The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Rockets Win 4 Straight, De'Aaron Fox Trade? Astros Looking To Add, Texans Are Interviewing

Episode Date: January 29, 2025

Ross Villarreal of "The Matt Thomas Show with Ross," Adam Clanton of "The A-Team" and Chris Gordy recap the Houston Rockets defeating the Atlanta Hawks 100-96 to earn their fourth straight victory. Ross, Adam and Chris also:discuss the possibility of De'Aaron Fox getting traded to Houstonreact to the latest comments from Astros general manager Dana Brownreview who the Texans have interviewed so far for their offensive coordinator positiontell people to "Shut Yo Bum Ass Up, Ain't Nobody Got Time" and more.

Lunch timers. This is the Matt Thomas Show. 10.0.2 in the a.m. Good morning, Houston. And welcome in to a Wednesday edition of the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Tries a good five-man, lead. The dotted circle. He lost the basketball. That's a steal. Jack Landell to his left for a man, Thompson. Thompson going to go down the lane with a two-hand flush. And a basket gives the rocket's the lead at 35-31. Keeps that left pivot foot still apparently, and he throws a pass right in the hands of a man, Thompson.

It's a three-on-two break. Thompson right side and a throwdown for Jalen Green. And a timeout to Atlanta. Rockets take advantage of an Atlanta mistake. And turn it into a Jalen Green James. Landell's going to set a screen green to the left goes around it. At the top of the key, two-and-a pass out to Fred. Pumpfakes, nearly walk, gets by Young on the trail to Chase Chant.

He'll laying in for two. Extra pass beautifully done that time by Freddie. 70 to 64 Houston a six-point lead giving it back to a congo and then on the handoff it's a holiday steel in front here goes jason taint he'll jam it down with two hands Atlanta 16 turnover 21 Houston points off the Atlanta mistakes 10.9 seconds remaining on the sideline a man thompson to inbound got a hurry lobs in the back court to van bleat with nine seconds lobs it left side jan and green gets across the timeline right to thompson instant the shangoon. He's going to flush it down with two hands. 2.8 seconds left to go.

Yo, yeah, yeah. Welcome to Atlanta where the players play. And we ride on the things like. Are you paying attention yet? Are you on the bandwagon? There's plenty of room. The Houston Rockets welcomed it to Atlanta by the Hawks. And, well, they thanked them as they got out of there with a win.

100 to 96. The Houston Rockets, dare I say, own the Easton. Eastern Conference. They beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, the one seed two games in a row. Then they beat the Celtics. And, well, the Hawks are like in the play-in spot in number nine. But they're around 500. It was on the road.

It was the second half of a back-to-back. You can give some credit for the Rockets getting the 100 to 96 victory to continue to improve their record to 32 and 14. Now, a game and a half plus the tiebreaker ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies for the number two spot in the Western Conference. Yes, we're almost into February. Yes, we're talking about the Rockets in the two spot in the West. Hello, and welcome in to the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Without Matt Thomas. I'm your host, Ross Villarreal. Chris Gordy is stuck in this halacious traffic that we had. It's getting slippery and wet out there. And well, a lot of you people don't know

how to act when it gets slippery and wet. And yes, I'm talking about the roads. I see you getting ready to clip that. Economer governance here. That's okay. All right. So, For now, whenever Chris Gordy can get here, it's just me. And I will be joined by Adam Clinton later on. Chris Gordy. We've got news at noon. We've got shut your bum ass up slash ain't nobody got time for that. I'm also battling a cold.

So it's going to be a fun one on a Wednesday here on Sports Talk 7. Anyone I'm trying to say is, I need your help if you'd like to get in. Call, talk some Rockets ball with me. We're also, of course, going to talk about what the Astros got going on. The latest from Dana Brown, all that good stuff. Phone lines open at 713. If you hear me turn my microphone off, I'm going to give you a little inside radio. That's probably me coughing because I'm battling through it, but we're going to make it.

713-212-5-790 is the phone number if you would like to get in 7-13-212-5-7-90. Matt Thomas is traveling with the rockets. I believe they're in the air now or they're going to be in the air very soon on their way to Memphis to try and sweep the season series. I mean, before this road trip that the rockets were on, even though I've been buying in for them for a couple of weeks, I've been telling you that this is real, this is who they are, point differentials, net rating,

and bottom line wins and losses, and just the seeing eye test, any test you want to go to, this has looked like the legit real rockets in the last few weeks, maybe even more than that. And even though I was buying into them, I was still thinking in my head like, four-game road trip,

one seat of the east, two seat of the east, playoff team in the east, and then the Grizzlies who are the three seat in the west. 500? Sounds good. Two and two? Be competitive. Don't get blown out by anybody. By the way, it's going to be four games in six nights as well. Last night was their third game in four nights,

which has certainly been a problem for the Rockets in the last couple of years. And it was a problem. It wasn't like the Hawks were a walkover. Rockets had a lead, and then the Hawks got close in the end of that game last night. but they continue to win in different ways with different players. I mean Thompson being one of them, but it's not like he was spectacular last night. He only had 11 points, but Jalen Green came up big.

Despite going one of nine from three, he was getting to the basket, and he had 25 points, and he was explosive. So three-point shooting not there for Jalen Green lately, and that was basically going to come down to Earth because he was shooting like 50% from three over like a 9-8 game stretch. so he's only two for his last 15 from three. It hasn't been going down like it was during that, I mean, nine straight game stretch of 20 plus points. So that's okay. He's not going to shoot 50% from three for the rest of the season.

And if you were expecting that, well, I'm going to tell you that you're higher. You're crazy. He can still get to the basket. He can still be aggressive. He can still be effective. And we saw that last night. The Rockets don't win if Jalen Green isn't doing what he did last night. He had 25 of their 100.

hundred points. Quick math, that's 25%. So that was great to see from Jalen Green on a night before against the Boston Celtics, where it was all Dylan Brooks and it was all, I'm in Thompson. Dylan Brooks tying a franchise record with like three or four other players at this point. It was, who was it, James Hardin, Chandler Parsons, maybe one other, hitting the 10, three-pointer mark for the Rockets and a franchise record. And I'm in Thompson doing his thing with like 33 points. just all over the place.

And that's the beauty of the men Thompson and what he can bring. And he's getting a lot of praise from a lot of national NBA guys. The league is on notice of what he is capable of. How lightning quick he is, how fast he is, the high motor he has, the energy plays with, the seemingly infinite energy that he can play with. Oh, just about never looks tired out there. I'd to be young again. And he's getting steals.

He's getting blocks. He's just doing it all. Got a couple of assists last night as well. and this is just a more and more looking like a complete team because on nights where it looks like they don't have it, on nights where there are key pieces to this team not performing, they are still winning. Against the Celtics two nights ago,

Alper and Shingoon, Jalen Green, and Fred Van Vleet were all horrible shooting from the floor. And you would say on the road against the Celtics, three of your five starters are having horrible evenings, you've got no chance at winning. well, they had a chance and they won that game. Same thing last night. They went seven for 30 from three. On the road, on a back-to-back,

against a decent Atlanta Hawks team. They won the game. They're winning games when they are not at their best. That's when I start to feel like a team is really, really good. Same thing, like, I'll make an analogy. We interviewed Hunter Brown at the Astros fan fest over the weekend. He had a start against Toronto at like the beginning of July. where he was struggling to find his fastball.

And I actually wanted to talk to him about it, but we didn't have time. And, you know, you only get so many questions with a guy. It's not like you can sit down with him for an hour. And, like, during that start, it was like, man, Hunter Brown doesn't have his best stuff. He's all over the place. Couldn't find his fastball for six innings. Dude threw six shutout.

That's when I was like, Hunter Brown's a real deal. Because that's what great pitchers do. They can't find their best stuff. They still find a way to battle and go out there and compete. and win. And that's what the Rockets have been doing, really the last couple of nights, where they haven't been playing their best basketball. They're beating really good teams.

So now they're 32 and 14. They're still the number two seed in the West. I still would like them to finish in the top four. There are full four games ahead of the Denver Nuggets right now who have lost a couple in a row. And then I mentioned a game and a half ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies plus the tiebreaker. So effectively two and a half games ahead of them. If they could somehow just hold on to this thing and be the last,

the two seed, that would be extremely impressive. But right now, my goal, top four, and the rockets are impressing me. Are you watching? Are you paying attention? Are you getting on the bandwagon? It's been pretty fun stuff watching your Houston Rockets. What else are you doing right now? Super Bowl's not on for a couple of weeks.

Spring training doesn't get started for a couple of weeks, and there's not going to be real baseball until April, basically. So how about some Rockets basketball? 713-21, 5-790 is the fun. number if you'd like to get in on that. 713-212-5-790. We're also going to talk about the Astros and the latest and what's going on with that. Dana Brown, Alex Bregman, Jose Al-Tuve. We're putting them in left field.

We're putting them in center. We're putting them in right. We're putting him in eighth inning roll. I don't know what we're doing Jose Al-Tuve. We can talk about that. And there's NFL news as well. A lot of stuff to get to here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross without Matt Thomas. Chris Gordy joining as we go along.

Shut Joe Bumass up is coming up at 1130. and you at 713-212-5-790. This is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross on Sports Talk 790. 1018 in the a.m. here on Sports Talk 790. Welcome back to the program. Ross v. Real with you. It is the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Today without Matt Thomas, he is traveling with your Houston Rock. It's Chris Cordy will be joining me shortly.

You're available to get in as well. at 713-212-5-790. 7-13-21-2-5-7-90. Adam Clanton will be along in the 1 o'clock hour. Got some news at noon coming up for you. We got ain't nobody got time for that slash shut your bum ass up. That's our favorite segment of the week. It's coming up at 1130 here on Sports Talk 790.

So mention the Rockets heavily in the last segment because, well, they've been playing very well. and they just continue to surprise. They continue to just play up to this level. And I guess maybe it's not a surprise. Not a surprise for the rockets and the people inside that building. We had Rafael, or I'm sorry, it was Ema Adoka, basically the midway point of the season. He was asked, how would you assess?

And he was like, eh, that's pretty good. We could do better. And I was like, oh, geez, of course he always wants this higher level of play. This is the demanding coach that the Houston Rockets have. but he also has the respect to the player. And that's what a big part of the success that the Rockets have had is they have this coach that is no nonsense. And in 2025, it's very hard to be no nonsense as a coach.

It's also very hard to do it at the professional level where you have guys making 30. Fred Van Vleet's making $45 million a year. He didn't have to take any guff from anybody. But Emilio Doka is somebody who is kind of a hard-edged, no-nonsense type of coach. But he's played the game before. And most importantly, he has. the respect of his players and that's why it's able to work.

Hey, Chris. Chris? Chris? I'm sorry, I'm coming down with a cold. I didn't get great sleep. My brain has been half functioning this morning and apparently there's a lot of traffic out there. Yeah, it's going around. The wife is sick and she wanted me to go get her a

COVID-slash-flu test at CVS. I went and they were, for 2499, they were completely sold out. The whole shelf was gone. I'm like, first off, why do you need that? What do you, what does it matter what you have? Just take meds based on what your symptoms are. Why do you need? Well, is it the flu or is it COVID?

Who cares? Just, if you're congested, takes up for congestion. If your body aches takes up for body aches. Like, I don't know why. You have to know what it is, but. I don't know. Anyway, I digress. No, I, look, it's, and I'm just being real, like, it's awesome what the rockets are doing.

But I'm like, I, look. Lately, I've been like tune in the fourth quarter kind of guy. I haven't been watching. And I don't know why that is. Because the James Harden years, it was must see. I was in my couch watching from first quarter all the way to fourth quarter every night. I don't know what it is. Maybe this team, they're building my trust.

Okay. Maybe that's what it is. I think a lot of casual fans of town, it's like they're building that for you. I think maybe a lot of people are there. And a lot of people tune out to basketball for whatever reason. post Super Bowl. Like you, when you turn the calendar to February, there's no football on night.

I know, but I was just saying, like, people are still in football mode. My friend called me last night. You know, the first thing he brings up, dude, who's Texas is going to get his OC? I'm like, why do you care? Like, did I play the game until September? Like, wait, why does it matter who the OC is?

Yeah, we can go on OC watch and we will. But it's like, to me, nothing else is going on. I'm a basketball fan, so I understand I'm in the minority on this. I am too, but like, again, like, I didn't, was just, those down years, they lost a lot of people. I think if you don't watch the first three quarters of the Houston Rockets, you can miss a lot. Men Thompson is doing crazy stuff on any given possession. No, he's been awesome.

Dylan Brooks is extremely fun. Jalen Green, when he's getting to the back, I mean, he's extremely fun to watch. It's more fun to watch when he's actually making his threes, which he didn't last night. He was one for nine. But he does incredible athletic things on a night-in-night-out basis. Same thing for Cam Whitmore, some other. guys on this team. Alpern Shangoon, to me, is a treat to watch when he works down on the

low post. I didn't say they're not good to watch. I'm just saying it's like, I think we just became conditioned when Hardin was here. It was must see TV every night. You had to tune in to see what Hardin was going to do. I think we're just most of the casuals still finding their way with this team. Like, oh,

we know they're awesome. We know EMA's awesome. There's no face of the franchise, although Aman Thompson slowly every day started to become that. Yeah, there's no face of the franchise. But I just mentioned all those guys that are really fun. And there's a style of basketball that they play. The defensive force that they play

with, it to me, I really appreciate it. I flipped over to MBA TNT when I was getting in bed last night and it was with the Bucs Blazers had just finished. Yeah. And they were, it was, it was poetic right when I put it on. It was whatever the crew. It wasn't the normal shack and Kenny

crew. It was the B team with like Candice Parker and whoever. But you know what they said? First thing it brought up, guys, we got to talk about these Houston Rockets. they are legit. I mean, it was, and so it's cool to see that on a national platform. Thank God. People starting to give them some love. That's great. Because normally that show just likes to make fun of everyone and tell everybody

that they're trash and they're not good. And it's so bad. When it's back to Barclay and Shaq, yes, they will, they'll do that. I mean, nothing epitomizes that show more than when Christian Wood was tearing up for the Rockets. And Shaq goes, oh, you have to forgive me. I was not familiar with your game. It's like, I've been in a league for three years. You don't know what. And we were talking about that with Matt yesterday. It's like how many Houston Rockets can Charles Barkley name?

Now, the number has probably gone up in the last few weeks. He probably get a Min Thompson. But a month ago, was he naming a Men Thompson? Probably not. And these are the guys. And the show has been great for years and years and years. But to me, they completely lost their fastball. And it's just the analysis went from lazy to extremely lazy and nonchalance to almost indifference of their own sport.

Because they go out there, they make fun of fun of each other. Charles and Shaq threatened to fight each other three times a show, and we all get our laughs off and they get their viral moments, but there's just no substantive basketball analysis. Well, this is a big one coming up Thursday night because it's Memphis. You have a chance to sweep the Memphis Grizzlies on the season. You're three against them, and they're not going away, man. They are nipping at your heels still just a game and a half back in the standings.

You know, you're five and a half behind the thunder. it's going to be really hard to catch them. But, I mean, you're kind of settled into that two spot as long as you keep playing good basketball. But, you know, if the Grizzlies win, you still hold the head-to-head against them season-wide. But, man, what a confidence booster it would be to say you went four-and-oh against the third best team in the West. Is it a must-win game Thursday night for the Houston Rockets? Oh, okay. But think about it, if they win, they close the gap.

What they get within a game and a half. behind you right now. They would close it to less than a less than a game behind you. Yeah, yeah. But yeah, like you said, they have the tiebreaker. They've already won 3-0. So we'll see how it goes from there. But it's been fun. It's been entertaining. I understand that people are slow going, but I've seen it. It's true. It's not all going to happen at once. The building's not going to be completely full. We're not going to have full boards of rockets calls all at once. And even when James Hardin was in his heyday,

and we've been the partner of the Houston Rockets for a long, long time. It wasn't like they were taking over the city. But to me, Like I said, football's basically over. You're not getting into baseball until April. I would say pay attention to a little Rockets ball. It's fun. The defense is good. They play physical.

They're getting the scraps nearly every night. You got Dylan Brooks and Trey Young last night getting technicals as well as Trey Young comes up and tries to body up on Dylan Brooks. So Dylan Brooks touches him in the back of the head and they get technical foul. So it's almost every single night. And to me, there are a lot of fun angles. with this team and the way that Coach Eme Adoka coaches with this no-nonsense type of attitude

I feel like it's something that the city of Houston should get on board with. Are you team, Stan Pat, at the trade deadline? Because we saw yesterday what Deeran Fox is officially. Trust the process. Deerunfrox for who? Fred Van Fleet? Then who's your primary ball handler? I'm in Thompson?

They don't want Fred Van Fleet. I know. They're going to want... No, no, they're going to want. His deal is expiring. Right. So you have a bunch of money coming off the books. Right.

But they're going to also want a... Yeah. Yeah. Then a bunch of... Yeah, then a bunch of, I don't even know. Cam Whitmore and a bunch of picks. I'm not exactly sure what they're going to want or what they're going to get. I don't think Deeran Fox is going to be here in Houston.

I think they're going to trust the process. On teams stay the course. Like, I just, you suck for so long and earn these top draft picks, and you scouted these players and you got them. Look, that's the old Darry way of thinking, right? Like, what star can we get next to Hardin? You know, like that was our thought process for a decade here. That's changed.

You sucked, you built this up. Stick with these guys. Deer Fox is a big name, yes. Jimmy Butler is a big name, yes. But kind of over the big. What have we learned, Ross? The big names don't, like, that's not what gets you over the hump. Yes, it is.

Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown and Christop's Porzingis and the Boston Celtic champions. But Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown were homegrown. They drafted them, developed them, and built around them. They didn't go, let's flip Jason Tate for Anthony Davis. Like they didn't do that. Chris Upss for Zingis and Drew Holliday and whoever else they have on that team. They weren't homegrown. Let's see.

Who won the championship before that? Was it the Denver? Denver? Yeah, they drafted. Yeah, grew their thing. Aaron Gordon was a free agent, but what? Jamal Murray, did they draft him? I think so.

I'm just saying the days of the, but we need a big three. That's kind of, that's kind of ended, right? I don't. That wouldn't hurt. So you're fine flipping some of these young guys that you've built to go get a Jimmy Butler. No, no, not Jimmy. No, I didn't say that.

Or De Aaron Foss. See, I didn't say that either. But it takes star power to win. If you don't have stars, you don't win. What if I told you, these guys are stars? Yeah, exactly. Somebody needs to, who is an all-star right now? None of them.

They're about to have zero all-stars, I think, unless they're going to get injury replacements. Alpern-Shing-Goon hasn't played well enough to be an all-star, in my opinion. Jalen Grin's being too inconsistent to be an all-star, and I'm in Thompson's come on too late to be an all-star. But when Boston first started, Jason Tatum, the thought process was he's a really nice player, but he's not an All-Star yet.

That was the early days of Boston. And the same thing with Jalen Brown. And then it developed. These guys are still developing. Yeah, they can develop. I don't. I'm in tops of turns, what, 22 this week? The only person I said to trade away was Fred Van Vleet.

Okay? Like, he's a guy who's, he might not even be here next year anyways. They want, they're going to go, give me Cam Whitmore and Jalen Green with Fred and we'll make that work. You can't even trade Jalen Green right now because of his, they just resign into an extension. They want one of the young. Yeah, that's why I don't think is anything that's going to happen. It's just not feasible. So, I mean, we'll see.

And you look at Deerrin Fox. I mean, he can't shoot threes and he scores like 24, 25 points per game. That's what you got for Jalen Green right now. Yeah, he's a name, but my point is like, it's not all just about a name. Like, we need player, chemistry is big. And he may's got chemistry going right now. Yeah, chemistry is big, but star players is how you win. And you need those guys to be on your team one way or the other, either internal growth

or external acquisition. All right, 713, 212. 570 is the phone number here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. 713-212-5-790. Chris Courtney in the full, we're talking some rockets. We'll certainly go into the Astros, Dana Brown stuff.

If you haven't heard the audio from him recently, then the Texans OC search. We got a lot of stuff to get to. Shut your bum ass up coming up at 1130 here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Don't go anywhere. We're a log here at the Matt Thomas show. Sports Talk 790.

Matt's out today. scoredy hit with Ross with Ross Connemar Governe here as well as we've been talking a little bit on your Houston Rockets when they're fourth in a row last night out in Atlanta 100 to 96 got a little hairy there

late down the stretch but Rockets able to pull it out and now they'll head to Memphis tomorrow night where they'll take on the third in the West Memphis Grizzlies right behind the Rockets in the standings it's a weird schedule

Rockets come back home Saturday for a quick win against Brooklyn here in Toyota Center. And it's back out on the road for four more. New York, Brooklyn, Minnesota, Dallas, and then home for a four-game homestown. They're in a stretch of four games in six nights in four different cities. And then they're going to do the same thing after one game at home for the Brooklyn. This has been kind of on my radar for a while as a tough stretch for the Rockets. And so far, they're three in freaking out.

Yeah. And they play, by the way, five games. next week. I can't remember the last time the Rockets played five games in a week. That's the old days of the back-to-backs. Yeah. I mean, the NBA used to go. We're going on barnstorming tours in the 1960s, and we're going to Hershey, Pennsylvania, and then we're going to

Columbus, Ohio, and we're going to New York for two games. Like, go back and look at games five, six, seven years ago. They used to do teams dirty. They're like, okay, you're going to be in Portland tonight. The next night, you're going to be in L.A. Like, okay, it's not exactly like a quick flight from Portland down to L.A. And it's like, you know, you're playing with guys and

then they're like, oh, don't rest anybody or we're going to find you if you arrest people. It's like, it's a long season, man. It takes a toll. But Rockets at 32 and 14. It's just, it's been fun for us to see a lot of national people starting to write about the Rockets, starting to say, hey, you pay attention to these

Houston Rockets, they're pretty good. I saw a thread online. It's the return of the Rockets. So good to see them get some love. Yeah, we'll see where they go in the playoffs, how far they go. A lot of season left still as it is and anything can happen in its terms of injuries and stuff like that. But they're the real deal.

And they, I mean, how could you not believe that they're at least a threat, at least a legit type of cagey underdog that can maybe win a series against just about anybody? They get hot from three. They can beat anybody because the defense is that good and they score that much from the paint. They get a lot of easy baskets with Alper and Shingoon down the low. And I'm in Thompson and Jalen green slashing. So to me, the key and the catalyst for this Renaissance that they've been on where they've been winning all these games has been the three-point shooting and how much it hasn't improved.

But it wasn't great last night and they still got the win so they can still win in any number of different ways. And that's why it's been so fun for me. Yeah, 7-13, 2-1-2-5-7-9 is the number. 7-1-3-2-1-25-7-9. Let's talk to Biscuit. Biscuit, what's going on, man? Hey, Greg. Hey, what's happening, my brothers?

Hey, Gord. You kind of surprised me, man. what's up you surprised me because I would have thought you would have been an outfit of Stan Pat guy no I just I think you work too you suck too

long you work too hard to build up this core I'm not ready to just trade them away for a potential other name player that could end up coming in here and being a diva I mean that's that's the reality of it I mean the Jimmy Butler stuff

is not fully it's just problem with Miami. I think he's being a little bit of a diva too. And after what went down, Hardin and all that, I'm kind of done with the divas biscuit. I like the kids. I like the 20 year olds that EMA is disciplined with. I kind of want to stand pat with these guys. But De Aaron Fox is not a diva.

And that's where I'm going, Gordon. That's where I'm going. And in any organization, if you can get better, why wouldn't you do it? You know what I'm saying? And now you have to have a certain amount of players that you say are untouchable. And for me, on the Rockets, the untouchables are green, Sangoon, and Thompson.

But the other guys, if we can get better at the point guard position, and Ross, you watch a lot of games this year, one of the areas where the Rockets have an issue, and they still, and they had one last night, is closing out games. Now, who led the NBA in Clutz points last year? is the Aaron Fox that is a perfect match

I'm telling you Gordon it's a perfect match and he's young and he's not old and he's not a diva and if you can get better and you give up say you got to give up Van Fleet to make the money match

so that's obvious going to be the point then maybe you have to give up Whitmore because Whitmore right now is the ninth player so he might not play no way so I wouldn't have a problem giving up Whitmore and then you got all these

ads as he draft picks. What do you got them for if you're not going to use them to get something to come back? That's what I'm saying, Gordy. Now, the money, that's what the issue is. You don't want to get him and you can't extend him. But if you can extend him at a reasonable rate, you've got to look into it, Gordy. You got to. Yeah, I mean, again, what is it going to cost me?

And that's the big thing. I'm not giving up Shingoon. I don't want to give up Jabari Smith. I still think he's going to develop into something. Cam Whitmore, I'm willing to explore. But again, you know, do you want to lose Fred? I mean, Fred, not just what he gives you on the court, but off the court, the veteran presence and the leadership.

I just, you got something going here with the chemistry, with him and Dylan Brooks in that locker room. I just, it's a big risk if you're bringing Deerran and all he is is just a player and not a leader. Let me say this, Gordy. I mean, you old school, old Richard Pryor saying you got to dare to be rich. Sometimes you got to take a risk, Gordy. And if, are you telling me that you think Van Fleet is better than Fox?

No, but, but I'm saying he might be off the court. He might be behind the scenes. Have you heard any rumblings about Fox being a disgrunt guy and being a diva? No, but I'm requesting a trade. Well, there is that. But I've also, I've also, I've also, he's requesting a trade. So inherently there are grumblings at the minimum. Nine years of Sacramento will force you want to make a trade.

Come on, man, Ross. You will spend nine years in Sacramento and deal with the foolishness in that organization. I'm just saying. Before you want to trade. I'm just saying, Ross, I'm saying you've got to listen. I'm not saying you pull the trigger, but I'm just saying, man, if you can make the team better. And I guess lined it out, Rocks.

He's a clutch player in the fourth. We've seen Jay and Green turn the ball over two times in the fourth. today. Yeah, but Jaylorine's made some clutch. He's made some clutch baskets as well, Biscuit. Thank you. We've got to get to a break here. And the other angle to me on this, Corey, is if you could get Deerrin Fox, there's

this Fox article, and they brought up Dylan Brooks, Reed Shepherd, and Cam Whitmore for Deeran Fox. I don't even know. That just doesn't sound like a great term package for the Kings. Dylan Brooks, Reed Shepherd, Cam Whitmore for Deer and Fox and Colby Jones to make the money match. I don't even know that they would do that, number one. Talking about the king's side,

you might have to throw in some picks because the Rockets do control a lot of picks. But also the other angle of this, one of the top destinations people have talked about him is for San Antonio. How much do you want to get in those sweepstakes? Maybe you're not sure if it helps you long term, even with Fred Van Vleek going away, possibly Dylan Brooks, but how much do you want to maybe try to keep him away from San Antonio? Yeah, but they suck.

I don't care about him going to San Antonio. Yeah, they suck right now. They have a horrible roster, and they're still, where are they in the West? They're still 20 and 23. If Wimby, if Wimby stays healthy, I mean, first of all, he's got the talent of being an all-star every single year. It's all about health with him. Yeah, but I'm not. It's over whether or not he's going to be.

Some people are like, oh, I don't know. He's too skinny. He's not going to be good. He's averaging 25 and 11 and leading the league in blocks. He's the real deal. It's about health with him. If you get healthy years with him, with a deal. dynamic wing. I did like people tweeting

the other night. Can you believe San Antonio who passed on Amin Thompson? Yes, they did. Again, it's the Wembe thing. But what if what if two, three years from now, we look back and Amin Thompson is a better overall player than Wembenyama?

No. The only way, no. You don't think that's possible? Okay, it's possible. I don't think it's very likely. Like, Webby's going to fill up stats. He's going to put up stats, but I'm saying like better player. They're 20 and 23. Have you seen their roster? Yeah, it's crap.

Exactly. They got 20 wins and it's all Wimbinaima. The dude's, he's dropped 50 in a game. All right, when I'm in Thompson drops 50 in a game, we'll talk. He doesn't have to. He's 25 and 11 and four blocks a game. Come on. I know we're in Houston and we're homers and we hate San Antonio and Adam Klan is doing this too, but let's be real.

The dude is a generational talent. Would you bank on? He just is. Durability for him? Exactly. No. That's the only way Amin Thompson and win is because your best ability is your availability, of course. So, yeah, if Wimby's body breaks, but you're praying on something that we don't even know is going to happen, you're predicting the future.

As it is, when he's on the floor, Wimbenyama, if we were redrafting the entire league right now, he probably goes number one because of how young he is and how well he can play. So, I mean, we just have to face facts here. I know we hate the Spurs and we hate San Antonio, but let's be real with ourselves. All right, 713, 212, 5, 790, the phone number here on the matter. Thomas show with Ross. Those of you and hold will get to you as well. We still got Astros text and stuff to get to. Also talking some rockets at 713212-5-790. Matt and Ross return. Return on Sports Talk 790.

Continue on here. Sports Talk 7-9, the Matt Thomas show. That's out today, Chris Gordy, and with Ross, Vary L. Connor McGovern here as well. Talk about rockets in the first hour of the show. We'll get into some football talk along the way. Texans still on their offensive coordinator search. Who will they hire? Got some Astros buzz as well as they are geared up, getting closer to pitchers and catchers reporting out there in Florida. But you're Rockets, man. Rocking and rolling here. They won four in a row. They'll play in Memphis Thursday night. They'll come home for Brooklyn. Four more on the road next week. And sitting still as the two seed in the West. It's crazy, Ross. If you'd have gone back five, six years ago and showed

me the standings, it was Oklahoma, Houston, Memphis as your top three seeds. I mean, first of all, the producers at ESPN would have hemorrhage because like, oh God, we don't have the big markets. Where are the Lakers? LaBron and the Lakers, they need to be up there. But now, it's, as you mentioned, Oklahoma City, Houston, and Memphis. Let's sprinkle some Denver in there as well. Yeah. Which, by the, away, the Lakers are trying to beat my fraud. charges I put on them. They're still hanging tough in the fifth spot, but they've been better.

But I still don't think they're one of the best teams and certainly not a legitimate threat in the West, depending on what they do. Clippers hanging around too. Clippers is to succeed. But Minnesota's won three in a row. Phoenix is won three in a row. Phoenix is won eight of the last ten. Yeah, so here they come. See if they could do a little some. By the way, Sacramento won seven of their last ten. Uh-oh. Deeran Fox's going to

stay? Ride it out, folks. I do enjoy seeing the Trust the process. I do enjoy seeing the Warriors sitting there at 500, but they'll be a pain in the butt for somebody if they get in the playing game. It's over.

Turn out the lights. The party's over, Steph Curry. I feel bad for my buddies in New Orleans. I saw there was a note that I was like, Zion Williamson will not play tonight. Like, that's just a disaster. When's the last time he played? They spent all this money on him.

Remember how much hype? Like, he was a sophomore in high school and we were watching mixtapes of his dunks on YouTube. They're injured like crazy, but they went got DeJante Murray. Like, that was the big thing. You had C.J. McCollum. You had Trey Murphy's developed into a player. They have all these really good pieces,

but, God, 12 wins on the season, 12 and 35. And then Utah's just an aptych disaster too. So it's nice. It's nice to be here at the top of the food chain now. Oh, it looks like Zion has been playing a little bit. Well, he had 31 points in his last game.

Yeah. And then they, how many minutes did he have? Oh, hold on, let me bring it up. 27. Yeah, they bench them. They're like, you're too good. They're trying to keep him under 30 minutes. Yeah, they're like, we're trying. Yeah, well, that's, I think they're at that point now.

Because if they go on a run and win 10 of 12, what's that due? It's still not even going to get them in the platform. Yeah, they should be like, oh, we're putting them on a limits restriction because of all the injuries suffered over the years. So we're just got to keep an eye on. Weren't they doing that to Zion? Like his rookie year they were putting him on a minute's restriction, I think? He's had leg issues since he first came into the league. So that'll certainly be something to keep an eye on.

Let's go out to the phone lines here at 7-13-21-5-7-90. Luis has been waiting patiently. Luis, the floor is yours. Yes, good morning, guys. I agree that I don't think we should be able to bring one of those old stars, a little washout that they want to have the ball at the last minute. One of the advantages that the rookies have is that at the last two minutes of the game, you don't know who's going to score.

And the Boston game was a typical one. It was not green. It was not Shandong. It was, it was Thompson. But I think we still need. I saw when Bumfleet was hurt. I saw a little disorder in the floor. There was not a captain. I know that you guys were talking about getting rid of Bumphlete, but still he seems he's the guy who puts order in the floor. Thompson still doesn't do it, but I think he's still young to captain the whole thing. The other part that I think we need is probably a muscle in the pain. When Shangol is the center, I still think that we can be mad-handled.

Adams has been a pleasure surprise in the last games, is the man in the middle, and we need a forward, a power forward. It's really good, but it seems like a small forward, more defense, but we need somebody that can go there and just protect the paint and be a shot-blocker. I'm going to hang up and listen. I have problems listening, but thank you very much, guys. Pretty good. All right.

Thank you, Luis. Yeah, look, Fred Van Vleet is good. The problem is you can't just trade away. You can't get a dynamic player like Deer and Fox and just give away nothing. And Fred Van Vleet has some value because he's making $43 million this year, and that completely comes off the books. And in the NBA, because of the soft cap, it's called a valuable expiring contract. They call them VECs.

because if you're over the cap and you can get that money coming off the books because it's fully fully guaranteed contracts, that opens up free agency money for you. And that's where the value of Fred Van Vleet would come. Absolutely, he fits very well on this floor for the Houston Rockets, and he's an important part of their offense. And when he goes away, they turn the ball over a ton and they look a little bit more disjointed on offense, for sure. Yeah. But I do agree. It is a nice

luxury to have that in the final in the final minutes of a game you don't know who's going to be who's going to be that guy. And it's, again, I hate to keep bringing it back to Boston, but that's what like they were building in Boston. It was a bunch of really good players

who were all kind of, remember what was the trades that day? Was it the aftermath of the Paul Pierce Garnett stuff where they got all those Brooklyn picks? Yes. And then they, and that's how they got Tatum and Brown. Brooklyn traded every, yeah, Brooklyn traded all their picks for all those guys,

and then they were just a disaster. Yeah, and you start to see signs, you're like, Boston's really good, but like, are these guys going to develop in the superstars? And Jason Tatum absolutely has. You know, Jaylon Brown has turned into a pretty big star, so, you know, I hate to keep making the parallels, and it is funny. I mean, that's where EMA was, but, you know, I think there's, I just keep saying stay the course, stay the course.

Yeah, I'm okay with that. But either way, Fred Van Vleet has a team option after this year. You're going to opt into paying him $44 million? It's tough. Again, it's not just what he brings on the courts, where he brings off the court. By the way, it should mention, too, Kelly Eco had to report yesterday that said the Democrats will not be pursuing Deer and Fox at the deadline. Yeah, that doesn't shock me.

So that was his, he said according to his team sources. So, you know, but they could change over the years. Things can change it any minute. They could, but I would be as surprised if they were getting in the Deeran Fox sweepstakes. I don't think it's something they should. roundly dismiss. Maybe look into it, but yeah, staying the course is good here as well. All right, we're going to take a quick break.

That's been a lot of rocket stock in hour number one of the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Chris Cordy is here. We got 8-nobody got time for that slash shit yo bum ass up coming up at 1130. Connemar governor is here as well. And we have you at 713-212-5-790. Hour number two begins with some Astros talk after this short break.

Lunch timers. This is the Matt Thomas show. 1102 in the AM here on Sports Talk 790. Welcome back to the Matt Thomas show with Ross, with Chris Gordy, later with Adam Clanton, but without Matt Thomas, as he is off doing fancy Matt things, traveling with the Houston Rocket, to one last night in Atlanta that we'll be playing in Memphis tomorrow. That'll be another national T&T broadcast as the national prestige,

or the awareness of the Houston Rockets continues to go up and up. Phone lines open for you at 713-213-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. So we've also been talking about the Astros throughout this week with the Alex Bregman deal. You know, I haven't really gotten your thoughts on that, Gordy. Well, I guess we did a little bit on the Crawford Boxcast, brought to you by Carbock Brewing.

Check out the Crawford Boxcast for free on the I-Heart Radio app. But are you still brucement? Bregman to the Houston Astros a long shot. Yeah, I mean, I just, the whole thing was they were trying to get closer to below the first luxury tax in dumping Ryan Presley. I just don't, it would just feel weird for them to turn right back around and go, and now we're going to go back over it

and sign Alex Bregman to a big, fat deal. Like, it just, it feels weird, but they did do it, what, a year ago with the Josh Hater move, put them over. They did. I was also, I mean, in the wake of the Graveman injury where there was very apparent they were going to need some help in the back into the bullpen. Right.

So, I don't know. I think this is a Jim Crane, Alex Breggman discussion on how bad do you want him back? You know, how much does it change that the market has kind of, it's not exactly thumping for him? I mean, apparently the Red Sox in Detroit are still. very much interested, but neither is moving to a point of, oh, let's let's up the, let's up the ante here and let's do what it takes to get him. So the longer he sits out there, and again, you know, taxes in the state of Massachusetts, way higher than state tax, no state tax in state of Texas,

at what point does it offset? At what point do you go, oh, whatever the Red Sox would pay me, I would lose anyway to the federal government as opposed to just staying in Houston. where I already own a home. My kids already like everything's here. You don't have to change anything. Property taxes are pretty high though. I don't know what kind of home he's got.

I think in the loop. Yeah, you can move out the loop. Government gets their money one way or the other. There's not state income taxes here, but there's high, I believe property tax is much higher than some other states. Changes by county, right? Yeah. But anyway, so it's just, I don't know.

To me, it's a Jim Crane decision, but I think ultimately they, I think they're fine with him moving on. I think that was the message that was sent when they signed Christian Walker and made the trade for Esauk Paratus, who we know they really liked. Like, message was sent. We have filled our infilled our infilled needs. Yeah, so let's go along with Dana Brown was speaking yesterday after the Ryan Presley in a press conference, basically talking about trading him away. Bregman did come up, and we're just going to kind of piece this together here on the show and go bit by bit with what Dana Brown had to say about Bregman and the.

conversations. We've talked internally about, you know, him still being available. And so we are definitely having conversations within our front office. We haven't reached back out the borers. So like that's, okay, he said this on Saturday when we had him on a fan fest. It's been internal discussions, internal discussions. And now, you have to ask yourself, why is Dana Brown saying this out loud? Is that him kind of saying like, yeah, we've been talking about it? inside, is that him saying, look, it ain't up to me. That's up to Jim Crane. Jim Crane wants to go over this tax threshold.

It's his team. He can do it, so we've talked about it internally more than externally. Saying out loud, we haven't talked to Scott Boris is a choice to me by Dana Brown. He doesn't have to provide that information, but he does. Right. And look, we know how Boris operates. I mean, he wants teams to get into a bidding war. He wants to sit back and rub his hands.

together and go ha ha ha. But this thing has backfired on him. Last year and this year, I mean, last year, how many of his clients, we got to spring training and still? Blake's now. Trump Montgomery said, shut your bum ass up. Yeah, I mean, they were, teams are sending a message. Like, Blake's now stayed the course and he got a big deal this year.

He did, but he also had to go out there and purve it. I mean, he purved again. He was terrible to start the year. And he said, I'm never going to do that ever again without having spring training. Thanks for nothing, Scott Boris. But people I've talked to said when the Juan Soto deal happened with the Mets, remember we all said, that's the domino that's going to fall and it's going to start off for agency. What I was told by multiple people was, no, the reaction was, oh, that's stupid money.

We're not doing that. Yeah. We're all going to pull our, whatever, our wall. Strings. Yeah, closer to our chest. And we're out. We're not getting into these stupid bidding wars that these agents want. So it's a really, it's a tough thing.

of like, just because somebody else did a stupid deal, doesn't mean I have to go do a stupid deal. Doesn't mean this guy needs to do a stupid deal. I think the owners are getting together going, look, just because the Dodgers and the Mets are doing stupid things, doesn't mean we all need to be stupid too. So, and thus you have Scott Boris looking for top dollar from my clients sitting out there going,

well, we're not paying top dollar, bro. Like, your client will sit on his ass and wait for a phone call because we're not paying that. That's basically what Dana Brown maybe said. continues along. At some point, it could turn to that. I know that we're taking a deep look at what it would look like if we acquired him and, you know, how would it look for us financially?

Does it make sense to do it? You know, we know that he's a talented player. We'd love to have him. But I would mostly say it's all. I'm going to stop there. Doesn't that sound a little dismissive? This has been one of the hearts and souls of this team for basically a decade and won two World Series beloved by the fans. This just sounds like Dana Brown talking about like some random left fielder that they're looking at.

Does it make sense to do it? We know that he's a talented player. We'd love to have him. He's a talented player. We'd love to have him. Seems kind of dismissive to me. Well, I mean, he's been a 260 hitter the last three years. He's about...

With power. All right, Mr. Batting average guy. What are we in 1933? He's about to turn 31 years old. The OPS has been good. The on-base has been good. He's been healthy the last three seasons, but he did go through a couple of years with hamstring injuries and that.

Arm, elbow injuries, all this kind of stuff. Okay, well, let's get your run off the team because he's had knee problems for three years. Well, I'm just saying, like, do you really want to pay premium? premium is what you're going to pay. And I do think it's worth... Well, no, it's worth noting. And I'm glad Chandlerone put it in his piece yesterday. The offer that was on the table for Alex Breggman

is the biggest offer in Astros franchise history. We can't forget that. We can't look at it, go, oh, you're cheap. Oh, your cheap dollars. Like, just because it's not what the Mets are giving Juan Soto doesn't mean this is pennies on the dollars. That's a really good deal they offered Breggman, and they turned it down.

I'm sorry. You would be the highest paid player in the history of Astros franchise. Yeah, it's the biggest, in the highest of a franchise, it generally has not spent money as far as to the level of those other teams. So, yes, it is the highest for them, but that doesn't mean it's some crazy out of this world deal. It was, was it, $5 million more dollars than Matt Chapman? So it was about the market going rate. It's also not some crazy. It's not some crazy overpaid.

How's that market going? It is no market. He's not finding the market that he wants. Okay. Well, certain point, you've got to correct for the market. It'll be very interested to see how this continues to play out. Dana Brown, go ahead. I would mostly say it's all internal conversations as to, you know, what we would like to do in terms of bread. Well, I owe Boris a call.

He sent me a text, you know, today, so I'll probably end up getting back to him. It's like I'll probably end up getting back to Scott Boris. I don't know. Don't figure it out. That's funny. He'll be like, yeah. I'm going to call Scott. He just called me.

I got to call him right back now. I guess I get around to it. But again, that's information that he doesn't have to make public that. That just makes me laugh. Like, this is what has significantly cooled me. I mean, you read all these tea leaves. It ain't happening, right? Like, he's like, eh, we're going to call Scott Boers.

Maybe we're not. Dream the tea leaves. They traded Presley to get below the tax threshold. They signed Christian Walker. They brought in the Issaac Paritas. At what point do we need to look at all the tea leaves that go, Alex Bergman's not being an astro? It's Ken Rosenthal's fault because he said if he had to pick, he would pick the Astros.

That's the only thing the first thing that gave me pause. Well, the longer he waits out there unsigned, yes. I guess there is still a chance. There's still a chance and maybe it would be like a one-year deal or something. I don't know if he would even want to entertain that thought. That's what happened to Correa. He's going to have to do, he's going to have to swallow his pride at some point. Didn't Correa have to do the one-year deal in Minnesota before he got the big deal?

Yeah, and then he got a big deal. And then he didn't pass the physical. What was it with the Giants? I can't even remember at this point. It was the Mets. but he had big deals on the table, but they didn't like the medicals for Carlos Corre. And, well, now he's a Minnesota twin.

All right, we're going to take a quick break here on Sports Talk 790, The Matt Thomas Show with Ross. Coming up at 1130. It's ain't nobody got time for that slash shut your bum ass up. You want to get in, we're talking some pregnant, we're talking some Astros, we've been talking some rockets. Anything you want to get to, 713, 212, 5, 790. 713, 2125, 790.

The Matt Thomas Show with Ross. Continues on Sports Talk 790. Back here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross, without Matt Thomas, with Chris Cordy, with Adam Clinton joining later on, and with you at 713-212-5-790. That's like a law firm that's added too many partners. It takes a long time to introduce the show here. But that's okay. Matt Thomas, we'll be back tomorrow. And, well, we'll go roll on as usual.

He'll be joining us from Memphis at that point, right? Yeah, Rockets in Memphis, Matt Thomas, traveling with the Houston Rockets. We've been talking some Astros, though, with the Dana Brown thing. Yes, it seems like it is just simply not going to happen with the Alex Bregman thing unless there is some sort of 11th hour one year deal. Let's rent it back. Alex Breggman posts the I'm not bleeping leaving meme, and then we can all celebrate and the Astros go for one more in 2025. That'd be fun, but not likely at this point. Like I said, reading the tea leaves, like Gordy said, they're trying to get it.

the tax. Seems like they've moved on from Alex Bregman and they're wishing him the best. And if they did, it would just be up to Jim Crane to say, you know what, bleep it, I'm going to pay a bunch of money and we're going to get Alex Brigman back into the fold. And then we have to figure out stuff with everyone else as far as

where's Jose Al-Tuvae going to play, Issoc Parades, whatever. It might make a log jam in left field. But then also, from these same Dana-Brown comments, it sounds like Alt-Tuvae's been working out in left field and not might actually happen no matter what. Yeah. Well, it was to a point.

We brought this up on our Crawford boxcasts that Altuve's defense has taken a little bit of a dip. And relying on him to play, you know, superb second-based defense for an entire 162, I think the, I think the expectations there start to change a little bit and say, look, Al-Tuvae, we still love your bat. still need your bat, but, you know, if there's a way to get you off your feet for, you know, a handful of games a year where you're not playing second base, you know, where you're either dehing or, you know, dehing or playing some left field, which, as we know, at Minamade Park, with that wall, you know, the Crawford Box's wall so high, you're really about, you don't really

play many balls up against the wall. You're normally playing balls. off the wall and Alte de Vey just go grab it and get the ball in. That's all you got to do. I mean, you're not Alvarez played a solid left field for the Astros and he really didn't have to do much out there. Yeah, and then it would be, I mean, left field,

obviously less of a defensive premium position than second base. 713-212-5-790. The phone number as we go along here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. 7-13-212-5-7-90. Philip in Pearland is next up. What's up, Philip?

Ross, did you say that the Astros don't spend much? Did I hear you say that? I go off. Go ahead and go off. I didn't say they don't spend much. I said they don't spend much. You didn't spend. Okay.

What I was trying to say is they don't spend as much. The fact that the A6156 deal is the biggest they've ever handed out means they don't spend as much as the Dodgers, the Yankees, the Yankees. Yeah, be like those idiots. Irresponsible spenders. The Dodgers and the Yankees in the World Series. I'm also not saying they'd be like that. Stop! You guys are both putting words into my mouth.

The Astros have spent, Jim Crane is not cheap, he has not spent relative to many other franchises, but also he's been very successful with his philosophies. Yes. Oh, darn it. See, we're agreeing now, Rod. Well, I'm sorry.

By the way, Scott Borris just called and said Ross, yes, keep telling people these owners are cheap. And by the way, Jim Crane could give this contract, down and still have a lot of money. I mean, that's, that's a fact. But if he doesn't want to do this for the long term, I get it. I just think, you know, I think they just feel that they, the, the, the, um, the, um, the, um, the, um, the, um, cashman. Cashman, who put, Chapman. Chapman. And, and, and Adomas, you know, and they think that, you know, I don't know how old Chapman is, but, you know, he's a year older than Brighman. You know, one of them. Yeah, he's older.

Oh, a year older. So, Brickman's younger and better and says, I deserve more money than Chapman, and to me, that's fair. Yeah. But he hasn't gotten an offer that's better than the Astros. Isn't that what we can assume? Not necessarily. But it would be crazy for him to come

back. I mean, we've, we've, you know, Dana Brown's rebuilt for him to be gone. You know, it'd be, you know, I don't know, wouldn't it be a problem if they signed him? I mean, wouldn't they, I don't know what they're, I don't know about the salary numbers and the cap at all.

yeah there's no cap it's a it's a cap that the owners put on it put on themselves the luxury tax i mean ross sorry yeah it's all good yeah all right philip thank you uh appreciate you getting in yeah it just comes down to does jim crane want to spend the money and what would the back end of that contract look like for Alex Bregman and also if Alex Bregman wants to be a contender for his entire major league career, what would that look like here in Houston with Altuve

owed money and also going to quite frankly not, I mean he's aging as gracefully as he can, but in the next couple of years, Jose Altuve is going to be about a replacement level major league baseball player or slightly above, I should say.

So long-term implications it would be interesting to see if Alex Bregman were here. Short term, you would want Alex Bregman here the next two years. Somehow you could magically wave a wand and just sign him to a two-year $60 million deal. I think Jim Crane would do it. It's about the length of the deal, and it's also about financial, long-term financial security on the Alex Bregman side. Yeah.

I think that's what everybody would want. I mean, that's the problem is it becomes, is it worth giving out a massive deal to a guy for six years where you know he's not going to be good in year five and six, but you know years one and two he's going to be awesome. I think that's a, it's a, keep in mind too. Like, what is Jim Cream's background? Businessman, right? Yeah, but like successful business owner.

He owns very, very successful businesses. A lot of these successful business owners are being forced to make bad business deals knowing this isn't a good deal, but, or it's a good deal in the short term versus the long term. because they want to win. So that's what you have to weigh. How much money do you want to make? And how much do you want to make this a business and a profitable business and how much do you want to win? I think it's a balance. You want to do both?

Yeah. And I think Jim Crane has done a really good job of balancing both. And I think the Astros can still be a contender without Alex Spragman, too. I think they're way better with him, obviously. But are they way better with him in four years? But at 34 and 35, are they? Yeah. At that point, like I said, you have to think of it as

it's a $40 million contract the first couple of years and then it's 15 back at the back end of it. Can you afford paying for his prime knowing that you're going to take an L on the back end? And Jim Crane is very... But unfortunately it's not how the deal is structured, right? It's structured

28, 28, 28, 28, 28. Like there's no... Exactly, but you can think of it that way. It's all about how you want to think of it mentally. But you're saying that? But the book won't lie five years from now when here's the salary or here's your... Right. Here's your cap and here's this money going to that one guy.

But you're buying his prime. That's why you signed somebody to a long-term contract. Why did the Mets sign Juan Sotom? Do they think he's going to be worth $50 million a year at age 41? Of course he's not going to be. They did it because they're buying his prime. You're paying for a premium for his prime right now. And then you're saying that the economics of baseball are going to go up as well

to where $30 million a year in five, six years, If revenues continue to go up like you plan is not going to hit you in the pocketbooks as much, where the competitive balance tax threshold will continue to go up and up. Revenues go up and up. And, oh, by the way, when you win championships, you get more gate receipts, you get more interest, you get more sponsorships and all that type of stuff to where it can balance out on the sheet for you. Well, let's have another lockout and let's put in there. I think it's coming.

Let's have some buyouts. We want to have some like contract buyouts. Contracts where we can get out of this. In a perfect world. not fully guaranteed. To me, every league should be hard-capped. Every league. It makes the best parity.

You don't have the haves and haves-nots. How are these other owners feeling about what the Dodgers are doing? How is Jim Crane? For most people, you put a tax threshold punishment. It's deterring people from doing it, except if you're just irresponsible. And the Dodgers are irresponsible going, we don't care. What's irresponsible about what they're doing? Well, it's just, it's silly money.

And granted, they've got the big. the advantage of the TV deal, whereas other markets don't have that. Yeah, and they're getting people to defer a bunch of money. I think, like I said, a perfect world, everybody would be hard-capped, because you have teams like the Mariners, the Mariners make money. The Tampa Bay Rays make money. They just don't spend it. The owners do not care.

Oakland A's make money. They are profitable teams, but the owners simply do not care. So the players have fought and fought. I think they care of a certain extent that they're building a new stadium. Well, it's going to make them more money. They care about making more money. It's also costing a ton of money. You build that in Vegas.

Oh, okay. You think they're taking an L on that? Or you think it's going to make them more money in the long term? That's the only reason. Why did they force a move to Las Vegas? For bleeps and giggles? No, it's to make more money. So we always have to, we always have to realize here with these teams.

This is also about the business of baseball. And the players who have fought and fought and fought against a salary cap, I feel like, yeah, it's great for the top 20 players of league, maybe the top 50 players of the league, but it significantly hurts the bottom players of the league. And the lack of a salary cap long term, I don't know. To me, it's just not good for the overall health of the league.

What's great about baseball is, I mean, the Dodgers have been massive spenders for the last decade plus. And they've gotten two championships. One was in a COVID year. One was in a COVID year. Yeah. I mean, Astros have two. I mean, it's, you know, it's, the guardians were this close to, you know, making a wrong.

I mean, so it's. Yeah, but they didn't. Yeah, it was the Yankees and the Dodgers in the World Series. Okay, go back to the year before. Rangers and the Frigian and the Fringian back. The Rangers spent like 500. The Rangers spent half, the Rangers bought that ring. They spent a bunch of money to Corey Seeger and Marcus Simeon.

They got to Grom. They got all these players. They absolutely spent into that ring with the, did the, the Orleans and Rangers. Three in payrolls? I don't know what they were that year, but they spent a, they spent like half a billion dollars, and won the World Series. I'm just, baseball's the one sport that the little guy can still

put up a fight. They can. And that's what's going to be hilarious if the Dodgers don't get, if they get eliminated again. Yeah, the Diamondbacks made it one year. They got hot in the playoffs getting in a wild card. Did they even make the playoffs last year? So, and that's fine. The Diamondbacks people, they spent this offseason.

They got Corbyn Burns. So we'll see what happens long term. And the Yankees just got to their first World Series since 2009. and they're one of the top spenders every year. Well, that's because Brian Cashman is an idiot. You've got to spend the money. And he also preens on about how they have no analytics department. Like, that's just stupid.

If you're spending smart like the Dodgers have been, you're going to be contenders. Now, the Dodgers, you want to talk about the balance of just winning the World Series. That's fine. But they've been winning how many years in a row as they won like 100 games or somewhere in that neighborhood? They've been a juggernaut. So, I mean, we'll see what happens and what happens with the health of the league. if other owners are going to spur change, if players want change, or if everybody's going to say, this is cool.

Dodgers can spend a billion dollars and get like $800 million of it deferred. We don't care. We're just going to go ahead and go about our business. I don't know. But all right, 713-212-5-7-9 of the phone number. When we come back, is there something that you want to get off your chest, something that has been bothering you, somebody that's been annoying you? You want to say, ain't nobody got time for that slash shut your bum-ass up.

That's coming up next here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Ain't nobody getting time with you. Ain't nobody getting time for me? Ain't nobody getting time for me? Ain't nobody getting time for me? Welcome back to the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Ross v. Real with you, Chris Gordy as well. And now it's our favorite time of the week.

You have something you want to get off of your chest. Somebody is annoying you or something that is annoying you. You say, ain't nobody got time for that. Shit, oh. Ain't nobody got time for that. Sorry, wrong with you. did the opposite order? Did I?

I always go that one first because that was the original segment. Shut your bum ass up came up afterwards. That was Josh Smith, I think talking about Doc Rivers or something like that. I'd have to find the original audio. But here's our good friend Josh Smith. What he had to say to Doc Rivers. Shut your bum ass up, man. And, well, he said that because Doc Rivers was upsetting him.

So somebody or something has been upsetting you. You can tell them either of those things. at 713-212-1-790. 7-1-3-2-1-2-5-7-90. Chris Gordy, I'm going to let you go as our guest. Yeah, I'm sick of reading articles this week. It's mostly the tabloids. But will Travis Kelsey propose to sit Taylor Swift on the field

if they win the Super Bowl? Shut your bum ass up. I don't care. Sit your bum-ass up, man. I want to see a good football game. I want to watch the Super Bowl. I don't care about them getting engaged. By the way, clock's ticking on that. They want to have kids and all this kind of stuff.

They better get it done quickly. Maybe she's got some frozen eggs. You don't know. You know their life. How old is Taylor these days? I just, that and then the Jason Kelsey obsession, ESPN, like, they're putting him on every show. And now it's like, oh, Jason, you're going to root for your brother and the chiefs? You're going to vote for your former.

for your former team. What do you think? They're both 35 years old. Locks ticking. The biological clock is ticking for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey. Maybe she doesn't want to have kids. She's a cat mom, right? I just don't need articles about how about articles about the game? How about

what if Jalen Hertz wins? What does that do for his legacy? You know what? I'm glad you brought that up because I have some... This is for Matt Thomas and some of you elsewhere as well. This is a boring super ball matchup. I'm not interested in this at all. Oh, I'm sorry. The Eagles, one of the best offensive and defensive teams in football. Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are going for history

trying to win their third straight Super Bowl, something that has never been done in the history of the sport. Steve Spagnola is a great defensive coordinator. How are they going to match up against the run game of Sequan Barkley? Like, there's a million angles. This is two of the four or five best teams in football. I think it's a good Super Bowl matchup. And if you're like, oh, I'm sick of the Chiefs winning. I'm sorry, take in the greatness, quit your whining, because you're going to be watching on Sunday anyways.

So shut your bum ass up. Shut your bum ass up, man. It's a good matchup. What would have been a bad matchup? Like, I don't know, Rams. I hate the Rams. Like, Rams versus Bills. Oh, God.

Texans. Here, we would have had a lot of interest. Yeah, I know. We would have interests. I'm talking about nationally. How excited would you have been for Rams bills? Not super excited. Stafford versus Josh Allen.

Chiefs and Eagles, it's a rematch. Chiefs and Eagles is a good match. Can Jalen Hertz get over the hump? Nick Sariani, people talked about how terrible of a coach he was, and now he's right back there in the Super Bowl. And I think they're, right now gut feeling Eagles win that game. Also, everybody I've heard of said, it's Sequan Barkley. You still say Sequan.

Sequant, what did I say? You say Siquon. Sequon. Is it Sequant? I don't know. I'm sorry? Well, it made me think I was wrong. I'm on little sleep and two types of medicine here.

I'm losing my voice. Give me a break. 713, 212, 5, 790. Before we go to the phones, Connor McGovern, anything been bothering you? Yeah, yesterday, I went to a restaurant in Montrose, and I pulled up in the parking lot, and there was a spot right in for the restaurant. It's like, oh, score. I'm going to park in and go and go eat.

But there was a cone blocking it. And then I was like And then a guy came to my car Rolled down my window And he's like, oh, it was valet. Valet parking for this tiny little spot Like parking lot with 15 spots And there was one right in front of the restaurant

But I had to pay for somebody to move my car Another 10 feet for me So ain't nobody got time for that It wasn't even that nice of a place It's pretty casual place Like why I charge valet The spot is right there I have to pay for you to move at 10 feet

Was it L-TEMPO? They do that sometimes. Was it the... It was a place similar. The valet game has... You know what? I'm glad you're pointing this out, Connor McGer. It's been everywhere now

with the valet game. And he's absolutely right. Like, there's six open spots over here, brother. I can park my own car. I didn't usually like, oh, it's complimentary. It's complimentary. Then you're like, fine. I got to fish out whatever cash I have in my wallet

trying to give this guy so I can get him a dip so I don't look at an a hole. But it's like, I would rather just go and park my own car. I'm not fancy, Matt. I don't need somebody taking and pulling up my car. I don't have a fancy car in the first place, so I'm embarrassed that you have to get in my car anyways. So like, stop with the constant incessant valet everywhere you go now in Houston.

Yeah, I didn't even, I was like, okay, so I backed out of this tiny little parking lot, bagging on the street and went around the corner. Dang, man of principle. I like that. Pluckers on Shepherd get you with that, though. They've got the cones on every spot. Well, I saw somebody parking, they fall in the ditch over there. Yeah.

It gets a little dicey over there. They're like, screw this. I'm not velling. Next thing you know, their cars in the ditch. There's no real street parking. I was like, this is not going well. Oh, my God, they're in the ditch. Yeah, we've started.

I mean, if you don't live too far away from some of these places, we've just started. We go out places. We just Uber everywhere. That's what I do. Having a fight parking and what if you have a couple cocktails. Yeah. First of all, I like to drink.

I don't like to drive when I've been. Well, you go hard. Are you kidding me? Oh, seriously. You got her with Ross. You turn around. He's handy of his shots. Hold on.

Man, we've been there five minutes. All right, Carrie. All right, karaoke king. First of all, I was Ubering that night, number one. Number two, I had like two drinks. Literally two. Now, okay, first of all, the girl was pouring him pretty stiff. And the second one, I poured myself and I poured that stiff because she was nowhere to be

found. That was on my fault. I feel like sometimes I need to go. Look, I appreciate you, and I'm still going to tip you. We'll make these a little weaker. I don't need to be off my ass after two drinks. Well, yeah. All right, karaoke king. You missed the magic.

Connor. Have you ever seen Chris Gordy in action on the microphone? I haven't heard the... Shuggie! Oh, you left last week before it happened? Yeah, apparently. I didn't know if karaoke was going on. There was no karaoke. Chris Gordy was like, DJ, we're going to do karaoke now. He's like, what?

Oh, no, they did it after we left. Okay. They had more. Rod Ryan got on the mic. Oh, my God. Sounds like it was a great time, but I had to go because we had fan fest in the morning. All right, anyways, let's get, you know, some of you guys. has been holding patiently. So let's get one quick ahead of a break.

The other you, if you are on hold, I promise we will get to you. You want to get in. 713, 212, 5790. Tony and Angleton, go ahead. This message goes out to Charles Barkley. Charles, I know you're listening to this show, Charles, because you have to get information

and tell about the Rockets now to make sure that you can get on the air and actually have some kind of credibility. This Rockets team is phenomenal. The way they're playing right now, now. It's a lot of fun to watch. They've won, what, four in a row, 10 or 12 their last 14 games.

They're not trying to move players. They're looking to actually acquire players to maybe possibly move on in the playoffs. So Charles, nobody got time for that, Charles. So shut your bum ass up. I'm on board with... He hit him with both to Charles Barkley. I'm definitely on board with that. All right, Chris Gordy is here.

Connemar governor as well. My name is Ross Vio Realt. It's the Matt Thomas show. Without Matt, he's traveling with the rockets. We're going to get you all with some more. Ain't nobody got time for that slash shut Joe bump as coming up. But first, I have to ask you, how you been feeling? How'd you? Your alarm went off today. And did you jump out of bed and you couldn't wait? Or did you hit snoo like 16 times? And you're like, I'm not energy. I'm not having the energy. I'm not having the motivation. Maybe the libido last night's getting embarrassing. You haven't hit your New Year's resolutions. You're just getting in rolled up into this rut. You're like, what is the deal? Maybe your testosterone levels are low. You can get them back with the health providers at Centrogenics, testosterone, and weight loss. We're talking about true TRT experts. They're going to give you personalized therapy. Some people take your levels. They probably don't even look at it. Give you a bottle.

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Get to those new year's resolutions. Cinergenicshealth.com. That's S-Y-N-E-R-GENXhealth.com for Cinergenics, testosterone, and weight loss. More Matt Thomas show with Ross. Now on Sports Talk 790. All right. Last chance.

You want to tell somebody to shut they bomb ass up. Or anybody got time for that, man. Yeah. Get them, Josh Smith. Ain't nobody got time for that? 713-212-5-790 is the phone number. 7-13-212-5-7-90.

A couple of you getting on the phone line, so let's go ahead and roll it with Joe on the northwest side. What's up, Joe? Hey, guys, to all the people who keep saying, the chief just keep finding a way to win. shut your bum asses up. Ain't nobody got time for that. The Chiefs and the refs keep finding the way to win together.

When you win 14, like one score games in a row, one or two key calls going against the other team. You can go a long way towards dictating the outcome. So they can just shut their bum ass up. Shut your bum ass up, man. Do you think they're rigging the games for the Chiefs, Joe? and Taylor Swift So you think the

entire, you think the league is rigging the game So that Taylor Swift can win? It's not just about Taylor But it's about the whole chief entourage Andy Mahomes You know, Kelsey, all of them So you think this is a targeted conspiracy You're all in it together

Do you think it's coincidence or do you think it's a targeted conspiracy? I don't know You have to ask Roger Goodall that Roger Goodall. Okay, we'll ask Roger Goodall about that. Thank you, Joe. Appreciate it.

As the NFL and Jerry Jones and Hannah McNair have all agreed to rig the league for Kansas City, Missouri. Jerry said, if the Cowboys can't be in there, I would like to see Kansas City. I want Taylor to be happy. Yeah, I love Taylor. All right. Mike in the Beltway, your next step. What's up, Mike? Yes, sir.

This is what I don't have time for. I play believe it, believe it or not. And, uh, you guys ever check my email, check my email. I check my spam. I get an email. And it's asking for my social security number, man. Ain't nobody got time for that. Is that a scam?

No. Well, I don't think it is a scam. So, Mike, one of the reasons, unfortunately, for winners that we need to, what prize did you win? B. What? Bum B. Oh, Bun B tickets. All right.

So it's, it's for tax purposes. Because when you win a prize, when we give away prizes, it has a certain dollar value and that has tax implications for us over here at IHeartMedia, Houston. So they need the Social Security number because basically everyone that wins their prize

and you're going to be fine. I believe it has to be over $100 value or maybe those are over $100,000 value so maybe that's why you got those. No, it's $50 value. They had the value of the prize on that $50. I think still they get all the winners and it's for tax purposes.

So I'm sorry, Mike. It is what it is. Ain't nobody got time for that. Well, you know what? You're right. It's 2020. You know if I got time for Uncle Sam. I can't win some Bunby tickets without the government transaction getting involved.

No, Mike. Ain't nobody. You shut your bumass up. You have the tickets, you put in your information, you wait for email. I got to stick around in the studio and grab all these prize winners when you get four or five winners because of Ross's terrible questions. Oh, there's only three winners. It's the worst segment. no you'll get your tickets and like it or don't fill the nourition and don't get it so shut your bum ass up mike

the price of playing poker sorry mike appreciate it also it's 2024 i don't have any problem given on my social security number you have life lock and all those other things that will protect you know it's still probably not a great well didn't the life lock guy put his he was like no with life lock you're safe i will put my social security number out on a on a billboard and then like within hours he had his identity stolen by like 75 people or something like that. That was pretty funny. Well, I'm not saying televise it to hundreds of thousands of people. Yeah, I'm sorry, Mike.

It's a tax thing. That's why they do that. I'm not sorry, Mike. Connor hates you. Yeah. And he hates it or not, apparently. I'm sorry, Connor. I mean, I don't hate it.

It seems like you do. That's okay. Look, if we get rid of it, it wouldn't bother me. I have the right questions every day. All right, Sal and Paralyan, what you got? Hey, what's up, Ross? Hey, so I love soccer, man. And, you know, today's Champions League.

Today we have Champions League today. And I just got to say, whoever came up with the idea to have 18 matches in one day, it's crazy. I think it's all, you know how the NFL does that? It's because there's the, you know, the clinching implications to where everybody plays at the same time, that way nobody kind of soft plays the game. It's pretty, this new format is ridiculous. You know what? They need to shut their bum ass up on this new format.

right, Sal, it sucks. Yeah, yeah. Shit your bum ass up, man. And also, go Manchester City. Go Madrid. All right, thank you. Appreciate it, Sal. Yeah, your thoughts on the new

UCL format, Chris Cordy? I don't even know what you're all talking about. Oh, okay. It's a Champions League. It's a big European tournament. Who's in that one? It's all the top four clubs from the top European teams, so they all play each other.

So there's the English League, the Spanish League, the French League, the Belgian League, the Belgian League, the German League, whatever. The French, I even say the French League, whatever. So it's the top four teams from those leagues. They get in one big tournament, and whoever wins it is the European champion. And it's very prestigious. It's not Premier League.

It's Premier League. The Premier League, the Bakke, or is even Barclays anymore? The English Premier League, brought to you by Emirates or whoever else brings it to you, whatever. Yeah. So it's the top four of the England. That's why you want to make the top four in your league, because you get a lot of money when you make the Champions League. They have a big tournament. Champions League Final year annually has more viewers than the Super Bowl.

Just saying. Sorry, I fell asleep with all the soccer talk. Oh, you poor baby. All right, we're going to take a quick break here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Chris Gordy is here. Connor McGovern is here. Matt Thomas is not. Will Chris Gordy hang out for the news at noon?

I have no idea. Adam Clanton's coming up at 1 o'clock. You want to get in. You can't. It's 713-212-5-790. All the top sports news items of the day coming at you next. Launch timers. This is the Matt Thomas show.

Our number three of the Matt Thomas show with Ross without Matt Thomas. He is out traveling with the Houston Rockets. He will be back tomorrow from Memphis. Well, we will talk about the rockets and many other things as we get to all the top sports news items of the day. In a segment, we call the News at Noon. Connor McGovern with the News at Noon today, which means I don't have to look up news stories. so I am very happy. Chris Gordy is still here hanging out. Connor, what are the people talking about?

Yes, in the rescheduled matchup, Jalen Green dropped 25 points, and the Rockets avoided a late game collapse to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 1906 last night. Back out to Jalen Green with a reset, nine to shoot in the shot clock. One-on-one against Garrison Matthews. Green, down the lane, floats it off the backboard and down. My goodness, a tough make over two Atlanta Hawk defenders. Alpern-Shangoon added 18 points and 10 rebounds. The Rockets have won 10 out of their last 12

and will face the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday for a key Western Conference matchup. Yeah, they're going for the season sweep. And I mentioned this earlier, Gordy. The thing that's been impressing me about the Rockets is they've been winning kind of when they're not necessarily at their best. Now, of course, Dylan Brooks was completely out of his mind. He made 10 of 15 threes against the Celtics. They don't win that game without him doing that.

But other starters like Alpern-Singungoon, Jailen, and Fred Van Vleet were terrible in that game. Last night, you only shot 23% from three. Sure, the Hawks aren't necessarily world beaters, but in years past, they lose that game. They're winning when they are not at their best, the mark of a really good team. By the way,

the sports betting AG, just putting out the latest odds. You're in Fox's next team, if not the Kings. Can I guess? Yes. Spurs. Spurs are the favorite at minus 150. Whoa, that's heavy favorites. Overwhelming. Well, he's made it known. He wants to be a spur. For those of you don't know, you've got to lay $150 to

win a hundred there. So you're basically like $3 for every $2 you win. It's fine of me. You want to go suck with the spurs. Go suck with the spurs. But the Rockets, second best odds at 3 to 1. Interesting. I mean, he is from the area. The Rockets do have assets. We have talked about this. It's just up to the rockets in Raphael Stone. They want to rock the boat or if they want to trust the process. I've been a trust-the-process guy throughout this. I mean, I am intrigued by Deerrin Fox. Is the piece of Fred Van Fleet who might not be here with a team option next year,

an expiring contract that excites the Sacramento Kings. I'd be interested in see what the return is, but also staying the course with what they have here, I think is a really good option because they're already surprising. You're into phase two. Let the guys you have here blossom and grow into what they have been. And this team right now, positioned as the number two team in the West,

by default, that makes you a championship contender right now. Yes. All right. What else you got? Connemogovine. Yesterday the Astros officially announced the trade of relief pitcher Ryan Presley to the Chicago Cubs. General manager Dana Brown spoke on a number of topics, including the team's relationship with Presley,

the possibility of retaining Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve getting some reps at left field. Last week, Altuve came out and said he would be willing to play left field if that meant the Astros could resign Bregman. But Brown said yesterday that Altuve and left field would more likely happen with an addition. Speaking of additions, Dana Brown also had this to say. You know, as I mentioned before, it would be nice to get, you know, a left-hand bat. That would be, you know, sort of a priority. But we are, you know, weighing all the options on the free agent market. And, you know, we're taking a real close look at it, taking a deep dive.

Astros getting a left-handed bat is a priority for you Dana Brown. Jorge Polanco is a switch hitter. I think that would qualify as a left-handed bat. Alex Brickman, however, what side does he bat from? Chris Gordy? That would be the right side. Alex Bregman. You're all right?

You're putting together something for lockdown? I was reading Jorge Polanco stats. Oh, okay. How are those looking? And you know what? Why don't you read those off for us? He's a switch hitter, correct? Yeah.

Well, he's, yeah, he bats both. 213 last year. A year before was good, right? About a 255 year prior with 14 home runs. He had 16 home runs last year. I mean, he's a little mid. Hmm. Like an 11th Diaz or something.

Ooh. Hey, 11 Ms. Diaz had some value. You always need a couple of utility guys, and people are going to get injured. I old day how Al Tuve is really old at this point. Didn't he have like an oblique injury? Well, then he had the broken hand the year before that. But, okay. Polanco born in 1993 as well.

How old is that, bacon? 32? Okay. Or at least you're going to turn 32? Yeah. At some point this year? One year deal. That's all I'm willing to go.

Yeah, I mean, there'd be a one year small deal to get the salary relief. It'd be, of course, less than whatever they just got as far as salary relief from Ryan of Presley. What else? Other people talking about? Kind of McEavenham. Mike McCarthy has decided against coaching in 2025, removing himself as a candidate to fill the NFL's last remaining head coaching vacancy with the New Orleans Saints. McCarthy is actually the third candidate to pull out of the Saints coaching search, joining Buffalo Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady

and Washington offensive coordinator Cliff Kingsbury. So Mike McCarthy, former Dallas Cowboys head coach, is not coaching in 2025. Nobody wants to go to New Orleans and be the Saints head coach. Your thoughts, Chris Gordy. If you're Gail Benson, Saints owner, wake the hell up. No one wants to work for Mickey Loomis.

Mickey Loomis was one of the architects who helped bring in Drew Brees and Sean Payton and help win the 09 Super Bowl. But last I checked for us, it's 2025. that Super Bowl is 15 years old. Derek Carr is there. They are cap strap like you wouldn't believe. Yeah.

They have old players. They have Derek Carr who sucks. And nobody wants a job. Like, wake up. You got to get rid of Loomis. Get rid of leadership. Clean house. Do what the Texans did.

Clean house. It looks like as I look, the Saints are $54 million over the salary cap. You know what I'd do right now? I would fire Mickey Loomis. I'd find a new GM and you know what I'd do? I'd call David Cully and say, David, we need you for one year, bud. Need you to come suck ass, lose games. Oh, my God.

Do you think he would do that? Well, I am honored to be the head coach of the New Orleans Saints, David Culley. Wasn't his intro press conference he was talking about wanting to coach his high school? Oh, yeah. Like, oh, well. It was always his dream. I don't think David Cully is going to last long here. If you don't want him, Lovie Smith.

I'll call Lovie up. Lovy, one year. Just go to the retreads that the Texans used. But we have to have a deal in writing, Lovy. If you have a chance to win the Week 18 game, lose it. You're going to put it in writing that he has to lose. You have to intentionally lose. You must.

That's pretty funny. All right, what else is going on? The news at noon here on Sports Talk 790 with Conna McGovern. The Texans fired offensive coordinator Bobby Sloick last week and have begun their search for his replacement. Reports have come out that Chip Kelly, Chip Kelly, is in the mix. The Texans have interviewed Syracuse offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon and Tampa Bay Buccaneers

quarterback's coach, Thad Lewis. So Ross and Gordy, who's your pick for the Texans next offensive coordinator? Thad Lewis, is the quarterback's coach of the Buccaneers? He wasn't playing that long ago, right? Yeah. I'm not just old. What are you a Texans quarterback at one point? He was Texans legend, 2014. Thad Lewis.

Case Keenham. He last was on the practice squad or maybe an offseason member of the Baltimore Ravens in 2007. There's another guy that interviewed yesterday. Rams passing game coordinator, Nick Cayley. Nick Haley? Kayley, C-A-L-E-Y.

Not familiar with this work. Oh, no, I tried to put that in and it came up Nikki Haley. That's not what I want. Texas interview, Nikki Haley. That's interesting. Nick Caley. Oh, John Carroll connection. Boom.

Connection with Nick O'oh. Uh-oh. John Carroll student assistant. You're right. It's so funny when you Google that. Couldn't you see Nick Casero going, yeah, Tomiko, this is the guy we really need, man. Nick, you just know him for back of your college days.

Yeah, my initial thought was I took Gerard Johnson over the field. I would probably take the field now if I could remake that $1 bet with Matt Thomas because I thought maybe with the firing of Sloak and kind of how late in the game it got that they might have had somebody as a replacement lined up, but it looks like they're doing a thorough search. All the Houston Texans. Goodwill you got with Gerard Johnson here, one, any kind of attached to the hip with Bobby Sloick?

Like, from a standpoint of the offense wasn't great this year? Yeah, and well, actually, there's another interesting nugget about C.J. Stroud and Bobby Sloak, I believe you have that. Yes, speaking of the Texans, a local report has come in from Lance Zerline that suggests that the relationship between Stroud and Sloick didn't get off to the best start. Apparently, in a pre-draft interview, the pair was talking X's and O's, and Stroud was using the terminology from his time at Ohio State, and Sloick sort of jumps him and said,

I want to give a blank what you call it at Ohio State. This is pro football. And apparently Boba Sloak kind of got into the face of C.J. Stroud. So Stroud didn't back down. So maybe Sloak was testing Stroud. But according to Lance Erline, it got heeded and the two had to be separated. Following the argument,

Stroud apparently told another team that his meeting with the Texans went terribly and that he didn't think he was going to get drafted by Houston. So maybe the relationship between Stroud and Sloak has been rocky from the start. NFL.com's Lance Zerline with the report there. Interesting. Yeah, that sounds like,

is that one of those things where you kind of try to rattle a guy in the pre-drafts and see how he reacts? It could have been that. Do you want him to not back down? You're like, yeah, I want him to throw hands

with the offensive coordinator. I'm always against players making the hire, but like when CJ's the face of your franchise, I kind of want him. Hey, CJ, why don't you go do some study and give me a list of name. some guys you'd like. Yeah, you want some input.

You don't want him having the final say, but some input from C.J. Stroud and what he's comfortable with doing and how he wants to kind of construct things offensively certainly would be helpful. I mean, he is your franchise quarterback. The Texans, he's going to be here for a decade plus, whatever it's going to cost for money or whatever. C.J.

Stroud is going to be your guy for the foreseeable future. So you want him happy, you want him comfortable. He would not giving him final say, but some input from him would be nice. Yes. Interesting. Okay. So where will the Texans go with their offensive coordinator. We can talk about that as we hit break here on the

Matt Thomas show with Ross. We've also been talking about the Rockets as they continue to surprise. Are you on the bandwagon or are you still off as it relates to the Houston Rockets? We've been talking Dana Brown, Astros. A lot of stuff to get to here with you till 2 o'clock. Adam Clanton coming on at 1 and you at 713-2-5-790.

7-13-212-5-790. Back to Matt Thomas and Ross via Real. on Sports Talk 790. 12, 18 p.m. here on Sports Talk 790. Hour number three of the Matt Thomas show. And we're saying, what? I tuned in at noon.

Yeah, we're 10 to 2 now, pals. There are some people, some of you out there that are not aware. 10 to 2 now, the Matt Thomas show with Ross. I am the Ross part of it. The Matt part of it is on an airplane with the Houston Rockets as they won last night. Atlanta, they'll be on their way to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies tomorrow on an average.

national stage on TNT. Gordy, Utah, because I'm going to cough. Yes, Matt's out. Chris Gordy sitting in with Ross here on the Matt Tama Show with Ross. And we're talking before the break, a little bit about the Houston Texans. And the search for an offensive coordinator interviews continuing, like we said

yesterday, Nick Cayley, like Nick Casero, is a John Carroll University grad. He's the Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach and passing game coordinator. He interviewed with the Texans yesterday. He's 42 years old. Former Patriots tight ends coach as well. Uh-oh. So we got the John Carroll connection check.

We got the Patriots check. Patriots tight ends coach check. I mean, Rams passing game has been pretty good. So we can go ahead and clearly say this is a guy that's in the, that's a Nick Casario candidate. Let's run through some of the other ones. They interviewed Bucks quarterback's coach Thad Lewis. They interviewed Gerard Johnson.

They interviewed Syracuse offense quarter Jeff Nixon. Thad Lewis is only 37 years old. Former NFL quarterback played for a. ton of teams. He coached at UCLA as an offensive analyst and first joined Tampa Bay as an assistant receivers coach. So he's very green in terms of his coaching career. Jeff Nixon is 50 years old. He was the running backs coach for Syracuse. His NFL experience as a former Giants running back coach, assistant head coach of the offense, running backs coach in interim OC for the Carolina Panthers. he was a co-o-ocea running backs coach at Baylor.

There's a lot of guys with college experience in here. Interesting. And of course, Gerard Johnson, we know. Is Nick Cayley, okay, with the Rams? Sean McVeigh is kind of like the, do they do a lot of the outside zone run? People have been talking about that. How Bobby Sloick in the outside zone,

Shanahan Tree running scheme, was it necessarily a fit with this offensive line. You don't have a bunch of guys who are necessarily good out in space. You'd rather just angle up on some people and move some bodies and then run inside with Damien Pierce or Joe Mixon who's capable of doing either. So that's the only thing I guess I think as far as my thoughts on this is that's what a lot of the people that I trust that follow the Texans want somebody maybe not with the Bobby Sloick philosophy

or, as I said, Shanahan Tree, with all that. stuff, but at the end of the day, I mean, you mentioned all these guys. They come from good offenses. They seem to be well credentialed. So outside of that, I don't really have a strong opinion on who should be the next offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans. Have there been reports? Have they talked to Chip Kelly at all?

Or was that just like fan fodder? I think it's kind of been just mostly floated by people. I don't see, there's been no official talk of any sort of interview or anything with Chip Kelly, right? Why is that, why did his name come up, though? like of all the names, just because he's got NFL experience? Yeah, here, I'm just trying to hear. CBS Sports Insider Jonathan Jones said Kelly is considered a target for the Jaguars and the Texans.

Okay. I've never heard of Jonathan Jones. Yeah, he's been around a while. So that's somebody at least with some cachet who connected them. But I didn't see anything else that it connected them. And apparently also a report in the last 24 hours that Chip Kelly has been meeting with Ohio State Brad. So maybe this is something that can get floated out. Get him a nice raise with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

And that's probably what it is. That's what I would guess. I mean, he gave up a head coach. New extension signed by Chip Kelly after interest from the NFL, he's getting a bunch of more money. Is he a Jimmy Sexton guy? He could be. He could be a Jimmy Sexton move. But what's still weird about it is, remember, he was UCLA head coach for five years.

It just gives that up. Just goes, you know what? I don't want to be a, I don't want to be a head coach. coach anymore. And if your call, Ohio State hired Bill O'Brien to be their O.C. Chip Kelly's agent. Jimmy Sexton. Yeah, well, there you go. So Jimmy Sexton will be like, yeah, yeah, let's fold it out

with a couple of NFL team. Look at your nice raise. There's probably no connection at all to him one to be used in Texan OC. Oh, man. And then people, I saw people saying, like, well, it's between the Jaguars and the Texans. No, it's also between Ohio State just staying where you just won a national championship. Yeah. Why not just stay there? Ohio State seems to have money.

And look, if there's any time to ask for a raise, it's probably after winning the national championship in a 12-10 format. And he gave up being a head coach of UCLA to go be an OC at Ohio State. Man, how bad do you feel like if you're in the UCLA AD? And you're like, and Chip Kelly comes, he's like, yeah, guys, I'm going to head out. Oh, man, I'm sorry. Did the NFL come calling or what job are you getting? I'm going to be an offensive coordinator of Ohio State.

Oh, that's got to be a blow to the ego. We saw that from a couple coaches, though, that stepped down from Gus Malzahn just left UCF, head coach at UCF to go be OC at, was it Miami? Or no, Florida State. I can't remember, but I know what you're talking about. How much does that have to do with the NIL and transfer portal culture of these coaches and saying, hey, I just don't want the headache. It's not worth my time. Well, Bobby Petrino was, he was on his way to being back to a head, being a head coach candidate. He took the OC job at Arkansas.

And all reports are, he wants nothing to do with being a head coach again. He hates NIL. He hates all that stuff. He goes, just give me my play sheet. Let me call plays. Let me run the office. That's what I want to do. Don't want to do anything else.

Yeah, now he's at, oh yeah, you said Arkansas. He was at A&M before that. Yeah. But Gus Malzahn. I mean, that one was crazy. So, yeah, writing's on the wall. A lot of these college coaches, they're perfectly fine. Just being a million dollar or $1.2 million, O.C.,

DC, don't need to be a head coach. Make some money. Don't have the headaches. Make good money. Make, I mean, life changing, as long as you save it up and don't go all crazy type of money and you don't have to have to worry about all that other stuff. I saw this guy put out his, he said, my ranking tier list.

Top candidates, I have is Chip Kelly and Nick Cayley. So this guy really likes Nick Cayley. Who is this guy? This guy on Twitter. Okay. You don't have a name? Texans Jacob. Okay.

All right. It's the first thing I popped up when I searched Gerard Johnson. All right. Well, we appreciate Texan Jacobs' input on his favorite. He's got 5,400 followers. Okay. Not exactly a nobody. I'm sure he's very invested.

I'm sure he does a great job. We're all proud of him. All right, 7-1-3-2. Is there a name you want? No, like I said, like I said, Gerard Johnson would be cool, but if we're looking for the outside names and those other guys, they all seem credentialed to me. I haven't done a deep vibe.

Look, what is Nick Cayley going to do when he comes in here in the game? And how's he going to call plays? And what's his offensive philosophy? I don't necessarily know. But Bobby Sloak out. Hope it's someone better. Chip Kelly would be cool. Dry Johnson seemed to be highly thought of inside the organization.

And some of those other names are intriguing as well with how good the offenses they have been working with have done. All I know about Nick Cayley is he's got, he's got good experience with John Carroll. Nick Casario. Patriots. Get him in the building. By the way, he was promoted to tight ends coach with the Patriots during which time he coached Rob Grancowski

to a Pro Bowl. Yeah, the thing with that, though, is Rob Grancowski would have a Pro Bowl no matter who was coaching him. Yeah, great job. Nick Cayley. You really led Rob Grancowski to Pro Bowl stardom. I mean, that's one you put on your resume,

but, you know, it's, I don't know how much he had. You probably don't take a bunch of credit for it. Right. But you certainly put it on your resume. Absolutely. You have to do that. And that's what he did. So he was in New England from 2015 through 2022.

And then went to go be the Rams coach in 2023 as their tight ends coach. And was their passing game coordinator this past season? Hmm. Okay. See, he sounds qualified to me. Yeah. I mean, Matt Stafford, Cooper Cup. Yeah?

Pooka Nakua. I mean, he had a pretty easy job there. Oh, no, that's tough. Look. All right, guys, on this point, we're going to throw it to Puka. Don't forget to Mark. Puka was hurt half the year. Cooper Cup got hurt too.

It's DeMarcus Robinson season, who is Longhorn Legend Jordan Whittington over there as well. All getting in the mix. I don't even know how many passing yards, Matt Stafford had this year, but Nick Cayley, great job with the Rams.

Tide-in production wasn't that great day, right? Who did they have over there? Was it Tyler Higby, and then he got hurt, and it was like Colby Parkinson? Right? Oof, Colby Parkinson was okay, I guess. Higby had 100 yards on the postseason. All right.

We were going to take a quick break on that note, on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Do you have a preference for the Texans OC? We can talk about that. We've also been talking about the rockets, Astros, anything you want to get to. Phone lines are wide, open, and available for you. At 713-212-5-790.

7-13-212-5-7-90. But again, I have a question for you. Why drag through the days with low energy and motivation? Why are you just keep putting off your New Year's resolutions because you haven't been motivated to get out and get in the gym? You said you're going to run New Year, New Year, New Year hasn't happened. is almost over. Maybe your testosterone levels are low. I know you need to get them checked. Go to centergenicshealth.com. That brings you to synergenics testosterone and weight loss.

The true TRT experts because of their personalized therapy that's going to go beyond standard treatments you're going to get with other providers. Go with Centrogenics who is also offering weight loss management with affordable prescription GLP1 plans. Book that appointment. They've got clinics all over town. Centrogenicshealth.com is where you need to go. That's S-Rogynics Y-N-E-R-GenX-Halth.com, centergenics, health.com. Welcome back to the Matt Thomas show with Ross without Matt Thomas. Connor McGovern is here. Adam Clanton will be joining coming up at 1 o'clock.

You can get in if you'd like. It's 7-1-3-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. We mentioned some of the Texans names as far as interviews and who they're going with with their offensive coordinator position. And it sounds like it's kind of a wide open spreading a wide net type of search, which is surprising me because I thought

the way that they handled it with Bobby Sloick and taking the amount of time that it did, well, I guess it was pretty close after they lost. And there was the stories about possible discord and unhappiness with Domingo Rines. We played that audio where normally D'Amico Rhyans is the guy he's going to hang. He's like, oh, yeah, great guy.

We really appreciate what he brings. Everybody does great, blah, blah, blah, blah, coach speak stuff. But when he was asked at the end of the season about Bobby Sloke, he's like, I saw some growth. It's like a five-second sound bite, which is extremely rare. We hear in the radio business try to keep sound bites like under 30 seconds,

and he always goes like a minute off of anything with a lot of coach-speak. And that's fine. Not criticizing D'Amico Ryan's in that department. He likes to keep things in-house normally, and that's okay. But when he doesn't, when someone goes against the grain, of what they normally do, that's when maybe you take a little bit of notice. That's when maybe you say,

hmm, maybe I should take this with more than a grain of assault. Maybe there's something being said without something, there's something being said without anything being said, if that makes sense. And kind of what we were talking about earlier as well with Dana Brown, talking about re-engaging with Alex Bregman, how it basically hasn't happened.

It's like Dana Brown, normally pretty good guy as far as optimism, like, yeah, this guy's great, that guy's great, it's going to work out. Jose Abray, you go into the Fort of Complex League. He's going to come back better than ever. This guy's going to turn it around. That guy's going to turn it around.

And he was right, if you remember, in the middle of the season, talking about the Astros turning everything around, and they did. So kudos to him of that. But he is a guy who's going to be normally optimistic and normally open to anything. But when he says, oh, I owe Scott Boris a call. He texted me. I didn't text him back. It's like, dang.

you got here big time and Scott Boris. Look at you, go, Dana Brown. That's cool. And that's what makes me think that Alex Bregman not going to be back into the fold for the Houston Rockets this season. It just, I mean, excuse it. This is what the time of year where we're talking about Rockets, Astros, and Texans. But the Houston Astros, I don't know. How's Alex Breggman doing running point? Is this three point?

Can he make some threes? Can you play a three-n-d-wing? For the Houston Rockets? Because they'd be looking for one. But no. I think they're going to be set. they've gone through, they've planned this entire offseason without Alex Bregman being into the fold.

And I think unless it's some sort of 11th hour, one year deal, let's run it back. Bregman posts the I'm not bleeping, leaving meme, which would be incredible and it would get everybody fired up. And by the way, the team on the field would be better in 2025 with the guy in the leadership that he provides to this team.

it would take that type of thing, that type of deal. I would be shocked. I would still be shocked if it happened at this point. So the Astros are going to have to move forward to me without him in their plans. But then it also goes to say, where else is he factor in? There's been reports that the Red Sox don't want to offer him as many years as he's looking for. There's been reports that the Detroit Tigers are tightening the purse strings and not wanting to give him the type of money.

money that he's looking for. They also just signed a reliever. Tommy Canley did the Detroit Tigers. One year, okay, it's one year and it's $8 million, but it's also more money that you're not, you're not, it's on the books that you can't spend on Alex Bregman. I mean, I wonder, I got a conspiracy theory in the back of my head. My conspiracy theory is that the Toronto Blue Jays have offered the most money to out. Alex Breggman, but when you factor in the tax matters, that it's not as lucrative as some deals that he could possibly get elsewhere. And I wonder what the long-term implications for that for the Toronto Blue Jays anyways,

that they just have to pay more everywhere else. Maybe Alex Breggman is talking to George Springer about it. It's like, hey, dude, what's going on up there? Yeah, man, they take so much in your taxes. I don't even know if it's worth it. I would caution, although George Springer would probably welcome Alex Breggen with, open arms over there, as I think he still has time left on his deal in Toronto. So that's kind of my conspiracy theory, is that the most money being offered is in Toronto,

but it's just not as lucrative because of the tax implications of it. And scoffing at the six-year 156 deal that has been much talked about offered from the Houston Astros maybe isn't looking as bad as it did at the start of the off season. and how much does it factor in with Juan Soto and maybe Scott Borr is saying, uh-oh, look at all this money Juan Soto got guys. The market is reset.

And then the other owners and general managers saying, the hell it has, that guy's Juan Soto. Two things. Number one, he's a generational prospect or generational player. Number two, the Mets vastly overspent. That doesn't mean he reset the market for everyone. because at some point, markets anywhere are going to hit a tipping point to where if you push for more and more and more and more and more and more,

at some point someone has to tap out. And is that happening the last couple of years with Scott Boris and his clients? Because Blake Snell took another year for him to get the big deal that he wanted, where the Dodgers just decided to go absolutely, You know what? Crazy. And spend all this money. And also with Jordan Montgomery and what he did.

What happened with him? So I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know how this is going to shake out. You just wait another year and hope the Dodgers have a bunch of money to throw at everything. If the market is what it is, I mean, we're into February almost. We're a couple of days from February. We talked about that late deal happening with Josh Hader. we were way past that.

What was that like the 21st or something like that? And that was also when the Astros had another injury to their bullpen or like, we got to do something. Jim Cran's like, all right, fine. If we want to win, let's go out there and get Josh Hader. And Josh Hader was good but not great for the Astros. And also he signed a five-year deal. And we know that Jim Crane does not like to go over five-year deals.

So we're at the brink of where owners have been pushed too far by Scott Boris. to where there's enough pushback and unfortunate Alex Bregman is going to be one of the ones that falls short of expectations in the contract that he wants. I just get as the days roll on, I continue to be more and more fascinated by this and more intrigued about how it is going to play out. Where is Alex Bregman going to factor in?

Sounds like the Astros aren't interested. Sounds like they've moved on just from the comments of Dan. of Brown. And just from the payroll that they've been shedding with the Ryan Presley deal. They weren't trying to shed payroll. Ryan Presley would still be here. He's still a good reliever. Not

great. Maybe not worth the $14 million. But the Astros sent money to the Chicago Cubs to get him off the payroll. Mention the Tigers not willing to spend money. Red Sox not willing to give the years. What other teams are interested? What other deals are out there for Alex Bregman?

Because the clock keeps ticking. We're Basically, at this point, a couple of weeks from pitchers and catchers reporting. And in three weeks, we'll be out there, the Matt Thomas show with Ross, me and Matt Thomas, out there for the first full workouts. So we're three weeks away from workouts, two weeks away from pitchers and catchers. I mean, something's got to give with Alex Bregman and his potential landing spots. We shall see it is getting super interesting as we go along. and the time continues to tick off the clock

and we get closer and closer to the beginning of the season. All right, we're going to take a quick break here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Matt Thomas is out. He is traveling with the Houston Rockets. They'll be playing the Memphis Grizzlies tomorrow. I am here with you. Adam Clanton will be joining at 1 o'clock.

You can get in as well if you'd like at 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90 is the phone number. Back after this short break here on Sports Talk. 790. Matt and Ross are your monsters of the midday. I really enjoy your show. Your dominant defense against boredom.

Having the most fun in Houston Sports. The Matt Thomas show with Ross continues on Sports Talk 790. 1248 in the PM here on Sports Talk 790. Ross v. Rea out with you. Adam Clanton coming up in the

1 o'clock hour. Appreciate him hanging out. Chris Cordy was hanging out for a while. as well, but he had to go do Chris Gordy things. So it's just me, and it's you on the phone lines. It's 713-212-5-790. Ross v. Real with you. Matt Thomas is out.

He'll be back tomorrow. We've been talking a lot of stuff with the Alex Breggman thing going on as the clock continues to tick on him and where he is possibly going to be landing Texans in the midst of their offensive coordinator search wall.

So as we go along, I have to start getting into draft stuff. no shock that there's been a lot of mock drafts having them take either a tackle or defensive interior or pass catcher as well. Oh, it's probably the top three needs in order. Offensive line, pass catcher, defensive interior, if I were thinking out loud for your Houston Texans. Phone lines open at 713, 21257. I'm a couple of y'all getting in talking some Rockets ball. Let's go.

I love it. Gary in spring, go ahead. The floor is yours. Hey, Ross, how you doing I'm doing great. You got a good show going on there. Matt must quit taking off so much, man. These guests you got coming in here, you guys got a pretty good thing going. So Matt better.

Yeah, you're right. He better be careful. I'm with you, Gary. Hey, listen, I listen to you guys. I deliver parts, so I'm in and out of the car all the time. And every once in a while when you guys are on a commercial, I'll switch to that other, I don't know if you want to call it up. Oh, Gary. Come on, Gary. I expect it better.

Just every once in a while, man. So I want to hear how stupid people can be. They don't even take calls. You got a twigsweet. Send a something, I don't know, by email or something. And then they just pick and choose. So you can't really conversate with them. Anyway, I wanted to, they were talking about something earlier.

I wanted to see what you thought about it. All right, Gary. I'm sorry, man. The line continued to get worse and worse. Try to call back. I appreciate you. I'm glad we got the part of the call where you complimented me. and so I'm glad that that part got in, but try to call us back in a little bit, Gary.

The loss of threat on the line there. Appreciate you. 713-212-5-790. Rod in Missouri City, go ahead. Hey, how you doing, Ross? I'm good, Rod. What's up? I got two questions, man.

We have two concerns, I should say. I've been looking at all the pundit shows on the various networks. And there are some of these guys that keep talking about we've one player away. I hope the Rockets, or you can tell me, rather, if the Rockets are considering making any kind of moves to bring somebody in here, I hope they keep the team as is, and just want to get your thoughts on that. And my other question, when Jabari comes back or gets healthy, does anybody sit down? I hope they're not taking or considering a man sitting back down. Somebody sits down? Yeah, it won't be a Men Thompson.

It just can't. I would be shocked if a men Thompson goes. I would be utterly shocked if he goes back to the bench. Now, does that mean the candidates are Jabari Smith Jr. Because he has been out or perhaps Dylan Brooks. I don't think it's going to be Shingoon, Jalen Green, or Fred Van Fleet. Those guys are too valuable to kind of ushering in the offense and running the offense. So it would be either, in my mind, Dylan Brooks said Jabari Smith Jr.,

but it might be Jabari Smith Jr. as the odd man out. But Coach Yodoka likes Jabari Smith Jr. He likes using him as a switchable one thing. through five defender. He can knock down the occasional three. You don't run a lot of stuff with him, but he has value, so it'll be interesting to see,

but the do everything on the floor prowess of a men, Thompson, I think it would be foolish to take him out of the starting lineup the way that he's been playing. What about making some kind of move or package to get something? Where is this coming from that we need one more player? We want player away. It's a lot of talk. I mean, I don't, look, if I had to guess, Rod, I don't think that we're going to see any splash trade.

Now, could it be Jabari Smith Jr. or somebody else or Cam Whitmore or Reed Shepherd if some other team wants to give him some more minutes because he just really has been squeezed by not being good enough to crack this rocket's rotation and some other team believes in him like they did before the draft. And you can get a valuable 3-D wing or maybe even a big man. like a stretch four, stretch five, you're going to want defense and three-point shooting. That's where this team can get better with the Houston Rockets. And however that manifests itself,

whether it's internal and the guys shooting better threes, which they have been as of late, or whether that is making a move, I don't think you'll see a major move with the core pieces of this Rocket Squad. And that's good to hear. All right, thanks a lot, Rod. I appreciate you making the call.

All right, there you go. Rod. Yeah, look, it could happen. I'm just thinking out loud, and the phrase that I always think of when I'm looking at this rocket team, and I've been saying this for weeks, is trust the process. Now, would Deerrin Fox in theory, if it's Fred Van Vlead or Dylan Brooks in some pieces and a pick or two, does he make this team better? Absolutely. Do you want to shake up the chemistry of this young core?

That's something that Rafael Stone and he made doca. and Rockets Brass are going to have to figure out. How much more do you want? Because before this season, we were talking about them being seven through ten play in team. Now we're talking about they're the two seed. We've raised the expectations externally because us as fans, we want championships, right? Championship, championship robust. They can't win it all right now the way that they are.

I don't think they will. They're probably not better than the Thunder in a seven-game series. but I think they could beat anybody else in a seven-game series. Probably fully healthy nuggets would be a problem. Same thing for the gris. The rockets are in that top four right now. They're in the mix. The thunder to me far and away, the best team in the West,

as reflected by the standing. So we'll see how much they want to continue to rush and go all in, or they don't want to take things slow. even though expectations have raised externally have they done that in the building for the Houston Rockets. 713-212-5-790. Gary, in the spring, let's try it again. Go ahead, Gary. Hey, can you hear me any better now? Yeah, go ahead. Sounds great. Okay. Yeah, no problem. I don't, there's no way that they do any changes right now, the Rockets.

Why would you take a team that is coming into its own and playing the best basketball? basketball and all of the NBA and make a change. What do you want to change for when you're already playing better than anybody in the league? But the reason I was calling is people are asking, like I said, I talk, listen on that other channel very rarely, but every time y'all go to a commercial. But anyway, my question for you is that a lot of people are saying the best player on the Rockets is Thompson, number one. He's wearing number one.

I'm in Thompson. I have to disagree. I think the best player, if I was to be told, be told I had to, I could only keep one player on the Rockets team and rebuild, I'm going to go with Green. Green, without a doubt, my mind, is the best player. He's got it all, and he's getting better along with all of them.

So my question to you is, who do you think the best player on the Rockets team is? I think Jalen Green is. Yeah, it's interesting, Gary, and thank you. I appreciate you getting in. It depends on how you want to look at it. Jalen Green, first of all, they're both really good young pieces.

Jalen Green is 22 years old. I believe Amin Thompson is 21 years old. So they both have room for growth. Jalen Green's three-point shooting has made a leap this year, but also it's kind of come back. It's kind of a game-to-game thing. He had some of the worst numbers of his career. Then he went on a nine-game stretch where he's shooting 50%.

And then he goes up to like 36% on the year, and now he's back to 35, so it's up and down with Jalen Green. Jalen Green peak ceiling probably, oh, it's a tough conversation. The more complete player is a men Thompson, but I don't want to sell short Jalen Green's perimeter defense. It's gotten leaps and bounds better, whether you want to call it, I think it's a focus,

want to, also building strength over the last couple of years, filling out his body, getting stronger and better. Jalen Green's, played some pretty good perimeter defense. Now, he doesn't guard big, because he's not like blocking Evan Mobley on the low block of seven-footer like Amin Thompson is. So, Amin Thompson certainly has the advantage as a

defender, but it's not as big of a gulf as people think, in my opinion, even though Amin Thompson is a great, great defender. Jalen Green's pretty good. Amin Thompson's probably a better playmaker, but he doesn't shoot as well. But they're both really valuable.

and really good. I would say the ceiling of a championship team, Jalen Green more likely to be your best player than I'm in Thompson, but I'm in Thompson is really, really growing on me. He just does everything. If Jalen Green reaches his full potential and he played like he did on that nine game stretch,

it's probably Jalen Green because you need in the NBA somebody like him who can start offensive possessions with pick and rolls to where teams need to respect the three-point shot. It's just difficult for him in Thompson with everybody backs off on him, but he still scores. he still finds ways with basket cuts and putbacks and alleliops and all that type of stuff.

So he's probably the more efficient score because he gets a lot more easy baskets. But Jalen Green creates his own offense probably better than a man, Thompson does. And Jalen Green went one for nine from three last night and still got 25 points because he was just getting to the basket. He is so explosive. So you can call it what you want. I guess if you really, really made me the most, valuable player is

him in Thompson, the player with the biggest ceiling, probably Jalen Green. I mean, it's into semantics at this point. This team's really well built. You got to do everything I'm in Thompson. Big man in the middle like Alperin Shingoon, who can drop 30 on you. Jalen Green doing his thing on the wing and you get the

veteran presence of a guys like Dylan Brooks and Fred Van Vlate and the bench is pretty darn good too. All right, we got to take a break. Went way over there on Sports Talk 7 out of the Matt Thomas show with Ross. We're going to take a quick break when we come back Adam Clanton will be in the building for the final hour of the Matt Thomas show with Ross without Matt Thomas. Lunch timers.

This is the Matt Thomas show. Tries to get five-man Bleak, the dotted circle. He lost the basketball. That's a steal. Jack Landell to his left for a man Thompson. Thompson going to go down the lane with a two-hand flush. And a basket gives the rocket's the lead at 35-31. Keeps that left pivot foot still apparently.

And he throws a pass right in the hands of a man, Thompson. It's a three on two break. Thompson, right side, and a throwdown for Jalen Green and a timeout to Atlanta. Rockets take advantage of an Atlanta mistake. And turn it into a Jalen Green James. Landell's going to set a screen, green to the left goes around it. At the top of the key, two-in-a pass out to Fred, pump fakes, nearly walk, gets by Young on the trail to Jashont Taint. He'll laying in for two. Extra pass, beautifully done that time by Freddie, 70 to 64, Houston, a six-point lead.

Back out to Jail and Green with a reset. Mind to shoot in the shot clock. One-on-one against Garrison Matthews. Green, down the lane, floats it off the backboard and down. My goodness, a tough make over two Atlanta Hawk defenders. Giving it back to a convo and then on the handoff, it's a holiday steel in front. Here it goes Jay Sean Tate. He'll jam it down with two hands.

Atlanta's 16 turnover. 21 Houston points off the Atlanta mistakes. 10.9 seconds remaining on the sideline. A man Thompson to inbound. Got a hurry. Lobbs in the back court to Banblee with nine seconds. Lobs it, left side. Janon Green gets across the timeline right to Thompson.

Inside the Schengoon, he's going to flush it down with two hands. Two point eight seconds left to go. The Rockets were welcomed to Atlanta. And well, a warm welcome as it got out with a victory. Their fourth in a row to improve to 32 and 14 on the year. Ross v. Real with you. It is the Matt Thomas show with Ross without Matt Thomas with Adam Clanton wearing Rockets gear. Yeah, well, occasionally I do this. Yeah. Like once a week or month. So how about them Rockets? What is your

kind of feel? You're in the building for a lot of the games. I'm in the building for some of them as well. We take calls. We work on this show. You're active on social media. It hasn't been necessarily an avalanche of Rockets' interests, but it feels like there's been a significant uptick both locally and nationally with this team. The league is on notice. You want an inside baseball way of

quantifying what you're saying? Go ahead. So certain people that work at this station that call the games, not named Adam, get... I think I know who you're talking about. They get, well, sometimes they work their shows, but not on days like today. No.

They get an allotment of tickets. but for the peasants that are involved in the broadcast by the way and this is more of people than you would think like anybody not named Craig or Matt not that you're bitter

no well I'm not bitter but it's just it's a very concise example showing what you're talking about you would get a link where we could get tickets it's an allotment of employee tickets and that used to be four

and it used to be really, really close to the floor, usually in the club section, you know, and as the roster and the coaching and the play itself has improved, you better, when that link gets sent out, it's like chum in the water. You better get on it to the point where Wex and I will text each other

to remind, hey, the link, in case you didn't check your email. Dude, seriously, we'll just say ticket to this point so that we know we can get our two tickets that, and look, I'm not, they're free tickets, exactly. Two free tickets. Well, I mean, I try to do a good deed and pass them on. That sounds like a humble brag. No, not Matt, as I talk like him.

No, I'm just, it is indicative of the interest and the demand. So it is up. It's absolutely up to the point where I've spoken with some people in the organization and they're kind of concerned. are hey man we need you know Texans anything they do well yeah it's the NFL same with the Astros but you're going to get back to where here's the difference this time around when when they get to championship level which is a lot sooner than we thought it was going to be it looks like um it's going to be better and here's my theory on this they are an imminently more likable team already because even without a superstar there's not a James Harden personality on the roster because as

great as he was, not just good, great. You would walk into that arena. If you had tickets to a Rockets' home game, you knew that there was absolutely on any given night the possibility of a 60-point triple double. Not even kidding. Yeah. Not hyperbole. It happened. And then it did happen one night. Orlando, I believe.

But you just, you didn't really, he was not well liked around the league. There was a lot of people in the fan base who hated him. And there was people in the fan base. And now there's people like me, you know, that like dislike him for other reasons after the fact. Why? Because he got in a fight with Daryl Morey? No. He didn't get in a fight with Daryl Morey.

Do you steal your girl at Dreams? No. My girl was never at Dreams. Just the way he left town. Okay. It's weird because I feel like, you know how T-MAC has been kind of welcomed back into the fold after his kind of, his departure was like not anywhere near his acrimonious? Wasn't he getting his own doctor and all that stuff? He told him. His micro fracture surgery was announced on Sports Center. Didn't they tell him not to get micro fracture surgery and then he did or something like that?

Maybe, but the team found out about it the way we did. That was the big problem. He was like going rogue with his own doctor or something. But other than like the It's My Fault rant and never making it out of the first round. It's my fault. I'm sorry. You know what? I used to have that.

The Heineken. I'm sorry. People ordered Hineken instead of the, yeah. He did get a lot more blame than he deserved. Oh my gosh. It was never. So if he was healthy, he was spectacular. Oh, no.

I only have the. It's my fault. There again. I'm sorry. Oh, you just have the short. Yeah, I only have the short drop. You need the extended director's cut. Where did it go?

I'm sure you have some other T-MAC stuff in there. That's good. He had some doozies. He was fun to cover, though. Like, he was net for a guy who was a absolute. You know, it was our fault as coaches. That's Coobes. That is Coobes.

As bona fide of a superstar as he was. Like, there was a time, believe it or not, people never remember this. but the season before he got traded to the Rockets, people were legit arguing, all right, who's better, Tracy McGrady or Kobe Bryant? That was a thing. Yeah.

And then he got hurt all the time here and that kind of took the luster off of that while COVID. He did this. Ours, 14th and points allowed. Eighth and field goal defense. And that says a lot. Here comes McReedy. Oh, he just sucked the gravity.

Now, let's be honest about that play. What? There's a couple things. There's three things involved. First of all, Sean Bradley, may he rest. That effectively

I forgot he died I know that effectively dunked him into retirement He's like yeah you know what I don't want to do this anymore I can't do this anymore That was a playoff game Yeah playoffs That was a playoff series in which the Rockets were up too oh

Gosh But that play That dunk as amazing as it was Is not as good as it is without Kevin Harlan on the call Of course not Oh my gosh You don't think of that You don't have that on standby

He just pulled that out of thin air And it was just No I think he had used that call before actually Patty? has stuck the gravity out of the building. Well, I'd never heard it. He's used it twice. I don't know what order,

if that was the first one, or if the next one was the first one. What was that? 2005. Or am I thinking of with no regard for human life did he use before? I can't remember.

He says that all the time. No, I know. Yeah. But once you do something? LeBron James, with no regard for human life. That was great dunked all over Kevin Garnett. LeBron's never sucked the girl he had right out of the building, though. He's never, excuse me?

LeBron has never sucked the gravity right out of the gravity right out of the building. the building. Did I stutter? Did you get it that time? He's had a few dunks here and there. So what happens when you call me? Anyways, what were we talking about? I don't know. Just the fact that the fan base is going to embrace this roster more easily to casuals, even the national.

Look at the slobering that Zach Lowe and company have done this week alone. I'm like, oh, you guys are just now seeing Rockets games? You didn't know that Amin Thompson's a cyborg yet? Yes, Zach Lowe follows the league. He knew about him in Thompson. All right. Well, some people didn't like Jaylen Green. So people were calling him a bust.

He's raising his hand by the way. You can't see me. It is radio. We're not on TV until 3 o'clock here on Sports Talks 790. All right, Adam Clinton's in the fold. We're going to talk some rockets. Ryan Presley had some interesting comments. We'll get to that.

We talked Bregman. We've been talking Texans OC. Anything you want to get to as well. Adam Clanton into the fold, Ross Villar with you at 713. 2125790. 713-212-5-790. Matt Thomas, Ross Villariel.

It's the Matt Thomas show with Ross on Sports Talk 790. Welcome back to the Matt Thomas show. I was completely disrespectful to one of our bosses. I'm struggling. Are you tired or are you sick? Which is it? Is it both? Did you stay up too late playing video games?

No, I didn't. I actually got, I took NyQuil, but I think I've been having a bit of a cough, and I think it's, I don't know, it's growing and getting worse. And I apologize, I'm going to wipe everything down for Adam Clanton. I'm over here. I don't want to be the guy. I'm sorry for Adam Wexler. See, I can't even, my brain's not even working.

This morning, getting out of my car, I spilled, somehow spilled my coffee that I bring, my cold brew that I make at home, I somehow spilled it on my head. Then I was getting a napkin. I put it on the top of my car. It immediately rolled off the top of my car and fell. And then I went to go buy a sandwich from the deli, and I paid for it, and I walked out, and I didn't take my sandwich. Ooh, how much sleep did you get last night?

I can tell you, actually. Oh, yeah, you have an app for that. I do. So you sound like Teresa two nights ago. I got seven hours of sleep, only two hours deep. She was not doing deep. I see you, you son of a gun. Two hours deep sleep.

What are you 12? No, it's fine. Cut it. It's good. It makes the segment better on Friday. I'll see you. Look at that. He's got a bleep-eating grin on his face.

Friday open. I also said slippery and wet earlier. It's been a bad day from me. That's a great Bon Jovi album. Everything that I've said today, I'll see you on Friday, and that's okay. I'm not looking for sympathy. I'm just telling you. I get it.

I'm struggling. You know, I have, because I've got a little guy who's now in grade school, these people. How old is your child? He's six and a half. What the hell? I know. Why? How does this happen?

Well, partly, you missed them for like a year because I was unemployed with my unpaid vacation for 11 months. You guys got to hang out a lot. Let me tell you. don't want to be unemployed when you have your first biological child you just don't what about non-biological well i've got a stepdaughter you don't want to be on that's right she was nine when i got unemployed ever but you don't like you feel pretty small but like so that took a year yeah the point of it is when you're when they go to grade school automatically you just get up at ungodly hours to take them to school even if you don't have like me i don't work until the afternoon

into the night and the point of all this is if i know it's a rocket's game night the next night like Tonight, I'll be doing pregame preparations for tomorrow's game. And it's not even a late game, especially if it's a West Coast game. That's a late game tomorrow. It's later. 8.30? Oh, it is. Ooh, that means I'm going to be making a pit stop for dinner.

I have a place I like to go when I know it's a later game and I have a little bit more time between the show and the broadcast. It's like a Magic City type place? No. Why do you keep sending me to strip clubs? I'm just kidding. It's two segments now that you've done this. I'm going to try to do it. Okay, remind me to do it the rest of the show and I'll do it.

Somebody asked me, they were like, oh, the rockets are in Atlanta and they have an extra day and they've been traveling on a back-to-back. Are they staying there? And without even like asking anybody, I was like, there's no way they're not staying in Atlanta. Do you know where they were today? Atlanta? I mean, I know that Matt- I think they flew out today during, they were flying out during the show. That's why Matt is off.

Oh, I thought he was off just because he was, you know, a pansy. I mean, tomato potato. I mean, I get it if he's in Los Angeles and they just. just played in Sacramento the night before, and so his show starts at, you know, two hours ahead of time locally. It's way more of a wake-up call and turnaround. Yes. But come on. But if there's a flight during the show, I can't fault him for that.

Well, I think it is a flight during the show. That's fine. He's very busy. Very busy young man. All right. Makes a lot of money. Makes a lot of money. Matt's rich.

Matt Thomas is loaded. Hey, guys. I just wanted to talk about this rocket. team. They are a lot of fun to watch right now. Winning that game last night, I think Ross had him losing yesterday's show and they ended up surprising us.

I mean, yeah. What did I predict them to lose to the Hawks? Because it was after an emotional win in Boston on the back to back. It's normal to say they're going to lose to the Hawks. Yeah, I didn't say that. Did you listen to the beginning of the A team yesterday, Chris?

Probably not. I should though, but I didn't. Thanks a lot for nothing. I'm the one that actually said that, though, because it was an emotional win in Boston. I figured they might lay an egg, and they almost did. They tried hard. Hi, my name is Ross. I did not say what you said. Chris, Adam is owning up to it,

so he said they wasn't. I guess I did listen to the 18. Thank you. Chris, we appreciate you as you were wrong. That information. Come on, man. We don't even sound like. I know. We don't have the same name, like other shows. But that's a sign of a good team, right? You know you may really wanted that game in Boston.

And he really wanted that one. And they win last night. They play team basketball, which I really enjoy watching the most, you know, the team basketball. And Jalen Green, I think he's maturing before our eyes. In Boston, I noticed he didn't have it, and he knew he didn't have it. He knew Dylan Brooks had it. He only shot 13 shots, went three for three. 13 against Boston.

And he passed up shots or attempt. You know, he could have pulled up a few times, but decided to pass the ball. And I think when Jalen plays like this, our team is really, really good. And I'm really hoping, guys, that we don't make any moves. Keep this team together this year. And let's just see how far they go. Thanks. Thank you, Chris.

I'm with Chris. I said that yesterday. I made a definitive statement. Do not make a deal with the deadline. Trust the process. Stay the course. Think about this. And I know that maybe people have a mixed bag of emotions on Jabari Smith Jr.

Given that he was taking top three in the draft. So you would figure that a guy taking that high is just going to be a game changer. And the Rockets had so many picks at the top of the draft so many years in a row. But he was just kind of like rounding into form right before the hand injury. And I feel like you should look at his return because it's going to be a. after the All-Star break in all likelihood. I think you should look at his return as like your trade deadline acquisition this year, because you're doing all of us without him.

Oh, that's very Dana Brown of you. No, getting him back, it's just like a trade deadline acquisition. I didn't him and Hawn. I didn't say to look at the back of a baseball card. That would be a Dana Brown. Look at the back of his basketball card. He's really playing well, then he got hurt, and it's almost like making a deadline day deal,

getting Jabari Smith Jr. back after the deadline. I like that. But look at, okay, what month of the calendar of the Rockets played their best basketball this month? January. Yeah. You lost him January 3rd. The day of the Celtics game, you got creamed here at home. And since that game, give or take, you have absolutely taken off. No, and by the way, you didn't have a men Thompson that night in the starting, in the lineup at all because he had thrown Tyler Hero down like the degenerate he is. And it's a men Thompson in the starting lineup, which by the way is not going to change. When Jabari comes back, he's coming in off the bench. I would look it's going to be either him or possibly Dylan Brooks but it's not going to be a men Thompson Amin Thompson is not going to the bitch I'm with you I don't think that's happening so you would put a man at the three

put Jabari at the four and shingoon's the five if you were to say I've got to have Jabari back because here's how I think they're going to play if you really it maybe depends on the matchups where you want to have two bigs out there or if you don't because you are lacking in sight if it's shingoon Amin Thompson Brooks which it has has been then yeah you're kind of

missing something as far as a size if you're going up against some really good big men or something like that. So it could be matchup dependent, but it just seems like there's no way you can keep him in Thompson or should from playing like 40, 42 minutes a night like he has been because he seems to have like limitless energy. He's always out there and playing hard. Well, he comes in with like, say like the old, the old rotation, he would come in off the bench. Well, that's what, six, seven minutes into the game? And depending. And then he would play 40 minutes. minutes anyways. So all you're doing by not starting him is taking him out of the, you know, tone-setting, crucial start of a game, especially if you're going up against a stud team,

and then just saving that for later when he's going to end up playing the same amount of minutes anyways. So why not just, I'm not saying that they would be the new terror twins, but Jabari and Tari off the bench. First of all, their names rhyme. So it already goes. And secondly, you've got that size coming off the bench after a man has already done demon things for the first six or seven minutes of the first quarter. It would be, yeah, I mean, if you're staggering, depending on how you would want offenses to flow, having, Amin Thompson can run point for you, Fred Van Vleet, Jalen Green, Alpern Shingoon. You probably want at least two of those on the floor at any time, and you'd be starting all four. So it would be something for E.M.A. Adoka to figure out.

It'd be one of them good problems like, oh, no, Amin Thompson's playing like one of the best players in basketball. Oh, geez, right. This is horrible. So they'll figure it out, but I think at the end of the day, there's just no way you can keep him in Thompson out of the starting lineup. He just does too many things. And he's at his best when he doesn't have to come in and run offense where he can be off ball and be cutting to the basket

and getting weak side blocks and all that tight steals and running all over the floor and just wrecking a game on both sides of the floor, which he's been able to do on this stretch. He's just, I mean, he's such a, and I saw you say this, you know, last night, some semblance of this, he's such a joy to watch. There's such a... I mean, it sounds cheesy, but like...

No, it's fun. They put you in a good mood. It's like, what's a man gonna do next? You know what? Crazy. Right, but it's not just him. Now, he's the one that I keep my eye on lately. I mean, I just say it.

I want to have his babies. I do. That's, you know, theoretically, or metaphorically. That's, uh... We say a lot of stuff you should clip, by the way, Connor. Like, you should probably start... He doesn't listen all day. He's not on the clock.

He's got to get his lifts in. He's got to go, I don't know, hang out with his lady. he's busy man. I mean, ladies you got right now, Connor. Just the watch. He's whittled it down. He's whittled it down. Does she listen or something?

You can tell me about the side pieces. Why are you winking? Yeah, why are you winking? Why is your face getting all red? No, she doesn't listen. That's okay. Why are you holding up four fingers? I'm just kidding.

He's not doing any of that. I met his lady. What was her name again? I forgot. Sorry. Yeah, what is her name? I met her at the work party. Her name is...

Oh, wait, okay. I'm sorry. Yeah, you don't have to say public. Never mind. I'm sorry. No, no, it's okay. No, don't have to say. I saw her at the work party, but I was not.

See, that's a veteran move from a guy that does have multiple girls. I'm not going to say her name. I'm just going to keep a, protect the innocent. Very smart, Connemara, but I'm kidding again. Whatever your name was, I forgot. I'm sorry, it was nice meeting you. Really made an impression, didn't she? I'm horrible with names.

You're horrible with texting, too. I didn't know who half the people were in that party. This is their first names, and I've met them all for 15 years. You know what I know that Ross will return my text if he's asking me to help host the show? Other than that? I text you first with that. So what's there to respond? You respond right away too. Yeah, if you say yes, I say thanks.

But if it's something else, it might be three days. Yeah, it might be. Depends. All right. Have some cooth. Me? Come on now. Let's set your expectation level too high.

We're going to take a break here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. Without Matt Thomas with Adam Clinton. You want to get in, you can 713-212-790. The phone number 7-13-212-5-790. Lunch timers. It's the Matt Thomas show with Ross on Sports Talk 790. Oh, hi. Welcome back to the Matt Thomas show with Ross, without Matt Thomas, with Adam Clinton, and Connor McGovern, and you at 713, 212, 5790.

I don't even remember what I was going to talk about this segment, so I'm letting Jesus take the wheel. We're going to the phones, baby. Oh, David and Kingwood. I'm going to leave this one to you, Adam Clinton. He wants to talk some Coogs basketball. Oh, good. What's up, Adam? Hey, Ross.

How y'all doing? How's it going? Good. I normally talk Coopers when I hear Matt on here, but I know Ross gets a lot of that knowledge and probably chat will mad a little bit about it. But hey, my question was this year, by the way, big game and not against West Virginia,

another top 25 game. It just seems to me this year, Couges are actually I think one of the better teams they've had in four or five years which sounds ludicrous but I mean they're playing some tight games or winning some big games they've only lost Alabama

Auburn and oh god who is that St. Eagle State there you go they were top 25 at the time and I think two of those games went in overtime they lost all of them about three points but man the back horse looking strong I love Uzon's coming along with the point guard

looking really good. But in the national media and some of these NCAA websites I follow, they're not getting a love at all. It's like they don't even mention them. They'll drop back to a team outside of top 25 or something and talk about them all day long,

but no coves. Is that just normal? Is that just U of H? Just the way it always been? Because I think their team is strong this year, and I like the way that team's coming together. They look, the bigs are really coming on this short, you know, Roberts and,

things play really good together. Just get y'all's thoughts. Anything y'all want to add to that, I just want to submit to you and get your thoughts. I'm proud of them. They're looking tough. All right, thank you, David. Appreciate it. Adam, go ahead.

I loved the game against Kansas the other night. That was crazy. Because of the way that – I mean, I was insane. The regulation, you're like, they're down, what, 79-73, I think? And that game was going to go to double overtime and the Coogs were going to win. You wouldn't have necessarily thought that.

but with I think it was what 14 seconds remaining? Yeah, you had the Kansas going to the line up six with like 16 seconds or 15 or whatever it was and they lost that game. But to me, the difference this year is the offense to where they've always had great defense, they've always play hard,

they've had one of the best defenses, but at least I love looking at Ken Palm. They have them right now as the number two team in the country. They have them with the number one defense, but a top 10 offense. The shooting has been there for them to, the level that it hasn't been in the last couple of years. So with a Kelvin Samson team and the caller mentioning Ouzon,

I mean, some of the usual suspects, LJ. Kriar, Manuel Sharp, they can score and they can shoot to where in games in years past, where the other team just happens to get hot and they get down a little bit, it's a lot harder for them to come back. But they can do it now because it's more complete team than they have had in the last several years. and I think that that hot shooting bodes super well for a tournament, a winner take-all type of elimination tournament that you're going to be in to where, yeah, if the team's always going to be able to get defense,

but the other team gets hot, you can get hot with them because this offense has been a lot better than it has been in the last several years. You know, it's funny. Somebody asked me yesterday to rank my interest level in sports. They gave me pro in college football. Pro and college basketball, baseball, I think those were the five. Okay. I said pro football, baseball, college football, basketball, although those are pretty interchangeable, like NBA basketball.

50 levels of crap and then most college basketball. That's how I responded. Yeah, I think it's just a, now U of H just does not apply to because they're, they're, they're, their own, there's some elite teams where it's like, okay, I'm willing to put up with these little, but for the most part, college basketball to me is

such an inferior product from the pro level. Just the little things. Like free throw shooting or just shooting in general. It's like anything. You watch college baseball. Like, you know, usually it's around the big 12, well, it used to be the Big 12. Now the SEC tournament, that's when I kind of start

paying a little bit of attention to Texas baseball. And you watch and you're like, oh my God, these guys are such a level below of anywhere near what you see. It can be kind of a shock if you're not into it, if you don't watch game to game. If you're into college basketball, yeah, you kind of get used to it. Because the NBA players are just that much better. It's anything like making layups, shot making offenses, like 75, 80% of the time college offense is them just passing it around the perimeter. And then some guy goes and tries to take on a defender and puts up a midrange shot.

or there's not a whole lot of flow offensively. You have especially the best teams. They try to win with their defense and they don't run these crazy good, high scoring, high flying offenses. You just don't necessarily have the shooters, the quickness and all that type of stuff. Because if you do, that guy's

gone after one year because he's gone to the NBA. Right. One and done. So the product is a little bit diluted, but also maybe it's something that's never been ingrained with you. I'm not trying to besmirch the great Sam Houston State Bearcats College basketball program, but my

passion with college basketball lies within the longhorns because, yeah, when I was going school there and I went to a lot of games and I loved it and Royal Ivy, who's an assistant with the Rockets and all those other guys back in the day and the Kenton Paulinos, Lamarcus Aldridge, whatever, like it's kind of ingrained in me in a way, but the product itself, yeah,

if you don't really have a rooting interest, it's not a great product. That's, I mean, that sentence right there sums it up for me because I do. With U of H, I do. You know, I have been dying for Kelvin Samson to win at the highest level of that game since he left the Rockets. I mean, it just became a huge fan of his when he was an assistant.

And I just feel like he's been right there knocking on the door. But like so many, and I see, I think this is the case, especially in college. It's just such a, so many things have to go your way. It's very baseball in that way. I feel like so many things have to go your way. I mean, a bounce ball here or there, it's the Longhorns going on the national championship game. And I thought that was in a fact, no national championship anyways, the football side of things. But especially basketball, college basketball, the tournament.

That's why the tournament's so great. That's also about the time I start showing any interest in the half. Yeah, I get it. All right, we're going to take a quick break here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. That is Adam Clanton. I am Ross Villarreal. Matt Thomas is out. He will be back tomorrow.

Those you on hold will get to you next. No, believe it or not today. segment to go here on the show back after this short break. Don't leave Matt Thomas in your car. Take him with you. Download the free Iheart radio app for your phone at Sports790.com. Just remember you'll have to feed him. Welcome back to the Matt Thomas show with Ross.

Available via podcast of all your favorite podcast platforms like Spotify, Apple, and of course the free IHeart Radio app. with all its great new features. Ross v. Real. Adam. Adam. Adam. I have one critique on the IHeart Radio app Improvement. Go ahead. I mean, we're allowed to do that, right?

As employees of the company. I don't know. You might be fired now. Go ahead. Well, it wouldn't be the first time. Hey. I just don't like... If you're listening to a podcast, like if you...

I know a lot of people that actually listen to our show later on. I do this with podcasts. I listen to where it's not, I don't listen to it live, although you can. You can listen to all the shows live, and it sounds way better than AM. 10 to 2. Yeah. Sports Talk 7-9. And 2 to 6.

2 to 6. Yeah. So. And 10, and 6 to 10. Yes, and 6 to 10. And then. Don't leave it on. Any local sports programming, yeah.

A nightcap with Dan Matthews. Just don't change the channel. Yeah, just don't. But like, if you're listening to something where you want to scroll through commercials, for example, I don't like where they put the scroll next to the play button. on the new and improved format of how you play the IHart radio. They probably did that to keep you from scrolling. Well, I don't need to hear the commercials.

Sorry. Yes, you do. We love all of our great sponsors here at Sports Talk 790. I'm not saying I don't love the sponsors. They keep us on the air. Please support the show. Yes, but I'm just, if you're listening to it later on, I'm just saying.

Don't listen to that communist, Adam Clinton. We're all about free marketing. I'm not a communist. I'm a capitalist. Believe me. Larry at Oak Forrest, go ahead. Yes, sir. I have a comment about the Buffalo, Kansas City game. One of the co-owners of the bills has filed that the game be replayed or forfeit by Kansas City, and she's also calling for a boycott of the game.

It was so blatantly irresponsible calls. Where did you see this? Who was this owner? I just saw it on my phone. it was an Asian looking lady. She's a co-owner of the post is what it said, and she's filing something in regards to that. Who is this posted by? You know what?

I didn't pay a lot of attention to that, but I was going to ask you guys. That sounds like fake news to me. Nothing in history ever happened like this. So why wouldn't there be a forfeits game or replay the game? There's no way that's going to happen. Yeah. I haven't.

I'm Googling. Bill's go owner Yeah I don't think this is I haven't seen anything like that Well it may have been like you just said It may have been Things pop up

People dying Famous people dying And all that kind of crap And it's not even true Facebook is the worst I was gonna ask you guys I guess there is no possibility A forfeit

I mean Did you see the replay of some of those plays It's ridiculous Like intention blatant and intentional. Why couldn't there be a forfeit or replay? Replay the game. Who's supposed to forfeit?

Kansas City. So Kansas City is going to say... I don't know if Buffalo would have won anyway. But Kansas City, because the refs were definitely favoring, unfairly favoring Kansas City. So Kansas City is going to then turn around and say, we won this game, but it didn't really look like it was fair. No, this is fake news. Oh, my God. Block whoever did that.

I just found it. It's on Facebook. Did you see it on Facebook, Larry? Yeah, yeah, yes, sir. Yeah, it's fake. I'm reporting this post right now. Fake news, probably posted by dismissed Jim Acosta. Well, that got me all rowed up over nothing.

But there's no way that could happen. Yeah, make sure you check the sources of these things. I've been seeing, because I went on Facebook, and there was some stuff about the Texans, and it was, like, completely 100% false. Clean it up, Mark Zuckerberg. What's going on? Mark Zuckerberg.

I was blocking it. It's these accounts. They just manufacture this stuff for shares and likes and it's not real. Yeah. Okay, thank you guys. I just wanted to throw that in there. Boy. Do you ever watch, did you ever watch, I should say, the, what was it called, the social media?

Oh, the social, well, the social network? Social network, yeah. The game? I mean, the movie about. The movie with Justin Timberlake playing the role of the guy who invented an Napster. That's all I remember about. What a perfectly cast role. This fake post says that, yeah, they're demanding NFL

replace revelies and rescheduled game against match fixing allegations. No, this is not real. I'm reporting all these. I'm reporting all these. Let's see. Scam. False information. I'm reporting all these. You talk.

This is everywhere on Facebook. Oh my God. It's Facebook's a cesspool. Facebook during election season is basically like some sort of like capital punishment. This has been posted by like 10 accounts. There is no basis for any of this.

Do you think based on the social media platform you're using at any given time is like perfectly in line with the intelligence level of its user? Like in other words, if you were to rank the intelligence levels and that's very, very, very low on all of them. It's low everywhere. Like, where would you, but how would you, how would you slot Instagram versus X versus Facebook?

They're all bottom of the barrel. Yeah, but you have to rank them. I have to rank them? You have to, so what's the worst? God. Like, by and large, on average. Facebook, I would say is the worst. I don't really use Instagram much.

I'm trying to build it up, though. At Sports RV. Give us a follow. Oh, that's nice. You can use your same handle there. somebody named Adam Clanton with no underscore who doesn't even use his account is keeping me from having it all across the three major ones

You know what? While you're looking for Adam Clinton, follow me at SportsRV on Instagram I like and comment on your posts I do you're the only one I appreciate that Well, you know When I was on that 11 month on paid vacation There weren't a lot of people that checked in on me But you were one of them

That's good Well that's not good that people weren't checking in on you It's okay. I've got a Steve Bushimi-like list of people that I keep track of. I call that guy. Hmm. All right. Something to keep an eye on.

Hopefully the feds aren't listening to this. Feds are. Anyways, what are we talking about? Feds are getting revamped right now. Fake news. I think I have that somewhere. Yeah, you played all these sound like, where are all your Trump is? I have a, but I mean, I was, this was, I mean, give me the Chinese checker one.

Oh, God. Come on. The checkers child? That one? It's so good. I used to use all these, but I was a producer. So, oh, is this one? Is it this one?

It's like a chess player, grandmaster, playing against a checker's child. The guy going, ah! That's the best part. I don't even know the context of that. You know, my favorite one was this one. If Ivanka weren't my daughter, perhaps I'd be dating her. All right, with that. Wouldn't we all?

No. Why? You don't say that about your daughter? Anyways. Apparently you do if she looks like that. She could do better than Jared Kushner. Let's face it. He looks like a weenie. I'm just going to let that marinate. The Matt Thomas show with Matt Thomas and Ross, but not with Matt Thomas.

He's out. Adam Clanton. I mean, I do appreciate you hanging out. I do what I can. Four more hours of Adam Clanton with Adam Wexer. I'm going to go rest because I need the rest. You may really be mean? Yes. I'm going to send you to men's tea clinic.

No, synergenics for life. Synergenicshealth.com. S-Y-N-E-R-Gin-X-Health.com. All right. That's it for me. Enjoy Adam and Adam. And the A team, don't go anywhere.