The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Rockets Fall to Blazers, Texans Start Prep For Steelers, Ime Udoka & Kevin Harlan Join the Show

Episode Date: January 8, 2026

Rockets Fall to Blazers, Texans Start Prep For Steelers, Ime Udoka & Kevin Harlan Join the Show

This is the Matt Thomas show with Ross. 10 o'clock in H-Town. Good morning, and welcome to a Thursday edition of the Matt Thomas show with Ross from Portland. This is Sports Talk 790. Take the points off the board. The Blazers win in 103. Oh, sports RV, so close. Yeah, so far away.

Basically, this song works. Any song about running out of time? Yes. I mean, there's a song called So Close. I mean, how many milliseconds was that late? It was late. It was a correct call. But it had.

hurt a couple of things there's a so close in the new what's the new series of movie the Disney movie that's got Ariana Grande in it it's Aladdin Aladdin yeah whatever that I'm making that up I don't know it's a song called I've never heard of it so I didn't really know care

are you talking about wicked yeah that's right that's not a Disney movie is it I mean it's from it's from the musical yeah I'm a big Ariana Grande fan by the Gordon can tell us it's a big wicked guy already loves that kind of stuff okay so a few things

I thought the first one was good I haven't checked the second one out yet I'll run it on DVD okay really HD DVD I could I could a red box again I didn't call a game winner

because I was nervous and I looked at it multiple times it was so strange Ross because literally the court is 94 feet half of it is 47 at the mid court strike

the left of me the 47 feet was like that's late it's over Portland is over there celebrating the right side of the 47 feet that I was looking at the rockets you had Josh Akogi and during Finney Smith and everybody hugging on Tari's and say man you did it you did it congratulations we win

and then I looked at the Jumbo Tron and I looked at the timer and the ball was still it hit zero and I could see the I think I could see the palm of Tarry's hand still in the basketball Yeah it was It was as close as it gets

As it gets And a loss to a team with a losing record again Not a bad team Not a bad team they're playing better But a team with a losing record And about half their roster hurt That's accurate And Denny Obdia

Who Most people in Houston in Texas have no really idea. They don't, but he's balling and he should be an all-star.

He's going to be an all-star. He is unbelievable. He's a 25-7-and-7 guy. There are three guys in the NBA that are 25, 7, and 7. He's one of the three.

And he gets the line. How many and ones did he have last night? I believe he is... I believe it was 27. He's in the free-roll line right now. I think he has 31-and-ones this year. I'm not kidding.

They're all. last night. Yeah, it felt like a lot of them. SGA was jealous of the number of times that Denny Abdi got at the free throw line. 13 of 15. Some of those were quite, frankly,

weak touch fouls, but that's the NBA. Tar Eason was asked about the difference in the game last night in the post-game locker room, and he said, the zebras. Ooh. That will be getting a fine by the National Basketball Association.

Why do we use that, by the NBA, they don't wear stripes? No, but that's just the, that's, everybody goes. It would be more like an in-mail B blue. What's going on, Blue? Now, the difference between what he said and getting fined and what he didn't say and getting not fine would have bet I have no comment on that. Well, I guess so. Can you criticize them or all?

They say, well, I didn't think we got a fair whistle. What if you say that? Is that wrong? That's... It feels like it should be above board. I mean, look, sometimes the calls don't go your way. That's a fact of the NBA. Right.

So I don't know, but yeah, going with the zebras is probably not great. He's wrong, though. The difference is they made their more three. They didn't shoot great from three, but they made, you went eight of 36. Yep. You know the Rockets are dead last in the NBA and three-point shooting in the month of January? No, it's only eight days. That feels right.

And also another difference would be the 21 points giving up off your 14 turnovers to just 15 from their 14 turnovers. Yeah. Look, Kevin was. amazing again last night, nearly the hero again, Tari was one-tenth of a second away from being the hero last night, so all the things we're talking about that haven't worked out well, could have easily turned, just like the kicker

in the Baltimore-Pittsburg game on Sunday night. Yeah, that was just frustrating. You miss out. Offensively, you miss Alpy. You miss Alpi, and I mean, they're just missing so many wide-open looks, and it was like the Dallas game where they get second, third, fourth, fifth chances, and can't

score. Have you seen the box score on the rebounding totals? I mean, it's going want to look. They had a million offensive rebounds it felt like, and they just couldn't capitalize on the second chance points. Yeah. To me, and we'll talk to E. May Adoka coming up at 1230 today, the three-point shot has just failed them, and it's not a team that

relied a lot on them, but it is a facet of the NBA. And when you were shooting at a 40% clip up until the last eight days or so, it was a part of your offense. And it wasn't like necessarily it was Alpi doing it, because Alpi's regressed in a three-point shot. It was just, I think,

think to me, and this is we'll get the thought on out from email about, you help me on this roster. Is it, I mean, first of all, Alperin creates better spacing. So it's going to give some guys some better looks than perhaps. And there wasn't like a whole lot of contested threes to begin with yesterday. And they had plenty of looks. Their baselines were there. The right angles, the left angles were there, the straight-on threes.

Sometimes he's going to knock them down. And I don't really know any other way to describe it. It's beyond that. Yeah. I mean, how many times you heard the phrase it's, a make or miss league and and they just missed they missed a bunch of wide open looks even Kevin Durant missed some wide open looks

Alperin Shingoon yeah he just he creates the spacing with his playmaking and his ability and his craft he doesn't necessarily stretch the floor because they even though he's shooting better from three this year actually no I didn't realize the numbers it tanked as hard as they had yeah they were not been good since last month but

even so it just gives you a scoring option and there's no back to the basket score he's a playmaker he he's a playmaker he he's a filmmaker Stephen Adams, who can pass here and there. He's just not Alpern Shingoon. Right. Yeah. I mean, it was a great game. It was a slog fest for about two and a half, three quarters.

It was ugly. I mean, this game was ugly. Thankfully, you got the game winner from Kevin Durr. It's been three ugly games in a row. But thankfully, you got the game winner on Monday, so you kind of forget about it. Right, right. So, needless to say,

Not, you know, little wrestles night here in Portland. And, yeah, the, oh, God, Denny Abdiya. I mean, I have nightmares of Denny. I mean, foul, foul. And I don't know. And again, you were talking about it being touched fouls, and there's certainly a great amount of that. But the ball's in his hands so much because, frankly,

there's nobody else with a Blazers that's a legitimate score. I mean, Shaden Sharp can score, and he's done a nice job over 20 points a game. But Shaden Sharp's not going to put the fear of God in you like Denny Abdiah does. No. And it's funny to say to a guy that scored 41 points, but I thought the Rock has did a fairly decent job of guarding him. He just made some tough buckets, and he's just really good.

He's really good, and he'll be a guy that you don't know about, and frankly, because Scoot Henderson, their very talented point guard has been hurt all year, you didn't know about him. He's having to run point. And he's not a point guard. They were a point guardless team yesterday. This guy and Caleb Blub came up the bench was pretty good, but he's the closest thing they have to a point guard right now.

I mean, Lillard's out for the year. Scoot Henderson hasn't played yet. I mean, I don't know how Portland is as competitive as they are, frankly. because they can't shoot, they turn the ball over as much as the rockets do, and they do get to the free throw line, and Obdi used that to his advantage, and they use it last night. Rockets didn't make their free throws either. That was another thing that hurt.

A man who was an 80-plus-percent free-throw shooter missed four three-throws last night. The little thing sports are, the little things. Yeah, free throws. The free throw, I didn't mention that. That's a good point. They added up. You missed nine of them. You lost by one.

Mm-hmm. Maybe I should go on a hike today. Maybe clear my head. You should. I mean, it's Oregon is. gorgeous you know what i'm gonna you know what i'm gonna let you finish the show off today um i gave you a couple of good guests okay i'm gonna go take a go take a hike yeah go go ahead actually literally go take a little like a literally go take a hike do you ever use

that phrase of people go take a hike i don't know it feels like a 90s or i don't think the kids are saying take a hike we can ask jonathan yourself what's that's what's my team that's my phrase is what is it go after yourself gf y yeah that's a good one GTF Yeah. That's the kids are using. This radio show today,

let me tell you something. We may not have a lot of listeners, but the few listeners we have, you're going to be entertained today between now and two o'clock. We have our season debut of I just don't get it at 1130. And it's about the,

mine's going to be about the service industry at a hotel. Hmm. Okay. Yeah. That's a good tease right there for 1130. Well, news at noon at 1230 e-May ad doca is going to drop by and say hello to us for a half an hour

or for our segment and then at one o'clock one of my all-time favorite broadcasters a would you say literally a hall of fame broadcaster kevin of course is going to join the show first ballot first ballot we've had in the last calendar year jim nance iron eagle kevin harling we get all the big ones are going to be on this show we don't put on some mbby pamby guest on we put on the big hitters so kevin harland's going to join us today at one o'clock here on the radio program and the occasional reliever from the astros well that's um you mean occasional i mean like the weekly if there's any show in the marketplace it's going to give you mid or livers it's going to be this one you'll get more middle reliever talk on this radio

show than any of their marketplace yes sir and heavy hitters like kevin harland and heavy hitters like kevin harland uh we got a national semifinal game tonight which i believe has zero buzz nationally if i could be wrong i didn't even realize i forgot it was tonight yeah i know I don't know. And then we've got a firing in the NFL. We'll get to and come back, and we have the Texans on the practice field for the first time this week,

getting ready for Monday night's game in Pittsburgh. 1013. It is the Matt Thomas Show at Ross. If you'd like to join us, you may do so at 713-212-5-7-90. 7-13-212-5-7-90. Please call in. We, 10 o'clockers. Hello.

Hello, are you out there? Come on, 10 o'clockers. Let's hear your voice about 10-clockers. Texans, Astros off-season. Rock is lost last night here in Portland. It's Sports Talk 790. 1019 on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. I'm here in Portland, Oregon.

The sun is out today, Sports Harvey. Get some vitamin D. Go out there. Get your vitamins, Maddie. Where should wear your sunscreen? I'm going for a walk after the show. Good. Portland really is a beautiful city.

It's just... a little off. What happened? There's just, it's a tough downtown. It's frankly a lot tougher than Houston's downtown. Houston's downtown is a ghost town. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. It's much more populated.

All right. Denny Avdia has now 378 free throws this year, Ross. Wow. I think the rockets have only shot 300 free throws total this year. I'm just kidding, but you get my point on this. right i do so tarry eason was asked last night on what makes denny obdia difficult to guard here is uh the response tarring the locker in the locker room last night it seemed like he was able to get like the traditional three-point play every time you guys got

with it one or two zebras zebras that's what made denny hard to defend i'm zebras zebras yeah is that $10,000 every time he says zebras? I don't know. Maybe he's talking about the African equines. Maybe he went to the Portland Zoo before the game today. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. You never know that.

He's got a great zoo here. Do they? That's what he's got to say. If Tari, I'm assuming Tari is sleeping right now because it's 820 in the morning here in Pacific, if you once come on the show and say, hey, Matt, I just want to let you know that I was talking about Denny Obdea's affinity for the Portland Zoo and how those zebras help him out. They are beautiful creatures, Matt. They are beautiful.

But yeah, I don't think he was talking about the zebras at the zoo. I don't think so either. It is funny, though. I have not heard the term zebras for basketball. You were, to your point, you were right. They're not, did it. College basketball guys were stripes. But the NBA hasn't worn stripes. I don't think in my entire life. He's hearkening back to his LSU days. Yeah, he is.

The pride of LSU. All right. 71321. 2-5-790 7-1-3-212-5-7-90 is that honey is that who it is I have a feeling that's not the person honey yeah what's wrong with that I've never had a honey before honey on the Matt Thomas show of Ross honey good morning you're more man Ross how y'all doing good what is your where's your name from I'm curious uh strong it's Arabic from my parents are from Jordan oh excellent well thank you for being the first honey I've ever talk to my entire life.

I appreciate it. I think I called it back years ago, but it's been a while, but a quick question for y'all and I'll hang up. And I'm sure y'all saw that Trey Young trade last night. I was thinking if the Hawks buyout CJ, you think that'll be a great

fit? And if not, if they don't buy them out, maybe give up max two second round picks. They're not training for C.J. McCollum. I just I get the sense. Now, again, everybody can change their tune. But, and it's only a vibe, and I can only speak to a vibe.

But the vibe ross to me is I think they're going to stand back. I don't think they can't afford. We have to remember they can't afford anybody. C.J. McCollum's making big money. What's he making? I'm going to imagine at least. Well, he was saying if the hawks buy them out. Oh, then you go to the hawks.

I don't know why they get rid of them. I mean, he's a vet. It's even hard to get to vet to vet. minimum that's where the rockets are yeah he's a 10 plus year vet right or close oh absolutely yeah yeah 13 years he's got yeah i don't and if you're atlanta you still think you got a shot in the in the east is wide open it just is now if they move from porzingis and they move some other players i kind of get it but uh and look i i think i'm going down a rabbit hole i don't want to go through but uh we'll check the NBA eastern conference standings where the

Atlanta Hawks are in the eighth seed. They got a shot to get to the top six. They're only three and a half out. I wouldn't do it. I found them I wouldn't do it. Here's the reality, Ross. And I understand there are the Rockets fans. And this is people that have gone on Twitter and people that have called the show on occasion.

They want an extra point guard. And whether they're just not sold on a men doing it for 38 minutes, whether they're not sold on Reed Shepard. Reed, frankly, doesn't do a tremendous amount of ball handling. When, when, I mean, he does some, obviously. Yeah, in his playmaking, yeah, it's okay. See, he's just, you know, he's not a floor general. No.

It would have to take, again, a pretty seismic trade, trading salary for salary, and I just don't see. And again, I think if you were to make a move, And again, I'm just pure conjecture. You'd have to probably move a capella, which you could. I mean, it is replaceable. But that's not going to take care of a lot of money. You'd have to probably move Fred Van Ville.

And that would be to somebody that would want Fred. And I believe Fred's got a no trade his fault. Part of his two. He also makes a good chunk of change. Yeah, he makes a lot of money, and his ACL is torn. And he's got, as you said, another year in a deal. He's a player option, 25 million. Yeah.

Which isn't crazy for an NBA starting point guard, but, you know. I guess they can trade him. He could opt out and sign back. Well, that's true. Figure something out. That is true. But, yeah, I, again, I'm not, look, I would love for Rafael to text me daily about what he's thinking. He just doesn't do that.

And if you, if you ever watch the TV shows or read things, you don't hear the Rockets. I mean, you tell me, Ross, if you see something else, I, every time I hear about a particular player that may or may not be able to, like, The Trey Young conversation yesterday, those report three or four days ago. Rockets uninterested. Janice may be on the trade block in Milwaukee. Rockets aren't, I mean, I just don't think the rockets are an overly frisky move to make a dramatic trade at the deadline. They're just not. Yeah.

If Fred Van Vleet is not their best player, but as far as positions you could ill afford to lose somebody at, that point guard was, I mean, it was important. And they just got, they get bad luck. Went to the Bahamas to work out and hang out with the team and tore his ACL. Yeah. But injuries are happening all over the place. I mean, Yokic is out to the end of, probably until the All-Star break, maybe. This Portland team has got 80% of their team, the scores are hurt. I mean, unfortunately, injuries are part of the NBA.

And just because you have an injured player in your prospective team, it doesn't mean you can easily replace it overnight. There are long-term ramifications of it. And sometimes you just have to absorb injuries. And you're in the sixth seed right now. Yeah, but that could change in tomorrow. It could, but it doesn't feel good. Look, we're feeling a lot better if Easton's balls tapped in one-tenth of a second later.

We are, but now we're looking at losses to the Blazers, Pelicans, kings, clippers. Very easily could have lost to the sons, lost the Mavs. I mean, it's not been a good hour. It has been a great January. It just hasn't. Or December. Home games coming. Big home game stand coming.

That's what I'm saying. Get home, Ross. Rest those legs. Let's have you and I spent some quality time ago. We've been seeing each other much in the last month. I'm okay with that. That's fine. I'm happy to.

All right. 713, 212-5-790. 7-13-212-5-7-90. Ross, I've got one simple question for you that you may not answer until we come back. Okay. Should Nick Cayley put a four-sail sign-up in front of his house? 1027 of the bad top of the show with Ross here on Sports Talk 790. Added Ross with you at 1032 on the Matt Thomas show with Ross.

713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-2-5-7-9. You are welcome to join us. Look, the Texans, in three straight years, Rossi, had three head coaches. The Texans last year got rid of an offensive coordinator, hired and knew another one. And the question would be, will they go three-for-three on offensive. coordinators from Slowick to Kaylee to maybe Mike McDaniel. Today fired as a coach of the Miami Dolphins.

I think Mike McDaniel's days as an NFL head coach or toast. I didn't think about that Harbaugh. There's some other folks that have given second opportunities as well. McDaniel, to me, just look like a little overmatch running an entire team. But running an offense, he's got a great history of doing that. I would absolutely, when the season is done for the Texans, and in many cases, hopefully it's in February. worry. Lava phone call to Mike

McDaniel and say, hey, want to come run this offense. C.J. Stroud needs a veteran signal caller who's been there and done that, and he has not had that here in Houston in 2025. Dang. I had you saying, kick the tires at a minus 175 I lost. But a lava phone call works.

Yeah, absolutely. You have to explore all options. I don't know. In-house, look, outwardly everybody criticizing Nick Cayley. Nobody thinks he's a good, I'm not someone I'm going to say nobody. But for the most part, he's not highly thought. out of as a play caller. I don't think he's necessarily striking fear in defensive

coordinators around the league. What matters is what they feel internally. After a year of evaluation and if they think, if there's even a hint of thinking that Nick Cayley is not a guy, they need to pursue Mike McDaniel or Brian Dayball or I think Kevin

Cefancy's going to end up in a head coaching position, just a gut feeling there, but there are, Cliff Kingsbury is now available. I don't know what the latest if there's been any rumors about him being linked to anywhere. But there are some bright offensive minds, and what I talked about when they hired a defensive coach, and whoever you're going to hire. For example, I mean, you go for, I would rather than have an offensive-minded coach

because it's an offensive league. But if you're going to have a guy who's the defensive guru, then you need something that you need stabilization at offensive coordinator. This first-time play caller stuff, they should not be doing. You should get exactly what Mike McDaniel is and what you described, a guy who is a well, highly thought of offensive mind who is probably not going to be a head coach anywhere else anytime soon

who you can get in the building who's going to stay here for several years to help build the system and create an offensive culture like what Andy Reid has had with Steve Spagnolo on the other end and I don't know we can go through other guys who have been

good offensive minds with some kind of fired defensive coordinator who's going to stay there for several years because when you hire a assigned play caller two things are going to happen either a they're going to get fired like bobby slook or b they're going to be so good they're going to get hired off get somebody who's a really good offensive mind who's going to stay here for a while you know what i don't remember how we felt about nick kelly being hired first of all we didn't even know who nick kelly was a year

ago because we don't spend a lot of time looking at offensive assistants run other NFL teams the only time we ever get to hear about a name is when it's floated nationally but if we went back to our air checks. What do you think we said? Do you remember what we said about Nick Hillen? We said who? And there's, oh, he went to, he went to John Carroll. This is a Nick Casario guy.

That's right. Because let me ask you this. And look, you could always go back and reflect on things that you should have said in a particular time. I want to say, Ross, we said, and again, if we're wrong or wrong, we said, why are you getting rid of a guy who has been established for a couple of years for a first time play caller doesn't dameco ryan's need some relief from his offensive coaching staff doesn't cj stroud need somebody he trust now that maybe the interview process when nick haley was awesome

and see just like that's my guy i mean that could certainly have happened but that kind of stuff changes on a day-to-day basis depending on how a team does i really really wish i i don't think we were excited i don't know if we were pessimistic and enough, but this Casario pipeline are bringing people he used to work with or go to school with it's a little alarming, is it not? Yeah,

the only thing I can say is this. Let me add this one thing. Shaw McVeigh, brilliant play caller. I mean, if you're going to learn from somebody that knows how to run an offense in the NFL, it's Shaw McVey of the Los Angeles Rams. And I'll put those two, one, two, whatever

order you want. Whatever, yeah. So if you're grabbing somebody from that pipeline, then you go, okay, Kaylee's been around McVeigh, they have a potent offense, they reinvigorated Matthew Stafford's career, makes a lot of sense, Casario knows him a little bit, okay. That's how I kind of feel that we probably, when we, instantly, to talk about it was like, who, and then, oh, okay, I'm connecting some dots here. Yes. But I would say it's been underwhelming, and I think I said it on him to tell the truth

or gut feelings, whatever it was a few months ago, if Mike McDaniel gets fired, they should absolutely go after him. Mike McDaniel, as quirky as a dude as he is, and frankly, probably is not a leader of a 53-man roster, 55, whatever the number is these days. He could probably diagram a pretty effective offense and could take a fourth-year signal caller, which will be, that's will be CJ will be next year,

and probably do some pretty incredible things. will the Texans and I didn't want to say kick the tires because that's on the moneyboard there so I won't investigate how about they love a phone call how about they send a DM

hey not saying what up girl like what's up bro and see how it goes yeah it makes sense Kyle Shanahan tree you're either going to come on you have a guy in the McVay tree you'd had a guy with the Shanahan tree so I don't know if maybe they don't want to go to that well before and also since we think this is a Nick Casario

higher, general managers generally do support, you call it choice supportive bias. If you feel like he made this choice, he's probably going to stick with it. So we'll see. But you also don't,

if they're not 100% happy and you can improve, D'Meco Ryans was in the same building as Mike McDaniel in San Francisco. Mike McDaniel has been here in Houston as an offensive assistant before. Now, I don't know who was around back those days it was over 10 years ago

but there is some familiar has to be some level of familiarity so Mike McDaniel would make sense I mean I don't know Brian Dable would make sense there's a as I said Cliff Kingsbury there are some guys that you can maybe get here who stay for a while no matter what we do in terms of

dissecting and analyzing and trying to evaluate a role of an offensive coordinator which neither one of us are qualified to do it's going to come down to the players, and the Texans need to do a significantly better job of improving their offensive line. I mean, it's been a better offensive line second half of the year. That is really indisputable. The play calling's been better the second half of the year. Play calling. Frankly, when you have a long winning streak, Ross, everything tends to be better,

but there are still war. If you've won nine games in a row, you're not doing too bad. Right, right. There are still warts, first and foremost. But that doesn't mean you can't improve. And secondly, you do need an offensive line, and you do need a running back. Because, I mean, if Joe Mixon's foot can move anymore, I'd like to know. You know, and you would like somebody. I mean, wouldn't it be awesome if D'Amico could just say, Mike McDaniel, this is your offense. I'll see you later.

That's another thing, though. If who, and maybe, and maybe, honestly, Ross, maybe, maybe Domingo is less conservative if he trusts the play calls on fourth down. I don't know, man. It just doesn't, it's going to be a punt and kick fest, by the way. This is coming up this Monday. With Mike Tomlin and D'Amico Ryans are two of the most conservative coaches in the league. Because they're, it's defensive coaches.

one-on-one and they're both defensive-minded coaches and the results have been good so it's hard to argue with I like I just always have this gut feeling I still haven't seen it reported anywhere but it just I just get this feeling that Damiko Ryan's no matter who his offensive coordinator is doesn't want them airing the ball out and throwing it 60 times a game

but if you're him don't think about this if you're him you've won three you've gone to the playoffs three straight years you've won the most games in a long time in this franchise and you've created maybe the best defense in the NFL. He's probably saying

leave me alone. You know what? And maybe it's a good fit because Mike McDaniel was the run game coordinator with San Francisco and he did like to run the ball a lot with Devon A. Chan. He likes to run. So maybe the fit is there. Maybe Devon A. Chan

won't want to come play for the Texans. That'd be nice. That would ooh, ooh. Package deal, A. Chan McDaniel, that's sexy. Okay. Yeah, I think Joe Mixon's played his last game as a Texas. I would, I would definitely agree. When you put him in hiding for a year,

just to give you confidence for 40-20. I'm just going to say it. Something bad had to have happened with this injury. Well, I told you that a rumor that's out there. Okay, I haven't seen that from any, I saw that from one random Twitter account. I know. Sounds good, no.

Sounds plausible. It sounds made up. It sounds like a ball sack sports story. He shot himself in the foot. But don't... Okay. Come on, man. So, put it this way.

It's not a black. So, okay, so this answer's question. We'll never bring up the supposed gunshot story again. If it is a legit injury, then just say it. No, we would have heard about it. We would have heard about it. There's no doubt in my mind. So something quirky happens.

Something strange happened. We have to go ABC here. We have to keep it simple, stupid. If it was a regular injury and he was working out with whatever footwork guru or something in the off season and he twisted his ankle or totally like Fred Van Vleet.

Hey, we were working out with the team, Tori and ACL. Bing, bang, boom. No. He was doing, I don't know, who knows? Motorcycle, jet ski, hiking in Portland with Matt Thomas. Who knows? Whatever happened, it had to be something off the board.

of a regular football injury turn a thousand dollars today now since I'm not in town it'll be hard for me to give you the thousand dollars I want you go to Texans media availability today and I want you to find Demico I almost spit out my coffee in that goes to Texans media

D'emico any chance Joe makes him plays this week that'd be great that would have that would be a jaw dropping moment in Texans media availability history well you know i want to hear from joe mixon joe mixon was the first one to come out and talk about adam schifter how do you know

how are you going to tell me what's inside my body adam schuster when they said he was out for the year oh guess what where are you where's joe mixon he still got a twitter account he loses his password let's hear from joe on this maybe that account that uh took over my account to took over joe mickson oh yeah did he got hacked by some dude in turkey Yeah. Isn't it funny, though, a Turkish guy took over my account? I don't know if it was Alpi.

Did he think Alpi took over my account? No, I don't think it was Alpi. But probably was an Alpy fan. And he's just, I mean, playing the odds. But yeah, you're the first one to come out and say, ah, no, you don't know anything about my injury. And then nothing. Well, then let us know.

Yeah, silence is golden in sports. When you don't want to tell us what happened, something bad happened. Yeah, here it is. November 20th. I get everyone's looking for splash. news and clickbait but i'm just curious ian it was to rap report not shifter i had it wrong

uh ian how do you know more about me than me peter j schaffer get your man's bro all right i'll give you five dollars and they got the man's and you didn't show up take that tweet retweet it five dollars no are you playing this week i'm not messing with joe mixin come on now that's true he will beat you up in a sub shop that's true nah i'm good dang

i like my jaw intact you know what'll do it'll get some of those Pittsburgh Steelers fans off you, by the way. How's that going? I muted the conversation. I have no idea. Oh, that's too bad. I got close to a thousand likes, I think, so that's good. Well, then there's a thousand people that actually liked your opinion.

Yeah, I know. Like I said, I mean, I focus too many on the five idiots who have no life and want to go call people out on social media. It was actually more than five. It's probably at least up to 20, 25 at this point. I got you. 1044. It's Matt Ross. 9608 likes.

Go like it for me. I need 32 more. yet i'm sure you haven't can there you know what i'm at least i'm going to do for you i'm going to retweet it 50 57 bookmarks they're going to come after me bro have you ever been bookmarked that much in your life i don't think so

because i'm not an only fan's model that's a lot of bookmarks all right i'm just retweeting it right now oh god repost you got 75 retwee we're going to get 75 bookmarks you got 24000 views on this good for you

I guess. 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-21-2-5-7-90. I just don't get it coming up at 1130. The news at noon. E-May Doak at 1230 and Kevin Harland from CBS at 1 o'clock here on Sports Talk 7-90. 10-50. Matt Thomas Show was Ross.

Sports Talk 7-90. I'm here in Portland with the Rockets Lost last night. Oh, wow. Hey, Ross, I just got an email from the University of Houston. It was one of those, hey, here's a portal update from us. so the portal started what just after the turn of the calendar year right and it goes to the 15th i know it ends on the 15th it's like a two-week thing sure why not uh longhorns just landed the big 12's best running back by the way congratulations so you lost one got one back good yeah people people

were panicking over tray wisner gordy was over here no it wasn't cool did you hear the the rumor it the i think there there was an article out that the the longhorns are spending more in the portal than any school in the country And that's no surprise. No. I mean, you're trying to build around Arch. Arch is going to be there for one more. You have to push all every single chip you have in.

No question. On Arch's last year. By the way, if you thought that Arch was the Heisman favorite going into this year, he is going to be way more of an option for the Heisman favorite that this year coming up than he was last year. Yeah, funny. That's how we were because, I mean, he struggled so much early in the season, but he really closed some pretty strong. So the reason why I brought this up, and this is with every school.

so I get my U of H list. We've signed 11 players from the portal. 11. That's good? Well, yeah, it's good, but it also it goes to show you that you're just not going to be able to connect with teams. You're going to connect with the jersey, connect with the school logo

and the name. You can't connect with 11 new players. Now, granted, these college football rosters are 65 that travel, so you weren't going to be connecting with noise. Even in the 1960s and 70s. No, we were. Now, I did, when I was, like, on campus at UT, I was, like, all in and recruiting. Right, right, right.

All that stuff. But even after that, it just kind of fades. Yeah. I would say that it definitely happened. It happened in college basketball first because so many guys were one and done. Now we're seeing football school guys going from one to the next. Yeah. I don't want to think about how many hours I waste on recruiting message boards in my teens.

But it is crazy for, not anybody does play by play, but as a broad. You know, you try to get to know some of these kids and try to familiarize yourself with where they are on the field. I mean, that's 11 new players. And I'm going to presume of the 11 players at the University of Houston sign, this is going to be for any school that you would assume, you know, seven or eight of them are going to be guys that are going to be on the football field. So you are legitimately transforming your roster and your depth chart on a year-to-year basis. That's why I think roster is, forget about the finances to go with it. There's probably just roster fatigue for these coaches when it comes to. coaching a football team. I don't know how they do it. I don't know how they do it. It's crazy.

Well, you know what they're doing. They're hiring general managers. You have to hire more staff. I mean, that's just the bottom line. So I don't know. So maybe, you know, we talk about it being a much fewer headaches in the NFL now. But it's still even, even if you're, no matter how many assistants you hire, you still have to spend time and you still have to be the buck stops with the head coach. Because ultimately, you have to have a general manager that you trust, say, you go, tell the general manager hey i need a running back well i mean so willies even said it before with us i put i turned the tape on i watched him for half an hour i mean he's willie fritz cannot these 11 kids have come in i don't he's maybe looked at him for a handful of minutes right i mean i wouldn't

expect him to because he's obviously spending time between talking to kids yeah the 11 kids that he did sign there were probably 15 others that he didn't sign you know what i mean i mean there's just so many hours in the day yeah you just have to have people around you that you you just have to trust their word. And I mean, that's hard to do in this college world where there's assistance are changing. It's not even just the players. It's assistance and, you know, the strength and condition of coaches from here and here. The running backs coach has been like four places in five years.

I mean, it's crazy. You better, if you want to be a successful football program, you're going to spend a lot of money in your head coach and you better damn well spend a lot money in your assistant coaches. And you better bring a general manager in who can not only. have a town evaluation, but he's also got to massage the $20.5 million or whatever amount of money that your program was given. Like if University Houston has $20.5 million, Texas A&M has $20.5 million. This is money that is strictly given by the school to the program. If that school gives you $18 million, you've got to massage that salary cap.

And then you've got to figure out how to connect whatever is left. Because you need more than $18 million. You've got to go get your NIL money. You've got to take care of that. And so that general manager is going to work on it with the NIL collector. of people. Big business, baby. Big, big business.

But I was like, I was just going to scrolling through some of the players and I'm like, this guy played here, this guy played here, this guy. And Colseo, tied in for the Cougars past year. He's probably going to the NFL draft. He played 90% of his college career, I think it's a ball state. Comes to the Cougars one year, has a great season

and his skyrocketed his draft value. I mean, there is value in the transfer. There's just is for the game. There's also a lot of risk that are taken. Sometimes you go in that portal, you don't come out. And the, yeah, the running back that's, Relique Brown is the running back who's signed with Texas. He started at USC. He's gone from USC.

He's from Stockton, California, committed to USC, went to Arizona State, now he's at Texas. Well, I hope he graduates soon. He's got a lot of hours. Yeah. He went from a really good school to, well, Arizona State. No, he's back at a good school. I wonder in life, forget to go by athletics. If you've gone to three schools in your life, what percentage of the average,

average American student goes to a third school and winds up graduating. I would imagine high. If you're going to the third one, now second school, it would probably be slow lower, right? No, like I went from North Texas to Houston. I graduated.

That's a high percentage. That's true. But I feel like if you're going at it a third time, you're going to graduate, right? Unless you're an athlete. Yeah. I thought we were talking about gin pop. Oh, yeah, Jim Pop.

Oh, so you're saying the third time means you really do want to... That means you actually are trying. Because the second time, you're like, yeah, you know what, this isn't for me. That's right. All right. I just find me curious. Okay, so the Rockets lost last night. We'll get to some of the reasons on that.

We have something on the Peacock Channel, Ross, that I think you're going to appreciate. Really? Maybe not just you, but a lot of sports fans will tell you about that. And we've got... I just don't get it coming up at the bottom of the next hour. And 30, plus again, e-may doke at 1230 and the great Kevin Harland from CBS. And now from Prime. He does some of the Amazon NBA games.

We'll talk to him about the Monday night game. He's going to call the Texan Steelers game on national radio on Monday night. 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-79. It is 1057. Matt here in Portland, Ross, back in Houston. We thank you for joining us here on Sports Talk 790. This is the Matt Thomas show with Ross.

11 o'clock H-Town Hi, it's Matt, it's Ross I'm here in Portland where last night the Rockets fell to the Portland Trailblazers I'm taking these losses very personally Because you know what I have Why?

Because these expectations I have are so incredibly high It's a long season, Matt, it's all right I know, but and I'm the king of it's a long season Yeah, I know it's getting well a two or three seed would be nice although I mean even well

depending on how how much the spurs rounded to form or the nuggets I mean the gosh the west I know that's what I'm saying but you still don't want to be four he still don't want to be four I don't care I know they've had a little swoon and all that stuff but I don't want

anything to do with the thunder in the second round got to make the second round first though because I was saying that last year. I was like, oh, yeah, two seed, baby. I got a cruise. By the way, did Oklahoma City struggle with the jazz last night? I got to look at the scoreboard. What did they do yesterday against Utah?

What is going on with them? They won. The Thunder beat the jazz in overtime by four points in overtime. What the hell? She Gilges, oh, never mind. I was looking at minutes. No, he had 46. By the way, Victor Wominjama played at 26 minutes last night,

had 16 points 14 rebounds They're winning games They beat the Lakers by 16 It went because I've been playing 30 minutes It's quite frankly It's scary Quite frankly I'm pissed off

Probably for Victor Can I just say quite frankly a lot Over the next three hours Quite frankly you should You never You ever notice When somebody says something A bunch

be wind up saying yourself yes we have done that to each other to where the point where I don't even know who started these the phrases I'm going to give you bad two new ones okay all right number one comes from my middle son Peyton uh huh he'll tell me all the time here's the thing and then it'll start to start to explain it so I catch myself saying here's the thing it's language is funny like that I love it. And number two, Eme Adoka.

Now, swearing, no, I've been doing that before. You know, I've been doing that before. You know what I'm at all right? Have you said anybody is with Starstruck? He says, and now I'm saying it, to your point. Yes, he does say that a lot. And then any time you're asking, you know what, we should do this, actually. All right, later on, I'm going to ask you me Adoka,

was it bad shot selection or shots that weren't falling in? A little bit of both. he's a little bit of both guy yeah but to your point is a yeah he does it all the time that is first of all it's very respectful

because it means you actually listen to the question yeah that is true so when he says it to me it makes you feel good thanks he may for listening to me wow yeah I did make a great point

you made you're right and when on the rare occasion you make a good point I always say Ross to your point uh huh no you have you know what now that you mention it you have been saying that a lot i mean i make a lot of great points so i mean it's frankly again i'm bit stealing a phrase from emmaidoka it's life matt but yeah the two new phrases i have said is my my middle son says

here's the thing yeah it's a preface and then to your point it's more an extension of yes i heard what you said and now i'm going to justify what you said right but it's neither here nor there It's fine. 713-212-5-7-90. If you did not stay up late last night, what time in the game end? About 11-th-th-ish? I don't know. I actually watched it after the fact because I went and watched the new Avatar movie, actually.

And how was that? It was good. Now, this is the thing. It basically was like number two, but it was the exact. You know how Home Alone 1 and Home Alone 2 are basically the same thing, but in a different place? It's like that. Avatar 2 and Average of Tar 3 are the same thing. However, when you go on the IMAX screen in 3D, it's like the cutting edge of technology.

As a visual spectacle, it's worth the money. Is it an all-time great script and acting performances? Hell no. But just for the spectacle of it, it's worth the money. I want to ask you, did you look at your phone at any point during the game last night? I did. During the movie? Yeah, it doesn't matter.

No, I turn my phone off these days. That is incredible discipline on your part. Is it? Yeah, because if I'm at the movies and I'm not loving the movie, I'm going to check my phone to see what's going on. Okay, well, that's because you're addicted to your phone. I think most people don't check their phones, I don't think. No, no, no.

If the movie's good, I'll turn the phone off. I'm saying you did not sell the movie like it was this masterpiece. I'll tell you. You were a slightly bit dead bored. Yeah, and it's like three hours and 15 minutes. But by the way, though, you just reminded me. While I told you for my birthday, I went to Dallas to see the 70 millimeter IMAX of one battle after another and sinners

during sinners somebody like the first 10 minutes of the movie yelled at someone they go get off your phone everybody's looking around like who's on the phone what happened it'll be about to get rowdy in the sinners

I will never flat out turn my phone off almost ever because I just in case the kid's wife needs to be somebody of emergency needs me so I will never be fully turn off phone guy but I can if I'm going in a movie where I'm paying $14 or $15

to get in and I'm really looking forward to the movie. I've got zero issue not looking at it. I'm more than okay with that. 3D IMAX $28, Maddie. Ooh, Lordy. Let's talk to Robert in Cyprus at 1106 on the Matt Thomas show at Ross. Robert, good morning to you.

Hey, good morning, man. How you doing, buddy? Call it from Cyprus. I'm just calling them about the improvement of the line the last few games, man. They're really past blocking this, man. It's unbelievable. Just doing great.

right. I'm just I want to question you guys as far as the running backs probably going to keep that practice squad guy, Jordan, and then Marks, that a good combo for this next game against Pittsburgh?

That's my question. Well, I mean, Marks will get the heavy lifting. Juan Jordan got hurt in the last game, but I don't know what his injury status is. We'll get an update coming up in a little bit. But you're talking about But for this game, it's going to be marks. For the future, there isn't a single guy, Robert, on this team that I think should be thinking about long-term real estate. Oh, no, I'm going to be Pittsburgh game.

Yeah. I would think it would probably be a steady item marks. I mean, what does Nick Chevely have left in the tank at this point? I think he's gone for the season, man. I think so. I don't even know what the debt chart looks like. honestly with that running back situation I mean it's to me it's thanks to Robert for the phone call

I've never been so uninterested in the running back spot for the Texas because it's bad this Ross they've been bad all year long and it hasn't really affected them well I think it has it just it weird I think it's part been part of the problem with the offense and not being happy with where they are is that

you have you have just a guys at the running back spot yeah yeah because Joe Mixon I mean he he could work and Joe Mickson and having a good running game. First of all, you have a coach that wants to establish a run. So you're going to run. Having a good running game makes things easier on C.J. Stroud makes things easier on everyone. Is there any regret? And maybe the answer is no. Maybe certainly the answer could be no.

Is there any regret the Texans did not go trade for somebody at the deadline? I don't know. Because nobody traded for Breeze Hall. Nobody traded for Devon, A. Chan. I mean, those were the two, I would say, marquee names. would have cost you an arm and a leg. Breece Hall probably was going to cost you too much. They said that third, I believe the report I read was like a third round pick and he's a rental. And that's just too much for a rental.

But, you know, it's funny as you say rental? And I'm not saying that I'm a Breece Hall fan. I'm just using it as an example. Ross, sometimes rentals can help you win at Super Bowl, which is right in front of you. They can. I mean, the biggest example I can think of

is didn't was it Odell Beckham? Who did the Ram's trade, yeah, it was Odo Beckham, right? The Rams made a big trade for it to push all in and win a Super Bowl and it worked. We see it in the NBA all the time. Quile Leonard was a rental. Toronto won a championship. Yeah, but draft picks are more valuable in the NFL than in this day of the cap where you're having to spend, you're going to have to spend $60 million on CJ Stroud. I know. Trat picks are, I mean, a third round pick

yeah, to where in the basketball, if you're a good team and you're trading around a first round pick and it's going to be in the 20s. Yeah. It's a completely different ballgame. I know. It is fair, though, that we can say what could have happened.

If you would have gone all in on somebody that would have helped out this. I mean, this running back court doesn't get your four yards to carry. No. I've been... Not in close, frankly. And this is the thing you have to remember

is everybody who is an NFL running back can make some shifty moves. They can make a guy miss. They can break a tackle. So nobody's terrible. Like Woody Marks can make some moves here and there. He does, you know, he should have got two yards. He gets eight.

But when you add it all up, it's just not enough. He's not dynamic enough. Long run all season, 23 yards. 3.6 yards of carry. Eh. No, Woody Marks is going to be on this football team. Woody Marks is going to be a backup quarterback. Back up running back.

He's going to be a good pass catcher, good pass blocker. You know what that means? That screams third round, third down back. That's what it screams to me. Yeah. All it screams to me is you need a number one running back. Yeah, he can be a good change of pace third slash third down back. If Woody Marks is your second running back behind a guy who is like a Joe Mixon, that's great.

That's amazing. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Let's go to time out. And we'll talk to Roger about the Rockets and Avatar. huh all right oh love it yeah let's talk some avatar baby i'm going to say out of that let's let you all listen i'm going to listen to that

and enjoy every minute of it i just don't get it coming up at the bottom of the hour 1112 on the matt thomas show at ross 713 212 5 790 713 212 5 790 if you missed my call but hopefully didn't if you missed my call from last night here's how the final play went down here in portland here we go smith on the inbound looks bounce passenger in top of the key right elbow for the wind it is up front rim tap up is there that's taurison he put it in they're going to check to see if it's good tari isn't right hand got there that ball is oh my gosh one side says one side says

it's good. One does and says it's no good. The basket is unsuccessful and does not be the game. The game is over. Take the points off the board. The Blazers won it. 103, 102. I literally Ross saw them take the points off the board. Like punch the button?

No. Oh, like minus one, minus one. Usually put plus one plus one. They went minus one. Final score. I'm sorry, Matt. It's fine. No, it's not.

It's okay to not be fine, Matt. You said the Rockets are in six place. It's fine, not to be fine. Yeah, I know. Long season, baby. It's all good. We're not even at the All-Star break yet, Rossi. And one win could shoot them up the latter.

Of course, 20, the Spurs are going to five-game losing streak, and hopefully several players get hurt. Not like catastrophic injury, but, you know, maybe a couple of broken legs somewhere in that range. Hmm. Well, you need Alper and Schu and Gung back. Yes. Hopefully by the middle of the month sometime. Let's talk to Roger.

I want to talk about Avatar, which means I'm going to take a break and maybe go get a cup of coffee. Roger is going to talk about the rockets too. You can talk some rockets, Matt. All right. All right. Yeah, Matt, relax, man. Yeah, get him, Roger. Get him.

Almost after him. Matt. Ross and Jonathan up. So, yeah, I went to bed last night. because I wasn't going to scale up for all that. I was just hoping would win, and I saw the phone just the screen and said 104, 103. I was like, yes, we won.

So when, you know, took care of my business bathroom, and then I guess it recalibrated. I was like, what? What happened? So, yeah, I mean, I'm getting grown concerns over the Rocket 3-point shooting. It's like three games in a row now. It's like 8 for 36 and 9 for 37 and 10 for 41 and stuff like. that not good uh yeah we what happened to this team this team was supposed to have some good

three-point shooting now i know uh phony smith is getting his legs back from underneath him and uh i know that uh you know sometimes uh javar smith goes in and out he got phased in and out i was thinking he was a little further along in his developing because it's just not consistent and uh reed shepherd just can't go into a ball game and it automatically just you just start you know promoting the act and brick cup man this guy had open looks so yeah I'm little concerned over that rocket three point shooting was supposed

to be one of our strengths and I just hope that that can you know fix it until and uh and and uh for his I have a try and to your point Ross oh dang yeah I like that so and to your point

Ross yes it does look better in IMAX 3D uh yeah but not all not all movies are suited for that so yeah Even when they're just sitting by the, I'm going to, I don't give way any movies, but any, uh, any, uh, details, but they're just sitting down by the water. It looks cool.

I'm like, I feel like I was wet. Like I'm in the pool. I'm like that's, that's awesome. And, you know, a little bit of, you know, just a quick little bit of advice. If you want to go to the movie and enjoy yourself thoroughly and have the whole theater to yourself, Saturday around 11 a.m. Prime time. We got the whole place to ourselves.

It was amazing. Yeah, I like to go for, for matinees. and Tuesdays, the theater I go to, Tuesdays are half-priced, and usually pretty low-populated. Man, that is just a hidden gem. Don't be giving away too many secrets. Yeah, you're right. I got one more secret for you.

If you want to be by yourself in a movie theater, don't take a shower for four days. Boone. The seats are pre-you-buy-you-buy-the-seats beforehand, Matt. Yes, you do, Matt. You just don't walk in there. It's not, you know, you don't carry the newspaper, the sports page in your back pocket.

anymore. Come on now. Guess what, Roger. Let me tell you something, Roger, you prize whore. You're not going for another 30 days. I'm going to make sure and give you the most impossible questions, I'm believe or not. You're not going to be able to win. But to his point, Matt, I disagree with the Jabari Smith Jr. hasn't been consistent.

He'd been scoring 15 plus points a game like all season long. Yeah. Yeah, I was pulling it up. 11 of the last 14 games, he's been over 15 points. His three-point shooting is higher than it's been all. season. He's guarding one through five. I mean, he was tasked with guarding

Devin Booker on Monday. I like Jabari's McCuneer. Swiss Army Knife was a word used by Amin Thompson and the post game on Monday. As we played it, as you heard, of course, Matt, on the Rockets launch pad last night. Yeah, yeah. I don't know. He's not going to win defense player

of the year or first team all defense or anything, but he is absolutely a key cog in the wheel for the Houston Rockets. Rossi, I have an issue. Yeah, go ahead. Yeah. I'm staring at this box score from last night. I mean, I love this team.

I love these guys. Are those good dudes? Don't look at the box. No, you know what? Burn, set that one on your, are you, is it in your hand? No, it's in the computer. Okay, yeah, I was going to say burn that. Don't set your computer on fire, but close the tab.

Just close the tab. Don't look at that one anymore. It is nasty. Ooh. That was an ugly game. That makes it even more impressive that, I'm going to say it again. Avdia. Avdia, yeah.

It makes it even more impressive that Avdia scored 41 points in such a low-scoring game. The number one free-throw attemptor in the NBA and it's not St. Gildes-Elexander, it's Denny Avdia. That's crazy. In a league with, as you mentioned, SGA, I mean, James Harden, Janis, Yokic.

13 of 24 for Denny Avdi. If I went to, if you and I went to a sports, bar last night in Houston at 7 o'clock before 9 o'clock game and said name one Portland Trailblazer how long would it take before someone said Danny Obdia

who's always going the All-Star game this year? I guarantee it. Drexler buddy Terry Porter Marcus Aldridge Arvita Sabonis Is Lamarcus the all-time Portland Trailblazers points leader?

That used to be a trivia question I think that was the answer Is this believe it or not today? I believe that at one point was the correct answer because I think I did use it for because the first thing you would think would be Clyde or from the first one I would think

would think of Clyde. Who's your all-time Blazer team? Let's go really quick. Oh, here we go. I'm going to Arvita Sabonis at Center. Center. guards are Drexler and Lillard Okay

Ford's could be Jerome Cursey maybe Kevin Duckworth Although he's not Brandon Roy doesn't make the team RIP his knees Greg doesn't make the team Because the bonus is your center

Yes So you have Sabonis Aldridge Um Drexler Lillard You need one more person Ah, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, he can't play. He's too, we got two bigs already.

You know, we're too big. Excuse me? What? What? You got two bigs already. What do you mean? I said we were too, we were too big. You said that. Yeah. Like two Coke cans or what? Oh, you'd be me to it. We're like Matt Khalil. We're all three of us horrible. We all should, we all three should be in timeout. I text, said that to my wife yesterday. Oh, that's right. No, is Lillard is the all-time leading score.

Sorry. I don't know why if that was thought. Maybe I'm thinking rebounder or something. All right, I'm going to have this conversation with the voice of the Blazers tomorrow. CJ McCollum? Cliff Robinson? No Robinson. I could go McCollum over Robinson.

Michael Thompson? Big. Where's Bill Walton in the mix? Help them win a championship in 77. Yeah, but it was in the front court. Yeah, but he was like, it was short-lived for him, right? Yeah, well, foot problems all over his career. So, all right, that'll conclude Blazer conversation for the day.

Don't have been clinging. I'm putting in there. No, you're not. It does block a lot of shots. He's the best. He's the best offensive rebounder in the NBA. He also runs in molasses in his shoes, which I think is an odd choice. So if it was me and Klingin on 94 feet from one to the trailer.

Wait a minute. You don't even know the question. If he ran backwards and I ran forward to wins. Klingin. Oh, Klingin. Come on. Oh, clinging. He's seven foot two.

He's a long strider. Now, if you want to go like, I don't know, what do they call it, Jonathan, when it's like the first 10 meters or whatever, the short split or whatever? Oh, you're talking about, like if you're just doing a very, very short split, like, even then, no. No, no. Yeah, it's not going to work. Yeah, I'm sorry. Where do you put Jan Hanson in the list? Who?

See, it looks like Jan Hanson. But it's not. It's Jan Hanson. Jan Hanson! Yes. He had 5,014 minutes last night. That's getting your money's worth. Well, they loved him.

He had a three-pointer against the rockets. All right, here on line two, Yankees Keith says, three new predictions. He says he's already got two right. Well, he also said the Yankees were going to the World Series, so. Really quick here before I get the gut feelings. Yankees, Keith, what are you bragging about? Well, yes, remember.

Monday, I called and told you that Harbaugh would be fired by Tuesday? No, that wasn't in this show. Yeah, that I called you Monday and told you that Carball would be fired by Tuesday. You did? Okay. I'll give it. I think that was the Avis agent you were on with.

Oh, my goodness. And I also told you about CJ Stroud was going to be heard on the Denver game. That's two in a row. You also said the Yankees' going to the World Series. Well, you can't win them all. So how about this one?

I got three new predictions. And I'm going to, while we're at it, how's your, how's Nostra Thomas doing on his prediction? Well, actually, he's the only one with two Super Bowl teams alive from preseason, right, Matt? Yeah, so shut your bum ass up. Jonathan and I are both completely eliminated. What did I have, Ravens and...

I got Philly and Buffalo. Commanders or something. I'm still alive. NBA, you know. Ravens and commanders, I think they may be they'll play an exhibition game so I can get it right. You're playing on Halloween. Yeah. So, Ross, I

actually believe I'm going to cheer for the Texans to go all the way at least Can you come back to Texans, Keith? You left me high and dry. Not quite. I was a Ravens saying. Jerk. My feelings got hurt. So I got my three predictions.

You know, remember when they used to say, when E.S. of Hutton Talks, people listen. Okay. You don't know that commercial? I do. Go on quickly. All right. So if I get these three predictions right,

I'm writing them down. No, you're going to call in and brag. I'm writing these down. I'm getting the gut feelings file out, Matthew. Okay. I want to be called the wise old black man. If I get these three right. Okay.

If you get them wrong. Hold on. When the wise old black man talks. Can we call you the old dumbass black man if you get them wrong? Listen to me. I said when the wise old black man talks, sports people listen. Wow. So I got three group predictions.

All right. Let me write this now. Go ahead. Number one. Unfortunately, I hate for this to come true, but it's going to come true. Dating is being overworked by the rockets. And if he keeps going at the same pace, he's going to go on IR and we're not going to make the playoffs. That's number one.

Number two, the starting, well, there's two Rockers that's going to make the All-Star team. It's going to be KD and A.M. Thompson. Number three, the Baltimore Ravens will select Jesse Mentor as their new head coach. You got them? All three. it's in the archives now if you're wrong i will be no and when i call me here i want to say i want you all to say

here's the wise old black man all right and if you're wrong you're the dumbass old black man but is one of the other ross what don't you get in life yankees keith no i get yankees keith he's a good man ill-informed at times, but it's still a good man.

Bad sports affiliations, definitely, but still a good man. If you don't get something in life, let us know right now, 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. It's 1130. It's a Matt Thomas show at Ross. Coming up in one hour, EMAIDOCA, at 1 o'clock, Kevin Harland from CBS and from Amazon. Busy show between now and two, and are we doing, believe it or not, all things Portland Trouble is your history, Ross? feels like they could be in the archive, just saying,

could be out there. Okay. 1131, Sports Talk, 790. 1135 on the Matt Thomas show at Ross, and there's something in your life you just don't get, whether it's sports-related, life-related. This next half hour is for you. It's 7-1-3-212-5-790.

7-1-3-2-1-2-5-7-90. We do this every Thursday here on the show. It is simply called, I just don't get it. Mine is rather brief, and mine is for the service industry sports rb there this morning I woke up at 6.30

which Pacific time for the show which began at 8 o'clock and I go to get a cup of coffee and a croissant down the street of the bakery not too far from my hotel and and the guy behind the counter at the hotel in which we're staying at was standing up and there wasn't a soul in the lobby

it was late I mean this is it wasn't a hustling bustling day all the players and staff of the Rockets are sleeping because it was a late night game people probably went out after I did not because I didn't because I had to come back to the show with you. And I said, are you allowed to sit during your shift? And he says, no. I said, what time did your shift start?

9 o'clock last night. The guy's pulling a 10-hour shift, and he can't sit down. Now, I understand if you hear the elevator bells ring and somebody's coming out and you want to show a professional approach, but I think you have to let the overnight guy sit standing up for nine and a half ten hours is cruel I'm sure the money's good the shift sucks but probably you're you want to get in the hotel industry you got to start from the bottom work your way up having the poor guy at the front desk have to stand up for ten hours when no one's here and everybody's sleeping I say rossie I just don't

get it let the man sit this was there was a Seinfeld episode about this, right? I'm sure there was. It sounds very Larry Davis. George got the guy a chair and then he fell asleep while the joint got robbed. That's right. I forgot about that. People get too comfortable. This security is supposed to be alert. But this guy's in security.

He's just a front office, dude. He could do his job. There could be a computer in front of the desk, which is right next to the stand. He's standing. I just felt bad for the guy. That's good for you. I don't know. But yeah. Chair would be nice. I'm not saying sit there for hours on end. I'm not saying

get on YouTube or start looking at dating apps. I'm saying the guy was dressed nicely. It works at a very, obviously we're at a five-star hotel here in Portland. I just, like at $1.50 in the morning, even if stragglers are coming in from going out to the clubs, does he need

to be standing up during that entire 9-hour, 10-hour shift? I felt bad for the cat. Hmm. Did you know why? Why? I'm a man that thinks about the people. Do you? I just don't get it. Yeah, I do. I thought, I felt bad.

I almost got him a cup of coffee. There was coffee next to us, so it was like he's taken care of. Oh. It's good, I guess. Another thing I just don't get. All these five stars were in, cappuccino machines everywhere. First of all, I don't know how to operate them. Second of all, cappuccino is very easy.

Yeah. Oh, my gosh. It got to be very user-friendly, I imagine. It's so user-friendly that nobody except Craig Ackerman on our entire traveling roster knows how to use it. If Craig can figure it out, anybody can. Are like one and a half ounces of beverage. Going through all that work to get one set, not worth it.

Give me a regular old currigan here or a Mr. Coffee Machine like I can get me at the rampant and rins. Let's go. I'm down with Cappuccino machines. I just don't get it. Cappuccino's delicious. Or is it espresso or what are you got? You're talking about little shots. You're talking about espresso?

I'm telling you this machine in my room here has these super small teacups. that you could put. Yeah, they're probably espresso. Okay. Who just says I'm waking up at 6.30 in the morning. If you're going to do a four-hour radio show in Houston, Texas. I'd go for espresso right now. Yeah, why not? Espresso's delicious. It's wrong with you.

But you go out for an espresso. You don't go for a homemade espresso in your room. Yeah, why not? You want a cup of Joe. You want regular Josephine. Oh, my God. I mean, I'm a regular guy. I understand.

But, I mean, if it's in the room, just use it. I don't know how to use it, though. Matt, there's no way it's that difficult. There's no way. I'm going to have you going with me on a road trip. Just so you can work the machine. Terrible. Because all I do is clog it up.

You tried and you've broken? Well, I guess I've seen you work a waffle maker before, so I'm not surprised. That's fair. That's fair. I'm moving on. You know what that was mean. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to call you out like that.

You did. It's hard. It's too late. I don't get what the hell is going on with this NBA schedule. Rockets, what is it going to be, 23 road games and 13 home? Did you say? After this weekend, which is tonight, tomorrow and Portland, Sunday, and Sacramento. 26 Road 13 home.

I wanted to quote you on the pregame, but I didn't because I wanted to double check. Did you say biggest discrepancy in NBA history? Through 39 games, tied for. Okay. for yeah what the hell which is crazy because i told my this to my wife because i haven't seen my family in months we have 15 road games left that's it after this that's that's insane i don't get it yeah how could this happen i don't know but i'm looking forward to the second half of the year man i like the road but damn how about a little bit of a home cooking here for a while

and i'm with you on the i don't get the playoff i i forgot the games are tonight i don't get to this why they're shuffling everything around as much. I know I get there trying to avoid the NFL playoffs like the plague. Correct. But it's still dragging out way too much. Well, here's the question I have for you. Is

the reason why we're not interested because of the matchup? It's not a lot of it. Or is it because there's just too much time in between these games? If it's Georgia, Ohio State tonight, I think we'd be more on people's radar rather than Miami Ole Miss.

You know what, I think I missed dying. I didn't tell you there's enough road games here. Let me see. Two, four, five, seven, ten, twelve. If fifteen feels a little high. I mean, low. Eighteen road games left. Okay.

18 road games left. Okay, that makes more sense. But that we're going to be at game 39 by Sacramento on Sunday. So that's do a quick math on that. I forget about it. Now my head hurts. Way more home game. There's a pair of five game homestands coming up in the calendar year.

I'm starting to get fixated on something, man. I can't focus during the show. What's her name? Sidney Sweeney. Her name's Mike McDaniel. This has to happen the more I think about it, right? It kind of does. He's not getting a head coaching job.

It has to happen. I will put it at 0% chance. He's getting a head coaching job. Now, unless the Texans like make the A of, man. I put my name on it right now. kind of want them to lose and score nine points this weekend so they can get Mike McDaniel.

They're not winning the Super Bowl anyways. Wait, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I know, I know. I know. I'm just talking out loud. I'm just talking out loud. You just made a whole tweet saying AFC. I know, I know. You are a fraud.

I'm just, hey, I can waffle. I'm just talking out of, this is an open dialogue. I'm not putting my name on it. I'm not gut feeling it. I'm just thinking out loud. I cannot believe what you just said. This is just between you and me. shush we do have no listeners that's true that's fine i'm just kind of thinking out loud now i want them to win

oh my god i want them to win they're gonna win i would do that's something i would do that's great i'm just saying um i'm just saying because what if they make the a fc championship game if i tweet if i tweet what you just said you'd have well see that's why you don't don't do that because tweets are set in stone no my my opinions are fluid i reserve the right to change my I'm just telling you how I'm starting to feel right now. Oh, God. I'm so disappointing in you. I'm disappointed that you're just jumping all over me.

I'm just thinking how loud here. Jonathan, you're disappointed in Ross? You know, I'm utterly surprised. No, God. Utterly surprised. That's exactly right here. I'm doing that. I don't know.

No, I want them to win. I want them to win. But you don't think they're going to. But no, they're going to win. They're steamrolling the Steelers. You just said, you want them to score nine points. They're steam rolling the Steelers. Come at me, bookmarked Steeler fan

from Bethlehem, PA. Come at me, bro. They're steamrolling your sorry-ass team. 26th and yards like offense and defense. They're steamrolling them. What's up? Please don't clip this.

Oh, I see. Oh, the gears are turning. This is terrible. You know what? I'm not talking anymore. You have so much clips. Bye. I don't know if you've had a,

worst 30 minutes in your life right here I don't talk about your work in the bedroom talking about on the radio oh would you 30 superhuman over guess yeah that comes to 28 minutes of cuddling time Jonathan what don't you get except Ross's just last take right there

it wasn't a take it was a awful take it wasn't a terrible take all right real quick I was sitting at a red light yesterday and it was a lot of people cars maybe 10 cars on each lane and and i get it i get it it's about you know wanting to be somewhere but there was a car three cars behind me mind you i'm like the fourth car before the red light as soon as the light turns green and honking until because the person didn't go fast enough off the green light you're not going to make the light anyway so i just

don't get these people because it happens often, especially in Houston. I don't understand that. I don't get it. And I made sure to make sure I slowed down and slowly cross the green line to make sure to get that yellow light and then co-pass. I just don't get that. It's just, I don't know.

I got to be real, Jonathan. While your take was probably wonderful, when Ross City was fixated on Mike McDaniel, I have not felt the table. I don't blame you. I'm hard to even just think about what I was thinking about. my god it kind of has to happen right look i want the texas to win if they want to score if they want to score 40 points and nick cayley becomes in the offensive wonder kin we are hoping he is that's great but i'm starting to really buy in more

and more of this idea mike mac i would not disagree on the same staff with demico ryan's worked here man let's get the quote on this oh here we go no no no matter of fact jonathan let's replay this in the 1230. Oh, you're the worst. Because I was just thinking out loud. I want to make sure I don't paraphrases you're right to change my opinion. Mr. Texans are never going to the Super Bowl and let me make five caveats. All right?

I was just thinking out loud in the moment. I don't want the Texans to lose. I want them to score as many points as possible and make the AFC championship game, which I declared that they're going to make. Okay, Ross, turn your earphones down. No, no, I'm not. No, because you're on the road and I'm here. So guess what?

My mic's open. clip that what he said earlier. I want to make sure I don't erroneously put it down. Oh, God. You're so terrible. All right. What was that?

I'm looking for a DJ scratch. You know when it stops the whole music. Oh, it goes for a record. Record scratch. Record scratch. This show has gone to a screeching halt. Oh, my God. I think what you said is,

did you say I hope they score nine points on Mike McDaniel? I want to make sure you. You know what? Like I said, I would like to rephrase that. Let me tell you. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Have I ever wanted to retract something in a segment? Absolutely. So you don't want, in honor of what I think with something that I would have done, we will not replay it. It feels like you're winking. It feels like you're texting Jonathan right now. Jonathan accidentally hits that number and he certainly has hit some bad keys here on the show lately.

Look, I want to rephrase. If they don't score a lot of points and it leads directly to the Mike McDaniel hiring, it wouldn't be the worst thing ever. Do you all believe Ross, 713-212-5-790? 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. If there's something in life you just don't get except but that last segment was with Ross, 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. It is the Matt Thomas show from Portland with a word here for Serta Pro Painter C.

Yeah, just remember, folks, even though Ross created a little bit of a stir there with his amazing take on the nine points that are catching them are going to score. I've done that plenty of my life, so I will not ask Jonathan to repeat that on the show at any point now. If it accidentally it's played, that it's what it is.

That's fine. I said it. You know the last time I said something stupid like that? What? When I said that Mike Trout wasn't a first ballot hall of famer. Ooh, no, that was worse. Oh, yeah. That's what I'm saying.

Moments can be retracted, so I retracted. No, it's fine. Look, I was thinking out loud. I'm really kind of building momentum for this McDaniel idea in my head. I want them to win. I don't think they're going to make the Super Bowl or anything like that. And I don't know. No, I'm thinking.

By the way, we have one of your least favorite Texans. Least? No, excuse me. Least favorite Texas Longhorn with his thoughts about the Texans. My least favorite. I think he's one of your least favorite. No, you're wrong. If you're thinking, is it Chris Sims?

maybe it is I don't hate Chris Sims like everybody else did I do he wasn't that bad he just wasn't that good I was team major too alright well coming up right after we do the news at noon

we're going to play the audio of him because he's got some very high praise for this local football team is that good or not good well that's what I'm saying I want you to decide for yourself Jason McIntyre loves the Texans it's like this is not good yeah by the

way, congratulations to Baylor. DJ Lagway is going to go from Florida to Baylor to play football. Wow. I would consider him a top five Transyl Porter quarterback, right? Is that fair? I think, yeah. So he was in a trade, I believe.

It was a trade with D.K. Kalu, correct? Oh, D.K. Kalu, that's right. Shout out to Renri Roo's son. Indy Kalu, say his name. Texans Legend, former 790 employee. Love Indie Kalu. Still loves our show. Still listens all the time.

Yes, he does. Texted to congratulate him. He's doing well. D.K. Kalu, he's a proud papa. Yeah, he said, I mean, just in general, I mean, not talking out of school or anything. He just said it was a crazy process, obviously. Because the portal stuff is just, it's insane.

Is it rude to ask how much money you got? I didn't ask that. You can. I imagine it was an upgrade going from Baylor to Florida. I mean, it just probably was. Well, I'm wondering. I'm wondering if D.K. has been at Baylor two years. He didn't get money, I'm sure, to start.

You don't think so? I know the NIL was in its infancy. Yeah, I would say probably. But remember, you can also get money directly from the school now. These athletic departments have budgets they can give. So when Sam Com was with us with us in the athletic couple days ago, he said, look, between each school right now has $20.5 million you can give to your athletic department that comes directly from the school.

football is getting between 17 and 18 million that means basketball and every other sport baseball women's basketball golf track and field volleyball is splitting two and a half million dollars I have it on pretty good authority the University of Houston's budget is not as football intensive as maybe some other schools are

a lot of basketball yeah you got to pay basketball players either that or you got to I've got to have a hellacious NIL deals going on. Yeah. I mean, yeah, you're getting these five-star one and duns run through U of H. Good. Oh, wow.

By the way, I've made the ultimate executive decision. If the Cougars play for the national championship, I'm not going to go. You have to go. No. You have to go. Here's the reason. You are going to be kicking yourself. That's fine.

If they win the national championship, I know. After seven final fours, and 83 against NC State, and last year against Florida. And they finally reached the mountaintop in all glory the peak of college basketball. Correct. In Indianapolis? I have the reason why. Where is it? Indianapolis.

In Indianapolis, one of the mechas of college basketball. Yes. I get it. Here's what I'm scared of. flight delays flight delays in weather weather in April in Indianapolis

it could absolutely snow it'll be fine you know no no no this is defeatist I'm not allowing this Matt let me tell you the reason difference last year I had a day off

in between the championship game and the Rockets playing the clippers. So I had a buffer zone. The Rockets play the suns the very next day in Phoenix. Rossi? I don't think I have to explain to you.

If I miss the game, that's not good on old Matt Thomas's resume. Matt, no. First of all, I'm calling you a fraud and a liar on this. I'm going to write this down and gut feelings. If they're going on the championship game, you're going. Is the fantasy football I'm out of the league? But it's going to be that situation.

I'm not going. No, I'm not going. They're going to win a final four if if they win a final four game you're going to be all excited they're going to be won a game away from the championship and you're going I'm calling you a fraud right now on the air January 8th 1159 a.m. You're a fraud. Here's what I will do and you're saying Matt that's the busiest thing you've ever asked. I will ask the fortitas if they can if they can fly me back to Phoenix. I cannot. You're going to do it. you're going to do it I cannot take the chance

you know what I'm putting my name on weather problems in Indianapolis I can't take the chance you're going to know the weather by the time the championship game comes along you'll have the forecast okay there's it there's the asterisk

you're you're going you're already cracking if it's 54 degrees you're already cracking you're right I'm cracking I'm cracking I'm putting my name on it Where's my dose to Ruggis file?

I'm putting, put it on for me. All right, I'm going to, you know what? As a matter of fact, while we play HoloNotes here at the top of the air, I'm going to book my flight. Damn it. You fraud. I didn't even last the entire segment.

You didn't last five minutes. But I reserved the right to cancel it. Yeah, of course. Of course. All right. What's wrong with me? Why am I taking chances on my coup on the basketball team? This is it.

is the Matt Thomas show with Ross. I really wish Paul and Oates get back together. I don't know why I'm just telling you this now, but they hate each other. Why? Because I mean, I love, I want to go see them in concert one more time. She's going to see Daryl Hall. Didn't he do all the singing or Oates? Was it Oates?

Who did all the singing? No, it was Gerald Hall. John Oates was just, he was going to ask. John Oates was chilling. He was tapping his toe in rhythm in the background. He was tapping other things, too. God, the amount of sex he got back in the day. All right.

1207. All right, I just booked the trip. I just booked Indianapolis to Phoenix. I go through Chicago. Do I even bother put my, put my names on it on this file? That is so funny. It's only cost me 15,000 points, which is not terrible. Do you want to hear all the put my names on it I've had on this file?

Please. Trevor Bauer will never be Houston Astro. Ding. C.J. Shroud will always be better than Anthony Richardson. That was 24 when Anthony Richards was getting all this hype, remember. Ding. You said that or I said that? I said 9-9-2020.

Ooh, Jalen Green, best offensive season of his career in 25? I think he did. He had his highest true shooting percentage. He had his highest offensive win shares. I'm going with a ding on that. It's arguable. And then now I put, if the Cougars are in the championship game,

M.T is going. I literally put it on there. Let's go. All right. I got a Comedy Plus on all the seats, too. This is nice. It costs me $5.20. And if they don't make it,

I get the flight, I get the miles back in the time. Oh, I have a Dana Brown put his name on it. Jose Abray move will be very good. Yeah, I'd erase that. Go ahead and delete that bad boy. Yeah. Man, it just pains me hearing that call again.

Because that would have been, I'd have been on the Popper Sports Center. Yeah, I'm, well, here we go. Instead, I was just on NBA radio. That's all I got. I didn't even get the main channels. NBA radio is great, Matt. It is great. I love those guys.

I'm sure it is. Great. All right. Tuesday, April 7th, I leave Indianapolis in the early morning. I got to go through Chicago. I get there into Phoenix by 11 o'clock. That's perfect. I'm taking that day off

I will call you probably at O'Hare Airport No, I can't even call you I have to text you on the air I'm in the air to say congratulations on our national championship I'll pay for the Wi-Fi, get on Zoom, let's go I can't zoom on a commercial aircraft You should be able to

Well, they're not going to charge you They charge you however much money I'm calling them out by name American Airlines Oh you went right after American didn't you? I paid for like 25 bucks for the for the Wi-Fi back from Korea and it didn't work. I couldn't watch a Texan's game.

Remote. You were flown an airline that doesn't, is an American? I have. You get free bags. This is a deal. I actually caught a break yard. It's only, I mean, seriously, I'm very happy with my work here. And guess what? The airlines that aren't American, they treat you a lot better. I went on Eva Air and Taiwan.

You get, you get like, it was like a hour, it was from Taiwan to Korea. It was a very short flight. You get a whole meal. You get more room it's oh it's nice i would be losing my airline virginity on a new airline in february when come back from florida oh really yep you're going on budget jet i don't want to give away too many details we'll save it for emirates i'm going from fort laurale to charlotte you think emirates flies those two those two days then it's got to be definitely alaska let's get to the news at noon at 1210 well matt you just mentioned the houston rocket

It's losing at the last second to the Portland Trailblazers. They'll be taking them on again tomorrow night in Portland at the Modus Center. But let's move along to what I've been fixated on all day. The Miami Dolphins have fired head coach Mike McDaniel after a 7 and 10 season. The move comes after McDaniel met with reporters Monday, said he would be part of the team's interviews to hire a new general manager. Owner Stephen Ross said not so fast, my friend. met with him on Tuesday, apparently didn't like the meeting.

After some reflection, Stephen Ross deciding to move on, according to Adam Schaefter. After careful evaluation and extensive discussion since the season ended, I have made the decision that our organization is need of comprehensive change. Ross said in a statement. A quick question, Matt, this doesn't mean John Harbaugh is coming, right? Because that was the rumor yesterday with John Harbaugh being fired. Rosina Anderson reporting that he was, at least the dolphins were reaching out

about John Harbaugh, who seems to be the favorite, the chalk favorite for the New York Giants, but could it mean a move is coming with the Miami Dolphins? What's the better job? We talked about this yesterday. You thought the Giants was a better job over the Dolphins. I would say just because I believe in DART over Tua.

I believe in another, whether an apathy of fans, I take Miami for the win. Okay. You want to spend 300 days a year in South Florida or 300 days in grumpy-ass New York? Yeah, but Stephen Ross, well, neither owner is, it has a great representation. Who is it, John Mara? Yes.

John Mara's been a bad owner of the Giants. Stephen Ross has been, I read that Stephen Ross has not had a coach last more than four years since he's been owner. More than three and a half years, I think. Like has not finished their fourth season. or maybe since 2003 I think it was I don't think Jackson Dart looks like the next concussion is going to be two weeks away he'll get a concussion during the office

yeah I get it and then to a tongue of Aloha what's the case there odds are dead they're in a dead heat Matt who's going to get the next concussion how about is there any other job available better than that can we give us a whole brown job guaranteed 54 million dollars next year if they cut him now would be a 99

million dollar cap hit oh my god i took it i mean when did he ever deserve that to begin with that's what i ask you i man i'll do you know what give me the writer's job let me bill from scratch

he got the number one are you a fernando mendoza guy they've got the number one pick right uh yeah number one pick but do you do you want is Mendoza number one pickers he's just the best quarterback he's your best quarterback he's gonna go I mean Cam Ward wasn't the best player on the board but he went one I mean

all right you want anything else in the business is kind of time for a break yeah let's go to break we got a lot of portal news going on yeah we got portal news and one of Ross's favorite longhorns of all time I didn't say that.

I'd say Gets a worst rap than he deserves. He comes across as a douche. Does he? I haven't interacted with him or I don't know. Well, I mean, tell me, if you go get some Texas diehard fans, Major Applewhite, sweet fella, beloved by all, former Houston Cougar football coach. But he was everybody loves the backup. Yes, Chris Sims was the five-star, six.

He was good, but it's not like me. He was a jersey guy coming up. Major Applewhite was not throwing 40 touchdowns with no picks, okay? There was a reason why Chris Sims was starting as well. Chris Sims, wasn't as bad as you remember and Major Applewhite wasn't as good as you remember. All right. Well, it hurts my narrative.

I know. I would like, again, Team Major Appel. It's the, you know, the frumpy-haired, floppy-haired dude from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who was like a two-star recruit versus the five-star son of a quarterback. Everybody loves the backup. That was part of the narrative. Right. Major Applewhite did have the pop cap arm.

Chris Sims had the big arm, but he was inaccurate and quite frankly had no touch. We'll hear from Chris next. All right, here it is. Chris Sims, alleged a friend to all. Best left-handed quarterback in Texas history, Ross, fair to say? Best what? Left-handed quarterback? Matt Liner?

No, at Texas. Oh, I thought you said to the whole NFL. Yeah, I thought you said Texan, sorry. No, I'm sorry. In the University of Texas history. I can't think of another one. No, can I. All right, he deduced every,

and analyzed, every potential matchup. So we're going to join this in mid-conversation, because it's three minutes, and I don't want to have blabber for three. but he gets down to Super Sunday here is Chris Sims right right

the only thing you worry about I think in this one is just CJ Stroud don't hold the ball too long and don't get strips act right but I do think they'll be able to throw the football I think they're getting better at throwing the football their offense has been somewhat good and really close here lately

it's gotten better and I think a little bit of like what you talk about the defense that's three and a half minutes we can't do that I thought I gave you a stop and start point. No, here we go. Oh, no, you did. Okay. Here we're fast-foring a little bit now. I look at history and go, well, the last time the game was in San Francisco for the Super Bowl,

the best defense in football was there, the Denver Broncos. Right. And this time around us to Houston Texans. I don't know. Maybe history repeats itself, and it's Denver there again. I don't know. But I'm going to play. It's the best defense gets there once again, and that is the Houston Texans for my money.

Well, it feels Houston doesn't totally fit that mold on both sides. of the ball only one side of the ball but yet they're going into the playoffs is what a 10 game win streak right is that right or 9 or 10 i mean something like that so i'm gonna have the texans pulling off the upset over the rams wow i am demico ryan goes back to san francisco and hoisted trophy i'm gonna go with it like this in that when defenses like this get to the super bowl they have two weeks they get to be extra fresh they get to really study the other offense and more times and not, when we see these special defenses get to the Super Bowl, right? And we'll see if they can get there because your team might be there instead.

But like the Broncos or the Seahawks of 2013, right? Like the 2007 Giants that had a special front floor, when you just hear all week like Will Anderson and Dean on, if you don't get to Stafford, we can't win the game. If you, for two weeks, for two weeks they got to hear. If you don't get to Stafford, we can't win the game. And they're going to be as fresh as can be in the biggest game of their life. lives ready to go freaking crazy.

Every rep is just nuts. I always feel like the great defensive teams have a little more of an advantage in the Super Bowl, right? Almost like the Philadelphia Eagles last year. At the front four can't get there to Mahomes, we can't win. We have to start blitzing and doing that. The chiefs are going to beat us. So that front four was like, don't blitz, Vic.

We're going to kick their ass. And they never blitz the whole freaking game and kick their ass, right? So that's the way I feel a little bit here. So I got Texans, you got Rams. I like it. Ross, you heard him. Let's go, Chris. I've always said he's so smart.

Yeah. So great. Big rocket arm. Just didn't have a good team around him with those Texas teams. Yep. Thank God you didn't, he didn't hear what you said 20 minutes ago. I mean, he would fire five-yard passes like 700 miles at people. That was my biggest complaint about Chris Sims back in the day.

Then he ruptured his spleen when he was with the Titans. That was crazy. By sending me best left-headed quarterbacks in NFL history. When NFL history? No, Steve Young, yeah. It's Steve Young, not Boomer or Sison. Steve Young. And it was Texas history.

I'm sorry, if I said NFL. Number three, Michael Pennix. No, it's not Michael Pinnix. I'm sorry, Michael Vick. No. How about Jim Zorn? Want to go Jim Zorn? Mark Brunel.

To a Tongue of Aloha? Nope. E. Mae Adoka is going to join us in just a couple of minutes. Really quick, before we. get to e-may let's go to biscuit on somebody biscuit what's a good word cool man did I just hear you say you book some tinkers in that town

yes I did oh okay I'm glad you listened to a brother finally I think rosin I call that out a month ago I think you did you did a lot of basketball left but and there you got a good shot as anybody that dude Fleming man is the real deal man

that dude who we you know what he kind of It kind of remind me of, what's the little guard for New York? Jalen Brunson? Yeah, he kind of reminded me in Brunson, just a little more athletic and a little taller. But, I mean, his demeanor and the way, you know, man, I'm telling you. If seen that continue and improve, barring injuries, you can book it, Matt.

I'm going to see you in that down, man. I already booked it. Thank you very much, Biscuit. I appreciate you. I'll say I'm saying I'll see you out there at a bar somewhere. Well, can you pick me up at the airport? Can you get, can you, you got a, you got a, uh, any of, uh, connections on game day tickets? That is accurate.

I got it. I'm in nap, but I need to get some tickets to the game. I'll take care of you. Don't worry. I mean, you got paid for them, but I'll, I'll find you some tickets. Don't worry. Thank you, Biscuit. I think I paid $2.50 for my ticket last year.

Really? Oh, yeah. Didn't you get it last minute? Yeah, last minute. I mean, first of all, dome stadiums to watch games suck because the sight lines are terrible, but it was worth the money. I mean, I had to sit in a good spot, and I paid for it. Maybe it wasn't even 250.

Maybe it was 200. I don't remember. God, that game sucked. You got me looking up left-handed quarterbacks. There's only two in the history of the NFL who were left-handed and made the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Steve Young Would I know the other one?

You would if you're checking your tweet mentions No, Mike Vick's not in No, who's the other? Too many electrocuted and drowned dogs That's not nice That's what he did I didn't do it Are you looking at me

I'm gonna try not to look at Twitter Because I want to figure out Where am I'm going to tell me NFC or AFC Well, AFC Okay Formerly an oiler mostly known for another playing for another team but was an oiler

and left-handed oh kennie stabler that's right okay yes all right there we go the snake emma doke up next it's 1227 on sports talk 790 1230 it is a matt thomas show with rossom here in portland rockets fall last night to the blazers usually we get to visit with emay on on a happy note after a big victory unfortunately a tough, tough little last 10th

second of a moment lost to the Blazers and he may are joining us here now. Coach, good morning. Thank you for the time. Walk us through if you don't mind what was going through your mind drawing up the play, the play itself and then obviously Tari's tipping that was just a bit, bit too late.

Obviously wanted to get in Kevin's hands he was on a hot streak with 37 points and knew he would get a good look and, you know, had confidence of him and then, as always, we wanted to send everybody to the glass and,

you know, Charlie made a great effort. You know, point one second too late, basically. Did you think it went in or was in the back of your mind going, I got to look at replay? I definitely had to look at replay because when you look live and you have some doubt, and it's, you know,

it's going to be close for sure. And my initial looking live was it didn't look great, didn't look good, but some of the video guys behind the bench thought he got rid of it, and obviously the other angles should have still on the finger. I don't know if you saw it like I did from up where I was calling it, but literally half the court was, with elation on one side and half of the other court was, yeah, we got it. I have never seen, and we've seen buzzer beaters, and you've obviously been a few of them. It felt like both sides thought they had won the game on the final play, literally.

Yeah, that's how close it was, and even a repeat. play showed that and so you know he made a good effort like i said um you know kevin got a quality look off uh you know heavily contested but he's going to shoot over guys and um yeah but overall that you know regardless of that last play i said to the group that we probably didn't deserve to win that game um you know we didn't really show up and played our standard for three and a half quarters and the last half of the fourth quarter we really buckled down yeah it was literally a tale of two games when it came to that. Something that has happened, and look, obviously you're right there in front of it.

You're still crashing the offensive boards with a great regularity. That's no surprise, even without being gone. You got Adams out there, and even Clint helping you on. The three-point shot has gone away the last three games. What do you chalk that up to? I mean, this is a team that has been 40%, 90% of the year,

but January has not been kind from Beyond the Arc. What do you think is going on? Just a normal slump that teams go through during the season at times. hate that and you know everybody other than kevin really is kind of going through it at the same time but to your point that starting with the dallas game and phoenix last game and then yesterday um if we shoot anywhere close to our norm it's a comfortable 15 point win and so um but at times you

know that's going to happen during the season guys are going to miss open shots and yesterday it really stood out obviously the amount of wide open looks we had um but you still have to do the other things and you know nobody's trying to miss shots on purpose you get great looks and you live with the result but what we can control is following the game plan guarding specifically the way we want to and taking care of the ball

and so those things can always happen you're going to miss shots at times but you can still lock in onto the game plan specific and specifically on Avila we didn't guard him anywhere close to the way we wanted to. Kevin Durant taking the last shot and the last two games went in on Monday

unfortunately did not last night but he was brought here to be a closer. What does it like you just as a coach as opposed to last year. Does it make your life that much more easy, but also, you know, the other team knows that Kevin Durant's probably going to get the ball as well. Yeah, I mean, regardless, if he gets to a spot, it doesn't matter, you know, who's gardening him or how they're guarding him.

You know, he's going to get a quality look. And the maker misses is nothing to do with the defense, honestly. And so, you know, he made a pull-up the other night and got a great look here that kind of rolled off the rim. And, you know, you bring guys in for their efficiency, for their consistent scoring and then obviously they're closing which we had struggled with their times last year and so it's good there but at the same time you don't want guys that fully rely on him you guys want other guys to continue to play

throughout the game and last night it was more so of him doing what he did and we would like to feel the guys to join the party offensively rocket's head coach emmaidoka with us here on sports talk 790 how is alperin shingoon feeling and do you have any idea as far as a possible timeline for him coming back doing much better um much better than we thought. You know, he has the swelling is kind of gotten pushed out. Had a really good workout yesterday post a shoot-around and just got to moving around and get up and down and, you know,

jumping around, jump rope, doing some things on the ankle just to see the flexibility. And we're happy with the progress. I'm not sure when he'll be back, but, you know, it looked a little more bleak initially. And now he's moving well. Pain tolerance is pretty good. And so hoping to have him back definitely in next few games. He may is a guy who scores nearly 20 points a game, but most nights over, gives you 7 or 8 assists, 7.8 rebounds.

It's an obvious question, but tell me from a strategy standpoint, the things you have to adjust, the things your team has to adjust without being out of that lineup, not only not on the floor, but missing as much time as he's missed the last handful of games or so. he just takes away one leg of your offense and it's really the post-up threat, the isolation threat around the elbows and the things he's really good at.

And so you kind of go to other actions, other players, other personnel, and it's a little bit more limited because of it's a post-up threat. You know, Kevin and Jabbar can get some posts, but not to the extent of Alperin. And just like Kevin draws those attention, Alpi does the same thing.

And I think overall, guys get more clean looks with those two on the court. all right semi-loaded questions if you want to just not answer it all the way i get it um denny abdia shoots a lot of free throws in fact he shoots more than anybody else in the nb a nb a when you talk to officials in the offseason there are some guys that will chase after fouls and get the free throw line like he does do officials catch on to that or do they come to you and say contact is contact i don't care if the guy goes a free throw line 12 or 13 times it's because the ball in his hand as much and your guys can't seem to not foul i'm not talking

about you in general, but just in general about whether or not a player like him or SGA, and James was certainly like that when he was here in Houston, live at the free throw line at least 10 times per game. Yeah, I mean, it's a discussion that's always had at the head coaches

meetings with the referee is freedom of movement and who's initiating contact. It's definitely the hardest thing to officiate in the game, but at the same time, you know, you hate to see foul baiters be rewarded to that extent, but at the same time, to be disciplined as well.

And so they're going to miss them, definitely. They're going to throw their body around. And for us, it's being more disciplined, not reaching your hands in there, and then having a nice point of contact instead of meeting them that low by the rim. And so we're in as discipline as we need to be on him game plan-wise, reached in too many times and, you know, bailed them out there. But the things we wanted to do with him from the start, we didn't. And let him get going, let him get downhill, and let him draw some of those fouls.

the schedule has given us a lot of off days over the first couple of months. I looked at January, it's a hot mess of games. I'm going to assume that the number one thing you can probably do is eliminate the number of hardcore practices, guys getting their shots in to do what they need to do. Is that the main thing you have to do here

beyond thinking about how many back-to-backs are ahead over this for this team in the next handful of weeks? Yeah, definitely. I mean, it's games every other day and then a bunch of back-to-backs coming up, and so your time is definitely limited. You're very conscious of resting guys' bodies

and, you know, saving one trip to the gym here and there to have their energy and juice for the game. And so it's always a balance there. You know, you up the film sessions, up the individual film sessions and team film sessions to, you know, make sure we're checking boxes on everything that we need to. But you do want guys, you know, we're professionals and I trust our guys.

They are grinders that they get their right amount of work, and they get the rest they need or the shots they need. And so we have a lot of optional days and guys are always in the gym getting up work even if it's not a mandatory shoot-round. And keeping with that workload conversation, I'm in Thompson number two in minutes per game, Kevin Durant number four.

I guess obviously two different conversations with both of those guys because of their age, but can you kind of take us through both of those as far as talking with the player, talking with the trainer, and kind of figuring out how to try to at least help lighten the load a little bit? Yeah, it's definitely something we want to be, you know, shaved down and we are conscious and aware of,

but at the same time, you know, a man, there's a Swiss Army night for us. You know, with Fred and point guards out, he's handling that duty initially, and then we bring in Reed or different guys, you know, with Dorian being out and Tari being out at times, and then Jay Sean, the guys that were injured early, he was doing so much for us as far as defensively

and playing a two, three, four at times. And so, you know, he's a young guy, but we still want to be conscious and aware of that. With Kevin, obviously, in age factors, where you are as well. You know, the guys that are missing, we've got to stay afloat and he's doing such a great job. And Kevin's like Fred, he never wants to come off the court anyway,

but, you know, sometimes you have to save guys from themselves. And at some point, we want to shave those minutes down when we're fully whole and have nobody else on minute restrictions. E-May, will Kevin try to pass up Wilt in the first quarter tomorrow night's game? We wanted him to get at your last night. But, you know, he's been on the high streak lately. And like I said, without Alper, there the balls in his hands even more but

you know he'll do what he does and he's going to continue to pass up people on the list and more so than that we encourage our guys to not sit and watch but to like I said join the party like last night and anybody had a normal shooting night we're in good shape so we don't want to

fully rely on a 37 year old everybody else has to do their part and while he does what he does on and as efficient as he is scoring as like he is and closing like he is. All right you've got a lot of guys on your bench behind you that will have notepads, iPads looking at officials' calls. Will one of them be on the Indiana-Oregon game tomorrow night during the game?

As much as I'd love to, we've got a game to win here. And so, you know, this is a good chance for us to get back as what we missed on last night. Like I said, if we play offensively better, you know, we'll be in good shape, but shots are going to fall over than not. And even with, you know, the 15 free throws for Havia and us being undisciplined early for the first half, at least, they still only scored 103. And so we can do some things to definitely be better.

We've been number one in our offense or, I mean, defense for the last month or so, and we need to have another big night defensively while making shots. All right, assuming Oregon wins tomorrow, who do you want them playing, Ole Miss or Miami? Doesn't matter to me. I love to see them in the championship. We'll leave it at that. Thank you, May for the time. Enjoy the rest of the day.

We'll see you tomorrow at the arena. thank you guys we'll see you may doka with us here a huge Oregon fan Portland State grad but Oregon fan through and through and Denny Obdia too many free throws Ross

how was he getting superstar calls I don't know he's Dennyovdia he's so nice coach is so nice we talk to officials we're trying honest he mentioned to him he's he's Denny Obdia

he don't be getting that SGA's an MVP I get that yeah and get those calls that's crazy all right uh good stuff there from email adoka 1243 on sports talk 790 kevin harland's going to join us in 15 minutes now i'm a little nervous this is our first time we've ever done zoom audio so um i hope it works because i just will say i have full i have full trust no you don't you don't know that anybody with ears can can hear your voice. I have full trust. Why

do I sound like a grandmother? 1249. We're going to visit with Kevin Harlow, CBS Sports, coming up in about 10 minutes. It's also of the Amazon Prime. And he'll do more of those NBA games coming up in the second half of the season. It has a little bit

of a reduced schedule because you know what? He's busy calling NFL games. National radio and, of course, on CBS. All right. Ross, are you a fan of the Peacock Channel? The streaming service, yes, Premier League, not every game, but a lot of the games I watch on the Peacock channel. Well, I think the picture is crystal clear for Sunday Night Football. Yeah.

Well, apparently Peacock is doing some things to help with people that may not like everything they want to hear. There is an option that Peacock is working on, and I don't know the great details of it, I just happen to see it on the 4U tab, that is allowing, you ready for this? enhancements to allow fans to mute announcers and control the crowd noise on their game broadcast. I think that's cool. I think that's very niche. I don't know how many people are going to want to take advantage of that.

I mean, is regular Joe fan saying I need to pump in more crowd noise? Probably not. the interesting part will be how much the mute button is used on broadcasters. Now, can you do individuals? Can I keep Toriko and get rid of Collinsworth? I don't think you could probably do that. That would be pretty funny, right?

Technology, incredible accomplishment there. You know what? I've had enough of Melissa Stark. Mute her mic. I'm just kidding. I'm just going to say there's a handful of broadcasters I would mute. I don't have the stones to tell you who They are because they're all national and they're all got higher profile jobs.

Really? Why don't you say it? I can't think of who would I actually mute? Collinsworth, I was kidding. Aikman, no. Tony Romo, probably not. No, it would be more for me on the play-by-play side. Ooh.

Because I am a student of play-by-play. Yes, you are, Matt. And when I don't like it, I don't want to hear it. Gus Johnson I like Gus. Does he make the first and ten sound like it's a fourth down catching the Super Bowl in the fourth quarter occasionally too much?

Yes. I honestly can't think of anyone I would out and out mute. I would say this. It would be very few people in sports that I would mute. Okay. I do like the crowd noise. I might pump that up. Especially if you have, like, a theater room in your house, that would really feel like you were there.

Yeah, I got the Dolby surround, Maddie. I'm getting that going. Gets the Dolby Atmos. You got a, do you got Dolby surrounding your apartment? Are you kidding me? No, you know. Why? Does it really sound like you're in a theater when you're in your apartment watching sports?

Oh, yeah, I got a, yeah, I got a nice sound bar. I got to come over. I cranked that bad boy up. Yeah. Really? I got, yes. I got OLED screen and a nice sound bar. I got a news for her.

I have a sound bar in my house. We don't really use it, though. Well, okay. because it's in the living room and most of our TV watching is done upstairs or on our own individual bedrooms. I got that Dolby atmosphere, brother. Let's go. Come on over. Bring your popcorn. Can I just be purely selfish for a second? I think what an Apple TV did this last year and has in the last few years with their baseball. If you want to watch it on Apple to see the video of it, that's cool. But to be able to put your hometown broadcasters in the mix of it is I think it's a huge, I don't know why more. Oh, it's great. It's the only. It's the only.

only way i watch apple and well if i had the capability matt it would be the only way i would watch the rockets would be listening to the euphonious tones of matt thomas thank you that's where i think you should get more benefit more bank for your buck is putting your hometown announcers on because in reality if you're watching it you're going to see the ads you're not you're not losing it you're not losing an audience because of that you're just keeping people on because you can then attach now again there's a delay between the broadcasting and the which I don't they would they would obviously figure that out that to me would be the big benefit now on this semi-final game tonight all the ESPN channels are being used and one of them is the

radio feed of the school that you like oh that's cool so note to peacock to what else is there amazon prime not that we don't love iron eagle and we don't love kevin harle and we don't love the other guys, but maybe you just want to hear the local flair, because I got news for y'all. Come playoff time, Craig and Vanessa and Ryan are going bye-bye. Not because they want to. It's because the NBA said we're getting rid of local broadcast. I will say this

because Craig got mad at me on Twitter last year when I was like, I was listening to Kevin Harlan or somebody. The game, when it's a big playoff game though, Matt, and no disrespect to the local people, it does sound, it sounds bigger. Yeah, yeah. When it is Mike Tariko or Kevin Harlan

Harlan or Iron Eagle, it's like, yeah, this is This is Premier, top of the top. The game sounds bigger when it's those guys. The short list of guys. Right. And it's a very short list. But if it's just like Dave Pash, you'd rather listen to me. Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah. Let's go to, before we get to Kevin, let's talk to Vince on 790 and 1254. Hi, Vince. Yeah, you kind of stole my thunder with the question to email about the foul baiting. I've been thinking about that this morning after watching last night's game and just in TVA in general. and I just wish that, I just think to me that they can fix that pretty easily. A lot of times it's so obvious, but the rest, I guess, are maybe dictated to call them to call it a certain way, you know? They just need to change that. It's really bad for the sport.

Well, Portland Trailweiser fan disagrees with you, Vince. And I can tell you, Oklahoma City Thunder fan has zero problem with the amount of contact that Shade Gildes-Alexander. And for years, to be fair, and I said the same thing when I was calling James Games, James got to the free throw line 11 to 12 times. Guess what, gang? That was 9 to 10 points per game that you got from the free throw line. So I don't know if we're hypocritical or it's just the guys that are affecting that we're going against that it feels like it just hurts more.

Honestly, I'm the biggest rocket fan you'll see. But even when James was doing that, I didn't like it. I know, and you're not the only one that says that too. I understand. Thanks, Vince, with a phone call. You got it. Nice to hear from you. Ross, he's not on the ordinary.

and that's what I brought up to email. I mean, I guarantee you it's every year when the coaches and the officials meet in the summertime. Look at, and I'm sure they don't, they say what happens in this room, stays in this room, except for my Mark Dagnold of the Oklahoma City Thunder phone. You're like, why are you picking on my guy?

But there are, I mean, Denny Avdia shoots like 12 free throws a game. You're telling me he's, wouldn't you think if he had, if he was fouled as often as he was, he'd be black and blue and concussed at least twice a week? I do think it's far too often.

And I noticed it was Devin Booker's was happening on Monday and Denny Avdia. I mean, it happens all the time. And Kevin Durant gets these calls too. So it's everywhere. I think that marginal contact is called way too often in the NBA just as a whole, way too often. So let me. argue back at this because I'm not trying to defend the official but if you say to me hello official you're calling marginal contact I come back to you and say well if I don't call that

it's going to be the Detroit Pistons of 1989 all over that's I know that's the counter argument and I think the NBA doesn't necessarily mind that means points are going up that means guys are free flowing to the basket that means you know you're you're ending up with guys in foul trouble more often right so they're not going to be uh for example what was the game that Kevin Durant had like four fouls in the first couple of quarters or whatever it was. It was in Dallas. Yeah. So, yeah. So Kevin Durant, guess what? He ain't foul on nobody the rest of the game.

So guess what that means? That means more free lanes to the basket. That means higher scoring. That's better for the overall health of the league. 122 to 117 looks better than 96 to 92. So, yeah, I don't know that a change is going to happen, but I will say it's a complaint. And this is every, nobody's perfect. We have complaints about the NFL. We have complaints about Major League Baseball. I have complaints about every sport.

But it is one of my complaints. I think too much marginal contact is called in as far as fouls. I think Denny Avia Avdia last night was three or four times he was barely touched and they were calling fouls. Shade goes to Alexander all the time. And as I said, it happens to Kevin Duran. It happens to Houston Rockets players as well. I just think overall, as we've gone along, soft fouls are called way too much. 1258 we talk to kevin harland next it's the matt thomas show with ross i'm here in portland here on sports talk 790

hey mattie hi ross how you doing matthew i've been better technical difficulties at the station we're back on air though baby all right do you have kevin or no no do we want to call kevin or we want to do we want to do Do nothing. Yeah, we'll try to call him. Let's call Kevin. Or you want to try to break real quick?

I mean, we just went on a very lengthy break. No, we just took a long-ass break. Let's stay here for a minute. Technical difficulties up at the station, but we're all good now. And I sound a little bit different, but, you know, whatever. That's fine. All right, I'm going to send, why don't you talk for 30 seconds while I sent Jonathan and Chris Kevin Harlan's number. So stay with me.

Do you talk for a few seconds? Okay, we're going to talk. Yeah, we're supposed to have Kevin Harlan here on the station. here on Sports Talk 790, but we had some technical difficulties. We had to get the engineers in here, all that type of stuff. So everything going to be all right. Soon enough, we will get Kevin Harlan

on here. That should be, well, a real fun conversation coming up with him. We had Rockins head coach, EMA O'Doka, on the show early. You can catch that on the SportsTalk790.com podcast page. I think some of it will be posted up on our social media as well. Looking forward to talk to

Kevin Harlan. We've had some NCAA news we've been talking about. Rockets losing last night a heartbreaker in Portland as the tip-in from Tari-Eason went in but just with about, I mean milliseconds, literal milliseconds after the buzzer

back in the olden days as it was called a win. It would have been fine but justice was served. Rockets didn't get the shot off in time so they lost the game to the Portland Trailblazers as they stay in Portland and they'll be taking them on tomorrow at 9 p.m. here on Sports Talk 790 with yours truly

on the Rockets launch pad coming at 8 o'clock and I'm guessing you're going to hear from Rocket's Head Coach E. Medoca there too, man. Imagine that, taking a nice conversation with the Rockets Head Coach and replaying it for the Rockets LaunchPay tomorrow. Well, I mean, people want to hear from the coach. That's good programming right now. What do you mean? I shouldn't have had that second cup of coffee this morning because now I'm all. You really wired?

Hello. How many? Hi. I am, yes. Do I hear Kevin Harlan? Thank God. You know what? Kevin does these radio interviews all across the country.

Nothing is more as fluid than right now. Kevin, it's Matt. Can you hear me okay? I can't, yeah. Let me tell you. Our Zoom connection didn't work, huh? It didn't work. I'm going to peel the curtain back. All right.

Our board just fried seven minutes ago. All right. And when you were doing... Oh, I'm so sorry. I am so sorry. When you were doing football Sunday when I was a kid board hopping 35 years ago, you're bored fried too, so I don't want you to judge me at all. I'm not going to.

I won't judge. nothing worse than a fried board i i've said that in the whole life and i really mean it i really mean it right now give me give me credit i listen when i was a young board operator 20 years old football sunday was on my radio on 700 in ksiv in houston texas so i remember young kevin harlowe i um those are those are wonderful memories i always tell young broadcasters that sometimes if you dream and you're lucky enough in the business to achieve those dreams, you don't look around and say, is there more? You say, I'm so thankful for every step that got me to that position.

And whether you're a board off when you're 20, whether you're just trying to climb the ladder step by step from job to job and team to team assignment to assignment you appreciate the journey and I think anybody in the business would tell you that same thing that the journey truly is such the reward and you enjoy being at the end of it and where your dreams you know all kind of come together but it's it's approaching that which is really fun and I've enjoyed the journey much like you I'm sure I have and it is an honor to have you on I tell this to Jim when he's on with me

because we're fellow U of H guys I mean eye on a couple of times you, the three of you can't retire you just can't I don't care if you reduce your schedule you've cut back in your Amazon Prime which I'm not happy about but that is what it is you just can't quit on me

because I need you guys in my business I need people to go I wanted Kevin Harlan Laman I almost had one yesterday Tari Easton's tip in almost gave me a chance to be on Sports Center, except it was one-tenth of a second too late, so I was

I wasn't able to get the national acclaim. Yeah. Oh, that's too bad. That's too bad. You would have enjoyed it, and the call I know would have been phenomenal. Hey, what is your favorite? There's more.

As good as that team is, there's more in store. There's no doubt. What's your favorite buzzer-beater? Whether it be football, you've called field goals, you've called buzzer-beaters in your career. Give me your top one or two if you can think of it. Two, in big moments.

playoff game, Toronto, Game 7, Philadelphia, Toronto Raptors fade away, falling out of bounds, heavily defended, Kauai 3 in the corner for the Raptors to, and the ball bounced about three or four times on the rim and went down and won the series. And the Raptors went on to win the championship, but Kauai hit that shot in the final seconds to win the series. To win the series, got into the finals, and the rest is history. And then we had a game in the Eastern Conference Finals a couple years ago in Miami. Boston, Derek White, beating at the buzzer, the heat to force. I think it was a three-nothing series lead by the heat.

And Boston came back and won the series. They won four games to three, but that game six in Miami forced the game seven, and White got through the inbound pass, drove to the basket, retrieved the pass, took it in, and they didn't count it at first, looked back, and it was good. So those are two kind of recent times, and I've always been told you call it as if it's good. because if they rule it no good, then it'll just disappear. If it's real good, you say, oh, I don't know that he got it in time, then it lives in that world, and you don't have the oomph on the call.

You assume it's good until you're told otherwise. So you make the call as if it's good in a game winner, scoring, and whatever sport, and I've kind of stuck with that motto. It's good words. Great advice. The great Kevin Harlan with us here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross here from Portland. Kevin, you've seen the Texans a few times this year, and everybody that calls a game,

whether national or local or regional, brags about the defense. You have called NFL football for 30-plus years. Size up this Texans defense. And again, you don't need to necessarily placate to a Houston audience, but the facts are, especially at the ends, Daniel Hunter and Will Anderson have made life miserable for about 17 or 18 different quarterbacks this year.

And they're about ready to make life miserable, I think, for Rogers Monday night. I think he's going to be pinched all night long. And these kids are excited about the platform on a Monday night, standalone game, not in a busy weekend, but stand-alone game. The weather's not going to be like it is in Houston. They're not going to be indoors. It's going to have a frigid feel to it.

But I think that when you get to this stage and you've got the momentum that the Texans have right now, I don't think anything is going to stop them. I think Rogers is a historically special player, and I think getting D.K. Metcalf is going to help them. And I think the third component is the Texan stopping the run game, which showed life against Baltimore in Week 18, and that big win on Sunday night. Those two kids are special, Warren and Gainwell,

and the quarterback has a very good – he's playing exceptional football. right now, Rogers is. So that's the matchup. Nothing against CJ and what that offense does and not a shot at Watt and what he means to the Pittsburgh defense. But to me, the game centers around how effective can Rogers be

is though momentum strong enough, is the confidence great enough that they can contend with those two ends that will just cause, I think, havoc all night long from the Texans defense. And of course, about the glitter and the secondary and what they mean, how they can change a game. I love this game.

I love it for many reasons. Being outdoors, Hall of Fame quarterback, rising young quarterback and CJ, this defense, which has just been terrific. It checks every box in what you want in an early playoff game like this one. Ross, with you here as well, Kevin Harlan with us here on Sports Talk 790. And keeping with that matchup, Kevin, you mentioned C.J. Stroud. I'm just curious your perspective of somebody who's called a lot of his games and watched him, of course, on fire in his rookie season. Since then, has gone down and shown flashes of that franchise quarterback elite level play, but just not consistently enough.

Yeah, you know, hard to figure out whether it's always a combination of a lot of things, right? It's probably he's reacting to these defensive courts. coordinators who have watched a lot of tape on him, have a good feel for what he did as a rookie, and they countered it, you know, the last couple years and maybe not the eye-opening numbers, but to me, he is incredibly effective still. Best years are ahead of him. They've surrounded him with some talent at wide receiver, clearly. and listen, we did a game with him often last year, one in New England and other places along the way.

So I'm a fan of his personally and professionally. He has sat next to me at a Rockets game and loves basketball, and we talked during commercial breaks. So I've got a real affinity for him, and he's become one of my favorite players. Um, but, but, you know, listen, this is, this is a big stage and a playoff game on the road in Pittsburgh. That place will be bananas on Monday, um, but I think we're going to see the best version of him. And I, I'm still a huge fan. Upside is gigantic. And I'm, I'm clearly on his side on that conversation. I, um, listen, these, these coordinators spend so much time, uh, figuring out what's,

what they've got to deal with and and uh their regression is probably not the right word but just make maybe that the rocket was too heavy off that off that launch pad and and he had to you know probably just feel um you know what now was going to be a more complex a more studied version of what he was going to face on Sundays and um but i like what he's done this year clearly they're winning, they're in the playoffs, and I think, like I said, I think we're going to see his best version on Monday night. Kevin Harlan with us here on a Sports Talk 7-90, a privilege to have you on the show, Kevin, and one of the great things about you is covering the NFL and doing college basketball, NBA,

I mean, all these different sports. So I did want to switch gears to NBA real quick, because we were talking about this earlier in the show, and I'm just curious your perspective as somebody who's followed the league for a while. The state of the league, how do you feel right now? I feel like the talent level is very high. There obviously are some negatives. And one of the things we've been talking about is all the foul calls.

Shea Gilgis Alexander has been someone who's coming to the limelight as far as foul hunting. And what was the word Victor Wambayama did? It was, I can't remember the exact phrase, but just a ball, like a reputable ball or whatever it was that he used, about not using the foul hunting. And you're your thought of like the state of the NBA where it is right now. You know, more so than the fouls, because that changes crew to crew, game to game, and sequence to sequence. Just the other night, I did a game for Prime in San Francisco with the Warriors coming off a road trip day in between, and they arrested Curry and Butler and Green.

And my first thought is, all right, we got a crummy game now tonight because they're playing Oklahoma City, and they're completely healthy except for Hartenstein. and they're ready to go, and they're on a path to trying to defend a title. So every game for them is huge, and they're taking on a Golden State team, that with those three big ones are going to be, you know, a formidable team, but they're going to come in and they're going to play hard, and they won by 37 points. There are too many games in the league. And quite frankly, for the league to schedule on a national game,

with the age of that team, Butler Curry and Green, and to schedule him in the first game back against the world champs, and they're already on the West Coast playing, and I get it. You're dealing with arena schedules and the NHL and college ball in some cases and concerts, and we all understand that. There are too many games in this league. The players are different than they were 20.

30, 40 years ago. The speed of the game is not even close. The pace of the game is not even close. And you would think that with the insertion of the playing, the NBA Cup thing and, you know, adding the play in a playoff tournament just to get into the playoffs at the end of the season, like the money, and now the gigantic TV contracts they've signed, that the owners could look at the quality of the game

and say, you know, we've got too many games. And you can go back and look at what Elijah on and Jordan and Berkeley and and Kareem and like all these guys. They were playing 77, 78. But the game was a different game then. And and and, but in the, I'm just, there are too many games.

They can't practice. They can't get healthy. They can't catch their. breath, and it's too much. But the owners will never relent on having those, and losing seven, eight, nine home games. They just won't do it. So I don't know. I don't know what the answer is, but it's a shame that when you've got Hall of Famers like Green and Curry and a terrific player like Butler, and all three are out, not only on a nationally televised game, But just what about the family that's taking their kid or their family to go watch,

you know, maybe at Christmas time, hey, we got four tickets to watch the Warriors and the Thunder, the defending NBA champions, and then those guys don't play. I mean, I mean, I'm sorry. It's just, it's not good. It's not, it's not healthy for the game. The players are exhausted. The soft tissue issues, these injuries continue to compound, it's, it's too much. and every coach agrees.

I used to talk with Steve Kerr about this the other night. And every coach agrees. So more than the fouls and more than we can, that's going to be a constant conversation. But the number of games is, it's just, it's hurting the product. And I feel for fans in this case because those tickets are expensive. And the park is expensive. and the food is expensive. And it's a big deal.

And we've got grandkids, and they went to a game at Oklahoma City the other night. A couple of those guys didn't play, they're heartbroken. I mean, that's what drives the needle. That's what moves the needle, is these big-name players, the Kevin Durant's and on and on. And if they don't play because they're taking rest, or maybe they're a little nicked up and they can't go, you know, it's heartbreaking. It really is for these kids. And that's, I

think about the fan. You lose the fan the game is going to suffer. And that becomes, I think, I think issue number one right now, we're playing too many games and maybe too compact a schedule and it's got, they've got to relent and they've got to cut back.

One final question here for the legendary, Kevin Harlan with us here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. And Kevin, I'll be honest with you. I try to watch some of the game. It was one 31 to 94 and as big of a Kevin Harlan fan as I am I had to turn it off I was like good God I mean my wife's like you call games you don't need to watch blowouts and I'm like but it's Kevin she goes I don't care turn it off so sorry Mrs. Thomas loves you but let's be honest nice Matt you're too good you're a good friend hey uh okay so I don't know if you make

predictions but you're going to be calling another Super Bowl this will put you in with 13 14 15 range somewhere in those Super Bowls on radio is that correct uh this will be my 16th wow Okay, so who's going to be there? I think the NOSC championship is a Seattle, Philadelphia, one of the other. I think it's hard to knock out a defending champion. Thank you, Rudy, for that comment from years ago. The heart of a champion could never be extinguished. It can't be second-guessed, and the Eagles have it.

But the Rams appear to be, you know, like, but Seattle's number one, and they're going to sit and watch this weekend. but I like the Eagles or Seattle out of the NFC and I guess in my heart I'd love to see a Josh Allen Super Bowl for the bills their fans deserve it this guy's a reigning MVP I'd love to see him in there

I don't know if there's a team in the AFC right now that you'd have to say is the front runner I think they're all going to be in their fighting and I think it's going to be terrific to watch And then, you know, there's a part of me about Aaron Rogers. I don't know that Pittsburgh's got enough, but we could be watching his final snaps as a Hall of Fame quarterback.

It'd be fun to see what he can do, but I don't want to be at the expense of the Texans because they love the team in that quarterback. So, and D'Amico is just as good as they come. So I don't know. I'll go Philly and the NFC, and in the AFC, I'll go Buffalo. And or Chicago's got a tough one against Green Bay coming out. I'll go Philadelphia, and I'll go and I'll go Buffalo. But we're just beginning, and I think it's going to be a roller coaster.

I think it's going to be a wild ride, man. You've got to harness yourself in on this one, because it's going to be, there's no Mahomes, there's no Lamar. We have some new teams in there, Jacksonville's in. Houston's going to make some waves. it's going to be a thrill and I cannot wait to get it started on Saturday. Ross, tell Kevin

who has Philadelphia and Buffalo and Buffalo and Super Bowl and made that prediction back in August. I believe that was you, Matthew. It was. Hey, I was close. Ravens Commanders is going to happen. Now I feel good. Yeah.

I feel good about it now. All right. The next thing I'm going to have for you do is we're going to try to name Kansas City International, Kevin Harlan International, because you spent more time at that airport than perhaps any human being has been in an airport in his life. Have you been up there, by the way?

It's a brand new airport. I know Intercontinental is in the process of, and boy, those terminals are gorgeous at that airport. I go through Houston a lot connecting, but Kansas City's got a brand new airport now. Yes, I was going through for my daughter's volleyball. They have a big tournament every year in February in Kansas City, and it's not an NBA stop, obviously, but going through there, it's nice. But I always think about, am I ever going to run into Kevin Harlan at Kansas City, Kevin Harlan International Airport? because the amount of elite status you have on probably 15 airlines is legendary. So thank you for the time.

And again, I hate to bother you once a year, but it always is a great visit to have you on. I look forward to seeing you on the prime circuit for the NBA once the football is over with, and we thank you so much for spending some time with us today. Listen, I'm going to be down there next Thursday. We get the thunder and the rockets, so I will see you then. Well, guess what you're going to be saying a lot? SGA at the line for two.

Or is it just so, is he just so skilled? Oh, stop. That's ridiculous. No. Hey, I called Denny Obby of 15 free throws yesterday, Kevin. So trust me, I'm already warmed up for it. I hear you. Tell me how you really feel.

Thanks. Say it travels to Pittsburgh for the Monday night game. Thank you for the time, as always. Thanks, guys. Take care. Have a great weekend. Thank you. We'll see you later.

All right, Kevin Harlan, the legendary Kevin Harlan. on national radio for Monday night football you can catch it on Westwood 1 Sports.com. Serious XM will have it for you as well on their NFL channel and of course you'll be hearing him throughout the year on Prime and on the Westwood 1 broadcast

of the Super Bowl. Technical issues be gone in sports that was well worth it my friend. Absolutely. He's just awesome. He's just so poetic and eloquent and nice. And you hear it's an American treasure. Yeah.

And you, and he's right, we're not going to see reduction in games. It's not happening. Oh, reduction in games is reduction in revenue. Yeah. I mean, that in sports. I mean, it's, he said everything, and he's right. Oklahoma City comes to what Golden State once a year. And the Golden State fans don't care where they play.

But that's SGA versus the legends, and the legends don't play. And Oklahoma City goes and it wins it by 40, pretty nearly 40 points. Oh, the issues the NFL, the NBA has to face. Still a great league. but yeah i don't i think 82 games is a as a thing of the past or the thing of the future actually all right we are uh i don't know where we are on our clock it doesn't matter we had kevin hard were we fine we ran a lot of spots yeah we did we did i figure we were okay enjoy that nine minute spot break at the beginning of the hour all right 131 ross what is today's edition of

believe or not uh what wait a minute uh it's been it susa yeah he did sign you got a couple of astrosanings to get to look at that next here on sports talk 790 All right, I think we're back on the clock, or who cares. This is a great interview. I fanboy, I'll be honest with I just do. There's a handful of fanboys I do, and that's in my industry, that's my game. Those are my guys that I grew up listening to and watching and appreciating. I try to emulate my game after them, the work ethic, the talent, the ability to be wordsmiths.

I mean, I live to get Mike Tariko on. And hopefully we will before the end of the year because he's doing a lot of NBA games. I mean, we talked about this yesterday when Tarika was calling that the field goal to win the game. talking about Mr. Lupy and the America's gift of kickers and he butchers it. Yeah. It's, um, the top, the top guys like,

yeah, like Kevin Harle and Mike Tariko. There's, there's a reason why they're top guys. Mm-hmm. You know, so. Oh,

okay, so let's get to the Astros real quick. We've not, you know, we really haven't done a whole lot of Astro talk, except for when we had, Emi, uh,

signed his deal. And by the way, is he, is he going to be in Pittsburgh for the game on Monday? I mean, he's everywhere else. Yeah, I think so. He's embracing everything. Yeah, he's with the traveling Texans now.

Is that right? He's in the middle of Times Square with a Texas flag? Yes. That would be hysterical. Would even the Texans traveling Texans fans know where he is? I think so. He'd have to bring his translator with him. That's two flights he's got a book.

Okay, here we go. Let's go through the arbitration numbers. Hunter Brown this year, 5.71 million dollars. The Astros and Hunter agree to that. Wonderful. He's like, you better quad, well, what will be quadruple? No, what will be sevenfold that?

Sex-Tupil. Are you making up a word? Is that really true? It was Sex-Tupil 6. Septuple? Septuple? Septuple? Septuple.

Yeah. He's like, this is fine. We can negotiate. this, but if you really want to negotiate with me, we need to talk about buying up some arbitration. Google says accept tuple is correct. Aseptuple. Okay, so Hunter's going to make

a poultry $5.71 million to be the ace of this Astros rotation. Beautiful. That feels like a very Marlin statement. I mean, it's arbitration. It's fine. He's an arbitration. That's how it goes. All right, number two, Jake Myers. Let's go!

He avoids arbitration as well. $3.55 million. Good for him. By the lot of land in Nebraska. Hesu Sanchez. Non-tendered? No, I'm just kidding. 6.8 million dollars.

Okay, we've got to have a serious talk here. I want you all think about this Astros fans. Jesus Sanchez is making more money than Hunter Brown. Well, he's further along, I imagine. But does it, doesn't matter how many? Yes, it does, yes. Yes, it does. but yikes.

So Hesu Sanchez, just, again, think about that, is going to make more than a guy that you hope that can win you 20 games this year and hopefully a top three Siongai young guy. All right, there you go. $5.8 million, excuse me, $6.8 million for Hesu Sanchez. Now, does 3.55 make even Jake Myers even more tradable now? See, I don't think when you got rid of Jacob Melton, doesn't that mean that maybe

Jake Myers can get some real estate in Houston? It's Jake Mark. Oh, well, I don't know by getting real estate. What was it, Jacob Martin? No, no, you're right. I'm sorry. I was saying Jake Myers, but I misspoke. Yeah, Jake Myers, I don't know if he's going to be here long term. The fan club hopes he is.

Oh, the fan, yeah. The fan club, did you lose someone there were rumors about him being? I'm stunned. He's still here, honestly. I'm surprised. as well. I don't want to... Am I the only one worried about the outfield

depth right now for the Stroes? No, you're not. Okay, if I say your opening day outfield right now is Jesus Sanchez and, well,

right. Right. Jake Myers and center and Yordon Alvarez and left. Designated hitter, Jose Altuve, Issoc Prades

at second. Nope, nope, no, no, no, no, no, no, what? Your opening day left fielder is not going to be

Jordan it could be it's not where are they they're at home or they're when they go to Colorado or I can't remember no they're home open up against a hey yeah I thought we're gonna get I thought we're gonna get

Yorda and playing 140 games and left you can want yeah okay well they said that the last year and how that'd go well actually they had a lot of games for them out but we don't even know what to believe at this point you can say what you want but you there's just somebody's gonna have to play more left and Jordan's a better option than Jose Altuva,

which nobody thought they would ever say out loud. Can I tell you a little bit of a gut feeling I have? I think Jose could put that left-fielder glove away for good. For good? Yes. Not thinking I'm thrilled about it, but I'm just telling you... I'm not going to say for good. All right.

But the comments from Respata sounds like they want to get him back more at second base. I don't know. I mean, it was impressive that he was one of the worst left-fielders and second-basement, despite That's not impressive Despite limited I mean he got Half the time in both

And was still one of the worst Metrically It was incredible Very impressive Okay All right so If his name was Doug Williams He'd be off the team of traded

Okay Could Sanchez play the left field You know maybe that's unfair But Jacob and center I mean Jake in center And then

Jake can cover up For Jose Altuve some Cam Smith and right You know, Jake likes to call for everything. Jake likes to go sideline to sideline. Jake would like to actually take up two salaries and play multiple positions in the outfield. Yeah. Every time you see Jake call somebody off a fly ball drink.

Just kidding, don't die. When Jake Myers goes to the foul pole and left field for a grab, you know he wants more territory. He's trying to get his metrics up. He knows. well he's got like if they don't want to keep me here i got at least he knows his zone rating he knows it's so funny because we were joking about that one of them in the in the locker room last year you know if we get to if jake still with the team will go down there we're going to have

to teach him about that right we did he was his eyes lit up i was like you know with altuvian left your zone ratings you're about to go his eyes lit up he was so excited i swear to god i will ask him yeah i do i'm going to ask him are you willing to play all three positions at once Oh, man, no. I'm just trying to be a good teammate trying to help it. You know, I'm like, no, I got everything. They want to call me Mr. Falpole to foul pole. He can do it, as long as his calf is okay.

You can put some extra infielders in. Nothing could get through, but anywhere between second and short. How about that? Oh, okay. You got all two? I like that two outfielders, like when it's like at the end of the game and a guy's on third. Yes. Put six in the infield?

I like that. Seven? Yes. Maybe have a backup. a backup catcher, put one guy behind the backstop the whole time? Yeah. You know what? Jake's going to cover 80% of the outfit by himself. Why not?

All right, Rossi, who do we have between Ole Miss and the Canes tonight? Part of me wants Ole Miss to win because this dynamic of coaches flying back and forth is so much. Yes, yes. You know what? For the narrative, I'm with you. Go Ole Miss. Let's go Rebs. But the thing that is the biggest travesty, and if you bring

this up to Gordy, he gets so mad at you. Is that for every Ole Miss When, LSU's got to pay Lane Giff and money. Well, you should also bring up the LSU lineman going to O'Miss if you want to really make them mad. I think LSU's getting poached in the portal.

I don't think LSU's doing so hot the portal. Texas is losing a lot of portal players too, so I can't. But aren't you guys getting up, gain a button? They are, but they're losing a lot of depth. They have like almost, I think it's 20-some-odd players hit the portal from Texas. They're prioritizing starters and going to be lacking in depth, which is going to be fine unless they run into a rash of injuries.

But if you go to Texas for one year and you don't play like you think you should play, you could go to a second tier, maybe a low power four or an upper echelon group of five, make a decent amount of money and play. I mean, at some point you go to balance between money collecting and playing. And kids want to play, right? They still do. I think they still leave even with the money being thrown out there. Nobody wants to sit and making $250,000 just to sit there.

Because they know the longer they sit, the less chance they have a chance to grow that $250. and even a lesser chance they have to actually try to maybe make a professional career at playing pro football. Would you rather make $500 to be a backup at UT or make $3.75,000 and play at, say, Memphis? $500,000. $125,000? Yeah, but there are guys, you're probably not going pro. The guys at Memphis going pro all the time.

Not to the level of UT, but there's still guys that are non-power-5s going. Well, we're not all high-flutin like you, Matt. Us poorers think $125,000 is a lot of money. Yeah, but you can get ribs, discount ribs in Memphis. You can't buy there's great. Austin is arguably the best barbecue city in the planet. B.B. Kings disagrees. B.B. Kings.

Yeah, B.B.K. What about all? Have you heard of Franklin, Interstellar, La Barbecue? briskets corkis oh now you're just making up places no i don't corkies is a no porkeys is a movie map from the 80s no that's porkies not corkies

oh and corkis the special kid on that sitcom that's something else okay first of all that is an outstanding pull on your part secondly

nobody knows what you're talking about you think so there's a lot of people we'll find out right now if they go to your Twitter account No, I'd rather not. You're kidding me. I'm getting in too much trouble on Twitter.

And send Ross what you think he meant by saying Corky. You will not get another tweet in the next 10th. Better barbecue in Austin than Memphis. Don't even at me, bro. No, Texas barbecue is amazing. I get it. Well, even though you kind of hate it.

I cannot wait to get home to give me some jalapeno sauces and some ribs. And some brisket. Great sides. It may be a bite of brisket. Believe it or not is up next. The category of Ross is You have no idea We had the whole thing with Kevin Harlan

I was trying to help them run the board I was literally putting spots in I didn't reprieve Or we can reuse something Do we not have an old one from about Portland I've come to Portland once a year There's no old Portland one we can throw in there Trying to find Kevin Harlan

But he's not that interesting And you tell him that I mean as far as it's not like he's like You know Hang gliding off of Mount Everest He didn't work at Burger King as a high schooler, believe it or not. All right, I'll write that one down. No, do not.

Let's see. I don't think I've done the city of Portland. By the way, got another word. Jeremy Pena settling for arbitration at $9.475 million. Straight cash, homie. Everybody's getting along on arbitration. That's good. We hate to go to arbitration.

It makes us look bad. I'm going to use this. I'm going to reconfigure this Portland Trailblazers one. All right, very good. That's up next, 145 here on Sports Talk. Rock 700. Ross, I've been voided with one thing really quickly. I've not done it in several days, and I feel like it's a public service.

You guys need to follow me on Instagram, at SportsMT. Yes, they do. At SportsMT for great video clips from where I'm traveling around the country, some different foods I'm eating time to time. Yes, it's great content. Almost? Yes. SportsMT.

Let me put it this way. If you want the Texans to win on Sunday, on Monday, it's at SportsMT if you don't follow me they may not win uh at SportsMT yes

at sports empty five minutes left to go in the show what should we do we should play America's fastest growing sports radio game show we simply call it be leave it out and here's how it works you'll call 713 212 570 790 7197

212.790. Today's edition is a best of all things about the Portland Trailblazers. I'll read you a statement about the Blazers. Statements completely utterly accurate.

You'll say this. Believe it. If a statement, it's erroneous full of bonk and made up, you will say this. Not. Two belabor knots in a row when you either a 790 t-shirt,

a pair of tickets to see the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, January the 31st at NRG Stadium, or a pair of tickets to see Everclear live January the 15th. That's one week from today at the House of Blues.

Tickets on sale for the Monster Energy Supercross and Everclear are available for you at Ticketmaster.com. 713-212-5-790. Nick on 790, Nick, you're ready to play, believe it or not? Sure. The Portland Trailblazers were originally going to be called the Pioneers until nearby Lewis and Clark College threatened legal action. Believe it or not.

Wow. I believe it. You should? Sorry. I like that one. Poor kid. Neil on 7-9. Neil, what was your favorite part of today's 10-2 radio show?

I had a good time with... I just don't get it earlier. Rick Adelman, thank you. Rick Adelman has the most coaching wins in Blazers history. He's got 291. Believe it or not. Believe it. No, Dr. Jack Ramsey at 4.53.

Bill. Oh, hi. Bill. The Portland Trailblazers. All-time winning score is Clyde Drexler. Believe it or not? Not. No, it's Damien Lillard.

Of course. We talked about it earlier. I know you were listening. Statement number two for the win. In 2003, then Blazers owner, Paul Allen, trademarked the phrase jailblazers in order to shut down products and apparel marketing the negative phrase. Believe it or not. Man, that's almost a gimmee, believe it!

That's a g-me-bye! That's a gimmee, huh? John on 7-90, ready to play, believe it or not? Believe it! The Trailblazers pinwheel logo contains 10 lines representing a 5-on-5 basketball contest. Believe it or not. It is. It is.

Instead of one seven thousand times, you're going to know some information about pinwheels. Geo on 7-9. We're going to play, believe it or not. Believe it. In the late 1980s, the Trailblazers' mascot was Bigfoot, which was former Blazers Center Dale Schrooter in a nine-foot-tall-sasquatch costume. Believe it or not. That sounds too ridiculous.

I'm going to believe it. You should. Statement number two for the win. The Portland Trailblazers's all-time-leading rebounder is. is Lamarcus Aldridge. Believe it or not. He's only, no, no, don't believe it. Believe it.

He should. Bye. See you. Love it to you. Last one. Stephen on 7. Arnie, ready to play, believe it or not? Believe it.

The Trailblazers' current television analyst is former Blazers' power forward Antonio Harvey. Believe it or not. Believe it. No, it's not. I don't know who it is, actually. Take Ross today's in a row. for us thanks for your hard work on that you're welcome up next two guys will work hard for you

for the next four hours sports insight entertainment and hilarity well well that was the show you're just laughing with them or a ham adam yeah i don't know what they're going to do now it's adam and adam with the a team on sports talk seven night