The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - MLB Breakouts, Jack Easterby Speaks & Rockets Return

Episode Date: July 31, 2020

It's larger than life. Yeah. Lunch timers is the Matt Thomas show. 12-01 in H-town. Good. And welcome to a COVID-free Friday

on the Matt Thomas show. That's why I can not say a word about it. Ross, you're going to have to, unfortunately. I wanted to be on COVID-free as well, though. Not happening. Can't do it. Well, maybe every other Friday. We trade off.

Yeah, you can't start this up and then in one weekend, I'm out. No, you weren't here when I started COVID-free Friday. Yeah. Well, I'm now COVID-free and I want to not talk about it on the radio as well. All right, Brendan. Starting next week, Ross joins the COVID-free Friday family. No, I was on it last week. No, I think you had to bring it up a couple times.

Did you not? He brought it up once. Well, if we want to talk about sports news that it's happening, we have to bring it up today. That's why you have to not be COVID-free Friday. At some point. We can just pretend that that news didn't happen. Well, that's true. It wouldn't be the first time somebody pretended that the news and facts and truth didn't happen.

18th Marlins player has tested positive for the... I didn't say anything. I didn't say it. So there are how many guys on a major league roster? For the virus disease that shall not be named? How many players right now on an active roster? On the Marlins? And in general.

The answer is 30. Okay, yeah. Oh, okay. Sorry. I was like... And how many Marlins? That'd be 18. Quick math on that.

You give three... That's about 60% of the team. Maybe a little less. Because half would be 15. So yeah, 60%. It is exactly 60%. Damn! Oh, well.

At least it was the Marlins. Good luck baseball. Rob Manfred is thanking his lucky stars. It's just the Marlins. Well, unfortunately, it's not just the Marlins. Well, two Cardinals players have tested positive for pandemic-related symptoms? I mean, I didn't say it. Yeah, no, you can't say pandemic either.

Oh, I just said it. Oh, God. Dang it! I'll just let it run the whole side of that. Widely spread globally. Don't feel good. Infectious issues. Mm-hmm.

Two St. Louis Cardinals have tested positive for the coronavirus, resulting in Major League Baseball, postponing Friday afternoon's game at the Milwaukee. Brewers. So, I mean, are there like three games on the schedule this weekend? What's going on in baseball? Well, in all honesty, 20% of Major League Baseball has been canceled tonight. And they're apparently going to go to quadruple headers starting this weekend. Quintuple headers.

Four games. The first two games count sevennings. The last two count five because they've all got flights of catch. No, the last one's five. And then the fourth one, they just paper scissors rock. Yeah. Best of seven. Because you got to get one player.

The other guy sends another. You got to get to at least 50. So teams haven't gotten into 50 games. Games 48, 49, and 50 are rock paper scissors. Yes. And I don't want to spend, well, this is a great topic. It's just not a fun topic, but it's a great topic. Gentlemen, are we going to have a full season?

Is Major League Baseball at some point going to say enough is enough? See, my wife and I were arguing about that. She goes, why don't they just take everybody to take two weeks off and slow everything down? I think you either go all in like they're doing right now or you shut it down. I don't think a delay of two weeks is not going to buy you anything. The virus isn't going to just go away in two weeks. I'm sorry, the infectious disease. Yeah.

Oh, hello, my name is C. Yeah. And I heard you guys are going on vacation. I think I will go to a rubble with you. So answer my question. Are we going to have a completed 2020 Major League Baseball season? Yes. I will say yes as well.

Brendan, what are you going to? I think we're going to, but it's not going to look like anything we've ever seen. before. Oh, this thing is, I don't want to say joke because we still love the baseball, right? That's kind of a joke, though. But it's getting, it's getting close to joke level. It's goofed up. Because gimmicky was the early term. And then you had the added playoffs in the start of the season, which added another layer of gimmicky. Then you had, let's see, postponements. Oh, and then you had the runner at second base in the 10th inning. And then you had the postponements again. And then you had Major League Baseball announcing yesterday or as a day before that we're going to start playing seven-inning double headers to make up for some of these games that had been canceled, which adds another layer of gimmicky. Gimmickiness. Gimmickery.

Gimicry. You guys joked about rock paper scissors, but in all seriousness, it would not blow me away if coin toss is coming to play this season. Or like home run derby at the end? Why don't you have like sprints between two guys and the like lead-off guys? Oh, okay. They run to first base. Whoever gets there first wins the bag. The Astros are sending Miles Straw then?

Oh, every time. Or Kyle Tucker, maybe? Yeah, those two guys would work. Altuby's not slow. He's pretty quick. Yeah. I'm not sending Norton Alvarez. Yeah, he's got creaky knees.

He's got creaky knees. Martine Maldonado, not going to make the cut. No, no catchers. Actually, it'd be actually good. Send your fastest catcher out there. How about the team with the healthiest pitchers at the end? The Astros wouldn't win that either. We've got to get to some Astros, by the way.

Jim Crane spoke to Bob Nightingale. Hopefully everything was accurate in the story, because Bob doesn't about a thousand. Well, if he literally spoke to the man, he's not going to mistranscrap. Oh, yeah, he could. Why couldn't he? He's not going to mistranscribe his words. Have you met Bob? Yeah, I have.

Bob says there was, Bob had a game, was watching the Astros on television and said that Alex Bremen got plunked. Yeah, he needs corrective lenses. I don't know if his ears, hopefully his ears are okay. Well, then he needs to go to the ear, nose and throat person to check on it. Everything. And the optometrist. And the optometrist.

All right. So we'll get to you some comments on that. We have the return of the National Basketball Association tonight. And last night. But for the local flavor of it. Okay. Rockets and Mavericks, part of an awesome doubleheader tonight. Yes.

First big game is Boston, Milwaukee. There's a bunch of other games. As a matter of fact, there are some afternoon games going on, I think, today. in the bubble, yeah. Can we do an NBA scoreboard in the history? We've never done an NBA scoreboard in the history of the show, right? Do you want a Magic Nets update? What are they playing right now?

Magic Nets at 130. Let's bet on it. Okay. Like, let's do five props on the game. Orlando is a minus six and a half. Well, it's at 130. No, the game's at 210. The games wouldn't be done by the time we're through, so forget it.

Okay. But in theory, we ought to because there's going to be some like noon games, I would think, at some point. we should prop bets on some noon NBA games coming up. Okay. But most importantly, the Rockets are playing the Dallas Mavericks tonight. I was doing the research and getting ready for my game. I'll be calling the game along with Wex on KTRH 740 this evening.

Astros are on 790, Rocket 740, and you'll be over there doing our pre-pre and our post post. Yes. The Rockets launch pad starting at 7 o'clock on News Radio 740 KTRH. Why did you go to radio voice on that one? Because that's what you do. When you're on the blow torch, 50,000 watts. A lot of pressure for me. Is it?

I mean, I've been on KTRH a lot in my life, but for three hours straight. Actually, I've done that, but we've done some games on KTRH. I've done post-game shows on KTRH. Sometimes sounds like I'm not a lot of people listening. Okay, but that's not tonight. Tonight it's you at 7. Yes. Wax at 7.30.

Yes. I'm at 8.15's what they're saying. It could be 8-25 too. Uh-oh. We got the timing down. If Boston, Milwaukee goes late, they could pull. they could push our game back by 10 minutes. A lot extra talking.

I would rather not that happen. I don't disagree with you. So Rockets and Mavericks. So I'm doing the prep on the Maverick side. This is no breaking news. You shouldn't call me Mr. MBA for this. Luca Donchich and Chris Habsportz-Zorgas could cause some serious problems for the Houston Rockets for a lengthy period of time.

This Southwest Division, San Antonio, I don't count. Well, I mean, who's their young? superstar. DeMar. DeRosen. I said young. And by the way, he's going to be a free agent, so he might be leaving San Antonio. La Marcus, which is French for The Marcus. Once again, which is French for Top of the Key Shooter only. But you got John Morant, you got Jaron, you got Jaron Jackson in Memphis.

You got Zion, Brandon Ingram in New Orleans. And possibly a lottery pick. And a lottery pick if you watched last night's game. You have, of course, the Rockets. I mean, the Southwest Division is going to be a pain in the ass. and in theory you're supposed to play these teams four times, and I would think at some point, we will get back to normalcy and with NBA schedule,

and you'll play those teams four times. And the Rocket Superstars are in their 30s. Yeah, they're going for it all. They're going for the championship. It's all or nothing. For the next two years, at least. Darryl Morey's pushed all his chips in like four years in a row. Darryl Morey is the all-in king.

Yes. See, he's different, though. If I'm all-in guy, I start sweating like bullets. He's cool as a cucumber. Yeah. That's why he's still makes trades. You feel like you make the right decision,

and then it's out of your hands. Yeah. The chips fall where they may. That's how a true poker player plays, Matt. I don't disagree with that at all. I'm not a true poker player, unlike yourself. All right, let me tell you what's got on the show today. One o'clock, Jonathan Fagan, from the Chronicle,

the NBA. Wonderful. On the Iraq. The Vee Jonathan Fagan. We used to call him BMOC when he used to cover the Big 12. Oh, really? Yeah, way back in the day when a young Matt Thomas was doing radio and other station. Mm-hmm. More hair.

Oh, man, more. I had the, I had hair. An extra X on your shirt size. I never got the 3x, but probably could have. Okay. The 2X was holding on tight. 2X, the man boobs were occasionally out in there. Pecks, Matt. The pecks were popping. That's what I say.

No, you can't say pecks unless they are real muscles. No, if anybody says I have man boobs, I'm like, no, that's just my pecks are popping. Flabs of fat is not flexing fat. The pecks are popping, Matt. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. 1 o'clock, we'll visit with Jonathan Fagan. 2 o'clock, Brian T. Smith. They have regular Friday contributor to the show.

We'll be with us there. We have a lot to get to. Bill O'Brien spoke today. Jack Easterby spoke today. I've got to be brutally honest with you. We're probably not complaining Jack Easterby because he doesn't necessarily give us any real morsels of information. Oh, you don't want to hear him, like, matriculate in his South Carolina accent.

He comes across to me, and you know, we'll play one sound bite today. He comes across a very pleasant person. Seems like a swell fellow. So I don't think we can be two-faced on this, that we bag on Bill O'Brien for being a bad dude, so we should applaud when these Trevee's a good dude. Yes. But at the end of the day, I don't care if they're great dudes, bad dudes,

and different dudes. They've got to get the Texans somewhere they haven't been before, and that's a championship game. Because apparently everybody in the division in the last decade has gotten there. And literally every other NFL team has been to the two. a championship game except the Houston Texas. Jim Crane spoke today. We were talked about that. Do you see Preston Wilson

went after Oral Hirschizer? I did see that. Very juicy on that. Conferences are starting to align with their schedules this year. The SEC made some big news on that. LeBron James was wonderful yesterday and we have Rockets and Mavericks. We got a busy show today.

No fantasy 5 today because we just got too much sports, which is kind of a nice thing. We haven't had enough of that. Yeah. Yeah. It's a very long period. That's the thing, Matt. We went from, like, we were in the desert, and then we had nothing. And now it's just a giant, we went to, like, a giant palatial Las Vegas to buffet.

Yeah, there were weeks where we could have done four fantasy fives in a show. Rather than, like, being on the track and then finding some food here and some water there, we had zero, and now it's a giant buffet. It's just the best. 713-212-5-790, as is the case on every Friday. It isn't anything goes Friday. So if you'd like to join us, 7-1-3-2-1-1-2-1. 1-1-2-5-79. If you watch any of the NBA last night,

what were your lasting impressions of that? Did you like it? Did you like it? Were you indifferent to it? Was it just nice having sports back? What did you think about just the quality of watching the games that actually did count yesterday towards the seedings of the future NBA playoffs? 7-13-212-5-7-90.

It is anything goes Friday. It is the Matt Thomas show with a message here for hoops basketball goals and sporting equipment. What goes good with stay-at-home? Well, a ProDunk Hoops Basketball goal does. Your family will have years of fun right in your stay at home. Drive away with a ProDunk Hoops goal. You can choose from many sizes all in stock in their national Tomball located warehouse. They'll professionally install your goal as well with no required homeowner interaction.

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1219 on anything goes Friday. Matt Thomas Show Sports Talk 790. We are with you today until 3 o'clock. We actually have lots of sports. to get to today. I mean, I'm just generally excited. We have a poll question that's actually on Ross's Twitter account, which is at SportsRV.

Rossi, explain what the question is of what people can do to vote. Yeah, you can go to my Twitter account at SportsRV. How much NBA did you watch last night? All of it, most of it, some of it, or none of it. All right now, 49% none of it. Because there were other games. No, there weren't other games on it.

Because there's a fresh edition of Big Brother on, apparently. No. Because the newest movies were out of the movies Cinema. Yeah, those are closed down. Restaurants were fully open 100%. Bars and That's not the case.

Okay, well, we're going to lean off of, because you I would expect your audience, like mine, sports fans, to be sports fans and probably lean towards basketball because you do a lot of rocket stuff. I'm obviously involved with the rockets, too. That's not a particularly good sign. Not in particularly. It's a horrible sign.

But that's okay. It was good action last night. But you know what it is also? I also believe this. And I have worked in three major metropolitan cities in my life, mostly here. Most of my broadcast career has been here. I believe we are less about other teams than a lot of other cities. Which is strange because a lot of people aren't from here. I think there's just not much passion for sports.

overall, compared to, say, a Philadelphia, Chicago, New York, even Dallas. I mean, ratings reflected. Every time we get, what are the playoff ratings? Houston's middle of the pack or bottom 30 as far as major league markets or NBA markets or NFL markets.

I think it comes, it's off of what I'm saying. I don't think we particularly care about anybody else except the Houston teams. But even so, the Houston teams, like the Texans for his bonds, for as bonkers as we think they are, they're middle of the pack ratings-wise in the NFL.

When the Green Bay Packers play, the entire state of Wisconsin stops. Milwaukee Green Bay. Milwaukee's the big meaty market of the two, but you see what I'm saying. Here, there's a lot of people, but you could also go to a brunch in downtown of Houston and see hundreds and hundreds of men having lunch

and having no interest or no interest. in the game. And I'm not just saying, man, but mostly most people that are sports fans are men. Is that going to happen in New Orleans during a Saints game? No. Hell no. No. Dallas during a Cowboys game?

Hell no. Philly during a Eagles game? No. It's just different. It's fine. Yeah. But I would say for a city that doesn't live and breathe sports like Houston does, we're really not going to get a whole lot of people that are going to say,

man, I cannot wait to get in front of my television to catch Utah, New Orleans last night. Lakers Clippers game. was fantastic. And I'll just say this. Anybody that's ready to say that LeBron James' life is a relevant NBA player, they are wrong. He was magnificent in the final 10 seconds as the Lakers knocked off the Clippers last night, which very indirectly, very lazy, it helps the Rockets Out. It helps everybody in that three through six spot if there's going to be some maneuvering. And the Lakers is further sending their spot as the top team in the Western Conference.

Yeah, it was, well, the Clippers didn't have, well, Lakers didn't have Avery Bradley-Réjon Rondo. Right. Clippers did not have Montres and, of course, Lou Well is on wing suspension. Yeah. And by the way, did you see what Kenny Smith said yesterday? Yes. He wanted a leg and a thigh. He wanted legs and thighs.

He didn't care about the wings. Bring it lying, Kenny Smith twice in front of the show. All right. So we'll get to more on the NBA. So if you do like the NBA, you do love your rocket. You're going to get a fix with Jonathan Faking coming up at a half an hour from now. Bob Nightingale, USA Today, spoke to Jim Creighton. Crane. First really lengthy conversation that he has had really with anybody. Has he been in our show

since this whole pandemic? Jim Crane? Yeah. Not that I know, but I was out for like three weeks. No, but I mean, you've been here most of the time. No, I know. Yeah, I don't think he has been. No, we would have loved him, but I think he has tried to keep it as extraordinarily low-key as possible. So let me run through some of the highlights of the USA Today article. Because I don't think a lot of people read USA Today unless you're in a hotel room. If you're on vacation, you love USA today. If it's at my feet when I get to the back to my hotel room, I will maybe check it out a little bit. Other than that, no.

If you're at the Hampton Inn, you're getting your oatmeal. Yeah. And it's sitting there right next to like, I think I'll read that. I'll read a USA. This is what you do. This is what I do. They still print those? I'll check it out.

Now, it used to be way back in the day, like 20 years ago, big sports section. Huge. Now it splits it with the entertainment section. It's like sports slash style. This is the way of the world, Matt. Yeah, print the print dame. the print game is over with, but let me go on. So Jim Crane admitted that they did get death threats last year

over the punishments and the getting caught with the cheating. He said there were no death threats after this week when Mr. Kelly decided to throw at a couple of our favorite Astros. He did say that the Astros did get the Astros to get crushed on social media and that media certainly didn't necessarily go after Mr. Kelly that badly for doing what he did. Again, no surprise on that, right? And no surprise, but I will say this. Somebody tweeted this yesterday, and it was all of these righteous, self-righteous.

Passing. Yes. They're passings. You know, I don't want to say liberal, but I would say, okay, you know what, liberal. No, they are. And, you know, we have to be on a diligent for the COVID and the sanctity of the game and all of this stuff and take care of the people and be nurturing and all that type of stuff. And then as soon as Joe Kelly throws at someone's cranium. Yeah!

Get up Joe Kelly! In that man's career! Yeah, it's hypocritical. Yeah. That's fine. Few other things. He feels the you got away with it thing, and Jim Crane said in this article

that Ron Manfred numerous, numerous, numerous times said there will be no player suspension because your players were forthcoming. A lot of this is recap kind of stuff. Remember that press conference we carried on February the 13th? in West Palm Beach. Yeah. That if you remember correctly, didn't I say they should have gone with a third-party PR firm to handle damage control? It was, it could have been handled better, yes.

No, it was a failing grade. Could have handled better as getting a C on a test, so you've got to study a little bit more, you've got to be. The press conference was an F, the press availability in the clubhouse after it was an A. A plus. So it's averaged out to a C, Matt. So he says it was horrible. He said he should have gotten, he should have just done everything all over again. And if you remember, the one thing that really got him in trouble was saying that knowing the pitches ahead of time wasn't going to alter the game itself.

And that's just, and he said, look, I can't believe I said that. That's why again, sometimes you have to hire a third party to say, let's run through this. Let's rehearse this. Let's go all through the potential scenarios. But isn't he just saying there, I wish I would have flied. I wish I would have misled the people I wish I would have not said my true feelings Do you think he believes that the game wasn't altered because of that?

I do believe I don't believe he believes that I think why would he say that If he didn't think it helped Because I don't think he had things in perspective I don't think he could have Today he doesn't He doesn't believe

That the knowing of the pitch is altered anything I think he absolutely believes that now I think he was I think there was just this big old defense mechanism put up. Here's all this media coming after us. We're going to, we're going to put it, we're going to, we're going to stand true to this and say that we're still a pure baseball team.

Yeah, I think he was doing it to defend his guys. Okay. You don't think, you, you think he doesn't think, okay, let me make sure, we, we, we said this properly. Do you believe Jim Crane when he says, our team by knowing the pitches, doesn't alter the game? Or it wasn't helped much. Wasn't helped much.

I do believe that. I mean, there's a Duke University to study that it wasn't statistically significantly helpful. And the report by Rob Manfred, a lot of players didn't think it helped at all. So I wouldn't surprise me for Jim Crane to echo those sentiments. No. Okay. Let's go on. He said that he negotiated a buyout with A.J. Hinch.

He could not negotiate a buyout with Jeff Leno. thus he fired him with just cause, meaning he didn't pay him at all. It'll be up to Luno then to probably sue the Astros back for some wages, saying that how can you fire me if I didn't know what was going on? Wrongful termination? Can Jeff win that case? It's been quiet so far. It doesn't mean it's going to, it couldn't happen. And you probably just end up settling, so you should have done a buyout in the first place. Well, maybe Jeff said, there's no buyout. You pay me everything.

And Jeff's like, I already did this with AJ. I want to, let's give you, half and call it a day. I'm trying to do you a favor. Yeah. So, um, uh, the team has a good culture. He was not happy with the way the baseball operations department was portrayed, uh, the employee treatment, the relationship with other members of the team, uh, with other teams, I should say, and wasn't happy with the relationship that, uh, he said there was a few instances with the media and external stakeholder, uh, stakeholders that were treated unfairly. The Verlander thing, when he got pissy with the Detroit media, that, uh, he said, you. that wasn't good.

I mean, there have been mistakes on this. One of the thing I want to get to. Actually, two of the things. One's about Brandon Tom and the former assistant general manager. And one is about Justin Verliner. We'll get to those things coming back. 713-212-5-790. 7-13-212-5-7-90.

It is the Matt Thomas show. It is and anything goes Friday. Come on and say hi. As we woke the strippers up, we got NBA basketball tonight, and we have more cancellations in Major League Baseball. But right now, a message for Coors Light. the world's most refreshing beer.

You know when Coors Light, you know, Colorado-based company, said we're going to start shipping beer out to other places around the country. Where they go first? The state of Texas, because they knew way back in the day that Texans love their cold, delicious, refreshing beer, and that's why you go to Coors Light. We were over a big city wings a couple days ago watching the Astros. Guess what I had? Not one, not two, but three Coors Light.

And of course, I drink responsibly. And that's what I want you to do. So if you're barbecue in this weekend, watching Astros, Rockets tonight. Do yourself a huge favor. Get yourself a 12-pack while at home, of course, and then wait for those mountains and turn blue on the top of the can. That means you're going to be there at its peak refreshment. That's Cori's light made to chill. Ross, we've got to do a special Friday shout-out here on the Matt Thomas show at 1234. We do? Big shout out to Chenet.

Chenet. Chenay. Okay. That is the Clanton's nanny. You think you're making big bucks when you got a nanny. Man, the clans are doing all right, aren't they? Seriously, fancy Adam. Yeah. I never could hire a nanny. Ross, if you have kids that you know of, would you hire a nanny?

I mean, and I couldn't afford it. If she could work for free. She's undocumented and going to be really cheap or something, maybe. That's what my parents did. Special shout out. Shout out Emma, who took care of me as a kid. And didn't have her United States citizenship. Okay.

What's the statute of limitations on that? Can you believe what he just announced on this show, Brandon? What? That you were raised by somebody, an illegal person. Not raised? You know, she just come over and help out every now and then. Good kid. Paid in cash.

And meatballs. Great scene from the wedding singer. Oh, when he pays the old lady pays him for piano lessons and meatballs. And he sticks his hand out, right? And then he puts the meatballs on the hand, right? Yes. Okay. It might be scalding.

Good thing they weren't scalding hot. I'm not a huge meatball enjoyer. Meatballs are delicious, Matt. Chop them up. Let's go as a ground brief call today. Okay. I guess. How do you feel about meat loaf?

Love meatloaf. All right. Now you're just being inconsistent. That's right. Meat loaf is a giant meatball. But nobody just eats meatballs at the house. You could eat meatloaf. You're not going to pop them in a bowl.

bowl and eat them like grapes. They're just large amounts of meat. Yes. As opposed to a large loaf of meat. But I'm going to, but I like spaghetti with meat sauce. I don't like spaghetti with meat balls. Do you like the, the tomato sauce on the meatloaf? Yeah.

Or ketchup. Either one. Now you're just being wildly inconsistent, Matthew. Don't listen. Don't listen in folks. All right. Oh, let me finish up this stuff. Yeah, what we're talking about?

You know, we never even finished the nanny story. What about the shoutout you said? I just did it, Chenet. She's listening. Why, though? Because Adam said, please shout out my nanny. So fancy. And I'm guaranteeing you do it within five seconds.

Someone on Twitter is going to ask Adam if his nanny's hot. Yeah, can we get a pick? Send it to Ross's text. Just kidding. I'm just kidding. I'm not a chauvinist, Matt. Good. I'm sure Shine is lovely and documented.

And raising Carson beautifully, I'm sure, helping out at least, along which is recent and Adam. So there you have it. Carson. Yeah, I cannot, I'm going to stay friends with Adam for the rest of my life. I cannot wait to see

what Carson turns out to be. Because I know Teresa and Adam so well, I want to know which characteristics Carson gets. I'll say he's going to be a NASCAR driver. NASCAR? Carson Clanton. This sounds like a NASCAR driver.

And Carson Clanton in the last lap? You don't think he sounds like a guitar and an alt rock band? Carson Clanton. On bass, Carson Clanton. Thank you. Yes. Right there. No, I'm sticking NASCAR driver. I don't think so. Okay. I just, I see professional golfer maybe in his repertoire. Neither of his parents golf. But that's a great car. It's a great, it's a great name. Right. To either of them race cars?

Yeah, I was going to say, why NASCAR if they don't golf? Because you didn't know, Adam Klein's a huge NASCAR fan. Is he really? Mm-hmm. He loves Kenny Harvick, or something. All right. To Jim Crane. I thought it was interesting that the buyout was there, that they negotiated buyout with AJ, but didn't do so with Jeff. Jeff's like Fee.

Yes. I wasn't on this. You're going to pay me every cent. Well. All right. I'm sure there will be lawyers. He said if Justin Berliner has Tommy John, not to expect Tom, JV back playing baseball until 2022.

Help me out here. Isn't his contract done with the Astros after 2021? Yes. unless there's some kind of option here. Take a look on Sports Strike. Okay. I don't think there is one. Okay.

I don't either. I will say this. There used to be one, but they bought that out and did the new deal, I thought. I feel like Jim Crane that if you were to go to the top five favorite Astros he's had since owning the Astros, I bet JV's one or two.

I just think he loves that a future Hall of Fame pitcher who, by the way, is a good golfer and is charismatic and has a very famous wife. I think Jim likes that. Yeah, unrestricted free age at 22. Okay. At age 39. What would be the marketplace for that? Now, do you, let me ask you this.

Would a normal, decent human being like us, like you and I are normal and decent, right? Yeah. If I got the T.J. If you got the T.J. Okay. If you had Tommy John surgery. And I didn't pitch for you for the rest of all this year and all of next year. Wouldn't he kind of owe it to the Astros to, you know, I don't know, sign for a reasonable amount of money to keep your baseball career?

I mean, would it be douchy if he left to go pitch another team strictly because it was a money hole? No. You go to where the best money is. Wait a minute. They're going to pitch him, they're going to pay him for a year and a half. and you don't think it's JV. Oza the Astros at all to at least give them the quote-unquote hometown discount? No, he didn't know them anything. What if you have a bunch of sick days saved up, right?

I do. What if, yeah, you took like, I don't know, you got something horrible happened and you had to take like 30 sick days. I would hope not. And then the day you were going to come back, you got a giant offer from ESPN for $2 million to host their 11 to 2 show. You wouldn't be like, all right, I'm out. I'm not hosting national radio. I have zero interest in it. For $2 million a year?

You always bring the money component into it. Well, because money matters, Matt. I'm saying you, or whatever, any station that offered you a giant amount of money. Or if the rocket said, we'll make you exclusive and we'll double your pay, whatever we pay you. Huh. You wouldn't feel like you owe us anything, nor should you. I hate when you try to call me out. Is it really apples or apples we're just talking about?

Not really, but it's, I don't know. these these pitch these $33 million pitchers live in a fantasy world so it's hard to make apples that's right no it's not apple but just in theory think about it I don't think he doesn't have anything okay let's say uh the tigers say we want to bring you home we're going to offer you $15 million and the Astros say we can only give you 10 go to the Tigers he doesn't owe he doesn't know the Astros Jack but he basically got a year and a half of free salary here well two years he made one start so two years two years a free salary uh I think while he's rehabbing and hurt and unable to pitch he would are he would disagree

with it is for nothing. Okay. One more quick thing before we get to bring. Brandon Tom, remember the assistant general manager? Oh, who could forget? I've had two dealings with him. I didn't think favorable of either one of them. Well, I'll just put it this way. But that's not my, that's not for me to decide because I don't, I never had a working relationship with him at all. But I've had two dealings with him in my life and I both came away going, I don't like that guy. I didn't have a lot. I never met him, but I'd heard from not even, I'm not even talking about what you just said, like from other people. He's kind of a selfish douche. That's what I heard. Yeah. Brandon Tomlin got fired for his comments. Here's where probably Jim Crane's going to get some heat. He said he was that

Brandon Tomlin didn't commit like domestic violence and that all the hate that he had received was too much. He said he clearly had cocktails after the Astros won the America League. Yes. He clearly, um, hated to see him leave because he was good at his job, but he had no choice. Sometimes you say things that are so obnoxious that you have to fire somebody. If I'm Jim, and I like Jim a lot, I probably would not have tried to soft sell Brandon Taubman and his abilities.

You probably keep that one to yourself. I probably just go, we had to make a decision. We don't allow that kind of culture. But I guarantee you, you go to any of the website, people on Twitter that you follow, and they're cutting and pacing the Tobman part of the article. and it's not doing Jim any favors today. He might have felt that. Maybe he clearly still believes that.

But don't do this. Don't let him you don't want to. He was such an ahold of that woman and how the Astros didn't. Oh, they just bung with that whole situation so badly. They just did. I agree. And I agree with Jim Crane's sentiment that if you get liquored up and say something you shouldn't have said, that's if if in the case of

Brandon Tomlin we'd heard about things from him for a while but if in the case of Brandon Todman this were the first type of incident of this level of representing the organization poorly didn't yeah second chances because yeah because if Brandon Tomlin was a good employee to Jim Crane and Brandon's done

nothing to make his boss mad then Jim's going to go to defend and that's what he did that's what he did apparently Brandon was a model citizen as a model employee. Model employee. And all I'm saying is that you probably just keep it to yourself.

Yes. You probably keep it to yourself. 1245 on the Matt Thomas show. 713-212-5-790. 7-13-212-5-790 with a message here for Beck and Maston-Buech GMC. Right now the 2020-on-C is $9,500 off the MSRP.

20-20-Canyan. $7,000 off the MSRP. 2020, you... This is former running back of Herschel Walker. You're listening to Matt Thomas on Sports Talk 790. 1249, Sports Talk 790. Matt Thomas show continues.

It as anything goes Friday. You guys have been quiet out there today. You know why? Is everybody having a hangover from last night's big double-hutter of NBA basketball? Yeah, they're up late, hitting the coffee now because they're watching. Check your question.

LeBron James, shut down, Kauai Leonard. Yeah. And Paul, George, and the final. final 10 seconds. Yep. So check it out. How's your poll question doing so far?

It's 58% of people did not watch any of the NBA. How many votes? 270-ish. That's a decent sample size. That's decent. Very decent. I'm sure you can call that statistically

significant. Okay. I mean, I would say the majority of my followers are sports fans. Yeah, that's not a good sign at all. Not a good sign at all.

Now, if I did it on mine, I'm going to have... 50% of people don't watch the Super Bowl, so... I'm going to have a lot of Rocket fans I think my, if I did a similar poll question, Rocket fans. I would probably get a different number.

Let me get to, for you Texans fans. Today, Bill O'Brien and Jack Easterby spoke. Are we going to play an Easterby call? Because they're very, very generic. Yeah, I don't know. We don't even have any right now, so. Okay. Unless you want the whole 23 minutes.

Is Gordy on a long lunch break or something? He's busy, Matt. Doing what? LSU prep for. I'm sure he's got an SEC podcast working on this weekend. Man, he's got more podcast and shows. Yeah, he's got Tiger Paul, weekly. going on.

This week in El and Bat Rouge high school sports. Damn, he's all over Monroe, Shreveport. All right. So Bill O'Brien spoke today. By way, zero positive

test the last three days in Texansville, which is very encouraging because MLB would like to have that kind of number. Yeah, let's go ahead and start with that. Bill O'Brien talking about the coronavirus

testing that the players have been going under and they've had zero positives. So far for us, we've had 100% over the last three days. We've had 100%. negative tests, which I think is a testament to our staff and our players that, you know,

they're obviously taking this thing seriously. And, you know, our building has been, you know, I think maybe we've shown some of our building publicly, but our building has been basically redone, refurbished in every way, shape, or form. You know, you've got three different locker rooms. We're using the cafeterias redone, new flooring, everything. So I feel like we're headed in the right. right direction. There you go. Zero positive test in the Texans organization. They had a couple of

earlier a couple months ago when it came out that there were positive cowboys and Texans, but nothing else. So why did Vanderdose not stick around if it's a cleanest place on Earth? I think he has a high risk condition. So something at home or maybe himself? Yeah, I think so. Very good. Okay. Continue on. There you go, man. He's got a reason. He's going to be okay. But on the football side, let's start with that. Of course, one of the biggest offseason stories was, of course, DeAndre Hopkins deal, but one of the other big ones, Deshawn Watson and what's going on with his contract negotiations? Well, I'd just tell you, Matt, respectfully, I just, you know, we're not going to talk about contracts in the media, but, you know, we obviously have stated, and we,

we have so much belief in Deshawn. We love Deshawn. We want him here for a long time, but, you know, we're not going to, we're not going to, you know, negotiate contracts or do anything like that through the media. We'll keep that between us and, and Deshawn's representatives, but, you know, he's here. he's excited and we're excited about the season. Our relationship is growing. He mentioned my name. I know.

Well, I just tell you, Matt, you guys are boys. Can you all? No. Go ahead and clip that for future references. I'll just tell you, Matt. Yeah, just play that part again. No, we're good.

I'll delete it right out. You know how he says they don't negotiate in the public? In the public. Yes. I don't think we were asking for the numbers. How about, could you imagine if a coach ever said,

Matt, going well. We've offered him X. He wants X times 2.5. We'd like for it to get better. We'd like to get close. But since you asked, asked it answered, it sucks right now. And we're mad and frustrated. That's, he would make me my favorite coach of all time. It would never happen, of course it's never going to happen. Somebody asking questions you don't want any results. You just say we don't, we don't negotiate the media. I'm not asking you to exchange numbers. How's it going? Oh, God.

He's being such a pain of ass. Or, man, we are just there. We're fighting over season tickets and jet trips and charter planes. But other than that, we got the deal done. Things you'll never hear during a coach and a Zoom meeting. During any coach, in 2020 at least. All right. So, how about a little bit more on DeShon Watson's contract?

You know, Deshawn is a great player, an even better person. And we want him here for a long time. I mean, anytime you hear a player say that about you, it means a lot, you know, but I feel the same way about him. And, you know, I know that we're working hard. We're not going to really talk about it in the media, but, you know, obviously we feel so strongly about him and the future of him, you know, in this offense, in this organization.

And we want him here for a long time. I don't, I'm making it just, this will be a seven and a half star Notre Thomas prediction. Okay. this is not going to get done before the season no no oh I don't know about that I don't think we'll ever spend a significant amount of time talking about what's going

wrong with this negotiation like frankly Dallas already was done with Dak Prescott I think they're going to get something done I don't know when I don't know if it's going to I think the COVID and the training camps and everything screwed the whole calendar world up but I do not believe we will have multiple shows

saying why Deshawn are you asking for two much or time for the Texans to step up at the table. I think they will have an amicable meeting at some point where they will get a deal done. I do. I agree. Yeah. So I have no inside information. I'm just, this is a gut feeling I have.

Well, I will go on the fact that Laramie Tunsell said, pay me, Bill. And Bill said, okay, here's what you want. You're the most expensive tackle in football. So I imagine there will be a little bit of room for a wiggle room for negotiation. But yeah, I totally agree with you. There's no reason that it shouldn't get done. Both sides want to get it done, so I expect it to happen pretty soon. All right, let's get the second hour, start on the Matt Thomas show in a matter of moments.

If you'd like to join us, 713212-5-790, 7-1-3-2-790 on email. Well, we don't know. Nobody emails anymore. On Twitter at SportsMT, at SportsRV, and at Brendan Riley underscore. Jonathan Fagan from The Chronicle to preview tonight's Rockets Mavericks. and look to the eight seating games. A little NBA chatter next on 790. This is the Matt Thomas Show.

Here we go, 101 of the Matt Thomas show. Matt Ross with you. We are happy to be joined by the longtime beatwriter for your Houston Rockets from the Houston Chronicle with Jonathan Fagan. Jonathan, I got to ask you first and foremost. First, thanks for joining us. Secondly, what did you think of the scrimmage games as a whole? And then what did you think of the actual encore play?

play in the two games you watched last night, provided that you watch both games, and I'm assuming that you did. Yeah. Good to hear from you guys. You know, the Scrooge games were like other preseason games. I thought they were ragged, but good at times. I think usually we saw regulars a little more than you'd see, certainly for the Rockets, but around the league a little more than you would normally see at preseason games, at least until the Celtics set their seven best players. for that last one.

And then last night, I thought it was good stuff. There's sometimes that looked like an opening night, but overall, pretty good. And the thing that, and it's what I was just thinking about

right before you asked, the whole bubble atmosphere, I've kind of adjusted to it pretty quick. I haven't felt like it's weird or awkward. Yeah, it's different. But the setting as a whole looks and sounds pretty good. And I think they've done a good job of not making the technology intrusive, you know, to where it's all about showing off which cameras you have that you normally don't or the microphones that are in places they normally are not.

They're there. And sometimes they're part of the presentation. But it's not, you're seeing the game. When you're watching basketball players, you're not, hey, cool angle or, gee, that's great. Why do I want to watch the game from a lousy seat like we do sometimes when they start playing a little too much? So I thought that was something that there would be a real chance of happening. I did a story about this last week where they have 31 cameras at games. That's a ton.

A typical local broadcast, you'd have 7 to 10. You know, they had 31. And they have them in places. There's only six that are in places they normally would be. There's 25 others that are in completely different places than games normally could allow. That rail cam, which I think really looks good. You get a real feel for the athletes, their size, their speed at that size. I actually would like to see them use that rail cam more.

That rail cam, they haven't used in an NBA arena in 19 years. So I thought it was some pretty cool stuff, but they didn't go overboard where you just say, just let me watch the game. But I thought, we are able to watch the games. Yeah, I will say this. It probably to me, Jonathan, had more of a summer league feel to it than it would an overproduced game. And I will say if you were to say, how do you want a game? I'd rather have what we had last night where you didn't feel like you brought out all the bells and whistles than putting in too much crowd noise and too much DJs and too much.

I mean, the NBA asked me. to send my voice to them for Rocket Home Games. Now, tonight is not a Rocket Home game, so I won't be heard. But they're trying to do the best they can. I've got to be honest, being around these guys all the time like you are, they kind of drown that stuff out.

I think when they're playing basketball, it's 94 feet, and the baskets are 10 feet high. Oh, yeah. You know, they're competitors. And so what's happening, I mean, yeah, they feed off crowds. There's no question that they do.

But from what I've been told, even through the scrimmages, because obviously the Rockets haven't played, you know, one of the seating games yet, that it looks, it's not distracting all this stuff. And the virtual fans around the court, if you're playing, you can see them, but it's not like that's all you see. And they don't look that weird. They look a little weird, but they're tried to be sized so that the vision for the players would be what it would be normally, you know, to where they, they've taken that into consideration. So it looks, it's not distracting and actually even feels like there's something around the court. So they thought it looks much better than Summer League.

Summer League, they're up. It's not the best camera angles and there's only a few. I think it looks much better than that, even though Summer League, I mean, fans are great. Fans, you miss them. There's no question. If you had a choice between the two, you can. put all this technology together and whatever else they might think of after this is over, and it's still not as good as the setting with fans.

But I've been impressed. I think it looks good and it sounds good. The sound, especially if you have good speakers, good sound system, you can definitely hear the difference between the normal game. And it's not just because there's no fans to drown it out, because they got noise going. They have microphones in different places, and they have different microphones than they normally would.

would use to where you hear a lot more and hear different things and hear them more clearly. I've liked it so far. Jonathan Fagan. Either that or it's just better than watching horse and Michael Connolly's gym and someone else's driveway. Maybe we're just all starving. Oh, yeah, I'll take this all day long. I've got a zero problem with it.

Absolutely. Jonathan Fagan, Houston Chronicle here on the Matt Thomas show. Jonathan Ross here. And as you mentioned with the sound, an interesting thing to me with that is, one of the things the Rockets talk about, especially with their defense, is talking. How much do you think they, for example, you're on the road and there's a loud crowd and it's maybe difficult to communicate defensively? So is that a big loss as far as home court advantage or do you think that doesn't matter as much?

Yeah, I think it's very overblown. I think PJ Tucker put it real well. He said, I don't know, we got some guys who hardly ever talk. You know, it's not that we can't hear them. they're not saying anything. So if you want, like here's a guy who, you know, Yao Ming, it was his second language, and he was a quiet guy. He was really good at saying what he was supposed to say.

A guy who's really good at it, Tyson Chandler can do it from the bench. He's not even in the game, and they can all hear him in any setting. They hear more in this setting, but you can hear the guys who make sure they can be heard. and there's some guys who just don't talk enough defensively. It's not because you couldn't hear them. No, they didn't say it. Talking defensively is a huge thing. It's especially important for a team that switches as much as the Rockets do.

And it's one of the things they have really emphasized since the start of training camp 2.0. All right, let's get right to it eight games starting tonight against Dallas. What is your gut feel? are we going to see, and I'll first ask you on the rockets and then the NBA West in general, because three to six is, oh, actually three to seven could be very much in flux. How much shifting do you see? Do you see the rockets going up and down? What does your gut feel about where we will be, say, two weeks from now?

Yeah, it could go a lot of different ways. And these two teams, this is kind of a cop-out-sounding answer, doesn't it? No, I'm fine. These two teams could go, I mean, the Mavericks also could really climb, or get stuck where they are because they really could. And the Rockets, their first four games are so tough that they really could be a team that slips back

and there's all this debate, what's wrong with the Rockets, you know, it'll be on ESPN debate shows, and then they could go on a run and, oh, what did they do? How did they change? It's that kind of a schedule where I think these first four games are all going to be really tight and it comes down to who wins the last couple minutes, which by definition means they could go either way.

They're not running away from the Mavericks. They're certainly not running away from the Bucks and Lakers. I think Portland's going to be a tough game and a very interesting one because that's a real size versus small matchup. The Lakers and Bucks are too. But these games, they're not really. away from these first four teams, it's going to be who wins those last few minutes. Ross and I debate this all the time and like to get your perspective.

I think if you're going to win the West, and there are some people that are thinking the Rockets potentially could be sneaky surprise team because a lot of people think of the NBA that because of the bubble, there may be a surprise team. If you're going to face somebody second on the path towards winning the West, would you rather see the Lakers in the second round or the Clippers? Oh, Clippers. Clippers, clippers, and also the Clippers. Oh, my gosh.

The Lakers are really good. They're really deep. They're a little diminished right now because no, Avery Bradley, he opted out. Roshan Rondo was out. You don't have playmaking as much when LeBron is not in the game. But come on. LeBron, what he did this year is absolutely incredible. What he did last night was fantastic.

I mean, Gardner, Leonard and Paul George in the final 11 seconds of that game. Yeah, I was just going to say that this is like 2013, LeBron defensively. I have got at 35 with the mileage on his tread, it's absolutely amazing what he's done. And Anthony Davis, you know, I just turned in who the awards would be. I had to put him in the top three

in the defensive player of the year voting. I wouldn't know how to win it, but to be that good and to be there defensively. And the clippers are very good, and we saw what they did to the Rockets in the second last game before the hiatus. But they never seem to quite have, be as cohesive as are the Lakers. The chemistry doesn't seem quite right yet because they've had the lineup change so many times, guys in and out. And it's continued now to where, you know, Pat Beverly is just back. Landry Shamet is just back.

Montrez-Harrul is not back yet. And so it's not just, it's not a fantasy league where it's just about who you got and who you don't. They don't seem to fit as well as they could. Maybe they will as this postseason and the seating games progress. But they seem well behind the Lakers in that regard. Even though it was a great game, obviously, and really close, they've got two great players and a tremendously deep roster. Just if, who do you want in a playoff series? Those are the reasons I would say the Lakers are the ones you'd wrap.

not have to play. You'd rather have somebody else beat them for you or play them later. It just feels, though, and again, Ross and I have debated this court a bit that, you know, they had two guys missing last night, and obviously, they're just, the clippers just run so deep. And I don't, this may not be fair. But I feel like they're, and you brought up cohesiveness and moving around lineups. It just feels like that when you get the clippers down a little bit, they don't have enough moxie to overcome that, that they start just jacking shots up and whatever.

And again, that may not be fair, but I think from a mentally tough aspect, I think the Lakers had the biggest advantage over those two teams in a matchup. Yeah, and I didn't even mention Lou Williams. So the Clippers can be better than they were and can become better. But, yeah, that's another reason, where the Lakers absolutely know who they are and what they have to do to be their best. the Clippers is just a little bit of a feel. And then the other part, normally depth is a very overrated thing in the postseason.

Teams shrink their rotations in the postseason. You're not winning a playoff series because you've got a better 11th guy. Not usually if teams are both healthy. In this situation, we don't know. The Lakers have good depth, too, particularly when Rondo does get back eventually. Maybe under these circumstances when the playoffs are every other day, depth will matter more than it typically does. But generally in the postseason, you're not winning because of the end of your rotation. You're winning because of the top of it and the ability of other core players to knock down that big shot that defines a game that changes and determines a winner in a game.

Does PJ Tucker hit that corner three? you know that that's what determines who wins a game in the playoffs and often a series that and of course did you have the best player on the court did you have two of the three best players in the court not boy they came in waves that 11 guy was really good yeah i got 30 seconds on this one give me one quick rockets are going to shock the world and advance and win the whole damn thing and then give me one uh things are going to fall apart and they could lose in the first round. You mean a reason for both?

Yeah, reason for both. Hardin is unbelievable. You know, he's back to the November, December hardened. And the reason for not is they don't get their shots back to where it needs to be, to be an incredible offensive team. To win a playoff series, they're likely going to have to play. They're going to have to be great offensively. you know,

they didn't shoot well enough to be that. I will leave it at that. Mr. Fagan, thank you very much for the time. I'll look, appreciate it.

No, no, not cron.com anymore. Houstoncronical. com. What happened? Who's changing that? Is that a McLean thing?

Yeah, I'll blame it. No, it's a, all of our stuff now. Well, most of it had already been

on Houston Chronicle. com. Well, I bought a couple quicky things. All right. But now all of it. Houston Chronicle.

com won't have any of my stuff. But really, it hasn't had, it's had a quick, too quick paragraphs, three paragraphs for some time. Now, everything is very simple, very clear, Houston Chronicle.com. Well, I bought digital. And thank you for letting me say that. Yeah, well, I bought your digital service. So be at leastably happy with me on that.

Thank you, Jonathan, then really much, appreciate it. Enjoy it. We'll see you later. All right, Jonathan Fagan with us here on the Matt Thomas show. Ross has an MLB update for us. Yeah, you do. You just didn't know it. I can't say it.

I can't say it because it's a, you know what, free Friday. Yeah, but if I say... One of us has to. Just be honest. You can't do COVID-free shows right now. You just can't. Or can we? 116 of the Matt Thomas show.

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credit union. 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. 121, Sports Talk 790. It is the Matt Thomas show. Thanks again to Fagan for joining us. His teammate, Brian T. Smith, will be with us as he normally is every Friday.

He'll join us in about 40 minutes from now. Coming up at the bottom of the hour, we've asked Brandon, to give us a Jack Easterby soundbite because no one's really ever heard Jack Easterby. And he spoke today as part of a media Zoom call. And Brendan, we'll just say, but I want you to explain the experience of what it was like trying to find a Jack Easterby soundbite.

And we'll do that coming up in 10 minutes from now. But Ross is here first to give us the amazing news. Amazing? Well, amazing that it's still happening of what's happening around baseball today in this C-D. free Friday. You're trying to just have maybe a vehicle for COVID talk for you,

which is just a cheap device, I will say, Matthew. But yes, there were two positive tests within the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Actually, two players testing positive. So Cardinals Brewers game for today is off. It was initially reported that tomorrow's game is off, but that has been retracted. So they might play tomorrow. We don't know.

We'll see what happens, I guess. There is a plan, I think, for a double-header on Sunday, right? Okay. Which would be a, I believe it would be a seven-inning. Seven-inning double-heder, unless everybody's too tired, then they'll play a four-inning double-heder. Yeah. Or if they're ready to shake hands and go home after three. What if, how about you can have a run rule in the double-header?

If somebody gets up six, it's over. What about ten? How about runner on second base all game? Every inning? That's going to make the game the last six hours. That's the opposite effect. Let me ask you this. You know how you, if you see an asterisk next to something, what do you normally have to do when you see an asterisk? You got to scroll down. You got to scroll down and figure out where it is.

Don't you feel like this year is such a gimmick that you have to almost think of another thing on the topwriter to use instead? Like a superscript of one, like a little one, like a footnote? I would like to go with, ha, ha. I was thinking we'll need like a key. Like, asterix means this. Right. Color coded means this. Sometimes they have a little tiny cross

and that means something else to strike through. The reason I went with ha-ha is because this season is a complete joke. So when somebody sees 2020 World Series champion near on kinkies, hopefully not. We'll see.

It'll say record 37, 15, and 8. Here's going to be eight ties. We're getting ties eventually, right? With a space and then ha ha. and then no one has to think about in 20 years from now what ha ha ha means because when somebody puts a ha ha it's a joke and this is what this season's turned out to be a joke how about just jk just kidding yeah

it's easier but the problem with jk is that you think okay so if it's not the yankees and who really want it if you're jkying us i guess ha ha ha doesn't make any sense either though but that's ha ha ha makes plenty of sense why would somebody say ha what do you do on a joke you Ha ha ha. Do you ever notice when you send text to people and they go ha ha ha ha? That's a crutch for me. I text that way too much. I hate it. Ha ha's and LOLs. I save every like every other text. I got two. I can't stop. I got two personal ones. Ha ha. I'm texting you ha ha and l. Okay. LOL, unless you really are L o'O LL, I don't think that's very genuine. And I got one for you. When someone says, let's meet downstairs if we're in a hotel

or let's I text you Ross and say let's have dinner at 730 at XYZ place the typical answer is okay we have people now and I'm going to try to do this an experiment on the show they'll only initial meet K

okay okay what's wrong with that thumbs up emoji certainly go ahead what's the issue are you that damn lazy to not give me the second letter? Are you ready to be called out as a hypocrite and a fraud? What happens if I say, hey, Matt, I got this with that audio you wanted.

What would you text me? Thanks, THX. Are you so lazy that you can't type out, thanks? I think six letters to three is a dramatic difference. I'm asking you to click two letters. I was talking about this with Joe George actually off air. I was like, why do men over 40 always text me THX? it I don't it's the only people who do this

it's you it's two other hosts at all you know what I'll call one out Adam Wexler I'm like what I'm the only people I get THX from I love THS it fits perfectly I never see that except for but it works okay there is one person I text with all the time I'm okay you know let's try the experiment here okay Adam Clinton Chris Craig Ackerman okay okay he is the king of K. What could I text him right now?

Could I, let me try this. I plan on being at the arena around six o'clock. Yeah, sure. What do you think? Do you think you'll probably give, I mean, does he give you a K's? I give K all the time. I hate it. Give me the okay. Give me the, give me the satisfaction of you taking one millisecond more to put in one more character. It's, it's one millisecond to type out thanks. I want to hear it. So here's what I'll do. I'll stop doing it. But let's, let's, let's, Let's try this social experiment. It's one letter. It's faster.

I'm planning to be at, continue to speak as I do this right now. All right, Matt's typing out a text. I have, look, I will admit that ha-ha and L-O-Ls are crutches. I say that. Somebody texts me anything, and that's just what I respond, and I can't. I want to stop, but I can't. All right, there's the text. Okay.

Craig Ackerman. Planning to be at the Toyota Center at six. Six. How about see you there? See you there. Again, because I'm not looking for him to tell me what time. Oh, yeah. See you there.

Okay. What if he's listening? There's no chance. He's taking that. Okay. Please, Craig. Please respond, K. Oh, wait.

Okay. All right. All right. I just want to see if this works out. Okay. So I'll always say this. I will eliminate THX. You can do it.

And I'll give you the full six letters. But I want all of you that do okay or do K to give me that second letter. Give me a little bit of just a little more respect. Do you prefer K to no response? Because I know you've said you don't. Yeah. You're happy I'm sending you anything. I like responses better.

Thank you very much. You're better responder than Ross is. I'm horrible. I'm admittedly horrible. I'm scatterbrained. Brendan, you are a B plus text. This one over here is a D minor. If I don't respond, I'm at least like reacting.

Sometimes I'll read it on my phone. I'll think of a response. And then I, like, five minutes later, I'll like, didn't I send that? And then I'll be pretty mad when I don't see it on that. Most of the text, most people here on the radio station are average textors. You are in below average. What would you give me a 1 to 10? Four. No, three and a half.

I was going to say, four thanks. I was going to be impressed. Come on, Craig. Well, just give him some time. Give him somebody. What does he as? Oh, one to 10. Well, he's four.

128. Now he's a little higher. 128. Sports Talk, 798. It is the Matt Thomas show. You know what you can do? You can ha-ha. You can L-O-L and you can, K, when you're eating wings tonight at Big City

Wings. You should go watch both sporting events tonight. You get the Astros on one set of 10. televisions, you'll have the Rockets, and the other one. Of course, you'll be listening to it here on 790 and 740. And today, Big City Wings, as they do every single day, offers daily specials. With it being Friday, half-priced appetizers after 9 o'clock, and all their margaritas, as you watch the game, are $3. $3.00 margaritas all day long in any of the eight Big City Wings locations. You know, Big City Wings is Houston's wing joint.

Delicious, fresh, made-order menu items like a bone-in, boneless wings. wings. They've got great potato skins. They've got amazing salads and sandwiches. Their burgers are fantastic too. It is the only wing joint to offer specials every day on food and drinks. Adult beverages to go also a very popular thing. So check in the night with them for three out of margaritas all day, half-price appetizers and margarita Madness while you watch both the Rockets and the Astros at Big City Wings to find the location near you, bigcitywings.com. From first pitch, getting set for the first pitch to final out. And that is the ball game.

Your Astros play exclusively on Sports Talk 790. Flagship station of your Houston Astros. One small NFL note, because it really is. Antonio Brown has been suspended by the NFL for eight games. Ross, I feel fairly confident to you and Antonio Brown will never be in the NFL again. He's just been too much trouble. He doesn't know how to act like an adult. And the NFL's like, you know what?

you're a hot mess. Stay away from half the season. Only way I could see it is if a team is really, really, really good, has an amazing locker room and is beset by injuries. Oh, that's been the Patriots for the last 20 years. And they didn't keep them around. That's the thing. I was just about to say that and make the same point,

I was also going to toss in the race. Like the two teams who have taken chances and chances and chances on players. Well, you know what? Well, I'll say a third. But I was going to say the Raiders and the Patriots. And he struck out with both of them. His last gasp is Jared Jones. I feel like the Cowboys also take on these types of bad boy projects,

and they don't mind if somebody has a past history. What has to happen. Yeah, I was going to say, he's got to be retired for four years first. Yeah. So. Okay. Do you think he plays again in the NFL? No.

What? All it takes is one team to get down. I know. But then they have to sign him, and he'll be out for eight weeks. But that would be, he would be, basically. he would be basically have played one game in two seasons. And receivers. What's he in his young 30s?

Where's he going to be speedwise? He's 32. Yeah, he's done. You're going to bring Antonio Brown to me in possession receiver for the last two years of his NFL career and cause all the problems that he's caused? And he's going to miss eight games. And he's a certified head case who could just be out at any moment. I would not.

If I were an NFL executive, there's zero chance. you should take that risk. All right. More on the Texans in just a second because I do want to give you an update on things. Craig did text me back. And he just said, he said, okay. See? He must be listening.

Are you happy now? Yeah. It took him to put a second letter in. It shows he cares about me. I'd just like to pull it up. Excuse me? I'd just like to pull up the text. Yeah.

Slap a cable. on there and hit send it's easy it's good convenient quick you have no issue with the case you have such a little regard for me that you're like he's only worthy of one letter I give you when I do thanks first of all I do THX

and I usually put an exclamation point so it's only four characters let me scroll through the archives on that on that lie 713 212 I was looking at some of the last text I sent you wow you really can't show that one 713

212 5 Whoa. 713212-5-790. 7-1-3-21-2-5-7-90. Today, I believe, gentlemen, was the first time, and ladies that are listening, that Jack used to be spoken publicly. He spoke on a Texans conference call.

It really wasn't a conference. It was like a listen-in kind of thing. But that was to the season ticket holders that obviously the media got a hold of. Today, right? Am I writing this in about a year and a half? have this was the first time he's ever spoken to the media? I think I think so.

And it's not like executive vice presidents of football operations speak frequently to the media, but there has been a concerted effort to make sure you didn't get to hear much of him. Now, he had a half hour Zoom call today with the media. It was thrilling. And I did go to an event a few weeks back where he was there with Bill O'Brien. Church service? No, it was a Come have a couple of beverages

And let's talk about the Texans It was a media-invited-only event Did you get drunk and yell at Bill? No, but Bill and I had a conversation Oh, that's good Because I say, and I'll try to paraphrase as best I can I said, Bill, pretend you're me Meaning medium person

Talks Show host Who talks to your fan base For 15 hours a week How would you justify trading your number one receiver, maybe one of the top two or three in the game, for what you got back in return. And then Lance kind of backed me up on that, and then Lance and Bill got after it for a while. And, you know, it was, I was glad I did it because I don't get a chance to talk to Bell.

I never get a chance to Bill O'Brien. Larger because of my time slot. Secondly, he's not coming on my show because we don't carry the games. And that's okay. I mean, it is what it is. We all play by those rules. But Easterby was also the this thing. And I came away listening to Jack Easterby

on this conversation we had with other members of the media thinking Jack Easterby is going to be a long-tenured Houston Texans employee. Why is that? Just a gut feel I have. I think he is going to have, he's going to gain more and more power as he learns more and more about his business. He was a chaplain.

Yes. He was a character coach, character coach, whatever those things mean, basically Mr. Positive. Yeah. So now he comes to Houston and he gets to go on the other side of the building, where he gets to help with front office moves, organizational charts, drafting, free agency, salary cap. Gang, I'm going to tell you this, and this is in all sincerity, Jack Easterby will be the most powerful member of the Houston Texans, not named McNair. I believe ultimately

Easterby will carry more power than the head coach. Now I know that Bill O'Brien is the head coach and the general manager. I believe the next head coach, the Texans, will not have that same responsibility. So now if Bill stays for five or six years or ten years and is successful, he'll be able to keep those responsibilities. But I believe if the next coach comes in, the next coach will be just a head coach

and the Jack Easterby will be the all-encompassing member of the team. Really? Doesn't mean it's the right decision? Just a gut feeling I have about what this guy can do when it comes to positive persuasion. And here he is talking today on the proximity and tracking devices that the players are using so they can trace the COVID. For each person, when they come in, they get their tracking device, and it's handed to them upon arrival. right after they test. And those devices keep tier one and tier two

really essential people to our operation. They keep them away from other people who may not be essential to our operation. If you get too close, they beep, which is really cool because it gives you an awareness of other people that may be around you. And also, if we do get a situation where we have an outbreak, we understand that it tracks who overlaps with who

so that we know specifically who we would have to quarantine. after quarantine. And what I need to do, maybe, Brandon, if you could help me out here, could you give us, and we'll maybe play this in the final hour of the show, give me a, give me one of the generic quotes. He's got a bunch of them that I'm trying to push my agenda of how powerful this guy's words are and how I think it's going to resonate with the ownership group of the team. I'll look back into it, but the one that really got me, he was asked about Deshaun

Watson's contract as well. Yeah. And he responded in about three minutes. and by the time I cut it down to like important information, it was like 14 seconds. Okay, so why don't you do this? Why don't you give us, we don't want three minutes of that because that's boring. Nobody would really want to play that and be entertained. Can you give me 60 seconds of it?

I'm sure. I'm sure. Just a little fashion generic 60 seconds. I'm sure I can do that. And again, Ross, I don't have any inside information on this. It's just a gut feel. Now, Brian T. listened to the whole thing. We'll ask Brian T. what he thought of Easterbie.

Okay. But he is the kind of, and I, I, I, I don't want to say he's clergy-like, but really he is kind of clergy-like. Yeah, isn't he? He was a chaplain. I would imagine he's married to Bill O'Brien. If Brian's out, he's out. I thought that four months ago. Now you think he's got his own thing going?

Yes. Interesting. Now, I'm not saying he's looking to move, Bill. Not at all. I'm just saying that I thought they were inseparable. I don't believe that now. I believe that Jack Asterby wants Bill O'Brien to be here for a very long period. at a time because Jack, because Bill was the one that

brought Jack here, in large part. I'm just saying I thought they were a package deal, and I don't believe they are today. Okay. 143 on Sports Talk 790. 713. Matter of fact, can you come back with that quote when we come back from the break here just to push that? May as well do it as we're doing it

here. We got Brian T at 2 o'clock anyway. 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-2-1-790 with a message here for improve my erection.com. Dr. Rorick and his wife, Doty, well, they're a great one-to combination, larger because they're married. And secondly, they run a very successful clinic on the west part of town. If you are having issues with erectile dysfunction, I'd like you to call Dr. Rorick and visit with his staff over at Improve Myerection.com. Their phone number is 281-4963355.

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We should we're talking about just in the last segment of the show, by the way. This is the Matt Thomas show. We thank you very much for listening. 713212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-790. Here is more on Jack Eusebee. Ross sent him up for us. All right, we got some,

Jack Eusteree be apparently talking about a whole lot of nothing, but some of it. No, that's not fair. We can't be that people. What? Because we can't say we didn't hear from you, Jack, and then rip the hell out on for talking. We just put him back in his cave. It's fine. Here he is on Deshaun Watson's contract. Well, I'll say this. Last year, coming into this culture from a different team, I was so blessed by learning from so many of the leaders who were already here, right? People who were successful in the locker room and were key contributors to this team and this franchise.

And he's certainly in that group, right? And he in so many ways is a leader for this. team and a leader for this city and a leader for this franchise. And so we're excited about the future of Deshaun and what he's done for us in the time, short time, he's been with us. And then where we're headed going forward with him playing quarterback. Okay. Is that clergy or is that politician? That was politician. That was straight up politician. I told you guys, I heard politician listening. That was, that sounded like he was running for office. It did. Yes, it did. And I think with that South Carolina

A little accent he's got going on. Twang. I think he went into the McNair office and he got a large campaign contribution. You think so? Yeah. I think he's being funded by the McNair family. Yeah. Okay.

But I'm surprised that him and O'Brien mesh so well. Is it because they got to know each other in New England? That's got to be their only reason, right? I would imagine, yeah. Because O'Brien is generally speaking. Well, B.O.B is generally boring. borish. So,

and he should be maybe the anti-boreish. He's, what would you say? Personalable. Yeah. I might like Jack more than like Bill. But the problem is Bill's running the football. I mean,

well, for the most part, running the football side. He's got two titles. He's one that got the headset on. I mean, Jack can pray all he wants and hit the guys on their shoulder pads

into their blue in the face. If you don't make catches, you don't make tackles, you don't get more than like two yards per carry, you can do all that you want. And I'm going to matter. Okay. All right, second cut.

Jack, Easterby on the hurdles from the coronavirus. Well, Mark, before I answer that question, let me take it away from this specific situation in sports. And let me just say a great lesson I've learned through this. You know, as we've begun to try to create an awesome atmosphere for our players here at the stadium, one of the things that's happened is I know personally I've been educated so much on health care, educated so much on all of the things that happen. and around the country and around the world to try to keep people safe.

I've spent so much time with doctors and with infectious control experts who've educated me about things that I honestly have never known about or didn't have an understanding completely about. About what? Whatever. I cut it because he goes on. Oh, okay. That was a very policy.

Before I answer that question, let me say this. That's a very politician thing to say. and then probably never answer the question. The question, by the way, was what did he learn? What kind of COVID hurdles had they had? And what have they learned from other leagues and hurdles they've had? Well, he's speaking to infectious disease professionals, apparently. Did he get Dr. Fauci on the horn?

No, he doesn't. No, not until he went to Super Bowl. Then Fauci were like, can I sing the national anthem at their first game? Or can I throw the honor? Can JJ Watt throw me a ball from the stands? Got to hit the button on the fireworks that could explode when the people come out? That's how you get people to go to Texans games during this, you know what? You're going to say it?

I almost said it. During this national pandemic or a global pandemic. Buy a ticket to a Texan game and JJ Waddle throw a football to you before the game starts. Oh, so everybody can get the virus? That sounds highly infectious. He's on the ground level. He's on the ground level, but what about all the people who are throwing the ball to? No, no.

you know you you get a nerve and you throw it up and you get to keep it yeah why don't we just all spit on a football and pass it around while we're at no just the you catch the football you go right home and say you put it in a glass case you say jj threw this to me in pregame okay if you're keeping it yeah all right so thank god i'm here to to level this out yeah he sounds like a politician yes do you think if we went to a johnna elway press conference in denver we would not hear some of the same rhetoric from the executive vice president or not like that no really this is this guy's a trained assassin it sounds like really on the microphone which you know one could argue that's what preachers are but anyways not for this show um well let's start i mean we got

we don't have time i was going to say let's play here's what i'm do i got bill we got that bill we got uh brian t smith at top of the hour let's play one more Easterby at 2.20. And then, what, the audience aside? Do they go, you know what? Refreshing? Because I can, from what I've heard off of Brian T. seen on his Twitter account, he came away very impressed today. Okay.

Very impressed. He's a good speaker. Yeah, absolutely. Well spoken. But that isn't the rule. The rule is what he's saying, is it genuine or is it running for office? He sounds to me like he's running for office. So we'll play it, and then we'll let the audience aside.

Which is fine. Whether or not. you're buying what the executive vice president of football operations is saying. Well, we've always asked the question, how does somebody go from character coach to this high level in the organization? I think we're getting to the taste of it. Okay. 155.

We continue the Matt Thomas show with Brian T at the top of the hour on 790. Is the Matt Thomas show. 2 o'clock sports talk 790. Believe it or not today, Ross, will be all things about what? Mavericks and Rockets? Sure. What are we doing on that? This is your main segment.

This is where Brian and I get to argue about something. What are you guys going to argue about? I don't know. You can stay here for a second. I want you to go. So, Brian, we are kind of debating about, we played a couple of Easterbee sound bites. It was very hard to make them short because he's got a lot to say, which is ironic because is this first time he's really ever spoken to the media.

did you find him to be now thoughtful certainly was there a little bit of clergy in him was there a little bit of politics in him or was that is just who the package is that jack easterby is as we speak here in 2020 all of the above okay and and and and if anyone expected anything different and i think there are some people on twitter who maybe did i don't pay attention to them i don't follow them i hear about these things uh they have no idea what they're talking about they don't know the texans they don't know the texans they don't know anything about Jack Easterby, and they just don't know what they're talking about. That is who he is. I'm not saying that's bad. I'm not saying that's good. That is who he is.

Every time that I've been around him, every time that I've heard him speak, you look at, you know, his interactions with Bill O'Brien, his interactions running that's helping to run the Texans, that is who he is. There is a lot of energy. He will mention blessed. He'll mention, you know, serving. He believes in those things. And I actually think that if you're out there on Twitter, which is, you know, 1% of 1% of the country, let alone the sports, in a sports fandom, and you're criticizing somebody for that, get a life.

Or you don't have a life, so you might want to try to get some type of life. What my thought was. That is who he is, Matt. Yeah, and that's this, today was the first on the interaction on the Zoom. I watched that. And then you and I, among some of the members of the media, saw him face to face with the first time. months ago. What I came away with it is I believe he is going to continue to gain more and more power once he knows his side of the football operations. I think being a character coach and a chaplain is

one thing for one organization and being around a guy like Bill Belichick, you're going to just soak up the things and how he runs a franchise. This is his baby now. And granted, we got Bill O'Brien's general manager, but I told this to Ross about 50 minutes ago. I don't know if you agree disagree. I think slowly but surely we will see Jack have a much more integral role as a player evaluator, as a salary cap person,

as a contra negotiator. And no one knows at this point, Bill, or I say, Brian, whether he's good at it or not, because I don't think he's done a lot of it in his life. Here's the thing. You make some very good points. And I'm not about to disagree

because, but this is important. Okay. And again, people just don't understand. Number one, he did not have to do that today. So normally, only in the NFL, now the assistant coaches will talk a little, but it doesn't really matter. The coordinators, you know, used to talk once a week. That's kind of changed a little, and I don't know how to be in the Zoom era, but they don't say anything. The only person in the NFL, Matt, that says anything are with two people. The head coach and the general manager, sometimes the owner, Cal has spoken a little more. He still hasn't ever done to sit down

with obedience. Bill O'Brien. is the head coach and the general manager. So think back to Gary Kubiak and Rick Smith. Think back to Bill O'Brien or Rick Smith. Rick Smith would only talk to us once a year, twice a year. You know, twice a year at most, the combine and the pre-draft process, and they were respectfully as canned, as cookie cutter, as, you know, non-political, political as they could humanly be.

They were absolutely worthless press conferences. Bill O'Brien is now the head coach and the general manager. So you're going to lose, you know, one of those opportunities to interview another person in the Texans. I actually think it's fantastic that Eastry even was willing to do this. It's been more than a year, about a year since he was hired. He had not spoken with the media. Cal McNair does not speak to the media. So much like I would say for the return of baseball or MLS or the NBA or the NFL, Matt,

something is better than nothing. And, you know, he was decently transparent, and he actually spoke at length. Did he say anything incredibly newsworthy? No, but you know what? It's Corona. Almost every question was about the coronavirus because that's what's important right now. Can they even keep this team healthy before they get on the field? Yeah.

Again, as I told the audience a half an hour ago, I can't be the person that says, where are you, Jack? Why can't we hear from you? And then we hear from you and all of a sudden becomes, well, this is useless. And again, it's not great for sound bites. What do people want to say that, hey, hey, this is what we're I'm thinking for Deshaun Watson's contract extension. These are the years of the average value.

You know, Laramie Tunsell is disappointing us or exciting us. You know, David Johnson, I don't know if that's going to work out. Let me really be weird. In a word, yes. Of course he's not going to think. Yes, what you just said is what people want. But that's on their hearing of the world. People are stupid.

Of course, any of that. Nobody does. And if they expect it, they should probably expect a little less out of life. All right. Let's get just more important things. We have debated this as well on the show today. Will the Major League Baseball season be finished out? This is a fun debate.

I don't know. Right? I mean, all we do is talk about the return of baseball and can they make it work and all the Astros issues. And, you know, on some level, Matt, breaking down Joe Kelly in the 96-mile-fass ball and when Jordan Alvarez going to show up and it's Justin Verlaine are going to pitch again. All that stuff is obviously very relevant.

and it's honestly, it's fun to get excited about it and break it down and talk about it, because that's what we normally do, but underneath everything is the undercurrent of positive coronavirus tests. And as long as that keeps going on and it affects multiple teams and a team is going a week without playing a game and a 60 game season, it feels like right now, and it changes every hour, not every day, it feels like at this moment, Matt, that they could still complete the 50-game season, but it's going to be so inauthentic. Not only is it 60 games, but if you're going to have teams that only play 50 games, 52 games, and everything's out of whack and they have to go to winning percentage, I mean, I'm sorry, even if the Astros win it. In 20, 30 years, no one's going to be,

look back and be like, man, that was one of the greatest seasons ever. Like, oh, what a special season. I mean, it seems like it's always on the verge of the season being canceled. Yeah, we were kind of joking about the fact that I, you you have asterix next to seasons. Mine would have been put up, aha, next to this, because this is becoming a joke. Right. That's what it is.

I mean, we got double headers being manufactured. We have... Seven innings, right, seven innings, double. I saw your tweet today about what, doing three... Five innings, yeah. Five innings triple headers. In 2020, increasingly, that's a great idea. This is what I think is going to happen.

In the official record book, baseball reference, the official record book, Major League Baseball, you go on ESPN, you see you on the World Series. it won't have an asterisk, it'll have a mask emoji by it. It'll be 2020, you know, Astros, Best Record in Baseball, 35 and 25, it'll have a mask by it. That's where we're at right now. All right.

Before I let you run, let's get to the Rockets. What do you want to see yourself from this team in the next eight seating games? Well, you know, the Eric Gordon issue is huge. I mean, look, I've said it for weeks now. Now, I'm incredible. I thought the NBA looked fantastic last night. Both games were close. They were very watchable.

A little floppy play, but again, like used to be, what do you expect? They've been off for four and a half months. I think it looks great on television. It's very watchable. It's exciting. I think in some ways it's better than a normal broadcast because you're not, you don't have all the arena distractions and it doesn't feel so distant. It feels very up close.

With the rocket specifically, they've been so inconsistent all season. and they can talk championship, but if you're going to go small ball and you're still putting your chemistry back together, and Russell Westbrook and James Harden have played together four and a half months, I see all the potential. I'm excited overall to have them back. If this team does it, they're going to be an incredible story, but they haven't been consistent all season, and now you're going to take Eric Gordon out again. So I think the Rockets match at these seating games, and I heard Clanton and Wex talking about this yesterday, I mean, part of it is just about survival.

Part of it is, you know, you try to get the right match up, you don't have home court advantage. You don't want to lose anybody else, and you want to be clicking as much as possible in the playoffs, not against Milwaukee on Sunday night. Let me ask you this. We had Jonathan Fagan on the first hour. He had an answer to see if you guys match.

Who do you want to avoid the longest? Avoid a matchup with the Lakers or avoid a matchup with the Clippers? Yeah, that's fun. See, this is why it's the night to have sports coming back. I want to say the Lakers because of Davis and LeBron and because of their height and they're the Lakers and technically they're the best team in the Western Conference technically just by the record alone and it is LeBron James. I'm going to say the Clippers and I don't care about how they've matched up this far on the regular season. I don't care about records, anything like that. If the Clippers, and it's a huge issue because they've really done it this season, but if the Clippers are healthy and they stay away from Magic Scy.

and they don't have guys disappearing. If they're healthy, that is the deepest team in the NBA. It could be the best defensive team in the NBA. It could be one of the best offensive players. And oh, yeah, they have Kauai Leonard, who in the playoffs the last few years has been the biggest assassin in the NBA. I'll never fully trust, no offense. I'll never fully trust Doc Rivers as a coach until he wins a title,

you know, post-Boston. I'll never fully trust him. He's had too many blown playoff runs. but the clippers, if they are healthy and they stay away from Magic City, they're scarier to me from the Rockets and the Lakers on. Yeah, they're scarier, they're deeper. And if Fagan's like, well, wait, you don't use 10 guys in a playoffs. But if you have nine guys, I mean, if you've got Lou Williams

and you've got Montres Herald combining for about, I don't know, 28 points off the bench per game, I don't care how many DPR, what kind of burst that is for that squad. That's what scares me. The problem is, and I talked to him about this earlier, there's something about them that chemistry, mentally, something just doesn't mesh where LeBron, say what you all about who he is and what he says,

can take a guy like last night, the kid from A&M, Alex Caruso. Caruso. And he gets the absolute best out of Alex Caruso, has a huge steal in the fourth quarter of the game of that last night, and makes that Laker team. team pick up a huge first night win. Yeah, and here's the thing with the Lakers and Clippers.

I know LeBron, we all know LeBron can do that. You know, he did it with bad Cavaliers teams. He's done it. He's the second-gradeest player all time. Kauai has done it in other situations. But Toronto was his team. The Spurs became his team. I agree with you, Matt.

That's the thing. It's just a huge if. And we've been saying if with the Clippers all season, they should become the best team in the West. They will become the best team in the West. It's still an if from them eight games before the play. off start. So I don't know. And I don't know about their chemistry. And I don't know with the hierarchy. And I've never fully trusted Paul George. You know, I still don't trust Paul George in the Western Conference finals, the NBA finals, to close it down and be the best player on the court because

that's what you have to be. That decides championships that you're either Hardin or LeBron James. And there's only one guy. There's only one team wins up on top every year. So the rockets are a huge question mark. A lot of potential. Clippers, tremendous question mark with a tremendous amount of potential. Well, leave it that. Have a great weekend. Enjoy all the sports. I look forward to reading you on Houston Chronicle.com, my friend. Thanks for the time as always.

Same to everyone else, and thanks for having me on. You got it. Brian T. A Friday visitor on the Matt Thomas show and always bringing the good, strong opinions. Time is 213. We are 38 minutes away, Ross, and believe it or not, we're giving away a little sample here? Oh, we could. Sure, why not?

Yeah, it's going to be Mavericks and Rockets players. Okay. They're in the opener tonight. And what's our sample? Let's go with, in 2011, Austin Rivers won the McDonald's All-American three-point contest. Believe it or not. I'm going to say it's to believe it.

Not. He was an McDonald's All-American, but the three-point contest was won by former Rocket Great, Kyle Wilcher. Kyle Wilcher out three-pointed Austin River? Correct. Okay. So when that question gets brought up, the answer is not.

They get bonus points for saying Kyle Wolter's name? No. Probably not. All right. 713-212-5-7-90. 7-1-3-21-2-5. 7-9. We've got, what, 40 minutes left to go on this show today?

What do you want to talk about? We got Texans speak. We have MLB with the C. We have conference schedules being announced. We have the NBA return. We had NBA games last night. We have the Rockets in their future. Anything is fair game in the next 35 minutes.

713-212-790. 7-1-3-212-5-790. Back to Matt Thomas. Drives this date to left-center field. This is Sports Talk 790. Home of Astros baseball. I can't hear you, Matt. How about now?

There you go. Much better? Okay. This is radio. You've got to turn a mic on. Yeah, well, we don't have a lot. like a little light over here on this microphone. All right.

218 on Sports Talk 790. It is the Matt Thomas show. It's an anything goes Friday. Anything goes Friday. I'm going to give you a non-sportsy thing really fast. Wonderful. Apparently, the Ellen DeGeneres does not like to run a very nice operation there on her old TV show. We had heard whispers for years that she was just very...

I want to hear this. I can't say that word on air. I'll say this and I'll be very delicate. She comes across as a mega bitch. Yes, that's even softer than what I was going to say. Well, yeah, we're not going to go much deeper than that. Yeah. Point being is that I'm going to read a lot about this when I get home.

Oh, really? Why? I've not read any of it yet. Does you not like Ellen? No, I just think this happens a lot. I don't think Steve Harvey's a particularly nice person. Ooh. Okay.

I believe that. Remember that article? Remember that letter where he wrote about, you can't talk to me and all that? Yes. He didn't deny, didn't do it, not doing that. Yeah. That was just,

nobody even mentioned me. Why had these talk show hosts become these people? I don't know. Do you think Oprah turned out, was that kind of person? I bet you there were several layers before you got to talk to Oprah. Yeah. Someday I'll write the behind-the-scenes story of the Matt Thomas show.

Go ahead and write the first chapter. We got plenty of time. I'll bring all the darkness of delight. Just kidding. It's a pleasure. Working on the Matt Thomas show. It is what it is. We are who we are.

713, 212, 5, 790. But man, I really don't anything about it. I don't either. I saw that she was trending and I saw that some producers say it was a horrible place to work and she's terrible to work with. That's a lot of people in show business. Let me give you quickly five people. Okay. Brendan, you jump on this real fast.

I guess that's explain. I want to put people in that similar group. You think Jimmy Fallon is a good person to work for? I think he's okay. Yes. I think he's too nice. Yes. Now, Jimmy Kimmel?

Jimmy Kimmel. I bet he chews some ass and stuff like that. I bet he feels like a taskmaster. Jimmy? What do you say? I'm on his side as well. All right. I was on Jimmy Kimball a couple of years ago.

Yes. And met up with his executive producer and met with some of his staff. They were all really, really nice. How was Jimmy, though? Shook his hand, talked to him a couple minutes. Okay. but by no means could I possibly come up with an explanation of whether he's good or not. I do have an open invite to go to the Jimmy Kennel show next time we're in Los Angeles,

whenever that's going to be and whenever he's going to be doing. Who do you contact about that? I have a bunch of business cards. Are they going to remember you? I would hope so. Yeah, I mean, when you take on Ted Cruz in a basketball game, I would think that, and I was the announcer for that, that they have. That was some sad basketball.

Oh, it's just atrocious. Okay. Who else in late night? Jay Leno? Was he all right? We're going to go past tense? Sure. I don't know.

I don't know who's on now. James Corden? Is he cool? James Corden. James Corden? I want to be friends with James Corden. You do? Yeah.

He's British. Doesn't matter. Eats a lot. That helps. The carpool karaoke is really good, but by the way, I should tell you he doesn't drive him. Yeah. I know it's a terrible secret. It's fine.

You can't have him driving. You think James Corden is a good guy to work for, yes or no? I will say yes. What do you say? Well, Bren, Bren,'s on the phone. That's fine. I'll say yes. Who else?

In the late night genre. Stephen Colbert. I bet Stephen Colbert is fun. If you are a Republican, he's going to fire you. He is the most liberal late night host I have ever heard in my life. And I still watch him because I know I don't like politics. But it is the most interesting show available. It's a half hour of Trump bashing.

Yes. Followed by Drew Barrymore. I loved him on The Daily Show. I thought he was brilliant in the Colbert Report. I don't really like his night show. It's too... He's got too much free reign. He is...

I think he's brilliant, by the way. He's uberly vicious towards Trump. Yeah. I think he's super smart and brilliant and a fun guy, but I just don't like his... I don't like this format of his show. When it was more satirical and fun in the Colbert Report, that was amazing.

I loved that. I never watched it. But I watch his... I flip all the different ones. I like him because he has the best guest. Yes. I just don't know if I will... I don't want to get into 30 minutes of President Chabash.

What is his late night? He just called Late Show. The Late Show. He took over for a lot of minute at Sullivan Theater. I can't keep track of what these are called. All right. Let's do one more. Who else?

Conan O'Brien is not working, right? No, he's on TBS. Okay. Mixed. Ooh. I think Conan's a pleasure to work for. I think he's a what side did he wake up on the bed? Okay.

Well, what side does his hair wake up? That too. Pop up? Because remember, he was, he took over for Leno. I mean, how do you... Well, and then Leno was like, hey, yeah, I'm going to come back. Yeah, I'm going to come back and replace you, and I'm going to bump you. And then I'm going to bump you so bad, you're going to go into TBS where no one watches you.

Yeah, but I think he's humbled a little bit. He got millions of dollars to go away. How about this? Bill Maher. Do you think Bill Maher's a good guy to work for? Oh, hell no. I think Bill Maher, no, he's an a hole. You can tell. Yeah.

But I like his shows. I liked politically incorrect, and I like his night show. It's only on once a week, but... Yeah, I don't really watch Bill. Marmuch. I'm sure he's horrible. I would say he's probably number one worst that we mentioned. But Ellen to us comes to zero surprise.

Okay. Right? Don't you think? No, not really. I can see it. I could see her being a in the words of Matt Thomas, a mega bitch. I have a crush on her girlfriend, by the way. Portia de Rossi? Oh, love her. Well, I thought they got married. Whatever, whatever they are.

I love her. Well, she, I liked her on Arrested Development. She was fantastic on Alan McBeal way back in the day. Her face is pretty mutilated right now, though. Oh, really? That's not a very nice thing to say. Well, I'm sorry. Let me go take a look at a recent photo.

Don't shake your head at me, Brendan. Am I wrong? What was the word you used? Mutilated. That's not even, that's one of the worst things you've ever said something to anybody. I don't think you could describe anybody in a neither way. She had a lot of work done. I'm sorry, and she looks grotesque.

I'm sorry. Portia to Rossi 2020. Go ahead. No. Where do you see the mutilation? She looks terrific. Well, I mean, these are photos. I don't know if these are 10-year-old photos or not.

Yeah, back in the day, yeah, I was a big fan. I think she's got to have way too much work done. All right, let's talk some rockets. Gerard on 790 at 225. Hi, Gerard. Hey, how's it going, guys? Good. Okay.

Hey, quick things, he's talking about talk shows. Let me ask you guys something. You guys like the Greg Duffield Show on Fox. I've never seen it. Greg, who what? Oh, okay. Greg Gutfiel, he got a show. I think come on Fox on Saturday night.

That's one of you guys. I have never heard of it. Yeah, never heard of it. That's one of Trump's favorite shows. I was just curious about that. But quick thing on the Rockets. This is put up a showup season for the Rockets, man, I think, man. You don't have the Golden State Warriors juggernaut this year to go against.

You know, you got some teams out there that are good, but I don't think they're on the level of Gold State was when they had Durant, you know, Kerry, Thompson, and Draymore and Green. So, Rockers got to get it going, man. I think, to me right now, I think they're the second best team in the West behind the Clippers. I think the Clippers are probably the most difficult matchup to perfect that they have the defensive perimeter guys that they match up with our perimeter guys and Paul George, Colise Leonard, and Patrick Bellew, to match up with Hard and Westbrook and Eric Gordon. So I think that would be the toughest matchup for us. So we can get to that fourth or fifth seed. I think that would be key for us.

If we get out the first round, we can match up with the Lakers, which I think is a better matchup for us than the Clippers. You rather see the Clippers in the third round when they have a little bit more wear and tear. You know, Coislanda Athletic knees have been through some wars and stuff like that. You have a better chance of, you know, matching up with the Clippers, I think, in the Western Conference Finals. Then if you have to meet up with those guys earlier than that. So I think that's the key for the Rockers in these last eight seeding games. And again, the key is Eric Gordon, man.

You know what you're going to get out of Westbrook and Harden? Ed Gordon is the key. I know he's hurt right now. I hope we get them back quick, but he's got to be that third option for us, a consistent third option. That in defensive rebound, we can't get murdered on the glass on the offensive rebound, giving the team second chances. If we can kind of hold our own, which is like what I've seen in these three

scrimmage games, we haven't been getting beat on the boards. been, you know, pretty much even. I said the last game, we were pretty much even with the last game we played. So we just can kind of hold our own on on the boards. I think the Rockers have a good chance, man. They got to make it happen, man. There's no Golden State this year. You know, you got the clippers, I think, is our toughest match, you.

But even them, they're not Golden State where it was when they were winning championships. So we've got to make it happen, man. I think it's down, you know, again, goes down to those three guys, man, Harding, Westbrook and Eric Gordon. And let's play ball, man. I'm excited about the game night against Dallas. All right. You'll have it on our sister station, News Radio 740, KTRH.

Gerrado will be calling you tonight, say around 11 o'clock or so. News Radio 740, KTRH, the first Rockets wrap of the season on our sister station, the blowtorch. Yeah, 50,000 watts of you, me, and Wes. You can catch us like, I think in Mexico City you can pick it up. I've caught it all over the place. Me too. Yeah, so it's good. So again, rockets over on 740 at 8.

Astros at 8 right here on 790. 2.28 is our time. Half hour left to go. it as anything goes Friday. 713, 212. I'm going to look congested there. 713, 212.1, 790. 719. Believe it or not, coming up in 20, right here on Sports Talk 790. We are former players.

We are lifelong fans. And we're your home for your voice. Houston's going to have their voice with heard today. Sports Talk 790. Your most complete lineup in Houston Sports. 232 on the Matt Thomas show. 321257.9. We'll resume Fantasy 5 when things slowdown

sports-wise, but Rossi, can you name the last time the Astros and the Rockets played in the exact same night? It's got to be what early May? Last Friday. It was a scrimmage of. No, that's not true. Yeah, yeah.

October... Yeah, there was an NBA regular season game against it with a World Series. Matter of fact, oh, I know when it was. I was in Washington doing Rockets Wizards. Was that the 159 to 158? Yes, the Rockets won that game. I was in D.C.

Opposite game seven of Astros Nationals. It was a game seven or game six? I can't recall. It was one of them because as soon as the game was over with, the Jumbo Tron at the Capital One Arena put the game on. I mean, as soon like, that's right. Wizards lose and boom.

Here we go. It was either six or seven. I don't remember which one it was. But that's exactly what it was. So that's the last time we're talking late October, the same teams playing in a real game. It's been a while. I was supposed to start pretty much in March.

Let me ask you this. And we got a phone call to get to. I'm doing a lot of advanced Google searching because, you know, me, I like to have my schedule, my life set up four to five months in advance. And I'm very much the opposite. Yeah. When is the next NBA season going to start?

December. In a bubble. Michelle Roberts. They don't want bubbles. Michelle Roberts, the Players Association chief, not the player, like Chris Paul. I'm sure I wear a headdress? The executive director of the Players Association. I got to be careful with my words around you because you just, you just golf in a different tangent,

says that this bubble is working. It is. Everybody's testing negative. Yeah, it's working. But how do you guys put 30 teams in a bubble for an infinite amount of period of time? Do you say until the All-Star break? And then after the All-Star break,

if everything's kosher, we go back? I don't know. Because the owners don't want it. The owners are losing. It's costing the money. $150 million for just this to three-month-month- The test and the security and renting out the Disney World Resorts and the food and all that stuff. Yeah.

They said they can't do it, I believe. It's what they came out and said. Financially, they cannot do it. They will ask the players to take a sizable pay cut. Oh, like a bubble tax. Like a... We're going to take 20% of your salary so we can fund this bubble. You laugh.

Why wouldn't you exactly put it that way? No, I'm so saying. Yeah. 30 teams in a bubble, infinite period of time. time. Let's say you said all-star break. What am I saying? You said infinite, but... Oh, no. Well, maybe it is infinite. I may not be wrong. Indefinite is what I meant to say. That Ross, you'd have guys breaking protocol constantly. They would lose their minds. You cannot have for a full season. Are they going to play a full 82? No, I think, let's go back to what you originally said. Do you take it to the all-star break,

which would be roughly, maybe even, maybe you have an early all-star break after, say, Generally, it's around 50 games. Well, generally, normally the All-Star break is like 50-something games. Right. I would say you go earlier. If you had to commit half the season, Rossi, we're talking about eight plus three. It's 11 plus money. These teams are going bye-bye.

Six teams go bye-bye in two weeks. So it's a smaller camp. Oh, this, no. The NBA would be smart to delay the season next year and push, then try to say, oh, this bubble is so. cool, let's try this for 30 teams as compared to 22. Louis Williams is all over the place.

Getting delicious. Lou Williams has to go get his wings. Lou Will, what is it? Lemon pepper barbecue or whatever. Whatever it is. They're so damn good. It costs them two weeks. Manuel, and California, 27, Manuel, what's a good word? Hey, Matt. How are you guys doing?

We're great. Thank you. All right. All right. I got a couple points to make, first actually, I don't want to tell you another reason why Joe Kelly is a biotch. Okay. I might not be an Astros. I might not be an Astros family, but this is one thing I don't get. Why would he throw at somebody's head when the unwritten rules of baseball, which I know a lot of people don't like, but why wouldn't he just, like, put one in his rib cage all his thigh? Like, I mean, I know it's not great, but I mean, throwing at somebody's head, yeah, what if that ball would have really slipped and Powell hit a little. right on the side of the head or something and something about what had happened.

I don't understand that. There's actually Dodger fans are mad that he didn't even hit nobody that he actually just threw by their heads and he didn't hit nobody out here. It's crazy. They're actually mad at him now, some of them. Well, I mean, that just shows you that maybe the Dodger fan is even worse than even Yankee fan. I mean, we like to rip on Yankee fan, but maybe Dodger fan's a bigger D at the end of the day. For sure.

But also, I have a real quick. thing about the Rockets, man. I'm just so hyped over the Rockets tonight. Good. Well, I'm telling you, I am too. I can't believe it's been since Martins have called a game, and I'm very, very excited, and I just hope this is all worth it.

It's almost been five months. I mean, it's been a long time, but I know that Gordon's hurting, that sucks, but I really love this team. I like the way that we're coming together, and I'll tell you, the X-factor, somebody who messed up last year that has a real chance to make his mark in the NBA,

is Daniel House. If Daniel House actually shows up to this whole little eight games and going into the playoffs, that could be huge when Gordon comes back. Usually Gordon, they say me Gordon should be back in a couple of weeks when the playoffs start. Right. And then if he's coming up and he's hitting his threes and he's playing D and he's got like confidence going, he could be the big X factor. I mean, Arthur Rivers will jump in and then Carol also, but I think Daniel House can be the huge X-Factor.

I think House is, yeah, way more than McLemore. I think way more than Jeff Green. I think Daniel House because not only do, well, I think he's got the ability to do a little bit more than those other cute guys. And thank you, Manuel, for the phone call. He's also maybe get the opportunity to play starters' minutes. And defensively, he's athletically the best of that group. Right? I agree.

Daniel House is, I mean, I think, I was looking at his perimeter defense during the, during the scrimmage. And that's one of the things we talked to Mike Dantonie about him getting acclimating. getting more comfortable and, you know, he got on the doghouse last year and all that type of stuff. I think he can definitely be an... He's somebody who needs to step up, and he's definitely somebody who needs to be an asset for this team. And he can do it. All right. Let's go to Eddie and Cyprus at 240 on 7-0.

Hi, Eddie. Hey, buddy. I was going to talk to you guys about this Joe Kelly guy. It kind of reminds you of the guy from the band of spares on the Yankees, I guess, who was thrown at Engelberg. He kind of got the same glasses. the same hairstyle, that same look in his eye, like he's after somebody. No? Who?

Who? Who's Engelberg? The guy on the Yankees, he's on the Kitsy, on the Bad News Bears. He's going to hit Engelberg. Yeah, I have not seen that movie in 30 years. I haven't seen this as a kid either. You know what? That's actually my fault. I should have had this reference down a lot sooner.

It's the guy. All right, Ross, go look it up during the break. I'm looking up at Engelberg. Engelberg gets hit. Okay. No, he tries to hit him. He tries to beat him, and his dad steps the crap out of him. We're trying to hit him.

So we need Joe Kelly's dad that hit the crap out of him, is what we're trying to say. Joe Kelly, Sr. Yeah. Eddie, let me tell you something. I promise I'll look this up this weekend. Call me back on Monday, and I will give you the proper credit you deserve. Right now, I just don't have it in my brain. You're going to watch Bad News Bears?

Duh. Okay. Okay, but thank you. Thank you, Eddie. See, some movies I do have a great recollection of that, I just don't. I remember Walter Mathau being the coach. Yeah.

And, and, um, there was a tall, skinny kid. Bob Watson screaming, let them play. I saw it at the Astrodome. I saw it as a child. I don't think I've seen that movie in 25 years, 20 years. Why?

It's got to, yeah, it's probably been on MLB Network, so it's probably our fault. It really is. MLB Network. And there'll be networks. By the way, stop playing Bull Durham every day. We get it. It's a great movie.

A league of their own. It's one of my all-time favorites. But if I haven't seen Bull Durham yet, then I'm not a baseball fan and I don't appreciate good baseball movies. Yeah, but I mean, that is very bizarre that they just run baseball movies during the off season. And all right. I have some major Monday night meeting news when we come back. Plus, believe it or not, 242 on 790. The Matt Thomas.

Show. Back to it. On Sports Talk 790. Home of the Stroes. All right, here's our big news. Before we get a couple of phone calls in, we'll get to believe it or not. Our final Monday night meeting for a while, because look, we've got so many games going on. We don't have a chance to do Monday night meetings.

Does this song ring a bell to any, either one of you? Because it better because you're both involved on Monday night. We had so much fun playing match game that we're going to play the way. weakest link on 790. What we're going to do is we're going to put as many of our Gibronies, Andy Clues already said he can't come because he never goes to our meetings. He's not a real team player.

He's got something called a birthday that he's going to go out with dinner with his family. My guess is every time we have a 790 meeting, he's got a birthday. So all of the hosts except me are going to be on a screen. Well, I'm not heard from a couple actually. So I can't tell you who's not going to be there. But most of our 790 hosts are going to be there. and I'm going to ask random tribute questions for three or four minutes at a time. And then at the end of those segments, we're going to eliminate one person from each round.

So we're going to try to figure out who is the 790 weakest link. It might be me. Get off earlier? Can I? Is it over soon if I get eliminated first? You want to be the last one on there. It depends on what I got going on that night. I know your social schedule.

You ain't doing that much. Yeah, you're right. I'm not doing anything. 8 o'clock. Games to watch or something. Facebook.com slash sports talk 790. It is going to be the 790 edition of the week's link. Are you going to say that?

Goodbye. Oh, jeez. Oh, I'm doing all that. Are you going to do it all in a British accent? I'm going to dye my hair red and wear like a real long pants suit. Yeah, that lady was weird. By the way, you know, it's coming back. And you have to make fun of it.

When people give stupid answers, you've got to make fun of them. That's why people watch that show because she would just crush everybody who gave I get a free reign to crush you guys. And again, I'm not going to make them very difficult questions. If you don't get them right, it's because you really don't know sports trivia. Okay. Then I should be fine. So far confirmed.

You, Brendan's going to make an appearance, his first ever appearance. Okay. Wex, Clinton, Sager, Connor, and Joe George. So we have seven. I have not heard from Sean. And so far, Andy's got a quote-unquote birthday. I don't believe it, but it is what he is. Do you think he's lying?

No, Andy would want to be on. He's not doing anything. So, 790's weakest link Monday night, 8 o'clock on Facebook live. Can't wait. It's going to be funny. We had a good time of a match game, so.

And while we're plugging things, let's see. You have the launch pad, 7 o'clock, 740. Michael Connor will be here at 7 o'clock for the Astros on Deck Show. Correct. Nightcap 6 o'clock. Yep. Sports RV show tomorrow, it's in noon. Let's see.

I'm doing Astros tomorrow night. Yeah, that's fine. Wait a minute. Why do I get the... It's fine. And Matt Thomas. If you want to hear somebody who's been doing these post-game shows for years. Yeah, me.

The definitive Astros post-game show, the 10th inning show with Matt Thomas Saturday. Wex and Clinton haven't worked a full hour this week. Yeah, that would be okay. And I'm putting in a Saturday shift. We appreciate you, Matt. You're welcome. Dante on 790 before, believe it or not. Dante, what's the good word?

what's happening in M.T. Ross, man. It's hard being an knowledge of the Pelicans fan, man. We just made 15 minutes last night. We would have won the game, man. I don't understand why they're being helicopter parents to my boy. Let the man play. Dante, I got terrible news for you. You're not going to want to hear this.

The Pelicans. The Pelicans don't want to make the playoffs. I know. I taught being a fan when you're your own team. don't want to even win. I'm the last I heart fan left, man. I've got, you know, I know I call yesterday. I had to get some of my sauce today, man.

Come on, man. They don't want to make it. You can't handle the truth. Your team's not going to the playoffs. All right, man. I talk, hey, see you later. All right, buddy, have a good week. I told you how much we like Brandon Ingram.

They got talent. It's good. Yes. You know what to help that talent? Well, I guess is there going to be a draft? A lottery pick. They're going to have, yeah, the lottery's going to happen. And there'll be a job.

draft, like right after the season. We're going to get all, we're going to get draft for agency done in like three days. Well, lottery pick would help out their young talent base. You think Anthony Davis is leaving the Lakers? No. Why would he do that? There's no reason to. It's a destination franchise.

You'd be like somebody saying, you know, well, I'm going to go somewhere else and then I think I'll go back to where you were. You know what I'm saying? That's kind of always looking for the next great deal. It happens. How often? LeBron James hopped around. That's true.

Who else? Kevin Durant, Dunder. Do people do it in normal society? To Brooklyn? There are people who hop jobs a lot. Really? Like salespeople. Salespeople typically, like go ask a radio salesperson, how many jobs they've had.

They can run off like nine stations. That's true. People bounce around sometimes. They get better offers. They get let go. It happens. It's a combination of things. But you've been here for 10 plus years.

I've been here 11. Damn. Five minutes left to go on the show. show. What should we do? Monday through Thursday, we play me. Leaving it on Friday's we play a hell yeah, Arnaud, and here's how it works. You'll call 713212-5-790. 7-1-3-1-2-5-7-90 to play America's fastest growing sports game show.

We simply call it this. Hell yeah! Or not. You'll call 7-1-3-2-1-2-5-7-90. Today's edition of Hale-Ear and out is brought to you by Woodhouse Day Spouse, printout your gift card for the gift of Rhee. taxation at Houston Woodhouse Spas.com. Categories about players that are playing in tonight's Mavericks Rockets game.

I'll read your statement about one of those two players. Statements completely and utterly accurate. You'll say this. Hell yeah! Your statement's erroneous full of bunk and made up. You will say this. Not two. Hell yeah, nots in a row.

Win your prize. Rocks. What's the prize? Matt, we've got $25 gift cards to Mombos. Seafood locations all over town, delicious shrimp fried rice, and other items. It's Mamo Nifico. Did you make that up?

It's Mabo seafood. What? Did you make up the shrimp fried rice thing? No. You've eaten there before? No. Oh, it's delicious. Sounds delicious.

It's great. A little garlic on it or lemon? Yeah, I'd love to. So here's the thing. We don't want you to win today because then Ross and I can take one of those gift cards and go eat. I think I have some, actually. Even better. Let's play Hell, yeah or not.

Southwest J on 790. Ready to play, but hell yeah or not? Hell yeah. Luca Dachich is fluent in Slovenian, Serbian, English, and Spanish. Hell yeah or not? Hell yeah. Before we go any further, why are you Southwest, Jay? Southwood Southwest.

Okay. That means seems to make sense. It makes sense. Statement number two for the win. Daniel House Jr. has a brother named Daniel House the 3rd. Hell yeah or not. Not. Oh.

Hell yeah. I hate to tell you this, but Northeast Jay would have known that. I'm even pretty sure Central Jay would have known. 713, 212-5-790. Kyle on 7-90. Kyle, you're ready to play, hell, yeah or not? Hey, man, privileges always, buddy, go ahead.

In 2011, Austin Rivers won the McDonald's All-American three-point contest. Hell yeah, or not? Not. Yes. Kyle Wilcher won it. Statement number two for the win. When Michael Kid Gilchrest was with the Charlotte Bobcats,

he challenged 50-year-old Michael Jordan to a one-on-one game, and he lost it. Hell yeah, or not? That is a hell yeah. There you go. You got Mamo seafood, baby. Nice job. Jason on 790.

Jason, you're ready to play, hell yeah or not? Hell yeah. In the 2015 Pan Am games, J.J. Berea served as a player coach for the Puerto Rican national team. Hell yeah, or not? Statement number two for the win. Luke Baamute was born in a

I'm sorry, Ross. Luke Richard Baamutei. There we go. Was born in a village in Cameroon called BMSA, and his father was the chief of that village. Hell yeah, or not? Hell yeah.

That's a win. And we're out of prizes. And we have no prizes. So the issue is this. Paul, you get one correct answer. We'll give you a shout out. Paul, you with me? Paul?

Hell yeah. All right, if you get it right, you get to do a flat-out shout-out to anybody you want to. Here we go. Chris Taps for Zinkas is an avid gamer and frequently plays counterstrike, global offensive. Hell yeah, or not? Hell yeah. Hell yeah. All right.

Shout out means you get to say hi to anybody you want to. Just do it right now in front of hundreds of people listening in Houston. I would like to say hi to my lady, Miss Terry, and I hope she's having a good day. You know what? You're the sweet human being that we thought you were going to be. Thank you, friend, for playing. Hell, yeah, or not. We wish we had more prizes. But we're in a pandemic. Michael on 790, you ready to play, hell yeah or not?

He is not. He hung up. That is like, I don't care but the damn shout out. That's it. Hey, gang, get some rest, get a nap, and we get a busy night of sports. Astros here on 790. Wex and I on 740 for the Rockets and the hated Dallas Mavericks. Our coverage begins over there on 740. o'clock with Ross. Wex has a pregame at 730, and I'll have the call around 815.

Speaking of Wex, speaking of a clap, they are part of the A team, and they're up next right here on Sports Talk 790.