The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Inside The NBA Bubble, National Nude Day & Astros COVID News

Episode Date: July 14, 2020

So much larger than life. Yeah. Lunch timers is the Matt Thomas show. 1201 in H-Town. What's happening in lunchtimmers? Good afternoon to you and welcome to a Tuesday edition of the Matt Thomas show. On Sports Talk 790.

I'm Matt. Ross is off this week back in studio on Monday. Joe George filling in. Joe, you missed one hell of a match game yesterday. We thought it would be a train wreck, and it turned out not half bad. So we are very happy. The match game Express will roll on, maybe not next week, but certainly in future episodes of Monday night meetings, you were missed. I did not miss it.

I did not participate, but I did watch it. I didn't watch it live, but I was very curious. I was like, you know what, I'm going back and watch this because, like you said, it could have been a disaster or gone pretty well. And I thought, I think you guys should be pretty happy with how it was. And I look forward to being in the next one. Yeah, Michael Connor had only one really, really stupid answer. I would say really pound for pound. Maybe Clinton had the worst answers of the ball, which was not on the big board of predictions.

It's not. I thought that's who you threw off first yesterday. No, I thought I had Connor the whole way through. Okay. All right. So please, if you've not checked that out, we played match game yesterday with three of our listeners. and we'll do it again in a few weeks. We're going to probably back off on the Monday night meetings

because thankfully, Joe George, we've got sports coming up in not this Monday, but the following Monday after that. Well, Matt, on Monday night, I got the new schedule for producers this morning and it says Joe George is here until 11 o'clock or so on Monday night for an exhibition Astros game, so I know it's not regular season,

but next Monday. That's right. There'll be something. Yeah, we'll have the Royals Astros games next Monday at 7 o'clock, and then Tuesday, a week from today, there'll be a day game, which means we will go off the air at 1250. And, you know, you're thinking, oh. So Ross comes back for a day to get another day off? Oh, we're going to make it work on Tuesday. Oh, okay.

Matter of fact, he probably could just do the entire 50 minutes on Tuesday, right? Oh, yeah, for sure. You should take the day off, Matt. You've been working hard. You've been carrying the show. I've been trying my best, but your back's got to be hurting right now, Matt Thomas. No, no, you have been, you are a huge asset to our radio station. We're glad to have you.

Thank you, sir. That's done a nice job. We're enjoying our new midday crew. All right. Let me, there isn't a, let's be, we can be honest with the show, right, with the audience, right, Joe? There's not a really super meaty number one headline. Yeah, no, it's kind of a mixed bag of things. Yeah, Shams put on a video yesterday that James Hardin is feeling fine and that he hopes to join perhaps Russ in a few days.

in Orlando. The presumption is he doesn't have COVID now. Now, I don't know if Shams can say that with complete certainty, but, you know, look, Shams, if Shams is told that James is feeling fine, I don't think that Shams got bad people and those people are trying to give him the audience information. Yeah, I agree. So that's encouraging. It does go over, however, go to the element of James just didn't have any, had zero interest

and being in the bubble with everybody else the first day that you could, which was last Thursday. And being brutally honest, James' roles differently, Joe, he just does. And when you are an NBA top five, top seven player, you automatically get put in the diva category, and you just, you kind of go at your own speed, right? Yeah, we saw Kauai do it who's in the bubble now. I mean, these guys can do it. Like LeBron could have done this. Victor Oladipo could have done this.

Like, the star guys on each team, you just have different rules. Yeah. And it's like that everywhere. Every job has it. Certain people on the job get different rules that applies to others. I will tell you this. I learned this at a very young age. I always thought when I was first doing sportscasting that the best coaches in the world treated every player equally.

That's just not true. And you know who? I hope that you can guess this. Because I think this coach is one of your favorites of all time. Let me see if you can figure this out. I went to a shoot-around in the NBA many, many moons ago. And this question was asked about preferential treatment for the star players. I'll give each one of you guys a guess, but I'm going to let Joe go first.

Can you name me the coach? And I didn't tell me specifically, but told the group media setting, that under no circumstance are you to treat every player equally. How many moons ago? Within the last 25 years. Superstar, coach, I don't want to give away the sports. It'll be obvious. Is it Phil and Dennis Rodman?

Yes, no. It was about Jordan, too. Now, because Jordan played by his own rules. He practiced when he wanted to practice. He wanted to take extra shots when he won. If he wanted a day off, now he didn't do a lot of that. But Rodman certainly was in that category because, you know, as you found out from the last dance, he wanted a few days to go to Vegas to, you know, just relax a little bit. But Phil Jackson was in Houston, and he was talking about the Bulls and how basically you can't treat Jed Bushler the same way that you treat Scotty Pippen.

Now, would Jed love that? Is it Jed or Judd? Judd Bushler or Jed? It doesn't matter. I think it's Judd? Judd, yeah. Steve, you know, you can't treat Steve Kerr the same way that you treat Michael Jordan. BJ Armstrong is going to be treated differently than Will Purdue. And so I learned that a long, long, long time ago.

Because especially in the NBA, it is a players league. I think, and you guys tell me if you disagree, I think if you lose a locker room in the NBA, Your time and your chance of keeping the job are way less than if you were to lose a locker room and say Major League Baseball or the NFL. Well, I completely agree because it's so much of a smaller, it's a smaller locker room and the star players just matter more. The star players, your one through four, and maybe in most cases, maybe just one through three, are so much different than players at that time, 10, 11, 12. You know what I'm saying? I mean, I just think it's so dramatically different. Look at the Rockets roster.

From James and Russ to Chris Clemens. Dramatic, right? I mean, even from to Eric Gordon, it's a huge drop-off. Dantone and Eric Gordon could severely dislike each other, and it doesn't matter. In all honesty, like, it just, it's all about those two guys. Yeah. And you could, I guess, maybe Capella was in there before, but. Even then, like, it's about two guys.

In the NFL, it's about one person. I'd go a step further and say in today's NBA, it's an even bigger deal because your star's got to want to stay in your city. Yeah. Yeah, that's exactly right. The point being is this, go ask any successful coach in the NBA by Dan Tony, Steve Kerr, Greg Popovich, even though, you know, even though Popovich has this mentality of my way to highway, I bet you Greg Popovich has had to adjust his style in the last handful of.

years. Well, they, I mean, they started the resting players thing. Like, people give Russell Westbrook a hard time for not playing back to back or LeBron James. That is Greg Popovich 101. He started that of, I don't care that we're on national television. I'm sitting Duncan, Parker, and Genoble tonight. I don't care. It is a scheduled day off. And remember a couple of years ago when he and Lamarcus Alders got sideways? Yeah. Who had to make the adjustment? Lamarcus. I guess, yeah. Yeah, I mean, well, because what Lamarcus Aldridge demanded was a trade.

Yeah. And, okay, you trade Lamarcus Aldridge, you're not getting fair market value in return because of the money that's attached to him. So the Spurs are better actually suited with Lamarcus helping his team as compared to getting, say, 60 cents in the dollar and having to pay a lot of the contract still. Yeah. So to the grandiose point, this is that

James Harden, I mean, probably had no interest in being in Orlando since last Thursday. He's going to roll the way he wants to roll. And you get that opportunity to do that when you are the alpha dog of the team.

Now that comes with additional pressure. That is, do your other teammates accept who you are and what you do and accept that you've got a few quirks? because if Austin Rivers isn't accept that and Eric Gordon doesn't accept that

and Robert Covington doesn't accept that and Ben McLemore then you've got major chemistry problems so it's not just the coach appeasing the superstar player it's also the guys that are not the superstars going all right we know how we know how this Graway train is going to roll here and the Houston Rockets are not going to win an NBA championship

whether it be in the bubble in Orlando or anywhere else, unless James and Russ are completely 100% satisfied with the situation they're in. And so, you know, frankly, if I was a player, I'd probably just say, yeah, yeah, I got COVID. Because then you have the built-in excuse of what you can miss up a little bit of time. And again, it doesn't really matter at the end of the day because still, we're still looking at 17 days until the rocket season starts. There are three scrimmages coming up starting one,

a week from Friday. I think at that point, that's when the Rockets administration to coach Darrell ownership says, all right, you know, James, look, you've been away a long time, your teammates need you, we've got to get you in this bubble, got to get you acclimat, let's go from there. So,

but it sounds like that James did not have COVID, or if he did it, it was a long time ago. We don't know, but he will be, looks like he's going to be fully clear to plan. And once Russ is clear, those two gentlemen will make their way to Orlando to join their teammates. And it feels like by the end of the week, right?

Just the way Shams is reporting it and even his interview with Stadium that you're referencing talking about James, the way he's phrasing soon, it makes me feel like possibly within the next handful of days they're on their way to the bubble. Yeah, my guess is they get there by Friday. They have to quarantine for a couple of days. And then they're, you know, the next time we release, probably see James, probably next Tuesday, Wednesday. The first scrimmage is Friday. And if we believe the videos that we've seen all summer long or at least spring, James should be in phenomenal condition.

You know James is shooting baskets, right? I mean, it's not like he's not doing anything. He just wanted to come in on his own terms. And some people get robbed the wrong way about that. And I understand that because those guys are mega-million dollar players. They're playing a kid's game, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. How does that affect camaraderie? I'm just telling you from someone that has experienced it firsthand,

this camaraderie thing, as long as the underlings, the second-tier guys, are chill with it. May not be happy about it, but as long as it doesn't create chemistry issues, they'll welcome James with open arms. James scores 35 points in a first game against Dallas. Rockets get bumped from the sixth spot in the west of the number three spot. Everything will be hunky-dory.

some college football. I wouldn't say confusion, but I would say a lot of mixed bag stories coming out. I'll explain more of that. We have a lot to get to this afternoon. By the way, we will also go to the NBA bubble at 120. A buddy of mine who works as the official statistician for the Houston Rockets at TOTUS Center. He sits three seats for me when I'm doing the PA is one of the official scorekeepers for NBA games in the bubble.

He's there. So we're going to check in with him and see how things are going. with him and what's like being in quarantine because he is different than the players. He has to be in quarantine for like, I think, five, six, seven days as compared to the players who have to be in quarantine just two or three. 713212-5-790 is how you reach our show if you want to get in today. 7-13-212-5-7-90. It is the Matt Thomas show.

We're with you to 3 o'clock this afternoon with a message here for Oops, Steam Cleaning. These are folks that I've spoken about to you. for over a decade. We started with the oops in January of 2010, and they're still strong. I'm so happy for all their success, and I hope that you've been able to take advantage of the great service they can provide you. 281-822-0561 is their phone number 281-8-2-0-561 for true steam cleaning done by trained professionals. They'll take care of your carpet, your upholstery area rugs, your Oriental rugs, they'll do your air ducts. They will take care of tile and grot for your kitchens and your bathrooms, all at a quality price.

They'll work all over town, a dozen trucks bumping around. You've seen with cats and dogs on the side of their vans. 281-8220561 and online at oopsteam.com. Load up on those napkins, straws, ketchup, hot sauce, mustard. Oh, and don't forget duck sauce. It's the Matt Thomas Show for lunch on Sports Talk 790. Time is 1218. I want to remind everybody, this is the first time we've been able to announce this today.

Not even Joe George knows this. Tomorrow is the return of Mike Dantone here on Sports Talk 7. He will join us at 1 o'clock tomorrow. Nice. So he'll be with us for a weekly 10 to 50 minute visit until hopefully mid-October. God, that would be good, wouldn't it? It would be awesome. You know, I was in the running to go to the board.

bubble, but unfortunately my Rockets radio responsibilities precluded me from doing that, because they wanted to keep everybody on a regular schedule. Could you... What would be an example? Like, right now, they're antsy.

Richard Holmes of the Kings got caught leaving the bubble to go get food. Dumbass. Seriously. I mean, I understand like in four weeks you have the ants, you know, you have ants in your pants, but they've been there less. in a week. I know. Some great food, Matt.

I'm sure the food, Brandon, was amazing, but it's, I mean, they're done with getting the airplane food. I think they can get regular stuff now. I know, so it's not like he ordered food, and I just am like, oh, he probably really was like craving like McDonald's or like Taco Bell and had it delivered and he crossed the line. You don't cross the line. You don't do it. But my question is, is there an actual line? Like, I was, like, when we go to the grocery store now, There's like little stickers on the ground that say, please stand here.

Is there a red line that like a big circular bubble around Disney World that says NBA players do not cross this point? Well, we'll ask our buddy at one, Kevin Johnson from the Rocket Stacker at 120. Now, he might be still in quarantine, so he might not be able to answer that. But you would think with the way the attention span of an average NBA, athlete is or any athlete for that matter wouldn't you think there are 5 million signs all over the place? Of course. Do not go there, do not cross.

Do not enter this door. No, and definitely at least I guarantee you there's something like an email or something. There's some sort of document that says at the minimum if you go like if you reach

Donald Duck Lane, you've gone too far. Right. You're in the bubble. If you're in your room for 10 days. Turn around right now. Yeah. It means you're getting too close to the bubble, the edge of the bubble. Yeah. So what are we going with this? Oh, if they win, whoever wins this thing, and hopefully it's the rockets, right? They're going to be in that room, in that building, in that little sector for

August. Three more months. Has that crossed y'all's mind to be. in something for three and a half months? No, it would be crazy. I mean, the Raptors is even worse. They got there like a month ago. Yeah, because they went to Fort Myers first, which is in southwest Florida, because they couldn't even practice in Toronto.

Yeah. Yeah, it'd be, it would be crazy to be locked in somewhere for, to three straight months. But at the same time, like, it's not like they're locked in their hotel room. No, they've got, there's plenty of places to go. They're not like the people. who had who were on cruise ships that had crazy COVID outbreaks and they were told you can't

come back to land yet they're not those people like they're in Disney World they're going to be playing basketball and they're going to have access to pools and food and I mean it's going to be crazy like I would go stir crazy absolutely what's the longest you've ever been in a spot I will tell you this I had mononucleosis when I was 22 years old This is 95 season. Yeah, 95. I had to miss two weeks of doing Rockets' PA games, and I literally didn't leave my house.

And all I did was watch the OJ trial, listen to Hooting the Blowfish, and just stay in my house. Now, I did sneak out one time to go see the Brady Bunch movie, and Ross has given me crap about that ever since. But that was essentially about 16. days of not living my apartment at the time. Honestly, I don't know.

Like, I, I've never really been that sick. Because that's what it is. That's the closest thing you can think of. When I was in like sixth grade, I had knee surgery and they put a cast on my leg from my toes to basically my waist so I wouldn't hurt myself. Right. But, I mean, even then I left the house. But I just, I can't.

That doesn't even count, dude. I know, I know. I just doesn't. I'm just trying to think. Like, I've never, honestly, like, I'm sure at worst, like, I've had, like, I think when I got my, even when I got, like, my tonsils taking out and stuff, I was down for, like, three or four days. Yeah.

I've never been locked in the room for. Well, I'll say this. And I, and I told you this off air, and I can tell you on, I'm, I would have done it in a heartbeat if I could have. Because even though it sounds bonko nuts crazy, it's one of those experiences that, that, that, anybody that's in the bubble will never forget. Now, they won't think about that right now. That's the last thing crossing their mind is,

oh, this is really cool. I'll be able to tell my grandkids about it. They'll be able to when it's all done. But there are going to be two basketball teams and a handful of staff that are there for three more months. And I don't anticipate. I don't think you were going to see a vaccination by then. I don't think at any point will anybody be in the bubble

that will all of a sudden be able to free and clear go over down to Universal Studios at any point. I think once you got in, you had to know this could be for the long haul. Yeah, I mean, because they're saying like end of the year beginning of next year for a vaccine. So I know at one point in the early talks of the bubble, there was that the players would have access to the park

when other people didn't or like certain areas even potentially. But I feel like that's over now with the surge that has happened in Florida. I mean, it's worse than just here. So I think they're definitely like very like there's no field trips to Splash Mountain. No, there's not. Yeah. Would you even go to an amusement park right now? No, because well, first things first, I'm terribly scared of roller coasters.

What? Yeah. I have an immense fear of heights. So I don't. Okay. I don't really want to go anyways. So this conversation is not going to go. very far than basically. I mean like if like I'll go and honestly I probably will go on the rides at this

point basically like if like if my wife was like we're going on roller coasters I'll probably cave like that's what that happened to me in high school and college like you're with someone you like or you're with a cute girl there's cute girls there and they tell you yeah we're going on the roller coaster you pretty much have to so if my wife was like we're going on a roller coaster I think I'm stuck now for the rest of my life yeah so I think I have to get over it but I mean no it's just, it's like kids cleaning up, like, like, now you go somewhere and you're hoping like they take care of things and like they're disinfecting

stuff. But like Disney World, it's, I, there's no way they can clean everything. Well, that's why I think they're opening up in small parts. I'll tell you this. This just shows you what a fraud I am. And I'm fully, but I love scary roller coasters. Twists, turns, drops, jumps. I mean, actually, I'm not a big fan of like the Tower Terror where they sent you up to like eight floors up and then they just drop you.

I like good old-fashioned normal roller coasters. For those of you that are Astero fans back in the day, I love the Texas Cyclone, I love Excalibur, I loved grease lightning, all that kind of stuff. The one ride I will not go on is a Ferris wheel. Why? Because I'm afraid I'm going to get stuck at the very top. You know, it's funny, that's like the one I'll go on. I can't imagine being in a roller in a Ferris wheel

and all of a sudden you're hearing this announcement from down the below going We got a problem the wheel is stuck Just be patient Why they sound like they're from Little Rock? I don't know but that's what I just did Traveling circus people probably mostly from Little Rock Fair assessment Yeah I mean I just don't know if I want the Carney

With his life in my hands his life, my life in his hands, worried about whether or not the damn Ferris will is going to spin properly. If I'm at a nice location, I almost hope I get stuck at the top. Well, it depends on who you're with, right? I guess.

I went on one by myself in Seattle, and I wouldn't have minded getting stuck at the top for a little bit. I mean, like, not hours, but half an hour, I wouldn't have a problem with that. What if you can go to the bathroom? I guess I'll have to deal with it. Can you hold it? It depends.

If it's an emergency situation, You've got to do what you got to do. That's not my problem. You got me stuck up there. Good point. So you're saying that if you got to drop trow on and whiz off the top of the Ferris wheel, you're going to do that because it's the Ferris wheel's fault. I'm not saying I would do it without hesitation.

But if it came to that, Matt, I'll deal with it. Yeah. That's why I have two fears in life, getting stuck in a Ferris wheel and getting stuck in an elevator. Because I'm worried about whether or not I can go to the bathroom somewhere. You just got to establish a corner, a P corner, if you get stuck in the elevator. Oh, really? So you're saying that no one else TV shows. No, they don't.

Yeah, there's no safe corner in an elevator. No, you just got to establish it. If you're stuck in an elevator with other people, you got the first thing, you got to be the leader of the room of the elevator, and you got to say, all right, guys, we're going to establish a P corner. We're going back left or back right, and that's it. You got to make that judgment immediately. So you're stuck for a while.

So you're saying peeing in the left corner is, and it means three of the other corners are going to be just fine. and no one will smell it. No, no, no. But like, it just, it's better to have only one corner versus all four. Okay. I mean, I've never been stuck in an elevator, but that's what I've seen in TV shows. So I just...

Oh, so you speak of no experience of this whatsoever. No, but I feel like it makes sense to establish a corner versus free-for-all. All right. So if you've ever been stuck in an elevator, have you established your P-Corner? 713-212-5-790. It is a scary thing. There's some times I thought I got stuck on the elevators here at work. Don't mention that to me.

Sorry. You did it. Take the stairs. 12.30. Sports Talk, 790. Yeah. Let me tell you, is there another radio show the marketplace that's discussed peeing in a corner of an elevator? Nope, don't think so.

By the way, happy National nude day. We'll get to that, too, before the close of the first hour. Mix bag of college football reports are out there. We'll discuss that next. Let me tell you about TGS insurance. Would you like to save some serious cash on your? home policy it's ridiculously simple if you do what I'm going to ask you to do right now let's get your phone out and text the word money M-O-N-E-Y to 23 23 23 23 the folks at TGS

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4-3! Yes! Listen to the home of the Rockets on your smart speaker. Just ask. Hey, Google, play Sports Talk 790 on IHartRadio. 1235 on Sports Talk 790, the Matt Thomas show with you till 3, like the Saturday. We will go to the bubble at 120. My buddy Kevin Johnson, who is the official scorekeeper at Rockets games, will be working for the NBA. We'll talk with him coming up in about 45 minutes from now.

You may join our conversation right now at 713-212-5-790. 713, 321215790. Joe, I follow this Twitter account. Football Writers Association of America, it's kind of an aggregate Twitter account. And I go there because it gives me a good sample size of just about every college football story that is written in America. That could be from Seattle to Miami and all points in between. I've been spending a lot of time the last couple of days looking at this and there is really a mix bag of what I'm seeing in college football. I have seen the athletic director at East Carolina just giving you just one random example say that they're progressing towards the start of the regular season on time.

I see that Ohio State has resumed practicing voluntary workouts. I see that Notre Dame continues to have a low number. And then on the other end of the spectrum, I see a guy named Pete Thammel who writes for Yahoo. We're trying to get on the show, in fact, saying that every one of the A.Ds that he has spoken to, Power 5 A.Ds, said, not only will there be no college football this fall, but if you are a betting man, maybe they take the entire season off.

do you get the sense, and maybe you're not doing this like I am, that the biggest problem with any thought of a resumption of a college football season is that there is no consensus opinion about whether or not we're going to play college football this year. I think that's definitely part of it. And it goes to what we've talked about before, Matt, with the lack of leadership at the top. It's just, it's disorganized, it's chaotic. They have no plan.

They have no way to go with, like, what we were talking about yesterday, with the more local model. I mean, I think they're going to have a hard time making a decision about spring football. Like, I don't think it's even on the table, but we've seen now the Ivy League, the Patriot League, and Juko make the decision to play football in the spring. I still don't think the SEC is going to do that in all honestly. Well, we played some sound bites on the previous show, Andy and Chris, about Cole Kubanick, who's been a guest on this show before, saying that it'd be really easy to presume that Trevor Lawrence is not going to play football for Clemson. But the competitive juices in his body, if they say there's an eight-game college season starting January the 1st, that he'd play it. Because, matter of fact, let's let him, let's let Cole,

say it again, for those that missed it earlier in the show. This is him talking about, yeah, there might be a spring season and that don't count out the super megastars playing in that spring season. In an emergency situation, if they can get it in there after they couldn't get it in the fall, you better damn well believe we're going to see some college football in the spring. And I, for one, don't think that this tidal wave of players are going to sit out or would sit out. There are going to be some, and some guys probably should. but I don't even think the guys that everybody think are an absolute lock to sit out would sit out.

I'll be, I'll be, this is my honest opinion. I don't think Trevor Lawrence would sit out a six or eight game spring season. It's based on the kind of kid he is. I think he wants to. The thing that people forget, and I don't know how you can forget this and cover or be around or play college football, the one thing that college football players love to do more than anything else is what? Play friggin' football. So they get a chance to play, they're probably going to play.

it's not big business for every single kid. So these people that think a thousand kids are going to sit out or, oh, God, the SEC won't be able to fill teams. You're just wrong. Pretty strong comments. I like Cole. Cole's been on the show several times. I've gone on his show too.

Here's the thing, Joe. And that's why I am not completely pushing spring football side. If we don't play, we is the collective sports universe. Don't play college football at all this season, take a season off. It is going to crush the industry. Now, I'm not talking college football. I'm talking college athletics. Yeah, it's going to be detrimental.

But my argument would just be it's not, you can't convince me that these schools are not going to pay their players, but put them in harm's risk. And that means with COVID now in the fall, it also, to me, Matt, means if you're going to play spring ball, how can you play spring football and then four months later play a full 13 game

college football season well you're not going to play a full college football season in January so you're going to play eight games and then four months later you're going to play 13 games yes you're going to play what would be so difficult about that you're going to play 21 football games in one year

in one calendar year you're going to ask freshman sophomores and juniors and juniors in college play 21 football games in one season we can't get NFL players who agree to play 17 games barely. Call me Callous. Okay, just do this. Call me Callous. Calls. But you're telling me

that a guy that finishes up his college football season in the second week of March is going to be physically and mentally so out of it and exhausted that they can't put the pads back on on August of 15th? Not at all.

But if they're trying to claim, they try to talk about player safety and we care about our players and their student athletes first, I just, I don't know. Well, that is, but you're giving me a, that's not, we're not creating a sweatshop for these guys. We're talking about extraordinarily, extraordinary circumstances. I know, I know. But you're now saying that we have to play football in the spring.

That's what these colleges are doing. They're saying, because you're right, if they don't play college football, it's detrimental to college athletics. We already saw Stanford cancel 11 sports. I don't want to use that. Those 11 sports that were canceled were sports that were played by like 20% of American colleges. Sure. It was, I mean, that is such an overblown story.

They didn't cancel volleyball. They didn't cancel baseball. They didn't cancel men's and women's basketball. They got rid of their rowing team. So this whole Stanford story is a false narrative. All I'm saying is this. If it's important for them to maintain these athletic programs, and they know that football is the cash cow.

One year where they start January, they play eight consecutive weeks, have a national championship two weeks later or three weeks later, and then you're done by the end of March, and then you're starting up on Labor Day. I don't think for one season is all of a sudden going to ruin the integrity of what college sports are. First of all, there's no integrity in college sports. But they try to portray that they're college, their student athletes.

But who is? Who's doing it? The NCAA. But the NCAA has already ridded their hands of this. No, I know. But if everyone's trying to say these guys are student athletes first, then... Does it mean you can't do that? No, but you're admitting that their sport is more important than anyone else's.

So, like, if I'm a college football player, my response is going to be paying me. And, like, that's why I'm not playing if I'm Trevor Lawrence. Like, and I mean, I love Cole. But there'll be enough that will, though. College football will go on and survive if Trevor Lawrence never plays another. 110%. They'll have no problem without them. Like, that's not even a lot.

concern. 1243 if you would like to give us your comments on this, is it, is it unfair to push college football back to January? No doesn't necessarily mean it's good enough. We're going to have a, vaccine by then. They're just trying to play the odds and trying to make sure that everything is taking care from a protocol standpoint. So if they have to go through this and watch what they're doing with the NBA and the N and the MLS, that at least they can delay it a little bit. 713-212-5-790. 713, 212.9, 1243 is a time. Matt Thomas Show, until 3, here on Sports Talk 790. Back to the Matt Thomas show.

On Sports Talk 790. For the corner, and that's go! Home of your Astros. All right, we'll go to the bubble coming up at about 35 minutes from now. If you would like to partake and be a participant in our radio show, Joe filling in for Ross, Ross back on Monday. It was good seeing Ross yesterday on the 790 match game. He filled in as a last second replacement, and he's over his virus and is taking a little extra time off. And then all of us back in studio next Monday.

713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-2-2-790. This is how you reach a show. If you are on Twitter, it would like to shout us out on a comment on that, at SportsMT, at Joe George Radio, and at Brendan Riley underscore. Gentlemen, do you all partake in the National Whatever It Is Day? Like there's National Donut Day, National Fried Chicken Day, National Hug Your Sibling Day, that kind of thing. Are you all being into that kind of stuff?

No. If it's a good excuse to do something, sure. I mean, not all of them, but if I like it, yeah. All right. Under that premise, are you big fans of today's national? National nude day. National nude day? Not really.

Isn't it kind of basically an illegal holiday today? Unless you're in a nudist colony, yeah? Well, I'd like to know where the nearest nudist colony is. Nearest nudist colony. I can think of one in Texas. And I don't even know if it's really even a nudist colony more. Looks like there's something. in Porter, Texas.

It's a nudist park in Porter. Wait a minute. The next town north of me is Porter. It says Emerald Lake Resort, Newtis Park in Porter, Texas. Has 147 Google reviews, 4.4 stars. Closes at 6 p.m.

Matt knows where he's going after the show. Do you want me to send you the phone number? No, Joe. Do not send me that phone number or the website at all. Okay. But how does one effectively Here's what happened. I saw National Nude Day was trending on Twitter.

So what do I do? I hit the hashtag just because I'm doing my research for the show. There's nothing naked out there. All I'm seeing, frankly, is more problems with that married couple, the girl that dropped the deuce on the bed the other day. What was her name? Oh, help me out. Was it not Robert Downey Jr.'s?

wife. Johnny Depp. That's right. I think you're getting your holidays mixed up. That's the problem, Matt. Today is National Nude Day. April 19th is National Send a Nude Day. They're very different holidays.

Oh, I didn't know that. I just Googled it. So I think you might have your holidays a little confused of what you were expecting when you put on a hashtag. So then explain what the essence of a National Nude Day is. Celebrate. Just celebrate. Right. I don't know.

Just walk around, not wearing any clothes. No, wait. Do you wear a face mask on National Nude Day? Okay, that's a great question. Do Nudist columnists wear face masks right now? Yes. Are you sure? Yes.

Do they wear shoes? Flip-flops. Okay. So they're walking around with flip-flops and a face mask on and that's it. Here's what a nude is. is doing today. Well, probably every day of the week. They have flip-flops on.

They have a towel just in case they're in areas where they shouldn't be nude. But they definitely have face covering. Because you can get COVID in the nude colonies too. Definitely. There's no where the virus can't go. It infiltrated the MLS bubble. It's going to infiltrate a nudeist colony. But if they never leave, actually.

What if they're like their own little bubble? But, I mean, they have to go grocery shopping. Yeah. Like how often, I mean, so you're telling me Porter's the closest location to a nudist colony? That's what it looks like. It says it looks like a resort. But it's not a place you would live. No, because it says it closes that six.

But unless that means, like, you can only go visit until six. So you go in there. Hi, I'd like to spend some time with fellow nudist. Sure. You can have this spot right over here. It says Houston's premier. nudist resort swim fish camp relax members and guests

we are open upon entry will be taking all entered temperatures no touch thermometers if you have more than 100 degree fever you will not be allowed in they're taking precautions Matt honestly is there social distancing

except for the nude part this place looks nice because you're assuming the person that wants to get new to news colony it's not very attractive yeah I just I feel like they're, I don't know if it's fair or not, but I just assume they're older. Well, look at you stereotyping. I am aware of what I just did, but I'm not going to change my stance either.

Well, I've told, I've told this to Ross many times, and I've told this audience, and I'll tell us a very fast story. This isn't anything to do with nudist. This was something that was actually a little more unsavory. This was a swingers convention that I accidentally showed up to. You know the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas? Yeah. it's long gone. So I wanted to go into Star Dust

before it was imploded and it was built and done something else. I don't know what it is now. But I went to play craps in the Star Dux Casino and I noticed that I was the only person at the Crabbs table that didn't have any wristbands on. So I asked the guy to my right,

I said, what are all these wristbands for? And they said, well, we're here for a convention. I said, oh, kind of what convention is? Well, he said it's, and he used the more official term, but basically it was a swingers convention. I learned that in certain, like, every neighborhood or, like, community has different colored mulch and rocks. Right.

Or if you have a pineapple in front of your house. And that's how you, like, I went to my buddy's house for a Super Bowl. And I was like, hey, why has everyone got these, this really red mulch and white rocks? Yeah. It goes, yeah, our neighbors are swimmers. That's how they identify. By the mulch? I thought it was if you had a pineapple in the front of your house.

I guess it depends. It's different everywhere you go. All right. So there's your segue. So, you know what? Happy national new day to you all. Just letting you know again, it is illegal to walk around naked in public places.

But apparently in Porter, it's more than acceptable. Second hour, the Matt Thomas show starts with some good news on the rocket. It sounds like. And some mixed messages from college football. Do you think we're really going to play football this year? college football. I think we're definitely playing pro. It's the college game that makes me a little nervous.

713-212-5-7-90. 7-1-3-21-5-7-90. 12-56. Second hour, the Matt Thomas Show next here on 790. This is the Matt Thomas Show. It is 101 on a hot-as-hell Tuesday. Matt Thomas show with you on Sports Talk 790. Joe getting a buddy of mine who will remain nameless telling me that basically this nudist colony is about 15 minutes from my house

It's $20 for a day pass And the people are unattractive Those people on Twitter also backing up the fact that the nudist colony people are unattractive This is coming from at TBT At TB tailgators I had a cousin who lived at the nude place in Porter. Believe me, it's people you don't want to see nude. Followed by at Helmut the Bush says,

as a person that used to deliver to a nudist colony every week, there are zero in all caps attractive people inside the walls of the colony. So can I get you to change our undecided, unfinished Texans bear's bet to, you have to spend a day at the nudist colony with the Texans lose? That'd be a hard pass. Oh, man. What would it take? What's the way?

I have been by accident to a nude beach. It was hippie hot-in up in the Austin area. And there was things I saw that, and this happened as I was younger, that I will never, ever forget. It's like a permanent stain in my brain. Matt, I'm going to find a way to get you there. No, you're not. we're going to come up with some kind of wager that's so that you think is so good for you.

Why would I want to take a bet or if I lost, I would have to go see a bunch of people that have Janet tell you down to their kneecaps? I don't know. I just, it seems like you want to spend the day at the nudist colony, and I'm just trying to help you get there. It's National Dood Day. I'm trying to be a journalist.

I don't know, Matt. I think you secretly want to go, and I'm just trying to help you get there somehow. Well, the problem was with this. You know, I was going back, I was telling you about the story about the swingers convention. Yes. There was nobody hot there either. I mean, I would have stayed and played cards with people that were hot,

but they were all like 65 gaunt. Matt, at some point, you probably just got to spice it up. You, I guess I should tell this, but who cares? It's middle of summer. So the wristbands were color-coded Joe George And how adventuresome you wanted to get Was based on the type of wristband you had So it's like if you go to Disney World

And you have probably different colored wristbands You get like Well there were some areas of the convention That you had to How do I? I'm gonna make I got to constantly filter myself during this So, Joe, if you wanted to swing, but you wanted to get to know the people first, there was one set of room. Okay.

You had a conversation, introduced yourself, you figured out what you did for a living. A little dating cocktail, basically. Yeah, it was kind of like you get to know your couple. Okay. And then there were other rooms that you just didn't really particularly care. Yeah, the lights were just off. Yes. That if you went in that room, the chance of you having sex with a company.

complete stranger in a very short period of time was very, very good. Yeah, it's like a Matt Thomas show on a Friday. Anything goes. Again, while you're putting my name attached to that room is uncalled for and acceptable, and I don't appreciate it at all. And that's how the 1 o'clock hour starts the Matt Thomas show. That's why Joe sometimes phone calls are not the worst thing in the world, especially those that are even day drinking.

713-212-5-790. 7-13-212-5-790. on Twitter at SportsMT, at Joe George Radio, and at Brendan Riley underscore. Did you see what Fort Bend County did yesterday? They went online school, right? They did to start the year. Canceled sports until things are back under control. We're not getting high school football this year, right?

Is that been kind of an almost an automatic? I feel like it is. Because you can't test. Okay. But if you're going to have the students at school, what's the difference between having playing football? honest. They're going to be sharing hallways,

lockers are next to each other. At this point, they're not. I know they're not. So the other school districts, who are we going to play now? Well, I mean, how many high schools is Fort Benham? Probably six or seven?

Yeah, so really it probably kind of just affects them. It's a small number. It's almost like the Ivy League canceling or moving to Spring League. It's not a huge domino. I think when we find out about the bigger school districts, Houston, Dallas,

Bear County, you know, San Antonio Austin. That's when the things were really go crazy. We live in the Humbold School District. So my daughter, who is, you know, going to play seventh grade volleyball, hopefully, she's really worried about it. Because if you're going to have a hard enough time taking care of high school athletes, me thinks that they're not going to push that down at the junior high level. Yeah.

And what's challenging, too, for high school is, you know, like a university has the ability. has the ability to cancel all their fall sports and play in the spring. Because they travel enough, they have enough facilities that they can make it work. Most high schools, you're going to be really hard pressed to cancel all your fall sports and then say they're all going to play in the spring.

Well, you know what you'd have to do at that point. You'd have to separate. You'd have to say, all right, so you're a Mr. BMOC on campus and you play four or five sports. You have to make a decision about which one you're going to play. And that's tough because, Like, I remember, there's always like that question of, like, the best athlete you've ever seen. Like, the best high school athlete I ever played against, and they think was C.J. Fedorowitz, the former Texans tight end.

And he did, he played everything. Like, he was on the school as Johnsburg. He played football, high school, I mean, football, basketball, baseball, and track. He did all four. If you moved everything this spring, those elite athletes, and even the people who aren't, and they just want to be on all the teams, they're going to have to make tough choices, and the facilities is going to be a real challenge.

By the way, my buddy Bradley on Twitter just said, there's 11 schools in Fort Bend, and A-Leaf apparently is going all virtual too. Interesting. Well, let me ask you this. You may tell me that we as a collect, that I think we would be able, we would fully embrace high school football in the spring.

100%. I mean, actually, I would prefer college football in the spring and high school football in the spring, personally. Because again, and look, do the northern states get screwed? Yep. But guess what, bra? You chose to live there. But not really. Because you're telling me they're going to get 6,000 people in Chicago in January to watch high school football?

Well, you don't start in January. You start in March. Oh, before the season and, before the school year in. So you start in March and you play a little bit into the summer. And you just, yeah, the beginning of your season is going to be cold, but the end of the season's not. So just like now, in Illinois or in the colder states, like in Massachusetts and stuff, it's warm in the beginning and cold at the end. This would just be the opposite. So, I mean, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

Let me tell you, if I go to every child that's in. the city of Houston, the greater metropolitan area, for that matter, the entire state, and said, hey, you love playing high school football? Oh, hell yeah, I do. You love playing high school volleyball? Yes. Are you playing soccer? Do you love it? Yes. Is that a huge part of the enrichment of what it's like to go to high school and compete and be involved in extra-curricular activities? And I'm not just talking about sports, choirs, bands, dramas. Nothing starts until February 2021. You could, kids would say yes. definitely. And yeah, there are going to be certain kids that just like the Trevor Lawrence

conversation that they would, in the best interest of them, make the decision not to play. Like I mentioned with CJ Fordowitz, I remember vividly our senior year, it was a big news locally that he was only playing football because he was going to go play football at Iowa, and he couldn't risk getting hurt playing basketball. That's very common. We would see the same thing in the spring. You would see high school athletes who already have scholarship offers from U of H and A&M and UT and L.S. Alabama, that they would make that decision not to play. That's okay.

Those sports will survive, just like they would at the college football level. But it's just, I think it's just a more of a logistical nightmare for high school. And they'll get past it. And they would just, it would just take figuring out. They'll, you know why? Because they'll have people, grown men, teachers, coaches that love to do what they're doing. And they'll figure it out. It might make the second semester really damn busy for them.

but if you're a coach in high school athletics, whatever sport it is, or you're a choir teacher, or a band teacher, you love what you do, right? Definitely. It's not a drag. So instead of having, you know,

August to December really damn busy, now it's January to say May. Yeah, and you know, it's like, and part of the schools that are, like the challenge that they're facing with high school sports in this is the Title IX and the other extracurriculars. Right.

Because it's like from my talking to my dad, he's a teacher. He's, he just teaches. And then like after school, he does speech team or debate team. And then theater. He's the director. They're already having issues where they're talking about playing high school football, but trying to tell him he can't do his activities. That ain't going to fly.

No. It's going to have to be all or nothing. All or nothing. That's where the term extracurriculars being put into place. We go to the NBA bubble next. 11 on the Matt Thomas show with a message here for the Shell Federal Credit Union.

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Welcome home to Shell FCU. Back to Matt Thomas. Drives this deep to left center field. This is Sports Talk 790, home of Astros baseball. It is 117. A little bad Thomas show. I have a very good friend of mine. That is going to be a first-time guest on the show,

and he's going to be like our de facto correspondent. He doesn't know this yet, but he is. Kevin Johnson is the man who sits about three seats from me at Totta Center for Home Games. He keeps the official scorebook. The scoreboard is really cool inside NBA arenas, but nothing is official until Kevin Johnson or anybody else in the NBA puts it in the scorebook.

And Kevin has been invited by the NBA to do work on the stack crews during the rest of the NBA season. And he joins us right now from Orlando. KJ, it's Matt. How are thanks, friend. How are you doing, Matt Thomas? Well, I really want to know about you. Explain where you are right this very second. Well, right this minute, I am inside the bubble.

But it has been a very fluid situation, as you can imagine, There's been a whole lot of behind the scenes planning and changing and things going on. A group of us were flying out on Sunday morning, and we were supposed to fly straight into the bubble and get tested. But on Sunday morning, they changed that, and they sent us to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Orlando, which was absolutely fabulous. We all got put up in suites overlooking the golf course. What? Yeah, it was neat. So then we get put on a bus and we get taken to a all-site testing facility.

And we had to all get negative tests before we were able to come over and enter the bubble. And then we did that process last night. Okay. So you left on Sunday. You go to Waldorf Astoria where they're serving you really good food, I'm assuming, right? Yeah. And it was funny. The Waldorf Astoria was not prepared for us to all be quarantined.

So the room service was overwhelmed. We could not go to bar areas or restaurants. And there was, I don't know if there were any other people in the hotel, but us. There's probably about, there's 40 with the stats crew. So I would say there's a toll of about 80 to 100 people total. Some people from basketball USA and from other teams that are doing like the ball boys and things like that, the equipment people. Yeah. So we all kind of ride in the same time.

But yeah, we all are told to stay in our room. So we started ordering room service, and room service quickly went from a 15-minute wait to a two-hour wait to get your food and stuff, which it was still fabulous. It was amazing. The staff was just extremely overwhelmed because the NBA, I don't know what had happened. I'm not sure what caused that last-minute change. The NBA has good reasons for everything they do, so obviously they saw a reason for that to take place. So yeah, it was a little bit of an adjustment, but yeah, we all made it through it. Then last night we check out of the hotel.

We get our temperatures taken there if everybody had a negative test, which I don't know anybody that had a positive test. And then we were brought to the bubble. I'm not going to say which resort we are at, but there's three of them. And I am at the same resort with the rockets and the Mavericks and all those teams. So then we were given our wristbands. to show that we are in a seven-day quarantine, and then we were given a wristband to have access to our rooms and stuff like that. And we are in our rooms, and meals get dropped off at eight in the morning and noon, and I think five o'clock for dinner, I'm not sure. And the rooms

are pretty much stocked up with everything you would need for about seven days. But it's a very unusual situation, that's for sure. Visiting with Kevin Johnson, works a stacker with me at the Rockets Games, and he has been selected by the NBA. to work the stat crew for the resumption of games, which obviously you'll be starting up next week. So when they say seven-day quarantine, basically you get to go outside and walk around a little bit and then have to go right back to your room.

Is that accurate? No. We are not supposed to come outside of our rooms at all. We are in the hotel room. They are doing testing. They will have somebody come in the room and test us, and all of our meals are getting dropped off at the door with a little knock and you just open up the door and grab them.

They've got bags for us to set our laundry outside. They've got bags for us to set trash outside. But we are not to leave the room at all for the next seven days. Now, I think the players have a little more flexibility than that. And I think they're only quarantined for like two days. But as far as us, and especially us stats, guys, we are going to be one of the only few people to have access to the court. We're going to be down there, obviously, at the scorers table.

So they are making sure that we are definitely quarantined and tested and everything is clear before we get around the players. All right. I hate to ask this, but could you give us the approximate number of square feet your room is? Ooh, I don't know, but it's not as big as the Waldorf Astoria. So basically, you're in a regular-sized hotel room for seven days. That's right. I've got two queen beds.

You know, a decent-sized TV, bedroom. I mean, it's a decent-sized room, and I'm kind of fortunate. Some of my coworkers are looking at a parking lot. I'm actually up on the third floor, and I have two windows. One looks out at the lake, and one looks out at the swimming pool. So I'm okay. But, yeah, some of them are looking at the parking lot. Some are looking at other things.

It's a huge complex. And there are people that have been here, you know, for seven or ten days already, and they're starting to come out of quarantine. But for our group of about 100 that arrived last night, we were just now entering the quarantine. So day one hasn't been bad. It's just, yeah, I don't know. It's unusual. Let's just say that.

Well, you are now our de facto correspondent. Let me ask you this. When you get past this quarantine, how much freedom do you, not what do you think you'll have? I mean, will you feel like you can get around comfortably and not feel like what you're going through right now? which is basically in this hotel room exclusively for like seven days. So once the quarantine is over, we still are in a bubble, which is the three facilities. But we can walk around. I actually bought a telescope fishing pole that we can do some fishing, we can do swimming,

we can go to a workout facilities that we have here. So once the quarantine is over, we'll be pretty much free to roam the campus as much as we need to. Again, it's my understanding that we are going to have credentials that have a sensor on them. And when we are within six feet of somebody, that sensor is going to buzz. And if we stay within six feet for a certain period of time or if we walk closer, then the buzz is going to do something different. So they're really trying to keep us separated. And again, I was trying to prepare myself for this wearing a mask around the house the last week or two,

especially when I was doing work at home and things like that. Because wearing a mask, you know, for four or five, six, six hours a day gets to be a little much. And of course, when we leave the rooms, we have to have mask at all times unless we're outside around the pool area. Will you have to wear a mask on game on the floor of the arena? Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah, that's another thing, too, because, you know, if you have to wear glasses, there's a couple of older gentlemen, even myself now when keeping the book, I wear glasses and keeping those things from fogging up is not an easy task. So we've learned a little few cheat things here and there. And the NBA is supposed to be

providing all that for us now. We all have our own mask that we brought from home and things like that but everything is supposed to be provided but yeah. So you tell your wife and your children hey dad's going to take off a little trip to Orlando and you said I'm gone. What is your

you're committed at least what about eight weeks I think in the bare minimum? Yeah yeah there was a six to eight week commitment and there was a 14 to 16 week commitment and you know I do the All-Star games I've done that for 15 years so I was talking with people a little higher up to kind of work this out.

And it's really just, hey, let's make sure we get off to a smooth start. Let's make sure we have everybody scheduled. Let's get the people with the most experience here as possible. Because it is going to have to be very fluid. Who knows what could happen. You know, there is a schedule right now, but anything can change. So I think they really want people here that are going to be able to adapt to that and move forward. So, yeah, I mean, I've got a 50th birthday.

This week, my daughter turns 20 at the start of August, and then I've got an anniversary in August, too, so I'm going to be missing quite a few things. But just being a part of it, a lot of people travel with their jobs and things like that. And this happens just to be an opportunity to do something that I love and help the NBA hopefully get off to a good start here. Well, I've got to tell you, you're going to hear my voice at some point because I'm recording a bunch of names of rockets and things that I would say in Houston. So even though I'm not there with you and I wish I was, I'll be there in spirit and I'll be on voice record because if James Harden makes a big basket, they may be using my voice to announce that he made the basket, even though I'm not going to be there.

Absolutely. Yeah, we talked to some graphic guys. I mean, they're going to be doing a lot of graphics and arena stuff. They've got a lot of neat stuff for the TV audience. So there's going to be some cool things going on. I'm excited to see how it goes. Hopefully we're going to be able to get over to some practices as soon as this quarantine is over. and kind of see how things are going.

You know, there's a lot of rumors circulating around out players and what's going on and what's not going on, that we're kind of just keeping our head down, staying out of that news and just taking care of ourselves until it's game time. So you've seen no one, since you've arrived and you got to your room, you've seen no one, correct? Because of the people that drop off your food.

I've seen no one, and there's no one peeking out of their rooms. I mean, there's nothing. It's like, I would say it's like white-collar prison, kind of just stuck here. I see maintenance crews. there's a lot of people working on the grounds. Of course, you know, Disney keeps everything spotless. So there's a lot of activity.

But as far as other people, no, I haven't seen anybody. All right, well, my friend, this is needless for me to say. Please stay safe. We're going to call you in a couple weeks. And just check on you. Make sure you're not going completely stir-crazy. Are you watching TV shows you wouldn't normally watch because you're stuck in this room? Not so much.

I mean, one of the guys downloaded a prison workout thing. it to us. So we're all kind of working out in our rooms. We're still doing our daily jobs also. And then the NBA has sent us like 19 different apps that we've had to download and, oh, my gosh, it's so much information they are piling on us. And again, things continue to change every day. So we are constantly on Zoom calls and this meeting and that meeting. So, yeah, they're keeping us pretty busy, believe it or not. I haven't, matter of my matter of fact, I guess I didn't turn the TV on at all. Today, a little bit. But, again, I'm at Disney, so there's a lot of kids shows and things like that all.

But I can, they have where we can access our phone to our TV. So I'll have Netflix and things like that. We can watch. I got you. And do you think you'll be able to go on rides eventually, or is that just not a possibility? I don't know. I mean, once we get out of quarantine, I think the NBA is going to be extremely strict until we get things going until the playoffs start to make sure that there's not an outbreak

where things have to shut down. They are being so cautious with this. I mean, I really can't say enough about how professional they are about everything that's being communicated and how the process is going. And again, it's changing, but when it changes, it is very effectively communicated. So hopefully they get this thing going.

There's no kind of outbreak here inside the bubble. And then I think we will have a little more flexibility as things moved. They did talk about they are going to set up events for us private events. There may be some golf. There may be some fishing trips. There may be a night at the park. But nobody really knows at this point because they just can't tell what's going to happen to make sure nobody gets sick. Well, Kevin, you are representing the Rockets and the city of Houston very well, as I know you will. Behave, stay safe. And like I said, we'll check in a couple weeks if you don't mind because I want to see if you're not going to bad blind.

If we get out of 14 and we get over to the facilities, let's talk again. That sounds great. Thank you, Kevin, very much. Be safe, my man. We're rooting for you. All right, Matt, see. Talk to you later. All right, talk to you soon.

That's Kevin Johnson, our good friend from the Rocket Stack crew, one of the official scores that will be scoring games, not only Rockets games, but any of the NBA games they play down in the bubble. I think it's just fascinating stuff, and we'll hopefully check it with him in just a couple of weeks once the games are getting underway. 1.30 is the time. It is the Matt Thomas show. We take this program until 3 o'clock.

We're halfway home. If anything sparked your interest from that conversation, let me know what that is. And does it make it, did he make it sound more or less appealing? He is in his room for another six to seven days and cannot leave it at all. 131. The Matt Thomas Show, Sports Talk, 790. Killer Bees. Bregman, Brantley, Baltuvae, the Correa, the Springer.

Sports Talk 790. home of the Bastros Thanks again to my friend Kevin Johnson on the staff group for the Rockets joining us from Orlando

All right Joe George I'm going to put you in a room I want to have three square meals delivered to you I'm going to give you a bunch of apps

to your phone and you're not going to leave your room for seven days I'll be right I mean look The other day I was like this weekend I was playing on my PS4

playing some I'll be the show I got a text from a buddy in mine and he said, hey, MBA 2K20 is free right now if you have the subscription service and I downloaded it and it's all I've been doing. So if I had to go into a hotel room right now for seven days, I would be perfectly fine.

And I would just play NBA 2K20 nonstop and probably have carpal tunnel by the end of it. but feel great about my life. See, I think if you're single, which neither one of us are, this is nothing new for you. Yeah. Think about this.

Your clothes are being cleaned. You're not cooking. You got a little side money for yourself. You know, it's not the worst thing. But my guess is Kevin. I'm not on the hell I've known Kevin forever. I mean, he's going to miss, did he say an anniversary and a birthday?

and a birthday? Two birthdays. His birthday, his birthday, his daughter's birthday, anniversary. Yeah. Yeah,

that's unbelievable. Yeah, I mean, like my wife wouldn't like it, but, I mean, I'd be fine. I mean, she might be okay.

She might, you know, a couple days away from me or a couple months. She might be okay with that already, but. Well,

when the NBA called about me, I was like, do you think I should go? She's like, go. I mean, my wife, it took one second. Yeah, you should do it.

Yeah, I mean, like we're, I mean, Saturday for us is our six months. So it's probably a little bit different. She would probably be a little annoyed that I'm leaving. And like, y'all are that really, y'all are that really good get along stage right now, aren't you? Yeah. And it would be, I mean, it would be weird to leave now. But it's just such an once in a lifetime opportunity.

if the opportunity presents itself, I don't see how you don't at least heavily consider it. I mean, he's going to be able to talk about this for the rest of his life. And so, what's players? Like you said earlier on the show, Matt, like, they're not going to talk about this now. But you're telling me if LeBron James wins the title. He's not going to talk about this title more importantly than any other one. Oh, no, this. Yeah.

Anybody, and I mean this in all sense. I think this year's baseball is a huge asterisk next to it. It just is. 60 compared to 162 is not even close. This is finishing up a season that at the end of the day will be at least 70 games for every NBA team. There's full playoffs. You're not making some crazy-ass rule change. The number one thing you're doing is you're all in just this one little community.

but the court is still 94 feet the free throw line to the goal is 15 feet the goal is 10 feet high you know what I'm saying there is nothing artificial or tricked out about what these NBA teams are doing and I will never allow at least on my terms of my show I will never allow anyone to say this is not authentic in fact

to me Joe it is way more of the survival of the fittest than it would be jumping on a plane going from LA to Dallas for a playoff series. Yeah, I agree. And, you know, the main thing about this, too, that it sets it apart from baseball is the early positivity of the coronavirus testing that they're going through in the NBA. 332 tests delivered or 322 on arrival, two positive tests. Russell Westberg did not test positive in the bubble. You got to remember that.

It was before he left. Right. Like if they can secure their bubble and there's not some outbreak, then I don't know how we view this differently than normal season. Well, we do because there's no home court advantage. And part of the awesomeness that is the NBA playoffs is having 18,000 people in Toyota Center or at the Staples Center or any NBA arena screaming at the top of your lungs, hearing defense, or watching the Celtic score 14 straight. points against 76ers in a game. I mean, yeah, we're going to miss that. We are.

And honestly, the only team that if they go on win a championship this year, I'm going to call out one team, if the Philadelphia 76ers win the NBA championship this year, I will view it differently than every single team playing. They are 10 and 24 on the road this year. You cannot convince me that that team who's so bad on the road would have won an NBA title this year. If they win in the bubble, then I'm a little skeptical of it. Well, let me say this. Do you really think a team that is mentally afraid that goes 10 and 24 on the road is going to be able to win in a neutral site with no Philly crowd behind them?

I mean, are you really on your radar as a potential team that win the whole thing? If they're healthy, I think they could surprise people. See, I think in the east, it is Milwaukee or Boston. It's hard. It's hard not to look at their home record of 29 and 2 and be like, this is a damn good basketball team. And they just play terrible on the road. Well, but it's also a team that's Jekyll and Hyde. And I think that's what a bubble is going to erase of the Jekyll and High teams. Yeah. And it's going to be the most consistent teams are the best.

Yeah. All right. We have some COVID Astro News to get to. We'll do that in a minute. I wish we didn't have to, but we kind of do. 713-212-5-790 7-1-3-212-5-7-90 if you'd like to join us this afternoon here on a Tuesday edition of the Matt Thomas show. Mike Dan Tony with us tomorrow at 1 o'clock here on 790. Right now a message for bronze roofing. For the best roofing company in Houston, you think of bronze.

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Escalated. Home of the Stroes. All right, here we go. It is the Matt Thomas show at 147. Good afternoon, Houston, Texas. This song sucks. Brian, then please get rid of it permanently. You know, I put it in there

and I didn't notice it right away, and as soon as I click play, I went, oh, crap. That's great. No, it's not great. My response is good because I know Adam Klanin and you hate this song. It makes me laugh. I mean, imagine Dragons. Just generally speaking, zero talent.

Is it, I think, for the most part, I agree. I think they're one of the bands that we dislike more because of how much the college football playoff in their early infancy when they chose the Imagine Dragons as a theme song just hammered the song every time ESPN promoted it it was being played. Now, wait a minute.

Look, these people are probably wonderful human beings. And Imagine Dragons have made hundreds of millions of dollars. Well, meanwhile, I'm talking to you at 1 to 48 a night, Tuesday in Houston, Texas, okay? So am I jelly? Of course I am. And they also might think I'm the worst radio host in America. So that's fine. It's where you call opportunity offenders here.

But we're coming to your city. That song by Big and Rich. We're not tired of that song on Game Day. That's true. We're not tired of on Fox football. Hell, they're doing it on Fox baseball now too. Yeah, but that's those are iconic. What else are we not tired of?

I'm trying to think of theme songs on sports. Yeah, it's just a magic dragon sucks. It just does. And if there's anybody that's a president or fan club listen to show, I apologize. And I'm an equal opportunity offender. Nickelback, you suck too. Basically, the last 20 years of radio music has sucked. I'll take Nickelback over Imagine Dragon.

I will agree with you. Because I will always look at this photograph. Was I supposed to get that? Yeah, the name of their most popular song. See? I picked up on your context clue. All right, let's get to the Astros. George Springer being held out of today's workout this afternoon at Mid and Main Park.

Why is that, Joe, George? Because he doesn't have his COVID test back yet. Doesn't mean he has it. Doesn't mean he has it. But it also means he doesn't mean he doesn't have it. I'm a little skeptical You're reading Michael Connor

said he was watching the stream yesterday He tweeted about how George came up A little lame on a throw I was holding his arm a little bit Wait no no no no no I'm going here Matt Oh no no no You're not connecting the dots

Matt you literally said earlier in the show Like a player in the NBA could just say I have COVID and they don't have to go to the bubble on time The MLB, the NHL, the NFL They can hide injuries No, I think it's dumb, but I'm a little skeptical. It's not just because it's not an Astros reflection or a Springer reflection. It's a I'm going to be a little skeptical sometimes.

Like if we see someone banged up running into a wall to make a big catch and then the next day their COVID test isn't back. Man, listen to the conspiracy theory that you are. I know. I know. I know. Okay, let's put this in context. Yesterday, Springer comes up lame on a throw. How lame won to 10? Well, I think he stayed in the game, so probably like a...

Like Barry Bond's trying to throw out Sid Breenen home plate, kind of bad? No, no, not that bad. Okay, so if he stayed in the game, no, I'm calling BS on this. I'm just saying I'm going to separate George Springer's Barry Bonds' S throw in COVID and treat them as two different things. Okay. I'll take the L on this one. I just can't let you do that.

Now, don't you guys have irresponsible hot takes today or something? Oh, I should have saved that. Let me listen to this show that's going to listen to that show. You're fine. Save it. Matter of fact, tell me what time you're going to do it so I can call and just chastise a hell out of you with this horrific take. 4.15. Okay.

It feels more like reckless speculation than a hot take. That's what we're going to do. We're going to start doing a segment on the show called Reckle. speculation. And even when Ross is back next week, Joe, you can... You're going to come in for reckless speculation once a week? You come in for reckless speculation, yeah. Okay.

I've only been here like a month, but I can tell you, Joe feels like the king of reckless speculation. Honestly, the irresponsible hot take is one of my favorite segments I've ever come up with. I have so much fun coming up with the most ludicrous things I can think of. So, definitely. All right. Let's add a layer to this. some more reckless speculation.

You're putting the COVID test and you're attaching it to George Springer's right shoulder blade. You're going to stand by on that. I think you've already talked me out of it. Thank you. Sometimes sage advice from your old friend SportsMT is a good thing. So I'll give you a chance for what? Let's what else we got for reckless speculation. Oh, I got reckless speculation for you.

we are not going to see college football the way that it has been ever again. How about that for reckless? Ever again. Ever again. You know, I actually, Matt, I don't hate this one. And I'll tell you what I'm explaining. You're still going to have your power five, and that's it. The other six, the group of six schools, will play for their own championship.

Okay. I think, I don't remember who I was talking about this last week. I feel like the little schools should be concerned about how. how much SEC fans and Big Ten fans and stuff will enjoy only playing their conference. And my proposal is regulation. People have told me it doesn't work. It works.

Give me regulation. Take the AAC, pair them up with the Big 12, the bottom two teams of the Big 12, the best two teams of the AAC. They play in a bowl game, winner stays in the better conference. Regulation, European soccer style. No, no, no, no, no.

No, because schools have budgets and dollar amounts, and all of a sudden you're allowing Miami, Ohio to replace Michigan State and the Big Ten, good luck with that. Doesn't matter. You got to carry about an entire athletic department. No chance of that. Do it for all sports. Let's go. No.

Well, then you know what? Then you need to fund them all equally. Well, that's not going to work. They don't make a lot of money. Okay. So, yeah, Miami might be able to be Michigan State one year. But Miami's Ohio's athletic budgets like $15 million and Michigan State 60. Who's going to be able to survive long-term in that?

Michigan State just got to win the Mac the next year and get back in. This is reckless. What do we call this? Reckless speculation. Reckless speculation. I think it would be so much fun. You're the guy that we go to the bar and hear the worst, of the night.

You really don't think this would work. No chance. Why not? Because it comes down to money and budgets. No chance, no way, no how. I don't know. I think it would work. Tulsa can beat Oklahoma State about every two or three years.

Here's what Tulsa can't do. Tulsa can't fund an athletic department like Oklahoma State can or Oklahoma. Not happening. They can if they win and get into the Big 12? No, no, no. I think this would be. it would make, I think we'd make college football better. It would make schools like Vanderbilt.

Well, here's my reckless speculation. You're going to split, you're going to have a group of five, they're going to have the power five schools play for the platinum trophy, and then you're going to have the gold trophy played by the six schools, the six conferences. Will they play like a championship game after that? No. Then what the USFL, no, the NFL did that, right?

At one point, there was like, before it was called the Super Bowl. Well, it was called the NFL championship game. Yeah. No, there'll be none of that. No, or was it the NBA? Someone did that, right? Where they had like two different leagues and they played for a title. Well, the NFL, NFL played at each other.

That's right. That's what I'm thinking of it. Before it was called Super Bowl. Yeah. So, like, I mean, could they do that? We're like, let's say UCF wins the power, the non-powerful. Would America care if BYU played Clemson for the net for a super national championship? No.

They wouldn't care. There's no interest. 156, the final hour of the Matt Thomas show, starts with some good news on James Hardin. Another dolt in the NBA bubble decided to go out and get his food, and it's going to cost him a week. And how are you celebrating National Nude Day? And we're not going to Porter to discuss. 713-212-5-790. 7-13-212-790-157-19.

157. This is Sports Talk 790. KBME Houston and I Heart Radio station. Your home for your home teams. This is Sports Talk 790. From the classic Chevy Sugarland Studios. Find new roads. Is the Matt Thomas show. Oh, our time is 201.

The final hour of the Matt Thomas show, Sports Talk 790. If you would like to interact with this radio show, you can do it two very simple ways. One is by joining us at 713-212-5-790. 7-13-212-5-790. If you want to reach out through Twitter, you can do that as well. At SportsMT, at Joe George Radio, and at Brendan Riley underscore. Ross is back with us next week. Also the return of Believe it or not next week, which will be playing for Twin Peaks gift cards.

So very much looking forward to that. Tomorrow on the show, Mike Dan Tony returns for his weekly visits. And if you don't catch any of the morning visit with the Astros general manager, Jerry Click, you will be able to catch part of that conversation on this radio show tomorrow as part of the 12-to-3 affair. I went and checked Instagram Joe George during the break, and I do follow the Astros on Instagram. They are selling cutouts. how much you may ask let me read it to you we can't invite you back to minute May Park just yet but that doesn't mean you can't attend a game virtually with an

Astros fan cutout for a $100 donation upload a smiling photo of yourself in your Astros fan gear and the Astros Foundation will find a seat for you in one of our outfield sections net proceeds from your purchase will go to the Astros Foundation to support our ongoing efforts in the Houston community. Quantities are limited, and the earlier you upload your photo, the higher the likelihood we can install them at the beginning of the regular season. More information, astros.com slash cutouts. 100 bucks, what do you think? You can do it? I'm not, but I don't, I mean, I like the idea. I know we've kind of joked about it with some of the other

teams, but it's charity-based, regardless of it's the Astros, the A's or anyone else. Like, it's good intentions behind it. I think, honestly, I think it's going to be kind of weird. I like that, but they said the outfield, right? Outfield. Yeah, see, then I don't mind it that much. I think, like, the A's are going to do a behind-home play. I don't, I think that's dumb.

But if it's in the outfield, I think that's cool. The reason why I like the outfield is because these people, whoever you are, you will be staring at us. Does that make sense? Yeah. That I, if I'm watching a game and I'm watching the center field camera angle, a cross home plate, I won't be shifting my eyes to see what cutouts are out there. I wonder if it's the out field. Are they going to show them? Well, yeah, you would think, right? Or, like, they're just going to, are they just going to take a picture and be like, you're here? Or it's like,

are they going to have to have Blom, like, talk about it on the broadcast? No, no, we wouldn't. That gets creepy. Could you imagine if AT&T did a segment called Hot, let's see, what would you want to call it, hot cutout of the night? No, but I would love if they made Julia go on interview cutouts. They could make a total joke out of it and have so much fun. Just like put the microphone, like, what do you think of the Astros?

And then she could be a ventriloquist? Let's go downstairs at Julia sitting in row right by, home play. Who you got there? Hi, I'm Julian Morales, AT&T, and I've got Ted M with us here. Ted, do you love the Astros? Yes, I love the Astros. They are to my favorite team. I want them to win 110 games. Let's work in phone calls like at Sports Radio. I mean, you could definitely get more money for charity. If you threw in like, hey, Julie's going to go interview your cutout and you're going to call in and talk to her.

No chance. No, this is, this is going off the rails. But you got to pay $500 for charity. She's not going to interview a piece of cardboard. The woman's an accomplice journalist. No, I'm just, it's nothing against, Julie. I'm just saying, I would say this about anyone, any reporter doing that. You want Aaron Andrews to interview cutouts too?

If they're there, why not? It can be funny. If you do it right, it can be a funny bit. You can't do it all the time. Like when you're up 16 nothing on the Rangers, you got some fun with it all right who's the best okay let's think about this

they're gonna should we get another person's voice like should calliando be in the broadcast booth pretending they are these fans that'd be great or does julian morales Aaron Andrews anybody that's working sidelines

do they do they hide their voice like they're like finger puppets no I think I think that would be too much you're right but you could look you can I'm just saying you can have some fun

with this potentially. But they're not going to do anything. They're just going to be there. But I think it's a cool cost. They're going to donate money to charity. Good for you. You want to pay for this? Like my Twitter account has dwindled.

I'm thinking maybe if I get one to just get a picture of my face with at sports. I could maybe get back to $25,000 after all. I think you're going to have to wear Astros gear. So. But that's the thing. Like wouldn't you want to pay more to like put at SportsMT and be behind be behind home plate?

Yeah, I mean, honestly, I'd probably pay- Skyrocket. I'd probably pay too fitty and get the spot where like Jim Cranes it's during the game. Cutouts. Do you think he's going to be in that seat?

No. Just like by himself? No, no, no. Why not? No, nobody's going to do that. But they'll be clear. But he won't sit there. No, they're not.

He is not going to sit by himself in an empty section. Now, are you saying could he invite, like, his buddies to sit there? Wouldn't that come across as slightly entitled? Well, yeah, I don't know if I'm not saying to invite people, but like, I don't see why. I mean, like, if you're part of the organization. You think Jim Crane is going to sit behind home play by himself in a section watching the game? Well, I mean, why couldn't, I mean, how do we know the Astros players aren't going to be back there?

They could be. So I'm saying, why couldn't he be in his seat? Oh, so basically, like on a day where Jett, where Verlander's not pitching that him and Crane sit there together? Six feet apart, but yeah. Six feet, yeah. Why not? That's got legs to it.

Unless Major League Baseball doesn't let you do that because they don't think they should, Vernander should be rooting for his own team from the duct, from the stands. Oh, no, but aren't they required to be in the stands? They are. They're required to be six feet apart. The taxi squad is going to be sitting in the stands. They're not going to, some ballparks,

they're finding a way to extend dugouts, but the players are not allowed to be in the dugout. They have to be social distance in the stands. That was part of the, these guidelines, right? Okay, but we're not going to see that player and crane in the same camera shot then. I don't know. He's the owner. He can do whatever he wants.

If I own the Astros or own energy league baseball team, I would sit in like the first couple of rows of the, like, the mezzanine level. Because I don't want people staring at it. me watching what I'm doing and what I'm eating. Yeah. I'm telling you, and again, do not drop a fancy man. I know this is where this is going to go, but just stay with me on this, okay? Okay.

When I sat in Timmer-Fortita's seats last year, I made sure I was the very furthest to the left because I knew that some of my friends, so-called friends, and listeners would say, oh, look what Matt's having now, his third hot dog of the night. I didn't care what my kids ate. I didn't care if my wife had four or five glasses of wine. Hell, my wife sat next to Kate Upton for like two innings last night or last season. That was a thrill of her lifetime for her. I couldn't sit further away from the left because I didn't want to make sure I did not get on camera

because I know I'd be relentlessly teased by you meanies out there in Houston, Texas. So, no. If I'm Verlander, if I'm crained by myself, I sit away from the television. camera. All right. So if he invited you, would you sit next to him? Six feet apart. Absolutely.

Knowing that you're going to be on television, that everyone's going to be staring at everything you eat. Everything. I mean, I think, Mike, the bear's question would be, is there going to be beer? From where? There's no concession stands that are open. Well, can I bring my own beer?

You're not bringing your own beer. Well, then I'm definitely not going. Everything's going to be pre-packaged. I'm definitely not going, then. I'm not interested. Yeah, you are. Let me tell you, if Jim Crane calls you and says sit next to me opening day, you're going to sit there.

Okay, I'll sneak in like two beers. I'll be fine. No, you're, okay. All right, let's start taking some phone calls next. 2.12 is our time. Cut out idea. Would you, are you guys going to, would you be willing to spend $100 to put a picture of your face in the outfield at Minutemade Park?

It's going to throw Joe West off. I can tell you that. This is not a great idea. I don't know if I'm all for this or not. 713, 212, 5790, 211. Matt Thomas show to 3 o'clock on 790. The Matt Thomas show continues on Sports Talk 790, where Rockets and Astros play. And real Texans talk.

Time is 2.15. Matt Thomas with you till 3 o'clock here on 790. 713, 212, 5790, 713, 212-790 on Twitter at SportsMT. at Joe George Radio and at Brendan Riley underscore. We go to 3 o'clock this afternoon. We say hi to Matt and Katie on 7-90. Matt, what's a good word this afternoon? What's up, guys?

Hi. So I think the cutout idea has a lot of potential. And people are going to be willing to do this, spend the money on it. But they've got to get something back. So I think you sell out the cropper boxes, put cutouts out there. If the ball hits your cutout, you get the ball, signed by the player that hit it, and you get the $100 back that you spent, and then every time you get hit, you get more money.

I'd be way more prone to spend money on that if I get something back out of it, right? This has legs to it, Maddie. I'll be honest with you. I probably would charge more money for the Crawford boxes, wouldn't you? Well, sure. I think you do a draft, right? I think if you want to do it, you know, you want to go to Crawford boxes, it's, you know, $100.

You want to go to the far-right field. it's $75. You want to go dead center at $50. And if you get hit, you know, you get your money back, you get the ball signed, you get it sent, you got an opportunity, you know, if you sell $100,000 worth a seat, you're not going to have that many home runs hit, and it's probably going to hit a seat that doesn't have a cutout.

So what's the law there? All right, so Matt, let me ask you this. Are you prepared to face the social media yucksters out there that if Matt and Katie bought a spot in the first row of the Crawford boxes, and Jose Al-Tube hit you square in the face, and it's shown on television, and it goes viral. Are you mentally prepared to be razzed because a Jose Al-Tube ball hits your cutout square in the face?

Oh, I think you got to be prepared for it, man. I think if you get hit, you get your name plastered on the TV. There's got to be something worthwhile there. I mean, I can donate $100 bucks to charity all day long, but it makes it a whole heck of a lot more fun if I have an opportunity to, you know, get a little, have a little fun with it. Now, Brendan, are the A's doing something similar to this? Yeah, so it's not exactly the same, but the A's are offering cardboard cutouts with,

you could pay anywhere between $49 to $130. I don't know all the differences, but the more expensive cardboard cutouts, if your picture is hit by a foul ball, you would get that ball. It doesn't say anything about home runs. This is Alden Gonzalez of ESPN who had that information. But they are offering an opportunity to pay more for a chance to get a foul ball. Yeah, Matt, so they're doing that. And then they actually, I just went on their website to see what Brennan was talking about.

And it looks like they sold out of those. So they had to add a new one. And it's $149. and it's if you when you pay for that you get a sign ball by Stephen Piscotti and then if your cutout catches a foul ball you get a sign ball from him so yeah I mean they're doing something similar

I think the a shot should absolutely do that Matt I'm going to take your idea and I'll call it your own we won't even acknowledge the A's exist and we will get you a special spot out in left field so So if Springer goes deep and he hits you right in the noggin, you'll be getting a home run ball from him. Oh, I think it's great.

All in the name of charity, right? All in the name of charity. That's exactly right. Thanks, Matt. Great idea. All right. We'll see you later. This problem is, shouldn't the A's have gone to the cutouts years ago?

Yep. Now, are they going to have the fake horns like they do at A's games, too? Yeah, I almost guarantee it. Oh, God. You know how people talk about the new normal because of COVID? What is it? Well, I just wonder, you said shouldn't the A's have done this. Is the new normal filling empty seats with cardboard cutouts that are paid for as well?

Yeah, but the A's playing like, they draw like 9,000 a game. Extra seats are extra seats. You don't have enough manpower. You just keep those people on those seats. I mean, because, but normally the, even for the A is like 49. is for their A's access member pricing, whatever, to do the cutout. I feel like on a normal day to get into a day game for an Oakland, it's probably like 20 bucks. Yeah, let me tell you, I would never go to a night game intentionally in Oakland.

If I wasn't going to a day game, and this is the same thing for San Francisco. You only want to go to day games in those two cities because it's at night. I don't care what month it is, you're going to freeze your ass off. One of the five coldest games I've ever been to in my entire life was a, San Francisco Giants Houston Astros game in August of 2018. Go to the day game. World the difference. Plus, in Oakland, you feel like you got a puncher's chance

and not getting mugged. Fair. Just saying. Okay, so if we're helping the Astros out with this, we're charging more for outfield in the Crawford boxes, right? Yeah, especially for the Crawford boxes. They have to be a step up. in price because I just feel like you're more likely to get

you're more likely going to get a home run there. I'm going to tell you where the great value would be. I would take one of the first five rows of the second deck in right field. There's quite a few home runs, left-handed power hitter guys. Sure. They can jack that up there easily. Yeah. But what, okay, so is it going to be based on,

would it be based on who gets hit with the ball first? Yeah, what if you, what if the ball ricochets? I mean, I just envision. in like a Yordaun Alvarez screaming line drive home run that's taking off the head of like one cardboard cutout and then going through the body of two more. Let me ask you this. What if a Yordaun Alvarez home run to right field is hit so hard on a line drive, you know, the lower level that the cutout pops off of the chair?

I mean, do you really want that as part of your future social media? Yeah, definitely. Hi, my name is Joe George. I have a cutout in Section 139. Watch it Yordon Alvarez did to me. Boom. Yeah. I think I would definitely want that video.

Oh, I would want the video to go with it, though, too. If my guy gets hit with a foul ball or a home run, I would want the video of it. But what if it skims off your head and then hits another cutout square in the chest? See, here's the hit me first. Uh-huh. This smells like a lot of extra work for the Astros. I'm sorry to think it's less of a good idea because of how much work it's going to cost. Yeah, you know what?

Just take the $100, sit in there and just be happy that your face is on there. What I would do is I don't want as much TV time as possible. And again, you know, it wouldn't hurt to get the AdSports MT Twitter moniker out there. What if you like right on your forehead? Yeah, I got a big forehead. I can do that easily. Don't you have a face mask that says at SportsMT on it? So just wear an Astros jersey with your AtSportsMT face mask.

But I can put on the top of the Astros helmet, too. Don't forget that part either. That's true. That's a lot of good real estate. This has some legs to it. But yeah, you know what? I would do it. And I might still do it.

You never know. But I want a good product placement. I don't want to be in straightaway center. That would do me no good. All right, 224 on Sports Talk 790 is the Matt Thomas show, 713, 212, 5, 790. We should mention some of the headlines of the day. First and foremost, James Hardin apparently does not have the COVID. We are to assume if Shams is accurate.

Russ still is recuperating, but the two of those guys could come together as one and meet the team in the next handful of days in Orlando. they are not due to have their first scrimmage, I believe not until a week from Friday. Is that correct? I believe so, yeah. They have three scrimmages, and then their official season starts on the 31st, which I also believe is a Friday night against the Dallas Maverick. So as long as I think the two guys and Luke Bamuete probably in the same mix there, as long as those three guys can partake in hopefully two, if not all three of the scrimmages, there should be no worry. What else?

Richard Holmes of the Sacramento Kings is back in full quarantine because he went to go get food and he went to the no-no spot. I think honestly, Joe, what's that? At Sean Sharania. Multiple tips have been placed into the NBA's anonymous hotline to report protocol violations on campus. Sources tell the athletic. The snitch line is in use. Oh, no. Oh, man.

Read that again. Get the breaking news sounders. We can add some drama to this. Get the breaking news sounder and then read it again. Go for it. Per Shams Sharania, multiple tips have been placed into the NBA's anonymous hotline

to report protocol violations on campus sources tell the athletic NBA and stadium. Bum, bum, bum, bomb. They can't behave themselves, can they? Some players have received warnings from violations, sources said, as league ensures social distancing and mask protocols on campus.

That's the follow-up. You know what they need? Snitches. Two things. They want food and they want ass. We already had someone claiming on Twitter that they were invited. I think she's lying. No, there's nobody invited yet.

That's a lie. Oh, I think she was implying like... Yeah, this IG model said she got invited. She meant like on the down low. I don't think she was saying she was invited. Yeah. Oh, you're talking about to go show up just to show up by accident? Yeah.

Yeah. That's what she was alluding to. What's her name? Ugly something Anna. Is she ugly? No. You can't... If you're the NBA, you can't bring IG models to the campuses.

Well... You can't do that. You can't bring... into the bubble? No. Man, I really didn't think they were going to use the snitch line, but... Oh, of course they're going to use the snitch line. To put guys in quarantine for 10 days while the other guys are practicing getting ready for the season? But what's interesting about Choms' follow-up, sources said,

as league insures social distancing and mask protocols. So are we saying that, like, they're snitching on people not wearing a mask? No, they're snitching on guys sneaking. out. No, but if they were sneaking out, they'd be forced back into quarantine, right? They wouldn't be getting warnings. Well, so what do you think they're doing wrong? Tell me what you think they're doing wrong.

Hanging out with other guys are not supposed to be. Oh, without their wristbands on. Yeah. I mean, aren't there videos of guys from opposing teams playing like cornhole together? Well, did Chris Paul play cornhole with somebody? Yeah. I know one of the guys was his teammate, but, and like, so I'm wondering if it's like just mask and social distancing stuff.

You better hope it is. Or we would be hearing. It wouldn't be warnings. We'd be hearing about guys getting put back into 10-day quarantine. All right. I want you all, we come back, to name the one NBA player that you believe is called the snitch line. Think about it. Don't give an immediate response.

Name a player who you believe would snitch on another player in the NBA. If you think you want to guess your own, who could be calling the snitch. inch line 713212-5-790 713-212-5-790 want to tell you about what you can do with oob steam cleaning and that it's getting true steam cleaning done in a fair price by trained professionals it all starts with a phone call to 281 8220561 they only use true steam cleaning on things like sofas and dining room chairs your carpets your air ducts your tile your grass especially we got tricky areas in your bathrooms and your kitchens Your or inner rugs, you don't know how to clean them.

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Oops, steam.com. Matt Thomas show continues 232.790 is the station. Good afternoon, everyone. Gentlemen, there are three names that are popping up in my tweets about who the snitches are, and I can't argue with any of the three. You ready? Here we go. Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, LeBron James, snitches.

Do they have to be a player? Yes, it's a snitch line. The player be snitching. See, I'm going to take a different approach here, okay? Go ahead. I'm going to take the approach of who would be the most upset that players are not social distancing and wearing their masks inside the bubble, a.k.a. My snitch is Greg Popovich. Oh, you're calling a coach snitch?

Yeah. I'm calling out Greg because I think he would have the biggest problem with it. Everybody has access to this line, correct? Yeah. It sounds like it. Greg Popovich. See, the first name came to mind was Chris Paul. Player Association Chief.

He's got to be like, he's got to be like the big brother. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, but see, I think Chris would just call him out. So you're talking about somebody dastardly that wouldn't have the stones

to do it in public to the person's face. See, like that's why I think it's someone we don't know. It's got to be a lower level guy on a roster. Like, I bet you LeBron is never going to stitch on anyone. because LeBron does not want it to come out that he snitched on someone. So you're saying that LeBron could be afraid that the snitch, like the caller ID shows up on the snitch line.

Yeah, but I totally could see LeBron telling Alex Caruso, hey, I saw this happening. I need you to call the snitch line, man. So he's got a fall guy in case it ever comes out. Myers-Lennard is calling the snitch line. No, he's chugging beers. He's busy. He's chugging 12-11. No, but that's what I'm saying.

He's had one too many. Oh, so he's just like, he's just, he's a little drunk. He's like, hey. Yeah, he's, he's had like, hey, guys, what's that number? Let's just do this for fun. I just did my, the first time in my life I've heard of Myers on an impersonation on a radio show. I think Joelle Embed is calling this niche line and then bragging about it on Twitter. What?

It's so Joel and Bid. Joel and Bid is not afraid to let you know what he thinks. To be like Yonis ain't playing tomorrow. I got it done. How about savvy veteran would J.J. Reddick call the snitch line. Okay. I just wanted to be careful about where I was going to go with this. But the first two names besides Pop that came out of my head were Kyle Corver and J.J. Reddick.

Oh, so the white guys are doing it basically. Okay. You hear that? Houston, Texas. Joe George believes only white people snitch on other people. That's not what I said. Mike fires is white, just for the record. And by the way, everybody thinks Mike fires is on the NBA snitch line, too.

He's busy trying to make the starting rotation for the Oakland days. He didn't have time to be an NBA snitch. Although, can you sneak fires in on an off day and say, hey, nobody knows who you are, dude? Except for that dumb-ass beard he's got. Is it only on half of his face, too, right? I don't think so. His teammates are, they made masks out of it. They all look like idiots.

All right. You know, ruling on this. Add ER Emmitts. Pat Bev, would Pat Bev snitch? Ooh. No, we don't snitch in Chicago. Oh, my God. You're the snitching a city of the entire world.

No, we're not. Yeah. Yet your second nickname besides Wendy City is Snitch City. That is very true. No. Oh, hell yeah. No, Al Capone got called for tax evasion. If we were the snitchiest snitchy city,

in the world, he would have got caught for something else. So I'm saying no on Pat Bev. I have to defend my guy. But Pat Bev, wait a minute, Pat Bev is also the king of the, I get six fouls because I play great defense. When you have six fouls,

that means you don't play great defense. You know what I'm saying? I know, but I just, I can't do that to my guy. I can't. He's my guy, too. I know. Well, isn't he the one that always asks for your wife?

Yes. So don't you probably want Pat Bev to be the snitch? No, you know what? I mean, at least he thinks my wife's attractive. I mean, it's compared to saying, how's that, you know, how's that hag of a wife of yours? All right. I'm going to run through a few more names. The audience would recognize.

Are you sure you want a phone or sword for Pat Bev not being a snitch? Yeah. What about Jimmy Buckets? Snitch. Definitely. Chris Tapps Porzingis. Eh. I got one.

Rudy Gobert. That's interesting. What if it's Donovan Mitchell snitching on Rudy Gobert constantly? Oh, let me tell you. Donovan Mitchell has already thrown Rudy Gobert into the bus at nauseam. So basically, let me tell you about Donovan Mitchell right now. He doesn't need to call the snitch line. he will go find an executive director of anything NBA and say my teammate Rudy Gobert is out partying.

He can't get rid of Rudy Gobert fast enough. So, no, so Donovan Mitchell is not calling the snitch line. Rudy Gobert is going right. He's like, where is Adam Silver's hotel room? That's what's going down there. Let me say hi to Roger and the RGV at 239 on 790. Roger, what do you have this afternoon? How you doing, Matt?

Good. Hope you staying safe. Thank you. I get out there right now. But anyhow, I haven't called in a while, but there's a lot of things happening in the sports industry. You know, I can't get, and I'm a minority, just to start off with, okay? I'm a Hispanic.

But I cannot get rid of the idea of the Redskins changing their logos. I just don't find anything offensive of it. and I don't know if I'm wrong or right. Like I said, I'm a Hispanic, but I think it's just ugly because it's part of history. What would happen if you change the name of the Cowboys? What would happen if you change the name of the Raiders? I mean, it just doesn't make any sense.

I know we've talked about it. I know if you've talked about it on your show. But really, there's no need for them to change. Thanks a lot. Love your show, sir. Well, it's out of your hands at this point. Thank you for the phone call. It is going to be changed.

If there is a universal name in sports that has attracted more hostility, more angst, it's been the Washington Redskins, and it's really been that way since I was alive. This is something that just hasn't popped up in the last five or ten years. There has been a lot of apprehension about that name. and so and I try not to be the judge, jury, an executioner of politically correct stuff. If you listen to the show, you can clearly understand that. But my opinion has been this way and it's been a long period of time

that you need to check yourself when it comes with a name like that. Now, I'm not going to take every name and try to have a stupid six-minute radio conversation about how Viking is offensive or Packers is offensive or Cowboys is offensive or what that's not what I'm going to do. I'm going to say logically thinking human beings even in a weird bizarre world that we're in in 2020 has to absolutely believe that the Redskins is a very offensive name and it has been that way for some period of time. So that's why it needs to be changed and it will. 713212-5-790.

7-13-212. 790. Final segment of the Matt Thomas show. Who exactly is snitching on players? Is it a coach like a Popovich? A fellow player? Or somebody that got a free, sneaky line in on the NBA sneak line on the snitch line. Who could be doing it? And you know what? It's the right thing to do. I know snitches get stitches, but this league has to finish the season.

it can under zero circumstance afford one more massive outbreak because the other sports in America and frankly the world are watching to see if this bubble thing can actually work in the NBA. 242 on Sports Talk 790. Matt Thomas returns on Sports Talk 790. Baseball, football, basketball in Houston. Home for your home teams. A couple of big deals in the NFL as to wrap up the final segment here

the Matt Thomas show at 248. Miles Garrett. Five-year extension, $125 million. The NFL Joe George has never in any trouble financially. There's no way that guy is worth more than Aaron Donald and Cleo Mac, but he just got paid more. Good luck.

Beat a guy with the helmet and you get $125. Come on. Well, was Laramie Townsend's worth $22 a year? No chance. No, but I know it's just the market, but... Yep. Speaking of the market. Chris Jones, defensive tackle for Kansas City.

New four-year deal. Worth 80. 37 guaranteed. 60 million guaranteed for injury. Incentives can make it up to $85 million. So let me tell you, you know how yesterday we were talking or a couple days ago about how bad the Texans offseason was? If you're a Kansas City Chiefs fan,

You just locked up Chris Jones and Pat Mahomes in the same offseason? Why can't we have a good general manager here? Answer my question right this second. Your owner. There you go. Problem solved. Damn. This is really all Cal's fault. Cal has put together the most inexperienced and probably overmatch front office in recent sports history, correct?

or is it too early to say that? I think it's, gosh, I don't want to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I think it's too early to say that. You know what? I'll go with you on that. They've had decent draft success. I know the Chiefs game obviously stands out so badly, but they've had good draft success. The value they've gotten in returns from their trades

once they're on the field has been pretty good. Was the Seattle trade a good trade? with J.D. Really was it? No. I mean, that was just a frankly, a throwaway on both sides. I mean, Jacob Martin's been okay.

Okay. But Cloney would have been better wearing Texans gear last season than wearing Seattle gear. Well, right now he wears no gear. He wears no gear. And that's his fault. And that's where I almost wonder, like, he wants all this money.

No. one will give it to him. It almost changes my perspective of the trade of why the Texans were just like, let's just get rid of this guy. We're never going to pay him. He's not worth this much money. It's starting to make me feel like they got that one right. And they just got rid of them for the best value they could because Jadavion

Clowny doesn't have the value he believes he does. I know COVID is like throwing a wrench in his scheme. Yeah. But like he's not getting paid. All I will say is this. He's not getting paid. He's greatly overestimated his value. But tell me what he would have been to this Texans defense last year.

You're right. He would have been super valuable. And that's what I can't shake. I can't shake the fact that Texans had the worst pass rush in recent years, and J.D. would have helped with that, especially when Watt went down for as many weeks as he did. And that's why I can't give the Texans a benefit of down on that one. and honestly, if JJ would have thrived, think about this, Joe, how warp this is.

If there's any team in the NFL that if Judevian would have played nice, would have overpaid him, it would have been his own team, correct? Absolutely. Unless Bill despised him so badly that he was like, I don't care if he's here or not, I'm not going to even give him a contract offer. Yeah. Now, on the counter of that is we know that if they don't trade Judeaubian clowning away, they most likely are going to pay him.

And that means they never trade for Laramie Tunsell. And you don't have him as your left tackle. And even though, yeah, he is by definition overpaid, it's still going to be one of the best left tackles as franchise has ever had, if not the best. Protect your franchise quarterback and stop jumping off sides. Please. And stop blaming other people for your mistakes.

No, he's too fast, Matt. Come on. Okay. One other thing I want to get to it for a rep, up the show. There has been a college coach in a Power 5 conference, one of the premier football schools in this country, that has been, I think, as level-headed as possible when it comes to talking about the future of a

college football season. The coach I'm speaking of is Lincoln Raleigh at Oklahoma. I think Lincoln Raleigh is fantastic. I would have, I mean, the thought of him coaching the Cougars, he probably would have only been for one season but that got fast forwarded because Bob Soup's got left Oklahoma The thought of him coaching the Texans one day Oh, sounds so good

I just think he's fantastic I just do I think he relates to players I think he's got a fantastic innovative mind I think for a young guy he commands a program He's He's just a head coach

Quoted today is saying the following I just can't imagine a scenario Where we don't play whether it's something we do in the fall, whether it's short in season, whether it's in the spring, there's nothing we should take off the table. Regardless of what we have to do, I don't think if there's anything we can't work around and we can't adjust and we can't make work in order to play college football. We've all got to do our part on that.

He, by the way, Joe, is one of the leaders in the clubhouse when it comes to saying, it's okay if we play spring football. Yeah. It's okay if we start college football, Jr., January 15th. I would rather see spring football than having a massive outbreak in the fall and having a lot of indecision as to who's playing, what conferences are, whatnot. If you could guarantee me that everybody gets to play, relatively speaking, that's the USC's, Penn States, Virginias, and Louisiana Monroe's.

all schools in between, if you could guarantee me a 12-game season that starts in January, I think most of American sports fans, especially even the diehards, would take it. Yeah, I think so for sure, because you would get it at some point. Look, personally, I just don't, I don't, I don't, personally I don't see it at the same time, Matt, like wouldn't college football be better in this spring? Like, year-round football? you're telling me we're going to go from college football to the NFL and then as soon as the NFL season's over

college football would be back they can make it a permanent change and I think I would like it more in all honesty I don't think they'll ever do that but no I don't because I think the NFL has no interest in changing their calendar yeah but you could sell me on permanent college spring football and this year you can

too I think I don't think Trevor Lawrence is going to play but if he doesn't play I'm not even going to miss them. It'll be fine. Yeah, we will live without the five or ten megastars. Yeah. Because college football is built on way more than those guys that get drafted. Joe, great job. Thank you very much. Brendan Riley, excellent job producing the show as well. Hey gang, tomorrow, Mike Dan Tony joins us radio show at 1 o'clock. Next, Clanton Wexler. They're known as the A team, and they will entertain you between now and 6 o'clock right here on Sports Talk 7.9.