Will DeMeco Become the Texans Coaching GOAT?

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We are less than thirty hours away from dominant, docile,
and inadequate play from the New England Patriots, an elite
contorting constricting dominance from each Houston Texans. And with that,
let's get the show on the road. We'll going into
space Saturday, right here on Space City. Cole Thompson seven

(00:22):
to ninety rock with you until one o'clock that number
seven one three two one two five seven nine. If
you want to get in on the guest line, Tuck anything,
Astros at anything, Texans does anything college football, Rockets getting
win last night, which again that just kind of uses
the expectations going into the weekend and what seemed to
be expected. You can listen to us anywhere you get
to your listing systems or anytime on the iHeartRadio app.

(00:44):
We have a jam packed show to get to because,
like I said, we're less than forty eight hours away
for the Texans potentially not only knowing where they will
go next, but knowing that they will be playing for
their first ever AFC championship with they win over the
New Patriots. Like I said, the Rockets win last night
over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
They sat staff a.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
Losing streak, which again at this point is a massive win,
and the college football playoffs come to an end with
the Monday edition of Indiana versus Miami.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Have you guys seen those ticket prices?

Speaker 1 (01:16):
By the way, Like I understand Miami, it's in the
home atmosphere. You're playing that hard rock, but like forty
four hundred bucks for like a four hundred level seed.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
I mean, I get it.

Speaker 1 (01:25):
You're trying to make your money's worth because he didn't
get Ohio State and Georgia.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
In college football. You're better than that.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
We know you better in that, we know that you
don't have to handle that. We're gonna talk about all
things Texans. We're gonna talk about all things Rockets, We're
gonna talk college football playoff, We're gonna talk about the
future of the sport.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Legacy is on the line.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
But I would be remiss if we did not start
off with the news that has shook the baseball world
into which I say to all u Astros fans out there,
chairs twenty twenty six, ladies and gentlemen, I hope that
you go to every single game at dyk In Park
that you're able to make. I hope that you see
a absolute spell bounding performance on the pitching mat for
Christian Naviere from Hunter Brown, from tatsua.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
E My coming on in.

Speaker 1 (02:04):
I genuinely hope that we get to see jose Al
Tuve make history an age thirty seven season as he
continues to rewrite the narrative on who are the Houston Astros.
Because here's the problem, ladies and gentlemen, whether you want
to admit it or not, a Lockouts coming is coming
in twenty twenty seven, And it was almost a guarantee

(02:24):
going into the weekend.

Speaker 2 (02:25):
It was almost as.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
Surefire, no questions asked, headed on into the spring training,
but then the news dropped on Thursday night, Wednesday night,
My apology, Yeah, Thursday night, My apologies, Kylin Tucker signing
a four year deal for two hundred and forty million
dollars to go join forces with the Galactic Empire, with
the Travesty, with what is already known as the least

(02:47):
likable franchise and all professional sports, because why go ahead
and build a championship when you can just buy one instead,
And that, of course is the Los Angeles Dodgers. Colin
Tucker on a four year, two hundred and forty million
dollars deal, getting an annual AAV of sixty million dollars,
and now he is going to be the final piece
of what will end up becoming a dynasty run. And

(03:07):
best of all, Kyle Tucker walks away a massive winner
in all this. He does because it's sixty million AAV. Now, naturally,
you and I both know because of what is the
status of the Los Angeles Dodgers and how they love
to just throw money down the wayside and kick the
can down the road, and eventually they'll be owed a
crap ton later on, but they defer a bunch of
money and then they are able to go ahead and

(03:28):
make these signings. Now, he probably won't get paid sixty
million AAV for twenty twenty six and then twenty twenty seven,
but he's gonna get sixty million dollars for the next
four years as an annual contract. Now that's the next
four years. There's an opt out after twenty twenty seven.
So let's say that he is killing it the next
two years. He wins NLMVP. Next season, the lockdown occurs.

(03:48):
Maybe we do get a regular season in twenty twenty
seven shortened, but we still get a regular season, and
then he goes aheading kny ops oide of the deal
because he kills it once again. He'll be thirty two
years old, he'll still have a good ten years left
in him, and it'll get paid by another franchise where
he may not get an AAV of sixty million, but
what he will get is that seven year lucrative deal,

(04:10):
and it'll be around three hundred million dollars, so and
it'll be all you get over four hundred and fifty
million dollars for eight years of baseball. Like that's what
we're talking about. And the reason why the twenty twenty
seven deals so important, guy, is because of let's say
the lockout happens and we don't get baseball in twenty
twenty seven. Well, Kyle Tucker's on the books for sixty
million dollars. So Kylin Tucker walks away with massive winning
this deal. And I can't even be upset with him

(04:31):
entirely at it, because if you chose to go where
the money was going anyways.

Speaker 2 (04:35):
That was it.

Speaker 1 (04:36):
I can't even really be upset with.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
The Dodgers at this one.

Speaker 1 (04:38):
And I know in this city people are gonna be
pissed off about what I'm going to say, but I
just want you to humor me for a minute. This
is the problem when you don't have a salary cap.
This is the problem when you're told you have to
spend an x amount of a lot of money and
you choose not to. There are only about nine teams
that could financially actually afford a guy like Kyle Tucker.

Speaker 2 (04:58):
Only about nine.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
The other twenty one they would love to be able
to go ahead and make him an offer and hopefully
he would stick around for one year, but then the
rest of the roster would be cardboard crap, like like
that's what we're talking about with these teams.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
So about nine.

Speaker 1 (05:12):
Teams canna afford him, here's the problem. Only about four
made offers, and one of which was the Dodgers. And
the Dodgers, who at this point have turned their ugly
head and said, you already hate us as a program,
You already hate what we're doing out here, you already
don't respect us as a baseball team. We're just gonna
steer full on into the villain arc. We're going to
be the bad boys of baseball, and not in the

(05:33):
terms of like, oh, we wear the slick Jackets or
like we're supposed to be in grease or something like that. No,
we actually just want everyone to hate on us because
you ain't us. And we're okay with that mantra because
we do it every single offseason.

Speaker 2 (05:44):
Win a World Series.

Speaker 1 (05:46):
Let's just go ahead and bring back in Taoscar Hernandez.
Let's go out and add in to Tyler Glass. Now,
let's go out and bring in a Yoshimo yamamotom. Let's
just do that. Win another World Series. Hey, how about
instead of just, you know, allowing teams like the Phillies,
the Giants or the Astros for that matter, to kind
of catch up with us, Let's just go sign Edwin
Diaz from the New York Mets, one of the greatest

(06:07):
closures in baseball.

Speaker 2 (06:09):
And then we have a hole and right field.

Speaker 1 (06:11):
Because ta Oscar Hernandez is probably more so a dh or,
we want him in the left field spot. So we're
just gonna go add in arguably a top fifteen player
in the sport. We're gonna steer into us being Hayden.

Speaker 2 (06:21):
And being the villains. We're just we're okay with that,
and that's what they do.

Speaker 1 (06:25):
But the reason why you're frustrated, and you should be
frustrated as an Astros fan or for two main reasons.
There's one for the Dodgers and then there's one for
baseball in general. The Dodgers could afford to bring in
to Kyle Tucker. But the Dodgers also are making it
abundantly clear because of how much money we have. Because
if we know that it's not fair to the sport
because we're all not playing in the same pecking order,

(06:46):
we're just gonna go ahead and buy ourselves a championship.

Speaker 2 (06:48):
And in my opinion, that's like cheating.

Speaker 1 (06:50):
It's executing percent like cheating, kind of like how the
Astros somewhat cheated also in the eyes of the public,
because that's all I heard for the last ten years.

Speaker 2 (06:58):
Astros don't pull off as do a World Series. They
should have to give it on back.

Speaker 1 (07:03):
They should have to go ahead and say that that
title was completely stripped.

Speaker 2 (07:07):
It doesn't belong to begin.

Speaker 1 (07:08):
With bang bang bang bang.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
That's what I've heard non stop for the last ten years.

Speaker 1 (07:15):
Well, it's funny because of the narrative the eyesett and
return is hmmm, well everyone gets everyone doesn't because everyone
does in baseball, and you kid me if you want
with you're saying, oh, no, we play We played the clean,
good old fashion game.

Speaker 2 (07:28):
Frank Frankie.

Speaker 1 (07:29):
You know, us guys out in Saint Louis, we play good,
clean fashion baseball. There's no there's no cheating around here.
Please please, you slip up the bat. You have different
cleats that aren't legal. You have shifts that you're able
to catch, signs for in the glove of a relief pitcher.
Everyone cheats. The ashes just got caught. That's just it.

Speaker 2 (07:48):
You want to know what else happens.

Speaker 1 (07:50):
Everyone has the same amount of money, Everyone has the
same amount of chance because there's no salary cap to
spent on whoever you want. But only about eight or
nine teams do so funny how again like the Dodger's
coming out and saying, don't be mad at us because
we like to spend our money. No, but it's okay
for you to say, you know, everyone has the same
amount of sairey cat space or everyone can spend legally
out there. But no, because if you guys are doing it, we're.

Speaker 2 (08:12):
Just we're just supus to accept it.

Speaker 1 (08:14):
We're just busy accept it just like oh, because the
Astros it's the same thing. Do you understand the irony
in that coming from Dodgers fans saying, well, everyone can
do it. You're right, everyone can, and you're doing it
better than everyone else.

Speaker 2 (08:26):
Which is why we hate you.

Speaker 1 (08:28):
Just like the Astros, you were doing it better than
anybody else, which is why we hate you. It's the
exact same narrative, just switch up a couple of details.

Speaker 2 (08:37):
But the reason why you hate.

Speaker 1 (08:38):
This for baseball is because if there's nothing that you
can do, there isn't. As a Nationals fan, I'm not
saying that Kyle Tucker was ever going to come back
here or Alex Bregman was going to be back here
on a long term deal, And honestly, credit to Dana
Brown for realizing that pretty early on in the process.
We have a top fifteen player that we know is
not going to resign a long term contract. We can't
even get in the ballpark of what he wants. So

(09:00):
how about we go out and we trade for three
players that could elevate our team long term, with the
future right fielder in Cam Smith who has reset the
clock on that position, a really good back end rotation
guy in Hayden was Nesky, and Essac Moretti's who at
one point we thought was gonna be our long term
second third baseman. But now that we got Carlos Carea back,
we could use him as a trade asset and send

(09:22):
him elsewhere to recoup the benefits of those position players,
and we get more at it into the deal. So
I respect the hell out of Dana Brown for realizing
the situation and going in saying this is what we
got to do.

Speaker 2 (09:35):
But the thing is is that the.

Speaker 1 (09:36):
Astros weren't gonna be able to spend on him.

Speaker 2 (09:38):
They weren't. New York could have.

Speaker 1 (09:41):
The Met's absolutely could have. Uncle Steve is out here
swinging money around saying, who wants to come play at
City Field in twenty twenty six? Because I don't want
to pay Pete Alnzo, because I don't want to pay
for Edwin Diaz, So instead I'm gonna pay for Kyle Tucker.

Speaker 2 (09:57):
Oh, I can't get to Kyle Tucker.

Speaker 1 (09:58):
Cool, Bubba Schatt walking to the rukning to the I mean,
welcome to the Queens. The Yankees could afford him, they
chose not to. The Phillies could have afforded him, they
chose not to. San Francisco could have gone after him.
City Diego could have gone after him. And I know
that we hate this city, we do. But Seattle could
have absolutely afforded Kyle Tucker. And they all said, you
know what, not worth a squeeze, not worth it. But

(10:20):
they all had the funds to do so, every single
one of them. But instead, Kyle Tucker decides to realize
the best chance for me, much like Kevin Durant, much
like other players in the past. You put me on
a super team. I could be the reason we are
now with Juggernaut, and he will be. And it's frustrating.

Speaker 3 (10:38):
It is.

Speaker 1 (10:40):
Upset because of I know that this is going to
be the end of base baus. We know it, and
we should have seen this coming because of this has
been a trend in history for any of you that
don't realize this. In two thousand, when the New York
Yankees won back to back World Series titles, they added
in a new clause for teams that way they were
supposed to spend money because they had to force them
to do so.

Speaker 2 (11:00):
It was called the luxury tax.

Speaker 1 (11:01):
Now you have to hit a certain numbering in your
luxury tax so that way you are not fined by
Major League Baseball. Well, fast forward twenty four plus years,
Dodgers went back to back World Series titles. Now we're
going into the offseason and we're seeing four or five
teams actually putting their money where their mouth is, over
exceeding the luxury tax market to go bring in players,

(11:22):
to elevate their rosters to go on runs. And then
we have teams like Pittsburgh and Cincinnati and Tampa, and
you could go Baltimore to a certain extent, even though
they did spend on Pete Lodes of this offseason, Milwaukee's
out here, Washington to a certain extent. They all say
that we want to be competitive, but you don't want
to put your money where your mouth is. So there's
so many people at fault here. But the reason why

(11:44):
we all point to the Dodgers is because of it
just feels like you don't need a Kyle Tucker. You
have everything already going for you and you're fresh of
a winning a title.

Speaker 2 (11:53):
Do you really need to add him on in?

Speaker 1 (11:55):
And they turn their evil eyes less and smart and go,
why shouldn't we let us run baseball? We're a big
time brand on a big time sitting, and we know
what it takes to win with the super team, so
why would we be any different.

Speaker 2 (12:10):
I put blame on them.

Speaker 1 (12:11):
Because if you didn't need to go out into Kylin, Tucker,
but you wanted to and you had the money to
do so. But I put as much blame also on
teams like Pittsburgh and Cincinnati and Tampa and Milwaukee, and
I'll go as far to say potentially even the Cubs
for a certain extent, the White Sox, the Athletics.

Speaker 2 (12:27):
They don't want to spend money. They just don't.

Speaker 1 (12:30):
And when they don't want to spend money, what they're
waiting for is for the Major League Baseball community and
for the MLBPA to come on out and the CBA
agreement to say, now we're gonna add in a salary
cap to make this.

Speaker 2 (12:41):
Some more even keio playing field.

Speaker 1 (12:43):
Them players are gonna get pissed off because they want
to get make as much as they can be properly owed,
and they want to do so on teams that they
know they can win and be the top level at and.

Speaker 2 (12:53):
It all comes back to bite them.

Speaker 1 (12:54):
So this is so many people's fault, So many people's
faulted this one.

Speaker 2 (12:59):
It's just it's the dot.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
It's so easy to hate them, and it's frustrating because
of the Astros. Now could have an epic season ahead,
and it's all gonna be for nothing because guess what
come twenty twenty seven lockout occurs, players aren't signing deals,
and now we're right back at square one. That this
all could have been avoided if somebody like Philadelphia or
better yet, somebody like Pittsburgh or Cincinnati said finally we're

(13:22):
gonna go all in, We're gonna invest. And I'm sick
and tired of hearing about these teams saying, well, we
try to, we tried to. Yeah, the Texans also trying
to make phone calls to bring in Joe Tuney from
the Kanca Chiefs. And now I plays with the Chicago
Bears and they have the number one offensive line in
the NFL.

Speaker 2 (13:39):
I'm sick and tired of you're in the try stuff.

Speaker 1 (13:40):
You're either all in or your all out, and it's
very clear that team like Los Angeles is all in
and you're not. And this has nothing to do with
the Astros, because the Astros, at least we're willing to
put Somebodey down on the table. To bring in toutsy Emi.
But this is where we are on baseball, and unfortunately,
we as the fans, have to suffer for it because
incompetent owners do not want to spend money and they'd

(14:02):
rather just let the big boys go ahead and be
the villains of baseball than try to even make a play.
That's where we are in the sport. Take a phone calls,
take a conversation seven to one three two one two
five seven ninety Roger, we see you on the guest line.
We'll get back to you in a moment. Take quick
time out and we come back. Let's switch our direction
over to football. What does a win mean for the

(14:23):
Houston Texans on Sunday? It's more than just go into
your first conference championship. I'll explain that much more one
segment down, eleven more to go right here in a
space City Saturday, Sports Talk seven ninety, Fay City Saturday,
rolling right along here on Sports Talk seven ninety, Could
Tom's rocket with you until one o'clock? Your Rockets getting
win last night over the Minnesota Timberwolves. College football playoff

(14:46):
comes to an end Monday between Miami and Indiana, and
your Texans are just a little bit over twenty four
hours away from kicking off at ja Lett Stadium for
an opportunity to go to their first ever conference title
game with a win the Patriots seven. All right, Roger,
I've held you on the guest line long enough. Good morning, Roger,
what's up?

Speaker 4 (15:06):
Did Good morning?

Speaker 3 (15:08):
Cold?

Speaker 5 (15:08):
Hey?

Speaker 4 (15:09):
I just want to just you know, do a quick
run around on the sports uh front uh for the
Rockets last night, great win, way too much Kevin Durant
usage as usual and in all winds, always Kevin Durant
as the main reason why you got a couple of
trade chips. Now we know what these Rockets are. It's
been a big sample size. We know Reach Shepherd might

(15:32):
be a trade ship. We know Tyry Eathan because of injury,
might be a trade ship. We also want to Jamar
Smith because of the he could be a trade ship.
Don't be surprised you see that coming before February fourth,
because we do need a facilitator. Next on the astros front,
BREGGI did you a ready say Kyle Tucker was coming
to the couppies, but you didn't see that in the

(15:53):
big O card. Paulish up those rings, Breggie, because that's
the last one you ever got to get.

Speaker 3 (15:58):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (15:59):
Yeah, look at smelling. Smelling the postseason, that's what much
more playing it And Dodgers got that covered and and
and sewed up buddy. Uh And you know as far
as the yeah, they have made some nice moves. They
let they let guaranteea go. I'm not sure what they're
thinking about behind the dish because it's not gonna be DS.

(16:19):
The other DS is an absolute uh train wreck behind
the dish and his batting is a plate discipline is
even worse. I'm not sure what they're gonna do. I
know they didn't have this guy thinking long term behind
the dish. That's why they try him at at at
a couple other positions previously. But yeah, they need to
fix this. Uh their pick this suff looks really nice.

(16:42):
They need to have They need to have some guys
to throw to you though. Uh but you know what,
called none of this will even matter. Assos and Rockets
can have the worst season of the franchise history. If
my boys on Sunday could punch that ticket, and if
they punched that ticket, they smell the blood, it won't
be law for it. We got I'm playing in the
super Bowl. So that's what I'm thinking, That's what I'm hoping.

(17:06):
And have a good weekend and go Texy.

Speaker 1 (17:08):
Appreciate Roger. No, listen, Texans are gona win. This weekend
would be massive. It would now a lot of people
who were actually talking about this, so good, great segment
by Roger. A lot of people are talking about what
does a win mean for Houston on Sunday Atchiellette Stadium.

Speaker 2 (17:25):
Now most good.

Speaker 1 (17:26):
Think of the first thing, Well, we get to go
to our first ever conference championship game. Yeah, big win, big,
big win in that one. We may even get to
host our first AFC championship game. Because I had to
be the very bad news. Josh Allen is inevitable. He
is just on a war path with no sight of
Patrick Mahomes in reach. Yeah, he's gonna win the day.

(17:48):
I'm gonna come out here right now at eleven twenty three,
twenty four or twenty five, Yeah, eleven twenty three, I'm
gonna let it by know.

Speaker 2 (17:56):
The Buffalo Bills.

Speaker 1 (17:57):
Are marching into Empowerfielder and they're taking down the number
one seed Denver Broncos. The winner of tomorrow's game, we'll
be playing host Buffalo for a shot at the Super Bowl,
calling it. We can go ahead and argue about this
on Monday from the Morning Drive A six y time
with Dan and Cole.

Speaker 2 (18:11):
You couldn't.

Speaker 1 (18:13):
But I think that the Texans guaranteed are gonna be
playing against the Buffalo Bills next Sunday at ourg Stadium.
And that'd be another win because it'd be the first
time you'd be hosting a playoff game in a conference
championship matchup.

Speaker 2 (18:27):
It wouldn't.

Speaker 1 (18:28):
But what's the big win here? The one that I
was teasing right before we went to commercial break. I'm
so glad that you asked, Frankie, you do a good job,
but keep me on pace. And I appreciate that. Dude.
It would show that you've arrived. It wouldn't, and that
even with all of your fair share of struggles, with
even all the question marks that you have long term
about certain positions, you've arrived. Do you want to what

(18:50):
We always compare teams like Kansas City and Baltimore and
Buffalo to their postseason success. We do Lamar Jackson every year.
You'll look out for him when he goes to the
AFC title Game. Gonna be an MVP player, got a
good sporting cast around him, great head coach, or at
least then was a great head coach.

Speaker 2 (19:09):
You went to the conference title game. You lost a
couple of times, but you went.

Speaker 1 (19:13):
You knew that you were a viable threat to go
represent the AFC. Buffalo. Buffalo has an elite quarterback in
Josh Allen. They have nothing really else around him, a
defensive minded coach that half the fan base is torn on.
Yet every year it's not a surprise to see them
make that run to the postseason and into the conference
title game. Kansas City is Kansas City def Texas. Patrick

(19:36):
Mahomes and Andy Reid have an opportunity to win a
Lombardi Trophy. You can expect that almost a year in
a year out. It shows that those three teams are
built different than anybody else. But who's been the team
knocking on the door for the last five seeds off
three seasons?

Speaker 2 (19:50):
Just can you less in?

Speaker 1 (19:53):
No? Sorry, guys, we're full. You know we're two packed
right now. Got you gotta sit in the way of
the line. You can be in the front of the
VIP line. That's really cool, guys, But but yes, sit
in divisional round doomsday scenarios. That's what you got sit in.
You break through there. Now you're finally in the club.
Now you belonged. Now every single season, everybody has to
look at you as a legit threat to go ahead

(20:14):
and win it all. Elite defense, good overall offensive consistency,
knowing that you have a head coach that demands excellence
for his players and sets the tone throughout the entire
offseason leading into the regular season and with the first
place schedule, even when dealing with injuries and an adequate
quarterback play, you relied on one major element to guide

(20:36):
you as the piece to get you over the top
to guarantee your spot in the super Bowl.

Speaker 2 (20:41):
You've arrived.

Speaker 1 (20:42):
It shows you that and it shows you that you
made all the right decisions over the last few years.
There's vindication if you are Nick Casario, because there's a part,
there's a part of my brain that still says Texas
have been good. Back to back years of ten plus wins,
back to back division titles. This year, you don't get
DIVISI title, but you win your playoff game, you destroy

(21:03):
Aaron Rodgers, and you make Mike Tomlins happily wave the
white flag on his overall mediocrity in Pittsburgh and hit
a new chapter and in a new regime. So you've done
a lot of good things, but there's still some questions.
I think when it looks at nic Cassario and say,
did I make the right move Will Anderson Junior with
an All Pro selection and probably gonna finish number two
in voting for Defensive Player of the Year. And I

(21:25):
say number two because of anybody with the functioning brain
is putting Miles Scarrett at number one, and well they should.
It justifies that picking him number three overall and giving
up all that draft conversation was worth it.

Speaker 2 (21:36):
Taking CJ.

Speaker 1 (21:37):
Strout with a number two pick, even with the question
marks that you have about his longevity, his overall demeanor,
his pocket awareness, his decision making, playing scared behind the
line of scrimmage, it was worth it. Signing to Neil
Hunter and letting Jonathan Grenard walk. It was worth it.
Giving a lucrative contract to Derek Stingley Junior a year

(21:57):
after having an All Pro campaign.

Speaker 2 (21:59):
It was worth it.

Speaker 1 (22:00):
Signing Jalen Petrie and trading away Laeromie Tunsel, making sure
that you extended an elite Nickel defender and replacing him
with a young, up and coming, hopeful franchise left tackle
for a surefire Pro Bowl caliber guy on the blind side.
It was worth it. It justifies everything that this organization
has been doing for the last three years, and if

(22:22):
you really want to go a step back, the last
five years. Because this was always the plan for Nick Assario,
this was always the plan for the Texans. Go in openly, stink,
have terrible, terrible, terrible performances year in a year out,
get as much draft compensation as possible, build a new
identity of players that you believe can be foundations for

(22:43):
the future, and then go get your guy. And then
once you go get your guy, make sure that he
continues to build off of what you've already established and
take it to a new height. You sec in twenty
twenty one, and then you fire David Kelly, you sec
in twenty twenty two, and then you fire Lovey Smith.
You find some good young pieces in play, like a
Nico Collins, like Derek Stingley junior, like we could throw
in a Jalen Peatree and that becomes your foundation. And

(23:05):
then you go get to Miko Ryans and look at
that now, you are four quarters away from playing in
your first ever conference title game. A win like this
guarantees that you are now right alongside anybody else in
the AFC, and you are viewed to be feared, and
well you should be.

Speaker 2 (23:22):
Well you should.

Speaker 1 (23:22):
Be because let's just call it as is. Who is
the next team that you really think of in the
AFC that doesn't feature a Patrick Mahomes, a Josh Allen
or Lamar Jackson think the right answers to Texans. Texas
have been to the playoffs the last two years. Texans
have won all three of their last wild card round games.

(23:46):
Texans have been a double digit victor the last three seasons.
Two of those years, ten and seven was good enough
to win you a division title. This past season they
closed out the year on a nine game regular season
win streak, and now it's ten and counting. You think
of them as that next eighteen Well, I'm sick and
tired of being the eight team, and I think you
guys are sick and tired of being in the eight team.

(24:07):
After a while, you get tired of being passed on
up and being considered Oh yeah, and them them too.

Speaker 2 (24:13):
You're nobody's first choice, Like Honestly, even if you go back.

Speaker 1 (24:16):
And look at the start of the season, how many
people pick Houston to be in this position? And if
they did, they probably set up with a condescending tone
of well, they'll be in the conversation because of the
AOCU South. It's just such a drool, like that'd be
the way they would talk about the Texans, and you're
sick about hearing it that way. You're tired of all
of the negativity and the constant and neglect that comes

(24:38):
with it.

Speaker 2 (24:39):
It's ridiculously a.

Speaker 1 (24:41):
Droll but with the win win on Sunday, potentially a
shot to hoist up your first ever Lombardi Trophy at
least get to Santa Clara. You're now in the same
packing order of Baltimore. You're now in the same stratosphere
of Buffalo. I even would put you at this point
because of what we as know is going to chain
out in Kansas City this offseason. We don't know the

(25:02):
status of Travis Kelsey long term. Who the hell knows
that they're gonna sign Trent McDuffie, Patrick Mahomes coming off
of torn acl You're probably in the same packing order
as a team like Kansas City. You are, but you
gotta win because everybody's been here before. Everybody in the
city knows what here is like, and they certainly know
what it's like against a team like New England despite
there being a new quarterback, a new head coach, same ownership,

(25:24):
but a new mentality in Foxborough. You know what it's
like to play in Jellette Stadium in January. You know
what it's like to lose in Jillette Stadium in January.
You're four quarters away from guaranteeing your first spot in
a conference championship game.

Speaker 2 (25:38):
It's all on you.

Speaker 1 (25:40):
It's not on New England.

Speaker 2 (25:41):
This is on you.

Speaker 1 (25:43):
Play your brand of football, do what you've accomplished throughout
the entire regular season, do what you've been able to
focus in on since Week eight, and.

Speaker 2 (25:52):
Use that as motivation.

Speaker 1 (25:53):
Once you do that, you're kind of guaranteeing your way
to coast to go coast all the way to a
championship seven one three, two, one two five ninety. Okay,
there's a person that we need to focus more in
when it comes to the Texans and who is the
face of the Texans franchise Because there's a lot of
people that want to argue about who is supposed to
be the face. I have the right answer. It may
surprise you, it may not, but I do think that

(26:14):
you will have to come to an agreement with me
when we're done to a quick time out and we
come back discuss that more on said Space City Saturday
right here Sports Talk seven ninety, Space Day Saturday, rolling
right along here on Sports Talk seven ninety Cole Thompson
rocking with you until one o'clock seven to one, three
two one two five, seven ninety is the number you
can get in on the guest line as the Rockets

(26:34):
they're gonna win last night over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Astros, well,
they now have to watch is two players that I
absolutely love play in the National League and for two
of the worst franchises in baseball, and the Texans they
are less than twenty six hours. Yeah, they're all low
over twenty four hours away from playing in Gillette Stadium
for an opportunity to get to their first ever conference

(26:56):
title championship. You can listen to the show anywhere in
your car, on your phone, or listen anytime using the
iHeart or radio app. Let's talk about faces of the League.
Now a lot of people are asking yourself who's to
face the Houston Texans, Because I usually there's two ways
to go about it. There's either an elite player or
the quarterback. Like I'm just gonna throw a name out there,

(27:17):
Buffalo Bills. Who's the first thing that comes into your mind,
Josh Allen? And while it should be what about Kansas City,
you're probably saying Patrick Mahomes. Now, if you said Taylor's
first boyfriend, I couldn't entirely fault just simply because well,
your girlfriend's probably in the car list in with you
and she loves Taylor, So okay, cool. Taylor's boyfriend could
be an option you think of the Los Angeles Rams

(27:38):
for a while, I think that this would have been
the most comparable to the Texans. But right now, Matthew Stafford,
who could potentially get an MVP and then close out
his career with an opportunity to hoist up one more
Lombardi Trophy, thus capping off a Hall of Fame resume,
that would make some sense. Or you could even go
Puokaakua and I think that would make some sense. For
a while, it was actually Aaron Donald, like the defensive

(27:59):
tackle who was probably the closest thing that we have seen.
The JJ Watt was probably the league was the face
of the league.

Speaker 2 (28:06):
And that's fine. I have no problem with it, and
that's usually the way it goes.

Speaker 1 (28:11):
Superstar player, quarterback, Cincinnati has it, Baltimore has it, the
Jets have.

Speaker 2 (28:16):
It, everybody he has it.

Speaker 1 (28:19):
Who's the face of the Texans? Genuinely asking seven, one, three, two, two, five,
seven to ninety. If I asked you today, who is
the face of the Houston Texans and their long term
cement legacy moving forward, some of you are gonna say Will
Anderson Junior, and I won't push back that much. He
is going to be the focal point of the defense
moving forward. Some of you will just say CJ. Stroud

(28:41):
because if he wears number seven, he's QB one. You'll
win because of the quarterback. You lose because of the
quarterback in most narratives. And so I won't push back,
even though I think it's wrong. My pick's to be
go Ryans, and I don't think this is really up
for debate to meet O'ryans is the face of the
Houston Texans, And it's weird to say that about a
coat when you look at how loaded this roster is

(29:03):
when he got guys like Kamari Lassiter and Derek Singley Junior,
and you still have elite corent I mean, you have
Kaylin Billock coming on. Big Daniel Hunter is probably the
most underappreciated player in the NFL.

Speaker 2 (29:13):
Like what he's been able.

Speaker 1 (29:14):
To accomplish for years. You could throw him into the mix.
That's fine, I completely agree with you. But Tamiko Ryans
at one point was a player on this team. Demiko
Ryans was here when Gary Kubiak got hired to fix
the mess that was the Don Capers era.

Speaker 2 (29:28):
Comes on in and is already.

Speaker 1 (29:30):
Demanding excellence from every single veteran that's in the clubhouse.
Everyone that's just it. And so guess what happens. They
call him Cap and then he goes on to have
a legacy run alongside Mario Williams and he becomes the
anchor of that defense and they go to their first
playoff game.

Speaker 2 (29:46):
Because you have a.

Speaker 1 (29:47):
Guy like Demiko Ryans at the Helm, and then he
leaves and he goes to Philadelphia, and then afterwards he
goes and he gets to become a head. He becomes
a coach elsewhere, goes into the Diversity Diversity camp and
then goes out to San Francisco and he's working underneath
Robert Salam and then after all of that, he becomes
the head coach candidate that we know today. And where
does he choose to go? Because Denver Wantam Arizona was

(30:11):
in the market for him, Several other places at least
interviewed him. Remember in twenty twenty two, he had an
interview for the Minnesota Vikings shop and he's like, you
know why of this, wants say with San Francisco, I'm
good for right now. I'm gonna stick around with San Francisco.
And they said, okay, cool, We're gonna go hire Kevin
O'Connell instead.

Speaker 2 (30:26):
So that was it.

Speaker 1 (30:28):
He picks Houston. He comes back to the place that
he remembers getting drafted by. He comes back to the
place that he remembers what winning was supposed to feel
like and what it takes to win, and he churned
the entire franchise around Dimingo Ryans in three seasons has
thirty two wins in the regular season. That's the fastest

(30:51):
to thirty plus wins in a Texans tending coacher automatically
check off that box. He's the only coach in franchise
history to have not one, not two, but three wins
in the playoffs playoffs in general, and he's the only
coach in franchise history to go back to back to

(31:11):
back in the wild card round. Now, again, the history
is not that long, I understand, so they've been around
since two thousand and two. But you look at the
overall stigma around the Texans, it's because of Demika Ryans
what he was able to accomplish. The team started to
take another jump forward in two thousand and six when
he came on from the University of Alabama. The team
started to take another jump forward in twenty twenty three

(31:33):
when he left the Bay Area to come back home
to Houston. And every single time that I look around
the league and I see all these free agent signings
and they're kind of under the radar. Tommy TELGII perfect example.
Nobody remembered where Tommy Tagiad was before he came to Houston.
How about Sheldon Rankins, former first round pick by the
New Orleans Saints, doesn't really pan out there, goes to
New York. It's a fine season, comes to Houston and

(31:55):
gets paid a lot of money.

Speaker 2 (31:56):
He wasn't a name that.

Speaker 1 (31:57):
People were scouring over wondering if he could become a
big time fit. Mario Edwards on the defensive line, former's
second round bust ends up becoming a pretty big fixture
in the pass rush. Tim Settle fourth round dude who
just had some reps. Okay, well, now he is a
part of the organization, and now he's doing a damn
good job and has become one of the better interior
run defenders in the NFL. Because that's to Miko, and

(32:20):
what do we know about the sex and seam. The
Texans are a defensive mind that built roster first. I
can tell you right now that they will not miss
a beat regardless of who is on their staff, so
long as they have the head honcho running the show.
It's great that you're giving Matt Burke an opportunity to
call plays. I love it, I really do. I think
that Matt Burke is a great guy. I think that

(32:41):
he is a phenomenal coach. I think he has earned
the respect of that locker room, and I think that
he is eventually going to get his opportunity to run
an NFL program, and I don't think it will come
this year. And that's not a bad thing, that really
is it. Sometimes there has to be a great fit
for you. There may not be one for Matt Burke,
but it still is Tomko's defense. The defense has carried
you the last two years behind overall average to below

(33:04):
average offensive playing and you still been able to win
and win at a high end rate. Because what's the
narrative that we say right now around Houston. First to
twenty gets the job done. Houston can win twenty to thirteen.
But as long as you got twenty you feel pretty good.
Well you should because of your defense is bailing you
out of trouble. That's a Demiko Ryans led defense. That's

(33:27):
Demiko Ryans led roster. And so when you look at
the Buffalo Bills, you know that all the pressure's on
Josh Allen, and while it should because if he's the
face of the league, he's the face of the team.
Pad Mahomes, you know the pressures on him because he's
the face of the team. I think to face the
team is Demiko Ryans, and as long as you got him,
that is going to be your face. Because Will Anderson

(33:47):
Junior has taken a massive jump forward, and well he
should be considered in that sane stratosphere.

Speaker 2 (33:52):
But he's taking a step forward.

Speaker 1 (33:53):
Because if he's learned underneath the coach, like Demiko Ryans,
Daneil Hunter has exploded onto the scene and finally is
starting to get the national recognition he's deserved. He's being
schemed up properly. In Demico Ryan's defense. Kamari Laster's playing
avas mind, Caitlin Block's playing avas mind. Derek Singley Junior
is still an elite cornerback and even at PFF hates

(34:14):
and that doesn't mean that the league hates him.

Speaker 2 (34:16):
They respect the hell out.

Speaker 1 (34:17):
Of him, which is why they never throw his way.
That's because of a Demico Ryan's defense. As long as
Demiko Ryans is running the show in Houston, he, in
my opinion, is the face of the Texans, and it's
because of what he's established here and why are the
expectations among fans and the reality of what you expect

(34:37):
when it comes to a guy leading the charge? Who
you play for seven ninety Let's go the guest line
real fast. Chris, good morning, what's up, Bud, Hey Cole?

Speaker 6 (34:49):
Thanks for taking my call when we're talking about the
face of the Texans. I'm I'm totally on board with
Will and Anderson. You don't want to interview.

Speaker 7 (35:00):
I understand the media.

Speaker 6 (35:01):
Likes to talk to the quarterback and things of that nature.
But Will Anderson Jr. Is all pro on a defensive
line full of stars. Not only that the Texans, the
Texans have respect because of their defense. You're putting out
your best young defensive player in front of the media.
The way that he approaches it, the way that he describes,

(35:24):
the way Demiko Ryans coaches them up.

Speaker 7 (35:27):
That is the answer.

Speaker 2 (35:30):
I don't push back, Chris.

Speaker 1 (35:31):
I don't because here and before I letge you go,
would you agree that partially the reason why Will Anderson
is who he is is because of the guy that
draft them.

Speaker 7 (35:42):
Oh.

Speaker 6 (35:42):
Absolutely, the work ethic was there. The work ethic was there.
But you've got to also give some credit to Will Anderson.
I mean, coach Ryan's is a great coach and he
will coach you up and put you in the right position.
But Will Anderson has done nothing but in I prove
on his skill set and improve his pass rush skills,

(36:03):
improve on being a leader in that locker room and
that guy is like, put on another twenty pounds, is just?
I mean you, I bet if you asked him to
go out and you know, spray off the sidewalk, he'd
do it if he thought that was going to get
the team where they want to be. And I like

(36:24):
that about Will and I'm so thankful that we traded
a lot of picks to be able to get him.
I think he's worth it.

Speaker 1 (36:30):
I appreciate the phone call, Chris, and listen, I won't
fight back if you if you put a if you
told me right now, I got to jump off of
the ability of iHeart radio. If I don't pick a player,
and I picked the right player, the right answer is
Will Anderson Jr.

Speaker 2 (36:44):
I will completely agree with you on that, Chris. I
will from a.

Speaker 1 (36:47):
Standpoint of just I would say the thing that I
think of the most when looking at the sexan scene
and the way that the national perspective comes about this,
the face of the organization is Demiquo Ryans because it
does feel a lot like.

Speaker 2 (37:03):
The Prodigal Sun's story returning home.

Speaker 1 (37:05):
The guy who was really the first big name defensively
to kind of take on over as the heir to
Houston football because JJ Watta evctually got there. But the
first name was probably Mario Williams. If I mean, it
was probably Demiqo Ryans, and if it wasn't, de Miko
was Mario. But I still think it's de Miko far
and away because of what he meant in the locker room.

(37:27):
For him to return back and change the culture to
a championship mentality in three years, I don't know if
you're ever going to repeat that, and I don't think
a player could do that immediately.

Speaker 2 (37:37):
The way that.

Speaker 1 (37:38):
Josh Allen has transcended Buffalo, the way that Patrick Mahomes
has been able to elevate Kansas City and Lamar Jackson
to a certain extent with Baltimore, it's all there because
of what you have in terms of their leadership for
the Texans. I think that you needed to Meeka Ryans
more than you need anybody else. It was a perfect

(37:58):
fit at the perfect time. Seven two two five seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (38:01):
Would I see you.

Speaker 1 (38:02):
On the guest line. It's a quick time out and
we come back. We'll get to you, and we're also
gonna get to some news around legacy, because there is
a legacy thing that is going into the NFL this year.
We'll talk that more on Space AA Saturday. Next right
here on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (38:16):
Space A Saturday. Rolling right along here.

Speaker 1 (38:18):
On Sports Talk seven ninety, Cole Thompson rocket with you
for another hour. Your Texans are less than thirty six
hours away from kicking off Gillette Stadium with an opportunity
to punch there to get to the AFC Championship Game.
The college football Playoff will come to an end on
Monday night as Indiana travels down to South Beach take
on Miami and the Houston Rockets. They get a win

(38:40):
over the Minnesota Timberwolves as a late tip off, which,
by the way, NBA people get like, like, get your
ducks in a row. Don't have a six thirty game
on Prime just to have an eight thirty game in
Houston the next nine seven, one, three, two, one two five,
seven ninety. Let's go back out to the guest line,
would would on the north side, What good morning, my friend?
What's up? Did hey?

Speaker 7 (38:58):
My brother?

Speaker 5 (38:58):
I strongly agree with what you're saying about the Miko
O'Ryan being the face of the Houston Texas. Not only
is he the face of the Houston, Texas. But he's
considered to me to be one of the stars of
the NFL for his head coaches. Now, I mean, if
you think back, you know Tom Landry, Don Shoodel, even

(39:19):
in basketball, Phil Jackson, pat Riley, you know Buddy Ryan
with his defenses. Coaches are known for their ability to
get the best out of players that's just the best
out of not just the best out of great players,
but the best out of average players as well, to
bring them up to another level to make the whole

(39:39):
unit great. And that's what he's doing. He's making that
whole defensive unit great. And not only he's doing that
with the defensive side. He realized, you know what, I
have to start concentrating a little bit on his offensive side.
Nick and Sario had bought me some pieces over here.
They're soft on this offensive line, but I can coach
them up to be a better unit if they learn

(40:01):
how to be men on that offensive line. And that's
what he's doing now. At the same time, he need
to get somebody in there to coach up CJ to
be have a little bit more courage, not give up
so much on himself because from five fumbles that's ahead thing.
That's a situation where you into your head, you have

(40:22):
fear in your eyes and you need to get that
out and he need to be coached up and make
him realize that you know what, you can play this game.
You are in the NFL, and that's what the MiG
is gonna do there. He's gonna get in CJ. Then
let him know we have a championship defense here. We're
getting ready to whip up on New England. We're gonna

(40:42):
take Buffalo tear, they tailor and exercise those demons as well.
Get to the super Bowl, win the Super Bowl over
the rams of Seattle, it doesn't matter, and then not
only win the Super Bowl this.

Speaker 4 (40:53):
Year, next year we're gonna repeat.

Speaker 5 (40:56):
We had that kind of team and that kind of
championship defense where we to take it to the nation level.
Once CJ started getting his butt together and getting coached
up properly with the oufice, this nothing go be to
stop this team for rolling. We are the next team
in the AFC that's set to dominate and be the
next dynasty in the NFL.

Speaker 1 (41:15):
I appreciate the phone call. What I do maybe maybe,
and honestly, it'd be great to see what I will say,
is in Wood brought up a great point. Who remembers
Sheldon Rankins, Mario Edwards and Tim Settle before they came
to Houston anybody, I don't think. So that's the reason
you're taking players that were once thought of as projects
or guys that never hit their ceiling and lo and behold,

(41:37):
now they're getting lucrative payout deals like it reminds me
a lot of Lang Kiven when it comes to transfer portal.
And I'm not comparing Lang Kiven to dem Ga Ryans whatsoever.
So don't go on Twitter, or if you do, at
mister Cole Thompson, at least tag me in the tweet
saying Cole compared Lane kiffn de mearyants.

Speaker 2 (41:51):
I'm not saying that. The one thing that deman go'
Ryan's and Lange.

Speaker 1 (41:55):
Kiven do really well is they prepare you for another payday.
For Kiffen, it's at LSU or was it Ole miss
getting prepared to go to the NFL?

Speaker 2 (42:05):
You were a six round pick.

Speaker 1 (42:05):
That ended up becoming like a second round pick because
you played in that system with Deminko Ryans. You were
a lost cause or a name that really wasn't hitting
its stride to.

Speaker 2 (42:13):
Get paid millions and millions and millions.

Speaker 1 (42:15):
Of dollars, Because if you hit your stride at the
right time in this defense, that's really what makes him,
I think, just such a unique coach.

Speaker 2 (42:22):
I think that's what makes in the face of the team.

Speaker 1 (42:24):
Because of your guys you believe are gonna be good,
they end up becoming great once they get into the system.
Seven one three, two one two five seven ninety Okay, legacy,
what's on the line and who faces the most pressure
for the Texans and their legacy as a member of
the Bulls on parade done at NRG Drive. Will discuss
that more hour two Space Day Saturday coming up next

(42:46):
right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (42:47):
I can't explain why, I really can.

Speaker 1 (42:49):
I want to think that this is gonna be a
good game on Sunday at two pm when the Texans
take on the new one Pages. I want to believe it,
and maybe it will because we will see elite defensive play,
but offensively. I don't know if it's just the conversation
I'm having internally or whatnot, but I'm feeling pretty confident
about with the Texans and so let's get the show
on the road.

Speaker 2 (43:09):
It is a space. Say Saturday right here on.

Speaker 1 (43:11):
Sports Talk seven ninety Cole Thompson, we' rocket with you
for another hour. Seven one three, two, one two five,
seven ninety is the number to get in on the
guest line talking Texans, Astros, college football, anything that's on
your mind. Rockets. We're here for you. We are your
one hour therapy session, or at least one more hour
therapy session every single Saturday from eleven am to one pm.

(43:32):
You can listen to the live stream anytime on the
iHeartRadio app or for every gets podcast listening systems on replay.
Okay Texans two pm. Kick come Sunday afternoon jatte Stadium.
We're all excited for it. Legacy is a big time deal.
Legacy's a really big time deal because here's the thing
about legacy. You could be remembered for two or three

(43:53):
things in your entire tenure, and it could be good
or bad, but they all will have an impact on
the overall identity of who you are, your legacy. And
so I think when you look at the Texans, there
are several players who are facing a legacy moment with
this game. I think there's also a coach that faced
the legacy moment with this game, and legacy is a
big time deal and the way that we view this

(44:14):
entire persona could change the way that we view how
these players are just in general. So who are the
names that we're talking about here? Let's start off with
the low hanging fruit CJ Stroud. CJ did not play
good against Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, I'm not saying you can't
be a franchise quarterback. I know that many callers this
past week right here on Sports Talk seven ninety or
those who have added me on Twitter at mister Cole Thompson,

(44:36):
you should do so if you don't follow me already,
have said Cole, CJ's not the guy. CJ plays scared.
CJ plays erratic, He puts the ball in arms way
too much. And I can't disagree with you after what
we saw on Monday night. I can't. But here's the
beauty about a legacy. What defines who you are that

(44:58):
moment or the one that's upcoming. Because for some people,
what you will see is CJ have in that game
five fumbles, three turnovers and nearly costing yourself an opportunity
to win, and you'll say, okay, well now I don't believe.
And it's because it's insight in mind the beauty by
the NFL, which is really good I think for people,
but definitely even better for players. It's a what have

(45:20):
you done for me lately? Type of league because people
won't be paying attention to what you did four or
five years now. They'll be paying attention to what she
did on a weekend in Ashaker Stadium or Jillette Stadium.
So let's say CJ comes out and he throws for
two hundred and seventy five yards, he has zero interceptions,
he has two touchdown passes like completion a percentage around
seventy one percent in the pass rating of our one

(45:40):
hundred and fifteen. And he's the reason why this offense
is found. Its spark and everything starts having behind it.
That be the rushing, its hacking in full swing, getting
wide receivers not named Nico Collins open because Thinko's not
playing in this game. All of that is because of
what's seven to do and under center. Well, now the
conversation turns to from CJ. Stroud nearly costs US a

(46:02):
playoff win, against an underwhelming Pittsburgh Steelers team too.

Speaker 2 (46:06):
He's four quarters.

Speaker 1 (46:07):
Away for playing against Super Bowl, and he may not
be great in the super Bowl, and he may not
be great in the AFC Championship game, may exactly look
the exact same of what he did when he faced
off against Pittsburgh. But if your defense delivers, you're in
pretty good hands. Like the All Say commercial, you really
are locked up in place. And a lot of people
will remember this game being the one that got huston
over the hump where your defense couldn't deliver. So CJ

(46:29):
faces some pressure. I think Nick Kayley faces some pressure.
Nick Kyley right now is going to be back as
the offense coordinator for the Houston Texans. I don't think
that's changing. You went twelve to five during the regular season.
Your offense did just enough with the one hundred yard
rushing performance from Woody Marks, Nick Schubb got a couple
of sixty yard I got sixty plus yards. He averaged
over four yards of playing. He's back next year, But

(46:51):
imagine if you're able to have another solid performance offensively. Well,
now the narrative goes to from we can't stand Nick Kaylee.
He makes terribill play decisions at the worst ill advised
moments to you know what, Maybe he needs a running back,
Maybe he needs a new tight end. Maybe he needs X,
Y and Z to kind of be a factor with this.
Maybe there are just too many things that went against him,

(47:13):
with the injuries, with the overall demeanor and certain play
styles that weren't working because of bad execution. Maybe CJ
is at fault because we're watching him call a hell
of a game and now we're back to well, it's
back back games of Nick Cayley actually looking like a
well advised OC and this now being the reason why
people are giving him a little bit more grace going
into twenty twenty seven. Good game plan by Nick Kylee,

(47:35):
pretty good overall legacy of what he will be remembered
for in Houston for at least the next couple of years.

Speaker 2 (47:41):
The third guy, and this one's a little.

Speaker 1 (47:43):
Bit surprising to me if I thought about it long
and hard, I think it's very fair. The third guy
is actually Jaden Higgins. The reason I'm saying Jaden Higgins
because of Jaydon Higgins is supposed to be your next
go to guy.

Speaker 2 (47:58):
Jayden Higgins was drafted thirty four overall. He was a rookie, and.

Speaker 1 (48:02):
There was a rumor. You heard Nick Cassira say it.
On Thursday night after the first round of the NFL Draft.
Somebody asks him, is the guy that you were considering
at number twenty five still on the board when you
left the first round? And Nick Smirton said, actually he was.
He was. Now, I don't know if that was gonna
be Jaden Higgins. Maybe they wanted Josh Simmons to fall

(48:23):
out of round one and they would have taken him
at pick thirty four.

Speaker 2 (48:26):
I don't know, But what I will tell.

Speaker 1 (48:28):
You is that if Jayden Higgins was viewed to be
a legit first round pick and then Nick Caseio goes
out of his ways to make him the first ever
player on Day two to get a guaranteed four year contract,
it's for moments like this, you have no Nico Collins
out there. You are viewed as a guy that can
be a playmaker that elevates the passing attack.

Speaker 2 (48:47):
So what if you end up doing that.

Speaker 1 (48:50):
We've seen what this offense looks like without Nico Collins,
and I'm not saying that you ever want to not
have Nico Collins out there, but you definitely would love
to be able to see somebody else take on the
mantle this year. Opportunity eighty one, go out there and
prove why you were viewed as a legit first round
prospect to some and a difference maker in the passing game.
If you end up having a solid day, that doesn't

(49:11):
mean that Nico Collins is on his way out the door,
but it makes you feel a lot more comfortable when
going into negotiations about having a complimentary piece or maybe
somebody that can at least push Nico Collins into that
wide receiver one conversation, You were drafted thirty fourth overall
when they were still offensive linemen and other needs on
the board, and I'll be completely honest, some wide receivers
that I thought were better than you coming out of school.

Speaker 2 (49:34):
That's just the case.

Speaker 1 (49:35):
You have an opportunity now to prove why you were
legit viewed as a wide receiver number one against the
New England Patriots team that does feature solid secondary play,
but they do have an elite cornerback more than anybody
else talks about in Christian Zales who will be out there.
The fourth name is Will Anderson Junior. You want to
guarantee that you're gonna get paid before anybody else this offseason.
You have yourself a career day. You go in toe

(49:56):
to toe with the left tackle by the name of
Will Campbell. He's pretty damn good from LSU, but he
has had his moments in his rookie blunders throughout twenty
twenty to five.

Speaker 2 (50:04):
Go take advantage of it.

Speaker 1 (50:05):
Last weekend, this was not a good offensive line performance
against the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Chargers are damn
good Dean, I'm not going to take that away from
Jesse Minnerck.

Speaker 2 (50:15):
They are solid defense.

Speaker 1 (50:16):
They are they have playmakers, they have Pro Bowlers, but
they're not Houston. They're nowhere near Houston. They would be
lucky to have a guy like Tommy Togi. I'd be
on their interior defensive line. They would be salivating to
have an aziz Al Shier at linebacker or a Jalen
Peatree playing in the nickel that way, that could move
Derwin James back to safety. But yet they would love
to have a Kaylin Bullock in their secondary. And I'm

(50:37):
sure that they would have Kamari Laster be a number
one cornerback for them instead of him being a CB
two in Houston.

Speaker 2 (50:44):
It's a solid defense, but it's not.

Speaker 1 (50:45):
An elite one. Houston is an elite defense, and Will
Anderson Junior can guarantee that he's adding a few extra
millions to that lucrative mega extension that comes his way
by destroying Drake May on second and third down and
forcing a lot of three and outs to getting the
ball back to your offense.

Speaker 2 (51:01):
And the fifth name, the fifth name that I'm looking
for is.

Speaker 1 (51:04):
Tmika Ryans because at Demiko wins this game, Demiko will
now have every single box checked of being the greatest
coach in franchise history. I'm not saying that he won't
get there to most people, but a lot of us,
including yours, truly already believe after three years, this guy
is the right answer and will go down as the
goat of Houston Texans football.

Speaker 2 (51:24):
From a coaching standpoint, he.

Speaker 1 (51:26):
Throw in his player resume, he may end up being
mister Texan for all we know. Because he is a
coach and he is a former Defensive Rickie of the
Year and a former Pro bowler, It's gonna be really
hard to beat. From an NFL playing perspective. A three
time Defensive Player of the Year and an elite top
ten wide receiver. But Tamika Ryans is at least somewhat
in that stress where we can throw in the coaching resume.

(51:48):
But he wins this one, his legacy is now well,
I fix the program within a one off season after
having the number one overall pick and the year before
having the number three overall pick. I brought my team
to back to back to back double digit win campaigns.
I'm three and zero in the wildcard round, and now
I can say I've won back to back road playoff performances,

(52:10):
something that no coach in the history has ever been
able to accomplish. I've already accomplished doing it once. Now
I'm doubling my lead and we're gonna be playing for
our first ever AFC Conference title game. At that point,
if you were one of those on the outside trying
to come up with answers, you're trying to come up
with a conversation on what makes Dimiko Ryans not the

(52:31):
greatest coach in Houston Texas football history. I would love
to hear it, because if he would have accomplished something,
then nobody else, not Bill O'Brien, not Gary Kubiak, not
Dom Capers, not anything that we saw with the coach,
with with with Lovey Smith, or with David Khlly. None
of them were able to do, not a single one.

(52:52):
They were able to accomplish this. You do this, your
legacy is secured, to my book as the goat of
the Texans. All those guys have legacies on the line,
and every single one of them can have it actually
become a reality. Seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (53:06):
Let's go to the phone lines. Miami, what's up? Ray, Miami?

Speaker 1 (53:09):
What's up?

Speaker 3 (53:10):
Did he?

Speaker 6 (53:11):
Whatd have? Man?

Speaker 7 (53:14):
You got?

Speaker 3 (53:14):
You have to remember Bill O'Brien did something that no
one has ever done for the Houston Texans.

Speaker 2 (53:21):
What was that.

Speaker 7 (53:21):
Bill O'Brien got.

Speaker 3 (53:23):
Bill O'Brien got rid of our best wide receiver for
a bag of peanuts, exactly, d.

Speaker 7 (53:31):
Oh Man.

Speaker 3 (53:31):
But let me tell you the Texans call. I'm gonna
say twenty three seventeen Texans because I'm a you Stoneian.

Speaker 7 (53:37):
But just because you keep getting.

Speaker 3 (53:41):
To the division around doesn't mean you can't make changes.
And I want to. I don't want to people in
Houston to be mad at me for saying that. You
people say, oh, we can't get to the playoffs in
three years. Oh, I need changes. If I can't get
past the division around, I wouldn't be mad if they
get rid.

Speaker 4 (53:57):
Of Dalton Shoults.

Speaker 3 (53:58):
Dalton Shoults, you need to show me some hell of
a blocking tomorrow, and you need to get open and
stay open the whole game. I need to see a
lot from the tight end position because that opens it up.
You know we don't have Joe Mixon, so I need
you to block good and I need you to stay open. Dolphins,
That's all I need from you. And at first J,

(54:21):
He's not gonna fumble five times in a row. CJ
is gonna have a hopefully a calm, cool and collective
game and hopefully we pull it out twenty three seventeen,
like I'm calling Cole, But it's gonna be kind of tight.
The Texas defense are not gonna let that boy run around.
I'm not worried about him. I'm worried about CJ. Dalton

(54:41):
shows and a little small things in the off offense
because you know Higgins and you know those guys are
gonna get shut down because Gonzales is playing. Gonzales is
playing and Nko is not. So whoever they put thezales on.
He's not gonna really be effective, but.

Speaker 1 (55:02):
I appreciate it. Ray I do seven one three two
one two five seven nine. If you want to call
on into the show, we're gonna say a quick timeout
and we come back. I just got some news on
the Kyle Tucker deal, and you're gonna want to hear
it because that makes me hate the Dodgers even more.
We're gonna discuss that much much more on Space, Say
Saturday right here on Sports Talk seven ninety Space a Saturday,
rolling right along here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Cal

(55:25):
Thompson rocking with you until one o'clock seven one three,
two one two five seven ninety Rockets win last night
with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Speaker 2 (55:33):
And what was funny is I.

Speaker 1 (55:34):
Had an entire rant about ready to go off on
this team for thirty minutes to begin the show, and
then they win.

Speaker 2 (55:40):
So we're gonna put that to the wayside.

Speaker 1 (55:42):
I'm sure eventually I'll be able to bring it on out,
just like I'll be able to pop the champagne with
my dad come Monday night when the Indiana Hoosiers face
off against the Miami Hurricanes. Let's see if Kirk Signetti
can close the deal or if this is the start
of something really promising for Mario, Chris Paull and your
Texans are third thirty six hours away from playing in

(56:02):
their first ever AFC Divisional Round with an actual opportunity
to go host a potential conference championship. Because if you
haven't heard me all week, I'm just gonna tell you
right now, Josh Allen is inevitable and he will be
going to empower Field getting a win, thus signaling the
number six seed Buffalo Bills headed to the AFC title game.

(56:24):
And so either way, Houston or New England, whoever wins
that one, they're hosting Buffalo. One more time seven one
three two one two five seven ninety we're gonna talk
about the Kyle Tucker deal because there's more information coming out,
but it's a really good point. I want to hear
from Ray in Montana. Good morning, Ray or afternoon. I'm
not sure you guys central or or are you Pacific
time zone?

Speaker 8 (56:44):
We're actually Mountain times, so we're behind you.

Speaker 2 (56:47):
Caeryl, it's eleven twenty one, right, yes, sir? All right? Cool?

Speaker 1 (56:50):
So I could say good morning and it's that weird
gotcham No, You're.

Speaker 8 (56:54):
Good, No worries man. Look you were saying about Demko
being the greatest coach in Texans history. You can put
him in that category with the Oilers too, because we've
know nothing but heartache when they were here. I mean,
I was a little young for the love You Blue days,

(57:16):
but running Earl into the ground was ridiculous, and then
the run and shoot and Jack Party and all the
gimmick offenses. And this is our legitimate shot. So I'm
gonna have to disagree with you just on the Texans.
He you could have put him in the oiler category
two and he would have been the best.

Speaker 1 (57:36):
But you're not disagreeing with me when it comes to Texas.
You already think he's to go to the Texans coaches.
You're just saying that all Houston head coaches he could
be in that conversation.

Speaker 8 (57:44):
Yes, sir, absolutely, I'm disagreeing with you on just the
Texans category. You can put him in the Oilers and
he would have beaten any one of the coaches we had.
I mean, between Bum and Glanville and anybody else you are,
Jack Party or anybody else, he was better than those

(58:06):
guys too, So I'm gonna be watching the Buffalo Bills
in a couple of hours, so hopefully they can knock
off Denver.

Speaker 1 (58:14):
And when they knock off Denver, Ray that's what we're
talking about, because Josh Allen is inevitable except for when
he plays against the Houston Texans, which is a scryptonite.

Speaker 2 (58:23):
Okay, all right, I agree with you.

Speaker 8 (58:24):
Then have a good weekend.

Speaker 1 (58:26):
Appreciate you, right, you too, man, Listen, Maybe it's just
because of my age. I'll be completely honest. If you
can't tell by the fact that sometimes I sound like
a muppet. I'm thirty two. Like I'm on the younger side.
I wasn't around when the Oilers were here. In fact,
I moved here when I was a year old from Denver, Colorado,
So I really wasn't around when the Oilers were at

(58:47):
their peak. By the time that we got established, I
was understanding football.

Speaker 2 (58:51):
They were already out.

Speaker 1 (58:52):
In Memphis, and then they went to Nashville and they
changed their name for the Oilers of the Titans.

Speaker 2 (58:56):
Now it's a Houstonian, Believe me.

Speaker 1 (58:58):
I hate the fact that the Oiler's brand is belonged
to that cesspool crap organization that is being run into
the ground, which makes me cackle every single time that
I get to hear amy Oudam shrunk name. It stinks
because that's just a number one great logo and number
two a great color scheme. And I would love to
have the love of Blue back here no matter what.
But the reason why I don't bring up the Oilers

(59:20):
ever on the show here or whenever we do Morning
Drive with Dan and Cole from six to ten weekdays
Sports Talks seven ninety is because I wasn't here for
it and I don't have the ties to it. I
know it's really important to you. I know it's really
important to a lot of people in this city because
the heartache, because of the heartbreak, because of what happened.
But the way that I always view it is the
way that I view any bad relationship to where you

(59:41):
can feel confident.

Speaker 2 (59:41):
Afterwards you won the breakup.

Speaker 1 (59:44):
Look at what's happened to the Houston Oilers that now
are the Tennessee Titans. They've been to one Super Bowl
where they came short by one yard from winning the
whole dang thing, and they've.

Speaker 2 (59:56):
Been the definition of mid since. Meanwhile, the text is
about go.

Speaker 1 (01:00:00):
To a couple of rebuilds took them a while to
get their footing in place. They had to realize that
Don Capers was not the right dude, Charlie Casherlee was
not the right GM. But they were able to write
the ship and eventually make the playoffs, win playoff games.
In fact, at this point, it's actually weird to a
vision the Texans not playing in the divisional round. Maybe
that's just because of the way that they've been able

(01:00:21):
to build such a good rapport over the last ten
plus years. But ever since they made the playoffs, they've
only missed the divisional round once, and it came in
twenty fifteen, no twice, my apologies twice. So it came
against it came in a year where you didn't have
a quarterback, and then the next year it was against
you know, a really good Indianapolis team. So still they're

(01:00:41):
usually accustomed to playing past the wild card weekend.

Speaker 2 (01:00:45):
Meanwhile, tennesseeeing, they had one.

Speaker 1 (01:00:48):
To two really good years with Mike Rabel and Ryan
Tannehill and Derrick Henry, and now all three of them
are elsewhere, one retired, one still rushing for over thirteen
hundred yards in a Baltimore Raven's uniform and the coach
that is currently facing off against the Texans come Sunday
at two pm, they.

Speaker 2 (01:01:07):
All win the breakup.

Speaker 1 (01:01:08):
I mean that's probably the way I talk about Houston
because of I don't view the Oilers because of my
age demographic as wonder where I can put all that
stock into.

Speaker 2 (01:01:17):
I just can't.

Speaker 1 (01:01:18):
And again I get it for this city. For a
lot of people, you can, and so I won't flout
you for that one. But the reason I don't ever
bring up the Oilers is because of I just don't
see the ties. Maybe that's just because of my demographic,
but I'm looking back again. You look at the coaches
Jerry Glanville, Bum Phillips, Jack Party Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (01:01:36):
I mean I agree with the Ray one one thing.

Speaker 1 (01:01:37):
Jmiko Ryans would call himself the goat of Houston football
in all coaches, so long as we're talking about the
NFL perspective, Oilers or Texans seven one thirty two one
two five seven ninety John on the northwest side, John,
Good afternoon, my friend.

Speaker 7 (01:01:50):
How are we doing, Hey, co how's it going? Yeah?
You know the young fellow called in. I mean, I
would never put the dollars I would never attach to
him to the text. And I think the doll one
like ten Divisions. You know, they had great, great players
on those teams, and so therefore I guess the coach
Stay had back then had something to do with them
winning ten Divisions. As I said before, the Allers had

(01:02:13):
championship teams, but the still curtain they was just a
little bit better. But look, man, let me get back
to this. I hear that Gerard George is playing. I'm
glad to hear that, because you know, nobody talked about it.
But I think that little kid right there, hey, he
got some she got some wickedness seeing him. And I
think that this is probably gonna be more of a

(01:02:35):
running game since we still playing in this crazy stupid
weather man snow and rain. When the world are these
people gonna wake up and put a roof on the stadium.
This is twenty twenty five, This is not the early
nineteen hundreds. That's the stupidest thing in the world, man,

(01:02:56):
But I think cold, I think this is gonna be
more of a running game because of the weather man,
and uh, if there is snow out there. Normally I
wouldn't even watch games like that, but since the Texans.
I'm gonna watch it. I'm hoping it's not snow. If
it's snow out there, well it's probably gonna slow my
defense down a little bit, a little bit in New England,

(01:03:19):
just gonna slow them down a little bit too. But
I think basically what we've seen all season anyway is
the Meko on them. You know, they like to run
about it. They can and throw the ball here and there.
But that's what I think is gonna happen. I think
gonna get a big dose up to running game and Cole, yeah,
you probably you probably know these other people. Some of

(01:03:40):
them probably don't know. Those little young receivers that the
Texans have. There's some bad boys.

Speaker 8 (01:03:46):
Man.

Speaker 7 (01:03:46):
They might be young, but there's some bad boys.

Speaker 4 (01:03:48):
Man.

Speaker 7 (01:03:49):
Watch out for them too. But look, Cole, you have
a good eating and I'm gonna be hoping that uh
Buffalo beat them because they can't staying Seawan pat at all,
I ain't standing you walk around like you. Thank you,
Bill Parcells. He won a championship in New Orleans. When
Drew Reeves retired, What did he do? Did he rebuild

(01:04:11):
that team? No? He haul but and said I got
to go spend time with my family. You know, he
ran away.

Speaker 1 (01:04:18):
John John who's the more over it of coach Sean
Payton or Mike Tomlin? Does the Bolls only have one championship?

Speaker 7 (01:04:25):
Well, the thing about the way I see Mike Tomlin,
I really don't know how good he is because I
believe that Mike Tumblin won the Super Bowl off of
Bill Colew's players. Bill Coyroll had won a championship, then
he stepped down after Mike Tomlin coming there, grand up
Danglin and won that Super Bowl. I mean that was
that was uh, that was that was Coyle's team, man.

(01:04:49):
So I don't look at it like that, but I've
give him credit for managing to go over five hundred
for the next ten years. And listen to Miko Rans.
You can put him on top of the Texans coaches
because let me tell you something, Kubiak was nothing butter
than OC. That's how he was the best coach we
had back.

Speaker 1 (01:05:10):
Come on, come on, he was. He was better than Johnny,
was better than OC. He was better than Butcher. He
was better than But let's just go with that because
let me ask you that John Curous, let me ask
you what do you think that Gary Kubiak would be
such an out of minded general manager to realize how
talented of a player DeAndre Hopkins was, and you trade

(01:05:32):
him for a back of peanuts and a bag of balls.

Speaker 7 (01:05:35):
Well, let me ask you did okay with Gary Kubak?
When Gary Kubak, when he when he did go over
five hundred, why he got he went over five hundred
when they made him bring in uh Waye Phillips. When
way Phillips came in, he had turned that defense around.
Oh lord Allden, we have a winning team.

Speaker 1 (01:05:54):
He didn't. But I still would take Gary Kubiak over
Bill O'Brien. Maybe that's just me living in the Let's
just me living in the.

Speaker 7 (01:06:01):
Hour, maybe over Bill O'Brien.

Speaker 2 (01:06:03):
That we're not arguing with Don Caper's here.

Speaker 1 (01:06:07):
We're arguing with Bill O'Brien versus Gary Kubiak for head
coaching number two in the history of the franchise.

Speaker 2 (01:06:12):
That's what we're arguing here.

Speaker 7 (01:06:14):
Yeah, Bill o'brown wasn't here long enough to even be recognized. Man.
We only, unfortunately, we only recognize him for one thing
that really stands out, that stupid him becoming a manager
In management very stupid. But yeah, yeah, I put Jarry
Kubiak over him. But lord, if we hadn't have broad WAYE.

(01:06:34):
Phillipson here, man, that team would have stayed under five hundred.
I think Kobak stayed under getting win nine or eight
games until Way Phillips came. And I know, man, because
I suffered all in years watching them.

Speaker 1 (01:06:47):
I feel you, John, I feel you appreciate it.

Speaker 7 (01:06:50):
Ye'ah. I have a good one man, y'all have a
good day.

Speaker 1 (01:06:52):
Appreciate the phone call. John. I mean, let's be real
because both of the and we'll get to the commercial
break in the second, Frankie, because I know that word.
We gotta be up against clock. Let's just be reau
for a second. Guys, Gary Kubiak would never trade DeAndre Hopkins.
That automatically wins the deal on who is the second
best coach of franchise history? Because yeah, we could say, oh, well,

(01:07:14):
you know Bill was running as the GM at that point.
Sure he was, But here was the argument between the
GM and the head coach. You're not trading my best
wide receiver. You're right, Gary Kubiak. I will not trade
your best wide receiver, Bill O'Brien as a head coach.
You're not treading to my best receiver, Bill O'Brien, the GM. Actually,
I am trading your best wide receiver as I'm screaming
in the mirror and losing my mind because of I

(01:07:36):
don't know how to run a franchise. Yeah, Okay, that
sounds like a smart deal. Like that's the incompetence that
we're talking about here seven one three, two one two
five seven niney if you want to get in on
the guest line, Okay, Kyle Tucker News more coming on
out we have to discuss and why now I really
hate the Dodgers. All that more coming up on a
space safe Saturday right here on Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 2 (01:07:54):
Ninety Space a Saturday.

Speaker 1 (01:07:55):
Rolling right along here on Sports Talk seven ninety, Cole
Thompson Rockavichu for another.

Speaker 2 (01:08:01):
Twenty four minutes, which.

Speaker 1 (01:08:04):
Means that's twenty four minutes of therapy for you to
call on in and give you your Texans predictions at
seven one three, two one two five seven to ninety
rocketsmen last night over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Miami Hurricanes
will play hosts in the National Championship to the Indiana
Hoosiers and.

Speaker 2 (01:08:20):
Kyle Tucker signs a four year, two hundred and forty.

Speaker 1 (01:08:23):
Million dollars deal to fully go all Anakin Skywalker on
us and join the dark Side that is not as
the Los Angeles Dodgers. Okay, that's where we're going to start.
So earlier in the show and all day yesterday, I
ranted about being pissed off that the Dodgers were the
only team that were willing to go all in on

(01:08:44):
Kyle Tucker, because there have been reports coming out that yes,
they were offers made, and certainly they were in a
decent ballpark and they were pretty much going to be
what Kyle Tucker was looking for. But there were a
couple of things in the detendams that were missing at
the same point, and at the end of the day
it seemed like, okay, well, well, actually what happened was
is that the Dodgers just came with the best offer

(01:09:07):
according to reports.

Speaker 2 (01:09:08):
No, no, that's not it at all. No, no, no,
no no.

Speaker 1 (01:09:13):
The New York Mets in the Toronto Blue Jays had
massive offers on the table for former Houston astro king
Tuck that got traded to Chicago, which we're not gonna
talk about that franchise because I hate them and any
sometime that they get brought up, it boils my blood
and I want nothing goo to ever happen to them. Sorry,
Alex Bregmant, I will not be cheering for you at Wrickleyfield.

Speaker 2 (01:09:33):
Regardless, there were two.

Speaker 1 (01:09:35):
Offers on the table made and Kyle Tucker still at
the end of the day, chose to go with the Dodgers.

Speaker 2 (01:09:43):
Both very good in my opinion.

Speaker 1 (01:09:45):
The Mets offered Kyle Tucker a four year contract worth
two hundred and twenty million dollars, so twenty million short
of what was the deal in place for the Dodgers,
but apparently there were still the same clauses that were
in place. And then there was a seven year deal
and a ten year deal for three hundred and fifty

(01:10:05):
million dollars on the table by the Toronto Blue Jays. Now,
the blue Jays one is interesting because three hundred fifty
million dollars would mean thirty five million annually, but it's
guaranteed money that you're paid over the next ten years. Now,
Tucker's gonna get paid two hundred and forty million dollars
over the next four years if he chooses not to
opt out of his deals, So I can understand at
that point, yeah it's a little bit too much. But

(01:10:26):
the Mets at two twenty, that to me is where
I'm really confused here, because if Uncle Steve Cohen is
all in, and it does seem like he wants to
continue to make moves because of he pivoted immediately afterwards
to go out and add in Boba Schett, who's now
gonna have to learn a new position already at third
base to help out with the Mets' run. Why wouldn't

(01:10:47):
you just want to match the offer when it comes
to Kyle Tucker, or better yet, why not throw out
the opt outs and just guarantee that he gets paid
up front instead of the deferred money.

Speaker 2 (01:10:56):
Just little things like that.

Speaker 1 (01:10:57):
And I'm not saying that like, oh, well, you know,
I'm pulling for the Mets to go get Kyle Tucker.
If anything, I would love to see Kylin Tucker back
in the Houston or a Houston Astros uniform. But we
know that's not gonna happen. But twenty million dollars, you
add one more year to the deal, it still is
more money. Just say it's a five year two hundred
and eighty. I mean a two hundred and ninety million

(01:11:17):
dollar deal that gets the job done. And if you
think that you're all aggressive the way that you are,
then you should be going after him and being one
to pay that much.

Speaker 2 (01:11:25):
Five years is five years.

Speaker 1 (01:11:26):
It's five great years of Kyle Tucker, who might I
remind everybody in the first half when he played for
the Chicago Cubs, he was actually one of, if not
the best player in baseball. People had him in the
MVP conversation for the National League alongside with show Hail Tani.
And then from my perspective, and maybe I'm just different
than anybody else out there, and I'd love to get
your opinion seven one thirty two two five, seven ninety.

(01:11:50):
If I'm a if I am the piece, if I
am the prized possession of I am the face of
some organization, whatever it is. It could be sports talk
seven ninety, I'm the face of the of the company.
I don't want to share my spotlight with anybody else.
I want to be the guy the reason why people
are talking about me and only me. And that's the
way that think it should be for most competitors out there.

(01:12:11):
So kylein Tucker is now instead of joining forces with
Juan Soto, who by the way, had a good year
last year Francisco Lindor, but those two is now going
to be just another name on a Dodgers roster that
already features Freddie Freeman Mookie Betts. You also have elite
pitching pitching with Yasha Momo Yama, Yasha Yamamoto, Blake Snow,

(01:12:35):
Tyler Glass now Edwin Diaz is now your closer. We
can also talk about what you also added in the
past with like ta Oscar Hernandez in right field.

Speaker 2 (01:12:43):
You also have great left field play.

Speaker 1 (01:12:45):
You still have a damn good catcher in Will Smith,
some believes the second best in baseball.

Speaker 2 (01:12:49):
So now you're just the name on top of an
all Star roster.

Speaker 1 (01:12:53):
Like I would much rather go be playing in New
York where I get to be the face or a
face of an organization rather than just a guy that's
part of the process. And the worst part about all
this is Toronto at least made a ploint and thirty
five million dollars to some might seem like chump change.

Speaker 2 (01:13:08):
It's not. It's a really damn good deal.

Speaker 1 (01:13:10):
And yeah, he's not gonna be the first four hundred
million dollar player on a ten year contract. But still
he would have been a guy that would have been
worth the price, and he would have elevated the American
League team that just played for a World Series title,
and they knew that they were gonna getting Bobaschett. So
you should have been more aggressive in that standpoint and said,
now he's just gonna go play out in LA and
be a part of a super team. And the reason why,

(01:13:31):
come twenty twenty seven, we're not gonna have baseball because
the league is gonna have to throw in a salary cap.
The CBA is going to fight for its players, the
MLBPA is gonna fight for its players, and long and behold,
here comes spring training and we're not gonna get Diadley squad.
I mean, that's what's going to happen. I didn't have
to because if at least I can say that two

(01:13:51):
teams were willing to make an offer and they put
their money on the table and said, do take it
or leave it. We're at least trying to meet you
to someone in the middle, and the Dodgers just did
a little bit more. Now I'm pissed off that Steve Cohen,
who says I'm all about winning. I'm here to change
the culture of New York. He doesn't end up doing it,
and he does so eventually on a three year deal

(01:14:12):
for Boba Shett. But the only reason he did that
was because if he didn't get the con that's a
consolation prize in his book, and he couldn't end up walking
away empty handed.

Speaker 2 (01:14:22):
It's frustrating, that's all I will say.

Speaker 1 (01:14:24):
It's very frustrating because of now we know that baseball
as we see it is coming to her clothes.

Speaker 2 (01:14:29):
And the worst part is that I can't entirely be
maud at the Dodgers.

Speaker 1 (01:14:32):
I am out of the Dodgers because if you didn't
need Kyle Tucker, like, let's just call it as is,
you didn't you want him because you had the money,
and now you're gonna go ahead and make baseball not fun.

Speaker 2 (01:14:43):
But it's not all your fault.

Speaker 1 (01:14:45):
You're as much to blame, in my opinion, as every
small market team that says I'm just gonna hit the
bare minimum of the luxury tax price. That way I
can skate on by and not even try to compete.
Like maybe that's just my mindset. Every single time that
I come on the microphone, every single time Mountain out,
and about every single time that I do anything. I
want to be better. I want to be the best
at it. I want to make sure that I'm reminding

(01:15:07):
myself of what I do is awesome, and have these
teams I want to do it. The Ashles at least
tried tetsu Emi going out and adding in a superstar
pitcher that can at least maybe be the front end
replacement of from Bervaldez and certainly elevate your roster in general.

Speaker 2 (01:15:24):
Yeah, I can appreciate that. Do I wish that they
did more?

Speaker 1 (01:15:27):
Certainly do I wish that they would get rid of
either Escoch Parredes or Jake Meyer, so that way you
bring in a proven name that will elevate your outfield
or maybe bolster up your rotation. Sure, I would love that.
I'm not saying it has to happen that way. I'm
just saying I wish that those things could happen. But
at least the Ashers did some things. What did the
Pirates do this offseason? What did the Phillies do this offseason?

(01:15:48):
What did the Marlins do? Marlin's got rid of more players,
that's what they did. What about the Rays, Oh, they
got rid of more players, that's what they did. And
we're sitting here and we're trying to put all the
blame on the Dodgers.

Speaker 2 (01:15:59):
It's not fair.

Speaker 1 (01:16:01):
It's frustrating because if I really want baseball to be back,
I just became an uncle for the first time, and
I would love to take my niece to baseball games
that Dyke and Park in twenty twenty seven should be
walking at that point. I think'd be really cool for
her to beat orbit her to go about and see
the players and fall in love with the game that
my dad used to do with me and I used
to do at my grandpa I used to do with

(01:16:21):
my family, and now it's all in jeopardy because because
the stupid Dodgers are ruining that. Thanks Dodgers, but also
thank you to Tampa Bay, thank you to Pittsburgh, Thank
you to Cincinnati. These underwhelming teams that don't want to
spend money because if they enjoy to being cheap and
want to keep them all the bucks themselves. Seven will
close out this episode a Space Day Saturday with our

(01:16:46):
predictions for the divisional round. What you can expect to
see next Sunday in the conference championship. I am basically
Colstra Damis. I figured out the pathway in the postseason.
We'll discuss that to close out space day Saturday next
right here on Sportstock seven ninety face a Saturday rolling
right along here on Sportstock seven ninety cold Thompson Rock

(01:17:07):
with Chew until one o'clock. So this is your last
chance to get in on the phone line seven one
three two point two five seven ninety if you want
to call on in Rockets. They get a win last
night over the Misseso timber Wolves. Texan's looking to get
a win on Sunday over the New England Patriots and
Indiana based off against Miami, and I'll be completely real

(01:17:30):
I am pulling hard for Indiana. Yet I realize this, guys.
My dad's an IU grad and he has to live
in a household where both me, my brother, and for
some apparent reason, my mother, who did not go to
Alabama has no ties to state whatsoever, had to watch
as we have bombardedly been boastering and talking mad smack
for years about SEC football. It'd be nice for him,

(01:17:52):
at age seventy to finally see a National championship that
he actually wants to root for, like not just having
to deal with it because of his sons went to
the school. Like I mean, like honestly, I want it
for him more than I want it for anybody else. Oh,
you want it for Krook Signetti? Who the hell cares
about Kurks Signetty. I want it for my dad. That's
the only thingk I want. Okay, here's what I want
to do. I want to give you my predictions and
how everything is going to go this upcoming weekend in

(01:18:14):
the divisional round, I have seen the future. And by
the way, last week I went six to six on picks.
So I'm not saying I'm like the smartest person in
the room, but you boy at least knows what he's
talking about. It sometimes when it comes to overall atmospheric
feel I got very very lucky on the Bear's pick,
though I got very very lucky on the forty nine ers,
finding no way to get the job done without George Kittle. So,

(01:18:36):
without further ado, let's dive on in Broncos versus Bills.
This game's you lean all in favor of the Broncos.
It should they have the better defense, they have healthy weapons.
I trust their offensive line to hell of a lot
more than Buffalo's, and their coach has been in this
situation before.

Speaker 2 (01:18:55):
Now so is Sean McDermott.

Speaker 1 (01:18:57):
But the other shown has actually played and won a
Super Bowl tight, so he knows what it takes to
actually get as the number one seed through the ringer
and into the actual Super Bowl appearance. But here's the problem.
I said that the Broncos were good at every single
category except for two.

Speaker 2 (01:19:12):
The first one is the running back room.

Speaker 1 (01:19:15):
Bottom lines that James Cook hits over one hundred rushing
yards on the day ninety nine point nine percent of
the time the Buffalo Bills win the football game. I
think he hits over one hundred rushing yards today. It
could come with three runs of over thirty plus yards downfield.
It could come because of just a lot of consistency
of tiring down the defensive front.

Speaker 2 (01:19:33):
But I think he gets over one hundred. And then
the other one's the quarterback position.

Speaker 1 (01:19:36):
And the thing that I will continue to preach until
the end of time is, at some point, experience has
to matter, whether it's at whether it's in terms of
just life in general or in a football game. Bonix
has played in one playoff matchup before, and he looked
awful outside of one big throw last season against Buffalo

(01:19:57):
in Orchard Park. I know what Josh Allen's I know
what Josh Allen can do. And in a season where
you're going to hear the pundits and the knitwits and
those on ESPN constantly constantly blowing smoke up everyone's else's
keyster and then saying if Josh Allen doesn't do X,
Y and Z, he doesn't belong in the same conversation
and his legacy is tarnished. Dude is doing everything possible

(01:20:19):
to guarantee that he's going to another AFC conference championship.
I think this is a close back and forth battle,
but ultimately give me the veteran quarterback over the young gun.
Josh Allen survives and he is going to play for
another conference championship game. Tonight's game is Seattle versus San Francisco. Now,
much like the game we just talked about, I trust
a lot more of what I've seen from from Seattle

(01:20:42):
this year than San Francisco, and largely their health has
just been a major element at this point. They're better
when it comes to running the football at a high rate,
they have in my opinion, better wide receivers. Tight End
play at this point is one hundred percent better because
you don't have George Kittle out there. Their offensive line
has been playing well, their defense has been elite all
season long. And then he got a mid group all

(01:21:02):
across the board when it comes to San Francisco and
they're down George Kittle, and they're down in the and
they're down Fred Warner and they're down a pass rush,
and so this game should feel like, Okay, it absolutely
favors everything that we know about Seattle because it's gonna
be in lumin Field. But again, two elements here. The
first one is who do you trust more in a
playoff situation, not a super Bowl situation, but a playoff situation.

(01:21:25):
Mike McDonald who's never coached the playoff game before, or
Kyle Shanahan, who either a goes to the Super Bowl
every time that he plays in the postseason or loses
in the conference championship game. I like my aunts on
what I'm getting with the guy in Kyle Shanahan. And
then the second one is quarterback play. According to reports,

(01:21:47):
Drake I mean Sam Darlald's gonna play. Shanaelo's gonna be
out there, but he's dealing with an oblique injury. He
hasn't thrown the football since the middle of Wednesday's practice,
so he's been missing reps to prepare for this game
on top of being out a week because of Seattle
got the number one seed. We saw this game pan
on out earlier this year when the two rosters met

(01:22:09):
up in Week eighteen for a shot at the number
one seed. The loser ended up being a wild card
team that was San Francisco.

Speaker 4 (01:22:17):
Rock.

Speaker 1 (01:22:17):
Perty just doesn't need to make mistakes. He doesn't have
those three interceptions against Philadelphia. He's the better quarterback than
Jalen Hurts in that day. So guess what play mistake
free get in a field goal range. Trust your running
back room and Christian McCaffrey to be the difference maker.
I think we see another upset. I think San Francisco
is gonna be number one. Seattle, you're gonna have two
six seeds. Go toward the next round. Next game up,

(01:22:41):
and we'll say to the Texans for last. Chicago versus
Los Angeles game is gonna be a five to twenty
on MB scene. Bottom line is that I would love
to see the Bears do this because if I have
family that are all Chicago Bears fans, I think that
Caleb Williams is actually playing a lot better than we've
given him credit for. I think the Bears offensive line
has been the difference of this team all year. Like
the credit recredit suit to Ryan Poles going out and

(01:23:02):
adding and Drew Dolman going out and adding in, Jodah
Jackson going out and training for Joe Toney, and they've
gotten better at wide receiver, and they really had some
nice fines with guys like Colson Lovelin, Luthor Burden, Kyle
m Nung.

Speaker 2 (01:23:14):
Guy, this is a petty pick. This is a straight
up petty pick.

Speaker 1 (01:23:19):
I'm sorry you stole Alex Bregman from me, Like I
now have to live in a world where one of
the best players that I've ever seen is now gonna
be living in Chicago and he's not even playing for
the team that I could actually stomach with the White Sox. No,
he's gotta go play for the Cubs of all places.
So you know what you get, Kyle, you get, you
go get Alex Pragman.

Speaker 2 (01:23:40):
Good for you. Enjoy him. I hope that he does
wonders for.

Speaker 1 (01:23:43):
Your franchise, except when it comes to October baseball. So
that way you get Molly watt By whoever you face
off against the wild card round, but you don't get
to go ahead and get Kyle and get Alex Pragman
and also an NFC championship game. I'm trusting Matthew Stafford,
I'm trusting picking Akua, I'm trusting the running game. I'm
trusting the defense if they get the job done. You've
gotta five versus six NSC West matchup for a shot

(01:24:04):
at the Super Bowl out in Santa Clara next week
as the Rams move on and your Texans versus the Patriots.
Patriots have a lot of things going for them. They do.
You gotta give credible creds to Drake Main, whether or
not it's been against a fourth place schedule.

Speaker 2 (01:24:17):
He's playing like an MVP.

Speaker 1 (01:24:19):
Whether or not you believe that this team has been
able to be battle testing. They're sitting with thirteen wins.
Thirteen wins is thirteen wins. I don't care how you
get it. It's a good situation. But they haven't faced
off against the defense like the Texans. They just simply haven't.
And again, I'm not asking for CJ. Strow to do much, guys.
What I'm asking for is simply have a clean game,

(01:24:41):
get in the field goal range, let Kayimi fairnbaarn take
on over, do what is necessary, walk away with three
points and trust that the d will be able to
bail you out of trouble.

Speaker 2 (01:24:51):
And I think it does.

Speaker 1 (01:24:53):
I think that we are going to see a playoff
game for the first time in twenty twenty six, host
it in Houston with the Super Bowl on the line
against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. So we come
back in on Monday and call on the number seven
one three, two, one two five seven ninety and say
Cole was right on every single one of his picks,
and now he's ten and ozher in postseason picks. That

(01:25:13):
does it for me. I will see you all bright
and early Monday morning on the Morning Drive with Dan
and Cole, and then we'll see you next Saturday right
here on Space Sage Saturday Sports Talk seven ninety for
Frankie west Moreland. I'm Cole Thompson. Have a good rest
your weekend, Go Texans. This one's an easy one peace,

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