The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - The Matt Thomas Show 12-13-19

Episode Date: December 13, 2019

The Matt Thomas Show w/ @SportsMT, @SportsRV, and @ProNickLow 12/13/19Good Morning Strippers! Anything Goes Friday! (0:00)Will the Texans bounce back against the Titans? (13:23)Another Chris Gordy Texans Parody (33:35)Rudy Tomjanovich Joins Matt On A Flashback Friday (59:23)Brian T. Smith Points Out The Texans' Biggest Issue, "Consistency" (1:11:20)

If a Lenovo gaming computer is on your holiday list, don't shop around. Just go directly to the source, Lenovo.com. You'll find exclusive deals on the gaming PCs you want, like the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 10 gaming desktop and Lenovo Lock Gaming Laptop. So avoid all that shopping, chaos and price comparing, and just go directly to the source, Lenovo.com, where PCs are up to 50% off. That's Lenovo.com. You're not larger than life.

Yeah. Lunch timers is the Matt Thomas show. 1201 in H-Town. To a Friday edition of the Matt Thomas show. Today from Orlando, where this evening the Rockets will take on something called the Orlando Magic. It is also Rossi, a flashback Friday, which means the guys are going with the ketchup and mustard. and I mean the real legit ones from back in the day. How does it make you feel?

Well, real legit, except for the advertisement on the top right side, but that's okay. And the font's a little bigger, too, with the word Houston. But other than that, it's pretty damn good. Can they just go to those full time now? Actually, the answer is no to that. Well, the excuse was always they wanted to use the old jerseys and logos because they were big in China. And now China hates them, right? So let's just go ahead and go back.

Yeah, there's some. Let's flashback every Friday. Let's flashback Tuesdays. Way back Wednesdays. If the Rockets at a Facebook page, you would say it's complicated. Does that would be fair to say? Throwback Thursdays. Yeah, let's get them all going.

It is complicated. All right. So not only are we going to flashback with the uniforms tonight, but we're going to flashback with our good friend Rudy Tom Jonovich at 1.30 this afternoon. Wonderful. Isn't it seem like it's appropriate that Rockets and Magic are playing and we're having Rudy T on the show? That's true. Is Nick Anderson going to be there?

Nick Anderson probably will not be there as part of Flashback Friday. What do we get him on the horn? See what he has to say about the old Rockets days. I would have to go into the hashtag too soon, right? Probably. I don't know. I mean, Nick's, Nick had a really good NBA career, right? I mean, nothing like multiple All-Stars or Hall of Fame or retired jerseys and

like that, but he had a nice NBA career. Yes. He's just never going to live down the multiple free throws that he missed in the finals. Yeah, a day which will love infamy for him. there's a few people in this world of sports, Rossi, that have had those moments where they will never ever, you know. For instance, even though the Red Sox have won a couple of World Series, Bill Buckner ball going under his glove,

that's never going to change, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, like guys who are just walking the street or minding their business at a restaurant and somebody comes by and says, hey, are you the guy that missed all those free throws at the 95 finals? Now, let me ask you this. If Nick Anderson is in, say, let's just go, Laramie, Wyoming. and he's at a restakehouse having a big old T-bone. Is he allowed to eat there?

Too soon. Does somebody walk up and say, hey, Nick, you look familiar. I play in the NBA for a long time. I don't know if the average NBA fan knows that Nick Anderson brick free throws in the NBA final. If they're recognizing him, that's like the one thing you recognize Dick Anderson for, right? I don't know if the Anderson family wants to agree with you on those things. but we will have not Nick Anderson, but Rudy Tom

Jonovic with us at 1.30 today. Rudy, Rossi, might just be one of the nicest people in the history of the world. Coaches, typically, speaking, are A-holes. They just are. We've been pretty lucky. AJ Hinch, Larry Durker,

Bill O'Brien. What's that? Bill O'Brien. No, I didn't mention his name. Oh. A lot of great college coaches in our town. Mike Dan Tony is Salt of the Earth now. A.J. Hinch is terrific. But Rudy is just in rarefied air.

I mean, successful coach, good people person, just very, very likable. And it's going to be so much fun to visit with him today at 1.30. We also have rumors of a Chris Gordy Friday football parody. Have you got any information on the parody yet? I do not have confirmation on that, but I'm looking forward to it, no matter what. Yeah, I don't care how bad it is. It's just been so long since he had one that we need to just honor it. He just finishes New Orleans show talking about LSU for two straight hours, so I'm sure he'll get working on it or finishing it up pretty quick. Do you think that he just

watched the college football players award ceremony on an endless loop since the last year? Oh my gosh, he was constantly tweeting about it. Yeah, I have to mute Gordy when it comes to LSU. I mean, I know his team is good. Right. I know they're the number one seed. I know that Joe Burrell's going to win the Heisman. We get all that, Gordy. We get that LSU fan. But let us, let us non-LSU fans actually go to our Twitter account and see relevant things like nonstop impeachment tweets. No, I'd rather not that either. Let me tell you something. It's that anything goes Friday, but you cannot call about impeachment and you cannot call about LSU. Okay, can I say one quick comment about impeachment? Please. So you and I, Matt, we don't pay attention to politics at all, right?

Not really. I'm like, man, is this guy going to get impeached? Is he going to get removed from office? I have no clue because I haven't been paying attention. I don't really know how egregious his crimes and offenses are. Right. Which makes us, by the way, irresponsible human beings. No, I don't care.

So where's the one place you can go, Matt, to get a feel of how likely anything is to happen? The CW. The CW? The TV channel? Yeah. No, with Smallville on it? Gossip Girls? By the way.

Okay. Finish your story and then I got a quick story. So go ahead. So where's the one place we're going? Las Vegas. So I see that he's about a plus 550 to get removed from office, so I don't think it's happening. Yeah, I don't think so. That's all I needed to do.

I just was like, is this going to happen or not? And then you check the Vegas odds. Now I know, and I move on. That's all I needed to know. And I approve this message. Well, to be honest, I have flipped here a little bit. My hotel, which is lovely, doesn't have TNT for some reason. We have TBS, but no TNT.

So I was going to watch the NBA doubleheaders last night. And they didn't have it. So I wanted up watching a little bit of the Jets Ravens game. We went out and I did. Craig Acumen and I did. We were going to go play putt putt for skins. And then the weather just started pouring. So we got out of that.

So I wound up watching a mixture of MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News Channel. If a Lenovo gaming computer is on your holiday list, don't shop around. Just go directly to the source, Lenovo.com. You'll find exclusive deals on the gaming PCs you want, like the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 10 gaming desktop and Lenovo Lock Gaming Laptop. So avoid all that shopping chaos and price comparing, and just go directly to the source, Lenovo.com, where PCs are up to 50% off.

That's Lenovo.com. How about this first runner? two of the three channels thinks it was the right decision for the house to call in a night and then vote on it this morning. The other channel thought it was a farce. Hmm. I'll let you do the, you know how you remember in school where you'd have to take one phrase on the left side and cross it over with the right? Not really. You know what I'm saying?

You know the zigzags were matched the left or the right. It was a crossover kind of thing. You went to school. You know what I'm talking about. I don't know. I think they stopped doing that in the 70s. Okay. Back to CW for just a second.

CW. I don't watch anything on the CW because I don't watch anything on the CW because I don't. don't know if it's necessarily it's my demographic now when they used to have beverly hills nine on two one or whatever it was i would watch that rossie i have and we've talked about this before my hotel tv obsessions i can't get enough of jerry springer on the cw and you know he hasn't had a new episode in like two years is that right i didn't know that playing the repeats over and over and i get suckered into the to jerry springer today there was this really nice guy he's 18 years old he just graduated from high school he's going to architecture school

whatever that is i don't know if it's a college or just architecture and he comes on the jerry springer show to explain that to his the audience his new wife that uh at his bachelor party he got a mm-hmm from somebody what's a m-hmm i can't say it a gift a free shot yes yes and yes so The first thing that comes to my mind is, first of all, why are you getting married at 18? That's number one. That's a huge mistake. Number two, if you're going to tell your wife that you had something done to you on the side, are you going to run to a national television show to tell them?

Is there money in it? If you're the wife, don't you know that when your husband says, hey, I need to, let's go on the Jerry Springer show. It'll be fun. Something's got to be up, right? Where did they film that? Like Chicago or something? I forget. They did in Chicago.

I think it's now. It was recorded in like Stanford, Connecticut. Oh, I don't want a free trip to Stanford, Connecticut. Well, I'm just saying, I just don't know if this whole innocent act on the Jerry Springer show is really innocent. When the husband says, hey, Jerry Springer wants to fly you and I and this mysterious woman with us to Stanford, Connecticut, to be on the television show. You have to know that something's wrong. Maybe you lie to her and say, we're going to be in the audience. or maybe they knew it was over anyway so they wanted the parting gifts and I'm sure you get some kind of gift bag

what do you give you what does the Jerry Springer show give you as a gift who knows national embarrassment I mean they have beads but you got to take your top off of that that's what my life is in in Orlando Florida or it's been nonstop clotting and rainy I am watching CNN MSNBC Fox News Channel and the CW for my Jerry Springer repeats Welcome to the world of the media. Thanks, Donnie T. You know what we need to do right now? Who's winning Sunday's Texans' Titans game?

We did a one, two, three earlier, and you recused yourself. I'm ready to make a prediction. Like Donald Trump going on the stand. Me, you and Raw, and me, you and Nick. One, one, two, here we go. One, two, three. Titans, Titans. Matt, what?

It's Friday. You don't have a show unless you're going to call me tomorrow on the Sports RV show. 11 a.m. on Sports Talk, 790. God. All right, let's do it one more time. One, two, three. Titans. Matt, come on.

Don't be weak. I wonder what the city of Houston feels about this game. Texans, Titans, AFC South, potential division championship on the line. You're having to turn to the people because you're such a wush, you can't make a pick. That is accurate. I think I know what I want to go with.

Now, I will say this with a caveat. I have picked the Texans wrong every single week. I'm picking the Titans. Last week I had the Texans covering the eight. I had them losing the Patriots and so on and so on. All right. You hear that music, ladies and gentlemen, means one and one thing only. It's time for an Instapult.

You noon, are you lunch timers right at noon? How are you feeling about Sunday's game? Tell the truth. Don't do it based on betting. or gambling or trying to reverse jinx yourself. Who's winning Sunday's game? I don't need a deep analytical breakdown. That's what Nick Lowe is there for.

713-212-5-790. Who's winning the game on Sunday? It's very simple. Texans or Titans, and you cannot say it's a tie. Although Ross, they still have ties in the NFL. Would that not screw anything up if they went? to it. They had tied the game. It could potentially mess up the

AFC South standings. Here we go. 713-212-5-790. Time for us to determine who wins the instant pull. Line one, who you got, Texans or Titans? Texans by at least 10 points. Wow. How about that? That's a positivity right there. Line two on the Instapult. Who do you got, Texans or Titans?

Not. I think that means he's not watching the game. Right? Is that, okay? That would be fair to say on that one? All right. Line three, who do you got Texans or Titans? I got Texans. Two Texans calls. I'm about that. Line 5 in the Instapult. Who do you got Texans or Titans?

Titans by three. Titans by three. 7-1-3-21-2-5-7-90. 7-1-3-2-5-7-90. So far, two Texans calls and one Titans call. 7-1-3-21-2-5-7-90. Line two in the Instapult. Who do you got?

Texans or Titans? I want the Texans, but it's going to be the Titans. Titan up. Oh, he was sly, wasn't he there, Ross. Two each, first of four. And remember what we say, Ross, about the Instapole? It doesn't lie. Line three, who do you got, Texans or Titans?

Titans, Titans by three. Titans by, oh, my gosh. Line four in the Instapult, who do you got, Texans or Titans? We've got the Titans. That's it. Close it off. It's over. That was good.

That worked out good. I will tell you who will win the Texans game next. I'm not going to immediately mouth around. Oh, come on. This is Deaconess of Tackle, DJ Reader. The Matt Thomas show continues on Sports Talk 790. Real Texans talk here. A little R&B Friday as well.

This is going to be a great show today. Because unlike other, people we like you 713212 5 790 is how you reach a show that's the number you should call right now if you can go to the rockets and pistons game tomorrow i've got two pair of tickets i'm going to give away right this second at 7132 1 2125 790 all you have to do is know the answer to this question rudy t's on our show at 1 30 this afternoon first two people to tell me where he went to college and played his college basketball you will win the tickets for tomorrow night's game with The Pistons. If you know the answer, 713-212-5-790.

Speaking of the Pistons, Ross, did you see what happened to Andre Drummond of the Pistons yesterday in Mexico City? I saw that he was out for the game. No. Right? I think he played. Oh, did he play? He played.

I saw that he was going to be listed out, right? We're talking about the avocado thing. Yes, we are. I didn't want to spoil it, but I screwed it up, I guess. Sorry. Yeah, it is. That's okay. I know you're trying to slow play it.

I thought he missed the game. I was reading that he was going to miss the game. If I'm looking at the box score from yesterday. Okay, yeah, that's fine. Yeah, I think he did play. I guess he was questionable and then played. But aren't we always questionable? I'm questionable.

I'm highly questionable. Yeah, Andre had 23 points on 10 of 14 shooting, made 36 in the line. He persevered, Matt, through an avocado-related injury. So we should explain. It wasn't that he got sick off the avocado, like, you know, a bad avocado. You know, the reason why I bring this up is because I don't like avocado. I don't like guacamole. I don't like any of it.

What? Yeah, I know. You've told you that before. Just get off air. You didn't ask me who I want in the Texans' Titans game. Oh, boy. I don't care about that one. I already picked the Titans.

Okay. So, we have our winners, by the way, for our Rocket's tickets. We have the two winners. Congratulations. Rudy T. went to Michigan. So we'll give away some tickets for the Rocket Spurs game on Monday. So stand by for that a little bit later on on the show. We have got five pairs, so plenty.

Because, again, we love. We want y'all to keep listening here to Sports Talk 790. So he didn't get a bad avocado. What I don't understand is it caused an allergic reaction to one of his eyes. Yeah. That's when you just don't want to need, when God created us, right? And he all created this in different ways. I clearly am more handsome than the average human out there.

He gave you a long mane of hair. I mean, these are things that God did for us. but he also gave us some an adequacies as well. Illergic, maybe we have an extra toe, whatever the case may be. When did God say that, you know what, we're going to give Andre Drummond an avocado allergic reaction that's going to force him to his eye to get all puffy? Just happens, Matt. Isn't that bizarre?

Yes, it's bizarre. Now, I will say this. I'm allergic to one and one thing only. Cats. Really? Very, very allergic to cats. Like violently? Well, I mean, like, I get, my eyes start to well up.

You wheeze? I start wheezing. Yeah, it's not pretty. I mean, it's not like I'm going to die if I'm in a room with a cat, but it's not great. That's one of the, that's a good one to have, though, because cats are the worst. Cats don't serve any purpose. They just sit there and meow at you. They get mad at you if you don't feed them.

You got to change out there litter. It's just a hot man. They're not adorable. They don't cuddle up to you. The cat hair spreads everywhere. They're just not a real purpose for cats. I have very sensitive skin, so I'm allergic to like any sort of, like, you know, poison ivy will give somebody a rash.

It will make me swell up like somebody who's eating shellfish. So I can't, yeah, I can't be near it. All right. So I just thought it was interesting that of all things that would cause a player to potentially miss a game, not because he got food poisoning or he had a rotten avocado. It just caused an allergic reaction to see one of his eyes. But he did play. I didn't see any highlights because, again, I don't have T&T in my room.

But he did okay. And I'm sure he'll be able to go tomorrow night for the Rockets and the Pistons game. So I wanted to pass that along. Michael and Callen are two winners for those tickets. So we're going to give away between now and three o'clock today. Five pair of tickets for Monday night's game. We're giving away five today? Yeah.

Wow. It's San Antonio. Yeah. They lost last night to Cleveland. How about that? The Rockets barely get away with a winning Cleveland. Cleveland then jumps on a plane, goes to San Antonio, and beats the spurs in overtime. This wacky NBA of ours.

All right, now I'm ready to tell you this at 1225. I've been mealy-mouthed enough of this. The Houston Texans were humiliated Ross last week at the hands of the Denver Broncos. One of the worst losses in the Bill O'Brien regime. And unfortunately, there's quite a bit of them. They're bouncing back this week, and they're going to beat the Titans in Nashville. They do always do that. Just when you think the Texans are the lowest of the low,

which losing to Denver at home after the big New England win, that would be the lowest of the low. They're bouncing back. Because first of all, the Texans have had a good history of winning in Nashville. That's not out of the ordinary. Now, granted, Ryan Tannahill is playing out of his mind. Derek Henry is having an amazing season. But as far as I'm concerned,

I think this is a football team that needs to look themselves in the mirror and say, look, are we good to win this division? Are we better than what we showed the regional audience last week? And they are. They're not world beaters. They're not better than Baltimore.

I don't know at the end of the day if they're better than Kansas. It even when they beat them. I don't know if they're better than New England come January. But I can tell you, they're going to be better than Tennessee. And they're going to win this game on someday. Yeah, I mean, I can't even call that crazy

because I never know what Texans team we're going to get. right. When they're riding high, they let you down. When they're down in the dumps, they surprise you and bounce back. It's just, it's the Bill O'Brien Texans way. And that's why our show struggles. It does during this time of year because we can't, we can't send a message that resonates with the audience that sticks. Remember, you know how Ross, when the Astros lose like five or six in a row? when they go on one of you know like remember last year they went to since any got swept then they lost like the first three of four to the yankees or whatever something it was it was like a mid-June road trip and we kept telling everybody relax this is a really good baseball team

that is going through a slump and blank happens right we knew at the end of the day the asteros were going to be one of the best baseball teams they were going to win their division comfortably they were going to win the american league and they got damn close one of the one of the win the World Series. I can't as a sports talk host push that to y'all because I don't believe it. It's like, you know what?

And you could probably say the same thing for the Rockets. There are so many people that love basketball, that love James Harden, that appreciate what happens in the months of December, January, and February. May not be a lot, but there's some. That if I said, hey,

the Rockets are legitimate title contenders, you're going to scoff at me. because you know what the team has done the last handful of years. Granted, there's been one team largely in the way in the Golden State Warriors. So it's one of those situations that no matter what happens this Sunday, it's hard to convince a certain segment of the population that this Texas team is for real. Because as you said, Ross, just when you think they have absolutely hit rock bottom,

they come back with an impressive win. How in the world does this Houston Texan football team, have eight wins, including two of them against legitimate AFC contenders, at home against New England, who you've lost a bunch of games to, and you went to Kansas City and won there, and yet there is still a large segment of the population that Ross honestly could give two rips how this game Sunday turns out. And that makes me sad, but it's just the truth.

Why is that? You can't trust him. You can't trust them. Yeah, I'm sticking with that. I told you, even if they went out, hold me to it. I can't trust them. If your Twitter account is Texan for Life, I bleed Battle Red, you know, Clay Walker's Bestie, I mean, that group of those people, whoever that is, traveling Texan, Texan, Karen,

they're all into this week because they're going to Nashville. They're going to have a good time. It's a good city. They're going to get in front of City Hall and take the picture with a thousand their buddies. And that's a group that you just keep. They're always going to think that they're going to win. And that's okay. Every fan base has that.

But man, this sucks. We got an immensely important game this week that largely will direct where this team is going to go. And I just had a random people listen to our show. I mean, completely random. That's what the insta poll is. Four out of six of you said the Titans are going to win the football game. So, Ross, we ain't preaching the choir here, to be brutally honest, are we? No.

I think most people are on our side. But I don't want to be, I don't want to talk about, oh, here we go again. Because I really do believe when the chips are absolutely down, at least in regular season games, the Texans come back with this. This reeks of the formula where they're going to go to Nashville this week and they're going to to win that game which then will ask the question what will Monday's phone calls be like following a win which will put them in the driver's seat so to speak the aFC south these are the things i think about i'm not sure if you guys watch the film well we'll watch the game i don't if i'm going to watch you all 22 right after it but bill will watch the game and if you if deshaun has

protection and uses all the receivers and will fuller can go and the Texans can put some sort of rush on and force a couple of turnovers, maybe a fumble or two, maybe get Tannahill out of his comfort zone. There's no reason why the Texans can't win. We can't do that. Yeah, you can. You've done it before. Do you, Bill O'Brien, want to prove the naysayers wrong yet again? That's ridiculous.

The Rockets are world champions. Houston Astros. World Series champions. Home for your home teams that actually win championships on Sports Talk 790. 1236 on anything goes Friday. Ross explained the essence to the audience. What is it, anything goes Friday? Yes, Matthew, at 713-1-2-1-2-5-7-97.

13-2-1-2-5-7. On the phone lines of the Matt Thomas show, look, you've heard the calls Monday through Thursday. We give a longer leash in anybody in the bidness and the leash gets even longer on a Friday. If you want to talk about whether or not, not the Titans are going to beat the Texans at home on Sunday. We can definitely get to that. You got the Rockets with the back-to-back Orlando tonight, the Pistons tomorrow. You have,

let's see, Garrett Cole going all over the place and free agent moves being made and Rendon becoming an angel. You can talk about that. By the way, those photos of Garrett Cole, were those photoshopped or is that really him cutting his hair and his facial hair? I think it's real, but I don't really know because I have a slight eye for a Photoshop since I make them, and they didn't look like Photoshop's to me, but I could be wrong. All right. I would guess that they are, but it really didn't

look like them when I was trying to look at them closely. And then also, it's that time of year, so if you're Christmas shopping for a loved one, Matt Thomas can tell you where to go and what to get, and gift ideas. That's right. We will talk about anything except impeachment stuff. Yes. It's anything but impeachment goes Friday.

Yeah, if you want to talk impeachment, just call Nick Offair and just talking to him for a couple minutes. He loves that kind of stuff. Is Michael Barry on? No, probably not. Call Michael Barry Winster. Is he? Yeah, well after our show's over, though. Well, that's what I meant.

I mean, he's not on right now. He's on before and after. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. That's very confusing. You got a place to go, 740 for all your nonstop impeachment coverage. So anything goes Friday. It's 71321, 125, 790. Last night, Rossi, I think Lamar and Jackson cemented the MVP war.

Would that be fair to say? Well, we always say guys submit. Wasn't there like a 50-point triple double that James Hart? had and we said he cinched the MVP and then he didn't win it. Yeah, that's but, yeah, you're probably right. But there is only two, what, only two more weeks of the season now left after this. So we're talking about. And my guess is Lamar will not play in the last one because I don't think the Ravens are going

to need it. Yeah. How do you feel about that in general, by the way? That's like three weeks off in between games. Yeah, they got the Browns next week and then the Steelers the week after that. Which that Steeler game might have an impact on the Texans and a wild card, especially if the Texans do not. win the AFC South and they don't win one of the, at least one, if not two of the Tennessee

games. Hmm. Yeah. God. The bills are probably going to get in, no matter what. The bills are getting in unless they just absolutely fall in their face the rest of the way. Although, again, what do they have this week? Steelers, Patriots, Jets.

So, big one with Steelers' Bills. Steelers, Patriots, Jets. The first two on the road. Well, then maybe, you know what? It could be highly contingent. suggested for that last playoff spot, or both of them for that matter. Because the Chargers aren't going to get it, right? No, they're way out.

You know what? The loser of the AFC South might have an opportunity, especially if, say, Tennessee beats New Orleans next week and splits with the Texans the next couple of them. The Raiders could win out and go nine and seven. What are their last few games like? I think they have one against the Chief. No, they don't.

They don't want to against the Chief. They already lost him twice. Jaguars at home win at the Chargers that's a win at the Broncos wow I don't think we can sleep on the Oakland Raiders

honestly although they're as schizophrenic as it gets yeah they have lost three straight after going six and four they won three straight and then they lost three straight and they're terrible at home and they're terrible on the road too and these losses that they've been having

are I mean 34 to three to the Jets 40 to 9 to the Chiefs and 42 to 21 of the Titans. They've been getting just boat raced. They've given up. But you know what it is? Here's the thing about this week. I think isn't this Sunday the last game ever in Oakland for them? Is it going to be emotional?

Are they going to ride the black hole to the wind? Wait, what? No, you don't want to say that again on a major market radio show. Never, never, ever said that again. I will tell you this, and this is no grandiose prediction. I think the Las Vegas Raiders, as long as Gruden isn't just a complete nut job and doesn't know what the hell he's doing, which I don't think he is. I think Mike Mayak is a good executive. I think he's, you know, he had to put the foot down on a variety of horrific things that were involving what Antonio Brown and Raiderland, right?

I think they're going to be a really interesting franchise to watch. I think the mystique of going to Las Vegas and that brand new stadium is going to be something that's going to be very interesting. for the long term. Now granted, you do have Kansas City in that division and Pat Mahomes showing no real signs except for just being injured, but he's not slowing down at all. They've got an amazing offense. But I don't think the Los Angeles Chargers are going to be a team that is going to be a serious contender because they're going to be in L.A. in a couple of years playing in front of 15,000 people in this gargantuan stadium of their own.

I don't think Denver long term is built until they figure out what their quarterback situation is. I think the Raiders, if they can take advantage of some draft picks they have and not get themselves into that controversial, let's go find one or two crazy players every year like we like to and try to rehabilitate them, I think the Las Vegas Raiders are going to be a team that's going to be very pesky for future teams, especially the AFC West.

Could be. I don't know. You're not finding into it. You're kind of thinking, once a raider, always a raider, no matter what locale? I mean, it could happen, but I mean, this was supposed to be a year where they were supposed

to make that leap, and they look good. I mean, there's two schizophrenic right now. It's for me to buy into them. Okay, but I'm just saying, I think the move to Las Vegas is going to do them a world of good. I think it'll do a world of good for the traveling Texans. Well, here's the thing. It's going to be good for any traveling fan,

because I don't know if Las Vegas, and I don't know how big the stadium is going to be, but they're going to have to open it up for like 20 to 25,000 people that are fans of the other teams to come there. That's the whole reason why you built the stadium right where it is, plunk in the middle of where all the casinos are. You know what we need to do, Matt? So you fill those rooms up on Sunday, huh? You know what we need to do?

Hmm. We need to, I mean, I'm like 100% serious right now. We need to get PSLs. We need to be ground floor, season ticket holders for life. And that's, you know how much we would make on the resale market with those? So you're saying, you and I need to become Las Vegas. Raider season ticket holders? Yes.

Hmm. This is Matt Thomas Show Enterprises. I'm investing. We need to invest in this. Well, here's the thing. Ross and I always talk about this. We're trying to find things to invest in. Restaurants and bars, very sketchy.

The stock market ebbs and flows. Yeah, you know what? Oil and gas can run hot and cold too. Las Vegas Raiders season ticket holder. That's your, that's always going to be a golden ticket. Because even if the team sucks, the visiting team will want to buy the tickets.

Yeah. What you do is every year you find out who their opponents are and you go on stub hub and those other cities and say, hey, I got these two really good tickets. Get them while they're hot. Kind of created a demand for it early on. I think it's a great idea. If you would like to join our conglomer, why don't we buy a bunch of tickets, Ross? Yeah, we can buy these four. Yeah. We can create a like a little

a little corporation called Hugh Tech's Raider fan. Hmm. Oh, we'd have to buy a PSL from a Raider fan now. We could do that. How much of those PSLs running by? Probably pretty pricey.

All right. See, that's what we do on anything goes Friday. We try to talk up the game coming up between the Texans and the Titans, and we also try to think of get-rich-quick schemes. We hatch money-making schemes, yes. That's an in-go-R-Fri-T. These ideas, they fall flat.

Thankfully, remote-for-you.biz. No, it doesn't. It does. You've got zero clients. I had to go to a restaurant yesterday and tell them how to change a channel to put a game on for us. It doesn't count when it's Morton's. How do you know it to Morton? Fancy Matt.

Whatever. Hey, it's Jeff Blum. Blum fact number 14. I was on the White Sox in 2005. Yeah, sorry about that sweep, H-Town. but we're all good right now, right? World Series champion. Back to your lunchtime champion, Matt Thomas.

All right, everybody, stand by. We have got a Chris Gordy, horrible football Friday period. And let everybody kind of get assembled, you know, gather around the radio, Ross, like it's old time, 1965. Like a fireside chat. Yeah. We haven't had one from him in weeks. So this better be a doozy.

It's a big game, Ross. This is AFC South Division Powers, lied. We can't sell this hard enough. And by the way, the Texans are going to beat the Titans. I'll give you a final score we play beat the Smell's coming up at 120. But right now, ladies and gentlemen, you are welcome to join us at 713212-5-790. 7-13-1-2-1-2-5-790. Before we get to your phone calls on this and anything goes Friday, whether it be Rockets, Astros, Texans matchup coming up this week. Yesterday's LSU College Award show.

I present to you, Chris Gordy's horrible football Friday parody. Little game between the Sean and the Titans. Two AFC teams sitting at 8 and 5. Texas got beat down by the Broncos. Tana Hills got the Titans back up alive. Mike Vrable used to coach under Bill O'Brien. Now he gets to show why he's a better coach. O'Brien needs to win to save his job.

Cal McMan with a long leash, just like Bob, say, oh yeah. Start a ride on Kirby while we drink some booze, say, oh yeah. Urban Meyer or Riverboat Run. Let me tell you something. I'm here in Orlando. though. If Gordy was anywhere close to me, I would hug him

in a long, grown-ass, heterosexual embrace. Would you hug me, man? I hadn't seen him like five weeks. It feels like, no, I'm okay with that. You don't provide great material. He does. Anybody have any comments on that? Because, frankly, I would like to listen to it again.

We'll play it later before the end of show. I'm just looking forward to hearing a second time. And by the way, one of the best things about the end of the year is we do pull out all the gaudy parodies on one show. You're going to be gone when we do that. Oh, that's right. I'll be out of town. Folks, look, we're not going to give you the best sports information. We're going to give you some, but not the best.

We ain't going to break it down like a model like other shows, pretend like they think they think they do a bunch of goobly goop that makes something that sounds like they are smart. We're going to entertain the hell out of you. And that right there was entertainment. you needed that on a Friday for the big tilt between the Texans and the Titans. God, was that good. 713-212-5-790 if you'd like to join us. 7-1-3-212-5-7-90. Chris Gordy's amazing Friday football.

I'm not going to say horrible parties because they just aren't ever horrible anymore. They just continue to entertain us. Adam and Cyprus at 1255. Hi, Adam. Hey, how you doing, Matt? Good, what's going on? All right, I've got a conspiracy theory here. So last year, we jumped out, right, too, that we had a couple of losses,

and then we had that 11 and 5 run, right? And then we kind of stumbled in the playoffs and then, you know, lost, obviously, right? Well, I know we're going to get, like, bipolar DeShon Watson this week, probably, you know, or we've been the last couple weeks, right? So we don't know what we're going to get. But I don't know. I think that since we had that 11 and 5, why don't we just flip it? I think they're kind of flipping it around to where they're kind of kind of stumble in the playoffs

because you've got to get in. And maybe they're just, you know, trying to stumble in instead of get a bunch of wins all at one time and see what they can do once they're in the playoffs. I don't know. It's all up in there. It's all up in the air, Matt. Okay. So he wants a team that doesn't have a playoff spot clinch to stumble into it in order to be better for it once they get in it.

Do you got them right where we want them, doctrine. Okay, Adam. There's only one problem with Adam's point, Ross. If you stumble, like right now, you're not going to get into the playoffs. If the Texans were 12 and 1, you could stumble your way into the playoffs. You can't go stumbling when you ain't in yet. So Adam, I appreciate the effort. You got, frankly, a much longer leash than a Monday through Thursday call would be.

But in the big picture, that made absolutely no sense. Adam's crazy like a fox. I love Adam. It's a good kid. listens to show works hard thought about calling a show on a Friday and spelling out the reasons why the Texans are going to be

deeper in the plows because they're going to stumble their way in and then they're going to be better come January you don't want to peek early Matt no you don't clearly you don't want to peak after the New England Patriots you want to stumble against Denver

and jeopardize your chances of win the the AFC South could you imagine Bill O'Brien Ross. Hey everybody, look, we know how good we were like. Remember how good we were last year when we won 11 in a row? And we just took up the AMC South title piece of cake, no big deal. And then we crapped the bet against the Colts. Let's try something different this year. Let's let ourselves down. Let's not play to our abilities. And let an under 500 team in the Denver Broncos come in here and embarrass us. That's how we'll get ready for the month of January. Yeah, I don't, I don't know

if that's the way they think over there. I mean, I don't know what they think over there because they don't talk a whole lot. Like, do you think Jack Easterby is going to that line of thinking, Ross? Because he is the Uber motivational speaker of the Houston, Texas. Well, is he, does he do a good job? Sometimes he doesn't. Sometimes he doesn't. Number of words you've heard from Cal McNair this year would be what?

Zero. Zero. Number words you've heard from Jack Easterby this year? Zero. Zero. Number words you hear from us? Probably too many. is the Matt Thomas show

Here we go with the second hour of three On the Matt Thomas show And we are with you until 3 o'clock I'm here in Orlando where tonight the Rockets take on the magic Tyson Chandler still not available for the team with the What? Yeah he must have a terrible flu going on But awesome reverence looks like he's going to be here

So he looks like he's going to help the cause a little bit tonight What is going on? with his flu. You know the whole league is going around, the entire league and the entire NFL? Do you know what it is honestly? It probably just, patient zero is probably just some stripper in Atlanta somewhere. So you're saying that one stripper is connecting all these illnesses? Right.

This is like the movie Outbreak. How do you explain my cold? I'm not saying you got it from her directly. I'm saying she's the one who got it to gave it to everybody, to give it to somebody, to give it to somebody. I think it honestly is. Or were you at Magic City? New. New.

No. No, no, no, no. In my room or at church, one of the two places in the last 36 hours. And when you're in your room, you're reading the Bible in the top drawer. The Gideon's version, of course. Do they give professional athletes flu shots? I don't know. Yeah, we were talking about this.

I think when you were gone, when were you gone for the last hour, Matt? We were trying to figure out what's going on with flu shot. Like, do they give... We need to get to the bottom of this. We need them all taking flu shots. shots. But do flu shots absolutely 100% preclude you from getting the flu? No, they don't.

They give you a better, they, they improve your chances, they reduce your chances by 60%. All right. I did not get a flu shot this year. Not because I was avoiding it. I just forgot. And is it, am I past my time to get it or is it you can still get them anytime? I think you can get them anytime. Well, I got the flu earlier this year.

You did? Yeah. So you don't need one. So once you get the flu? You know, you can't double flu in the same year, can you? Well, yeah, you can't. There's multiple strains floating around. Maybe I should leave the show right now and go get a flu shot somewhere.

All right. I bet I can find a CVS within 50 feet of this hotel. Probably. Because I'm in Florida where there's nothing but medical care everywhere. By the way, a complete Florida story, somebody drove through a convenience store in an SUV today. They were delirious, I guess medication hit him badly, and they drove right through the front door of the quick stop or whatever the hell. Did you catch this on the local news? Of course.

That's what Channel 6 in Orlando lives for. Could you imagine being a news reporter in the state of Florida? Your news is, oh, you don't have to ever investigate anything. You don't ever have to, like, get into a room and close the door with your producers and say, what kind of stories would be interest people? You know, people that are interested in? You going to a waffle house completely naked, running around thinking that you're going to be attacked by ghost. That's what Florida stories are about.

Like when you're watching Channel 13 and Channel 11 back home, it's about, unfortunately, robberies, gun down, terrible accidents. Here in Orlando, it's just strange people taking off their clothes and going inside fast food restaurants, demanding things. Well, when you're in Florida, that's the local news. That's right. Like tonight, Channel 6 here in Orlando. You know what, our president is under impeachment troubles. but first 49-year-old man

walks into a I don't know subway wearing just a banana hammock says he didn't get enough peppers on his sandwich I mean is that newsworthy at that point I've got to be every day at Florida he's never tired

I would never get tired of it and by the way not to be sexist or anything Ross but the news anchors here in Orlando are very attractive. That's not sexist. They put hot women on TV. That's just how it goes. All right.

713, 2.12.5.7.90. Let's get George in in downtown. George, what do you got on the Texans Titans on Sunday? So I actually tweeted this to you guys maybe like 30 minutes ago, but I think they play like they do, like when Deshawn's hot, everybody's hot. Yep. We should be able to win. But since you guys brought up entertainment, there's a segment you guys did a while

back where he were practicing Rockets calls and the tone of different songs. And I think you were going to do it to Beyonce. So I'm trying to see if I can get you to do that because that was funny as hell. I don't remember that. Ross, do you? I don't. Oh, man. It was a, I forget.

It was on a Friday, though, but it just cracked me up. I remember. But other than that, I hope the Texans win. And I'll pretty much sing up and listen. Thanks, guys. All right. Thank you for the phone call. Yeah, Ross, they're going to play.

Because here's the thing. Tennessee's on a hot streak. But do they really pound for pound better than the Houston Texans are? And having the Texans as a history shown to be a franchise, at least under Bill O'Brien, that when you are ready to absolutely kick them to the curb and say they're done in Finito, they come up with a win they're not supposed to get. Yeah, but past results have no bearing on this game in the week. I don't know.

I just think it's too easy to bury the Texans right now. Because here's the thing. If they lose this week, they will be in clear second place for the first time and a long time in this division. They will no longer have control of their own destiny. They will have to be scoreboard watchers. And I don't. No, they'll be still being in control, right? Because they play the Titans again.

But what if they lose to the Buccaneers? Well, you're controlling your destiny. You don't lose in the Buccaneers. So here's the thing. If they win two of the last three games, they're in the playoffs. Is that what we're basically saying? Which would be accurate, right? 10 and 6 gets them in.

Yes, I think because they have a better conference record than the Titans, correct? Correct. Because their losses, well, they've lost two of their losses this year. Titans are 2 and 2 in the division, so they would end up 3 and 3, and the Texans would end up 4 and 2. So yes. Yeah, because two of the Texans losses come to NFC opponents. Okay.

So really, man, this is a throwaway game. Like Adam and Cyprus said. You get this one away and then you win the next two. Adam and Cyprus. We all unapology. This is a complete throwaway game. This doesn't mean much. It means frankly nothing.

Now, it does put a lot of pressure on you to win at Tampa, which if you need pressure to win at Tampa, then you just aren't built for the playoffs. But then you have in your back pocket the Tennessee game at home to win the division. Rossi. Adam and Cyprus was right. Think about this. They go up there to Nashville on Sunday, lose the game, then, hey, Bill O'Brien sucks times 10, got to fire him, got to bring Irman Meyer in, got to bring in Riverboat Ron, got to go bring in one of a Patriot Disciple because that's what Jack Easterby wants.

Then when everybody's down, they scratch out a 27-24 win-a-one. at Tampa in a driving rainstorm in South in East Florida, West Florida. And that sets up a 325 game, the final Sunday of the regular season, with everything on the line, Titans v. Texans, Jim Nance, Tony Romo, calling their second Titans Texans game in three weeks. It's totally believable, isn't it? I could see it happening. That would be very Texans of them. And I can imagine this.

Everybody counted us out. But we came here to Tampa. We need to do what we need to do. We're going to have 72,000 Texans, and Texans traveling fans back at home, wearing really weird mask and face paint and screaming and yelling on their drums. And they're going to be there to watch us

beat the Titan 17 to 16 on a Jaime Fairbair and field goal at the gun to win. F.C. South and we'll drop the banner in front of those 72,000 people. And there'll be people that will be hugging and kissing each other and embracing each other. They welcome the newborn of the family. And then as a number four seed, we'll get a chance to host either the Buffalo Bills or the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Oakland Raiders in a wild card playoff game in the following week. Ross, we have just set up for the city of Houston how things are going to go.

So Adam and Cyprus, if you're listening to me right now, and I hope that you are. Thank you for basically telling us the Texans need to completely crap themselves this Sunday in Tennessee in order for the buildup of the final two weeks. AFC South champions two years in a row. Brian. Four years out of five if they pull it off this year. We're going to throw this at Brian T. Smith in 48 minutes and see if he buys into this. Are they going to put up four different banners for the four different AFC South championships? I haven't looked up in our general time.

I would look at the scoreboard, but it's so littered with it. ads that I don't know where the score is. Yes, you do. Oh, you're right. You're being dramatic. Me being dramatic on a radio show? Stop. All right. Do you buy in a mic? That is the conspiracy theory. It's a wonderful one. 713 212-5-790. 7-13

212-5-790. Ross, as we go to break, I'd like to give away three pairs of rockets tickets for Monday's game with the San Antonio Spurs. Can we do this? that? Wow. Three. Rudy T. Trivia, because we got Rudy T. coming up at the bottom of the hour. What was his uniform number as a member of the Houston Rockets? Do you know?

713. 212.5.790, the first three people that call Nick with the correct answer to that. My friends will win the tickets for Rockets and Spurs Monday inside Toyota Center. Good morning, strippers. Shower with the Matt Thomas show. wash off the glitter and daddy issues Do we get away all the winners? Nick Lowe? He's on with him right now. Oh, he's on the phone on the right now?

Rudy T's going to join us in about 10 minutes here on Sports Talk seminar. Anything that you think I should ask Rudy that hasn't been asked? Because, I mean, again, me being here in Orlando kind of makes it special because of one of the greatest moments in Rocket's history involving an Orlando match player not doing his job. and the Rockets doing their job. What in that 95 series in four straight games? The golden years. The good times.

Yeah. By the way, I've kind of thought about something, and I've been looking on this on Twitter. Apparently Scotty Pippen's taking his shots at James Harden. You know, I can't fight that battle. I don't want to fight that battle. Christopher Kelly and Stewart got our winner to our Rudy Tom Jonathan. We do have that audio, by the way, if you like.

Go ahead and play it so we can at least address it here and get this out of the way. All right, Hardens 55 is nothing. Is Hardens 55 something, nothing or everything? To me, it's nothing. What? He's going to fashion of how the game is being played today. He controlling the ball possession most of the game. It's really just a one-on-one game right now for him.

I mean, he's shooting the basketball. He's looking at guys like Westbrook. They're wide open, and he's just still lodging shots. So to see him score 50 to 5 is nothing because he's shooting every shot on him. Yeah, I'm going to tell you today being December 13th, 2019. And not that you and I honestly spend a lot of time on this because it's an exhausting topic. I mean, I bring it up once in a blue moon, but I'm over it. If old players don't like it, it's okay.

Everybody's entitled to their opinion, Ross. They just are. And it hasn't been a good week if you're a James Hardin fan because Jay Williams took your shots. Scotty Pippen took your shots. It doesn't take long for Shaq and Charles will take their jabs too. It is, you know what? Everybody's got an opinion. It doesn't make one more valid than the other.

You know what, Ross, we're in a results-oriented business. And by what Hardin has to do to get his points, helps the Rockets win basketball games. Yep. And also Scotty was also asked, how many points would he average on today's Rockets? How many points were you of average playing in the Rocket system? It's a day's game.

If I come down and pound it, I'll get 40. Hmm. Scotty Pippin would average 40 a night in today's game. So he's telling me, he's telling us, I should say, that what James is averaging now, Scotty could do. Yep. When Scotty never really could fully embrace being the main score

or any basketball team ever in his career. He had that one season where they won 55 games when Jordan went out. can go look and see what he averaged a game that that year. I think it was like probably around 22 or something like that. Yeah, what are his career numbers? I'm just curious. Because, I mean, Scotty was very, very good. I mean, I'm not going to revisit.

I'm not going to recreate history and edit it for you. Yeah, 93, 94 when Jordan was out, he averaged 22 a game. That was his career high. That was the most he'd ever average. So you're telling me the game has changed so much since 1993 that he could double his office. to production. Double. It's offensive output, yes.

And this theory that everybody is doing it, I mean, I'm looking up 50-point games this season. Five players have scored 50-point games. None of them have done it twice. James Hardin has done it four times. Four times. Nobody has more than one. Yeah.

So let's just do this. Let's just not worry. And I know that these soundbite show, on our audio system and I know they're easy talking points. But we can just describe the narrative as the following. Old school NBA players don't like James Hardin. And you know what?

Okay. I just, I mean, could you, I mean, how do you think Sky? And honestly, James doesn't even react to it. If Charles Barkley was playing the heyday of his career and he heard Oscar Roberts and tell him, man, Charles, I don't like the way you play basketball. You take a lot of mid-range shots. You put your ass towards the basket and dribble the ball for 10 seconds before you take a shot with like one on the shot clock.

You take yellow at least threes. How do you think Charles Ross would have reacted to Oscar Robertson or Bob Coosie or John Havillcheck, any of those great players from back in the day when a modern player would take a shot at him? Or an old player would take a shot at a modern player. Probably not well, but there probably was some more of that stuff going on then. I mean, there's always been the, oh, you know, we used to do it better back in my day. Right. Now, I will give you one example that kind of goes against what I just said.

Last night, Toronto, Philadelphia played Boston. And I didn't see the game because I didn't have T&T in the hotel. But apparently, Shaq and Charles have taken not Umbuds or shots, but have said, Joel Embed, you're averaging 22 points a game. You're one of the most dominating bodies' personality, not personal, but just, physical creatures in the NBA, you should be scoring 35, 40 points a game, getting at least 15 rebounds, at least blocking five shots. And those guys took their jabs at him.

So Dwell and beat against Boston last night had one of those types of games, and he puts the headset on after the game, and he goes, you know what, you guys are right. I am too passive. I am a guy that looks for other guys to get involved. I should be doing more than what those guys were saying. So sometimes it rings home. I just, what, I mean, does the critics want James to hand the ball off to other people who don't shoot nearly as well as he does and just say, well, he's just a better teammate?

I guess. He's one of the league leaders in assists, too, so I don't know. Yeah. All right. So I'm just telling you today that we're not going to do much of the ex-athlet, ex- NBA star hates James Harder because I just think it gets nauseating. It's tired of, I'm tired of bringing it up. I'm tired of hearing about how everybody hates him. But frankly, at the end of the day, the only way that James fixes this,

and whether he's bothered by it, I don't know, is he's going to win a championship. Then all that crap will go away. Well, and then they'll say, oh, you only have one, and LeBron has three, and Kobe has five. So you know what, then maybe if that's the case, then maybe we just don't even worry about it ever. You just mark my words if the Rockets win a championship. Tired of 610? That changed over from the competition.

Take another route. Sports Talk 790, your unbiased home for your home teams. Greatest intro music in, well, I know folks in Chicago will say that their intro music was awesome. But I can tell you something right now when I was calling the PA for the championship years in 1994 and 1995. This music got everybody going and still does to this day. It is the Matt Thomas show on Sports Talk 790. Here in Orlando, where tonight the Rockets will be taking on the Orlando Magic. So it only seems appropriate that it's a flashback Friday and that I'm here getting ready to call the Rockets game with the Orlando Magic.

We are setting up Rudy T right now. Let's get him on him just a second. That one of the greatest sets of moments in Rocket's history happened right here in Central Florida, where the Rockets and Magic play here tonight. And to talk about that and all things about the Houston Rockets is our good friend, one of the nicest human beings, period in sports history. Rudy Tomjanovitch with us here on the Matt Thomas show. Rudy, it's great hearing your voice.

How are things? Hey, Matt, it is a joy to be with you. Hey, I love being here in Orlando because of obviously the second championship run. Now, everybody wants to talk about the miss free throws from Nick, but I'm going to erase that. Give me the most memorable thing for you out of that series besides how we're able to win with Nick Bitson's free throws. Well, I think no disrespect to the great shot that Mariel Alley made in Phoenix. But I think one of the most underrated plays and shots in our run there was Kenny Smith's shot to get us into over.

time and we don't we don't really hear that one about that one that young team who was so talented I think you know listening to some of their feedback afterwards yeah they knew we were champions the year before and that we we really were lucky to even be in that game and after we got that victory, I think it psyched them out a little bit. Did you, look, I've talked to lots of managers and coaches about being up in a series 3-0. Could you, you couldn't sleep any easier because you were always afraid about Orlando kind of creeping back in the series. Or was it just the opposite? You knew that once you went to Orlando to win those two games, that there wasn't a reason to go back to Orlando because you were going to finish it off at home.

Well, you know, you never did overconfident because we saw what we did when other people thought they had us locked up. And, you know, it ain't over till it's over if there's some fat lady saying, and then you can relax. But before then, you've got to keep your focus. I do remember the day after that game, we had our shoot-around. and I know who those guys are, how good the magic were, and our guys were feeling pretty good about themselves. But here was a team that really beat us up pretty good during the regular season,

and we had to have a miracle to win. I just, I got on the guys that said, I don't know who you think you're dealing with, but if we don't stay on top of these guys, they could win the next four games. And we came out and responded real well in game two. And the great Rudy Tom Janovic is with us here on Sports Talks. And any part of Flashback Friday, the Rockets are going to have the ketchup and mustard uniforms on tonight here in Orlando against the magic. Rudy, I happen to have an NBA TV game on in my hotel. We were somewhere a few weeks ago.

And I happened to see Matt Bullard, who was like three or four rooms down for me. He's like, the rockets were on. And there was mid-range shots. There were top of the key. There were left-and-right- elbow shots. There were once in a while there was a three-point shot. Today, when I'm calling a Rockets game now, if I see a mid-range jump shot, I almost have like a nervous twitch.

Can you believe, and maybe the answer is yes, but can you believe how prevalent the three-point shot is, not just with the Rockets, but everybody around the NBA right now in 2019? You're absolutely right. Well, we were on to it back then, and we believed in it not to the extent that people have taken it. And the organization that has stressed it the most from top to bottom,

from owner to general manager down to the equipment guy, it's, we shoot layups and threes. And, you know, mathematically that's putting yourself in the best situation.

You know, that's what the analytics is telling us. Well, the analytics Some people longer Yeah, taking some people longer to get into it You know, when I talk to old school guys You know, I do some mathematical story problems And they'll always

Oh, you got to take that mid-range shot You got to take that mid-range shot Yeah And statistically, it doesn't, you know, it doesn't pay off Well, now it certainly is for the most part because I think everybody's using analytics in one way or the other. You came up not only as a player, but you worked as a scout as an assistant coach. We're not seeing a whole lot of that in today's NBA, for that matter, college basketball.

How much did that time kind of developing your style help you as a head football coach? And would you have been the same if you had gone right from, say, broadcaster or assistant general manager to a head coach? I mean, did that time behind the scenes help develop the way you became? a head coach. Matt, it was the greatest training that I could go into. I was so blessed that first Bell Harris, then Don Cheney and Bill Fitch, you know, they gave me that opportunity to advance scout. So I got to see everybody's offense and learn what everybody's running,

watch how they're defending. And then I got to also go out and evaluate college stuff. So to me, it was the makings of my career right there. I was really, really blessed to have those opportunities. Visiting with Rudy Tom Janovic here on the Matt Thomas show, part of a flashback Friday. For folks that don't get to hear you that often, you should be on more with this. But what have you been doing since retirement? I know we saw you a couple of years ago in Los Angeles, and you looked well,

you felt like you were traveling one end of the country to the other. What has Rudy been doing the last handful of years? Well, I have moved back to Texas, and I'm really excited about that. I am in Austin, Texas, great city, and just a wonderful place. It's close to Houston, too. So you guys will be seeing me. After New Year's, I'll be coming in a lot more. to check out, you know, another great rocket team.

And, you know, they've had some ups and down so far. But it takes some time, you know, to get chemistry. And you've got to say, boy, the rockets really know how to acquire players. And, you know, getting Westbrook, you know, they've had Tracy. They've had all these other players. So I would not count them out with Hardin. Harden, Westbrook, and really the other guys are very important to. And they know their roles, their spot-up guys, their three-point shooters.

Wonderful center. That was a great traffic in Capella, Capella. And, you know, they got a heck of a team. Well, I hope we get to see some games coming up after the first of the year. Let me ask you this. You're talking about adding players. you added during your career as a coach with Dream, you had Clyde Drexer come to town,

you had Scotty Pippen come to town, you had Charles Barkley come to town. How long were the adjustment periods? Now, obviously, with Clyde, you got a championship out of it. You didn't with the other two guys, but did it take a long time? Did you spend a lot of time waiting for them to jail, or did you know that because they were just so good

that ultimately they were going to play at the level that you expected them to do? Well, you know, with those veteran guys, their games were already defined. And the reason that we made those phrases, we had, you know, a phenomenal player and a Kim Elijah one, a once-in-a-lifetime player. And he was carrying such a physical and emotional load. we had to get more offensive players to take the load off of him, especially after that New York series where they had like five or six guys

where they could tag team him and just pound on them. And it was a big concern. And then luckily, the next year we got Clyde and later adding Charles, we felt we could spread out that, spread out the receipts. responsibility offensively. I really think one of the most well-rounded teams we had was when we had, we also added Eddie Johnson. Right.

And we had that team with Kevin Willis coming in, having a tremendous year, because Charles and a team both got hurt. And then we had the unfortunate injury with. Charles Barkley. But I thought we were on our way to beating Utah again. And, you know, I thought that we had plenty of talent to win the championship, but it just shows you do have to have some good luck, too. No question. It's staying healthy as a part of it. Rudy is great hearing your voice. I hope Boston's treating you well. I hope that Otisdorp is buying you rounds of golf whenever you ask of it. And we look forward to seeing you inside Todas in our lot coming up next year. Thank you for

the time as always. be with you and I have seen Otis and I'm so proud of the guy he's one of the most well-like guys in this area and it's just a pleasure to be around him. That's great. Rudy, thank you, friend.

Really appreciate it. Great hearing your voice as always. That's the great Rudy, Tom Johnovich with us here on the Sports Talk 790. I could just talk basketball with him for hours and hours. Great storyteller and just more importantly, a better person. And we don't have enough enough of that in college in pro sports

with coaches. And he was a true gem and we was such an honor to work with him for those times in the mid-90s and still be able to call on him once in a while for a part of our flashback Friday, which is tonight against the magic here in Orlando. No fear. No worries. And no hair. It's the Matt Thomas Way.

Houston Sports Talk continues with the Matt Thomas show. Time is 149. We thank Rudy T for joining us for a few minutes on the show. Austin. You know what, Ross? to ask him how I-35 was, but we already know the answer to that, right? It's not good. It's the worst freeway in America. It really is.

It's bad. Hard of Austin is worse than anything that Houston can give you. I can agree with that because you've got a million people and you only have two freeway options. That's right. That's right. But it's good to have Rudy. I know Rudy was in California the last time we saw him a couple of years back, but

now's way, made his way back to Texas. God's country. Maybe him and Tom Herman are breaking bread, talking about the big album matchup. Yeah, it could be. Is he going to go, like, speak to the team? What percentage of Texas football players would know who Rudy Tomjanovich? Don't even answer that. You probably don't want to answer that.

Oh, is that right? That's right. Let's go to Albert and Parenthood at 150 on the Matt Thomas show. Albert, how are you, sir? Doing good. I was listening about Hardin and Piff and ComEd. And, you know, I believe Hardin is one of the best players in the league. really do. But I also

agree with Pippin. I mean, as much as he should be getting that many points, and he should be having the lead assist guy, because he's got the ball 70% of the time. And all I would say is, is that do you think there's a reason for that?

Yeah, I'm in love with him, and that's why when we get to the playoffs, we always get knocked out pretty quick because you stop one guy and you're out of the playoffs. I mean, even Stevie Wonder knows that he shoots shoot 70% of the time. How does Steve you know that?

And I love him. Don't get me wrong. I love him, but if he doesn't learn to spread the ball around, we're going to keep going down in the first round. So, all right, under that logic, who would you like to see take more shots? I mean, we did get Russell Westbrook, and he is a pretty good penetrator. Okay. Yeah, we've got four or five guys on our team that are pretty good. You know, Russell's averaging 23 points a game now.

You know this, right? Yes, sir. He could be average probably a little more if he got the ball. I mean, I love Hardin. Don't get me wrong, but, I mean, No, you don't. We've got to spread the ball around. Albert, you don't like Hardin.

That's okay. I can accept that. That's fine. I mean, this is what we talk shows are about, for guys to have grown ass to back. I'm a realist. I see how much he shoots. I do like him, but if you can't see that he's shooting 70%,

I mean, Kauai Leonard, LeBron James, George, if they shot 70% of the time, they'd be scoring 55 points too. You don't think so? I played basketball. Oh, you did? Why did you tell us that? That changes everything. Wait a minute, time out. Aber, what did you play?

I played out right here at Dezabala Park. I was a legend. They call me Brown Magic. But I really do like Cardin. Believe me, I do like you. But I just wish he wouldn't. He dribbles the ball, and with two or three seconds left, that's when he decides to pass if he doesn't have a shot. That's why Russell Westbrook was mad.

You don't wait to the last minute. Because if you wait to the last minute, when you get the ball, you've got to shoot it right away. I mean, you have seen that, haven't you? I might have seen a few one or two games. Yeah, let's go back to Brown Magic Day. So, Albert, let me, why don't you bragging yourself? How good was Brown Magic back in the day?

And what year were we talking about here? I'm 67 years old. Okay. So we're talking back in the 60s? Back in the 60s. You might if I Google your name and see if you show up as Brown Magic? I don't know if it's going to come up, but, I mean, I played with Rob Williams for the Denver Nuggets, juice Williams from the Mavericks.

I mean, but I wasn't a, I mean, I wasn't a playground legend. You just said you were. You just said you were. Well, I was to my guys, but I really wasn't. I mean, I'd shoot the ball 70% of the time and score a lot because they'd always say pass the ball. I thought that was just a play. Yeah, so you were, frankly, you were the James Hardin of 1967. You were James Hardin before James Hardin, like Pistol Pete.

That's why I'm knowing very well. Okay. Thank you, Albert. Have a good weekend. Man, we just had brown magic on the phone. You went from Rudy T to Brown Magic. This is in all serious. We only have like a minute in a segment, okay? If you ever were given a nickname. Oh, wow. Stay with me on this. If you were ever given a nickname in athletics,

I want you to call me right now and tell me what it was. It's a bad idea. It's not a bad idea. It's a short second. Very bad idea. Just shut up. And how you got it. Albert self-clossed himself, brown magic.

No, he said that's what the people used to call him. But magic wasn't even there when magic went before magic. He was brown magic before he was even a magic? Right. Well, you know, because maybe black magic woman by Carlos Santana was a popular. Well, you know who black magic was for the Rockets? No. Sweet Lou Lloyd.

Is that right? That's what Barry Warner. He used to call him black magic. He should call him black magic, but magic was already black. Well, I'm just telling you, he was black magic. Okay. So real fast, we've got one minute left to go on the show in this second here before we get two primity. Oh, boy.

Please call me right now. You're getting calls. We've got two people that are dial in the dial in. What were you glossed? And how did you get the nickname? Ross, can I tell you my story? Go ahead. I was nicknamed in my first year

You're a peach basket Because you have such basket wide vast basketball knowledge and game Wrong wrong wrong It goes back to the Naismith day So you're Matt Peach Basket Thomas In my freshman year At the University of Texas They called me Flip

Because they thought again I was going to be a game show host when I grew up What was I got to do with Flip That was my nickname Yeah but who's flip Just that's just a normal name for a game show host Is that right? Yeah, I mean, it is what it is.

Okay. I do like a little flip. I don't even know who that is. I know. By way, naughty by nature was at the Cleveland game under night. What does that kind of do with anything? I just wanted to bring that up. All right.

Rich, they called you the Landshark. Why did they call you the Landshark, Rich? You know, they also called me Milo. Oh, they did not. Oh, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, no. You can't come on this show. No, no.

Did I not tell you this was a bad idea? This is a horrible idea. We try one more. Keep going. All right, go ahead. All right. Actually, Ross, Nick is saying, do not take this one. Oh, here we go.

Here we go. Let me handle this. You all having issues. Hi, Kevin. Yeah, my nickname is no blood, no foul. But my favorite nickname was Larry Smith, Mr. Mean. All right. and I think we'll close the segment off right there

it's not going to win a Marconi, Ross just say I was right you were right but it doesn't mean we can't experiment with things what that's a good drop go ahead and cut that one Nick no no and no all right let's

get you to Brian T's Ross real quick do you think at any point in Brian T's life he's ever had a nickname besides BTS. Yes or no? I will say no as well. I don't believe that Brian has ever had a name. We will ask him right out of the get-go here in a matter of moments. This is the Matt Thomas Show. Here we go at 202 on Sports Talk 790. Every Friday we spend 10 40 minutes with Brian T. Smith. I'm here in Orlando. Nick and Ross are back in Houston. All right, Brian, before we get to the Texans and

Titans, we have a small bet we have to settle up here with. Did you ever in your life, besides BTS, have a nickname? Not really, no. All right, Ross and I win. We both had you as no nicknames. I'm not saying. Yeah, I enjoy nicknames for other people and, you know, athletes and people that I cover, but not so much myself. I get it.

I think BTS hits perfectly. I'm a low-key, yeah. Yeah, it's very low-key. So we've done an Instapole, we've had people call in, we had the conspiracy theory call in, and said that, you know what, we're making too much of this game this week, because obviously the Texans can still win the division if they win the next two after that. Where do you put this on the 1 to 10 scale of how bad you need to see this Texans team be the real Texans that they are this Sunday in Nashville? Yeah, those are all great points.

I've thought about this, obviously, a lot this week. If they lose this game, it's going to feel really bad, right? They'll have had the horrendous showing against Denver at home after, you know, the peak of the Bill O'Brien era against New England. There'll be a game back in the division with only two to go. And it will feel like the sky is falling a little to go from eight and four to eight and six. and the Texans, I mean, if they lose to Tennessee this weekend, and let's say things really got crazy, because they have to play a weird game at Tampa Bay on Saturday at 1.

So technically short rest, you're going on the road, James Winston, even with all his issues, every once in a while, we'll throw five touchdowns in a game. You know, Mike Evans is out, but you can lose that game. So if they lose the Tennessee game, it's going to feel very dark and gloomy really quick, but we're not going to know what it really means because they should beat Tampa Bay. And if week 17 is meaningful and they're playing the Titans again and let's say their season is on the line or the division is on the line.

I would have, even if the Texans lose the next two, Matt, on top of Denver, I would still pick the Texans to win that game because it's in their building. Right. Sean Watson. So, you know, if they win it, good for them. And they can move this thing forward and they get it going again. And I expect them to beat Tampa Bay. They finish 2 and 1 down the stretch. They win the division.

They host the playoff game. If they lose it, there's no way around it. Sunday night, it's going to feel very dark and gloomy for 24 hours. So let me ask you this. If we've been looking for consistency under Bill O'Brien's regime, and I think he admitted as much earlier this week, what part of you believes that Cal McNair is looking for that consistency? Great question because I'm writing about it in Sunday's Chronicle.

And I'm working on the story right now. I've been talking to people this week. Look, here's the ultimate issue. They can beat the Titans, but this season will come down for me. And I think every good Texans fan, and probably you, maybe Ross, can they do anything real this season? I mean, they were never Super Bowl contenders. We expected them going into this season, though, to win the division, especially with Andrew Luck, not playing this year. Tennessee, you know, even though Taney Hills worked out, they bench Mariotta.

You know, Jacksonville has been a dumpster fire again. They'll probably fire their coach again. They've changed quarterbacks again. There's no reason in the world with their talent, with Sean Watson, when you beat the Patriots and the Chiefs, you cannot, win the AFC South. And so consistency for me is the much larger issue. And

Bill O'Brien as a coach and a GM in the Jack Easterby era, those are the real issues right now, along with Deshawn Watson's development. And, you know, we've been watching this for almost six full seasons, Matt. Bill O'Brien has one playoff win

against a third-string quarterback at home in a game. There's no way in the world they were going to lose. they have to prove something this year. They have to finish strong down the stretch. They've got to win a home playoff game and then at least be, you know, three quarters respectable. Even that, they did that with Brock Osweiler three years ago. So I haven't seen it.

I have not seen the consistency. I haven't seen the development. And in many ways, right now as we speak, it feels like they're just spinning the wheel. You're seeing a same version of the same exact thing. And until they prove it, until Bill O'Brien and his team proves it and this franchise under Cal McNair, right now, as I speak, it feels like we're watching the same old Texans. You used a phrase that I use a lot, spinning the wheels. Do you think the Texans, they do, obviously, it feels like it. Do you feel like the Astros and Rockets do the same thing?

Do I feel like the Astros and Rockets spin the wheel? Yes. No. The Astros and the Rockets and they both at the Astros have some issues right now. The Rockets, you know, I don't feel like they're a true contender this season at this moment, but no, they're in many ways the antithesis of spinning the wheel. And that's why I continue to be befuddled by how, and look, our audience is different than other media outlets in this town.

It's just the reality of it, Brian. But when the other team, the Texans, continue to spin the wheel and are repeating themselves, they get the pass that the other two teams in town didn't don't get and why is that? I mean, are we going to go to that simplistic? We're Texas, we're football, and all that matters. We have NFL here. Is that what it comes down to? I think there are two things in play.

Number one, there's no way around it. It's the ownership. And this goes back to Bob McNair. I mean, Cal McNair, Jim Crane, under investigation with his organization and an investigation with whatever, police escorts in Arlington, has tried. technically spoken to the Astros, to the media, to the regional media, the local media, the national media. That's the fans, right?

We are a conduit for the fans when you break it down. Jim Crane has spoken more than Cal McNair has spoken to the fan base in 2019. That is unbelievable. Tim and Petita, when everything was going on with Darry and Hong Kong and China, Tim and Petita actually spoke a little more than Cal McNair. had. So number one, it is the ownership. You know, I mean, you have to keep in mind, all this has happened in the season that they fired their GM and it doesn't appear like to hire a GM and Jack Easterby's

pulling the strings with Bill O'Brien on and on and on. But Cal McNair allowed this, bought into it, and I believe that's the test. I mean, Bill O'Brien's got three games to get this ship righted, and then they've got to prove it in the playoffs. And I will say this right now, and I've been hitting at it all season. If I'm Cal McNair, I'm not. but if I am and this team falls flat again, I'm moving on. I'm blowing it up. I'm moving on. But who does he trust?

What's that? Who does he trust? Who is he going to give the keys to? He's going to have to hire a general manager and maybe that's Easterby. Maybe that's what he's setting him out for. It happens eight teams a year in the NFL. Look at the 49ers, look at the Ravens. You go across.

I mean, you're not going to find your next Belichick. this isn't a Patriots, you go across the board. There are multiple franchises with Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes. Look at what Kansas City is doing with Patrick Mahomes. Look at what Baltimore's done with Lamar Jackson. Look at what Shanahan's done in a very short time in San Francisco with Jimmy Garoppolo. The Texans as an organization in terms of the ownership, the expectations, the on the field coaching, the consistency. If somebody gives you six seasons and the third.

Bill O'Brien might find his way out of this this next three games, but if somebody gives you six seasons and you produce 38 to 3 against Denver, I don't see it going forward. Maybe that'll change the next few games. This is their shot. But in terms of who does he trust, who did he turn it over

to? It happens all the time in the NFL, and sometimes it backfires and sometimes it really works out. And your organization takes a huge leap forward, and that's what Cal McNair should be thinking about right now. Is this the coach and the GM and the partnership and the situation that's going to win us the Super Bowl?

Or are we just spinning the wheel? All right. With that being said, you're going to Nashville Sunday. What's going to happen? I've got to pick, I mean, professionally, I've got to pick the Titans, right? In a close one, Derek Henry's hamstring does concern me and he continues to play through it. But at some point, he's either going to keep running, you know, everyone in his path over. or he'll end up on the bitch.

Tanny Hill, you feel like you'll return to reality, but he's better than ever. I mean, this is the Lamar Jackson version of Ryan Tanny Hill. And I wouldn't put it past the Texans, Matt, to actually, you know, show something and get everybody back on board again, but professionally you have to pick the Titans, but I'll say this right now.

I will not be shocked if the Texans walk out of Nashville, pumping their chest, and, you know, all the Texans, Karen's are buying season tickets again. Last question, let's flip to the baseball side of things, and I asked this to Brian McTaggart, who was in San Diego. How weird was it from you watching it on either MLB Network or seeing your Twitter feed? A guy that is forthcoming like AJ have to basically divert everything that was asked about the cheating stuff. And it was an uncomfortable spot for him for sure, and it was certainly surreal for us for someone that is a guy that gives you good answers,

It gives you thoughtful approach to have to be so tight-lipped. Yeah, no, it's a great point. I mean, I'll go back to what I said on the Matt Thomas show two weeks ago, and I wrote about in the Chronicle two weeks ago. I mean, the Astros are in limbo, and that's not even referring to free agency and losing Garant Cole to the Yankees. The Houston Astros, until Major League Baseball speaks, and according to Manfred, this is, you know, the largest investigation they've ever done,

which blows my mind considering some of the things that have happened in baseball in the last 20 years. 30 years, steroids, et cetera, until Major League Baseball delivers its report, the Astros are stuck in limbo, and if you're Luno, if you're Crane, if you're Hinch, I mean, there's a reason

on Astroline, right, and I'm probably blurring their lines right now, we're not getting any, you know, the players aren't speaking. There's a reason that when the players are around, you know, they're not being asked about this. I mean, it's almost like, don't ask, don't tell, keep your

head down and they may be cleared and we're talking about baseball again or it could get really nasty but that's why Hinch isn't speaking because he can't right now. And you know what? That's, I don't necessarily blame him in this particular case because if you're under investigation and your bosses and Major League Baseball and your parent company says do not speak to this, I'm not saying he should answer questions. I'm just saying it's just been a very awkward time because the Astroline show does have Jeff. The Astro Line Show has players.

It's just made it the most peculiar offseason in many, many years for what has turned out to be one of the best organizations in baseball the last half doesn't. It's absolutely unprecedented in Astro's history, and it will either. I mean, it will go one or two ways. Either history will smooth this out, and it'll end up big picture being a blip on the radar. It will be lost in history in 10 years, and you'll say, oh, they asked, remember the Astros won three titles? Remember that weird period with banging on trash cans? or it will go in a whole other direction. But, yes, the optics are very odd, and it's very telling that Hinch can't speak.

But the flip side is it makes 100% perfect sense because how could he say anything publicly when he said everything privately and nothing has been revealed thus far. Brian, safe travels to Music City. We'll talk again next week, my friend. Thank you for the time. Thanks a lot, man. I appreciate it. You got it.

Brian T. Smith from The Chronicle. You can find him on Twitter at Cron, Brian Smith. Stop that wave. Busting the wave since the stroves were in the dome. Who are you going to call? Wave Busters. Houston Sports Talk continues with the Matt Thomas show. All right, let me set up the rest of the show for you.

We're going to first make you some money. Then we're going to beat the Shmose. And if you miss the Chris Gordy parody earlier today, it'll be replayed in about 15 minutes from now. set your clocks for a Chris Gordy horrible, actually no longer horrible football Friday parodies. They're just great ones. Ross, what is today's edition of Hellyer or not? We're working on it. All right.

Let's do that right now. Let's make you some money. Our buddy, Paul Nolan, freewinter's dot net, sports investors weekly. You catch the show on Saturdays and Sundays here on Sports Talk 790. Paul, first of all, good afternoon. And let's be honest, the two games you want to talk about, I give you kudos for because I don't know what in the world's going to happen with these games. We'll start first with our friends in Dallas who feel like every week they should be bouncing back

and taking their rightful spot as the NFC East Champions. They insist on not doing that. The Rams, meanwhile, have figured out, I think, what their issues are, and the Rams are a slight favorite in Arlington this week. What do you think? Well, you know, we came out of the gate thinking this one. I couldn't believe the opening line. We had the Los Angeles Rams laying two and a half to three.

And when we saw they were plus three, we jumped on it early in the week. And we're still on the Rams now, despite the line swinging the other way to minus one. We don't mind laying the one point in this game. A lot of the matchups that I'm happy about the things that I like the most is, you know, for one, Havisteen going down, which is an anomaly. The guy was so good for so long, but he was just utterly brutalish yet. Bobby Evans has come in. He hasn't been great, but he's been much better than Havisdine was.

the blocking schemes that they've run really hide the deficiencies, especially now that they've gone to 12 personnel, which, you know, in a way, it hurts them because they keep Cooper Cup off the field. He only had 12 snaps last week, or 14 snaps last week, and the personnel grouping of 12 personnel has been much more suited to Gurley, and, you know, it opens up that play action. Last year, you know, they were using play action 36 or 37 percent of the time, and they and 9.2 yards per play, which was like best or second best

in the league, if I remember correctly. In this year, they're only 25%. Now, you know, through the first 12 weeks, now it's 41% over the last few weeks and obviously the offense has gotten a little bit better. Since that embarrassment defensively against the Ravens, the defense has been much better. Jalen Ramsey

has solidified it. There was no doubt that they quit on that game. There's no doubt there was a massive amount of confusion in the secondary there. But I got Wade Phillips right now, a veteran D-coordinator going against the Kellan Moore who's shown that he's a little bit above his skis right now.

Kellan Moore has struggled every time he's faced a veteran D.C. I'm going to take the Rams here and I'm going to lay the point. And this sounds like to me that you're just saying at the end of the day, no matter the location, no matter the weather, the Rams is better than the Cowboys. And you know what? Sometimes you just have to take the team

that's better. Is that a fair assessment in this matchup? Well, yeah, right now they are. You know, we're talking to this is week five. We'd probably be saying something different. But the one thing I ask everyone out there, if you're not going to get involved with us, just never marry yourself to any opinion. As new information, as new data, as new light comes to a subject, it's okay to change your mind. It doesn't make you a bad person.

So you know, wow, look at this. They've made this adjustment. And that's that adjustment. I don't have to just say, oh, Dallas stinks. I'm betting against the rest of my life. Well, Ram stink because that's the overreactions that make me so much money. So that's what people should avoid. All right. Next game. Another one. Coin flip. Houston and Tennessee, Tennessee lay in the three. I'm assuming, presuming that's because of the fact that Texans were so bad. You give Tennessee a few points of being home. But the Texans in the past, Paul, I've had some success going to Nashville.

Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, when you see teams get embarrassed the way they did, and I don't, you know, I said it on the show, one of the free games we gave out on my show last week was Denver Broncos as big as we possibly. could play it and we love the game and it was one of those spots we felt like we were getting just an incredible amount of value. This game is overinflated the other way. And the other thing is like this and crucial injuries in this game that is definitely a concern. To me, like we don't know the exact status, you know, a few key players here that, you know, if, like, if Adory Jackson is out, which he is, that's a huge blow to this team.

He's been outstanding in terms of locking down studs. And now Will Fuller looks like he's going to play. We don't know how well he'll play. You would probably know better than I would, knowing your contacts down there. But from what we see, limited in practice and says he's ready to go, but, you know, hamstrings are funny.

And, you know, even if he's out there as a decoy for a little bit, I would like to see. But I'd like to see more than anything is give Deshaun a little bit more pre-snap help. The one thing that in the film that we see that really, I think, is going to be a problem. And as one of the reason, I don't love the time.

Texans in this game is this defense in Tennessee does the same things that Baltimore does schematically. They bring so many guys to the front seven, front, eight, and they give so many different looks. And sometimes the quarterbacks aren't getting the best pre-snap help from the center, you know, from the personnel up front. It could tend to lead to a couple, a little bit of confusion. But I'm going to go with the better athlete at quarterback, and I'm going to go with

the team to bounce back if I had to. Again, I don't love this game. I'm sorry, but this is not on my radio, but I know it's the local team. That's why I figured we would talk about it. All right, so maybe a slight link towards Houston with it. So remind the folks. Especially at three and a half. All right.

Remind the folks where they can find this weekend over at freewinners.net. The other shows on every morning, 10 a.m., you know, local time. And, you know, they can tune in and listen, they can find this at freewinters. And if they wanted to call in now and just, you know, make a phone call, and they get a free weekend pass, it's 8.1. 888-366-37-33. If they call that number, they'll get the free games for Saturday. We love the Army Navy game with 15 and 3 in that in the last 18 years.

We truly love that game. My boy, Jimmy Taggs, loves a college basketball game, and I have one executive club game on Sunday. So it'll be three free best bets with no catch and, you know, no hassle. And if they give us a call, they won't regret it. And give that number out one more time, Paul. It's 888-366-3733, but we're just really great for. for the amount of people who listen to the show

and call on Saturday and Sunday morning. The response is great, and we really appreciate it. Awesome weekend, Paul. Thanks for much. We'll do this again next week, my friend. Talk to you then. All right, buddy. Have a great day. You got it. That's Paul Nolan from freewinter's.net. And again, the Saturday and Sunday shows at 10 right here

on Sports Talk 790. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for one lucky listener to beat the Shows. dreams. Here we go with an opportunity for one of our listeners. Donald's going to be our contested this week to win up to $50 worth of free pizza from our friends at Papa John's Houston.

Here's how it works. Donald, Ross, me, yours truly. We will each bet four NFL games against a spread, minimum bet of 1,000 MT bucks. Max bet is 5,000 MT bucks. One of the four games must be the Texans. And if Donald Tizer beats Ross or me, he gets 20, he gets $1,000. $25 worth of free pizza from Papa Johns. If he beats both of us, he gets double that.

If he beats none of us or ties us, he gets nothing he likes it. Donald is on the line. Donald, my friend, are you ready to beat the Schmoz? I sure am. Donald, your first game, please. Okay, I'm going to look at the L.A. Rams to continue to make Dallas miserable handing them another loss. All right.

So I'll pick L.A. Rams, 14. 2,000 MT bucks. That is minus 1.5 over Dallas. 2,000 MT bucks. Your second game, please. Okay, I'm going to pick Buffalo to upset Pittsburgh, so I'm going to use them for 4,000 MT bucks. Holy smokes.

Buffalo plus two over pit for 4,000. Game three, please. Game three, I'm going to choose Minnesota. to win the game by more than two and a half points. So I'm choosing Minnesota for 2,000 M.T. bucks. All right, and that leaves 2,000 M.T. Bucks on the Titans and the Texans. So I don't believe Tennessee is going to beat the Texans by three points. So I'm going to go with Houston to cover.

Plus the 2000. Donald, have a great weekend and good luck in your hopes and dreams of beating the Shmo's. Thanks for playing. Thanks so much. Take care. much. All right, Rossi, I'll go next. And since I did not hide my drama for what I thought the Texans are going to do, I'll go next. And I will start with the Texans. I will take Houston plus a three over Tennessee for 1,500 MT bucks. Next, I believe New England's going to get fat and happy

at Cincinnati. I like the Patriots minus the 10 at Sinci, $2,500 M.T. Bucks. Next, I will take the Atlanta Falcons to keep it close, not win it, but I think keep it close with the Niners. I like Atlanta plus the 10 and a half over San Francisco for 2,500 MT bucks. Last game, I believe the Seattle Seahawks are going to travel from coast to coast border to border and continue to put pressure on everybody out in the NFC. I like Seattle. Minus six and a half at Carolina for 3,500 M.T. bucks. Ross, the floor is yours.

All right, Matthew, I'm going to go, you know what, let's get this bad boy started up with the Philadelphia Eagles. They're going to the Redskins, but the Redskins are terrible. They're giving four and a half. They've been up and down, but I think they're still at least a middling team in Washington is one of the worst of the NFL. I'm taking Philadelphia minus four. and a half for 2,000 M.T. Bucks. Game number two.

You know what? The Cleveland Browns. They're going, they haven't been great. They have been a disappointment, but they are better than the Arizona Cardinals who are not good. They're giving the two and a half. I think they can go on a road, win by a field goal, take the Browns for 2,000 M.T. bucks. Game number three. Game number three, the Minnesota Vikings going up against the Chargers who have just

been a disaster. They're five and eight. I think the Vikings are a good team. They're giving the field goal. I'm taking the vikes for 3,000 MT bucks. My U of H. Math says you have 3,000 MT bucks on the Texans and the Titans.

I'm putting my MT bucks where my mouth is. I think the Titans are hot. I think the Texans are not trash, but I think I just think on the road, they're fairly even matched teams. So I'm giving the edge to the road squad. So I'm taking, I'm sorry, giving the hedge to the home squad, so I'm taking the Tennessee Titans at home to beat the Texans at a close one,

but they will cover for 3,000 empty bucks. And that is this week's edition of Beat the Shmows. I think I'm officially 0 in 13 picking the Texans. I think we've had a horrible year picking them. I just think we continue to lose one week after the other. All right, ladies and gentlemen, one week after the other, we get wins, and we get them with the, how would you describe Chris Cordy's tones? Euphonious?

How would you describe his rhythm? Good. I was going to go non-existent. Oh, wow. I'm teasing Gordy. Ladies and gentlemen, we used to call him horrible football Friday parodies. Now they're just angelic. Here's Gordy's parody this week.

Little game between the Sean and the Tidens. Two AFC teams sitting at 8 and 5. Texas got beat down by the Broncos. Tanner Hills got the Titans back up alive. Mike Vrable used to coach under Bill O'Brien. Now he gets to show why he's a better coach. O'Brien needs to win to save his job. Cal McNear with a long leash just like Bob, say,

Oh yeah, the Texas. the Texans lose. Start a ride on Kirby while we drink some booze. Say, oh yeah, it's gone. We can hire Urban Meyer or Riverboat Run. Ross, I'll ask you one simple question. Oh, man, it's beautiful. Should I adopt Gordy tonight into my family or wait until I get back to Houston?

He's probably wait to get back to Houston. I mean, this, lyrically, that might be one of the better ones. God, he's just. it's just sweet music is what it is. No other radio show in the country is going to give you that. And if they do, they're lying to you. They're not going to give it to you as good as what you just got right there. They're not going to give it to you as good as Gordy can?

I mean, no better spoken word, right? Just saying? Back with hellier, not in a moment. 243 on Sports Talk 790. Astros, buddy. You have H-grad. Tex-Mex connoisseur. Well, is there anybody more Houston than Matt Thomas?

No way. Back to the Matt Thomas show. Rockets and Magic tonight over at the Amway Center. I'll have the call for you at 6 o'clock. Who has got the launch pad at 5? That's one of the Adams. Okay. So you're going to get an actually a Friday night off, all right?

I'm doing the post game show. Oh. And the pre-imposed game show tomorrow. And the sports RV show at 11 o'clock Right here on Sports Talk 790 Where you'll do what? Entertainer People? Yes.

I did misconnections last week So I don't think I'm going to do that again But I got some things up my sleeve How is the old misconnections bit come along? Oh man Some good ones last week Can you like read one once in a while? You're going to read one?

I probably still have the Google I mean I prep my show in a document I probably still have last week's document Because you know what, that's somebody to kind of end a week on a Friday. Just give us one misconnection. Are they like, are they still department store misconnections or are they bars typically? Let's see, hold on. Why can't I find, oh, I know what it is.

I delete it over it. Sorry. That's okay, okay. Just know that the Saturday Sports RV show is going to give you game recaps. Great takes. Thoughtful analysis. All of that. All of that.

you know David Stern I don't we not mention this so far today brain hemorrhage it sounds like he had and the folks that on NBA and ESPN TV have said a lot about him David Stern for you know he kind of got old and curmudgeon towards the end Ross but he saved the NBA do you know that he really did he let he turned the NBA into a global game granted also helped that Larry Byrd and Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson were great, but he had a tremendous marketing arm and a game plan that I think put the NBA on the map where it currently is today, where it's exploding not only in this country, but another country.

So I hope he's doing okay. I've interviewed him a couple of times in my past. And again, like I said, I think towards the end was get off my lawn guy. But I think, frankly, most of us become get off our long guy on our 70s. Yeah. Like when linebackers want to wear costumes to NFL games. I can't wait for that on Sunday. I'm telling you, why don't they dress up as, like, characters at Disney World?

One come as Daffy Duck. That's not natural. They're not going to Orlando. They're not the Rockets. Why don't the Rockets do that? They should do that. Let's see. Let me go knock on James's door and see what character he's going to walk into the arena as.

I got him as pegged as Donald Duck. What do you have me pegged as? Grumpy. That's a dwarf. Goofy? Doc? Do you want to be Doc? Those are, again, are also...

No, Goofy's a dog. Is Goofy in the Disney Empire? You can be Olaf, the little snowman. All right, and scene. Five minutes left to go on the show. What should we do? We should play America's fastest-growing sports game show. We simply call it.

Believe it or not. And here's how it works. You'll call 713-212-5-790. 7-13-212-5-7-90. Today's edition of Believe it or not is brought to you by Houston Woodhouse Day Spaws. Print out your gift card for the gift of relaxation. This is the time of year to do it right this second, Houston Woodhouse Spas.com. Questions today are about the Orlando Magic.

Tonight's rocket opponent. I'll read your statement about the magic. Statements completely utterly accurate. You'll say this. Hell yeah! If the statement is erroneous, full of bunk or made up, you will say this. That two. Hell yeah, or not correct the answers. Win your prize. Ross, what's the prize?

Matt, I've got a holiday prize bundle with tickets to magical winter lights, the 20-acre, 52-day, larger-than-life, Lantern Festival with themed lantern sections, nightly acrobatic performances, carnival rides and games, and interactive dino area and lots of holiday fun for the whole family. And also, the Lone Star Flight Museum at Gulf Greyhound Park, featuring more than 24 historically significant aircraft. artifacts related to the history of flight located near Ellington Field. Is that the longest reading the history of Hell, yeah, or not?

Probably. Let's play. 713-212-5-790. First up, Donald on 790. Donald, you're ready to play Hellyer or not? Hell yeah. The final four names considered for the NBA's franchise in Orlando were the magic, the heat, the tropics, and the juice. Hell yeah or not.

Not. Hell yet. Oh, no, that sounds very wicked key, Ross. Is that correct? They should have went with juice, personally, I say. The Orlando Juice would have been hysteria. I think it would be pretty good. Great name.

Let's go to line number four. Craig on 790. Craig, what was your favorite part of the radio show today? Every part of the show is my favorite part of the show. The Orlando Magic opened up their own Hall of Fame in 2014. The sole inaugural player inducted was Nick Anderson. Hell yeah or not. Hell yeah.

Statement number two for the win. The Orlando Magic's all-time leader in coaching victories is Doc Rivers with 181. Hell yeah or not. Not. Not. It was Stan Van Gundy. Congratulations. Thanks for listening to every part of the Matt Thomas show today.

I appreciate that. Nelson on 790. Nelson, you're ready to play hell yeah or not? Let's do it. The Orlando Magic's first ever draft pick was. Scott Skiles out of Michigan State back in 1989. Hell yeah, or not? Not.

It was Nick Anderson. Statement number two for the win. The Magic's all-time leading score in points. Tracy McGrady. Hell yeah or not. No, it was Dwight Howard. Remember how good Dwight was Ross when he was a magic? I mean, he was unstoppable for about a five-year stretch.

Yeah, a three-time defensive player of the year. Going Hall of Fame. Is he? Yes, I think so. Bill on 7. Oh, hi Bill. Hey. Hell yeah.

Oh, this is a different, Bill. Bill, you're walking on the show. Hey, Bill. Hi, Bill. The current Orlando Magic TV color commentator is former Magic forward Dennis Scott. Hell yeah, or not? Not. That is correct.

The statement number two for the win. The Orlando Magic's Mughey's. mascot is Stuff the Magic. Dragon. Hell yeah or not. Nah. Hell yeah. Yes. I actually miss calling him on the wrong bill. That makes me feel bad. Robert on 790, Robert, your favorite part of the radio show today?

You, Matt. The Orlando Magic have only retired one number. It's number six, which represents the fans as the sixth man. Hell yeah or not? yeah. Hell yeah. That's correct. That's dorky, Ross.

That's horrible. That's terrible. You're the sixth, man. We never can let anybody wear a jersey. I mean, I guess nobody's really been worthy of retirement. T-Mack or Penny or Shack. Nobody stayed there long enough to really get their number retired. So the six man is the retired.

I'm going to take a picture of it. Yeah, okay. All right, let me get you to Shaw's Drew before, Shaw's Jury before we wrap things up on the show today. Family owned and operated. Many of their employees have been there since the 1980s. They've been that same exact location at West Grand Montrose since 1966. Biggest selection of pre-owned Rolexes?

Absolutely. Do they specialize in engagement rings? Yep. Do they specialize in diamond ring upgrades? Of course. Do they have diamond studs that are amazing? You bet you. And a diamond tennis bracelet is an absolute must this holiday season.

Plus, Shaw's is going to offer you 0% financing for 12 months on purchases. Some exclusions do apply. To find out about everything that Sharma, Shaw's can do for you this holiday season. West Gray and Montrose, open Monday through Friday, 10 o'clock until 7. Open tomorrow, 10 o'clock until 6. That's Shaw's Jewelry at the corner, West Gray and Montrose. I'm headed downtown Orlando for Rockets and Magic.

I'll talk with you guys at 6. Do you want to feel bad for a couple of people that I know very well? Their names are Adam Clanton and Adam Wexler. They'll actually have to work a two-hour show today. One is going to work two and a half. Pray for them as they get through this. difficult time in their life. Talk to you guys in a couple hours here on Sports Talk 790.