
because A, it's terrific athleticism.
B, it's action-packed.
C, my daughter is huge in it.
It should be playing college volleyball.
I'm very excited about that.
But most importantly, it's an opportunity for you to spend time with your kids
and one of the fastest growing sports in America,
and that is volleyball.
And if you want to see the best, do it.
From ex-college All-Americans to Olympians to International Stars,
you need to check out the League One volleyball at L-O-VB.com.
L-O-V-B.
It's very easy to remember.
And check out the March matches at the Fortman County epicenter.
$10 tickets available at League One Volleyball, LOVB.com.
More Matt Thomas Show with Ross.
Now on Sports Talk 790.
It is at 1220.
Good afternoon to Houston, Texas.
It is the Matt Thomas show with Ross.
Sports Talk 790 at 712-5-790.
If you want to jump in on the conversation,
7-13-212.
5-790.
We've brought up
Jim Bowden's name a few times, right?
Former general manager.
I'm more of a Terry Bowden guy.
I'm more Bobby. May he rest in peace?
He died?
Many years ago.
May he rest?
You know the nicest thing Bobby Bowden ever did?
What was the nicest thing he ever did?
In my mind,
when the Marshall plane went down,
He was coaching, I want to say, at West Virginia.
Don't hold me to that.
But he basically opened up his arms with the new coaching staff
and all the new players and anything you need for me.
We'll help you get your program built up again.
Wow.
Good for him.
Yeah.
Great Southern draw, Bobby Bowden.
That's true.
Back to gym.
Let's segue back to what we're going to get to.
We both do this to each other, so it's something out of the ordinary.
Talking about what the Astros did in the offseason,
three years 60 million for Christian Walker,
Ben Gamal, one year one million.
Huge.
That's a huge one.
Trades, Cam Smith, Hayden Westnowski,
Isaac Peretti for Kyle Tucker.
Juan Bello and from the Cubs for Ryan Presling Cash.
They also acquired right-handed pitcher Matthew Lindski
from the Diamondbacks for Great Kessinger.
He says this is Jim.
about and the best move was christian walker who has three consecutive gold gloves while averaging
thirty two home runs a year under the radar moves he says snagging cam smith the cubs first round
pick to get six major league years of smith in the deal for tucker whom they controlled for only this
year was a coup they can always try to resign tucker and frayancy next winter please jim that's
come on i can't believe i and read that um smith homer in his first who spring at bat so the asterer should
to the big leagues quickly, either playing third base or right field for them.
What has hurt or helped their grade?
The departures of Tucker and Bregman hurt their grade
and signaled the end of an era for the Astros who have made the postseason for eight
consecutive years.
Storyline to watch.
How will Jose Altoviz move to left field goal?
And what kind of offensive production will the Astros get from the rest of their
outfield?
The latter will determine if they make the playoffs extending their streak.
The prediction for Jim Bowden this year for the Astros,
third place in the American League West.
Third place.
By the way, predicting the Astros to finish in third,
the Rangers to win the American League West,
the Mariners to finish second and win a wild card,
the Astros to finish third,
and miss the playoffs entire.
Believe him or not.
It's in the range of outcomes,
But I'm going to say no.
Oh, it is.
It is.
I mean, none of us can turn a blind eye to the fact that when you lose a high leverage reliever and Ron,
and obviously Presley was, to lose your gold glove third basement,
who's still at a really good OPS, especially second half of the year,
and to lose Kyle Tucker, and again, Grand Gilles lost him for three months last year,
but was a five-tool player who went healthy and playing well,
and he was really playing well until they got hurt.
Those are losses.
We can't shake that.
And if you are shaking and saying, well,
they weren't going to be here long term already screw them,
then you're just not really an objective baseball fan.
You lost a lot,
and you didn't gain as much back,
but you're supposed to be a lot better.
His first base was a sinkhole.
As you mentioned, Kyle Tucker was out a long time last year.
You still won 88 games.
A lot of that was the pitching,
and a lot of this is going to be on the shoulders of the pitching.
And I think it is going to be similar to last year
to where the offense is going to be,
you're hoping top 10-ish, and then you need the pitching to be top five.
And you're hoping the Altube move to left field isn't a disaster.
Isn't a disaster.
It's not going to be, even if he's a complete butcher out there, which he's not going to be.
I mean, basically, as we saw in the first game, he didn't even get a ball in six innings.
That can happen in any given game.
Right.
So he's not normally going to cost.
He's not going to be costing you too many runs out there.
And the reality is, if there's going to be any panic with the Astros' offense,
it's going to be because of the following.
Isaac Paredes can't hit for his position.
And you're getting nothing out of Myers and McCormick.
That can all happen.
I know who, I mean, look, I know who Mariso Dubon is.
You know who they are.
Yeah, we all do.
Well, some of the fans don't.
Some of the fans think that he's Ichero reincarnate.
Yeah.
I mean, you know what it would be nice would be for even the catching spot.
Dez and our Victor Caratini to
move their slugging numbers up a little bit.
Wouldn't that be fair? This is the thing, though.
You were having Caratini play a bunch of first last year.
Where's Janir Diaz going to play?
You want to use... That is something
that we're kind of not talking about that I'm curious how it's going to play out.
Christian Walker, he said right in front of us, Matt,
I'm first baseman.
So if he's locking down first base
and you can't get Janier Diaz and Victor Caratini
in the lineup both times with Yordon Alvarez.
I've always believed.
Yeah, I've always believed
the Astros were going to move Diaz to first base.
And I would have said last year,
it would have been sooner than three years.
If Christian Walker plays this contract out,
and Christian Walker plays as much first base as he has done
in his previous stop in Arizona,
you're looking at Yarn Air Diaz maybe being your first baseman
for the start of the 2028 season.
that's still relatively young for him
but I would have thought they would have made the transition a little bit faster
especially if this Walker Johnick or Yonick we've got to figure out his name
is on the fast track to becoming the Astros catcher of the future
feels like to me Ross there's a lot of moving interesting parts right now for the organization
who's the future third basement if you've got Bryce Matthews in the mix
you got Cam Smith in the mix can you move Paredes
to second base.
Can you,
what's going to happen at first base?
If Christian Walker's occupying the spot,
if Yonick is the next
superstar catcher in terms of defensive work
especially, do you give up
maybe the D.S. numbers behind the plate
to move
him to a different position.
You're always looking to figure out who's going to DH on the
regular, which I still think is going to be Yordon Alvarez
at the end of the day. I mean, these are not
terrible problems to have,
but there's no quick reverend.
any of this stuff right now.
Yeah, it's a real problem.
Are we just never going to see Victor Kerr team?
I think it's a, I wouldn't say it's a problem.
I would say it's a, is there such a thing as a difference between a dilemma and a problem?
Sure.
I mean, they're all good players.
Yeah, I would say it's more dilemma than, problem is you don't have anybody to backing up position players.
Or you're throwing somebody out there just because he's on your roster.
Like right now, honestly, Ross, I'm really concerned about the outfield.
offensively, very concerned.
And that's why...
You should be.
And that's why Cam Smith, he may be fast-tracked for third base,
but he may be needed in right field, especially if McCormick cannot pick up
or he did a couple of years ago.
1229, Sports Talk 790.
This is the Matt Thomas show with Ross.
7-1-3-212-5-790.
Ross, what is today's edition of, believe it or not?
I don't know.
Okay, now remember, I've given you multiple warnings earlier yesterday in the show,
and you came up with a masterpiece,
although it was very late in the ballgame.
Oh, well, tell me what's the topic, Matt.
I'm going to go with it.
You're going to do it every day.
It is a great game.
It's part of your staple.
It's spectacular.
I'm going to go with it's D.K. Metcalf.
He didn't even get traded.
No, could be.
Could be an answer.
Anybody die recently?
Famous?
Anybody die recently?
I'll give you an answer coming back.
Thank you.
1230 on Sports Talk 790.
713212.
5.790.
Lunch timers.
It's the Matt Thomas show with Ross.
On Sports Talk 790.
We're going to stop talking about D.K. Metcalf as a Texan.
The Seahawks, according to Diana Rusini, are asking for a first and third round pick.
And also, Metcalf wants a new contract worth about $30 million per year.
Bye.
Enjoy that.
Go get that somewhere else.
That's not happening.
Not happening.
We've already got Niko money,
Collins' money spent.
You just can't do that.
Sorry.
1235, Sports Talk, 790.
It is the Matt Thomas Show at Ross.
7-1-3-2-1-2-5-790.
Jay and Spring with us on 7-90.
Jay, good afternoon.
How you got doing today, fellow.
Good.
Just that little article that you had read out about
Kyle Tucker about the possibility of Kyle Tucker
getting resigned, which is ridiculous.
Ridic.
I was just calling.
Yeah, I was just calling, if either one of y'all know of a case where not necessarily that that happened,
where somebody was traded away for prospects and then they signed back for whatever reason.
If that were to happen, would that be some type of collusion thing?
Would it be an investigation you think if something like that were to happen where you trade a star?
You didn't, like I guess it's like an under-table thing where you know you're going to pay them,
but you trade him away for prospects
and then he comes back anyway.
Has that been a case like that
that you could think of some similar or close to that?
I rolled his trapman went back to the
Didn't he get traded by the Yankees and then came back?
I'm not sure.
Was it for a high draft?
Like high picks or whatever?
Like you restocked him.
I got a few prospects, yeah.
Okay.
Would you think that is morally incorrect?
No.
In a way, I guess.
He's a free agent.
He can sign wherever he wants,
and I don't think the Astros are colluding
with them. I don't know about you, Matt.
You know what, Jay, we'd
never be able to prove it, so I can't
say that the conversations like that have ever happened
before, but
there's not
so many examples of what you're just talking
about that would make
me go, what is going on in baseball for that
to happen? Most got most, I mean,
I shouldn't say most. What, 95%
of players that get moved go
somewhere else after that or stay with the team
they got traded to? I mean, I just think there's
just two few examples
of what you're explaining.
But I mean, has it happened before?
Probably.
Has there been some underlying talk of,
hey, we're going to make this move,
and you know what you can find us at the end of the year?
Yeah.
But there's just not enough examples for that to happen.
Okay, yeah, I was just wondering, like,
would it be an uproar?
Do you think it would be an uproar if that were to happen?
Not necessarily with Kyle Tucker, just with any team.
If, like, that big of it, like that quick,
you trade them in the end of the season.
He comes right back to size that big deal or whatever.
So you kind of, you know what I'm saying.
Like if I was the owner and something I would do.
Yeah, yeah.
It's a very good conversation piece, Jay.
Thank you for the call.
Again, who knows what happens on phones and text and face-to-face visits, Ross?
But it just doesn't happen enough for us to go, what's going on?
Something doesn't smell right.
No, I wouldn't make any sense.
The Astros would like to have Kyle Tucker here at the Major League level because they need him to try and win.
Or they would have or they did.
they traded him because he is not going to be here long term.
And that's how the way that they felt.
And why would you, if you love somebody,
why would you give them to go somewhere else?
And maybe that player loves that new team he's gone to and said,
you know what?
I really liked Houston.
But man, this Cubs situation is a lot better.
I'll go with the Cubs.
Yeah, in 2016, the Yankees traded,
rolled his Chapman of the Cubs for some minor league players,
including Glaber Torres.
Okay.
And then he came back as a free agent with the Yankees.
That's the only one off the top of my head I can think of where that happened.
It was also a deadline rental deal.
And honestly, my guess is, Ross, if we were to think about this that ever happened,
it would involving probably low-end major league players.
You know, like, I'll just throw this an example.
Not that this happened, but like, you know how Jed Lowry came back like two times?
Yes.
A Jed Lowry type player would be like, you know what, I understand why you're moving me to this team.
I liked it here.
I'll come see y'all next year.
And maybe when we can do something.
It would be nobody that would be a game-changing type athlete.
Yeah, the Astros let Verlander hit free agency and then sign and then traded right back for him.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But that's different.
Yeah, that's different.
So, not a bad point, but.
No, it wouldn't be collusion.
I don't think the Tucker and Astros are colluding.
No.
I think Kyle Tucker told the Astros a long time ago.
He's going to hit free agency and probably going to hit a level of bidding that the Astros are not going to be able to stay in.
I bet you Kyle Tucker would love to play in Tampa Bay.
The problem is they don't spend money on big name free.
I think he's come resolved to the fact that he's never going to play for a team in the city in which he grew up in.
Poor guy.
It'll just have to take $300 million from someone else or whatever.
Okay.
So have we decided once and for all,
are, whether we're betting a bag of chips or a meal,
what are we going to do on the Kyle Tucker deal?
What are we decided on this?
What do you mean?
How many years?
We did years.
The line is seven and a half.
And as I told you, after speaking around and knocking around in spring training,
I'm feeling like you're going to win.
Okay.
What a dollar amount is attached to that to?
No, it was fast, casual lunch.
You tried to up it and I said no.
But I still owe you a fast casual food.
from Bregman, but you're
you know, I've seen you like three days this year.
So, well, you're not going to see me until probably next Tuesday.
I don't see me at the Rockets game on Monday.
You'll see me there.
I don't think I'm working on that one.
Okay, I'll see you next Tuesday, then.
All right.
See you.
All right.
I can't say that.
You did that.
Let me segue.
Let me segue.
713-212-5-790.
7-13-212-5-7-90.
I was looking, I'm getting ready for this Rockets game tonight.
Do you know that Zion Williamson averages last year against the Rockets,
26 points a game?
Sounds about right.
He averages 25 a game.
That's pretty good.
He's a guy who hardly plays averaging 25.
When he plays, he scores 25 points a game.
He's only 24 years old.
Can you believe that?
Yeah, first pick in the 2019 draft.
Six-six listed, that seems right.
Okay.
284.
It could be right now.
Could be right now.
Probably wasn't right in the offseason.
Has it been 300 before?
I'm going to go ahead and say yes.
He's a triple double threat.
Every night, score is easy with his athleticism for being a bad three-point shooter.
It's crazy how well he could score.
Yeah, he shoots 23% from three and only 63% from the line.
Imagine how many points he leaves on the table by missing free throws.
It's a lot.
took 23 shots against the Lakers on Tuesday.
Zero three point shots.
He was 17 of 23 from the floor.
That is freakish athleticism.
What that is.
And when you watch him in person, which I have done,
not as much as others because he hardly plays against the rocket
to last four or five years,
but you can tell why people were enamored with him
because of his freakish athletic skills,
especially inside the ark.
I mean, since he was in high school.
I mean, he had his YouTube, like the montages of his dunks he was throwing down in high school.
Yeah.
But he just likes to eat.
And if he keeps his weight to 260 and kept it there as another 25 pounds less, he would be impossible Ross to guard.
Well, see if he can do it.
It's hard, Matt.
Maybe he's got a food addiction.
It's hard.
It's difficult.
I was watching the Luther Vandross documentary.
He was talking about how he wakes up.
He's thinking about food and he goes to sleep.
He's thinking about food all day.
Luther Vandros are dead, correct?
Yes.
So he's not thinking about food every morning.
Well, not anymore.
He's dead.
No.
May he rest.
Favorite Luther Vandross song?
I'm going to go with that Never Too Much.
You Are My Lady?
The Endless Love remake with Mariah Carey was delightful.
Oh, that was good, too.
Luther's a jam.
Properly ready?
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Connor D.
McGovern
Are you a bunch of a
I don't know the answer this question.
Were you ever a baseball car collector when you
You were a kid, Ross?
Yes.
When I was younger from, I don't know, ages six to 15-ish.
You know what I would do?
I would buy box sets and I would never open them up, which I was like,
why am I doing this for?
Is this for an investment or should I be opening the cards up and seeing how cool they?
People do that now, and they make content out of it too.
They go to eBay, they buy unopened boxes.
You should sell those.
Do you have any of them, Matt?
Probably in my garage.
It needs to be cleaned out, but that's not here nor there.
Hmm.
And they do opening boxes, they do opening of cards and stuff like that.
Yeah.
A one of a kind autographed baseball card featuring a patch of the number 30 jersey that Mr. Skeens of the Pittsburgh Pirates War is going off to auction.
Yeah.
Wasn't there some kid?
So some kid found it.
It was going to be a one of one.
The pirates offered like 30 years of season tickets and whatever.
else and a date with Livy Dunn or something like that is
Paul Sching's lady.
Lunch and I think they get to second base too which is kind of weird.
I don't think that's accurate Matt and probably
it's called
prostitution Matt.
I thought there's a good line.
The kid was like shut your bum ass up.
I'm going to put this bad boy in auction.
Yeah. Paul Skeen's
rookie debut patch autograph is
officially here. The car
was released in November of last year.
An L.A. Area Kid received it as part of a Christmas president.
He declined the offer.
And now it's up for grabs cash-wise.
A 2,023 card featuring Skeens
picked up $63,000 in August.
That was when he was a senior at LSU.
Mm-hmm.
I mean, wow.
Speculation is it could go for $1 million or more.
I'd be uncomfortable owning something like that.
Like if I was a multimillionaire, I don't know.
Would you want a lot of artwork in your house?
Would you want a lot of amazing?
I mean, I guess it all depends on what you'd want to spend.
But don't you, if you were to bet on this and win this,
wouldn't you just take it to a safety deposit box to your local bank
and lock it up and never see it again?
because you'd be so afraid
that touch it
or somebody
would might hurt it?
Yeah,
it only has value
if everyone else believes
it has value, right?
Like, at the end of the day,
it's a little patch
and a piece of cardboard.
Yeah.
And if Skeens becomes a 17-game loser
in the next five years,
it's going to be,
the value is going to drop considerably.
And it's the same thing
with, I don't know,
Pokemon cards
or vintage cars or whatever,
or people who are in the shoe game,
like you'll have some Jordan,
whatever colorway
of some shoe.
that's valued $80, and then LeBron wears it, and it goes up to $300.
Yeah.
It's just a value.
And also, what if Paul, if Paul Skeens gets Tommy John three times and never develops
into the star we all think he's going to be, then you've wasted a million dollars.
But it's a gamble.
Yeah, for instance, if I was going to go spend serious money on memorabilian sports,
I would probably go with somebody that already has a tremendous track record.
Not that Paul Skeens couldn't do this, but everything on, he's fast-tracking himself to being
one of the elite pitchers in the game.
But there's still, relatively speaking,
there's a small sample size attached to it.
It's still a risk.
Where if I go by a LeBron James autographed jersey,
I know the value is not going to go away.
He's the second greatest or the greatest,
depending on who you talk to the greatest player of all time.
If I go get a Jerry Rice autographed jersey,
I know that I've got one of the best players in the history of the NFL period.
If I have Walter Payton, I mean, I know it's there.
I'd be, because if you're spent, you said the card could be worth a million?
Yeah, so you're doing that saying in 10 years it's going to be worth four million,
five million, whatever, yeah.
It's like a stock, basically.
Right.
You're gambling that it's going to go.
But one of the most expensive basketball cards ever sold, I know this because we did,
believe it or not, or something, and I saw it, was like a Luca Donchich rookie card.
He's 25 years old.
But you're spending millions and millions of dollars on this, hoping that it's going to be,
and worth much more later on.
Okay, so Luca is a really good player, right?
Mm-hmm.
He helped the Mavericks go to the NBA finals last year.
And the notion that he could probably do that again,
the Lakers is pretty good because he's now with a very successful team.
They've played well since he got there.
LeBron is with him.
But that doesn't seem like to me a type of player that I don't want to put a lot of...
I mean...
The Mavericks disagree with these sales.
I know.
I know.
Yeah, I know what you're saying.
It's a gamble.
So I'm pulling it up.
The most expensive card ever is a Steph Curry,
some card for a rookie card for $5.9 million.
Second is a LeBron James rookie at $5.2 million.
Okay.
Third is a Luca Donchich rookie card.
This is the same thing kind of.
I think it's a one-of-one autograph.
$4.6 million card and another Luca Donchich won for $3 million.
That means those two cards are worth more than
any Michael Jordan card.
So let me ask you this.
If you're going to get more value on those Luca cards,
he's got to do more today than he has done previously in his NBA career.
Or maybe you're just a huge Luca fan.
I don't know.
I don't buy that.
It's part of it.
It might have been one of these two.
So the Michael Jordan card, most expensive one, is a $2.9 million card.
It was sold in 2024.
These other cards were sold for more, but from Luca Donchage.
Wow, this is crazy, actually.
what the hell are these people doing?
And also people say maybe this is money laundering.
Or people that have just money to burn.
Oh, that too.
And there's some of that in there.
I mean, less than one percent.
Yeah, you're buying a card for $3 million.
You've got money to burn.
Yeah.
Like, we have some memorabilia in our family,
but they were all past tense, long retired players.
Mm-hmm.
That it was big, like, you know, I got, I have a George Foreman boxing club.
That you got for free from work.
no you didn't pay for it did you no my father-in-law gave it too okay that makes sense so there's value in that
because george foreman is a former world champion he's one of the greatest boxers of all time
there's no way it's going to go down in value unless people just say well george is you know dead or
90 years old or nobody knows who we care i mean but if i was going to memorabilia by it would be
probably i would be on the i'd be on the other side of it i'd rather go after i'd rather pay more
and go after something that I know is already going to have value
as compared to going to Paul Skeens and going, man, I hope you can,
I'm going to buy you now.
We'll buy you low at $1 million and maybe if you win 20 games a year for the next six years
that card's worth triple.
Paul Screens is going to be a superstar.
Like all right, it's just as long as he's healthy unless his arm falls apart,
which it could.
It could.
Yeah, there's a lot of guys that have been rookie phenoms and two or three or one.
Let me tell you something.
Kerrywood says hello.
Yeah, I get you.
You get a T.J.
And you're done for a while.
Carry Wood and Mike Pryor saying, what up, Paul Skeens.
I get it.
Is it Mike Pryor?
It's not Mike.
Mark Pryor.
Mark Pryor, yeah.
That's what I said.
I thought you said Mike.
His cousin, Mike, also believes that Mark Pryor was a one-year-one or two.
Luca card?
Nah.
LeBron card, I could see.
Steph Curry, car, do you want to buy that?
I get that.
The card probably went up in value now that he's a Laker.
That's true, especially if they win a championship this year.
By the national,
everybody's pushing hard for the Lakers
are in the West.
Man, they are pushing hard.
Oh, yeah.
NBC and Prime Video and all of their prime.
They're hoping that too,
because they can put a bunch of their games
on their national packages starting next year
with all the new TV games.
I'm just scrolling through these most expensive cards of all time.
They're almost, almost all of them are LeBron and Jordan.
Which is funny because most people, most kids,
like including you and me, grew up with baseball cards,
more so than anything else.
Yeah, isn't the most expensive baseball cards
It's like those old Honest Wagner's or something
I have two of those
Really?
I think you should keep them forever, Matt
No, I don't have it.
We have an hour left to go on the show
Ross, what do you want to lead off?
What is topic A in the final line of Matt?
Well, I'll tell you what we're going to talk about during the break
What the heck is, believe it or not?
Paul Skee, oh, cards values?
Googleable?
Yeah, card values.
We've done this before, but I'll do it again.
It's fine.
You know what?
We're down on an hour.
Hey, my first rodeos.
Yeah.
We can regurgitate.
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Lunch timers.
This is the Matt Thomas show.
Fourth and final hour of the Matt Thomas show with Ross on Sports Talk 790.
713-212-5-790 is how you reach the show.
7-1-3-212-5-790.
All right, Matt Kawahara from the Houston Chronicle.
Talk to Christian Walker.
10 minutes ago, Sports Avi.
Are you ready?
Yes.
Do we need the ER music behind us?
No.
I mean, I should have told you ahead of time.
It's my fault.
Oh, no.
I'll segue.
Okay.
So whenever the music's ready, I'll read you the update.
This is from Matt Carwara.
Kara, excuse me.
It's a lot of, there's a lot of syllables there.
I don't hurt yourself, Matt.
Matt says, the Christian Walker says,
his side is, quote, a little sore today,
but definitely not worse than yesterday, which is a good sign.
He, being Walker, said the issue does not feel as serious as the oblique injury that kept him
a month last season.
Walker said he had some
ultrasound testing, but they are waiting
for swelling and inflammation in the
area to go down before doing further
imaging. Oh, hell no.
Oh, hell no.
Swelling and inflammation?
No!
It's going to be fine.
Rossi, it's spring training.
Yeah, exactly.
Four innings, and you go play golf, and you swing,
you go eat, and you eat sushi and stuff.
He can do all those things
Well, he can't swing a golf club, I hope
No God!
No, God! Please no! No!
I don't like to hear the term swelling and inflammation.
What'd you think? They held him out with?
You think it was totally normal, hunky-dory?
You know what? Go get a shot and get your ass back out there.
Oh, stop.
Three-year guy, let's go.
Spring training.
He's 34. We've got to preserve his body for as long as possible anyways.
Wrap him in the bubble wrap.
Yes.
All right.
So it's not as big of an hour yesterday as it was.
Well, it wasn't any worse.
The swelling is going down, but not to the point where they can get imaging on it.
You can't get imaging on a swell.
Oh, God.
That's not good.
Fine.
Isn't that it?
No, it's not good.
I told you.
He's going to miss a couple of weeks and be fine for opening day.
Oh, Ross, let me throw a scenario at you.
This is annual oblique injury.
You missed time in spring training.
Does that mean April?
March 29th or whatever he's going to be fine he's going to go four for four or two home runs that
what you're saying call your shot yes no god please no no no the swelling is not down enough
for him to have an ultrasound or whatever he's not be serious not be serious
John Singleton?
Who will get more A-Bs?
Who will get more A-Bs in the month of April?
John Singleton or Christian Walker?
Answer me now!
Where are we at in society today?
That's a grown man.
Hashtag, sluggish start to 2025.
You got the time of the cash?
I got the head.
I don't know how that got in there.
That was a mistake
Yeah, it was
I can tell
Damn you, Matt Thomas
It's damn you, Christian Walker
Stretch that oblique out
You like it hard
She likes it soft
We were talking about taco shells, correct?
It was actually
You were doing a mattress spot
Your tacos, you like a hard shell or soft shell?
Soft shell
What do you say?
With a hard?
No, yeah
I'm indifferent
I can go either way
Hard or soft? Either way.
Mm-hmm.
106.57.
Eh, he will be playing this.
Now, we know you like it hard.
What is this drop?
What?
What did we get a cat?
Where'd that come from?
I don't know.
All right, folks.
Are you ready for a 12 and 13 month of April?
Let's go.
Let's be a good deal of realities here.
Ah, man.
I mean John Singleton
Oh God!
I know.
No, God!
Please no!
No!
I mean, John Singleton's going to hit three or four upper deckers,
but he's also making a strike down like nine times in two weeks.
Or is our glass half a full now because John Singleton's ripped body.
Frustrated? I'm angry.
It sucks.
I don't know.
John Singleton has muscles in areas where he shouldn't have muscles.
He's that ripped.
I'm going to read the quote again
No, please don't
It's too late
What is this one?
$1,100 for three inches
Four on a good day
I got a lot of stuff in here
Man boobs
It's surprising as most of stuff got deleted
Man boobs
Walker said he had some
ultrasound testing but they're waiting
for swelling and inflammation
In the area to go down
Ain't nobody got time for that
Get that right
line up today. Hummel and left. Smith at
third. Cooper Hummel's still all the squad. That's great.
Yoner Diaz, catching and betting third. Singleton at first,
batting cleanup. Chazy Fizz. In center today
batting fifth. Let's go Chazzy. Something called a D.H. Hamilton is
batting sixth. Rogers at second base
batting seven. Brendan Rogers? Brendan Rogers.
Brandon Rogers? It's like
Roger Clemens coming to the Yankee.
He's coming.
Brendan Rogers.
It looks like it's Quincy Hamilton number two.
I'm 82.
Excuse me.
Is it really?
No, it's not.
Is it?
Non-rister invitee.
Is that him?
Oh, Rogers batting seventh.
Okay.
Melton and Ryan.
Is that Jacob Mountain?
Yes.
The Jacob Melton.
Giorme is the shortstop today.
Wonderful.
And the Gusto is going to pitch.
Who?
Gusto.
Ryan Gusto?
Gusto, Gusto, whatever.
Gusto, Gusto.
That's the one who was supposed to pitch
in the last day of the season
but probably like nine hours of rain out.
As soon as somebody gets some shoulder
soreness or some elbow tightness,
so he's going to be the first one off the bench.
So needless to say, not the
2025 World Series roster
the Astros will put out there for the game seven.
It could be.
Mm-mm-mm.
All right, there we go.
713, 212, 5, 7.7.
790 713212-5-790 on Twitter at SportsMT, at SportsMT, at Connor D. McGovern.
Gosh, almighty.
The swelling has to go down.
What the hell was he doing?
Was he just swinging too hard?
It's his annual oblique injury.
It's like, you know, you go up to Aspen every year.
Christian Walker gets an oblique injury every year.
It's fine.
What injuries do you have on the yearly basis?
calf injury
you do not
I've never seen you
with a calf injury
in my life
every winter
gets a little chilly
I suffer from fatigue
carrying this show
carrying my life
that I live
I mean
that's yearly for me
in Singleton we trust
say it with me Houston
in John Singleton
we trust
who will have more hits
in March last April
John Singleton
or Christian Walker
Yeah well
remember we were earlier
talking about
this is going to, we need Victor Caratini in the lineup more.
Oh, Caratini at first base.
Okay.
I see it.
You get Dubby over there.
You're creative.
Yonner Diaz playing for the first base.
Karatini behind the dish, maybe?
Hey, what are you talking about?
Diaz is a bit of a butcher at first.
By the way, I got to correct something.
Okay.
David on Twitter.
I purely guessed you or my lady was by Luther Vandross.
That's Freddie Jackson singing.
you or my lady. That was just a
complete guess on my part. I was
wrong. You and my lady's a jam by the way.
Okay. You play that with
the ladies back and say 88, 89?
They loved on you big time.
I'll take your word for it.
Okay. All right.
You know, Luther Vandross wrote songs on the Wiz.
He wrote songs for
Sheik. Who wrote, did he write
EZon down the road? The guest song
for the movie Wiz? Maybe.
All right. What was your favorite
Christian Walker is an astromo moment.
Stop.
Do you want to punch you right in the throat?
You can't.
I like that.
I don't like that's a great drop.
Can we hear that one more time?
Do you want to punch you right in the throat?
No.
I can't.
I thought it was really you saying that too.
That's funny.
Maybe we should have the last hour in L.A.I.
All drops.
I got enough.
I'll get in front of the mirror and do it for two hours tonight.
What the heck was that?
context.
I don't know, but that's fantastic.
At least some of your drops are dropping in the show.
One at 13.
Like this one?
French men wearing speedos that had packages.
You were talking about Hawaii or something, right?
Oh, yeah.
That's when I dined and dashed that one time in Halloween.
Oh, yeah, many years ago.
But I tried to pay.
Nobody was there to take my money.
You know what?
He was begging for it and I gave it to him.
Because I want to see him completely naked for seven to 12 minutes.
Okay.
Back to Sport.
Do you see what happens when people don't call the show and interact with us?
I'm sorry.
This package can't be that big.
We were talking about the trade package.
I know exactly.
I know what these are coming from.
I want me some Vince Young sausage.
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Stand up.
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I don't even care if you just want to call and rip on me for half an hour.
I don't care.
I'll take it at this point.
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Back to Matt Thomas and Ross Villarreal.
On Sports Talk 790.
120 on the Matt Thomas show with Ross here from New Orleans, Louisiana.
By the way, I can just say this, went to Bourbon Street a little bit last night, Rossi.
This is still a fantastic city.
It's very pleasant except for the crime and the urination and the vomit.
The food is amazing.
went to an amazing steakhouse last night,
went to a little bar for a listen to a little bit of music for a while,
and then obviously went to the casino and saw a man spend $100 on hitting 13 against a four.
Steakhouse?
Yeah.
You got to go to a Creole joint.
Oh, I know what you did.
You got, you got a, oh, you got a play discount, didn't you?
No, no, no, no, no.
Ooh.
No, I'll tell you, as a matter of fact, the place I went to.
It has been around.
I want to say for 75 years.
It's called Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse.
Oh, okay.
Delicious.
Dickie Brennan Steakhouse has been in New Orleans on Abbeville Street.
That's not how you pronounce.
Don't hurt yourself.
I know.
I think it's been around, it's been ridiculously around forever and ever and ever.
So, yeah, it's good.
But lots of kids.
I mean, you can eat fried food here, too.
I mean, you're cholesterol level in this town.
You eat everything.
Everything.
I love New Orleans.
Oh.
You know, the pizza, the pizza scene apparently is getting better, Matt.
You know what?
You can get slices right on Bourbon Street with like a beer pizza combo.
It would be just fine.
Yeah, there's this new lucky dog, I think, is the place you got to try, Matt.
It's a new local dog joint.
No, the lucky dogs across the street at the casino.
I have a lucky dog everywhere.
I've had a couple of those dogs.
I'm going to get one at 2 o'clock today.
I can tell you that for damn sure.
Now, they have them all on a card on a...
I don't know if I've...
You know what?
I think I have had a lucky dog before.
Have you?
Yeah, but I was drunk, so I don't remember what it tastes like.
It's fine.
It's a little.
That's okay.
Let's go to Rico at 122 on the Matt Thomas show.
Hello, Rico.
Hey, fellas, what's going on, man?
How y'all doing today?
Amazing.
Amazing.
It's a good day, brother.
Just real quick, man.
Astros, they sang my little cousin in December to a minor league guild.
But they haven't paid him yet, man.
When you have a chance, can you ask Joe Dirk?
What is he going to give Jose Gazzalek's chance to play so he can show what he has?
This is your cousin?
Yes, sir.
He just got signed in December.
What position does he play?
He plays outfield, man.
So actually, we need outfit, the man, and he's a lefty, a power hitter.
Man, once Joe Dirk gives him his chance, you don't forget about Alvarez.
I'm going to tell you that right now.
All right.
It's going to be in the back seat, brother.
Well, wait, whoa, whoa.
Slow your roll-down, family member.
Come on now.
Come on, man.
O'Rex is weak, man.
Oh, deep.
Let me tell you what I just did.
I went to look at your cousin.
His face isn't even on the minor league baseball website.
It's a dark picture of nobody there sitting there.
Look, I mean, they just signed them.
But if you look at his stats,
man he's got
he's got his team last year
with home runs
RBIs and I believe also bad an average
I found I'm mistaken
Do you go to spring high school
Yes sir
He's six foot
220 probably could lose a few pounds yes
Hey but he's thick though
He's not fat
Oh is he muscle
It's all muscle brother
Oh okay I buy that
I give you to you that's fine
with the Texas state?
I'm saying, man, what's
what Joe Dirt gives it his chance?
Huh?
I can't, I cannot call, I cannot call Joe a spot of Joe Dirt.
That's not going to happen.
It's not going to help your, your cousin's cause.
You're probably right about that, man.
But I wish, I wish he would give him his chance, man,
just to see what, man, he's got, he's got power, man.
He's a lefty, he has power.
Man, and I'm telling you, man, what,
what Joe gives him his chance?
y'all don't forget about Alvarez i'm i'm saying you right now whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa he played
independent ball for something called yolo last year in the pioneer league yeah
i'm not moving a guy but he's not knowing nalvarez out for your cousin who's a it was a
pioneer league all-star come on now i'm telling you man he he's got power man he's good
and i'm not just saying that first of all but he he's got he's got power we'd love you we'd love
you like you love Jose okay but here's the bottom line you calls about every 30 days with an update on
his life okay would you do that for us yeah well and if he that's what he sucks if he sucks
you got a call on the numbers and if he's great we'll help we will help you i'll get in front of
of dana brown and drop his name but if he bats two oh nine single a then you better
come and correct and apologize to the audience to texas oh i will i will hey
Hey, hey, hey, hold up, hold up.
He's 24 years old, too.
What the hell?
We've got to get going here.
Father timing.
That's what I'm saying.
This one.
Well, it's a long story behind it, but he should have already been in the major.
Oh, is that right?
Okay.
It's a law story behind that.
Yeah, yeah, it's a law story behind that.
But, you know, I'm just happy that, you know, Dana Brown game a call,
game, you know, actually looking at him.
and they signed into a minor league deal, man.
So let's get him on the show, man.
So he can show people what he's able to do.
Okay.
He's a left fielder, a first baseman, and a right fielder.
Ladies and gentlemen, the official minor leaguer of the Matt Thomas show.
Forget about Bryce Matthews.
Yes.
Forget about Jacob Melton.
Yes.
Forget about Kim Smith.
The official rookie, excuse me, the official minor leaguer of the Houston Astros is Jose Gonzalez,
who is six feet tall,
220, probably got some bit of a belly,
don't know that for sure.
He went to Texas State University.
He went to Klein High School,
and he's going to rake,
and his cousin Rico calls a show,
and for that, we love him.
Yeah, yeah.
I'm going to hope Joe gives him this shot, man,
so he can prove to people what he can do.
Okay, there it is.
We're all in.
We're all in. Thank you, Rico.
Ross, we all in for this guy?
Can't wait.
I don't believe you for a second.
What's his name again?
Jose Gonzalez.
Okay.
It's a rare name in the Hispanic world.
He's ready to mash.
Well, the Astros did sign up.
Dirty Joe would Joe Dirtle give him a chance.
Yeah, you can't, I cannot call him Joe Dirt.
I think it's up to Joe's spot as kid just call him up.
I don't think it's up to him, Rico.
Talk to Dana Brown.
He played last year or something called the Yuba Souter High Wheeler's.
Yuba Suda High Willers?
Yeah.
I don't even know what that means.
Where the hell is Yuba Suter?
Yuba Suter, also known as the Yolo High Wheelers.
He loved the team in home runs, RBIs and OPS.
Marysville, California.
He is expected to sign either play with the Asheville Taurus, which is High A or Double A Corpus Christi.
Oh, see?
Let's go.
It's a late bloomer.
Can you imagine being 24 and being at high A?
I mean, ooh.
You've got to buy beer for everyone, yeah.
You've got to buy beer and booze, everybody.
You've got to be the one.
You got to be the one.
You got to be the, I met this.
There was this one old minor leaguer Ross,
I don't know.
He went to a ballpark and he turned all the sprinklers on
and forced to rain out.
Hmm.
That sounds familiar, Matt.
Yeah, and he was in charge of keeping,
this monolinger, I don't know for his name.
Yeah, yeah.
But he was in charge of this young pitch
of this phenom and so this phenom wouldn't listen to him.
He would tell the batters what pitch was coming.
And he kept calling this star meat.
It was really wrong over him.
Yeah, and they were both in love with a busty redhead.
They both had relations with this busty redhead.
Apparently had relations with many minor leaguers and even talked about one of them wearing socks during sex.
Yeah, Jose, we got to get Rico's cousin Jose out of, uh, out of, uh,
high eight 24 years old no you don't you're buying pizza and beer for everybody now those 19 year olds can't
afford that kind of stuff all right Jose gonzalez official minor leaguer of the matt thomas
show 129 on sports talk 790 713 212 5 790 713 212 5 790 on twitter you can follow us at sports mtie at
connor d magovern quick time out back with more with believe it or not in 20
here on 790.
Matt Thomas, Ross Villarreal.
It's the Matt Thomas show with Ross on Sports Talk 790.
7-1-3-2-1-2-5-7-90.
If you want to jump in, it's a Matt Thomas show with Ross.
Tomorrow, for anything goes Friday.
We've been on Florida stories coming up on the show tomorrow.
We have hopefully a Rockets Factory to talk about tomorrow.
And, oh, a Kamp Smith siding today for the Astero.
against the Metropolitan's.
We'll have it free right here on 790, beginning at 450.
And what else is going on?
Any more veteran-wide receivers to be released in next couple days?
By the way, again, D.K. Metcalf of the Seahawks wants to be moved.
He wants $30 million a year, and the Seahawks in return want to give up a,
want the teams that acquire him to give up a first and a third round selection.
Thank you, but no thank you on that one.
What else we got going on today?
Oh, by way, can
I mention this to you very briefly yesterday, Ross.
Stephen A. Smith went on the Tonight Show last night.
He did? And is he talking again about how he's not running for president?
Correct.
You know what you do when you don't want to be brought up as a potential presidential candidate?
You tell the interviewer,
I don't want to talk about this because I'm not doing it. It's ridiculous.
Yeah. Going on like 10 interviews and telling people you're not a pedophile
is not a good way to think people think you're not a pedophile.
Wow, that went dark all of a sudden really quick.
But the point is this, how many more shows does he have to go on to tell the world he's not a candidate?
I don't know.
Why is he making all these appearances?
I guess ESPN's trying him out there.
Like, we're paying you $8 million.
Let's go.
Because what he's doing is he's not turning anything down because he wants to build his brand.
Second of all, he wants to get the biggest contract in the history of ESPN for television personality.
He wants to trump Pat McAfee.
and he wants his name being constantly talked about.
Hmm.
And guess what this show is doing for about another 45 seconds?
Talking about them.
I mean, look, the Democrats have made some mistakes.
They have admitted to some of them.
The biggest mistake you could put is putting Stephen A. Smith.
If Stephen A. Smith doesn't even know what players are on what teams,
how in the hell do you want him to balance a budget?
Let's do it.
Skip Bayless, Republican.
Stephen A. Smith, Democrat.
But they actually get those two guys get along.
They're like pesties.
They could be like a one-two punch.
Yeah, but they've debated each other for years on TV.
Oh, so you're saying basically that you would then want Skipp and Shannon to be a party ticket.
Okay, yeah.
Okay.
I don't know if Shannon wants to be the vice president to anybody, though.
He might have to run the primaries.
Yeah, there's also a film of him out there, too.
It's not overly flattering.
What film?
When he was, the audio of him.
It was audio.
in the background. It's fine.
That's your one video.
Yeah.
Anything that boosts his candidacy.
That's true.
He's getting stuff done.
So maybe you should do something embarrassing on video,
and it published,
remember that time when Jerry Springer wrote the check to the prostitute?
I mean, that only improved his image,
at least for that fan-based video.
Kim Kardashian's entire fame.
Yeah.
Ragee, right?
Yeah.
What is Ragee doing these days?
I don't know
You might be touring
He had a couple hits back in the day
Did he?
Okay
Mostly known as
Randy's brother
Yeah I couldn't name one song of his
I can't remember the songs
But he had like a couple of small hits
Yeah
I just again
It's in a 4 you
I know
It's terrible
But my 4 U is full of
Stephen A.
Smith
wanting to run, telling anybody that wants to hear him, he's not running.
Well, then stop doing it.
Go on your podcast and say, I'm not doing any more television.
You want my opinion on sports?
You want my opinion on politics.
I'll accept that.
Not really.
I don't want either one of them.
You could put up an AI at Donald Trump in four years.
AI Donald Trump beat Stephen A. Smith.
Well, why would it be AI?
He's not going to croak before then, is he?
No, but I mean, you can't run for a third term unless,
they change the rules. I was going to say he's going to try to get
an amendment passed.
Yeah, what amendment is that, by the way? I don't know.
You just declare martial law.
It's true.
But seriously, the next time Stephen A. Smith tells us he's not running for president,
which means you know that Stephen A. Smith for pres.org is going to be up and running.
Well, he will not be getting a, yet again,
I will not be participating in a presidential election.
Yeah, I think I'm done with that too.
140 on 790. Let's talk to Alex on the Matt Thomas.
showed Ross Alex, good afternoon to you.
All right.
Guys, I don't want to blame y'all directly.
I'm not that guy.
But all the gambling talk got my blood all rolled up and I had to go to New Orleans in
I think October for a wedding.
And I was inspired by just all of your conversation.
I was like, these guys have got me set right.
I'm ready to go.
I'm going to go play me some roulette and I'm going to win big.
And Matt, let me tell you.
I walked in there, I guess, around midnight.
None of the roulette tables were open except for like the $25 spots.
And I lost, I lost with a swiftness.
Like, there was, there was no, there was no lull.
It was just, they just took my money and it was gone.
And I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong.
Where can I play cheaper?
That's not $25.
And I think it was like, actually like $50 that I had to put down because,
You had to have like four spots on the table or something like that.
And, man, it was a horrible experience.
And I want to enjoy it the way that y'all do.
And I don't know what I did wrong.
So if you could just maybe illuminate the correct way to do it, that would be fantastic.
Are you talking about playing roulette?
Are you talking about the whole gambling experience?
Well, roulette specifically, but the gambling experience as a whole even would be better.
because, man, it just really turned me off.
I'm not saying what you're only $50.
I'm going to tell you right now, here comes to some realities.
First of all, if you're coming to New Orleans,
for the intent purposes of gambling,
you're picking the wrong Louisiana City.
The tables are never low here.
Never, ever, ever.
I went across the street this morning to get a breakfast,
and the black check tables are $25.
We're talking $25, midweek, 8 o'clock in the morning.
So if that's sent, and I'm sure the,
Same for the craps tables and the same for the roulette table.
Secondly, I don't ever play a roulette.
I find it not enjoyable.
I have no interest in it.
I don't if I'm in the minority or the majority.
I just don't play it.
Don't think it's any very much fun.
And that's about it.
I think that's all I got covered there.
I think roulette's a bad game, and I think New Orleans is not the place you.
If you're coming to New Orleans to eat, drink, and oh, by the way, play some cards, that's one thing.
But if you're coming here to gamble, go to Lake Charles, save yourself the time and hassle.
Oh, man. I came in looking for backerat, and there was not one single backerat table open. And so, like, after roulette, I kind of resorted to just playing slots. And I was looking for penny slots. I was looking for some cheap stuff. And my buddy was like, no, no, no, we got to come over here and play this Buffalo one. This Buffalo one's going to pay you out. And I had just seen him win $400 on this thing. So I was like, yeah, dude, this is money in the bank. Let's go. And basically, I lost $40 in about five minutes.
It's horrible.
Wow.
The only thing I have for you,
the other is why I would probably play roulette is because nothing anybody can do on the roulette table can affect the way you play.
One four.
All right.
Maybe next time.
I would just go to lower limits.
Yeah, you look.
You get high limits in Caesars and New Orleans.
We always talk about it, Matt.
Go to downtown Vegas somewhere you can play small for a couple dollars a hand or just kind of dip your toe in there.
You've got to jump in.
You've got to dive in in the Cesar's in New Orleans.
You've got to be ready to drop some cash.
It's like, hey, I want to go to a baseball game at the Diken Park.
Which game you want to go see?
The Yankees.
Oh, you're going to pay high prices for the Yankees.
Yeah.
You want to dip your toes in the Astros going to home ballparks.
Go check and play the Cleveland Guardians.
You'll be just fine.
Wednesday day game against the A's.
Yeah, exactly.
That's the big leagues over there.
Not only is it $25 a hand.
Another thing I'm a bitch about it.
It's $6.5.
I can't get $3.
Oh, don't sit that.
$3.5.
Don't six.
don't sit at 6.5. Just don't.
It's 6.5.
Don't do it. It's literally
you're throwing money away.
Well, if I can't throw the money away
if I'm not getting blackjack. So it doesn't do me...
You could be 9 to 1.
I'm not getting blackjack as I ain't getting it.
It's just a fact of life.
Three to 6 to 5, you shouldn't even sit down.
Well, I made some money.
So it's not like...
I mean, 6.5 didn't hurt me.
Couldn't help me more.
Six 5 didn't hurt me.
Yes, it did, Matt.
Not arguing with you.
You don't get 21s. You don't collect on anything.
3-2, 9, 5.
about six five, eight to one.
If you don't get 21, you don't get 21.
Okay.
Winning on a hand.
Okay, this is the same thing, man.
Hold on.
Stay with it.
Oh, my God.
When you get a table on a 19 on a six five table pays off the exact same as it pays on a
three two table.
That is correct.
It's a misputable.
Okay, Matt.
You know what you got to figure it out.
No, I know.
I'm just saying, I don't like it.
No.
Six to five, same thing as three to two.
But never, let me tell you something.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm not going to play blackjack as a six to five.
I don't like it, but I get black checks three times a game.
I'm not going to ruin my night because I can't find a three-two table.
And if they're an offering, I'm not going to say, oh, I'm going to go blue slots instead.
Hell no.
It quadruples the house edge, quadruples.
Not when he's busting on 23 when I got 13.
That's fine.
I mean, if he don't get black checks, it doesn't make any difference.
You know what?
You're right, Matt.
You got to figure out.
No, you're right.
What are we through this?
No, you got 100%.
What advantage do they have if I don't get 21s?
No.
It's free money.
Just keep playing.
Free money, I'm betting the hands.
If I keep one with 20s, it doesn't matter if I get 20.
You're right.
Absolutely, you're right.
I'm telling you, Rossolitics is not great.
I mean, some things Ross is good on, but Rossiletics on this one's not.
If you don't get 21, just smooth conversation.
Yeah, three to zero, six, five, same thing.
You know what?
I want you to put those metrics and shove them up your ass.
There you go.
What was that?
Play that again?
You know what?
I want you to put those metrics and shove them up your ass.
By the way, roulette, apparently it's the worst.
in the table.
Yeah, don't play with it.
That's another thing.
Don't play with it.
Yeah.
It's...
By the way, congratulations
to Ben Verlander.
He's engaged.
Oh, it's great for him.
Yeah, very excited for him.
Couldn't be happier.
Couldn't be happier.
Got some more people
to gravy train off of.
713-212-5-790.
7-13-212-5-7-90.
Let's play...
Believe it or not next.
What's the category? I don't even know what the category is.
We'll figure it out.
Okay.
I want to tell you about Total Concrete of Greater Houston.
Totalgrader.com is the website.
Totalgrader.com is the website.
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If you're in a situation where you would like to improve on your driveway,
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maybe you want to restore the old or faded stamp concrete,
maybe you would like to get a pool deck renovation.
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when you mentioned me, Matt Thomas, and that is Total Concrete, a Greater Houston.
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That's TotalGrader.com, TotalGraider.com for Total Concrete of Greater Houston.
Coach Sark here.
Touchdown, Texas.
You've got Sports Talk 790, Houston's home of Longhorn Football.
The Matt Thomas show continues now.
Five minutes left to go on the show.
We should play a...
America's fastest growing sports radio game show.
We simply call it B.
Leaving it out and here's how it works.
You call 713-212-5-790.
7-1-3-2-1-2-5-7-90.
Today's edition of Beliehrin-Nan is all things about baseball cards.
I'll read you a statement about baseball cards.
The statement's completely not only accurate.
You'll say this.
Believe it.
If the same is the erroneous full of bunk and made up, you'll say this.
Not.
Two believer in a row on baseball cards.
Win your prize.
Kind of what you're playing for today.
A pair of tickets to see the offspring on their super.
charged worldwide and 25 tour with Jimmy
World and Newfound Glory on August 23rd
at the Woodlands Pavilion and some 790
719 T-1-790. 7-1-3-212-5-790.
Yankees Keith on 7-90.
YK, you ready to play, believe it or not?
I thought it was a rocket stick, man, but
yeah, I can try it.
Well, I'm so sorry you couldn't win the other day.
My bad.
I tried yesterday, man.
Baseball cards were produced as far back as the 1860s.
They were generally thrown in items to boost sales.
Believe it or not.
Believe it.
Believe it.
Statement number two for the big prize.
Two of the top five most expensive basketball cards ever sold are Luca Donchish cards.
Believe it or not.
I heard y'all talking about that earlier today.
He's number three.
So, yeah, believe it.
There you go. Congratulations.
Rewarded a listen.
Yeah, there you know.
Nicely done.
Kevin on 790.
Kevin, you're ready to play, believe it or not?
Believe it.
The most expensive football card ever sold is a Pat Mahomes autograph card.
It sold for $4.3 million back in 2021.
Believe it or not.
Believe it.
Statement number two for the win.
The most expensive baseball card ever stolen was a 1927 Luke Garrett card.
It was stolen from billionaire J. Paul Getty.
It has never been recovered.
Believe it or not.
Not.
That is correct.
Congratulations.
You ever notice for awesome?
Kevin loves playing Believe it or not and winning.
Yeah, whatever.
Kevin, another one on 7-0.
Kevin, you ready to play, believe it or not?
Believe it, I do too.
The most expensive baseball card ever is a 1911 Honest Wagner card.
Believe it or not?
Believe it.
Nope, Mickey Man on 1952.
Andrew on 790.
Andrew, what was your favorite part of today's radio show?
I'm hearing about the baseball cards.
Flair baseball cards went defunct in 2010 in May, and many of their cards went up in value as accidental last editions of the company's cards.
Believe it or not?
Not.
That's correct.
Statement number two for the win.
The plot of the 1993 film The Sandlot.
revolves around Scott Smalls trying to retrieve his father's Babe Ruth autographed baseball card.
Believe it or not.
Believe it.
Believe it.
No.
It's around baseball.
I never saw the movie.
He was the ball, not the card.
Oh, duh.
Michael on 790.
Ready to play, believe it or not?
Believe it.
Topps baseball cards were first put out in 1921 in connection with old gold cigarettes.
Believe it or not.
Believe it.
No, no, no.
That's it for the program.
Tomorrow, anything goes Friday, starts at 10 o'clock.
Rockets tonight at 7 on KTRH.
Up next, it's Clinton, it's Wexler.
It's the team on Sports Talk, 7-night.
