The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - The Matt Thomas Show - Marwin Gonzalez' Apology, MLB PLayoff Format, and more

Episode Date: February 11, 2020

The Matt Thomas Show w/ @SportsMT, @SportsRV, and @ProNickLow 2/11/20Marwin Gonzalez' Apology (0:00)Charles "Big Angry" Adams Thinks Bolsinger Lawsuit May Have "Substance" (20:54)Potential New MLB Playoff Format (43:34)The Mike D'Antoni Show (1:20:01)

So much larger than life. Yeah. Lunch timers is the Matt Thomas show. 12-02 in H-town. What's happening in luncht timers? Good afternoon to you, and welcome to a Tuesday edition of the Matt Thomas show on Sports Talk, 790. I'm sorry, so sorry. All the Jews Rossi are rolling in with the local nine from places outside of Houston.

Go on. Marwin Gonzalez, so the Minnesota Twins. I don't think of that mistaken. It's Martin Gonzalez. Well, typographical errors can happen. It was probably auto-correct. I'm going to blame. Well, Bob Nightingale did put Martin on Gonzalez, but we all know him as Marwin.

Probably got auto-corrected. That's what I'm going with. Yeah. Or we know him here as Mar-R-Corrected. Marween Gonzalez. Marween Gonzalez. Well, he becomes the first position player. Now, Uncle Charlie said some things last week and said, I'm sorry, should have said something.

Well, Dallas Keikl kind of talked about it a little bit. We were looking for people that like to hit. That hit on a regular basis. Marva Gonzalez becomes the first position player from the 2017 to apologize for the cheating scandal. Here is the damning phrase of the court. quote from Bob Nightingale. We've no have no audio yet. I don't know if it'll be out there. It could have been just a conversation between print reporter and player.

According to Bob Nightingale, Marwin Gonzalez says it's impossible to know if they would have won the World Series without stealing signs. Not only does he come and apologize. Sports RV, he puts into doubt whether he thinks his team could, it would have been good enough to win, which is what every other baseball team and player is saying. Houston Astros, 2017. You were not good. Good enough. Or we'll never know.

Or we'll never know. Now, what he could have said is he could have said, yeah, we stole the signs, we apologize. We really didn't need them. We were awesome and we were going to win it anyway. Ross, he did just the opposite. Here it is. It's impossible to know if they would have won the World Series without stealing signs.

Not the way you want to get a gloomy Tuesday off on the Matt Thomas show. pro niclo Ross Villarreal who just hit himself from the foot and the knee and the knee too I'm Matt Thomas how y'all doing

I'm good Matt this is going to happen it's going to start trickling out and eventually the big one of course will be when the Astros players themselves apologize

and I'm still wondering curious how the format of that's going to be and I bet you as of today which is what the 11th of February they don't know either pitchers and catchers report

later this week first full squad workout begins Monday. They'll report on Sunday. And you know what? I like to pretend I know what I'm talking about when it comes to how I would handle things. During this entire saga, I didn't know what the penalty should have been. I guessed, as did you, as everybody else around. I didn't know, I had no idea that general manager Jeff Leno and manager, AJ Hinch,

we're going to get the hook on this. No, that came out of absolutely nowhere. That was a big surprise. And I'm telling you right now, Ross, I don't know from the Astros public relations standpoint what's the right thing to do. But I can tell you that it's going to be a lot easier for players that were a part of the Astros in 2017 that aren't around anymore to be significantly more forthcoming. Will Evan Gaddis ever come out and say anything?

Will Brian McCann say anything? Think about players on that 2017 team that are not a part of the 20th. 19 squad. Clearly, Mike Fires had no problem telling the whole world what was going on. Hmm. I wonder if even Marwin Gonzalez. What does Ken Giles have to say about all this? The problem is, here's the thing, Ross.

We don't care what the position players say because they weren't a part of it. This is why Marwin's saying what Marwin said. By way, it just made an ESPN crawl not five minutes ago. So clearly, when Marvin or Martin speaks, baseball listens. He goes on to say, I feel regret and I'm remorseful. Okay, I accept that. Thanks, Marwin. Everybody feels that way.

I'm a little scared to open up the replies to that one. Do you want to look at it? You want to go look? Bob Nightingale on Twitter. At Bob B. Nightingale as compared to confusing him with another Bob Nightingale. Martin is way better. But is Martin remorseful? Only thing they're sorry for is getting cops.

cool story bro these are I'm assuming all astro fans no I don't know this is a oh boohoo that's what Cody belligerent on Twitter says I'm guessing a Dodger fan hmm

no one cares what they feel they destroyed careers they tampered with their integrity and quality of their character some parts of you you can never get back damn I don't believe him disgrace poor guy must be tough

eye roll emoji when the eye roll emoji goes out there we know what that's like Ross all right so there you have it that is the Martin don't call me Marwin Gonzalez's early response Gordy's going to go check and see if there's any audio of that again twins everybody's having pitchers and catchers report

but as many of you know position players also show up early because they just want to get down and get used to getting into Florida shape that kind of thing So just because technically the pitchers and catchers only ones need to be there doesn't mean other position players. I think some of the astro position players will be there early as well.

But the first time the Astros will have a complete full squad workout with position players and with pitchers and catchers will be on Monday. That's when the blanket's the fan. That's when your easy, breezy, relaxed spring training becomes,

get out of air! Spring training is supposed to be the time of, it's like the biggest puff piece time of the year. It's a trip I always look forward to, and I always hope to make sure that my rocket schedule can coexist with a spring training trip. Unfortunately, it can because the rockets go to Golden State and Utah next week, and I'm only broadcasting the Utah game. So I'll be with you, and then I'll meet the team out in Salt Lake City. So it worked out beautifully. And you try to stay away from Photo Day because those guys hate Photo Day.

And then you just get them before the game start, and you get them when they're working out until like 11, 30, 12 o'clock, and then they're going to go play golf or do something fishing or whatever. it's a really fun, relaxed atmosphere. Unfortunately, I'm really nervous about it not being that way. Especially, especially early on when you have these players altogether, Ross, think about this. This will be the first time when the full squad workout begins on Monday. Michael Connor will be down there for Monday and Tuesday. That the entire team will be in the same room since this fallout and since Game 7 of the World Series. they weren't really available at AstroFest.

Yeah, I'm well aware of that. Yeah. So, all right, a lot to get to on the radio show today. This lawsuit from this Gibroni from the Toronto Blue Jays, or formerly the Toronto Blue Jays, is getting legs. And I don't know if it's because it's because people think it's serious or it's just the guy's trying to get his 15 minutes. Our buddy, big angry Charles Adams, who does a show on KPRC, our sister station 950 is going to join us at the bottom of the hour. he's an accomplished attorney. He's going to help us out with this and tell us exactly if this guy has any case or not.

And does being in the state of California following the suit have any advantage? And Rossi, he wants a jury trial. Hmm. How? That's what I'm saying. That's what we need legal advice. Okay. We can't answer these questions.

Charles Adamscan. He'll join us at the bottom of the hour. Mike Dan Tony for a weekly appearance at 2 o'clock. Tonight, Rockets and Celtics. Today is get a nap-in day because the game's at 830. Okay. I'm not a fan of 80s. No, I'm not going to get an app.

Why not? Got a lot of meetings, a lot of people to meet. Yeah, that's true. You're very busy, man. Very, very busy. 713-212-5-790. Marvin Gonzalez, I'm going to give you this quote again, and y'all listen to me right now and tell me if you think this is not the way that you

wanted to come down from one of your favorite former Astros. He says, it's impossible to know if they would have won the World Series, without stealing signs. Houston Astro fans, as you listen to me, that absolutely sucks. He could have gone the opposite. We didn't need it. We shouldn't have done it. We would have been bet the best team anyway.

Instead, it went the opposite way. Your thoughts, 713-213-5-790. 7-13-212-5-7-90. If you want to reach out via Twitter, you can do that as well. At SportsMT and at SportsRV. Also, Major League Baseball has the dumbest thing they're thinking about when it comes to the postseason in 2022. I mean, the dumbest thing I've ever heard of.

Disagree. Well, that's why I'm going to put you in your place today on the radio program. 713-212-5-7-0. Stop that wave. Busting the wave since the stroves were in the dome. Who are you don't call? Wave Busters. Houston Sports Talk continues with the Matt Thomas Show.

Matt Thomas Show at 1217. noon everyone. Ross and Nick alongside I'm Matt. We're at nice to have you with us. Mike D. Antonio for a half hour. Get together at 2 o'clock this afternoon. I'm going to make him our official sports talk 790 legal analyst, Charles Adams. He doesn't know this shit, but he's we're going to, he's big angry for those of you that love and adore him on radio. Is he going to agree to that? You got to put him on retainer. You know, it's going to cost some money. I'll just feed him. Okay. We're going to China Garden after Rockets games. Be fine. Well, you're going to have to negotiate that with him, I guess.

Yeah. He fights. with the Kwan LX squad event on the Channel 26 show. If you catch that, yeah. So he's our official sport. You know what? He doesn't get the other shows. The Matt Thomas legal analyst. Matter of fact, we need like L.A. Law theme song

whenever he comes in. Long in order. Add production value to the show. Whatever. Whatever you want there. Or the people's court. Whatever. 713-212-5-790.

7-1-3-212-5-70. I hope there is audio we can get of Marwin Gonzalez. And I feel bad for Bob because he obviously knows his Marwin, not Martin, but that's going to be the running joke on Twitter because you probably should proofread your tweets, right? I'd have. I screw up tweets constantly. I do you all the time, but I've done a better job of at least reading them out loud to make sure I'm saying everything I want to say. I mean I'm perfect, but it doesn't mean it. No, you're far from.

Yeah, it's true. All right, so he's the first one that says he's, it's impossible to know if they would have won the World Series without stealing signs. That hurt, Ross. That hits him me in the stomach. how about this one from Joe Musgrove? Go ahead. If MLB did an investigation as thorough as they did on the Astros with every team in baseball, they're going to find a lot more than they want to find.

Meaning about the Astros or everybody else? Everybody else. He says if they did it as thorough on the Astros, if they did that onto every team, they're going to find a lot more than they want to find. And that's why, and not that we have any fans of the, you know, other teams. Maybe that guy that called in yesterday on the Dodgers,

it was like, you know, the Astros are scum and they shouldn't send autographs. that kind of thing. I'd be very careful if I was a fan of another baseball team to be pushing a huge agenda against the Astros because it probably wouldn't take long to find some dirt on every single team. It's like the example you use. Everybody speeds. Yes. It's just those who get caught are a special crew.

Yes. And those who get caught while they can lament that everybody else speeds, you're also still the one that broke the rules. So you have to take your lumps. And this is a pure conjecture on my part, just to guess. I bet you if you took a good scrubbing to all other 29 teams, when we know the Red Sox do it, so let's make it 28. You would find illegal tactics, I bet you, with every single baseball team.

Maybe not to the level of the Astros and a Red Sox, but you would find something that would be against the core of competitive baseball and Major League Baseball with other 28 teams. I just think video is too savvy now. I think metrics are a huge part of the sport. I think gaining, I think people being really, really nervous and what do you call it when you are, oh, paranoid. Ross, paranoid of what other people are trying to steal from you that you think somebody else doing it so you better get ahead of the game by stealing something of theirs. I think paranoia has crushed professional sports in frankly two of the three sports.

I don't believe there's much paranoia in basketball because every game is videotaped. there's only a handful number of plays you're going to build it. I mean, even if you knew what was coming, you still bark it out. There's still athleticism takes over. In football, if you know what the play is coming defensively, and you can line up a blitz, and you know the quarterback's going to pass and take a deep drop,

you can get them, you know, there's a particular route that goes. I mean, I think the intelligence and football and baseball right now, paranoia runs strong throughout all these baseball and football teams, and they're always trying to gain one step ahead, either to preclude for another team doing it or getting to that other team before they get to you. Yeah. There's no question it's widespread. There's no question it's happening other places.

The question is how deep did other teams go into it? And then they go as deep as the Astros, especially with this Wall Street Journal report of the code breaker thing and the algorithms and the video and then relaying it and apparently doing it on the home and the road. And how much does that have to do with the banging scheme or is it, I mean, are they interoperating? are they completely different? There just seems to be a lot of layers to all of this. Let's go to Keith, Southwest Houston at 1222 on the Matt Thomas show. Keith, how are you, sir? I'm good, sir. How are you guys? Well, what's up? You know, I'm a, let me just say, man, I'm an Astros fan, but I am hugely disappointed. I mean, really, like you said, Matt, this one hits in the gut,

and it sucks. But here's the other part about it. I'm a fan. I'm a fan. that also will hold my team accountable. And I'm not going to turn away and go. It's kind of like when my kids were growing up, one would run and say, well, this one did this, but I caught you doing it. So therefore, you're getting a punishment, right? And this is where I stand on this, man.

I am very disappointed in the whole organization. Forget what everybody else is doing. Forget what other 29 teams have done or has been doing. Because we know baseball for years have been somewhat dishonest. with all of their teams and with everything that they do. So my point with the Astros is I'm just, I'm hurt, I'm disappointed, I'm dejected. It's like, why? Why did you have to stoop to this level?

And more importantly, probably not more important, but as important, did you not think that any of these folks that was going to leave your organization at some point for contract negotiations or whatever reason that they were not going to open their mouth. Like, everybody takes apart of a cheating scam and assume that no one is ever going to say, oh, by the way, we cheated. Like, this sucks. It really does at the very core of being a fan for real fans who are not going to turn the cheek and be like, oh, well, you know, some people just have to get over it.

No, this sucks. Because you really want to win fair and square without all of the, and yes, I know. baseball has a history of cheating. But this is unacceptable, man. I'm sorry. I can't. I'm just so frustrated with this news, man. And it's like it continues to come.

And I can care less about pictures and honestly and catchers reporting this week. And, you know, they start. And that matters to me anymore, man, because the way I'm looking at this team right now is just what a John does view. And I'll be honest with you, I can't wait to see the first few months and the report's coming out about what their batting averages are, how they're sucking, or if they're sucking. It's going to be a long season, man.

So, but anyway, I just wanted to share that, man, and I get it off my test. Thank you guys. You got it, Keith. Nice to hear from me. We do have some audio now. This is from Duh Young Park. He is the Twins Beat Reporter for MLB.com. He is their Brian McTaggart.

This is off his Twitter feed. This is 28 seconds. This is the first sign I'm seeing anything. from Marwin. So this is obviously going to be unedited. This is a guy off of his phone. But here is 28 seconds. Marwin Gonzalez meeting with the Minneapolis-St. Paul Media down in Florida today. I was happy to tell how it feel and then he was that remarkable for everything that happened in 2017, everything that we did as a group.

And then the players that were affected directly by us by doing this. some of the teens. And then that's what I feel, the more regret. And that's what I'm unremorful. All right. So that didn't say a whole lot, but at least it was putting a voice to the quotes from Florida a little while ago. Remorseful.

Regret. Okay. Doesn't change anything. No. Still celebrated. Still on the ring. That's true. But I probably tainted in most fans' minds.

Not Astros fans. No, I know, I think it's tainted in Astro fans. But I think the forgiveness process is a lot faster here because it's our team. Right. If this, you know, we've said this before, this is the Texas Rangers. We are unleashing fury like never been furied before. That's true. So he's sorry, he is regret, he's remorseful.

But he can't take away my elation when he had the home running game two to win it, right? That was, well, to send it to extras. Right. not to win it by guess to send him to take that from you right no they can't take it away from you matt okay forever and always 2017 world series champions i want to hear if he's got it i want to hear the audio of he doesn't know if the team would have been good enough to win it that that's the one again if that's i don't think i hope that bob might and gill is misquoting him because there's a difference in apologizing and then there is an there's a difference in adding

apology ross with doubt And that quote I just read to you from Bob Nightingale, not audio, but just that puts doubt in the fact. And that we weren't good enough to win unless we had artificial intelligence. Well, it's just we don't know. We'll never know. It doesn't say that this is absolutely helped us and we wouldn't have been good enough. It just says there's no way to completely tell. And I think A.J. Hinch kind of said that same thing in that interview. I don't know. It feels to me more pronounced when he's saying it the way that he is.

Okay. This is Craig Ackerman. job done. Oh, here's another new catchphrase I have for you. Good gracious. Good gracious! You're listening to the Matt Thomas show on Sports Talk 790. All right, Big Angry, we have named

you the official legal analyst of the Matt Thomas show, whether you like it or not. Let's turn this microphone on. Charles Adams, KPRC, you're the most marketable things that 950s got going. You work your ass off. I'm the best thing on 950. There's no doubt. The ratings reflect that. It is. Tell the people when your show is on regular. It is on regularly. It's 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Monday through Friday. So you double dip?

I do. Typically, I play the same show because they don't want to give me an 11 p.m. board off. Okay. That's behind the scenes stuff. I'll pull the curtain back. You do. We do pull the curtain back. That's what we do on this show all the time. Big Angry, we don't know a lot of things about legal. That's when you went to law school. That's why you're one of the most successful attorneys in the Houston area when you are recognized as much by everybody that we know. there is a has-been pitcher. Never was.

Well, maybe never was. A journeyman. You're being polite. This is a guy named Mike B-O-L-S-I-N-G-E-R. He is suing in a California court for multiple millions of dollars for A, himself, and B-4 for charities because he believes the performance that he gave against the Blue Jail and the Astros, where apparently the Astros knew what was coming, ruined his career. Right.

I think firstly, I think the case will probably get removed to a federal court. I think venue and jurisdiction is going to be a big battleground, right? You don't want a L.A. jury filled with Dodgers fans deciding whether or not, you know, the Astros should be culpable and pay a bunch of money. But I will say, when you first see it, you think this is why people hate lawyers, this idiot, but then you dig into the facts a bit he got he got sent down the day after oh no he got fired at the end of the season oh i hate his i hate what his are going i do and you know that adam's character no relation to me sure and that recorded all the trash can right the game with the most trash can

bangs was that game and he had 12 bangs on his pitches so it sounds like the cheating kind of led to this guy getting fired. And you hate that. Like when I saw the headline, this is the stupidest thing I ever saw. And it does seem like one game shouldn't blow your career. And he was a mediocre pitcher. But it does kind of seem like getting lit up for four runs, got him fired.

But can I use what he's done in the past, which is nothing spectacular? Of course. Okay. Of course. And that's the argument. It's all about causation. Well, he was mediocre. He was substandard, blah, blah, blah.

but he got sent down the next day. He basically got fired the very next day. Yeah. So the Astros case, I guess, would be that, I mean, like you said, one game isn't going to ruin everything. And also, the Astros in 2017 went up probably, I mean, probably hundreds of pitchers or whatever. Right. And all of them didn't perform as poorly as he did, even if they were cheating against them. Yeah, no.

I think it's a nonsense lawsuit at the end of the day. But I don't hate the lawyer or the pitcher as much when I looked into the details, because it does look like the cheating. was a catalyst. And in the pandering of the lawsuit, oh, I want $31 million to give the charities in Los Angeles. That isn't going to help his cause, is it? I mean, it would sell to potential jurors in L.A. That's what it's all about. Okay. So he wants a jury trial in L.A. You think it's going to get kicked immediately? I don't know if it'll get kicked immediately. I think hopefully it'll get removed to federal court and taken where it should be. It should be here in Houston, right? This is where the defendant is.

but there are a lot of smart lawyers out there and venue is a big battleground. I think the fight will be for the Astros to move it here or somewhere out of California. And of course, he was playing for the Blue Jays. The only reason it's filed in California has to be the fact that he thinks he'll have the most sympathetic judge and jury out there. Which is fair to say. They're nuts in California. Yeah, let's go find.

What is a jury trial? 11? 13? 12. 12. Okay. Close. What? I was in between.

Hey, man, you hit right around. Yeah, right around. The first guest would have got you on Wheel of Fourche. So you're telling me that this jury of 11, 12, or 13, a pending would have gone in there and said, yeah, I'm going to listen to this case logically and not in favor the asterist. There's not a chance. You know, I... You take forever to find a jury that would be able to do that.

I have a lot of people who don't watch baseball or follow baseball. I have convinced a bunch of jurors not to believe their lying eyes and find very guilty clients innocent, right? I'm going to be honest. You know, I've been on all sides of it as a police officer and a judge, but as a defense attorney, I have walked in a trial thinking there's no way I'm going to win this. And then I amaze myself. So good lawyering, it could happen, right?

And there is some causation issues when you look at the totality of his markedly mediocre career, right? The guy isn't a wonderkin. He isn't a superstar. He was just a decent pitcher. You know, I think he wants the attention. I don't think he'll ever get paid. I think it'll get removed. Hopefully you get here.

But there is some substance to us. Does his attorney take the case on a contingency basis? I would assume, yes. I mean, I think this is all. Because even if you don't ever make a dollar, the amount of publicity you get there in L.A. is great for your career. And I think it's all. And he's got Mark Garagos.

He's got famous attorneys already. And, you know, it's all. So it's Garagos, who was the guy that. That name sounds familiar. Yeah, Garagos was the guy. He's worked on all the high profile cases. The last time he made the news was bad for him is when Avanotti was trying to extort Nike. Right?

Okay. They were at his all. offices. You know, but yeah, it's most certainly on a contingency, and it probably won't go anywhere. It's a novel theory, but the cheating probably did get this guy fired. I mean, I hate to say it, right? Okay, so now the Astros are going to spend some time on this. They're going to have to. And a lot of money. So at worst case, they're going to be billable hours. Oh, no, there'll be some downtown lawyers. You know, the lawyers always win, right? Right. The lawyers typically always win as long as the bills are paid. That's what Alan Dershowitz always said, you know, I never got paid by

OJ, so it was just a loss for me. But as long as you're getting paid, the lawyers win. And I do think this is, it's at least a novel legal theory. And I am, the scandal, the lawyers I want to hate, have you seen the ones with the advertisements? If you were a season ticket holder in 2017, those are like the hateable lawyers. Can we get, can this group add more players to it to add it to maybe perhaps a class action suit against after? I don't think you're going to get to the the point of a class action. I think you always have to show causation. And that's what's different with Bolsinger is he got fired the next morning, right? I mean, what if I went to the Blue Jays and said, was Mike Bolsinger a part of your organization for the long term? What if they

would have said, we were going to let him go next day anyway? Then clearly you're going to depose the management there at the time. And hopefully they back the Astros. You know, hopefully don't say, yeah, he got lit up that night and, you know. Because we've seen guys all the time. We see it. Guys will come up for a day, a week a month. And no matter what they do, because of roster spots guys coming off the disabled list, they get sent back. Right. No, and clearly if the Blue Jays management doesn't back this story, but he did get rocked and he was a guy that bounced around,

but he got rocked at fire. There's also in the Wall Street Journal report that came out Friday, it talks about how internally the Astros were emailing about how teams were catching on, but some teams didn't seem to care. And it says Blue Jays and Oakland A's. So those were in the second half of the season. So it's like the Blue Jays might have known about the thing and not said anything to their players. I think a lot of people were cheating.

I just think we happen to employ Benedict Arnold as a pitcher. And he's the reason we got busted. That's not the lawyer talking. That's a sports fan. Benedict fires. Anyone that says that cheating isn't a – when people want to draw an analogy to the Black Sox is what I find most disgusting. Because the White Sox threw the game for money. We were trying to win, and there has been cheating in baseball, trying to, you know, it's not like football or basketball.

Cheating is a part of baseball, whether it's, you know, Pintar or spitball or whatever it is. It's not, it's just the Astros were far smarter about it than everyone. Because we had some geniuses in our front office that got ran off. I mean, they used an algorithm. Google. They went on Google on stealing sides. And, you know, I kind of, I'm impressed. Is there anything the Astros can do to make this go away quickly short of writing him a check?

Not short of writing him a check, probably. And it's great for the news. So this 24-hour news sports cycle, it's going to be all over the news. People love to hate Houston the first place. They have even more reason to hate the Astros. What the Astros need to do is go out and win the series in 2020. That's the resolution, right? When there's absolutely no possibility of cheating, we go out there and spank them

and especially spanked the Dodgers. I'd love to see the Dodgers again. Oh, my God. Just crush them. Let's remind everybody, we won the series in L.A., right? With all this crying and whining. One, two, and seven there, yeah. Yeah.

It's nonsense. All right, anything else that we should expect in this legality of lawsuits and class action? We've seen Astro fans class action. We've seen Dodger fans. We've seen a pitcher. What's the next thing to drop here? I don't think the Dodgers fans or the Astros fans get any traction. I think that's merely just lawyer.

trying to get attention. It's nonsense. I think, actually, I think Bolsinger has the strongest case. I don't know. You know, I think the Major League Baseball has kind of put it to bed. I hope they don't. You know, there's a push to punish the players, right? And I think that's just

absurd. They don't create the system. They're just playing ball. And it's not... And Rob Manfred gave them, you know, leniency, or not a leniency, but... Immunity, basically. Right. Right. But it's just everyone... I don't know. I don't know. I, you know, it's Houston against the World constantly anyway, right?

I mean, we need, let's fire Bill O'Brien. I'm not disagreeing to do that. Let's get a, you know, take the next step forward with the rockets to actually bring home a championship. And I don't know what that component is, but Tillman's got to be willing to spend the money because it's a great team. And the Astros just stay the course. Let's not, I don't know, we might have lost the course with our new GM. No, that'd be fine.

I think James Click seems smart. Oh, James Clicking is very smart. People keep saying we look alike, which I don't find him attractive, so it hurts my feeling. No, actually, Adam Clinton got a lot of rub the wrong direction about him. That's his older brother. Adam Klein's a much handsomer guy than me and Click, right? I mean, he's a pretty boy y'all station, right? So, I mean, it's...

Pretty's a strong term. I mean, you clearly have the prettiest head in sports radio. I'm the sexiest in the staff now. I'm shaving my head. I actually have a picture of you next to my... All right, you've done so well today. You're our official legal analyst. I am wonderful.

I don't, there may be days there's nothing to talk about legally, we just call you anyway. Anytime you need me, sir. All right. Remind the folks when you're going to be on again. I'll be on 7 and 9 on 950 KPRC. Only listen to that if there's not something better on 790 because we all love sports radio. And it's Ed Big Angry Law on Twitter and Instagram. Perfect.

And you can listen to you at 7 because of the rockets at 8 tonight. There you go. Thanks, angry. We appreciate it. Charles Adams, Big Angry with us here on the Matt Thomas show. Astros, Buddy. You of H-Grad. Tex-Mex connoisseur.

Well, is there anybody more Houston than Matt Thomas? No way. Back to the Matt Thomas show. Top of the hour on the Matt Thomas show. Ross and I are going to debate, which I will win, the dumb thoughts of Major League Baseball when it comes to the future of postseason play. D-U-M-B. We don't are we debating this now?

One o'clock. Okay. Central? Central. Two o'clock east. noon in the mountain time zone, 11 Pacific, nine in Alaska, eight in

Maui. Okay. D-U-M-B on what majorly baseball is thinking. Maybe. Let's go to some folks that are patiently waiting. We love having y'all on the program. 1250 is a time. Who is this? I lost the first name.

Who is this in humble? Hello? Good at a day, man. How are you doing today? Hi, Ben. What's going on? All right, too much. man, I've been sitting there listening, and I'm listening to one of your other callers, man. And I'm just not to understand. He's talking about he can't get with the team because of what's that happened.

Okay, when all the stuff is going on in baseball, I mean, just because you know what's coming don't mean you're going to be able to hit it. You know, you know, Ryan was throwing a fastball or a curveball. If you sat on one, you know, it doesn't guarantee success. This is completely different. You know, there's steroids. And then the fact that we won games in Boston, and just like you all just said earlier, we won those games in L.A., especially the game five when, you know, the game was going back and forth. So, I mean, I don't believe it's as tainted as everybody's trying to make it beat because of the simple fact the circumstances surrounding it. You know, then the fact that the Astros have been winning more games on the road than they've been winning at home in the first place.

So they set a franchise record. Then they came back last year and said another franchise record and won, what, 57 games on the road? So, you know, the talent is there, and I'm really looking forward to them coming out and making a statement this year. And I honestly believe they're going to win it again, and it's not even going to be close. And that's all I got to say. I just wanted to hear what you thought about that. Well, I'm not ready to make World Series predictions just yet. It's not reaching pitchers and catchers this moment.

on paper the New York Yankees look like they're going to be the prohibitive favorites to win especially with Garrett Cole now throwing for them every fifth day and whether or not Ben you don't think it's tainted or you don't think it made that big of a difference 97% of America disagrees with you

and of course the truth the Wall Street Journal report says they were doing that stuff on the road as well so that's yeah we don't know how much we don't know how often we don't know to what extent it would be absolutely yeah here's the thing

it would be absolutely irresponsible for anybody even the most diehard astro caran fan okay I mean you know who astro carin is right yes she has the orange socks up to her knees she has pig tails she's wearing a jersey

she has multiple jerseys by the way either with a two of year spring or one of the two and she believes her team has done nothing wrong okay even astro's karen this is just weird because my mom mom's name's Karen, but go ahead. Astros Steffy.

That make you better? Okay. Astro Steffy believes that they've done nothing wrong. But Astro Steffi, in her heart, knows they cheated. Okay? Okay. We are going to forgive Astro Steffi as the rest of us here in Southeast Texas very quickly. When you and I go down to spring training next week, we're going to be talking a lot about the upcoming season.

Because the last couple of seasons have been talked. about exhaustively, right? I mean, they're just, there's nothing new we can present unless Alex Bregman says, hey, I'm on the Matt Thomas. I'm going to smell my guts and tell you how bad we did it and how sorry we are. Sure to that, it's going to be not, it's going to be about looking forward to the 2020 year. But Rossi outside of Southeast Texas, Americans, baseball fans in any city that cares about baseball wants the Astros hide. And the only way you don't get it is if you don't beat the Astros. If the Astros repeat is American League West champion, if they get close to and or above 100 wins.

They have to win. If they go to the World Series and they win the damn thing against the Dodgers, there is never a half to, Ross believes there's never a must-wins. Yes. I believe in the Astros case, Ross, there is a must-win season. For my sanity, yes. For the sanity of all Astros fans.

Because let me tell you something. Even if they don't win the World Series. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. They have to win it. They don't have to win it. They have to win. If they win 100 games and make the ALCS or something and lose there, it's fine. They don't even make the world series.

The haters also have the material. They'll have the material, but it'll be less so. Now, this is the, if they're to go like 500 or they don't make the playoffs, that is where you run into huge issues. If the Astros win the 2020 World Series, this will never be discussed ever again. That's the beauty of winning, how winning cures everything. Yes. Because even if you get some fans, they'll say, well, y'all must be doing a different way. cheating. Not going to fly.

See the New England Patriots. Yeah. SpyGate's gone. They just kept winning. Right? Yeah. SpyGates gone. If the Patriots would have finished six and ten after spying in the near

at Chetopolitans, there would have been C, you couldn't win without it. And that's why they needed a fast start. B, a really good middle. C, don't crawl to the championship. And D, win the whole damn thing. And we'll never have to worry about it. again. But this year, every Major League City, every Major League Pocket of America, not named Astro fan base, is going to have some fun with this. Kevin and Conroe on 790. Hi, Kevin.

What's going on, man? I was going on. I'm well. Fran. What's going on with you? Hey, look, yesterday I gave you a call, and, you know, James went on his bad shooting night. And so I mentioned to you about him taking so many threes. So, you know, you said that people don't complain when he has, when he shoots the lights out on those three-point nights. Right. You know, well, you know, I'm one of those people who complain. And I'm going to tell you why, Matt, because that gets us beat in the playoffs.

We haven't seen yet where that strategy has won. in the playoffs. San Antonio, they double James, Golden State, they double James. I don't know why they have not yet figured out how to beat the double team. So my part of the matter is that you're not going to learn it in the playoffs. You're going to have to start making those changes now with the guys that he has now. We've got Covington, who's new in the system. You know, we need to be working Covington into the system. James gets too caught up and taking all of the shots. You know, when he needs to, it's very important that we get away from that. I was looking at an interview with Kobe and C-MAC, and he said, they're entertaining, but they're not going to win like that. And that's the reason why I say what I do, you know,

is that that strategy will get us beat in the playoffs. and until it doesn't happen, I'm going to continue to say that because it's, you know, it's got us beat in the series. You know, he would, Golden State went to Dublin James at the top, at the three, and we beat us two games in a row. You know, I don't have to repeat the history to you.

Yeah, but Westbrook, let's go, let's go the most recent example. Westbrook shot 10 more shots than James Harden did on Sunday night. Ten more. Not two more, 10 more. It doesn't. It does matter. I just told you, it does matter.

You tell me the James is shooting all the time. It's not true. You can't bring an evidence. It's not true. And then the Thursday game against the Lakers, he only took like, what, 10 shots or something like that? With Russ on the floor. That's great.

We won that game against the Lakers. We got beat. We won that game against the Lakers. My thing is the shot selection. Now, you can argue with me, man, but the history proves itself. The game's proof itself to where, you know, we can, you know, we can sit up there and go back and forth on this phone. Yes.

And the part of the matter is that we have history with James shooting two minutes three-pointers. We're going to shooting those three-pointers, and we go cold on them. We're not driving to the basket. We're not hitting the mid-ray shot. Those are shot selections as well that get us two points in now and stop shooting. But you're not at, but you're also assuming that every time somebody goes for a two-point shot, it's a make. By the way, in that game seven against the Golden State Warriors, okay, when the Rockets miss their first 27,

right? How many James, how many of those shots of those 27 the James Harden make? Zero. Hey, man. How many, no, no, no. Look, how many of his, how many shots of those teammates make of those 27? Zero. Zero.

Zero. So passing the ball out. Zero. That's my point of the matter here. You shoot 27 threes, and then, you know, you have the two-point option, man, is that we can drive to the basket. Their socks selections there. Those three-point shots, man, are getting us. We lose.

Okay. I guarantee if this team goes to a two-point-only category, they're going to lose basketball games. Because everybody in the NBA is shooting threes and ds now. Everybody's doing it. Once again, Matt, what's better? more rockets need to shoot more midrange or astros need to butt more i'm actually going lean towards bunning more just wait till basically because i can make that really quick strike one strike two strike three this one will just go on forever and ever and ever Kevin's a good arguer

I appreciate it I don't agree with him but I appreciate his debate that team at coby interview was in the middle of last season when james was taking all the shots and and there was no Chris Paul i think eric gordon was hurt and he was just basically putting the team on his back and they said you can't win a championship like that. People always misconstrue that interview as if they're talking about overall in general. He's talking about what was happening when everybody was hurt. Anyway. All right.

Second hour starts with Ross and I arguing about a dumbass thing that Major League Baseball is thinking about. That's what we call it quality radio tease right here in the Matt Thomas show. Is the Matt Thomas Show. Here we go, the second hour of the Matt Thomas show, Sports Talk 790 with Ross. and Nick, I'm Matt We need some baseball music What's the definitive baseball song? Oh, it's got to be center feel, right?

That song sucks, though. It doesn't suck. It's an amazing song. It's an awesome song. Nick, I don't have to play that one. You got the dun, dun, dun, dun, it's a kid's song. Oh, this song is so bad, it's good, though.

Yeah, this is awful. I like this one, though. had done it, whatever. And Yogi read the comics all the wine. Rock and roll was being born, marijuana we would scorn.

What? What? You all never listen to the later to this? Of course, yes. We're talking baseball, Marwin and Atouvi. Baseball. Correa and Springer.

Creamies, getting daytime, double hunters. Baseball playoff. a goof. We're talking clearing cream Mike Trot and the Duke. Yeah, turn it off.

There are two songs, I swear to God. They need to be remade. That one? Yeah. And an updated version to We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel. Hmm. That song is too, that song is too complicated. It takes one of the most greatest songwriters in history to update the song. Billy Joel? Billy, for

sure. One of the greatest pine salt drinkers in history. That's not nice. Nick, would you buy an updated version of We Didn't Start the Fire? Probably not. Can we? Not I bother asking you. Why would I buy any music?

What's the point of buying music? Okay. Would you listen to the song then? Would that be better? Listen to music free on the I Heart Radio app. Okay. If somebody could come up with a updated version, we didn't start the fire. I think somebody's done that.

I don't think so. No, I've seen it. Can you find it for me? I would like to listen to it. It would now age, burning debt, martial law and China war, rock and roll wars,

I can't take anymore. You'd have to start at about 1990. You could think of 30 years of stuff to writing, we didn't start the fire, right? Updated. All right, so let's get back to what I was more importantly. We needed an updated song. We didn't start the fire.

We needed an updated version of that song. So Major League Baseball is seriously weighing a move from five to seven baseball teams in each league starting in 2022. If you want to stop right there, I can live with that. Okay. Okay. In this concept, the team with the best record in each league would receive a buy to avoid the wild card round and go directly to the division series.

I can live with that too. Okay. The two other division winners in the wild card with the next best record would each host all three games in a best of three wild card format. I can live with that too. Okay. Everything's going along beautiful. Beautiful. The bottom three walled cards would have the first round home games.

I can live with that. The division winner with the second best record in the league would then get two. The first pick of its opponent with those lower three wild cards. Then the other division winner would then pick leaving the last two walled cards to play each other. Okay. Absolutely ridiculous. Why? Because this isn't a very big.

video game. This isn't your buddies playing in your backyard. You have records for a reason. Okay. You slot people and do slots. You don't get to play a, I'll have this guy, you have this guy, and then the least attractive gets to play the least attractive after that. Sorry, Charlie. You play for, you play for records. Yeah. You don't pick them. You do play for records. That's why the first overall record gets their, gets the buy. And then the second one gets to make their choice. No choice. Why not? Because it's stupid. Why? It's just it.

I don't think it is. I think it's cool. I think it'd be great. It'd be great theater. Remember where we were... I don't need theater. I need, I need playoffs. I don't need...

You'll get playoffs. I don't need reality TV to interrupt my baseball playoffs. And it's not going to be reality. Boom. You make the choice and now that it's all set. No. And then that heightens the drama of the series.

No, it doesn't. Yes, it does. Why not? Because you don't think the team that they got you just to go, oh, you want us. Well, now you got us. And now we're going to try and beat you. This is not going to be, that's not going to add to the

This is a neighborhood ball. This is grown-ass professional sports. Oh, grand-ass professional sports where they all hold grudges and talk trash, and you think people aren't going to be holding grudges against the Astros as well? Of course. No, I am one, you will never be able to convince me this works. It's interesting. I don't see why it's, I don't see why it hurts.

Because you don't, I don't need baseball. I don't need anybody's playoffs to be gimmicky. And that's gimmicky. They're all the same teams are making. it. Yeah, but you should play based on what your record says. So the last 10 games of a season

doesn't matter. If you know you're going to make the playoffs, who cares if you want to playing or being competitive? You should be able to play for slots so you can play against a lesser team or a better team depending on if you're getting in or not. You're probably still playing for a wild card spot or a lot of them are probably still playing to get in. The presumption on that is accurate.

But I just, I don't want anything gimmicky. Go do that in the X LB. The XLB sounds like fun. XLB, we can have some fun. We don't care about the XLB. All this is doing is injecting fun.

It's not really changing the teams. It's fun as it is. It's sports. It's entertainment. Yeah, but I've had plenty of fun watching the Astros play the Rays. Okay, sure. I wouldn't have had less fun if the Astros could have chosen. Who was the other divisions here?

The Minnesota Twins. Well, the two wildcards, remember it was the Rays and the A's. And we debated, we literally debated on this show for a week. Which team would you rather see? So in this scenario The Astros will get to choose. That's right. I don't think it's the Astros choice.

It shouldn't be the choice. Why not? Because you play based on how you win. If the Reyes and A's play, we may have a personal favorite, but we're going to let the Raises and A's decided. We're not going to let the Astros decide it. If the Astros get to decide it, I think that's cool.

And I think it doesn't hurt anything. It's not causing any extra problems or anything like that. It's making it gimmicky. It's an extra level of entertainment. Ross and I completely are on the other. side of this, let me know how you feel. And I can just tell you that a lot of you have called this show under very strong points. And I haven't thought to myself, oh, that makes some sense. You're not going to be able to change my opinion about this. Normal Sports RV. You play based on

your records. You slot them the way they're supposed to be. Not when a... Why? Because it's just the way it's been and the way it's been is never a good reason for anything. And it isn't get off my lawn. There are rules to things. You just don't change things up just because you're bored. Just because that's the way we've always done it isn't a good reason for anything. If you want to change it and you want to make it more interesting, it's not going to make it more interesting. I think it's way more, much more interesting.

You are 100% wrong. Okay. A lot of things Ross can convince me of, this ain't going to be one of them. I'm not here to convince you. You're just being wrong and we'll get off your lawn and the new format will come. No, that's not it's not getting off of law. It's following rules of all professional sports. Should the NBA do that now?

Okay, hello, Los Angeles Lakers. I will take on the least of the 18th that are on the playoffs. I will choose. No. That would be awesome. We're not doing this. What's wrong with that? Because we're not making sports gimmicky.

We're making, records do count. And playing performance. That's why the best team gets a buy and the second best team gets to choose. And then the third team, best team gets to choose after that. No choosing. So the records do matter. You play with the schedules. You play what the records say you what to play.

Only because that's the way we've always done it. And I like it. Okay. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. You ever heard that phrase? Well, you can make, they're adding more play out there. Do you have no problem with them adding more teams and adding buys and adding I have a lot less problem with adding teams than doing this.

Well, hello, Yankees. You've got nine minutes and six seconds to figure who you want to play. You're down to five minutes. You're down to four. Yeah, make a TV show of it. I want to. No, everything doesn't have to be reality television. 2020. Are they going to make a TV special out of it? Oh, of course they are. Or they're just going to submit. Oh, here's what they're going to do next. Who's going to make the choice? The New York Yankees. Is Dusty Baker going to go up?

there's the thing you got dusty baker up there and there's four caps in front of him does he pull the first cap i like that yeah you know what you are high school recruiting d-d-d-bag is what you are that's awesome and then dusty baker could like you they do the fake the kid fake grabs a hat and then it puts on another one or they could pop a balloon like a gender reveal and it'll be like so so dusty baker gets like a crossbow you are furthering my case he pops a balloon with like the team they want to play that'd be amazing you're going to tell me you Absolutely ridiculous. You wouldn't watch that?

No, I wouldn't watch it. I'd be embarrassed by it. You're a liar. No, I don't watch it now. I don't watch American Idol. You would watch it. I don't even watch Hell's Kitchen anymore. Are you watch Real Housewives?

No, because my wife has it on. I don't watch it. Come on. I'd like to ask Nick his opinion, but he's going to go out of my directions. I don't really care at this point. Matt has eye trouble. He's having trouble seeing Dallas win anything anytime soon. Sorry about that friends.

Mark. Back to the Matt Thomas show. So who is this? I don't know. All right. There's somebody on YouTube. Good job. Their YouTube tag is Jai, the musician?

Oh, I didn't. Okay, I gave him credit for putting it out there. Because I had not heard it. But Billy Joel needs to do this. Well, I even creeped in on Alexa Ray's Twitter account to have her do it. Ask her dad. She never responded. You just tweeted her?

There were several other versions. They were all awful. This was the best one. This was, and this one is called the 1990 to 2012 edition. Oh, so this is a song that's almost 10 years old in itself. Eight years old.

Wow. See, that's why Billy's got to come out and go to the recording studio and do this. Again, A for effort, probably a C minus for execution. Okay. Kind of like this show. probably the other way around.

I've tried to convince Ross during the break how playing video game, reality TV, and pinball is not cool for America's pastime. It's stupid. And people aren't gravitating to baseball because they're changing up the playoff rules. That's dumb. My biggest feeling is what does it hurt?

I think you're only adding drama. And if you're already going to add the seven teams, I have more questions about the format. The three-game series, I was talking, talking with, I was talking on the nightcap last night about this. I feel like, I mean, what if you're like a hundred-win Yankees team and then you just run up against, you pick an 80-win team that is barely squeaked in the playoffs as a seven-seed,

and then it's a three-game series, and they just take two games out of three against you. That's baseball. Because that happens all the time. The Detroit Tigers lost 100-something, 10 games this year. They probably have beaten a winning team two out of three or so up to series. Didn't they take two out of three against the Astros literally last year? I don't have any recollection of that.

Or was it the White Sox? It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. That's what I'm saying. That's crazy thing about baseball. That's why I don't like the volatility of a three-game series. If you play, why are you playing 162 games, or I think they would have to shorten the regular season or something like that?

Maybe to 154, maybe? I don't know. I don't know. But why are you going all the way to 162 games to be the second best team in your league? You could even be the second best team in baseball, and then you're out because you lost two games. I don't like the three-game series. At the end of the day, Rossi, I just say leave it right where it is. Okay.

You get two teams to get one chance, then they go play a best of five. Or, you know, in theory, the best team wins most often. In theory. In theory. Seven games really proves it to be probably the best team. But in five, five seems fair. Three, then, is it three, five, then seven? Seems like you're adding layers to a playoff.

And then you're adding weather into the mix, Ross, where it could be, you're looking at, if you don't shorten the season up, you're looking at about an number. November 10th ending, and do you want to play a World Series in New York City at 29 degrees at first pitch? That doesn't seem very fair either. It seems interesting, but I think what they're trying to do is get more teams involved, which I'm okay with. Because we saw last year at the deadline, there were teams that we normally thought would be sellers, but they're going for that second wild card. So they're not sellers. So that keeps those, mediocre teams keep their stars.

And you can sell it to the fans, and the fans become more interested. So more teams interested, more teams in races, more interested in the sport, I'm okay with that. Since you asked me what I wanted them to do, here's what I want them to do. I would like them to reduce to a 154 in regular season. Add the extra teams in the playoffs and do a best of three. The only choice I would give the best of three would be this. If I'm in a, if I have the home field in one of those best of three series, you can go to me and say, all right, general manager of the Astros. do you want to be on the road for game one

or do you want to play two games in your home park then go to deciding through? I think going back and forth, travel, travel, travel is a lot of work. Plus a rain delay or a rain out could really screw things up. I think you do one. That's what they do in high school baseball. If they play a series and they'll ask the team,

do you want the higher side, do you want to be on the road for the first game or do you want the two home games and play the deciding third? So that's what I, the only choice I would give them. But to have them choose who they want to play, you let the record speak for themselves. Why can't they choose both? Hey, I want to be two and then one against the angels. Because Ross, records matter. Yeah, the records matter.

So the best team gets a choice. They're getting home court. They're going home field anyways. I want the last team, their record to matter too, not just one. Look, Ross and I, you and I are going to disagree about this. I'm not changing your mind. You're not changing mine. If what I'm reading is accurate, you're going to,

win. Either way, the last team's record doesn't matter. Sure, it does. Why? Because that worst record is going to be playing the best record. Okay, but if a team thinks, let's say some team has a better record, but they just lost a star player or something like that. And the team who's earned the right,

they don't get to choose anyway. So, yeah. This is not choosing. Nobody chooses playoff teams ever in any sports. I am anti-chews. You go by what the record says. Yes, that's what you're doing. They don't. They don't choose in the NFL playoffs. The Patriots don't say, well, I don't to play the Texas in a walk card. That'd be great.

No one, no. Why not? You let the records dictate where they go. What if what if the number one seed Ravens had said, we want the Tennessee Titans, which is who they would have gotten, and the Titans go up there and kick their ass. That would have added to the storyline. They would have made it even more fun.

I don't think, I didn't lose anything by the Titans and by the Patriots playing somebody else in the first round. No, I don't lose anything. Exactly, so you have nothing to lose. I'm anti-choice. I could see that. Anthony and Hobby airport on 7. Hello, Anthony.

Hey, what's going on, guys? Hi. Yeah, love the show. Just real quick about the playoff format, I think it's pretty cool up until Matt says where, you know, disagreement with the choice. I agree with you, Matt. I feel like that's letting the tagline let the kids play. It's too much of a sandlot feel.

So, yeah, don't like the choice. But I think everything else is falling in line. I'll hang up and listen. Thank you. See? Too much of a sandlot feel is a bad thing? Yeah. We all had fun on a sandline. It's good. Nobody's playing in selling in the baseball anymore.

When's the last time you saw a sandline game pick up baseball game? Nobody's doing that anymore. Too much broken glass last time I played. Let's go to Matt in Philly. Matt, what are you calling in Philadelphia for? Hey, Bobby. So ever since this cheating scandal started, you know, I started listening to you guys, man. And I really enjoy listening to you guys. I always like to hear other cities' perspectives on what's going on.

And I guess what really triggered my call today is, Marvin Gonzalez apologized. You know, dude, you're not apologizing. You're sorry you got caught. And I guess my only question is the biggest bitch in all of baseball is Justin Verlander. And God forbid he was on the other side of this. You know, he would have a hundred, him and his wife would have 101 things to say. I was just wondering in your part of town, has Verlander even said a word ever since this started going down?

He has not, but nor has anybody. really with the organization. Position players, pitchers, anybody currently with the team has not said much. I mean, Gonzalez came out today,

right, and apologized. Yeah, but he's a member of the twins now. So, yeah. Yeah, right now,

exactly. But did you, would you agree that if Verlander was on the other side of this, he would be hooting and hollering and crying like a baby?

Yes. I'd agree with you. Cool. I appreciate it, man. And look, you know, I'm a die-hard Philly fan

across the boy. But like I said, man, ever since this went down, I started listening to you guys. I really enjoy your show. And, you know, I keep up to good work, and I'm still going to keep listening to you guys. And I appreciate the honesty. I got it. Yeah, I mean, if the Texas Rangers were caught, Justin Verlanger will be out there going, I feel a victim of this.

Because Justin isn't afraid, Ross, to chime in on things. Trust me. Spin rate, umpires calls. Justin Verlender provides lots of thoughtful opinion. And he might still offer lots of thoughtful opinion by the time everybody gets down to spring turning next week. It would be interesting to see what he has to say about it because he's very strong opinion. And I wonder how much he'll talk about it because it's pretty clear he obviously knew about it. And they were talking, I remember even during the playoffs and John Smolter, whoever was talking about how much he was switching his signs up and getting crossed up and all that type of stuff because he knows that the Astros are doing this kind of type of thing.

So Justin Verlinter was prepared and apparently switching his signs up to where he's. he was getting called paranoid. Frankly, you don't need to hear from pitchers, but Justin's a different case. He's the most recognizable guy on the team, baseball-wise, pitcher-wise, and he also hasn't been afraid to say things once in a while. So, yeah, I think Justin's going to have to say something. This is Carlos Correa. Your Astros?

Your rockets? Shoots for three. Your voice. Let's talk, man. Look. On Sports Doc, 79. Any champions play here. He is right, Ross.

Only champions play here. Champions 6A-7P? Yes. Champions over at TOTA Center? Champions over at Minutemate Park? Champions at the TDCU Stadium? At the Irwin Center? How about the chance of your boy getting fired?

Shaka? Fire Shaka. Well, you said chance, and I was thinking you meant chance. No, C-A-N-T-S. C-H-A-N-T-S. Right. Yeah, the student section was chanting fire-shock. last night as they were losing to Baylor.

Can I ask a real semi-amnoxious question? Of course. Okay. Baylor football, very relevant. Baylor basketball, number one in the country.

Yes. Baylor volleyball like elite eight. Their women's basketball is very good. Women's basketball is good. Their baseball is good, too. Consistent, yeah. Right? I mean, they don't.

I don't think they've got many sucky teams. Right. What's in the water in Waco? Lines of cash. I mean, I don't know. There are schools that are great in multiple sports and you kind of get it. And Baylor, let me taste it.

I have a lot of Baylor friends. But they even have to be shocked at what they're doing as an athletic department. They're performing well above and beyond what's going on in Austin the last decade or so. Baylor University is the most success. full athletic department program in the conference in the last five years over Oklahoma. I guess I could go with that. Now, granted, Oklahoma football is way more relevant, but I'm talking about entire

picture. Not that people really don't care outside of basketball, men's basketball and football, that being said. But yeah, as an athletic department, they've been fantastic. They've been spectacular all across the board. If there's a Baylor fan bumping around town right now, answer my question. question. What's in the water in Waco? Because even people that went to Baylor know that Waco has its limitations. It's just a very uber conservative college town, which is fine. And now it does

have its benefits being it's the only private institution in the Big 12. So there's going to, there's going to be some different parameters. But it has been able to attract. And maybe just because the coaches are really, really good. Now, Matt Ruhle has moved down to the Carolina, obviously. but Scott Drew has been at Baylor forever. Rossi, he got a factory going there. That Baylor basketball team has been relevant for about a decade now, straight. Mm-hmm. What's in the water in Waco?

I don't know. Baseball team's good. Women's basketball team's good. Volleyball team is playing in the regional championships because I know this. I'm watching college volleyball with my daughter now. Oh, that's beautiful. It is a beautiful thing.

You catch the Longhorn's team on Longhorn Network. They're good. Which one? The Longhorn Women's Volleyball. The season's over with. Oh, they were good. I'm just telling you, y'all better enjoy this because I

just don't know if Baylor's ever had at this good athletically top to bottom. I don't know if our tennis teams any good or golf, that don't really matter, but point being is this. The ones that we have semi-interest in are all playing for national championships. Baylor is going to be the number one C, by the way, when they announced the tournament

if things hold the form here. And the South Regional, the Houston Regional will be at Toyota Center. So all you bathe fans will see your squad play in Houston if they reach the Sweet 16. Texas, you're going to have to win the Big 12.

Houston? Yeah. They're hosting West Virginia. They've got a couple of games they could win to try and get in. Let me take something. It will not be easy to defend the NIT championship, but you'll figure where to do it. Did you tell you I bought an NIT champion T-shirt? That comes to zero

surprise to any of us. Jay and Cyprus on the Matt Thomas show. Hi, Jay. Hey, man, first off, that guy in Philadelphia, man, those fans hate Santa Claus. I don't care what he has to say, really. Yeah, I mean, let me tell you. I love all listeners, and I'm glad that he was able to find our show, but, I mean, he's right that Verlander has been quiet about this, but everybody has. So I'm not placing exclusive blame on Verlander. I just know that Justin Verlinder, Jay, and you'd admit this as well, is very outspoken about a lot of things.

So I'll be very interested to see what kind of reaction he has when he's pressed by questions because I know if this would happen with another baseball team, Mr. Verlander would be very outspoken about it. Yeah, clearly the organization is telling them not to talk right now. Correct. And they'll talk when they're ready. But I would talk about your 154 game schedule. Yeah, it's less than 10-game difference, but baseball is such a numbers-driven, stat-driven game. And as an old school baseball fan, I couldn't be okay with losing the 162 games.

They used to be 154 way back in the day. They changed it to 162, what, in like the 60s or 50s? Yeah, but since all, you know, stats have really not really been kept, you know, a number of stats were not kept until then. Here's the thing, Jay, and this may upset you a little bit, but sometimes you've got to hear the honest truth. We in 2020 don't care about stats anymore. We just don't.

Go out. Jay, do you have kids? Yes. If you get, how old are your kids? High school, freshman. Okay, if you went up to them and said 406, what number is that in baseball? Would your kids bill tell you that? Well, I was a baseball coach, so I talk a lot of stuff.

Oh, well, this is a different argument then. 1962 is when they change it from 154 to 162. Yeah, Jay, I, today's kids don't care about stats. They care about whether the guy hits the home run and the meaningful playoff game. You know, and I am all for expanding the playoffs. If it comes, if it comes at cutting eight games, I have zero problem with that because we love September and October baseball. We just do. So if you can give me more of that and less mundane regular season baseball, even just a small smidge, it's eight games, less than 10%.

It's 5% of baseball schedule. I'd be all for that. Well, and I tell you what, I was a fan. when they added teams to the playoffs because, you know, I don't remember what year it was, but, you know, a year somebody won 100 games and didn't even make the playoffs, that's a great baseball team. They need to be in the playoffs. But right now, those six or the seven team, how many games are they going to win?

80? That's not a good baseball team. I don't want to see that in playoffs. Well, I still don't think you're going to. Think about on the last couple of years, Jay, how hard it's been just to be a wild card. I mean, we're talking about teams with 98 games and 90s. not even making the playoffs. So I don't think we're going to see 82 and 80 getting in the baseball playoffs.

Now, there may be a year where 87 gets you in as a fourth wall car, whatever. But I don't ever expected to be like in football where team wins a division with a 7-9 record. I don't think it'll be that simplistic. Jay, I've got to run. Thank you for the phone call. 15 minutes away, actually about 18 minutes away from Mike Dantone. If you got a question for the coach, Ross, here we go, Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Hashtag.

Hashtag is AskMDA. If you have a question for Mike Dan Tony. Basketball related. Oh. Not anything else. I got a few for them. If you have a basketball, and I repeat this again, basketball related question for the head coach,

AskMDA. On Twitter under the hashtag, AskMDA. Just don't waste our time because coach needs to hear basketball questions from the audience. We'll have their free coming up in a few minutes. Hey, it's called Melo Anthony. The Matt Thomas show continues. On your home of the Rockets.

Sports Talk, 790. Yes. Rockets and Celtics tonight. 8.30. Ross, I've got to get a nap in somehow. 830 means... You'll be fine. I may not have the energy necessary.

I'll be up. You launch pad at 730 with Michael Connor. Michael Connor. You'll be busy looking at Texas recruiting for basketball. Yeah, I guess so. I was telling this to Brian Erickson, our PD, and Ross before the show today. It's interesting about music inside of arena, and we'll get to Mike D'Anton talking some real basketball in a couple of minutes. But Sunday's gaming in Utah was very, very exciting. Obviously, the ending was not what we wanted with Boyan Bogdanovich, a three-pooner.

There is hip-hop music is played before the game, because that's what the guys like to warm up to. Yes. Before that, before they enter the floor, it's kind of a mixed bag of old and new mixed together. Okay. During the game, it's primarily songs you know, right? Generally speaking. fourth quarters when they call hot timeout something dramatic good has happened towards the local team so you have your list of songs you go to that remain popular the two biggest copacabana stuff like that not necessarily but i know you're going with this the two biggest hot songs that were super hot on sunday night

were both songs that were one was song in nineteen six 77 produced and one was produced in 1979. And they have been this way. And there are songs that you guys know. It's We Were Rocky by Queen and YMCA by the Village people. Wasn't there also Rock and Roll Part 2 after that PJ 3? Yes. I'd forgot what the third song was.

After the PJ 3, Rock and Roll Part 3 had the people going. Part 2, I mean. So those three songs, and I'm glad you brought that up because I forgot what the third song was. Those three songs, to this day, 40 plus years after they were produced and put out as radio songs, continue to have major pop in every NBA arena. Do you think it's because the song, they're just so recognizable that people just clearly gravitate to those types of songs?

Yeah, I mean, they're strong instruments. They're jock jams. They're arena jams for a reason because they've got good energy. Most of them are, at least in the case of Rock and Roll Part 2, and the part of We Will Rock you that gets the people going is the yeah the stom-stop-stop-clack. It's clap. That's instrumental.

I mean, it's just, it's good rhythmic stuff that gets people going. And the reason why I bring it up is because I had, you know, we play a bunch of different things. And we play monie-money sometimes, which I don't, it doesn't resonate. Nobody, it was like a, it was like a church at a funeral during Moni-Money. But that was also, I think, right after the jazz had gone in a run. Yeah. Moni-Money when played right, people. do get fired up for it.

Yeah. But isn't that a lot of songs? But it was just, it was so striking to me because the arena on Sunday night was, I mean, as the kids would say, lit,

when... It did get going. It got going. You didn't even have to chant because it was going by itself. I didn't need to do anything. Which I was thankful for because teams shoot 80%

when you do your defense chant. It's more like 47, but that's on the here nor there. What's the effective field goal percentage on that? I haven't made. They don't do the metrics on that. What's the true. shooting percentage. But isn't it crazy that those songs have been around as long as they have,

you could go into the, well, I've heard that and done that, but yet anybody that ever goes with sporting event where you're white, black, Hispanic, Chinese, rich, or poor, those songs go. And if it's, if the moment is right, like a big basket by Robert Covington or a big basket like PJ Tucker, you add that plus that. And it makes an arena go bonkers. of people going. For instance, like who are the biggest hip-hop stars today? Travis Scott. Sure. Young Thug. Future. Drake.

You could put those songs in, and it wouldn't match the intensity of hearing rock and roll part two. I don't know if I agree with that. Holy. There are some... You and I are a disagreement kind of day. I'm not discounting the value of what those songs are in 2020. Okay.

That'd be naive to do that. But I'm telling you, Like, Ross, do this with Nick real quickly about three minutes. What is Travis's most famous song? Hands down, no doubt about it. The definitive Travis Scott number one song. That doesn't mean that's, I mean, probably his most famous song is probably goosebumps, but I mean, that's not an arena jam.

Like, Queen's number one song is probably what, Bohemian Rhapsody or something? You're not going to put that on an arena either. So I'll rephrase the question. Is there a Travis Scott song? that could bring the same type of energy as YMCA. I know it's crazy to say that, but that's my point. I guess not. You're asking the wrong person.

I don't know anything about Travis. It's not a good song, but it gets the people going. I don't know. Oh, I'm not saying because it gets an arena going means it's a, it's a masterpiece. It's frankly right. It's about participation with YMCA. Yeah. What is this?

Here it is. This is a, oh. PJ Tucker. three. Time out. Utah. This is a jam for sure. They play this in the pregame. But that's different than the game. I just picked one at random. I'm not nothing about anything. Now turn this off. I can take any phrase and I can make you excited for it.

Give me rock and roll part two. I'll give you a case and point on this. No matter what happens in your life. sicko mode by a... That's probably his most famous song. When rock and roll part two comes on, you naturally gravitate towards clapping and cheering no matter what the event. For instance, watch this. Your wife wants to divorce you and take

you for thousands and thousands of dollars. What does the guy do? Yeah. Yeah. Ladies and gentlemen, those in attendance tonight, the IRS is auditing you for Texas for the last five years. This song just reminds me.

This is a creepy song now. Yeah. It's a great song, but Gary Glitter has ruined it. It's, it's, it's, Mount Rushmore of Arena jams, though. Mount Rushmore. We were Rocky. Yes.

YMCA. Rock and roll part two. And the fourth one on you have progressed. No, no, no. I'm going rock and roll part two. We will rock you. Yeah. Celebrate.

Cool in the game. But you do that after the game, though. You still do it. It's an arena jam. Oh. And then. I got one for you. Shout.

Okay. Not the early one, the late one. I like that one. Or how about like a, like, are y'all ready for this? That was a classic. That was more 90s. But no matter what you say to someone, Ross, you put this song behind and they kind of lose track of what you said.

Like you go to your girl and say, I'm cheating on you. You're what? Bum, but bum, ba bum, bum, ba-dun. you're cheating on me Hey It's okay I want to somebody else Hey

Yeah Gary Glitter First of all you want to see a video Gary Glitter No I don't You need to do lots of recreational drugs Passed Lots This reminds me

This song got the people crazy This reminds me The 94-95 championships We played all these I know He's got a special place In my heart 20 year old Matt Thomas

Fat not his shape with hair on the sides wearing a long-slee blue shirt with rocket tie. But still getting after it. I was still getting on after it. I was getting on after it. I didn't get that right. That's the truth. Mike Dan Tony.

You should see the look at Matt's eyes right now. The nostalgia. Three and is up. And it's good. The rockets are rolling now. To a better, harder, longer. Rejected. Beard is cooking.

And they play together, they play hard. He set. He fired and he had the three. Now, exclusive insight and the latest on your Houston Rockets. You've got to be a champion. To be the champion. Presented by Billiard Factory. Rockets head coach Mike Dan Tony joins the Matt Thomas show on Sports Talk 790.

Home of the Rockets. And we are very excited to spend a half hour with our favorite NBA head coach, Mike Dan Tony. Rockets and Celtics tonight. at 830 coach how goes it how you go bad how you doing

no complaints no complaints at all quick question and when unfortunately we've had a couple of these this year where the buzzer has beaten the rockets

you've had a lot of in your life where the buzzer has helped the rockets or any team you've coached does it make you do you sleep the same either way

can you lie and bet it it going man that was so much fun to watch or that was totally agony when it happens on the downside well It's definitely total agony.

You know, you try to approach it the same way, whether we, if we all would have gone in, going out, we have problems, we've got to cure, and we've got to work on, we've got to get better, and we've got to move forward. It'd be nicer with the win, but you persevere, you just push it forward. On the frustration level, because look, you said this multiple times after the game last of the other night, and I was thinking the same thing driving home. I mean, that was a 12-round knockout fight. there was great shooting on both sides.

You got two huge baskets from Covington and Tucker. You know, they struck last, obviously. But where do you size that one up in terms of, do you spend time looking at specific plays maybe earlier in the game that might have been a difference maker that it doesn't come down to a final second or do you just go, you know what, that night was just meant to be that somebody

maybe with the ball last would have won the basketball game? Well, I thought it was playing at a high level, maybe playoff level for both teams. Like you said, both make big, shots. But the way we try to look at is that, you know, we're up 10 a couple of times and we just couldn't get over the hump and, you know, what is it that we're not, we've got to be a little bit more consistent when we get up to him. We've got to take better shots. Now, you could miss them anyway, so be it. But, you know, make sure they're good shots. And then I thought that our man

to man defense just right in, you know, man on man, just right in front of them. We had a hard time staying in front of Connolly and Clarkson. And, you know, Eric Gordon coming back will help a little bit of that, obviously, because he's a good one-on-one defender. But at the same time, we have to do a better job. Rocketete coach, Mike Dantony here on the Matt Thomas show. And coach, I know you talked about it a little bit after the game, but Rudy Gobert being the primary defender on Russell Westbrook,

I thought that was interesting. And this whole small ball lineup that you guys are going with, it's making for a lot of interesting wrinkles. What do you think about that one? Russell seemed to get the better of them more often than not. Well, I mean, Russell's playing a very high level right now. And that's kind of what was our purpose of going small. We're trying to open the floor up for him,

and we don't think there's anybody like him in the league, so we're trying to maximize what he can do. And at the same time, it will help James get to the rim, and he still does these other things. It makes us better offensive, more efficient, and much better not turn the ball. all over and all that. And so far, we really haven't been hurt on the boards or second chance points or things

of that sort of games that we have lost one in Phoenix. We just didn't play well. We didn't have energy. And the last one, one, they played well, give credit. And two, we have to, we have to man up and guard. You know, we got to guard you got in front of us. So you've got to get better, moving forward and see if it, you know, continue to work. But I'm still very optimistic.

and I think we can get this thing done. Mike Dan, Tony, with us on Sports Talk 7. I mean, we'll get me with us to the bottom of the hour here on the program, getting ready for tonight's game with the Celtics. You know, we didn't get to see Russ during his MVP season every single night. We do get to see him now. Do you guys talk about where his energy level is a whole lot? I mean, obviously the back-to-backs he doesn't play in,

and I don't know if it's because he want to prepare himself with a playoff run or he thinks little steps here and there gives him better bursts of energy. But every time I see him play now, it feels like for a better part of two or three months now, Coach, his zero to 60 continues to just be at a high performance level. He's finishing better at the rim. Those little bank shots are coming in and a better percentage. Everything about him in the last two months is not even close to what we saw in the first couple of months of the season. Yeah, he's got a nice comfort level going right now.

I'm very confident. He's energy level. That's kind of his trademark. That's what he has based his whole career on how. he comes and he's just relentless in attack. And he kind of drags the whole team with him a little bit on trying to get down the floor and we're trying to keep up with it. But that's what he does.

And he's doing extremely well. I think the last two months, I'm not mistaken, it's maybe the best in his career. If not, it's right there with the best of his career. So he's playing a very high level. We hope it well. My first to survive, it has to continue that way. He certainly has.

His free throw percentage has gotten a lot better. He's not taking merely as many threes. I mean, everything that we thought he could be, he has come as advertised. About Robert Covington. We saw him literally hours before the first game against the Lakers. You just said throw him out there, see what he can do. I don't even really count the Phoenix game, but he came up with some big shots for you in that Sunday game.

Now having been around him a few days, so what does it like to coach him and get to a while you think you can get it from him between now and the end of the season? Well, you know, I had him also assistant coach from Philadelphia when he was there for six months. And I got to know Robert and, you know, really like him as a person. And also as a player, he just fits us perfectly in the sense of he's a catching three shooter. He can't put it on the floor. It's not, you know, he doesn't do that abundantly, but he can attack close out and get to the realm.

He rebounds for his size very good. And he's a good defender. So I expect, you know, that he will continue along his path and maybe we'll learn some other things that we can use him in different areas. But he's definitely going to be a key force going forward. And I thought he's played well, especially in the two games. Like I said, the Phoenix game, we kind of threw him out. He's played well, and I expect that to continue.

And, you know, to be honest with, we've had a lot of guys, McNamore, Daniel Hiles, had played really well at last late. And that's going to boat well. we go forward. How did you convince James he couldn't jump center anymore? That was probably the biggest shock of their night. Well, I was kind of a shock, too, that he didn't, but I thought he, I guess he saw Covington go up and get a couple of rebounds, so he thought we might have a better chance

with Covington. I was going to say, James thinks he can do everything while on the floor. Why not? He's actually won a couple of jumps over the course of the year, so it wasn't the strangest thing. I would have liked to have seen 6-5 versus 7-2, but you know what? Covington held his own. Yeah, I mean, a lot of the jump balls, you know, depending on how the referees throw it, plus you can steal it, plus if you're strong, you can get a little bump in before you go up. There's all kinds of, none of the ways you might be able to steal it.

But like I said, I don't, you know, the jump ball is not that big of a deal because they get it twice, we get it twice. It's when you have to have it. And overtime is a big deal. Jump ball is a big deal. But so we'll just, we'll be okay. We'll survive that jump ball. I think so, too. So looking at stats, and again, it's for the in the eye of the beholder.

The rebounding numbers of all favor the opposing team since this move, and that's going to probably not be a huge. Okay. Now, the initial when you hit rebounding knows that you're qualifying that. Plus, I'm qualifying. Go ahead. Okay, I just say the offensive rebound. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was going to say, what I was going to say.

So your listeners know that just don't look at just total rebounds. It's going to have to do it anything. It's just the offensive rebounds. and how many points do they get off the offensive rebound? That's it. Yeah, I'm a big, I'm way more of concern about a second-chance point-gatter-goor than I would be about rebounding. Yeah, well, that's the only thing about it's because they can't get 58 offensive rebounds. They can't put it back in the back.

It doesn't really matter. Well, one of the things you and I talked about, I think he was on the show is, you know, Clint before he left, the heel injuries, he wasn't finishing as nearly as proficiently as he was before. He was grabbing his own rebounds, but so that was, again, my point is that rebounding number to me is the most overblown of it all because if you're making shots, you don't have to worry about rebounds. And conversely, if the other team is making a whole lot of shots, who cares when the rebounding factor if you lose the game because their teams are making shots? The one number that I have been in.

Well, also a big thing is turn hours because if they have, you know, like 15 turn, we got, we have, I bet more shots we get. So you don't miss half of my least. So that's another opportunity for them to get rebound. So there's all kinds of, there's some things that don't mean a lot, means a little bit. Obviously, we want to rebound the basketball, but we do not want to get beat in that category, the second-chance points. And it's been pretty close. We've been beaten, but

not close enough that it causes concern right now. Because even with the tall lineup, we were 24th in the league, I think, or even 28th in second-chance point. So we weren't winning with the total lineup. So that's kind of, you know, hasn't got worse,

has got better. We hope it will get better. That's why you and I are besties, because I was going to brag about the turnover count in this small lineup, even pre-clint has gone down automatically. If you're under 10 turnovers in an NBA game, and it feels like it's been that way for the last month or so, you're going to win a lot more often than you're going to lose because you're not giving any other team extra possessions.

Well, that's especially going in the playoffs. That's a huge stat. And you've got to get up more shots than the other team. You've got to make sure you get good shots, and that's what we're working on. We want to make sure that each one of us has a chance. But if you get up more shots than the other team, then, you know, theoretically you should win. And there's ways to do it on second chance points. There's a way to do it on turnovers.

You know, that's the way you create them, and we're trying to do that. If we win that category, we've got a good chance to win. All right, Mike Dan Tony, another segment coming up with the coach here on Sports Talk 790. If you've got a question, you can send me a question your way at SportsMT on Twitter. And Coach Dan Tony is brought to you each every week by our friends at the Billiard Factory with four Houston locations. If you're looking for pool tables, shuffleboards, pool cues, pool cases, game room furniture, theater seating, games, of all sorts like fuzzball, ping pong, you wouldn't need a dartboard. They have outdoor activities for you as well.

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Rockets head coach, Mike Dan Tony on the Matt Thomas show. Presented by Billiard Factory. 216. Final segment with the coach here on Sports Talk 790. Marwin Gonzalez spoke to the folks in Florida with the Minnesota Twins. We'll let you hear what he had to say about the Astros scandal coming up in about 15 minutes from now. Coach, Major League Baseball is proposing in a couple of years where the top seeds in baseball get to pick who they want to play in the playoffs among eligible playoff teams if they expand it. Would you like to be able to, let's say that the Rockets either finish first or second. Hopefully it happens. But, you know, get a chance to choose who you'd like to play in the first run. Or do you like it the way it is where one plays eight, two play seven? Well, I've really thought that was on.

You know, probably like where it is. I would say after 82 games, usually the eighth place team is probably the eight-place team. So I don't know if that would be that many changes, be honest with you. It might be something where the eight gets hot and you want to go with the seventh. So, I mean, it could happen. is interesting, but I haven't heard any talk that we would do that. What about, I know, it's funny, all these commissioners are trying to change things up. Is it because they're afraid they're losing an audience, trying to freshen things up?

How often do you guys, as a collective league, get into, you know, like this mid-season tournament, rephrasing things? I mean, is that brought up much among their coaching fraternity? Do you leave that to, like, the general managers and the owners? Well, you know, really haven't been brought, the meetings I've been in, have been brought up to the coaches. So I think it's more, you know, it has to start with the players union and the league. Then it would probably filter down to our opinion, maybe. But, you know, right now it's the league and players. That's probably worse than you're the ones that have to play.

And it's interesting. You know, they're trying, I think every league's trying to spruce up a little bit. You got to change some, maybe keep up at the times and keep up with different entertainment stuff out there that you want to keep fresh. And maybe it changes warrant. but it will be done with a lot of thought into it because they don't want to mess up something pretty good also. Yeah, the audience that listens this show knows, I do love instant replay.

I feel like your league could even do some more of it, and we've seen some examples, most notably the Portland, Utah game of a couple nights ago. Does it frustrate you that a whistle has to come in order for something to be changed? I mean, do you feel like that's something that could be discussed at the league meetings this summer that you don't necessarily have to wait for an official to call something in order for it to be overturned?

Yeah, I do think they could do something there because I think everybody on the floor just want to get it right, whatever that is. And if that means using more instant replay and maybe have an official at the table watching the instant replay that is quicker. You know, one thing is they just don't want to make it longer, make it boring and all that, but you do want to get it right. So, you know, maybe, you know, through signals or whatever, you can have a replay immediately and then revay, you know, especially the stuff that's obvious. You know, and I know there's always going to be 50-50 calls. Always going to be calls that breaks in the game. But the egregious ones you want to get right. What goes into the decision-making process when deciding to go for a challenge you?

How much do you listen to the player who fouled or didn't or your assistance or looking at the replay? What makes you say, you know what, I'm going to go ahead and challenge this? Well, we want to try to get something that's closer to, you know, it's never full proof. And you can't be 100% sure because a lot of, you know, and I understand the referee's viewpoint that in a normal situation, they wouldn't have called the foul. But since it did call it, yeah, there was a little contact. And so technically, you know, it's as if you make contact, it's a foul. And everybody knows it wasn't a foul if you ever played basketball, but they don't want to return. So you have to kind of guess and hope that it's clear.

And the biggest thing that we try to do, no matter when in the game, you take points off the board. And obviously, if you take three points and four points off the board, that's the match you can do. But you want to be, you know, if you take it off in the second quarter, if you take off fourth quarter, taking points off, you know, technically is the same. But we just want to be sure when we do it, we're taking points off. The thing that frustrates me, Mike, is the fact that you might be. Mike, there's a call in the second quarter that you want absolutely a challenge. And you get it and you win that challenge and you feel pretty good.

And then there's something that screwy that happens in the fourth quarter and you get one per game. My belief would be, and you're worried about timing. I know the league is. But if Mike Dan Tony or any coach gets a call right in the second, he shouldn't be punished, he should be able to continue to call challenges until you lose a challenge. And then you stop it. But why should you have to then? Because I can see your brain moving here.

Do I do it now or do I wait for the fourth quarter? one-point game, it doesn't seem fair, especially when you're getting them right. Yeah, I think there's something they might talk about or they might go away from the challenge altogether. I don't know right yet what the league wants to do with that. But also, a big one, a big one is that even if I challenge early, and I haven't called, you have one mandatory timeout at a quarter. And so even if you haven't called your mandatory, you challenge, you lose your time out anyway. And I might not have wanted to call it a timeout there, but I had a challenge.

So, you know, even though I won the challenge, I lose my time out. And that's going to change. To me, that's the worst. At least get your time out back, and I can use my mandatory a little bit later on when it's mandatory or when I want to use it, not because the referees made a mistake. So there's a couple things they've got to tweak if they want to, and, you know, and it's not for sure it's from the stage. So we'll see.

Give us an update. I know Eric Gordon, you ruled out for tonight's game against Boston. It's just time going to heal his soreness? Or what do you know about where he's going to be right now? Yeah, it's just time. It's all the tests for negative. So whenever he feels like he's able to play, he'll play. And I would imagine, as soon as we come back to the All-Star break,

unless something goes wrong, but I would imagine he's ready to go after that. PJ's minutes have dropped a little bit, which I think has always been a goal of yours. Is that a concerned effort? Is that a little bit of foul trouble, a little bit of both? Where do you see his minutes now with Covington, adding another longer wing player out there for you that can play some four and five if you need him to? Yeah, I think we can cut PJ's minutes,

and that's something we want and have to do. But he's important, and sometimes his minutes have to go up because, you know, we need a guy to take charges and use his bulk to be able to keep people off the board. So he has come down, and whenever we can, we will cut them. But, you know, again, he's just an integral part. And some guys, he just can't. If you want to win, you've got to play him.

So we'll see what happens. Rocket Tech coach, Mike DeAntona here on the Matt Thomas show. And coach, I just noticed, especially talking about back to the Thursday game against the Lakers where they were doubling James on seemingly every possession, it seems like your guys are getting a lot better at playing downhill with the four-on-three situations. Are you happy with the way that's been progressing? Yeah, I mean, you know, a lot of things are good. And I think since we've gone with the spread over, everybody spread out that, you know,

we're our numbers away above what we were trending before. So offensively, we're much better. And the whole thing is going to come down. Can we stop them one-on-one? Can we keep them away from the basket? Because we don't have a lot of shop blocking back there. And can we limit the second-chance points? We do that.

Keep a turnovers down. We're going to win a bunch of games. And that's the whole little battle. That's our test. That's what we've got to come ready for every night, and we've got to get better at it. Give us an early preview of tonight's game. This Celtic team coming in is what,

one, seven straight games, I think, is where the number is? Well, they're good. They're really good. And, you know, they play five out also. They're big shoes three, so they have a wide open offense. And a lot of them are going to come down. You know, there are guys going one-on-one with our guys,

Kimball Walker and Company will go out of us. and then we'll have James and Russ and company go at them, and so whoever can stop who, whoever, because everybody's going to be awake for the rim, and you're going to have to guard your man and keep your body in front of it. And I think they're also very good and not turn the ball over, so that may be one of the keys tonight is not giving any way extra possessions. So after tonight, All-Star break,

will you turn the television off, turn your cell phone off, stay away from basketball? How do you normally decompress with a pretty decent break here between games now? No, just normal. You know, I'll take a couple of days and go someplace and then come back and get ready again. But, you know, there's no basketball. I'll watch basketball until Thursday. And then I probably watch the activities over the weekend except when our guys are playing.

And then get ready and mentally get ready and go next Thursday night. How is the team mentally? I know that buzzer-beaters are always tough to stomach. But it's been a few games since the lineup's been changed and the trades happened. And this is who we are. Can you assess just a general culture in that locker room right now? Well, I was frustrating after the loss. I left the mark on everybody.

But, you know, we're full of, we think that to go deep and play it, it's just it's all in that room and the film room among us. It's among us that if we can get our problem solved, and that means, you know, stay in front of guys, now understanding how we're playing, and then offensively just really, really honed in on good shots instead of just, our great shot, said it's just good job. If we can do that and if we can play with a necessary speed and energy,

then, you know, we're going to be really good. And I think everybody believes that down to the last man. And now it's just a matter of, you know, let's do it. And it starts tonight. If it doesn't start tonight, we'll start right. We come back to all over. We've got to make a start to get on a run here and get ready to go. All right, we'll leave it at that.

Coach, thanks for the visit, as always. We'll see you tonight. All right. You got a thanks coach. Mike Dantonie with us here. Brought to you by the Billiard Factory on Sports Talk 790. Tyler White here. Back to Matt Thomas.

And it is gone. And sports talk 790. Home of Astros baseball. Okay, Tyler, you're not with the team anymore. There is another radio show in the marketplace that plays more players that don't play for the respective teams than this one does. Has anyone asked Tyler about his involvement in the cheating? No. No, no, no need to.

It didn't seem to be working that well. No, it didn't work. Like when DJ Raiders signs with somebody else, we're still going to put the DJ Reader's son. I hope so. We still got the Eric Winstons in there, right? Eric Winston's Royce. Rice whites.

Classics. All the people that don't play here anymore. Sam Decker's not in the NBA anymore. He hadn't been the NBA in a while. Olivia Decker has made more of an NBA in print than Sam has. Has she? She does sideline reporting, I guess. Oh, okay.

Very good. Her job. The whole Harlan family's talented. I don't know, Mrs. Harlan, but I'm sure she's very talented as well. You see, I saw something on the internet. Kevin Harlan still goes back and air checks every single game that he does. Are you serious? Yeah.

I'm blown away by that. He's a grinder. The last time you went back and listened to your own, your own, uh... I hardly ever do it. Okay. I mean, I would say, when I mean, hardly ever do it, I hardly ever do it. I have my own toughest critic on a game broadcast in broadcast. Like if I'm calling a game, I wish I would have said this or said this differently.

Yeah, that's why I don't text you and say, Matt, you screwed that up. I'm just kidding. It is very difficult to do it by yourself. I mean, I accept the challenge. I love it. But it's there's about four or five times in a game. I wish I had a partner to say, let me breathe, let me figure out where everything is. And I just don't have that.

But it's okay. I'll do it. I'll travel with you. I don't need to do that bad. I mean, if like Mario Ellie, like, hey, can I do color with you? I'm sure. I'd be glad. If Kim, Elijah, can I do broadcast?

Sure. People would understand me better than Keem. Ross, Villarreal. Who? Okay. So we'd love to show today. Adam Clinton does it? I don't even get Adam Clinton on the road.

I don't get either one of them on their home. I only get them on the road games. That's a shame. Okay. So we opened the show today talking about Marwin Gonzalez met with the media in Fort Myers. That's where the twins have. spring training. And like every Astro that used to wear an Astro,

now wearing a different team's uniform, he's going to be asked about whether or not he would like to apologize for what happened during 2017. It was a one thing to tell how I feel and then he was that remarkable work for everything that happened in 2017, everything that we did as a group. And then, like the players, that were affected directly by those by doing this and some of our things.

And then that's what I feel, the more regret. And that's what I'm remarkable. So America, Ross, is going to react to these two different ways. They're going to react. Well, it's nice to you to say that because you didn't have to. And either you can say, that sounds like he was being sincere. And there's also going to be a second of the population that's going to say too late. If you really felt sorry for it, you should have stopped it.

immediately. I don't think him coming out and saying that is changing anybody's mind. I think you're where you're at because we don't change our minds in 2020 in America. You can apologize all you want and you can say all this. I don't think anybody's turning over the leaf and saying

you know what? I hated the Astros but Marvin Gonzalez came out and said he's sorry and remorseful and you know what? It's okay now. Nobody's doing that. And the Astros fans aren't going to change their minds either. I don't think, well, I mean, put it this way. Do you think twins fans are going to booed Marwin Gonzalez?

No chance. I don't think so, no. No. No, he's doing a classic example of asked and answered. I don't think he came up in front of the microphones and said, I'm here to tell you about the Astros first. My guess is that Marwin would not have apologized or said what he just said, if not being asked for it. But he knows as being a player, the first position player from anybody on this squad from

2017 to say something that was going to gather some headlines. Again, nothing earth-shattering, nothing, here's what we did, here's nothing that I, you know, that I didn't do it, others did, but he was the first. And there's one thought of, well, when pitchers tell you this, they can think one opinion because they weren't directly hearing the trash cans and making their performance wasn't based on what the trash cans are doing. And then you have a guy that directly had a chance to improve his batting percentage per se or the chance of hitting the ball by hearing what was going on. So that's why I think today made a headline is because it was the first of the guys that were in the everyday, everyday lineup. So, you know, very interesting times. Michael Connor, you hear on the Sean Salisbury Show, Chris Cordy are going to be there for shows Monday and Tuesday. We will get there Tuesday morning to be there for the Tuesday afternoon show.

So we're going to be there for four days, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week when all the position players will be there. Sure bring my swimsuit? I mean, I guess you could. Okay. Yeah, why not? I'm going to hit the beach. The weather will be a little cold for the beach. Oh, you think so?

What is the West Palm forecast, by the way? I'm not sure. So we can make people completely jealous. Thanks to the Palm beaches for sending us down that. We appreciate them going to be down there. It's 80 degrees right down now and mostly cloudy. What's the forecast for next week? That's warm.

Well, I mean, anything 10 days away is going to be, it looks like it's 80 and cloudy. That's not. I'm okay with that. Yeah. Now, well, you go with a. It's warm. We go with a Speedo? I have bikini bottoms.

Nick, do you think it gets us web hits with Ross's work bikini bottoms? Probably not. I'm not posting it. You're going to have to handle that one, Ross. I'm not going to handle any of any of that. Any pictures of him and a banana hammock? DM right to pro neck low. We want no part of that.

How many people have pictures of you in a banana hammock, by the way? It would be zero because I don't own one. Banana hammock. That's just crazy. It's supposed to be high 70s and cloudy. Yeah, which means the water in the Atlantic will be about 65 degrees. That sounds wonderful. You go ahead and knock that out.

Okay. That will get us web clicks. Hey, everybody, watch Ross run inside the Atlantic Ocean really quickly and then run right back out. I don't think anybody is that interested in me going to the beach. You could be screaming and swearing at the same time. I'm all for that. So yeah, the first, the pitchers and catchers starting to get into West Palm. They'll have workouts through the weekend.

And then the players, the entire group has to be there Sunday. Their first full workout will be Monday down in West Palm Beach. I'm feeling there's going to be, I would say Ross, this is just kind of giving the folks some information. The local TV stations usually go down. So that's 21, 13, 26, right? Okay There's The Associated Press will be there

The Athletic will be there The Houston Chronicle that puts it about This is a normal spring training Opening day There's probably 20 people there 20 to 25 There might be There might be 10 times an amount

That's true So there gonna be some like Some ESPN personalities down there Is Skip Bayless going to be down there No But I mean ESPN will send a crew And keep a crew down there Because here's what

they're waiting for. Is Jessica Mendoza going to be down there? Well, you know, she got reassigned. Did you know that? She's still with ESPN. She's still with the ESPN. She had to quit her job with the Mets. Yeah. And she got taken off the Sunday night broadcast. That's a shame. So right now, it's an unknown Sunday night baseball car. I think it's, I don't know if Vasgurgeon's coming back. I don't know if A-Rod is. I like him. A-Rod's okay. He doesn't bother me. I think my only problem with Jessica was that she always felt like there's something needed to be said. She was an over-talker, I think, as a

She was a lecturer. She was a lecturer. Here's the story I have behind this. Because she doesn't have any stories. She didn't play Major League Baseball. Okay. I think part of being an analyst on the highest, most high-profile broadcast in the Hispanic is you've got to be anecdotal. And Alex Rodriguez wasn't.

Jessica just couldn't because she never played Major League Baseball. Alex Rodriguez, though, I don't think he watches games or pays attention. No, I don't think he does. No, I mean, if you're in, would you really, air-headed. Would you, you can just walk in and say, here's the game. Okay, I know who Jose Out 2. is. I know who Gary Sanchez is. I'm good.

Yeah. I know Mike Trout. And he's openly rooting for the Yankees. Which is in a huge conflict of interest. Every time on the Fox during the playoffs when he's working for Fox. He's saying we and us and yeah. Our Yankees are going to beat their Astros.

Everybody would say, who's winning the night? Astros, Astros, Astros, Astros, Astros, Yankee. Oh, A-Rod's got the Yankees winning. Yeah. I think when you're on national platform, I'm not saying you have to necessarily, like, well, you'd have to call it down the middle because you're supposed to be a neutral product.

I thought he was really good. I think he's a lot better in studio than he is during the game. I don't know the difference, frankly, either one. He doesn't bother me as a game analyst. But honestly, if you're him and you've got hundreds of millions of dollars in a piggy bank, are you really going to grind on a Thursday and Friday about the nuances of what's

happening with the New York, Matt's... No, I get it. I'm just telling what the final product is. It's not great. Well, that's why they continue to overhaul it. Monday and football. it's going to have to get overhauled again. Bougar McFarland cannot survive as the analyst. People in their booger memes are out of control. What happened to our two mainstay ESPN programs?

For a couple of decades, it was John Miller and Joe Morgan on Sunday night baseball. Monday night football, for the most part, was Al Michaels, Dan Deirdorf, and Frank Gifford. And there's been probably 15 versions of it in the last 15 years. Terrico and Gruden was a good trauma. Toreko and Gruden was really good. but Gruden had the itch to go back in the NFL again. Well, $100 million itch. I'm telling you, if I'm a ESPN,

if I want to lock this down and have my partner done for the long term, you go ask Tony Romo what he wants. Because Tony Romo right now is as close to as much see television. Now, granted, if your team is playing a game in Tony Romo isn't calling it, you're not necessarily going, well, I'm not going to watch this game now. but Tony Romo will add a sense of experience electricity to like a Monday New England Miami game. He just does. So on Monday night games that it's Atlanta versus Carolina, you don't care about it.

If Tony Romo, you're going to have a bigger chance of watching two quarters of that than Bougarmer and watching it. I agree with that. So that's why if I'm ESPN, I write the blank check to Tony Romo and say, what is it going to take? And I think Tony will take a blank check because apparently he wants to be the highest paid analytics. ever in sports. You might get it. You might get it. Ross, what is, believe it or not,

today at 252, which is in one segment away? It's basketball related. Basketball related. All right, get ready for that. If you want to pay, believe it or not, 713, 212-790. 5-790. 5-4-3 at 2.

Ladies, Joe Green. The Matt Thomas show continues. Three-corner, nothing but... On Sports Talk 7-90. Nylon! On your Rockets. 249 on SportsT. Talk 790.

We've got the A team on location this afternoon. Ross and the Rockets taking on the Celtics at 830 tonight. The Celtics have won seven consecutive games. It is a national TV game. That's why the 830 start time, so please be there on time. Let's get people loud and crazy. I thought the ambiance, the feel, the buzz in the arena for the night, a game against the jazz was really, really good.

It was Sunday night. Fourth quarter, rock and roll part two, YMCA. We Were Rocky. The place was packed. And then Boyan Bogdanovich took our souls away with that three-point shot. Did he do the same thing against the Dallas Mavericks, too? They were showing some highlights to him against Dallas. I hope he didn't do it two nights in a row against two Texas teams. That Utah squad doesn't scare me.

And maybe I'm just being overly optimistic on this. The only team that the Rockets, I think, would have a devil of a time trying to beat in a seven game series, frankly, is the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, I'm not going to let one game against the Lakers in early February let me decide that all the rockets are the prohibited favorite. I'm just telling you

that their length in theory could cause a lot of problems where Utah's length, you saw Rudy Gobert after the first quarter was really an on issue. Nicola Yokic of Denver is a very talented basketball player, but he is not a low post threat. He is a square up shooter. He

He is a 15-foot guy. He's a fade-away guy. He's a great passer. He's going to do as much damage beyond the free-thal line as he is going to be inside of, to tell you the truth. Yeah, I mean, we were talking about, I was talking about this in the pre-game. I think it was Sunday. What is the counter to the small ball lineup for the Rockets? One of the counters is what they did with Rudy Gobert.

Another counter would be Prime Shaquille O'Neal. Prime Shaquille O'Neal doesn't exist in the NBA in 2020. So I think, like you said, you go up and down the list. there are not a lot of guys. I would say, Joel Embed is somebody who would scare me for the Rockets to defend,

but they're probably not making the NBA final, so that's mostly a moot point. There's just the back-to-the-basket center who is efficient and good in the post is a dying breed, and there's really only a few of them left. Yep. And you know what?

If Joel M.B. becomes a problem, that means the good thing. It means the Rockets have won at least the Western Conference. All your best players in the Post right now are guys like a Kawhi Leonard or a Kevin Duran. or a or a LeBron James and you don't need a seven footer to guard those guys. You'd rather not have a seven footer to guard those guys.

Five minutes left to go on the show. What should we do? Believe it or not. We should play America's fastest growing sports game. Shall we simply call it? Believe it or not. And here's how it works. You'll call 713-212-5-790.

7-13-21-2-5-790. Today's edition of Believe or not is brought to you by Woodhouse Day Spas. Pray not your gift car for the gift of relaxation in Houston, Woodhouse Spaws.com. The category of today is all things about current members of the Boston Celtics. I'll read your statement about the Celtics. The statement's completely and utterly accurate. You'll say this. Believe it. It's erroneous

full of uncum. You will say this. Two, believe it or not, to all things about today's Boston Celtics win your prize. Ross, what's the prize? Matt, how about a four pack of tickets to see the U of H. Cougar basketball team take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes Wednesday February 19th, 8 p.m. tip at the Fertita Center. You should get

like five inches right to win those tickets. And we're getting you a four-pack for two. All right, here we go. Line number one. Kyle on 790. Kyle, you ready to play, believe it or not? I sure am. I'm ready to be your analyst when you're ready.

Oh, that's nice you to say. Here we go. Brad Stevens' first coaching job was as an assistant coach under Rick Majeris at the St. Louis University. Believe it or not. Not. Not. Statement number two for the win.

Marcus Smart was teammates with Eric Gordon on the 2011 McDonald's All-American team. Believe it or not. See, 2011, I'm going to say, believe it. Not. Sorry. And I might hire you for an analyst. You're a nice man. Line number four.

Pedro on 790. Pedro, are you ready to play, believe it or not? Believe it. Anez Canter is a huge professional wrestling fan and has expressed interest in pursuing a career in the sport. Believe it or not. Believe it. Believe it. Statement number two for the win.

Jalen Brown is a vegetarian and is also interested in. in academic endeavors like philosophy and chess. Believe it or not. I'm going to say believe it. Believe it. Man, you do know yourself from Jalen Brown. Nice job there. Line number five.

Thomas on 790. Thomas, your favorite part of the radio show today? We had the lawyer slash judge on earlier. We brought some good points. All right. Jalen Brown, you're in that one. Taco Falls father. Maamba Fall played basketball for Seton Hall in the 1990s,

but he never made it professionally. Believe it or not. Believe it. Not. Thanks for listening to all the show, though. Charles Adams, you can catch him on KPRC. Hi, Bill. Man, I thought you'd ask me that question was my favorite part of the show.

I don't care. As a youth, Kimball Walker was a dancer and performed at Showtime on the Apollo. Kemba Walker, a dancer. Believe it or not. Believe it. Believe it. Statement number two for the win. Ross, I'm going to tell him our cup when he said,

the people understand them better than Elijah one. I'm going to wreck my car. That was funny. Jason Tatum's Godfather is former NBA player Larry Hughes. Believe it or not. Oh? Jason Tatum's Godfather is a former NBA player named Larry Hughes. Believe it or not.

Larry Hughes, he's still playing. Not. Believe it. Oh, gosh. That always feels good. That always feels good when he loses. I feel a little bad because he complimented me. He did like you.

Daniel on 790. You ready to play, believe it or not? Let's do it. Gordon Hayward's huge into video games. He loves League of Legends and has appeared in a number of gaming-related commercials. Believe it or not. Believe it. Believe it.

There are three winners in one day. Two. Just two. All right. That's it for the show before we get you to the 18. Let me remind you about Oops, steam cleaning, 281, 822-0561. You must have that number memorized by now because you've got dirty carpets because the dog is stained or your wife has spilled something or your producer spills coke all over the carpet. 281-8220561.

Get that steam cleaning done by professionals done the absolute right way. 281-8220561 and online at OopSteam.com. They'll take care of your oriental rugs. care of your carpets, they'll take care of your drapes, they'll take care of your air ducts, have not been cleaning a long period of time. These are people I trust. I promise they will not let you down. 281-8-2-0561, Oopsteam.com.

Back tomorrow for a noon-to-three visit. We'll recap the Rockets and Celtics. A-Team is next. Enjoy the rest of your day. Rockets basketball with Michael Connor coverage begins at 7.30 with the launch pad. Rockets and Cs from the Toyota Center. Have a great rest of your day. Talk to you all tomorrow at noon here on 790.

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