The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - The Last Dance Finale, Mike Breen, NFL Proposal For Hiring Practices

Episode Date: May 18, 2020

Much larger than life. Yeah. Lunch timers is the Matt Thomas show. 12.02 at H-town. What's happening in lunchtimmers? Good afternoon to you and welcome to a Monday edition of the Matt Thomas show on Sports Talk 790. Alongside Joe George, our producer, my co-host, my cohort.

They won't only Ross Villarreal. Hey, Matt. I'm Matt Thomas. Hope you guys are in a wonderful... I always say guys, guys and ladies are in a spectacular mood. I think what you say you guys. If there's a group of 10 people over there at a bar, you say, look at those guys. It's okay. Then I will not correct myself any further. Hope you guys are in a wonderful mood today. If you say you people, then it gets more complicated and problematic. Yeah, guys and gals. Yeah, no need to get into super-profits. Guys and dolls. So many things to... I mean, look at the prep sheet today. And I use chickens. I have chickens. Can you read any of that? I mean... It is a hot mask. On the Fantasy 5 on Friday, I had to help you. read your own handwriting twice. I have the worst

handwriting in North America. I'm like, I'm a doctor except I don't know any terminology about the medicine. But yeah, so many things to get to today from what was an awesome last dance, the final two episodes, to just some general thoughts about

the series as a whole, to Major League Baseball, looking like they're going to get closer to a return, but man, there are a lot of different restrictions. It will feel like anything. But a baseball game in terms of some of the mannerisms, some of the things you would normally see. And we'll get into that on the radio program today.

NASCAR and golf returned this weekend. And I will say, I'm not a huge golf fan in terms of watching on television. I like to watch the majors and maybe the Shell of Houston Open. So for me, I didn't catch any of the golf because it was kind of a charity, best ball kind of thing, skins game kind of thing. So it was an appointment watching. I'm not a NASCAR guy. I watch a little bit of that just to kind of see what the crowd or lack there of would be, but neither one of them held my intention.

I'm more for let's get to the main stuff. Now that we've seen some of the secondary sports, you know, conduct their business. There is a UFC that took place. There has been several UFCs. I think, Ross, we can live without sports, without fans for the foreseeable future. It's not going to, I don't think, tarnish. I think anybody was a NASCAR fan yesterday, loved the fact that it was NASCAR. car out there. That's good. Less people in danger for, I don't know, flying car parts. Yeah, the whole

tire going in 35 rows deep, like when you go to an event, like if you don't want a foul ball to hit you, there are certain areas of stadium that you felt very confident in. And now there's more netting as well in most stadiums. That's right. But I don't think if you ever go to a NASCAR event, which I've never been. Yeah. I don't think flying tires, unless you're like in the very top row. I mean, there are cages up there, right? There's some sort of fence. Yeah, but that doesn't still mean that the flying parts don't land in the end. It just seems dangerous. Tractyl, if you will.

And it's really loud and you've got to wear earmuffs and stuff. I think I do want to go. You know, it's funny because... I would go maybe once. Or that or there's a Formula One track in Austin, too. Well, there's Texas Motor Speedways, at what in the... It's in Dallas area, right? Dallas, which we can go.

But it's just not one of those bucket lists. Yeah. Well, unless we go to actual the manufacturing company that makes the hamburgers, that's how we did one time as an accident. Oh, that's true. Ross is puts in and out on his maps

and we got to it in and out it was just the distribution center yeah and we did not take a tour and nobody

was kicking fries extra well done animal style but that's on to hear nor there NFL teams are reopening their facilities tomorrow

as long as they're allowed to by state laws NBA including the rockets opening up today yeah do we have a report how did you go do play

are you going to go do play by play how does James Harden look James Harden look and shoot around I had offered I have heard nothing yet from the organization

Oh, dang. That'd be a little weird. James Hardin put the free throw up. He's going to take like a hundred free throws in a row. You're going to call every one? Do you like, do you wear a mask when you shoot? No. Do you wear a mask if you're, the rebounder?

Yes. Just saying. I don't know. That's what I want to ask. This is, yeah, there's a lot of questions about this and the protocols and then the baseball stuff that came out over the weekend. The baseball. If we read every one of them, we would basically have had the show complete

because I feel like there's 800 of them. And the one that's really irritating everybody in Philadelphia is there will be no Philly Fanatic. Now, granted, there's no fans or limited fans, but no mascots. No spitting. No gum. I mean, the mascots there to get the crowd going, right?

The one thing I couldn't figure out, and maybe I need you to look at it during a break. There was one where they said the players cannot leave the hotel. Yes. And they were talking about you can't eat at the restaurant. restaurants at the hotel. So where the hell are they going to eat? You're going to order pizza, like Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan and the pizza. We'll get in that the next time because I want to just really get into a full of it. They're going to flesh that one out. But yeah, I mean,

so many fascinating things with the last dance, the last two episodes. I'll just say this before we get into particulars. Is there any part of you that wants another documentary about the last dance, but without Michael Jordan's persuasion in it? It wouldn't have happened. Because you wouldn't have got Michael. I know. But the more and more, we watch this, the more and more that Michael had his index finger on this thing. That's not going in. That's not going to be discussed.

That's not going to. No. I mean, there were a lot of things that were very much brushed aside. Now, the question is, before we get to the meat potatoes of the event is there was really no meant. There was absolutely zero mention of him going to the Wizards. Because usually when you do a documentary, you say, okay, after this was done, here's what their lives are all about. All they did at the very end of the episode was they said that Michael retired again, Scotty Pippen got traded, Steve Kerr got traded, Dennis Robin got released, and the rebuild

which clearly has not been much of a rebuild except for a couple of years with Derek Rose. But point being is this, you didn't get the, even a little glimpse of the Michael Jordan as an executive, a little, even a little glimpse of Michael Jordan as a Washington Wizard. You got none of that. None of it. It's like it never happened. Not at all. And then apparently Jerry Krause's memoir.

of during that time. It was released recently to a, I think the Chicago Sun-Times, am I right about that? Somebody in the Chicago area. NBC Chicago. Basically saying, hey, this guy's getting crushed and crucified.

I don't think, here's my thought. Jerry Cross, I have more respect for as a general manager than I ever had before. I think he did an excellent job. Now, granted, it's easy to be a general manager when you need the best player in the planet on your team. But it took a lot of different parts to make that happen. Do I think he was a nice person?

No. think he got totally upset every time there was mentioned of how great Michael and Scottie were, yeah. But you know what? Nobody spends a lot of time bragging about how great your general managers. Now, we certainly did it here when the Astros were winning playoff games and winning World Series because Jeff Leno took this franchise and it's at the very bottom floor and made them champions. So you're going to get a run like that. But it just felt like that I think Jerry Cross's families are watching this is like, you know what, it's time for my guy to get a little bit of run. And unfortunately, in Jerry's case, because of his passing, he's not able to refute any of this.

I thought it was interesting towards the very end. They had talked about whether or not the team could come together for 1999 and how Michael's like, yeah, I'd have come back. Scotty would have come back. Robin would have come back. We would have made it work. I think it's a little easy to say that 20 plus years later because I think they were all looking for big paydays. So Michael Jordan quit. So what you're telling me. He could have come back. No, I'm not saying it at all. He could have come back, but he quit. He retired again. So he quit basketball twice. Hmm.

Interesting. He was tired. But again, so many layers to it. And I wrote them down in no particular order. So I'll ask each one of you, and certainly the audience as well, is there was there one thing that was just so astonishing from the last two episodes that you can look, think about them. Think about that we'll do the next segment here on the show. Also on the radio program today, the Astros are going to have a documentary produced by them, about them. it will be produced by the same company that did one of the two fire festivals documentaries.

It's the one that was on Hulu, which I did not see, but that's the one that plays a lot more favoritism towards the leader of the fire festival, Billy McFarland. The one that I saw, which was on Netflix, crucified him and crucified the whole thing. The Billy McFarland won on Hulu was a little bit more positive towards the fire festival. festival event. That's the group that's going to create the new Astros documentary, documentary about the 2017 season. Cool. And I'm going to tell you something right now, Ross. Not that they need to tell me this. If I'm the Astros, I do not under any circumstance cooperate. Yeah, that's zero. Zero, nada. That means it's going to be slanted all one way, I guess. Yes. And I think anybody will figure that out. Now, people in Denver and Detroit will love it.

Los Angeles and Boston will get a kick out of it. I don't envision. I think we'll look at it and we'll go, you know what? This is heavily one-sided. But that's kind of the way it's going to go. Other things to get to, let's see. I mentioned Rockets, MLB restrictions, and the NFL's new hiring policy.

I don't know. Did you guys talk much about it on the Saturday shows? I probably spent three segments on it, which is about three more than I wanted to, but that's okay. I mean, it's a big sports topic. It is. Yeah, we spent about two segments on it, roughly. And we'll get into general thoughts about that.

I'm very conflicted by it, more so because I can't experience it. I don't know what it's been like to be a minority trying to get a job in the NFL. I don't know if the hiring practices are as poor as it appears. I mean, I think it is, but it's just a question of if you're of a minority, do you want a job? Are you going to get a job just because you're going to help a team's draft status? How do minorities feel about that? So we'll get to that. But I really want to get into some more fun things. And today, very, very excited to announce at 2 o'clock this afternoon that Mike Breen, who has called every NBA final on ABC and ESPN since 2006, the lead voice of the NBA on ABC is going to join us at 2 o'clock this afternoon.

He also did the radio for the Knicks in 1994 when the Rockets beat them for the Rocket's first championship. So one of the really nice people in sports and the category of people we've been in the game, is hearing from is Mike Breen from ABC and ESPN, and he'll be with us at 2 o'clock this afternoon here on Sports Talk 790. 713-212-5-790. If you'd like to join us this afternoon, 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. If you want to reach out through Twitter, you can do that at SportsMT, at SportsRV, and at Joe-George Radio. The last dance, some lasting impressions. We'll discuss that after I tell you about what's happening with bronze roofing. Some of you in a lot. our area, especially in the southern parts of our listening audience, got a lot of rain in the last

two or three days. And if you've not had your roof checked to make sure that the hail and the high winds have caused any damage, then you've got to get a hold of bronze roofing right now. It's a very easy number to call, and they'll be on ready to help you out with an estimate within 24 hours. The number to call for bronze roofing, and they are really good people. First of all, let me give you a few things about them. They've been around since the 1980s. They have had quality work at a fair price. They have full-time employees. Better Business Bureau highly recommend to them as well. 281-4-80-9-900. Within 24 hours, you'll be a professional up on your roof giving in a thorough inspection and that inspection cost is nothing. If you do need some repairs, they'll give you a fair

and honest assessment right on the spot. 281-480-999-2-8-1-9-900. For more details, check out the website bronzeroofing.com. B-R-A-U-N-S. Bronzeroofing.com. First of all, he's a great guy. He's a hardworking guy. It's Matt, and he's back. Brings his lunchtime, Houston, Sports Talk. The Matt Thomas Show on 790. Time is 1218.

It is Sports Talk 790, the Matt Thomas show. Hope you guys are healthy, wealthy, and wise, or at least some combination of that. Joe George, Rossfield, Realty. Matt Thomas, 7-13-212-5-790. 7-1-3-1-2-5-70. Guys, I put a bunch of bullet points. down. Just give your first reaction to when I bring up the following.

Pizza in Salt Lake City. Not good. It's funny. Maybe my favorite pizza place outside of Houston is in Salt Lake City, a place called Pie Pizzeria and just did a really nice job. They have multiple locations. I think the Bulls stayed in Park City, which is about 35 minutes north of Salt Lake City in the mountains. during their championship run.

So it had to have been a Park City pizza place. But why? Why didn't they go to the food poisoning card as compared to the flu card? Were they trying to protect somebody? Why would you make that up? I don't know why they would make it up, but I mean, let's go through the story. You have, it's in the middle of the night or whatever,

and MJ need some pizza. And so they say, they call up the pizza place and say, hello, I would like a pizza for one, Michael Jordan. No. Don't say it. Don't say his name. Of course they wouldn't. Why? That's what I'm saying. They wouldn't say his name.

That's right. That's right. Then how come five guys showed up to the door? And they're all snickering apparently. And then he got poisoned. Because I will go with the fact that they knew that the Jass were staying at the, the Bulls were staying at that hotel. I don't think he got poisoned. I think he legitimately maybe ate just ate bad pizza. and five guys showed up hoping to see Michael Jordan.

That's what I think too. But it wasn't the insinuation that he was poisoned? Like it was like bad meat. Yeah. Like Walmart meat during Tiger King. Yeah. Hey, apparently that's good. Apparently the Walmart left over meats sales are through the roof now because of Tiger King.

Is it true? Yeah. I think just the opposite. Not that I don't love Walmart, but I want to make sure the meats are really cold there. Yeah, no, I think it was not. And hey, there's a pizza order for somebody at the Chicago Bulls Hotel. Let's hope and pray it's for Michael Jordan. And it happened to be for Michael Jordan.

But no, they did not get an order and said M. Jordan pickup or a delivery drop off at a certain time. Right. I don't think, I don't believe there was food, they were tampering. It just happened to be maybe just a bad pizza. It was probably just out partying and was hungover. Flu-like symptoms. Okay. Next up.

Indiana Pacer Mullet Girl. I didn't see that person. I must have missed that flash of that. Was they on the screen long? Very early in the first half hour of the show. MFing the Chicago Bulls. Now, was that the style of women's hair in the late 1990s? Or did she have Indianapolis Mullet?

She basically was Pacers, Karen, is what she was, Ross. You think about it. Yeah, I didn't see her. So I must have missed that little, a couple of minutes. I was eating. Maybe I was looking down at my pizza. Why don't you find, it won't take you long. Pacer Girl fan on Twitter.

I'm putting Pacer's Girl in and I'm got nothing except for. Okay. You can't look at those right now. Yeah, you're, yeah, you've lost me. All right. I'm coming for the second. Let's see next here. Okay.

You know, there's always been this massive talk about Michael pushing off on Brian Russell. Wait, is it this lady? That's her. Is that 90s hair or is that mullet? Yeah, it's 90s hair. I would lean towards 90s hair as well. She's very passionate about her pacers. She was very, very passionate about her pacers.

Oh, she said, she said, in your bleeping face? Yeah. That's great. Okay. So the Brian Russell push off. Bob Casas put that, quash that immediately. Oh, please. Okay, Bob.

Bob Casas, okay. I think when you really look at it, it's not as, big of a push-off is it initially appears. You know what? When I moved to Salt Lake City in 2004, I was basically told, look,

you have to either you're Utah fan or you're a BYU fan, and I was Utah, I was calling their games. But you got to embrace the jazz. I'm like, that's very difficult for me as a Houstonian who grew up hating the jazz to,

so I didn't embrace them. Trust me on this. I tolerated them. And granted, the years I were there, I was there. They weren't particularly good. So it wasn't hard to go. Let's get into a championship jazz talk.

Andre Carolinko was chopping it up. It was a Carlos Boozer. It was a Rajabelle, if you will. It was a young Darren Williams in his rookie season. What about a memo O'Cour? Memon O'Cur was certainly there. AK-47's best story was that was the year that the story came out that his wife would allow him to have a three-way once a year. Was it a three-way or a switch?

A cheat. Okay. So one of the things they said is, if you want to endure yourself to jazz fans in Salt Lake City pushed the agenda even years after that Michael Jordan pushed off on Brian Russell. So I kind of did. It was easy to do it. Yeah. But I thought yesterday the video

and they slowed it down to a middle of a second, which I could have done multiple times myself, but I have other things to do. I do tend to believe that Brian Russell was on skates a little bit and that he was falling that direction. and that the little, I didn't want to call it a shove, the assist that Michael gave him off of Brian's Russell's body wasn't that big of a deal. That his movement already sliding to the left

did more damage to him on that crossover than any little nudge that Michael Jordan. Now the one that I didn't remember that I should have, Reggie Miller's push off of Michael Jordan was way more pronounced, way more pronounced. Or at least I remember seeing the high, like years after and it being talked about. Yeah, that was,

look, this is the thing. I will say two things. It was a push off and it wasn't a foul. It's basketball. Because Brian, Byron, Brian Russell was. Spelled wrong. And it's Mrs. Russell's fault. Brian Russell is going the wrong way. But I think if without the nudge from Michael Jordan, he could have contested the shot maybe a tiny bit.

Yeah. Michael probably still makes it. And, but Michael Jordan, there was nobody within six feet of Michael because of the nudge that he gave him. But that's also basketball. I mean, that happens on every drive in a 24-hour fitness or any blacktop. That, to me, it's a little bit of a push-off. It is a push-off, but it's not a foul. And it's just, this is how the game is played to me.

It would have been a really cheap way to win the championship. It would have been very ticky-tech. Yeah, very, very tick-y-tech. All right, few other things. I did not know about Steve Kerr's father. That was a pretty, pretty dynamic few minutes of that show in the first time. about his father being assassinated in Beirut, and that Steve Kerr had no college offers except for Arizona,

and made the most of it, and realized that after his time in Cleveland, the place he could go to be what he thought he would be as an NBA player was replacing John Paxson in Chicago. And he worked that well for him. It's like they need an unathletic white guy to sit there and shoot threes. I'm there, baby. Yeah.

Few other things. So the Pacers and the Bulls play that really great Eastern Conference final series. and Larry Bird is like, oh, hell no. Oh, man. So at the very end, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird see each other in the hallways of the United Center. MJ, you would think would say,

hey, Larry, man, great series, love you. I'm sorry, got you, but, you know, it is what it is. Have a great summer. He calls Larry Bird a bitch and then says, F you. Yeah, what happened to a couple episodes? Michael Jordan was like,

anybody can talk after they win. Anybody can say, you know, that's weak if you talk trash after a win. Right. And then he beats Larry Bird and just calling him a bitch in the hallway and say, go work on your golf game. Yeah. I mean, bitch and F you after you just beat his team in a heartbreaking game seven finale, the man Rossi is cold-blooded.

There isn't an ounce of warmth in Michael Jordan's body. Zero. Unless it's with a father figure. Yes, unless it's with a cigar in his hand too. True. A lot of cigar smoking. Hope his lungs are okay. Well, you don't inhale that smoke.

So I think like cancer, mouth cancer is probably what you got. More importantly, I'm worried about his eyes. They were always bloodshot different colors. Because they get there. He's infused. He's infused with cigar smoke at all times. You ever, you know, like when we go in the Vegas book and your eyes just start burning because of all the cigar smoke, just imagine being around that.

at all times and in closer proximity. Yep. All right. Four more things I want to get to that were observations from the last dance. If you got any... I was... I was memorized. I thought it was fantastic.

And the whole thing. But again, very much a Michael Jordan production is compared to a true documentary where it's... You'll see all sides. They peppered in a little bit of the other side, but not much. Not much. By the way, Michael's kids weren't in there until the very, very end. No, they had appearance earlier, like once.

They did they? Mm-hmm. It's funny. We didn't get to hear about how great dad was. Man, I wish my dad was Michael Jordan. Do you think he was a good father? We don't know. Do you want my honest answer? After the break, 1228 on Sports Talk 7-90. Where I got to tell you about how you feeling.

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Play Sports Talk 790 on I-Hart Radio. Sure. Mr. Bunby, would you like it regular? Or talked and screwed. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Keep it trill. If you have any last and thoughts about the last dance, you're welcome to join us here on the program. 713-212-5-790. If you'd like to be a little part of the show, 7-13-212-5-790. 90 minutes from now Mike Breen, the voice of the NBA.

He's called... 14 finals in a row? 2006? Yeah. 13, 14 in that number? That'll be 14, I think. I'm ready to call one. Well, let's go.

It's going to take a minute. It might. How old is Mike Breen? Late 50s? Okay. Who's next in line to call NBA finals after him? Well, the number two guy in ABC is Mark Jones. Okay.

How old is he? You know. We got to... I ain't worried about it. I'm trying to get you in there, Matt. I know, that's going to be a while. All right, a few more things on the last dance. And again, if you have any lasting impression, 713, 2125, 790.

No Brian Russell anywhere in this documentary at all. Him and Malone, I just thought we were the two biggest names that turned it down. They flat out said, we ain't talking. Stockton said no, too. They didn't get stocks until January. Okay. So they were, I mean, I couldn't imagine this documentary without at least one of those three guys. Yeah, Malone, the video of him going on the bus was interesting.

So I wonder why he just maybe just because it's just hurt. Probably. I mean, is Carl Malone in the town? If you were to build a starting lineup of guys that never won a championship, Carl Malone, Charles Barkley, right at the top of that list, right? John Stockton. John Stockton, for sure. Neek.

AI. Chris Paul. That's a good lineup. That's a great lineup of people. James Harden. Russell Westbrook. Damn, you can put together. an amazing basketball team of guys that never won a championship.

Who's the center? Who's the big man? Reggie, of course. Well, Reggie Miller for sure. Dwight Howard, I guess. Best center never to win a champion. Tombo, Lonsomorne. No, Lonson morning won a championship. But Dwight was so good.

People like, it's like we all forget how's good. 2009, Dwight was great. Orlando Dwight was amazing. Superman was legit. So legit. Yeah, so legit. All right.

So I was interesting to see. I didn't necessarily want to hear from Carlin. long because I got the Stockton feel of it. But Brian Russell would have been cool of, yeah, he pushed off. I wish we could have gotten that. I was actually waiting for somebody to say that he pushed off and then they never happened

the whole thing, the whole time. Okay. I didn't realize, and it's shame on me, how atrocious the scoring was in the NBA. The late 90s was ugly. The entire night. I mean, the finals

with the Bulls. Final score, Bulls 86, Suns 81. Final score, Bulls 90, Sonics 84. I mean, damn, what the hell happened to scoring in the NBA? This is, I'm so much, I'm so happy the NBA is what it is today, the pace, everything. Because you know what, you can be very much, well, back in the day guy, which I do occasionally. I'm not going to hide that. But back in the day, I don't like back in the day NBA basketball.

I don't like, let's go to the fourth, 58, 57. What? I won't win in a day. There was a game, it was an overtime game. It was 79, 79. Yeah, that 1998 finals, so there were six games, right? So 12 different results from teams, only two times does anybody score over 90? And it was the Bulls in game two and three.

Everything else is under 90 the entire series. And it wasn't 97 when they only scored, the Jazz scored 54? Yeah, the whole game? And Jerry Sloan's like, is this the real box score? So what I got to do? And I don't know if I want to do it, but I feel like I have to do it because I want to be able to have a good perspective on it. Do I need to go watch an entire NBA game like in 96 with the Bulls and see if it was just bad shot selection or just amazing defense or that they just didn't want to shoot any threes and everything were twos? On Wednesday, the 20th ESPN is airing game six of the 98 finals in its entirety.

And how did that final end up? Was it 98, 97 somewhere in that range? I don't know. I need an 85-84 game and figure out what the hell went wrong. Because I do have good memories of the San Antonio's versus the New Jersey Nets NBA finals. Not great. I'm not going to watch that ever again. I can tell you that for damn sure.

You don't want to see Kerry Kittles getting the shots up, Matt? No. Clank, brick. If I wanted that, I'd look at a WNBA game. I mean, you know, that's what I... Oh, low blow, man. Yikes. You're not wrong.

what did the kids say? Spitting what? The truth. Vinegar? I don't know. That's gross. That's pissing vinegar. Yeah.

The truth. So I need to go watch a game that's not, that it's like an 8784 final and find out what the hell it was. Was Will Purdue that great of a defender, Ross? He was just. Was Bill Weddington clock in the middle? He was putting the claps down in the post, Matt? Was Judd Bushers scrappy enough to put a hand in the face of a jump shooter? I don't know.

But that last game, though, Michael Jordan making a shot, they're down three. He makes a shot, gets a steal, makes a shot to clinch a finals. Boom. All right. That's got to be one of the best stretches of a finals in history. And I've got one more observation. I'm sure you guys got one more to yourself. When I was, this is younger days, obviously.

I had a sports radio show, maybe for the first time of my life full time. And we used to always make fun of a model shot because he was always talking to Michael Jordan. He was always within two feet of him at all times. It was like we used to always tease on a radio back then. We would say, well, Michael, that Ahmad Rashad is his caddy. You know, he needs golf clubs picked up. He needs a shoe shine. He needs errands picked up that Amad Rashad would do it. I didn't even realize what a, you know, what he was to Michael Jordan. riding earlier in the series, he's riding to the United Center in the finals or some playoff game with Michael Jordan in the car. Michael Jordan's driving. Ahmad Rashad is in the passenger seat. Okay?

So that's one thing. The next thing is the video they showed last night, this is like, what, two hours before a game, it's all of his security people, it's his buddies. There's Ahmad Rashad shooting the blank with him. Do you know, guys, that Amad? Rashad was an NBC reporter. He was not a Chicago Bulls reporter. He was not a Michael Jordan reporter.

He was in cahoots with Michael Jordan on the night where he's supposed to be at least somewhat of an objective broadcaster. That to me is crazy how NBC would allow a personal relationship like that. Now, I think obviously the reason why they did that was because they said, well, look, some regular Gibroni reporter goes up to ask Michael Jordan some questions and he's not going to do the interview. But if Ahmad Rashad asked the questions, then he'll do it. It completely blurred lines of objective broadcasting. Now, if Ahmad Rashad was working for the Chicago Bulls Network, then that's fine. Because you travel these people, you are in support of them.

Your broadcasts are going to be obviously a positive framework towards it. But you're on NBC where you're supposed to be talking to both sides, both coaches, both sets of players, anybody. and he's sitting there buddying up with Michael Jordan before game and riding in a car with him. It's crazy. No objectivity whatsoever. And he didn't break any of the big stuff. No, none of it. He didn't break when Michael was leaving, when Michael came back.

He didn't break the story about him being sick. None of that crap. He's probably sworn to secrecy on all that. It's like, hey, you can't talk about this. But I'll give, he gives, you know, didn't the gambling interview with the, when he had his sunglasses on? Wasn't that with a mod, Rashad? Yeah, he says, I'm going to talk to the media. You know you're going to talk to your buddy, I'm on.

And I don't think Amad wrote those. I think the president of NBC sports wrote those questions. You guys, you're going to realize, Amad Rashah was a really good NFL player. Really, really, really good. He didn't have to be anybody's bitch. He didn't. He's just boys with Michael.

Yeah, I would like to be boys with Michael? Yeah, I will throw all journalistic integrity to the winner. Fact. Of which I have none at this moment anyways. Okay. To be buddies with Michael Jordan? I know. I'm in the same boat.

If Russ Westbrook called me, it was like, hey, you want to be boys? And I'm going to tell you all my secrets and you can never tell anyone. Deal. But, okay, if that's the case, you'd have to go to NBC and say, hey, I'd rather be boys with Michael Jordan. I can't be a reporter on this. I don't see it as that big of a conflict of interest. Oh, my God.

It's the biggest conflict. The biggest. Reporters are friends with players and coaches all the time. Not to that level. Of course not to that level. That's what I'm saying. That's the level that I saw. Like, my gosh.

Amad, you really. You were really boys. But there's players and coaches who have relationships and then it causes reporters to treat them with kid gloves all the time. That's true. Everywhere. It's happening everywhere right this second. Yeah. But I can't imagine Michael Wilbon getting a ride to the arena in LeBron James's car.

He would have done it with Michael. Well, that's because no one likes Michael Wilvon. Really? Is that, it's not affable? I don't like Michael. I think a lot of people I've heard are not fans. It would have to be somebody, I mean, Amad and... Would Al Michaels get a ride to the game in a Tom Brady's Mercedes? Or no, he didn't do a Mercedes.

What does he drive? He drives a really super fancy car. What's that one called? Tesla? Yeah. No, no, no, no, no, no. A Bugatti? No, but Michael seems...

I mean, Tom Brady seems like a Tesla guy. It's not. He, you know, what kind of vehicle does he drive? It's some fancier name. I'll think about a minute. Astrocar. Is it Astor maybe? Maserati?

Yeah, whatever. But point being is that there was zero, there's zero, there's zero, credibility with that. If you're trying, if you're on the other side of it, and you're in the Seattle Supersonics and Amadur tries to come to talk, why would you want to talk to him? Because he's wanted some boy boys up with Michael Jordan. I just, there are lines you can draw, but that would be, I mean, again, if you're working for the Chicago Bulls or the radio or TV, that's one thing. But to work for NBC, we're supposed to be somewhat impartial, somewhat objective, you're a reporter. That wasn't there, but that, we all knew that back in the day and it was

just exemplified with the fact that here he is an hour before game time. And basically Amad's like, man, you get this. You got this. I mean, if I was a member of the team, I'd be like, I'm not going to talking to you. You're Michael's boy.

There's some that can and some the can't, Matt. Yeah. I am not a boy's with Russell and James, by the way. You're not? But I don't work for a national network. I thought you guys are breaking bread.

I'll ask Mike Brina. If they ask you over for a domino's game or something or to hang out of a party, they're going to take me money. Would you say no? No, I would go. Well, there goes your journalistic integrity, Matt.

No, I don't have in Jersey. I'm not reporting on their lives. I call their games. I don't report on their lives. Okay. And I'm also an employee of the rocket. So it's, again, if I was working for ESPN, I probably would have to say no. You'd have, you, I don't know that you would, though.

But would you, should you? The answer is yes. What I? That's why I'm a fraud just like I'm out of. 1243. Oh, that rhymes. 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-790.

Some breaking news about a very good NBA player who will not be returning. What are they playing in Los Vegas? Vegas or in Orlando. I'll tell you who it is next 1244 Sports Talk 790. The honors inbounding. It'll be Tyson Chandler to defend the inbounder. Here we go. Ingalls's looking to get it in. Looking to get it in. Comes to Bogdanovich, tough three. It's in the air. Oh, he hit it. Boyan Bogdanovich. Just hit the three at the buzzer to win the game for Utah. Need not worry about that anymore this year. Boyan Bogdanovich is undergoing season-ending surgery on his right wrist.

That's a shame. Full recovery expected for the start of the 2020-21 season. He averaged 20 points a game for the fourth-seated Utah Jazz. So the Jazz and Rockets, if the season does resume, would not see each other until the Western Conference Finals. So they're not going to see each other in the playoffs, is what you're saying. I'm saying that it's not going to work. That even if we resume that I don't think the Lakers are going to have a difficult time.

knocking out the Utah jazz. That's if they get past the Thunder who had been playing well at the time. Yeah. Do you think Chris Paul's like going, let's go? I feel great. Yeah, he's one of the ones

that was vocal about, and coming out about coming back as soon as possible. So, yeah, I'm sure Chris Paul's champing at the bit. Do you think there's any players right now that are like,

forget it? No. Like, who's old, who's old and cry? Like, I don't think Vince Carter wants to end his career the way that he did, right?

You don't think LeBron is like, you know what? We were good, but we're not so. And the clippers are damn good, too. Doesn't everybody want to come back? I think so, yeah. All right. Just like everybody, but it's, everybody wants to come back to going into bars,

and everybody wants full restaurants, and everybody wants to not wear masks, and everybody wants to do this, this, and this, but it's just a different time. So we all, I mean, everybody's making sacrifices. Yeah, top of the hour, we're going to go through some of the baseball new parameters.

Did you see the list? It's quite a, absurd, but everything, it makes sense. Well, remember I asked you on Friday? I said, you have to go to the offices of these sports organizations. You have to go to a white marker board and go, all right, let's put up this scenario. How do we handle it? That's what major league baseball did.

Literally. Every possible scenario of what to do, who to do it with, and who's allowed to do it, has been discussed. And apparently, did the article, the athletic say there was 86 pages of parameters, I think? Or 68. Whatever it was. My number is getting inverted sometimes. But lengthy.

put it this way. A lengthy report of how they're going to resume baseball that they do and decide to do so. Could you imagine putting together this almost 70-page report and then they can't play a season because they're arguing about the finances of baseball? I could imagine it. Absolutely. I think something will have to get done. If the players hold their ground and the owners are really that

desperate, I think they'll have to compromise a little bit, but mostly in the way of the players. Are the owners ready to say, you know what? We will be better off just not playing the season. And then the players will say, well, it's the owner's fault. And then the owners will say, well, it's because the players didn't understand the economics of our business. Oh, now I'm seeing 67 pages. Anyways.

Yeah, that's the owner's best chances to win the court of public opinion. But even then, I don't know if the players union cares. No, I think both sides will get destroyed. but it might be even way worse than it was in 1994 when we didn't finish off a season. Although there could be a lot of people too that could be saying, you know, we've missed you baseball,

but we're all trying to fight this pandemic. If y'all big boy, millionaires, billionaires can't get along, screw you, we'll talk to you when you can. Yeah, and it'll be, I mean, like, after the strike, it was very difficult to get everybody back. And I think they'll know that, and that's being discussed. Yeah. Because, again, the thing that they both should understand is,

is that I would assume, the ratings are going to be amazing for both local broadcast and national broadcast. Because there's going to be a tremendous curiosity factor about how these games are going to be played and how the different teams handle these new rules, which we'll get to in about 10 minutes or now, that you just can't screw this up. You've got an opportunity to make, again, if they ultimately do some sort of revenue share and things go well, they should be all right. Television monies will be great.

They recognize that as well. That's why I think something will get done. Because... I do too. I feel way more optimistic than probably the average person does on that. Because there's too much to lose, still money, because something is better than zero. And on top of that, I don't think they want to have to spend the next five years of their

major league careers having to answer of why you guys couldn't behave yourselves in 2020 when all of us are 20% of America is losing their jobs. You know what I mean? Yeah, I mean, besides what Blake Snell has to say, I think for the most part, players, something will get done. I think they understand that. And by the way, Blake Snell and who was the Nash, the, Bryce Harper.

No more bra or bros. Bro. Brough. I'm just, if you guys ever catch me saying that, hit me. All right, bro. I wouldn't say hard, but just, you know, a nudge. Can you put that in writing? What are you getting a text during the show? People,

people loving the program so far. My computer needs an update. That's all. Okay. Yeah, I don't want to. say bro or bra can i say dude uh well you do say dude i do said it in an email i did i did say dude in an email but i think if dude is better than bra how's dude's better than bro bro bro and dude are the same quite interchangeable then you know what i don't want to be a hypocrite i'll stop all of it i'll say hey buddy oh how is about buddy how about pal no i'm gonna use how about brozif how about bro-tato pancake no you're just getting worse so we'll run through

in a couple of minutes about all the different parameters that Major League Baseball is putting in play. 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. I've not heard word one from the rockets about how the workouts are going. Apparently they're saying about a half-dozen players are going to be there today.

I don't know who they are. I don't think there was media available. I didn't get any sort of email. And even if there was, it probably on a conference call, right? They're not going to put media in front of these guys, even with a six-foot microphone. I mean, you don't realize the rockets have spent, my guess, hundreds of thousands of dollars, Ross, trying to make their practice courts the safest place on Earth to be.

They're not going to let 10 to, because if you, you can't let some media, and either you let some or you let all of them in. And that's why I think if we were to hear anything from the rockets, it would be via via conference. How about like all the media shows up to the practice facility and they have like a lottery? You draw, you draw a number. and if they draw five people and those five people can get in. I think they're just going to limit it who's coming in.

I think they are going to say we're only giving our X amount of credentials and they're going to be really choosy. Yeah, but that's what I'm saying. How do you do that? How do you do that process and make it fair? You can't.

Well, my guess is previous attendance will have to go a long way to her. Were you around when the team was having open availability? Oh. Yeah, like I don't think we're going to get credentials. Well, we're doing a show, so I can't be there. But like your main three or four reporters, like the athletic,

Kelly Iko and Ali Kambizani. They're not both going to get a credential. No, only one. Fagan will get one, maybe one columnist, and then Mark Berman. Maybe about it. Or you do a conference call or do these, you know, these Zoom meetings. These Zoom meetings have heard the Texans have been doing a lot of these Zoom meetings. They just set up a Zoom after every practice or something?

Yeah. You know why you do that? So you limit the number of people coming in. Yeah. The whole thing, guys, is as few. few of people in that facility as possible. Less temperature checks. Let's have to worry about other people's diseases.

I mean, potential virus spreading, whatever the case would be. That's how I would do it, but they didn't ask me. Let's go to a Jay in the Heights on 790. Hi, Jay. Hey, how's it going? Good. I was, when you guys were talking about baseball coming back, I think it's going to be really tough for them when they come back.

You know, if they don't get it together, they're going to be competing against all the other sports that are coming back at the same time, whereas baseball usually has the summer to themselves, and that's why their viewership is so high. But when they start competing with football and basketball, if they come back in the playoffs and, you know, college football, and then all the other PGA and everything else, horse racing, all that stuff's going to be all just crammed into the weekend,

and there's going to be so many options, as they're used to, you know, kind of being the only show in town. You're right. I think we're going to have a – I mean, if everything works out well, Jay, we're going to have between July 4th and December 31st big-ass sporting events every single day. From basketball, baseball, football, horse racing, golfs, majors, tennis is majors. It'll be a great time to be a sports fan, that's for sure. but I'm not ready to say that just yet

because I will still want to see some more action from these sports leagues. Yeah, I know definitely. And then as far as the salary for baseball goes, you know, and I'm wanting to do the 50-50 which is basically a salary cap, which they're totally opposed to, has anybody just broken down to that

what the percentage of the, you know, this from the owners to the player, what the percentage of the gate is of the entire revenue? Well, there are conflicting... Thank you, Jay. I got to run. There are conflicting reports

about how much gate revenues. I bet you, Ross, if you did a Google search, you could find three different percentages out there. I think we saw one was 40%. Am I correct on that? The NBA says 40%. We saw others. It's a 15 to 20%.

I've seen 30%. It's been all over the place. Yeah, but I think he's talking about baseball. I'm sorry, baseball. Yeah. They said, what did they say? They said even more, I think. Yes.

Yeah. And that's the reason why, because I think the initial agreement, was if the baseball plays 80 games, they'll get paid on 80 as compared to 162. And Major League Baseball Players Union said, okay, we can live with that. Where it got squirly was that Major League Boners came back and said, we did the dollars and cents on this. With nobody coming to our stadium or limited numbers, we can't make that money.

We need an additional cut. And that's where the blowback is coming from is because the players union already agreed to a half salary, half wage, which really they're not, they're not sacrificing anything. They're not getting, you shouldn't get paid for 162 games if you only play 81. I think that's common sense. They're asking for a little economic help because the fans won't be in there buying the popcorn, the sodas, the beers, and parking and whatnot. And that's where the contentiousness, I think, is probably going to come into play.

We'll start the second hour of the Matt Thomas show. If you've not heard of some of the restrictions that Major League Baseball is putting out there, we'll tell you what they are, it will not look like a regular baseball game, but they'll still play baseball. 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-21-2-5-7-90. Mike Breen, the voice of the NBA, the lead dogs, called the last 14 finals on ABC.

He'll join us in one hour on Sports Talk 790. This is the Matt Thomas Show. All right, this is our two of the Matt Thomas show. Our time is 103. Good afternoon, everyone. Matt Thomas with Ross Villarreal, Joe George, our producer today. And we look forward to having you with us all throughout the show, including a visit with Mike Green of the NBA

and the SB and ABC at 2 o'clock. 713-212-5-790, 7-13-212-5-790 on Twitter at Joe George Radio where I think I found you a non-flora story for this Thursday. Yeah? It involves soccer. So it's not that great so you don't want it?

Well, I just figured after the deplorable effort you put together last week that it's time for you to improve with a gimmie. What? You don't think it's funny when a bull dog eats a woman's face? Well, he chuckled. I thought we were moving off on this topic. Oh, let me tell you something.

Joe, you'll be 71 years old eating food off of a blender and I'll still be talking about this. Are you going to be around? I'll say, Matt. I'm a lot younger than you. How old are you? 28. That's 43 years from now?

No, there's no chance I'm doing that when you're 71. You're lucky. I think you're out on that. Because I might be eating food out of a blunder at that point. Maybe I have been a good run, Matthew. All right. All right. So here's, again, this is in no particular order here.

These are a bunch of different rules that Major League Baseball is going to put in. And I can't go all through every one of them, but we'll go through as many as we can here. First of all, here's one I can't figure out route. Team personnel will be banned from eating at restaurants on road trips. Now, I saw something, and I got to get clarification of this. I thought they included hotels too, which means they want every one of their meals room serviced. Doesn't that come from the hotel restaurant? They just can't go to the restaurant?

That's what I'm trying to get there. Can they get Uber Eats? No, you can, none of that. Can I door dash? No, zero. They certainly as hell don't want you getting any food from other restaurants. They don't want you going. They don't need those germs coming in from Uber Eats guy.

Shows at ballparks are discouraged. So you just have to stink? We have to go back to your hotel and shower. Like kids used to do it. back in the day when you were playing Little League. But generally, you shower and then you speak to, well, I guess the media, you're not going to speak to the media. Not speaking in the media. Forget that. Possibly players could be arriving to the stadium in uniform.

This is like high school. You get to the field with a uniform already on. Yes, and you're doing it in a little league too. No mascots, which poor orbit. RIPP orbit. The traditional exchange of lineup cards will be eliminated. No high fives, no fist bumps, no bad boys, no bad girls. Teams will be allowed to have 50 players under the plan with the number active before each game still to be negotiated.

Batting practice pitchers are to wear a mask. Dugout telephones disinfected after each use. Players may not touch their face to give signs. Good luck with that one. Oh. Pitchers aren't allowed to lick their fingers, which typically happens in the cold, not in the heat. Teams are encouraged to hold meetings outdoors, players spread apart. Testing will include team staff who are divided into three different tiers.

All others that are not involved in either one of the three tiers may not enter clubhouses, dugouts, or the field. Seats in the empty stands near the dugout should be used to maintain distance. everyone must keep their distance during the Star-Spangled banner and God bless America. Damn. Fielders are encouraged to retreat

several steps away from the base runner between pitches. First and third base coaches are not allowed to. Wait, wait. Say that one again? Fielders are encouraged to retreat several steps away from the base runner. During pitches. Between pitches.

Between pitches. So you go guard your first base, you can guard first base. Pitch is thrown, throwing back. You take a couple of steps back. Then you talk, I mean, it's a lot of extra movement for the first. So you're walking. Yeah, I don't know if Albert Puhols can handle this.

Second basement, too. Yeah, yeah. He's not playing the field. But, yeah, that's right, what you just said. So Yule Oriel is going to get a lot of extra steps in. Yes. Managers and coaches must wear mask in the dugouts. Wow.

First and third base coaches are not allowed to approach base runners or umpires, and players should not socialize with opponents. Meaning, what's going on? How's your wife? My kids? on the thing. Yeah. Oh, man, we're not going to get as many Al-Houza-L-Tuve with an Aaron judge

or Miguel Cabrera. Those two guys are pretty good types. That's true. Managers and coaches must wear a mask while the dugouts. The entire traveling party, including players, must wear protective equipment while on buses and flight. Personal protective equipment.

Restaurants, here's the part that I need y'all's help on. Restaurants are off limits on the road, including the ones in hotels as our hotel fitness centers. How are you eating? How are you getting your pump in? Well, my guess is you're going to be at the team facility.

They're going to be at the stadiums doing. Well, if you're on the road, though. You still have to go to the ballpark early. They're going to have to let you in. They're not going to let you not work out. You're supposed to show up to the ballpark fully dressed. See, these are things that are on the white marker board right now. But help me out with this.

Restaurants are off limits on the road, including the ones in hotels. So that must mean they're going to, by the way, they're going to prepackaged food for you at the stadiums. That's what I'm thinking. No buffets. A couple lunchables. So you're telling me that Carlos Correa is going to stay healthy all season long and eating nothing but luncheables?

He mixes it up. They have the pizza one and the taco one. How in the world is George Springer going to hit lead off home runs eating nothing but Pop-Tarts? I don't know. I don't know. What are they going to eat? I guess it's pre-made meals? Well, first of all, they're going to have pre-packaged food.

meals at the stadium. They've already said that. Who's making these? The stadium is. So for both sides. For both sides. My guess is that's what they're going to be, like, constantly doing. Like, they're going to employ chefs and just be cooking for them and basically being, like, what about the hotel? What if I want to get up 8.30 in the morning and have breakfast? I have to have room service?

Yeah, that's got to be it, right? Isn't this, some of the stuff is, didn't they say like it's discouraged more? I know. Some of it's all rather than bar. Some of it is discouraged. Some of it is you ain't doing it. Like the spitting and the high fives, the chewing. Oh, yeah, no spitting, by the. That's discouraged.

That's in the discouraged category. Few more. Scoreboard video is prohibited. Prohibited, but music is allowed. While there won't be fans, at least not at the start, it will provide a familiar background audio for the telecast critical to MLB's bottom line. A ball will be thrown away after it's touched by multiple players. Throwing the ball around the infield will be discouraged, like an Australian.

Crackout or during a warm-up of an inning. Personnel who rub baseballs and mud for the umpires must use gloves. Individuals must avoid any physical interactions such as high fives, fist bumps or hugs while at club facilities. Dang, no fist bumping? What do you do? Tip your cap? Players must wear a mask while in restricted areas except while on the field or engaging in other strenuous activities. Lockers must be at least six feet apart between them.

teams must be prepared to open up temporary clubhouses to provide better ventilation. Yeah, that's what, like, what about the old, like the visiting clubhouses at Wrigley? I mean, I've never been in there. They're small. I imagine you can't stay six feet apart. I've been to visiting clubhouse at Fenway Park. It's ridiculously small. They'll have to get another clubhouse.

Where? I don't know. Maybe they'll take a meeting room. I mean, there's lots of different places at Fenway. You get like a tea building? Why are they doing all this? If they're going to be testing the players all the time, why? Why is this necessary?

Showering and club facilities should be discouraged. To the extent showering occurs, clubs should explore modifications to facilities to allow for physical distancing and hygiene, such as installing partitions and limiting the number of players using the showers at the same time. Why don't you just make a thing that you pull a lever and then you just get like a gallon of Purell dump on your head? All spring training games will be at night, by the way. Seven o'clock or nine o'clock local time, whether you're in Florida or Arizona. Why?

For weather. I mean, I'm assuming heat will be an issue. Oh, yes. So all spring training is taking place in Arizona or what? Florida. In Florida. Or whether the spring training is supposed to take place in your home ballparks. They're saying these are games at spring training facilities.

Oh, okay. Okay. I should do a better job of clarifying that. So we're not going to get the 8 a.m. starts we wanted? I know. Use of Uber, subways, and public buses is banned. Private airports encourage if not available, teams are to use private aviation facilities to board an exit to do that anyway.

In-flight catering is limited. What does that mean? I don't like this at all. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Oh, fancy Matt is taking. I don't know if you're going to be on these trips, Matt. I don't think fancy Matt's going to be invited anymore. Fancy Matt might not be on these trips.

I can't read any more of this. Now I'm pissed. What? Everything Matt can handle. He can handle the showering. He can handle the spitting. He can handle the high-five. Hotel eating is a problem too.

If you try to take away his shrimp cocktail, he is not. not happy. Don't out me like that. That's when the line gets drawn. Don't out me like that. 113. It is the Matt Thomas show. Rudy and Ava will start with you. All these restrictions, do you go, good.

We're going to play baseball or do you go like, why are we bothering? Man, there are, I've never seen a list of that many. And guess what? The NFL is going to have the same thing. So will college football and so will the NBA. Baseball was the first one out. 713-212-5-7-90. Once I get a message for bronze roofing.

Very happy to speak for these folks for a better part of a year. Really nice people with a good staff that have been around since the 1980s. In fact, bronze roofing will be here today, here tomorrow, some fly-by-not operation. And if you're in a situation where you feel like your roof needs to be looked at for potential damage, call 281-480-9900. High winds and rain, fall in debris, and cause damage to your roof that you can't see. Don't wait into your wife leaves, then climb up there yourself. Skeeter Braun and screw over it, bronze roofing will do it for free.

The appraisal, the estimate, all free, the inspection free as well. 281-480-9-800-281-9-0-9-0. If you have a towel roof, asphalt, steel, or shingle, bronze will have you cover. 281-480-9,900, online, bronze, B-R-A-U-N-S, Roofing.com. Hey, it's Coach Dan Tony. Step back three, and the corner is good. Matt Thomas, my favorite voice in Houston. Now, that's the Lord's exaggerating.

Back to the Matt Thomas Show on Sports Talk 790. Last dances in the books. Major League rules are now in the books, provided they play a season. Rockets back on the court, at least some of them. It would be kind of cool if they had a rocket can. We could just take a look and see what everybody was doing. Yeah.

I have not seen that. And golf and NASCAR were back this past weekend. Of which I watched, not a second of either. I was at about five minutes of NASCAR. Just thought I would give it a try. It's just not my cup. Who won? The guy turned left, the turn left, the fastest?

Okay, Rome. I'm just asking. That's what he always used to say. Did he? Yeah, until Jim was very much anti-Nascar until NASCAR guys came on his show. and then he was like, NASCAR's great. I thought it was until, well, who was he working with?

ESPN at the time and they got NASCAR, some NASCAR coverage or something. Or maybe it was Fox. It was whoever he was working with on TV that got like a big NASCAR deal and all of a sudden he loves NASCAR. And NASCAR for a time, probably what, 15 years ago was moving up the chains about to bump hockey off as the fourth sport. But it's kind of falling flat. That's shame.

You know what? There's still people that enjoy it. I can't criticize it. It's just not my thing. Yeah, it just... People are asking about Bundesliga? Bundesliga, Matt. Who's your team?

I didn't really watch any of it. I'm... I'm... I'm... I'm... I'm... I'm... I'm... I'm so against international sports now that my K.T. Wiss are really, really bad this year.

You got to pick a better team, Matt. Well, I didn't know. I'm not going to jump from team to team. I'm not a bandwagon guy. I'm KT. Wizz all the way through... You're K.T. for the... For the entirety of your life. I'm KT.

Oh, you know, we forgot to bring up, and I... I swear Rudy will get to you in a second. From last dance, how about, I forgot about Rodman going to NWO for a day after a middle of a series. And by the way, if you...

That was awesome. You are NWO for life. If it was just a regular WWE, I'd be okay. I'd give him a major admonishment. But Joe is a wrestling connoisseur as you are. You know the NWO calls. You have to go.

Well, and he got fined 20K for that, but he made $2,000. $150,000 from WCW and got to use their private plane. And I believe I also had 14 rebounds the next game too? Yeah. He did fine. When they started showing the highlights for the next game, I was like, that's just

it's funny because you expect the storyline to be, he played awful. And then he was just a monster. All those guys were superhuman, Ross. Yeah, he used to party and yeah, it's Dennis Romney and Michael Jordan. They were different, yeah. Going to Atlantic City. They didn't get, their off days were fine. Yeah.

That's why say what you will, these athletes up today, they can go do anything the damn well want. Just back it up. Be good, right? Be good than a night when the night you're needed. Yes. Just don't go two for 19 on the night you were out spotted at 4 o'clock in the morning. I remember one time, Lance and I were doing the morning show,

and James had gone out to L.A. And the night before we were seen at a, maybe a strip club, a regular club, I don't know what it was, but it was 3, 4 o'clock in the morning. I remember him saying, man, he's going to catch serious hell. if he doesn't play well tonight against, I think it was the Clippers. I think you wind up having a triple double or something like that.

I was like, you know what? These athletes are superhuman. That's the thing. If you're out till four, I mean, you don't have a game until seven local time, wherever you are. You're out till four.

You get your nine hours. I put you at one. You eat, taking another nap from two to four and get to the arena at 435. Yeah. I think I'm going to try that. You should be a,

I think you should be a professional athlete. I'm going to try to stay up until 3 o'clock in the morning. Get my eight hours. Come here and do the show. Well, you can't get three and then eight. It's 11 shows at noon. That's true. You could do it.

Rudy and Alvin at 123 on 790. Hi, Rudy. Hi, Matt. Hi, Ross. Always enjoy listening to you guys. Thank you. I've never agreed with everything. And you know, but who does?

I mean, even married couples. But I really enjoy your analysis, your show, your game show stuff. I think it's always been good. And what a crazy time we're dealing with sports. But baseball, I want your take on this because this is where I have the most trouble. I understand the risk and what we're all living under now. However, don't you think that entering or introducing money matters to a certain extent can completely destroy many of the games since the strike era?

I just feel like people will really reject players. I mean, when you have retail and grocery workers going to work every day to provide them food, when you have trash pickup people coming in to pick up their trash, and they can't take their world-class athlete bodies and assume some risk, play a sport that will absolutely provide entertainment value, especially to the biggest demographic of their sport, who are, to a large degree, are people with preexisting type conditions and health concerns

that will not only are not only limiting their, what they can do now, but could potentially for a long term, be limiting the normal things that they participate. take in. So I just really resent players, even if they have to take more than a half cut. Because if you pay a player 82 games, a full salary for playing 82 games, you're paying them a full salary. Basically, in my opinion, I mean, so I just don't think fans, you are really running the risk, the players union, of destroying much more of the game than any type

of financial loss they're going to accept this year. I just really have had a hard time with that one. They need to get up off the deck and go out there and be courageous. Like I tell my friends that go out there and work those jobs every day, that they're being courageous and providing a substantial value to people. And they're doing it for very little. And then these guys are out here. If they nitpick, I just feel like it will really.

really, really harm the game. And I just appreciate your thoughts. Thank you for the phone call, Rudy. Several layers to that. We all take risk. Ross and I and Joe and I, we're all taking risks right here at the radio station. We just are. We get in our cars. We come to work. We do the show. We take risk. So, yeah, there's going to be a certain, there are people in the cars, listen to us right now going to their work, taking risk. Major League Baseball is going to take a risk. And anybody that goes back to work during this time until we have a vaccine for this and it's readily available and it's easily to take and it's

it provides a quick result. We're all taking risk. I do not worry about the playing conditions being dangerous. I just, we just saw the last segment of the show ran through a 69 page report. Apparently 67 pages. 67 pages. Major League Baseball is taking this very seriously. So if Major League Baseball is taking this seriously, they want their money, and they obviously know the players want their money.

You're going to have, there's going to be with any job, no matter what it is, there's going to be a certain amount of risk. And the questions in the argument of what happened last week with Blake's now is, Blake's won't take that risk as long as you pay him his full salary. And so that's where people get sideways about it. I understand the caller's frustration. I understand that there are some people out there that are saying, hey, this is not necessary. This is doing it strictly for entertainment purposes. There's a variety of angles to go with it.

I just think it will be a complete and utter disaster for the sport of baseball if money precludes them from playing baseball this year. On either side, frankly. No way around it. They've got to be able to get in the room, shut the door, or have the Zoom meeting of their choice, lock it up, and get it done. I think if the players, let's just go on the player side. If we go on the player's side and they don't agree to anything and they just hold their ground

and they want this much money and they don't get it, I guess would they sell to us that, hey, it wasn't really just about money. It was also about our safety. And that's why we didn't want to get something done. And then that becomes easier for the public to stomach, I guess, is we were fearing for our lives and our families. The money wasn't, we just couldn't do it as a combination of those things. Or do they still come off bad? I think 67 pages of detailed,

we're going to make your workplace, the safest place on earth, doesn't help the players. But I mean, did you see, some of those conditions, though, it's impossible that everything of that would get followed. It's impossible. Can't touch your face, you can't, I mean.

Well, but I mean, you'll have people watching. Licking your hands. You'll have people watching. They're going to do the best they do. They can do the best they can do. I'm just saying they're not going to follow the protocol. They can write the protocol down. Well, they can't.

They're not going to follow it. They'll amountish. Yeah, what are they going to find you every time you? Every time you do something wrong, it's $1,000 or something like that? Yeah, because I think there's going to be a microscope on all sports organizations. Absolutely. You know how NBA back in the day would find you if you didn't have a, if you get wrong colored shirt on or wrongs per socks or something. NFL still does that.

Yeah, I think there'll be a fine process. Absolutely. But that's small potatoes when it comes to the big picture. You're just not going to get. enough people to go, yeah, baseball players, we see your point. These rich, greedy owners want to take more money. These owners are taking the shorts. Is anybody profiting right now?

Is there a single baseball team profiting right now off of Major League Baseball not playing? They're not even taking in revenue. There's zero revenue coming in. Zero television dollars, zero ticket sales, zero parking, zero hot dogs. What's, I mean, yeah, what would be any trickle of revenue right now would be, what, merchandise sales? Maybe. I'll go buy an Astros hat to show some support. And here's the thing that, and maybe that I don't understand because I'm not on the player's side,

this is the interpretation I'm getting is this is just for the 2020 season. I think Major League Baseball Players Union is worried about this being the long-term effect of it. And so I can't curb that skepticism that maybe is in those circles. That they're saying, well, if we agree to this now, the next time they come to the table, we don't agree to this, they're going to lock us out. You know, I can't argue that point to them because that's the whole point. of them going on strike in 1994 was that the owner's wanted a player 50-50 revenue share. They said, no, and it went up costing the season.

So there is history that back up the players of, the owners have always wanted this revenue thing. But that was also 26 years ago. Ross, baseball is very healthy until this year. Everybody's making plenty of money. Yep. It's not, I mean, everybody's got brand new stadiums and huge television deals and huge, huge, huge, I mean, ticket prices. You've got tickets.

I think attendance is up. Now, salaries have gone on a little bit, but nothing that you would go, oh, my God, the owners are raking it in. I just don't want, and again, I wish I knew more about the situation, the nuts and bolts of it, but I just don't want the money to be the issue. Because whether the players want to believe it or not, and they can stand firm on this and they can help, you know, they can put their line in the sand, they're going to get blamed for this.

And it will take them forever to get passes, especially again when you have 20% of Americans looking for work today. 131 on the Matt Thomas show. Mike Breen from ESPN and ABC joins us in one half hour on Sports Talk 790. Hey guys, I've got to talk to you about your mood. How are you feeling? Are you sleepy? You're tired.

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Tell me you heard it right here on Sports Talk 790. Centrogenics Testosterone Clinics. I Heart Radio, the free app for your music, your stations like Sports Talk 790, and number one for podcasting. 136 on The Matt Thomas Show. As usual, off-air conversation, more interesting than on-air conversation. Joe, do you ever listen to our microphones when we're on a break? No, because it goes over the stream. Okay, good.

Don't do that. Don't do it. Certainly don't do that. Oh, no. 713212-5-790 is how you reach it. 7-13-212-5-7-9. If you want to say how to us on Twitter at Joe George Radio, home of a very successful Space City Saturday, noon to 2.

Before that, it's the sports RV show 10 to noon. That's correct. I think that guy Charles time slots right for the first time ever. We're proud of you, man. And the names of the shows. Impressive. And, of course, before that, Doug Pike, 7 to 10. Yep.

Dougie. And that's all on Saturdays. We go live and local from, what, 7-8 to 2-2-P? It's not bad. 7-8 to 2-P starting with Dougie P. Okay, I don't think I would go it that way. 7-13-212-5-7-90. Late on the show Friday, Jim Trotter.

Who's he worked for S-I? I think he's NFL.com now. He was S-I. He was ESPN. Now I think he's NFL.com. He put out a tweet and then a story soon after that about how the NFL is going to basically try to increase minority hiring by improving third round draft picks for hiring of head coaches and general managers based on what you do, how many slots you move up? Yes. So if you hire a minority head coach, you will move up six slots in the third round. If you hire a minority general manager, you will move up 10 slots in the third round.

and also added into that they're looking into changing the rules of, you know how say the Texans want to talk to Nick Casario. They have to get Patriots permission. They're trying to get rid of those rules so that it can loosen it up and more minority coordinators and assistants can get hired.

So if you have an assistant who is a minority, say Anthony Weaver, was he defensive line coach? Right. If he got hired away to the Chargers or whoever to be their coordinator, the Texans would get a fifth round pick. and now that he's their coordinator, if he gets hired a way to be a general manager,

I mean, to be a head coach, or if they have an executive who's a general manager, they get a compensatory third round pick. So it's, so basically, regardless of, so if it's only when it's a minority coach that you lose,

you get the compensatory is correct? Yes. So here is the classic example of, I don't walk in another man's shoes. I'm not involved in how. hiring and firing of anybody. I do believe, at its core, the NFL has typically done a pretty lousy job of hiring minority candidates, especially in the general manager side.

Head coaches a couple of here and there. Yes. I think there's currently four right now. But front office really has been known void for the most part. So do I believe there are a lot of quality general managers that are not getting serious looks, absolutely, or coaches for that matter. And I think relaxing when you can talk to people probably helps a lot on that. The only thing I thought about, and it'd been so easy to say, those is the most ridiculous

thing ever heard of. Ross, how would, and this is again, this is under the category of how do you walk in someone else's shoes, how would you feel if you got a job as a minority for a head coaching job or a general manager's job, knowing that part of the reason why you got a job, you got a the job is because your team that's now hiring you is going to improve their draft status. I don't know that you would, I don't know that it would happen that much and I don't know that it would matter to you that much. And I'll give you, I mean, I don't, there's this thought that, oh, well, this candidate who gets a head coaching job is going to think they're completely

undeserving. You're not going to have, they're not, you're not going to have NFL teams hiring general managers and coaches who were completely unqualified. And just, oh, this guy's a minority. He's never coached. He's done that he's got a losing record. He's done all this. Nah, we're going to hire him just because he's black. That's not going to happen. You're going to have people who are very, very qualified getting these jobs. You're going to have people who deserve to get these jobs, get these jobs. So how does it, but how does it feel on the flip side of it? If it's, let's say, it's you and me. Okay. And one person, and you get the job over me, and the guy comes to me and says, you know, we really liked you a lot. You and Ross were really, really close, but I get six,

I get bumped up six picks if I take Ross over you. How am I supposed to feel about that? I guess you're probably going to not feel great about it. You might feel a little slighted. But then on the other hand of it, because I always think there's two sides of everything, is that there may have been a lot of stories where, you know, Matt's done it before, so we're going to go with him as compared to going with you who we really like, but we just feel more comfortable, Matt.

I mean, I'll say this. The hiring practices in the NFL probably get a D-minus. They really do. They just do. I just don't know if this is the right incentive. So if I come out of you and say, this is the wrong incentive, then you would say, well, then Matt, what's the right incentive? And that's where I'm stuck. Yeah, that's, I don't know what the solution to the problem is. And I told this story, I don't really think I've ever really talked about it much on air. So when I was coming out of high school and you know, you apply for scholarships. And you've seen this. And obviously, as you know, you had a son who went through this whole process. Right. There's a lot of scholarships that are minority only. And so I was awarded a scholarship from a law. firm because I was a minority.

And I didn't care. I didn't think that I was I was lesser than other people or or it was any less than achievement achievement. There were still thousands of candidates. They were in they only chose three people and I was still very proud of myself. And I didn't think anything of it as far. I was, I mean, I felt privileged. I felt like it was a good thing. And I felt like, you know, it's like, okay, I'm a minority and I won this thing.

That's cool. I wasn't going to take, not take the money because it's a minority scholarship or something like that. It's not apples and oranges, but I'm just saying, like, I didn't think anything less of the achievement. I think if you're a head coach and you get the job and you're one of 32 people in the entire world who get to be the head coach of an NFL team, I don't think that you would feel undeserving or like you didn't earn it. I got one more for you, and we'll wrap this up because I don't want to spend a lot of time on this because, again, it's so out of our comfort zone because of the fact we just don't know what practices are in the NFL. But what if it's just the opposite? if there are two people going for a minority not

and does the owner want to face the potential problem of well you only chose that guy because of the other draft pick I mean it almost feels like it could be difficult to defend the decision see I'm saying that maybe a black guy was really more qualified than the white guy was there's going to be this undertone of well you chose him because you got to bump up in the draft and that's not fair to that person because there are a lot of African-Americans or Hispanics,

whoever, that deserve the opportunity to be in charge. I mean, do we say, when Anthony Lynn was hired by the Chargers, did we say,

well, he only got hired because of the Rumi Rule. When Mike Tomlin got hired, did we say that? I mean, they, I frankly don't even think about the Rooney Rule. Exactly.

But that's the problem is that I don't think about hires. I think about when Anthony Dreamweaver gets hired as a defensive coordinator for the Houston,

Texans. You know what I thought about? We have a new defensive coordinator. Gary, right? Who? The guy who wrote

the Dreamwever? Anyways. No, I thought a new fresh voice in there. I didn't think, wow, this is a black guy gets to be a defensive coordinator on the NFL. And I don't think we'll think that in a couple of years. Do I, why do I have any opinion of why Eric Bannamy is not a head coach in the NFL? No, I don't follow what's going on in Kansas City. All I know is it probably Kansas City should be very lucky that Eric Banymy is still there. And that maybe Eric Bianami had looser rules to go

to go interview for jobs while not still coaching. He'd be in the NFL's a head coach right now. And my guess is if Bill O'Brien falls flat on his face, which I hope happens because I don't think he's ever going to leave the team in the Super Bowl that Eric Bannamy is one of the first guys they consider. Period. Not because of his skin color, but because he runs a kick-ass offense. That's what I'm saying.

I love kick-ass offense. That'd be nice. I don't care what color you are. It helps when you have Patma-Homes and Tyree Kill and Travis Kelsey. We got to Patma-Mohms. We got the Sean Watson. Close. Close.

Close. Pump the brakes on that one, Madie T. Come on. He's close. You get paid like it. Okay. 145 on the Matt Thomas show. Mike Breen from ESPN and ABC in 15 minutes.

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And again, the selection is second to none. Galsduri, Westbury, and Montrose. This is Craig Ackerman. The rockets are certainly popping the polypropole. I know Matt Thomas, all too well. Hey, by the way, this is my new catchphrase. Nothing but nylon. Jeremy a question for your sports RV.

We have Mike Breen coming up in 10 minutes. 48. The question is, who is the Alabama football of cheerleading in college athletics? It's UCLA or... The answer is... It's a West Coast School, right? No, it's in the southeast. The University of Kentucky.

Are they? They have won 24 national championships in 35 years. Really? Well, apparently, I really wish this story would have broken, like, early in the morning and I have more chance to sink my teeth into this. The University of Kentucky has dismissed its entire coaching staff and the advisor of its cheerleading squad. After a three-month internal investigation revealed a lack of oversight by those in charge with a culture of the following, hazing, alcohol use, and public nudity. It sounds like college. The executive vice president for finance administration, Eric Monday says, quote,

Our students deserve more responsible leadership, and the University of Kentucky demands it. The allegations that led to a mass dismissal largely stemmed from a retreat at a place called Lake Cumberland in Kentucky. While there, according to the report, cheerleaders engaged in the use of alcohol and public nudity, including an activity called basket tosses where members of the team were thrown from a dock while not fully clothed. Multiple members of the team also needed a member. medical treatment after consuming alcohol, some of which was brought by the retreat by former members of the team. At an event in Tennessee, semi-nude team members were urged to make lewd chance an hazing

ritual. I guess I shouldn't be laughing. But you are. No, it's okay. Do we have any video of this? Is it wrong to ask? I know y'all are thinking it. I'll just say it.

Lude chance? That's kind of funny, actually. Like in cheerleader style? What would be the lewd chance? be aggressive. I'm sure you can think of some lewd chance. There's probably somebody who's on cheer squads that can think of some lewd chances they used to say.

I've never asked for TMZ to go deep into a story, but I feel the only network or a website that could possibly handle this would be TMZ. The problem is this is an associated press story. I don't know. We kind of find out what they really were doing. So they were topples and they were being thrown of a, again, I don't want anybody

getting heard, but... Once again, sounds like college. Lude Chance, alcohol poisoning, and partial nudity. And nudity. I don't know what to say at this point. The story just can't... I mean, I just saw on the website

just a couple of minutes ago. I mean, they're not unattractive. They're young people that are just sowing their oats, right? Sure. They're going to be away from home for the first time ever. I mean, and they just win national championships like nobody's business.

Clearly, it's not affecting their on-field performance. How does one become so dominant at cheerleading? Do they offer scholarships to these cheerleaders? What if we should, we can get a hold of any of them that are on the team? Julie Morales was on the Texas Palm Squad. Maybe she can weigh in on this. I was thinking about finding Kentucky cheer on a mobile.

Oh, boy. Well, yeah, we can have somebody do that. If anybody knows anybody that's a, Kentucky cheerleader on a mobile. Mm-hmm. At about 220, we'll take your phone call. We've got to be serious in the next 15 minutes or so. Oh, the school's reports that all of the inappropriate conduct occurred in front of staff members who failed to intervene.

Well, let's be honest here. Most cheerleading advisors are former cheerleaders that probably did the exact same thing. Well, and if they all went through the same school, then it's just tradition. It's just like a fraternity or sorority. If you all constantly are going through it, then it's not a big deal because everyone's done. Well, here's the thing. In all seriousness, we don't want it to be hazing because hazing is unacceptable. Yeah, there's a line that you can't cross.

I can't tell if they cross that line here. No, the story is not tell us. It just feels like they did it in front of faculty, and faculty didn't stop it. So they're saying, you people are idiots and you're fired. Was the champ blank that blank? Probably. Blank me? All right.

Your blank is so good? All right. I mean, just talking about hugs. Yeah. Lacks oversight and poor judgment. Happens. Please, TMZ. Please find out what happened.

Yeah, there's got to be cell phone videos of some of this. Yes. Of course there's video of this. And again, what's... I mean, we're talking about semi-public nudity. Yeah, if you're out by the dock or whatever. Are we talking skinny dipping? If you're sitting on the dock of the bay, that's what it sounds like.

There's toss them in the water with no clothes on. with beer. Yeah. Perhaps a white, getting clawed up with a white claw or something. Yeah,

but they're all underage. We don't endorse underage drinking because none of us. We all did it. Because none of us did it here on the radio show. We all did it

and probably all of our parents did it. All right. So if anybody has any contacts with the Cumberland, Kentucky area, like,

I wonder what Lake Cumberland's all about. I wonder if it's a big party spot where hot young cheerleaders go to create problems and their senior advisor doesn't do anything about it. Matt,

stop Googling, Airbnb's in Lake Cumberland, Matt. Mike Breen from ESPN and ABC joins us. On the NBA, the return of it, and a little about the last dance as well. 156 on Sports Talk 790. You know, playing these theme songs, these various networks, makes me happy yet sad.

Yeah, this is making me long for basketball, Matthew. Well, I will say this. Our next guest in the show on the category of people we miss hearing from would be definitely in play here because not only are we missing his calls, he would have a busy weekend probably calling games on Saturday and Sunday, but I feel like Mike Breen, we have seen one of your broadcasts for every day of the last three months. It feels like that it's Mike Breen ESPN doing every time you turn it on? Matt, I'm a little sick of hearing my own voice.

I've told my kids, shut the TV off. Will you or change the channel? Well, it goes to, and by the way, congratulations. You have been nominated and you're going into the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Kirk Gowdy Award. I was in New York from the Rockets Knicks when you got announced, and so congratulations to all of us in broadcasting and for all of fans because you've done a magnificent job, and we're very glad that you're on the show this afternoon. How are things?

Thank you, Matt. That's very kind of you. Things are good back here in New York. I mean, like everybody, just, you know, trying to weight it out, and the tide seems to be turning, and there's optimism that the NBA is going to have a season. So I'm banking on that because, like the two of you, I'm just, I am longing for for NBA basketball, especially at this time of year. It is incredible that the games that you just, the memories come through.

Is there one that you have seen when you're calling it that you go, oh, I'd forgotten about that or man, it was good to see again because I've said this to my audience before. I hate hearing my own voice, especially when calling a basketball game. So I never want to, I should aircheck myself, but I don't. But is there one that you went, man, that was certainly one of my better moments? No, I don't know if I said that. You know what I find in watching it, not just games, that I did.

But all the various games, even especially, even before I was broadcasting some of the old ones, I wind up looking like during timeouts, and a team will go to the bench, and you'll see a guy in the uniform who's not playing in the game, and he'd be like, wait a minute, he was on that team? That's what keeps happening to me.

I keep forgetting certain guys who were on certain teams. I did, you know, there's some of them that you certainly remember just because of the historical factor. And it's fun to watch. But I've been enjoyed watching some of the really older ones. Like I watched the 1970 NICS championship over the Lakers, which I had not watched in a long, long time in game seven of that series. So it's been kind of fun watching those games.

We should mention the audience that before you joined MSG to do the television, then obviously on the ABC and ESPN, you were also the radio voice of the Knicks. and I was the PA announcer the first year of that 94-95 or 94 championship series. Tell me about some memories you have. Obviously, the disappointment of not winning it after being up 3-2 in the series, but just a thought or two about that Rockets Nick series as we go back into yesterday year. Well, the two memories that I have that stick out is, number one, was the OJ game. Because we were in the radio booth at Madison Square Garden at the time.

It has since changed, as you well know. it used to be the best radio location in the league. It was about 10 rows up right above the tunnel where the players came out. So in terms of feeling like he was still right there in the action, but at the same time being up a little so you could see the entire court without a problem, it was the perfect radio location. And that's where we were doing the game. And it's game five, and all of a sudden the white Bronco is on the TV going down the highway instead of the game.

So I'm at that time calling the biggest game that I've ever called in my life, and I'm distracted by the TV because we had NBC's monitor on. Now, NBC wound up going a couple of times to a split screen. We have the game on one side, and OJ and the police chasing him on the freeway on the other side of the screen. And I remember it got so distracting to me because we all knew what was going on that I asked my statistician, I said, he got to shut off the monitor. Harry Robinson was named. I said, Harry, you got to show off the monitor. I'm distracted.

And he went to go to turn off the monitor. And all the fans who were right around, because we were right in the middle of where fans were seating and were seated. They were all screaming on us, no, no, no, don't turn it off because they wanted to see what happened to OJ. It was just the most bizarre thing in the middle of this classic final series to have happened. That was number one. And the other thing was in game six.

As you remember, John Starks had a three-pointer at the end of game six, and if that shot goes in, the Knicks win the championship. And my location on that play was down on the court, but we were down at the other side. So when Starks took the shot, I couldn't tell if his feet were beyond the arc or not. So I didn't know if it was a two-pointer, which would have tied the game, or a three-pointer which would have won a championship. And normally, as I'm sure you do, Matt, when you're not sure if a guy was behind,

you look for the referees to see if they've been. got their hand up. But all three, yeah, it was three at the time. All three referees were blocked, and I couldn't see any of them. So all this is going through your head in what could be the greatest and biggest call of my career if Starks hits it. Oh, and the Knicks win the championship. But I didn't know if it was a two or three.

So it could have been the worst call of a championship with me not knowing. Starks, unfortunately, for the Knicks and their fans missed the shot, and I wasn't provided with a potential embarrassing situation. I know those are two long-winded answers, but that's what I remember. Well, selfishly, Akima Icheon's finger does not apologize for getting his hand on John Stark's shot. I can stay at. Mike Breen with us from ESPN and ABC with us here. Yeah, Ross Vial here, Mike.

And so you mentioned that moment with the Stark shot and then obviously Charles Smith and the black, like there's all these little moments that maybe you don't necessarily think of throughout the years that we're, series turning shots or moments get, can you just give us, I don't know, one or two that you think of in the last several years that maybe we don't remember, but they were just huge finals turning, championship turning moments? Well, just Ross in the series

we were just talking about in China, there was a game four or game three, it might have been game three, Sam Cassell. Matt, do you remember Sam Cassell? The big shot, he didn't have a lot of points. Number 10, yeah, for sure. Yeah, I mean, he hit a couple of big shots at the end. I'm pretty sure it was game three.

Vernon Maxwell had some, yeah. Right. He doesn't hit those shots. You know, Knicks win that game there in complete control of the series. So that's always been my favorite part of calling the big games. Yes, we, you know, for example, now we have Co-E Leonard and LeBron James and Steph Curry and the All-Stars and the all-MBA players who are hitting so many big shots. but I've always loved the role player who is able to hit an enormous shot on the biggest stage of his career. For example, even last year, Fred Van Bleet, I mean, he was phenomenal in that game six.

They don't win game six if it wasn't for Fred Van Bleet. And then maybe there's a game seven, and maybe Golden State pulls it out of that and wins that one. So it's guys like that that I've always loved. And we saw that if you watched the last dance last night with Steve Kerr. you know, hitting so many big shots in big moments. So that's always been one of my favorite parts of the game is when an unsung player steps forward and makes plays that often make the difference between winning a championship and not.

I apologize for asking, but I'm going to have to ask, how often do you get asked about MJ or LeBron? You've called everyone on LeBron's big moments, and you called a lot of Michael's big moments when you were working exclusively with the Knicks. So where do you fall in this argument? And can you just say, you know what, one in one a is just fine by me. Yeah, I'm from the cop-out answer of, and I hate to say it, but I firmly believe it.

It's impossible to compare players from different errors, just absolutely impossible. You know, the game is played differently. It's coached differently. It's officiated differently. The rules were different. And even the culture was different in terms of the approach to playing and approach. and approach in the peripheral stuff around the game. So I can't compare.

I can't put one ahead of another. If somebody wants to tell me, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the greatest of all time, I'm saying good on you. If somebody wants to say it's Jordan, LeBron James, whoever. I mean, I know it's fun and it can be in some good, heated, friendly debates, but it's just separate.

They're both just enormous talents that are the greatest players of their own. A few more minutes here with Mike Breen of ABC and ESPN, the voice of NBA basketball, and he's been on the crew since 2006 calling the finals. Mike, you were on with Joe Buck and you were on with Jim Nance. What a great, rarefied error on the Real Sports episode. How did that come together? And what came away from you in terms of fascinating conversation between three true broadcasting icons?

Well, again, it's very kind of you. I don't think I'm pulling on those guys. those guys class. I mean, they broadcast so many different sports and do it so well. I'm kind of a one-trick pony. But it's through a friendship with I've gotten known Brian Gumble over the years,

and we chat a little bit, and he was, you know, they're showing on hiatus when everything went into lockdown, and he wanted to get going again. So he sent me an email and asked me if I'd be interested in doing that because he's obviously a huge sports fan

and wanted to get something. to go about like what we're thinking about, what we're missing, et cetera, et cetera. And it was a privilege to be on it. I happen to think that show is just one of the real spectacular sports shows that have ever been on TV. It's just quality stuff every time they have a program. And it was interesting to hear those guys talk about what they felt. And that was the first time.

We were all talking separately about how, what are we going to do with the atmosphere if we go back to calling games? And clearly it's different if you're in a golf tournament, if you're in a baseball stadium or an NBA arena. And, you know, Joe brought up the possibility of, are they going to pump in fan noise? And I've always talked about, you know, NBA arenas have music playing throughout the whole darn game. So that's probably going to be part of it as well. So to me, that was the interesting part. And, like, how are we going to do this in terms of atmosphere in the arena if we do play without any fans?

and clearly if the NBA does come back this summer, there won't be fans. So how can we make it where it's not awkward, where you're not hearing things that perhaps the players and coaches don't want you to hear? Because that would be great for fans, but I don't know if it would be great for the individuals who are participating. So that part was, I found the interesting thing. And let me throw this back at you, Matt. What would you like to hear?

Would you want to hear piped in music? Would you want to hear piped in crowd noise? And Ross answered this too. would you want to hear just the back and forth between players, coaches, and referees? It's hard to determine what would be the best scenario. What is funny because Ross, Mike always asked me, he says, what does Coach Dan Tony say during the game? I said, well, he's just largely complaining about officials,

but he doesn't swear ever, so you'd be kind of disappointed. I said, there are some coaches, and I'll use an example. Tom Thibodeau, who used to coach with Minnesota and with Chicago, we would have to turn down our microphone on the court because he was swearing so much. So it depends on what kind of, if you want a PG broadcast, Mike, or an R-rated broadcast, and what coaches. You know, Luke Walton can swear like a champ too, if necessary. And I guess it all depends. But for me, music seems fine.

I think the fan, fake fan, would seem very artificial. And I think the game itself can do enough to sell the game, not worrying about popping in extra crowd noise. Yeah, I agree with you on that. And I think, but also, too, it's like, I remember. and this is kind of a side story, but it gives you an idea. I was a referee when I got out of high school and I started in college, and I got up to the junior college level. And I remember I officiated a game at a community college in upstate New York.

And there were three fans in the place. Nobody went to community college games. And I was a young official, and I was probably about, I'm going to say, 22, 23, and I looked like I was about 14. and I remember going up and down, and normally I did high school games where a pretty good crowd. And one coach, he would turn to his assistant, and he would say, as I'm going up down, a cool, boy, this kid stinks talking about me as a restaurant. But because there are no fans, I heard everything the guy was saying. I think one time I said to him, I said, you know, I can hear what you're saying.

And, you know, he just, he was mad, his team was getting beaten, and maybe I was a terrible official. I always thought I was okay, but it just goes to show you like in something like that. You know, say they're going up and down the court, and Scotty Brooks is coaching the game, and he turns to the system, boy, Saxe Arbor is awful tonight, and Sachs over is going to hear it because there's no ambiance in the play. So there's this potential for entertainment for sure whether or not it's appropriate entertainment. that's to be determined by brighter minds than myself. Well, back when you were officiating, you just give technical fouls,

and you would do it in Joey Crawfordstone, you'd go, bang is what you would say. Yeah, you're out of here. Yeah. Last question for you, and we appreciate the time here. The relationship between the three of you, Mark Jackson, Jeff, and yourself on the broadcast is part of the reason why we love watching the games on ABC and ESPN. I always feel like there's times where they're arguing is as good, if not better, than the competition on the court.

When do you know what to lay out, when you know what I start adding the play-by-play mix to it? Well, we've all known each other for over 25 years when I first started doing Radio Mark was a player on the next. Jeff was an assistant coach. And that goes a long way. So we've watched our families grow up. There's a familiarity and a bond that makes it easy. So like for me, when they're doing something that's

really entertaining, whether it's basketball-wise or something just completely off the rails but is hilarious. You know, you just lay back if it's in the first or the... Is the Matt Thomas show. You know, playing these theme songs, these various networks, makes me happy yet sad.

Yeah, this is making me long for basketball, Matthew. Well, I will say this. Our next guest in the show on the category of people we miss hearing from would be definitely in play here, because not only are we missing his calls when he would have a busy weekend probably calling games on Saturday and Sunday. But I feel like Mike Breen, we have seen one of your broadcasts for every day of the last three months. It feels like that it's Mike Breen ESPN doing every time you turn it on?

Matt, Matt, I'm a little sick of hearing my own voice. I've told my kids, shut the TV off. Will you or change the channel? Well, it goes to, and by the way, congratulations. You have been nominated and you're going into the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Kirk Gowdy Award. I was in New York from the Rockets Knicks when you got announced. So congratulations to all of us in broadcasting and for all of fans because you've done a magnificent job. And we're very glad that you're on the show this afternoon. How are things? Thank you, Matt.

That's very kind of you. Things are good back here in New York. I mean, like everybody, just, you know, trying to wait it out. And the tide seems to be turning. And there's optimism that the NBA is going to have a season. So I'm banking on that because, like the two of you, I'm just, I am longing for NBA basketball, especially at this time of year. It is incredible that the games that you just, the memories come through. Is there one that you have seen when you're calling it that you go,

oh, I'd forgotten about that or, man, it was good to see again. Because I've said this to my audience before. I hate hearing my own voice, especially when calling a basketball game. So I never want to, I should aircheck myself, but I don't. But is there one that you went, man, that was certainly one of my better moments? No, I don't know if I said that. You know what I find in watching it, not just games that I did, but all the various games,

even especially, even before I was broadcasting some of the old ones, I wind up looking like during timeouts and a team will go to the bench and you'll see a guy in the uniform who's not playing in the game and he'd be like, wait a minute, he was on that team?

That's what keeps happening to me. I keep forgetting certain guys who were on certain teams. I did, you know, there's some of them that you certainly remember just because of the historical fact. and it's fun to watch. But I've been enjoyed watching some of the really older ones.

Like I watched the 1970 NICS championship over the Lakers, which I had not watched in a long, long time in game seven of that series. So it's been kind of fun watching those games. We should mention the audience that before you joined MSG to do the television, then obviously on the ABC and ESPN, you were also the radio voice of the Knicks. And I was the PA announcer the first year of that 94-95 or 94 championship series. me about some memories you have, obviously the disappointment of not winning it after being up 3-2 in the series, but just a thought or two about that Rockets Nick series as we go back

into yesterday year. Well, the two memories that I have that stick out is, number one, was the OJ game, because we were in the radio booth at Madison Square Garden at the time. It has since changed, as you well know. It used to be the best radio location in the league. It was about 10 rows up right above the tunnel where the player, came out. So in terms of, you know, feeling like he was still right there on the action, but at the same time being up a little so you could see the entire court without a problem, it was the perfect radio location. And that's where we were doing the game. And it's game five, and all of a sudden the white Bronco is on the TV going down the highway instead of

the game. So I'm at that time calling the biggest game that I've ever called in my life. And I'm distracted by the TV because we had NBC's monitor on. Now, NBC's, he wound up going a couple of times to a split screen. We have the game on one side, and OJ and the police chasing him on the freeway on the other side of the screen. And I remember it got so distracting to me because we all knew what was going on that I asked my statistician, I said, he got to show off the monitor. Harry Robinson's name was saying, but Harry, you got to show off the monitor.

I'm distracted. And he went to go to turn off the monitor. And all the fans who were right around because we were right in the middle of where fans, were seating and were seated. They were all screaming on us, no, no, don't turn it off because they wanted to see what happened to OJ. It was just the most bizarre thing in the middle of this classic final series to have happened. That was number one.

And the other thing was in game six, as you remember, John Starks had a three-pointer at the end of game six. And if that shot goes in, the Knicks win the championship. And my location on that play was down on. the court, but we were down at the other side. So when Starks took the shot, I couldn't tell if his feet were beyond the arc or not. So I didn't know if it was a two-pointer, which would have tied the game, or a three-pointer, which would have won a championship. And normally, as I'm sure you do, Matt, when you're not sure if a guy was behind, you look for the

referees to see if they've got their hand up. But all three, yeah, it was three at the time, all three referees were blocked, and I couldn't see any of them. So all this is going through your head in what could be the greatest and biggest call of my career if Starks hits it. Oh, the Nix win the championship. But I didn't know if it was a two or three. So it could have been the worst call of a championship with me not knowing. Starks, unfortunately, for the Knicks and their fans missed the shot, and I wasn't provided with a potential embarrassing situation. I know those are two long-winded answers, but that's what I remember. Well, selfishly, Akima Lijuan's finger does not apologize for her getting his

hand on John Stark shot. I can stay it out. Mike Breen with us from ESPN and ABC with us here. Yeah, Ross Vio Real here, Mike. And so you mentioned that moment with the Stark shot and then obviously Charles Smith and the black, like there's all these little moments that maybe you don't necessarily think

of throughout the years that were series turning shots or moments. Can you just give us, I don't know, one or two that you think of in the last several years that maybe we don't remember, but they're just huge finals turning championship turning moments? Well, just, Ross, in the series we were just talking about, in China, there was a game four or game three?

It might have been game three. Sam Cassell. Matt, do you remember Sam Cassell? The big shot? He didn't have a lot of points. Number 10, yeah, for sure. Yeah. I mean, he hit a couple of big shots at the end.

I'm pretty sure it was game three. Vernon Maxwell had some, yeah. Right. He doesn't hit those shots. You know, Knicks win that game there in complete control of the series. So that's always been my favorite part of calling the big games. Yes, for example, now we have Co-Ele-Lennard and LeBron James and Steph Curry and the All-Stars and the All-MBA players who are hitting so many big shots.

But I've always loved the role player who is able to hit an enormous shot on the biggest stage of his career. For example, even last year, Fred Van Blyte. I mean, he was phenomenal in that game. They don't win game six if it wasn't for Fred Van Bleet. And then maybe there's a game seven. And maybe Golden State pulls it out of that and wins that one. So it's guys like that that I've always loved. And we saw that if you watched The Last Dance last night with Steve Kerr, you know, hitting

so many big shots in big moments. So that's always been one of my favorite parts of the game is when an unsung player steps forward and makes plays that often make the difference between winning a championship and not. I apologize for asking, but I'm going to have to ask, how often do you get asked about MJ or LeBron? You've called everyone on LeBron's big moments, and you called a lot of Michael's big moments when you were working exclusively with the Knicks. So where do you fall in this argument? And can you just say, you know what, one in one A is just fine by me? Yeah, I'm from the cop-out answer of, and I hate to say it, but I firmly believe it.

It's impossible to compare players from different errors, just absolutely impossible. You know, the game is played differently. It's coached differently. It's officiated differently. The rules were different. And even the culture was different in terms of the approach to playing and approach and approach in the peripheral stuff around the game. So I can't compare. I can't put one ahead of another.

If somebody wants to tell me Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the greatest of all time, I'm saying good on you. If someone going to want to say it's Jordan, Liberia. Ron James, whoever. I mean, I know it's fun and it can be in some good heated, friendly debates, but it's just separate. They're both just enormous talents that are the greatest players of their own generation. A few more minutes here with Mike Breen of ABC and ESPN, the voice of NBA basketball, and he's been on the crew since 2006 calling the finals. Mike, you were on with Joe Buck and you were on with Jim Nance. What a great, rarefied air on the

real sports episode. How did that come together? And what came away from you in terms of fascinating conversation between three true broadcasting icons? Well, again, it's very kind of you. I don't think I'm belonging to those guys' class. I mean,

they broadcast so many different sports and do it so well. I'm kind of a one-trick pony. But it's through a friendship with I've gotten known Brian Gumble over the years and you know we chat a little bit and he was you know their show went on hiatus when when everything went into lockdown and he wanted to get going again so he sent me an email and asked me if I'd be interested in doing that because he's obviously a huge sports fan and wanted to get something to go about like what we're thinking about what we're missing

etc etc and it you know it was a privilege to be on it I happen to think that show is is just one of the real spectacular sports shows that have ever been on TV. It's just quality stuff every time they have a program. And it was interesting to hear those guys talk about what they felt. And that was the first time. We were all talking separately about how, what are we going to do with the atmosphere if we go back to calling games? And clearly it's different if you're in a golf tournament,

if you're in a baseball stadium or an NBA arena. And, you know, Joe brought up the possibility of, are they going to pump in fan noise? And I've always talked about, you know, NBA arenas have music playing throughout the whole darn game. So that's probably going to be part of it as well. So to me, that was the interesting part. And, like, how are we going to do this in terms of atmosphere in the arena if we do play without any fans? And clearly, if the NBA does come back this summer, there won't be fans.

So how can we make it where it's not awkward, where you're not hearing things that perhaps the players and coaches don't want you to hear because that would be great for fans, but I don't know if it would be great for the individuals who are participating. So that part was, I found the interesting thing. And let me throw this back at you, Matt. What would you like to hear? Would you want to hear piped in music? Would you want to hear piped in crowd noise?

And Ross answers too. Would you want to hear just the back and forth between players, coaches, and referees? It's hard to determine what would be the best scenario. What it's funny, because Ross, Mike always asked me, he says, what does Coach Dan Tony say during the game? I said, well, he's just largely complaining about officials, but he doesn't swear ever, so you'd be kind of disappointed. I said, there are some coaches, and I'll use an example. Tom Thibodeau, who used to coach with Minnesota and with Chicago, we would have to turn down our microphone on the court because he was swearing so much. So it depends on what kind of, if you want a PG broadcast, Mike or an R-rated broadcast and what coaches.

Because, you know, Luke Walton can swear like a champ, too, if necessary. And I guess it all depends But for me, music seems fine I think the The fan, fake fan Would seem very artificial And I think the game itself It can do enough to sell the game

Not worrying about popping in extra crowd noise Yeah, I agree with you on that And I think But also too, it's like I remember And this is kind of a side story But it gives you an idea I was a referee when I

When I got out of high school And I started in college And I got up to the junior college level And I remember I officiated a game at a community college in upstate New York, and there were three fans in the place. Nobody went to community college games. And I was a young official, and I was probably about, I'm going to say, 22, 23, and I looked like I was about 14. And I remember going up and down, and normally I did high school games where a pretty good crowd. And one coach, he would turn to his assistant, and he would say, as I'm going up down the cool, boy, this kid stinks.

talking about me as a reference. But because there are no fans, I heard everything the guy was saying. I think one time I said to him, I said, you know, I can hear what you're saying. And, you know, he was mad. His team was getting beaten, and maybe I was a terrible official.

I always thought I was okay. But it just goes to show you, like, in something like that, you know, say they're going up and down the court. And Scotty Brooks is coaching the game, and he turns to the assistant, Boy, Sacks Zabber is awful tonight,

and Sacks'Ober is going to hear it because there's no ambiance in the place. So there's this potential for entertainment, for sure, whether or not it's appropriate entertainment. That's to be determined by brighter minds than myself. Well, back when you were officiating, you just give technical fouls, and you would do it in Joey Crawfordstone,

you'd go, bang, is what you would say. Yeah, you're out of here. Yeah. Last question for you, and we appreciate the time here. the relationship between the three of you, Mark Jackson, Jeff and yourself on the broadcast is part of the reason why we love watching the games on ABC and ESPN. I always feel like there's times where they're arguing is as good, if not better, than the competition on the court.

When do you know what to lay out, when you know what to start adding the play-by-play mix to it? Well, we've all known each other for over 25 years when I first started doing radio. Mark was a player on the next. Jeff was an assistant coach. and that goes a long way. So we've watched our families grow up. There's a familiarity and a bond that makes it easy. So like for me, when they're doing something that's really entertaining, whether it's basketball-wise or something just completely off the rails,

but it's hilarious, you know, you just lay back if it's in the first or the second quarter of a game, or if it's a game that's a blowout. Those things are easy. But, you know, people say, when do you know how to cut them off and get going? I don't really have to do that. They know. Like, they have a sense because of their respect for the game of when the game is all of a sudden starting to get good or completely going away from it. They know when to cut it off.

I mean, every once in a while, I'll have to throw a line in to get them. All right, guys, let's go back. But most of the time, they just, they have a good feel for when it's time to wrap up their, their argument. And you're right. The arguments are, they're genuine, and they go at each other. The carbides to the arena talk about arguments. They really go at each other. But that's the beauty of those two. And for the three of us, is nobody's feelings ever get hurt, even though you can vehemently disagree with somebody on their point, whether it's basketball or otherwise. All right. Very last question. Are you calling the NBA finals this year off a television monitor?

Have you heard anything from the league about broadcasting? Yeah. And you know what? It seems, Maddie, it seems to change every day, so it's impossible to predict. But I think there's a good chance that when we first start, when we first go back, if we do, and I'm hoping we do, that's not even set. But if we do, I think we might start doing it from a studio. But the hope, again, the best case scenario is by the time we get to the conference finals and the finals that will be calling the games at the arena on site, which I hope, as much as I understand, understand the safety precautions for everyone involved. But I'm confident in the league and the teams and certainly at ESPN that they wouldn't make us or have us do those games live unless it was safe.

So that's where I want to be. I want to be courtside like always because that's, I'm sure you feel the same way. That's why we do what we do and why we love it so much. Yeah, I do. I did call a couple of games off a monitor when the team is in Japan, and it's just not nearly as entertaining for us and you just don't get the feel of the game like you do when you're courtside. Mike, I really appreciate the time. We look forward to seeing you. Hopefully it's Las Vegas,

Orlando, or some points in between. And congratulations on your success. Congratulations in getting in the Basketball Hall of Fame, and I hope to look forward to seeing you very soon. Thanks again for the time. Thanks, Maddie. Good to hear your voice. Appreciate it. Thank you, Ross. You got to take care now. Mike Breen from ABC and the ESPN, joining us here, the lead voice of the NBA since 2006 and one of the really truly nice people in our business. 217 is our time. We're a little bit late, but I thought it was worth it. 713-212-5-7-90 if you want to chime in on anything NBA-related. And obviously, we're going to put to bed the last dance.

I kind of gave you some of my everlasting thoughts earlier in the day. We'll recap some of that. We'll see what Joe and Ross have to say as well. And your phone calls are welcome at 7-13-212-5-790. With a message right now for the Woodhouse Day Spa. Relaxing is something that you need because it has been a very tumultuous time. It has been, you know, you're teaching your kids. your wife is, or you're having to pick up extra duties at work, whatever the case may be.

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family for many, many years. HoustonWothousepaws.com. Houston, whathouspaws.com. Hey, it's Eric Gordon. Gordon for three in the lead. Matt Thomas is my favorite voice in Houston. EG for three. You're listening to the flagship.

Sports Talk, 790. Home of the ride. I just feel like one day we just played that 40 times. Breaking news. Whether it's true or not. On the Matt Thomas show. Did we have a sounded like that? I'm going to make one.

Yeah, I think it'd be great. It's going to cut that. Mike Brin, good stuff. I like him a lot. It's fortunate. Most of the guys I've had the chance to meet in this business of mine, at least in the national level, I've been really, really good guy. I don't know some of them.

I don't have a relationship with all with Marv, Albert at all. I like to get on. Too soon. It was early 90s. It's fine. Joe, you've gotten Joe Buck before, correct? He's been on with Salisbury a couple times. Seems nice.

I'm going to try to get him too. I like Joe. I mean, he's been, every time I've talked to him, he's been nice. I think he's Woody as heck. And I know that he runs hot and cold with a lot of people. Yeah, he does seem very down to earth and cool. Yeah, so I'll try for Joe. I don't have any contact with Toriko.

I'm trying to other people nationally that you guys want to hear from. Does anybody else I've missed? Because I feel like I've had, we've done a pretty good. Al Michaels. Al Michaels would be a good get, too. Chris Collinsworth. Collinsworth runs hot and cold, too. I like him.

He's all right. Like, there isn't just, they're just generally speaking isn't anybody that I do not like. The only broadcaster I really like is Tony Romo. He's good. As far as I have a strong opinion, one way to do it. I don't know if there's anybody hate.

Like, Booger didn't do anything. Jason Wooden was just bad. I didn't hate him or anything. He was, he was, like, Booger McFarnel. probably isn't horrible either. When you're just on the number one show, you're just going to get more criticism than anybody else. Yeah, he was okay. He was a little master of the obvious, but I think

you, there's, you have to have some of that element when you're doing NFL broadcast. I'm just telling you. When you're doing a talk show. Yeah. You just would be, I mean, I would be a nervous Nellie. I mean, you would only get better as time move along, but you just, when you're doing the national stage like that and you are the ESPN face of NFL football, you get a very short leash. Especially if your name is Booger. which again, there's just a handful of names you're just going to go, you know what? Time to change that. Like there was a baseball player back in the day.

The name was Chili Davis. I like that name, though. Because nobody's as cool as Chili Davis. Chili, was that what your name? Your mom and dad, no, is because they thought your haircut would look like a chili bowl. Is that what it was? That's how you got a name, Chili Davis. Okay.

So we're like a coach now? I think he's still in baseball somewhere I think he just got fired by the Cubs Oh sorry about that Was he a part of Joe Maddenstow? 2018 yeah Okay he's with the Mets now He's with the Mets now yeah

Yeah Chidley Davis Not a great hitting coach God bitterness is already coming out People just hate hitting coaches With facts God we've I've spent 25 years talking about hitting coaches

And I'm like People call up the 10th inning show And say hey Our hitting coach sucks Chili Davis had a decent career. 2300 hits, 350 home runs, three-time All-Star. I remember him best as a San Francisco giant. He a three-time World Series champ.

But do you want to be in a grown-ass man, an adult in their 40s being called chili? I think that's fine. Chile doesn't bother me. Bugger is a little weird. Bugers, what else out there is really odd in terms of nicknames? I don't know. Y'all can think about it. Guys that go by their nicknames?

I can't know. Yeah, shoot us a tweet. There's got to be a bunch of people out there. Was Mugsy Bozigs' real name Mugsy? No, it was Tyrone Curtis. Oh, Spud Webb. Yeah, that's a good one. NBA player, grown-ass man, winning an All-Star Slam dunk name is Spud.

Yeah. I think I'd get rid of that. That's the thing, though, too, that makes me laugh. Because people are tweeting, you had people tweeting about how people in this era can't play back then and all this stuff when the NBA with all this last-dance stuff. The literal midgets were on the court, okay? I don't want to hear it. We bury the lead here. Play the damn breaking news center again.

We screwed this up. Sorry, we had to talk about Spud Web. And booger. Yes. Governor Abbott just announced, professional sports without spectators can reopen on May 31st, two weeks from today. No, that's not true.

Two weeks from yesterday. May 31st. Is that a celebration, or is that a kind of an obvious one to me? I guess the reason why you would say, okay, that's good news, is that then the Rangers, the Astros, the Rockets, the Mavericks, anybody can play in their arenas if the leagues so choose. You know how there's some states that will not let it.

In fact, So we can get UFC Texas now. Governor Cuomo in New York said if the New York sports teams want to play in their home stadiums, we will do everything in our power to make that happen. Okay. So you got New York, you got Texas. Is California open? I think the Lakers had a chance to open up their facilities, too, right?

Am I right on that? I think. I'm not sure. They open on Saturday. Open on Saturday. I haven't spoken with the governor of California recently. California. Who is the governor of California?

Arnold Schwarzenegger. No. I don't know anymore. I'm just kidding. I was going to say, if you know the governor of California, then we're really got serious problems. Tom Hardy. Gavin at Newsome. Oh, that's right.

Governor Newsom. Okay. Who could forget? I did. I really should start learning more about podcast. politics. You know what? Don't do it.

You know what I've been doing? For about a month, I rotated between MSNBC, CNN, and Fox, just to kind of get the proper balance because all three and were so heavily shaded one direction. It's terrible. And now I'm over it. Good. I'm glad you're over it, Matt. I just don't have enough room in my brain to know everything about politics.

Did you guys say that California can return to sports next week? He was asking. I was wondering. They just announced it. Oh, they did? Like literally with the laws like, I just saw a tweet that. Nostra Thomas. Let's not get crazy.

Hey, I'm back on my game again. We don't really know. You might have seen the tweet before. No, please. Have you met me? No. Well, maybe you saw it and you kind of didn't remember. Okay. So things are starting to open up.

Mm-hmm. And the question is going to be, how many more pages will the NBA guide be as compared to Major League Baseball? Major League Baseball is at 67 pages. Well, there's less hand signaling, less spitting. I want to know again. I need to. How about Steve Nash?

licking his fingers and touching the basketball. He can't do that. Doesn't Verlander lick his fingers too? Yeah. Let me tell you, the licking fingers bit is going to be a big pain in the ass. It really is. Yeah. These players are going to be dying to lick their fingers.

I mean, Steve Nash is out there like a St. Bernard just slobbing all over the ball. Yeah. It was disgusting. Michael Jordan would lick his fingers too. And then he would attack Brian Russell, who was not on the... He would stick his tongue out and then push off. Oh, that was a slight tug. 231 on the Sports Talk 790 more.

We wrap up the last dance for good, I think. Next. Hey, yo, Adrian. Um, Rocky, my name is Alexa. Oh, I like to hear sports. Then say, Alexa plays Sports Talk 790 on Iheart radio. Whoa. How many shots to the head did you take?

Uh, uh... 235. All right. I told you all I wrote down some observations about the last dance. Did I miss anything? Was there something that we brought up, and I'll just go through a couple that I had,

and if you got any to want to put a bow on the last dance, you can do so at 713, 2,1, 2, 1, 5, 790. One thing we didn't really discuss. Go ahead. The Rockets got mentioned once in the entire 10-episode run. Oh, I thought it was twice. Or, I mean, really. Well, really once.

It was the Stockton shot to win the Western finals. And then it was Steve Kerr hitting half-court shots at the summit. In a separate scene. Pretty much. That was it. Good stuff. Oh, I know what I forgot to do. So Michael sells us towards the end about the Rock, about the Bulls coming back to when it's a seventh championship.

You guys buy it? Yes or no? Yeah, I think, I don't know why he would lie. Would he lie about that, I guess? He's assuming. Pippin would have been the tough one. But they were on the roster. Like, that's what, like, and he was traded to the Rockets, right?

Yes. So Phil wasn't coming back. The only person that had to be signed was Michael. and Phil. Scotty was traded, Kerr was traded, Rodman was cut. Yep. So if they would have brought back Phil and not put their foot in their mouth

like they did at the beginning of the season, they would have come back and we could have seen Michael versus Duncan Robinson. Let's do this. Let's get into Phil Jackson's shoes for a second. If Phil Jackson tells you the October of the season, this is your last season, I don't care if you win every game or not,

you're not coming back. Michael Jordan even said if you went any two and oh, it wouldn't matter. you know Phil Jackson knew he was going to coach again as long as he wanted to. You know, I've stayed in Chicago. He was going to find something else, and he happened to find Los Angeles. Yeah, what did he take one year off? Yeah. Why would Phil, even if, unless Michael just begged him, come on back for one more ride. Because if I'm Phil Jackson and I'm told, like for instance, if I was told today that Matt, when you'd, when January comes out of work at this radio station, Why would I give two blanks about this company if I knew that I was going to get the hook in January?

I mean, it just shows you what a great coach he is and a great motivator and a great facilitator that he was able to go through this season knowing that he was there was no way he was going to resign. And that Rinesdorf even backed out of it, but he's like, I can't do that because Krause is going to get mad because I'm circumventing his authority. What a mess. So it's all Jerry Krause's fault is what we're saying. Why was Jerry Krauss that way? I think he had good qualities and bad qualities in that he was kind of a robot. He was more business-centric and winning-centric than he was people-centric. He had no feel for his basketball team.

He had no, but that's what Phil Jackson was there for. I mean, Phil Jackson had Michael Jordan writing poems and throwing stuff into a coffee can and setting it on fire and doing all this Zen stuff. Same thing for, I mean, giving Kobe Bryant reading assignments and having him read books and and Shaq and dealing with all those all those crazy

people and personalities that they had. So Phil Jackson was kind of the people person and Jerry Krause was very cold and calculated in that way. And he was right

I think more often than not. I know they want to win a seventh championship. They want to think about the now. But when you look at Jerry's history after Michael

and these guys are all leaving, I think he did a really good job trying to rebuild this team. It just didn't work out. He went with Elton Brand, and then he flipped Brand to pair, you know, Tyson Chandler and who's the guy who got in the car accident? Jay Williams. Like if Jay Williams doesn't get into the car accident, at one point, you've got Eddie

Curry, Tyson Chandler, Jay Williams, Kirk Heinrich, Ben Gordon. Stopped yourself. No, I know, but like his goal was to build a young basketball team, and he felt that he could do so. he had success in the draft. A lot of those guys had great success in the NBA. So where was the misstep then? Jay Williams' motorcycle accident.

You're saying that the reason why the Bulls, for a better part of 15 years, suck because the Jay Williams got a motorcycle accident? Their coaching hires were really bad. Who was it after Tim Floyd? Vinny. Odell Nacro? I don't know if he was right at. I don't remember if he was the next guy.

And then there was Freddie Hoyberg. And Tibbs. And then Tibbs. Well, Tibbs and then Freddie. It was after Tim Floyd It was Bill Cartwright for a couple years And then Scott Skiles Oh that's right

That's right Yeah there's a lot of bad losses And Jim Boilin Then Vinnie Del Negro Tynegrove Tynego Tyre Roybird Jim Boil I think they've tried to build rosters correctly

I think they've missed on coaching Well it's a mess right now I mean every time I don't think I've called a loss in Chicago Unless I think the Rockets beat him in Chicago this year too Yeah they finally are on the right path because they finally fired Paxson and Foreman and... Yeah.

So to me, Krause, it was winner, was... Yeah, he was... Was he tone deaf? Did he not know the environment in which he was in, maybe? He just didn't care for people and wasn't good with people. He was focused on... He treated his players and thought of his players as kind of pieces on a chessboard.

He didn't think of them as perp... as it didn't take any personal effect into account. And that's why you can't. And that's why he wasn't, he wouldn't have been man enough, unfortunately. We didn't know the evidence to say, guys,

I goofed. Phil, you're an excellent coach. Michael, you still got something left from the game. Let's bring this back. They never shouldn't even let it go as long as they did. And more importantly,

Ross, he never should have said anything to Michael Jordan about. I don't care if Phil Jackson's 82 and O. He's not coming back next year. What kind of message is that being saying? It's not a good message. And as Craig Seager would say, backstabing.

I think I would guess that there was also part of him that kind of wanted that error to be over so that he could prove that he could do it again without Michael Jordan and build a winning team again without Michael Jordan. All right. So if you're just joining us, you missed a great conversation with Mike Breen, which I'm sure you will be on our podcast at Sports7.com. And perhaps part of it will be played on the nightcap tonight at six. That's guaranteed.

Mike Breen, big name. Got to have that for the folks. Instead of Texas, opening up sports facilities. And apparently bars are in the mix, too, Brian McTaggart just put out there. Really? In March 31, I mean, May 31st, bars are opening back up? Yeah.

Hmm. So let me ask you, you're not a doctor. But you're way more hesitant than I am. Yes, I am. And maybe that's for the right reasons. Yeah, I mean, I come into contact with my, uh, I mean, my mother and my father are nearing 60. My dad's a diabetic.

I have my grandmother and now my great aunt from Austin just moved in as well. I interact with them some. So I'm trying to be as careful as I can, as possible as I can be to try not to, not for myself, but for them. But if you didn't have them around you, you'd be, I wouldn't say free in doing anything you want, but would you be a little more open to trying things? Yes. I think so. My level of concern isn't for me or what I'm doing.

My level of concern is my family. That's a great irresponsible feeling. Honestly. So I will not be going to bars. And I will announce this now to you. In January, I had the flu. and I had strep throat at the same time. And I took the Tamiflu and got me and took over right away.

I'm thinking about getting the antibody test. In case maybe you had it? Because I'm just, it's not because I'm worried about anything. I'm just curious if I had it. My guess is I don't think I did because the Tamiflu fixed me boys right away. Somebody tweeted bars open Friday the 22nd. Oh, I do. Yeah, 25% capacity on Friday, 50% for restaurants.

And by the way, I went to a restaurant on Friday night, and I will not say which one it was, because I'm not, Lena Hendogos's, you know, eyes and ears, but it was well north of 25%. They still had, they still had lots of cleaning things and social distancing, and they did the right thing when it came to serving the food and whatnot, but there were way more than 25% occupancy. And I'm not going to throw them in the bus on. I'm just going to tell you that's just what it was, and I hope we get to some normalcy. It was just nice to be out and not have to worry about takeout and drive-tham. Because I feel like I've been screwed and take-out a lot. I'm bad at about $5.50 in my take-out.

Really? Yeah. That's not good. Yeah. Food's wrong or cold or... Wrong. Or missing. You know what?

I did get sesame chicken when I wanted general chicken recently, but that was about it. I think that's because Joe stole it from me. This is a different time. That was an orange chicken that time. That was orange. That wasn't my fault. The food that was put in front of me. The general is so much better.

All right. Final segment of the Matt Thomas show, if you guys would like to join us, you're more than welcome to do so. 713-212-5-790. 7-13-212-5-790. Y'all are sending me nicknames of people. Oil-can, Dennis Boyd did not name himself Oil Can. That was his nickname. That was not his legal name. And I'm getting Mama Cash jokes again putting in.

This is not, I mean, I never need Mama Cash jokes ever about choking or anything. Trust me. And don't put Mama Cass and Brian Russell in the same conversation. 243 in the Matt Thomas show with a message here for Oops, steam cleaning. For good-looking carpets, you need to call 281-8-2-2-0-561. 281, 82-0-561 for the folks at Oops, Steam Cleaning. They'll take care of your carpets, they'll take care of your upholstery, they will take care of your oriental rugs, they will take care of your air ducts,

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More from Governor Abbott today. He announces that child care services are able to reopen. This is coming up this week. Starting Friday, restaurants can expand to 50%. Bars can open up at 25%. So there you go. Also, I didn't realize Telman Fretina and Donald Trump were hanging out, Ross. Rockets owner, Tellman Furtino,

when Donald Trump asked that the NBA would play regular season games this season, I think we would play games just to get it going and create the interest and then go right into the playoffs. It's funny, the president's sitting here worried about a virus, and he's trying to figure out the number of games left in the regular season. It's kind of interesting that he would bring that up. He's got a lot on his plate, Matt. Does Tillman serve Donald Trump some chow?

I mean, he's like, hey, this ribby is delicious. I would imagine Trump has eaten in any number of his high-end restaurants. Yeah, I'm ready to go back to some. I'm getting a well-done steak with ketchup. Who does that? That's only Matt Thomas at 12 years old. That's how Donald Trump has his steak. He does not put ketchup on his steak.

Patrick Mahomes does. Yeah. Yeah, but he also is a Super Bowl MVP, so he can back off. He's the Don's. He's the Don. He can put ketchup on whatever he wants. I have put ketchup on a steak before. Absolutely.

Am I embarrassed to say that I have? Yes. I've never put. I don't recall. Maybe I was a kid. Yeah. I mean, yeah. Yeah, I used to roll with the A1 when I was like 12.

Some people still do A1. A1's delicious. Don't you roll your eyes at me. A1's good for like a homemade steak. I just, I feel, if you go to a nice steakhouse, you ask for A1. You're really insulting people. So here's a bit.

So I'm dating Kimberly and her parents say, let's go to Morton Steakhouse for dinner. And I'm very excited about this. They had Morton back in those days? Don't look at me like that. It was only like 40 years ago. Come on. See, now that was worthy of the look you just gave me. Okay.

I'll let those slide. And it was time to order steak, and I said, I'll have mine well done. My future file loss is not if I'm paying for it. Oh, nice. I like that. And I have been medium ever since. There you go. That's crazy.

I go with a medium rare or rare plus. Really? You got all been out of shape when I ordered that at the... Rare plus. Because you were making things up. No, he knew exactly what I was at the time. I didn't. I will say that.

He did know what it was. He didn't know what it meant. Rare plus is kind of in between rare and medium rare. Yeah, medium is just fine for me. I'm almost, yeah, oh, man, I'm hungry for steak right now. Sounds good. I'll make you one. Yeah, but you're only going to put salt and pepper on it, but I mean a little something extra to it.

A little marinade will be good. Nah, all you need is the good beefy flavor of a steak, Matthew. All right, let's wrap up a couple of things here, tie up some loose ends. We talked about the rehire. Oh, the Astros documentary. So they're going to make this, right? LeBron's production company. I guess.

Should he be involved in this? I mean, he's not going to be involved. But I mean, LeBron's not going to do it on the day to day of their documentary. There'll be his name on this damn thing. It will. You know it will. Well, what's his company called?

It's not going to say LeBron James presents. No, he's going to name of a company. Yeah, I mean, it's whatever. I'm just saying, be careful, LeBron, if you want to attack our beloved Houston Astros, because guess what? We come up to your Lakers. You've been behaving yourself all these years?

You've behaving yourself at Cleveland? Why don't we do a documentary called the decision. Okay. And yeah, have Jim Crayne productions handle that bad boy. Fight mono-mono on this.

Well, LeBron James wasn't accused of one. It wasn't involved in one of the biggest cheating scandals in the history of this sort. So role play here. You're the Astros. This LeBron's production company comes to you and says, hey, we're doing this documentary whether you like it or not. Who speaks?

Or do you say, we out of it? Because if we're out of it, then it's going to be really, really, really. bias towards the side of, well, the Houston Astros are the worst human beings alive. Yeah, do you just ignore it and try to act like it didn't happen? Yeah, what do you do in that scenario? Like, if you're Carlos Correa or Alex Bregman or somebody, and they come to you, they come to you and they say,

why will you want to interview for this? You can't say anything, but don't, but I mean, the way that Carlos Corre came out and was, you know, saying if you don't know the facts, shut the bleep up, this is an opportunity to tell the facts. But maybe Rob Manfred said, do not speak to this. Okay, yeah, if there's an order from Major League Baseball. To me, it's just, it's too early. The reason why the Jordan Dock is so good is because everyone was involved.

You got to give this some time because if AJ goes on this, he'll never manage again. That's right. It took Michael 22 years to tell us it wasn't the flu. It was food poisoning. Yeah, so they're going to make a documentary. It's going to be slanted. I expect zero Astros players to be in it or management or anything. it's going to be a waste of time because it's going to be so slanted.

And then one day ESPN, a real production company will make a great document. But will anybody realize how slanted it will be when it comes out? My guess is no, it'll only feed the fire that is we hate Houston Astros baseball. But what does C.C. Sabathia really know? Because he's going to co-produce this. Like, what do they really know? Who is going to do what? C.C. Sabatia is part of this.

He knows something about television production, does he? No, but he's going to be part of what they mean to talk about. Well, that's a conflict of interest right. there, is it not? Yeah, I just don't understand what they're going to get out of this. Like, why you could, like, they don't know, if they have no one from the Astros, no one on the inside. You know why?

Because documentaries are hot right now. They really are. They are. Look what ESPN's going to do. There's the Bruce Lee one coming out, which I'm not a karate fan. I don't think I'll even watch that one. The Lance Armstrong is going to be interesting to me. And then the 98 baseball one's going to be very interesting about Sammy Sosa, who, by the way,

is white now, full white. Yeah, it's very disturbing to see. They got a hold of white social. Him and Mark McGuire will be very, because they saved baseball. Ross, the strike of 94, it took four years and an incredible chase for an individual record to save the sport. And juice. I hope Major League Baseball knows what that means in 2020. Do you want four years?

Do you want another juicing the situation? Well, what are we going to do? We're going to watch this documentary. It's going to be on like the Reels channel, or is they going to try to sell it to ESPN? ESPN probably can't run it, right? Because there'll be no Astro's side to it. How do you sell a documentary? I don't even know how you do it.

You make the documentary and then you kind of shop it around to Hulu, Netflix. Like Tiger King was like done and then Netflix bought it, I believe. Okay. I mean, you know we're going to watch it. We're going to be pissed. You get the money to make it and then you shop it. Why don't you and I make a documentary? Okay.

Who do you want to make a documentary on? I don't know. The A team. That's not that interesting. Oh, I think it would be. Wexler, Clanton. behind the scenes. We're just going to feel

from Adam Clinton typing out tweets the whole time. Join us tonight at 7 o'clock for the Monday night meeting. Oh yeah.

I forgot. Good reminder. I just remembered for the first time too. Adam Clanton. Adam Wexler. They're going to entertain. The beard is coming back.

You need to get a haircut with a vengeance. I can say these things I shaved my head yesterday. Clant Wexler next. They're the A team and they're up on 7-9.