A Sucky Sweep, Hot Houston Practice & Happy Gilmore Take

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Two lifelong Houston sports guys named Adam, raised by girls.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Nolan Hockey, volted by the magnificent roller coaster ride.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
That is Houston Sports.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Chill lage down for the only homegrown afternoon team is
talking Your Teams.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
Adam Clinton and Adam Wexler are the A Teams.

Speaker 4 (00:38):
A believe it or not.

Speaker 5 (01:06):
I'm playing a game where I see how long I
can go before I start talking to see if wex
will break out in hives because it's taking so long
it is too oh two Here on Sports Talk seven
ninety it is a Monday edition of the A Team.

Speaker 6 (01:21):
Yep, wex over there, ac right here.

Speaker 5 (01:23):
Cole Thompson producing as per usual as we begin yet
another week, and I have a confession to make before
we even get started. It's gonna make this first segment very,
very easy as it pertains to content. Wex can talk
about whatever he wants. It's his show too, right. This
is a public team.

Speaker 6 (01:42):
That we have here.

Speaker 7 (01:43):
It is a.

Speaker 5 (01:45):
Mini member organization and situation here on our show. It's
not just one person that dictates everything. But I can
tell you this much, I have broken up with the
local hometown nine for.

Speaker 6 (01:58):
The foreseeable future.

Speaker 5 (01:59):
So you can talk about the Astros all you want,
but until they're healthy, I'm not wasting my time on them.

Speaker 6 (02:04):
During this first segment.

Speaker 8 (02:05):
Astros, Rockets, and Texans all how we're winless this weekend.

Speaker 6 (02:11):
Run it out there if you'd like that way I
broke up. We broke up.

Speaker 8 (02:14):
If you want to start with the Astros, I would
start with what I left with on Friday, and it
unfortunately turned out to be true Friday night, Saturday night,
and Sunday afternoon, well, it was definitely. I shouldn't say
it turned out to be true. It was true on Thursday.
It's gonna be I'm not sure about tonight, but I
knew it about the A's despite what their record is,
and despite what the Astros record is, the better team,

(02:38):
the team that fielded better players and put a better
lineup on the field, won every game this weekend. It's
unfortunate that that your team is the team that had
a lesser of those two lineups. If you just even
the day Nick Kurtz didn't play, which was yesterday, the
better lineup rests in the other dugout and that's the
nature of where the Astros stand right now. Great for
Robert Ford to catch up with doctor Brown yesterday, doctor

(03:00):
Emmett Brown of Back to the Future three fame, but
doctor Dana Brown, who continues to really not talk about
the baseball team because he's not asked to. He's only
asked to talk about the injuries because there's never ending
supply of potential information as they and every other team
in baseball approaches to the trade deadline later this week,
three days out, five o'clock on Thursday, on the thirty first,

(03:22):
it will hit and the Astros are just trying to see, well,
when is Spencerrighedtty gonna come back? And it's probably after
one more rehab start. When is Christian Haavier gonna come back?
And it's probably after two more rehab starts. Much more
to the point of what was taking place this weekend
when you scored only seven times in four games against
the A's, is when are some of the bats going
to be back? And really you're only talking about a

(03:43):
couple of them, probably Jake Myers, Esak Peretis, Jordan Alvarez
and Jeremy Panga. Yeah, a couple of them, four of
the nine spots in your lineup, and that doesn't even
include the many other offensive players or position players that
are not yet officially on the twenty six man roster.
Though there will likely be a change tonight in the

(04:04):
astros twenty six man roster, I believe the source is
pretty well trusted. Lindsey Singleton, the wife of John Singleton, said,
I'll just break the news to you. He's been DFA,
which was going to be the case. Unfortunately for a
player that's out of options as soon as he got
optioned or recalled by the Astros when players began to
get healthy, he and the other players near the end

(04:25):
of the roster, this is what their fate would be.
And in his case, without options, I'm sure nobody will
claim him. And if he wants to return to the
Sugarland Space Cowboys, he'd be back in the same position
he was before this most recent recall.

Speaker 6 (04:38):
But I got a.

Speaker 8 (04:39):
Couple of it bats starts during the last couple of days.
It doesn't provide a lot of positional flexibility obviously, and
is a left handed bat they need. My guess is
Jacob Melton, after his weekend of rehab games and a
couple of nice opportunities at the plate, might be the
guy they are ready to activate and quite honestly go
ahead and put right into the lineup, but we will

(05:00):
get specific from him. Words from Dana Brown on the
update on all of those players I just mentioned and
the four pitchers that all pitched between Thursday, Friday, Saturday
and Sundays opportunities at the minor league level on their
rehab assignments Araghetti, Javier France, and Luis Garcia. But total
lost weekend for the Astros, who not only only have

(05:22):
a four game lead in the division, they only have
a four game lead over two different teams in the division.
Rangers have gone fifteen and six in July and they
have made up a ton of ground on the Astros
as they have floundered at home again to begin this
home stand, just like their last home stand, and it's
just a four game gap. The Mariners have pretty much
stayed the same and with the Astros losing a bunch,

(05:44):
that's allowed them to close the gap a little bit also,
so they too are four games back. Series with the
Nationals begins tonight, got four hours on that we will
obviously address it. First day in pads for the Texans
earlier this afternoon. Nice hot day, second day in front
of the fans little bit of extra juice. I lost track.
There were probably thirteen touchdowns today. Now if I just

(06:06):
tell you that, which some people do on social media,
sure sounds like the offense was awesome today. Yeah, they
had thirteen touchdowns because almost all the snaps they took
and seven on seven work and eleven on eleven.

Speaker 6 (06:15):
Work was in the red zone. That's what's gonna happen.

Speaker 8 (06:19):
This was a good first day and that there weren't
any injuries of note I don't think to speak of.
I don't know if we'll get an update on Darryl Taylor,
the only player I'd saw practice and then have to
leave the field for some sort of ailment with the
athletic training staff. Stayed down for a minute, it got
right back up. There were some popping going on. I'll
tell you what I think the best hit of the
day was, and all the other things that go along

(06:41):
with it.

Speaker 6 (06:41):
But we got plenty for you today.

Speaker 8 (06:43):
We'll talk astros when we hear from Steve Sparks at
three point thirty. Is weekly visit on the Sean Salisbury
Show took place this morning. Sam Warren, who covers the
Texans for the Houston Chronicle, he will join us at
four o'clock.

Speaker 6 (06:55):
Like most of us.

Speaker 8 (06:55):
He was out there this morning taking it all in.
They'll go again tomorrow, go again, Wednesday, catch a day off,
and I got one more weekend here of practice, and
this time next week they'll be ready to practice in
West Virginia and to get away from this heat in
advance of playing their opener. All that being said, from
their standpoint, the biggest news of the weekend, whether it

(07:16):
was news or not delivered in a way that had
people owing. Joe Mixon's injury situation probably didn't even change.
But it doesn't appear that he's going to do anything
on the field for the Houston Texans until after they're
into Week one preparations for the Rams.

Speaker 6 (07:35):
If then because of his foot injury, Yeah, it's not
the best thing that you want to be here. Well,
let's start right here.

Speaker 5 (07:41):
If you are injury fatigued right now as a Houston
sports fan, then I don't think the transition from current
astro's mess into this particular item of news concerning you're
RB one on the Texans roster is probably what you
wanted to discover over the weekend, and then again here

(08:02):
today and we'll let you hear from Demico next segment.

Speaker 6 (08:05):
But I just feel like.

Speaker 5 (08:08):
This is June or July twenty eighth, it's not even
technically a week into camp, and I'm not gonna let
that situation get me all hot and bothered. Like a
lot of people are good, I'm clere. I appreciate you
being a smart person. Well, now with the astros is
that you're in the season right now, that's the biggest difference.

Speaker 6 (08:28):
That's like the biggest difference ever. Well, that's bically on
my mouth.

Speaker 8 (08:32):
What if Joe Mixon doesn't practice, right, That's what I'm saying,
This almost ten year veteran doesn't practice. If it lingers
into the season, if it's somebody that's going to be
something that concerns them, well after week one, that's a
totally different story.

Speaker 6 (08:47):
But we probably were already there before the report over
the weekend. Is the way I would see.

Speaker 8 (08:51):
If you thought Joe Mixon was heading into the twenty
twenty five season and the best shape of his life, well,
that'd be silly.

Speaker 6 (08:58):
He wouldn't say it. It wouldn't be true.

Speaker 8 (09:00):
And to have something keep them off the field and
keep them off his feet for as long as it
already had. Well, now the timeline has changed it. Yeah,
we're only a couple weeks away from the season. We'll
get into a little bit of that quite obviously and
the other observations of the day over there. But I
kind of expected that the Astros to win this division
well back over a month ago, and they kind of
took control over it. But I did not expect them
to win this division in a runaway. And it's not

(09:23):
because of what happened with the injuries, just because I
didn't think that would really truly be the case. Astros
never looked like a ninety three four five win team
playing against a bunch of other teams in the division
that maybe could top out at eighty six or eighty seven.
It never looked like that. The gap between first place
and second place started to look like that when you
have a sixty games left in the season and you've
come all the way back and created a seven game

(09:45):
lead between yourselves and just one other team. Looked like
it was trending in that direction. But it's pretty easy
to see the Astros were winning so often with the
group of players that clearly shouldn't be winning that often.
It was probably going to be much more of a
s print to the finish, and it probably includes all
three teams in the race.

Speaker 6 (10:04):
You might not like it. It would have been nice
to coast.

Speaker 8 (10:06):
I'm sure for the faint of heart, this is gonna
be some race to the finish between the Astros, the Mariners,
and the Rangers. And the first of those races len's
on Thursday, when we learn what did these three teams add.
Josh Naylor's already a Mariner. I do think the Rangers
will attempt to make their offense better, and obviously the Astros,

(10:28):
Dana Brown's been very forthcoming publicly about talking about what
they need and what they're after. I'm pretty sure a
deal will get made. The Astros will add a major
league player, at least one, but the quality of that
player is obviously up for discussion.

Speaker 5 (10:42):
And the need to do it versus the want to
do it is certainly something to talk about because I
think that's where they're at.

Speaker 8 (10:50):
Yeah, you gotta it's the timing of it is tough.
If Jeremy Pani returned on June twenty or July twentieth,
and Jordan Alvarez didn't miss every game since May fifth,
up until today, three days out from the deadline, things
would be different.

Speaker 6 (11:05):
You did have a little lead time.

Speaker 8 (11:06):
I mean, it's not a good thing, but the timing
of an esoch perettis significant amstring injury. Well, it took
place before the deadline, you have that information. If it
takes place after the deadline, well there's nothing you can do.
There's not a move to be made because moves cannot
be made. And the same thing with Jake Myers and
his extended injury happening on the front side of it,
you got two things timing wise that probably happened well,

(11:27):
and two things timing wise you wish would have cleared
themselves up a little bit sooner. The expectation that Pain
and Alvarez come back and are awesome, I kind of
believe it, but that's all it can be, just the belief.
Are you gonna get the same Jeremy Pania, for the
first time in his career, was an elite All Star
caliber among the best shortstopped in baseball. After this injury,

(11:49):
we can debate, you can have your thoughts, guess like
we will. And then the same question is for Jordon Alvarez,
who played some undetermined portion of twenty twenty five as
a healthy player, as an unhealthy player because he didn't
do absolutely anything offensively. Now he should come back sometime.
Maybe mid August would be a rough, rude target date.

(12:13):
All coming on the other side of the Major League
Baseball trade deadline. So a few of the things that
are on the table, all host of other things taking
place this weekend. We'd love to get into with you
at seven one three, two, one two, five, seven ninety.
Set the interviews up. We obviously got our signature segment
coming up at four thirty, Football at five, and of
course the best of X about fifteen minutes out here
on the eighteen, the.

Speaker 1 (12:36):
Eighteen on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 6 (12:51):
There you go, Matt Thomas, you better be listening.

Speaker 5 (12:55):
Special request for the whitest man in America, and that's
Jerry Rafferty with Baker Street on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 6 (13:05):
Now on with the eighteen.

Speaker 5 (13:07):
All right, let's get to it, because well let's give
you some context over the weekend, and that kind of
bled into today. Ian Rappaport tweeting an update about Joe
Mixon and to be fair, like we said in the
first segment, and I'm glad we're on the same page,
because we rarely are. I just I can't unless he's

(13:31):
got like a broken leg or it's a significant ligament,
you know, something.

Speaker 6 (13:36):
Of that nature.

Speaker 5 (13:38):
I just can't get that fired up and upset when
I hear that Joe Mixon's gonna miss some time during
training camp. And I'm not gonna get upset until I
hear that he's gonna miss regular season time.

Speaker 8 (13:52):
Yeah, I mean, same page as you said. I'm not
sure that we see it quite the same. But no,
I wasn't alarmed by this because I actually thought this
was the news already, just hadn't been reported in that way.
And it probably is noteworthy that Ean did. But I
didn't expect to see Joe Mixon for quite some time,
if at all. So that's essentially what he had said.
He just gave the reasoning behind it, which I did
not have, but knew this was a serious enough situation

(14:14):
and the timing of it would have him potentially not
available till that point in time.

Speaker 6 (14:19):
That is concerning.

Speaker 8 (14:20):
It is concerning because they have to be able to
run the ball. If you can't run the ball, you
can have the greatest offensive line in the world, but
the other team knows you want to drop back and throw,
and they don't have the best offensive line in the world.
They didn't have the best time offense a little last year,
and they don't have the best passing game out there.
So that all adds up to you're trying to be
better than last year. Brand new line, brand new OC,

(14:42):
brand new offensive line coach, and no real true RB one.
I don't think that's the recipe to advance past the
top eight, which is where they've been stuck in neutral
for the past two years.

Speaker 6 (14:52):
So I think it's significant.

Speaker 8 (14:53):
The only significant add to the running back room, truthfully,
was the signing of Nick Chubb. I obviously I'm aware
they drafted Woody Marks. I don't think Woody or anybody
else expects him to contribute to this team unless the
two to three players ahead of him on the depth
chart are unavailable, and currently two of those players are unavailable.

(15:14):
Damian Pierce is still on the pup list and hasn't practiced,
And obviously Joe Mixon is on the pup list and
not only has he not practiced, same with Damien. They
neither one of them were part of the offseason workout program,
and it wasn't because they just decided to go to
the library or have some soda pop in some other city.
It's because they were unavailable health wise. Nobody calls it
soda pop here, you call it coke, and then you

(15:34):
ask what kind. Thus I mocked the whole situation. I
think sure last time Damien Paris and Joe Mixon go
out for a soda pop will be the first time.
It's just this is an ongoing, lingering situation, although both
are expected to still at this point likely be ready
for the opener Piers, probably even sooner. But that's you know,
The point is, did you address it properly if you

(15:55):
might have had concerns about this? So it was presented
to Jamiico Ryans today. A team practiced on Saturday, had
Sunday off Saturday, the first practice for the Fans. Sunday
the day off Monday, today their first padded practice of
training camp, fifth practice of their off season program, turning
into their in season program. Here at training camp, so

(16:16):
presented with that report and how he felt about it
and this description of Joe Mixon's injury situation.

Speaker 6 (16:23):
Here was what Dmiko Ryans had to say.

Speaker 9 (16:27):
Nothing's changed with Joe. Joe is still working, you know,
in the background. I know we get reports about Joe.
Nothing said, he's still working. Whenever it's time for Joe
to be back, he'll be back, right. I know a
lot of people want to report a lot of things
about guys and injuries. My thing is this is, are
you really concerned about our guys? Are you really just

(16:48):
trying to get something out there?

Speaker 10 (16:50):
Right?

Speaker 9 (16:50):
And for me, I always put my players health safety
first and foremost, so I care about the guys. So
you guys don't hear me talking a lot about guys.
We're through and it's nothing to report or or get
in an uproar about like our guys are working. And
that's it's always sensitive to me because I've been there,
I've went through this, so it's not just to report

(17:11):
something to report something like want people here who truly
care about our guys. I care about our guys and
what they're doing throughout their process, and it'll continue to
be that way.

Speaker 8 (17:21):
Yeah, I obviously I was there when he said all that.
Do we really care about their guys? Like as humans?
I don't think anybody that is another human doesn't. But yeah,
I don't think people are should be scolded for their
care about a player's ankle. We're not talking about anything super.

(17:41):
You know, his life's not in danger, like our concern
for the players is what a typical reporter's concern should
be for the player. And in this case, he's not
even talking about the people who are actually there asking
him questions, talking about people that aren't there, like Ian
Rapaport and other national reporters who get that. I think
he's probably always ticked off a little bit when he
talks about injuries period. I think he's a little ticked

(18:02):
off when he talks about injuries and the information that
he doesn't believe anybody outside the organization should have, which
I would believe in this case, Ian did, so that's
kind of why he reacted, and then all the way,
most of it was just mostly nonsense.

Speaker 6 (18:15):
Care about our players.

Speaker 8 (18:17):
Don't paint us in some light that makes no sense,
that has nothing to do with anything the issue is
in and of itself. There's some concern that he's not
going to be playing for this team in week one,
and if he's not playing in week one, that means
the twenty twenty five season is one in which your
best running back is not a healthy player now or
I don't know when and then when he comes back,

(18:38):
especially with it being a foot and ankle, all these
things that what happened last year, well his ankle.

Speaker 5 (18:43):
Yeah, I don't look I don't. I'll preface this by
saying I'm the biggest demiico guy on the planet. But
I don't feel like I even need to preface it.
Just I don't know what he was so upset about.
He wasn't that upset. He was just explaining his position.

Speaker 6 (18:57):
He just doesn't. He doesn't like it. He did to
explain it. Then I just I don't.

Speaker 8 (19:02):
He doesn't like talking about injuries, which he said again
for like the billionth time, doesn't mean we're not going
to keep asking about it because everybody else that's not
in your organization does. I wish we talked about it less,
but they're there, so we have to. And this is football,
and you play seventeen times, it's not a big deal
if someone goes on the ten dail.

Speaker 6 (19:21):
In baseball, there's one hundred and fifty other games.

Speaker 8 (19:23):
When a player misses a game, and there's not only
sixteen others or fifteen others or fourteen others and their
involvement in that game.

Speaker 6 (19:29):
Changes what you can and cannot do. It matters.

Speaker 5 (19:32):
Yeah, and I look, if you don't like talking about injuries,
I don't know why you're in the business.

Speaker 6 (19:38):
Be honest with you.

Speaker 5 (19:39):
And that's again, is that exactly what he said. I
don't have the quote right on the top of my
head at this point. Did he say I don't like
talking about injuries or was he just implying that because
you know, he's trying to protect his guys, which I
totally get that, but there's ways you can protect your guys.
And then there's being asked about something that everybody, like
you said, outside the organization, and frankly inside the organization

(20:02):
does care about. Because if you're starting running back, isn't
right for the start of the season, which again is
what I'm stressing here. This is July twenty eighth. That
is a problem even more so for this team.

Speaker 8 (20:16):
Yeah, but we don't have the answer today and he
doesn't either. Yeah, So that's that's kind of where it is.
And you know, his method of spinning it in the
way he delivered his answer, well, has us talking about
other stupid nonsense.

Speaker 6 (20:26):
So it worked. I mean, it's.

Speaker 5 (20:28):
Injury nonsense than the Astros injury nonsense, because I'm tired
of that.

Speaker 8 (20:31):
Yeah, the Texans are in a much better situation as
a team. It got, you know, eighty nine ninety ninety one,
ninety three players on the roster, with the injuries that
they have in the pup list and the NFI list
that you know, it's nice that they're not in a
bad place. You'd like to be in a great place
as the year begins. They began the camp with eleven
players on the pup list. Three of those players came
off today, although a player not on the pup list,

(20:52):
Christian Harris, that's five practices, six days worth of camp.
He hasn't practiced at all. He's been on the active
roster for all of them. I'm just a little curious
why they've roster wise decided to go that route. So
him out there today like we did on Sunday. I'm
not a doctor, and I'm not gonna pretend that, oh
I saw him running. He's fine, he was running, he
was jogging. He looks fine. But there obviously are reasons

(21:13):
why they've decided to not have him practicing just yet.
You know, the mixed situation clearly opens the door for
others who would get fewer reps. It definitely opens the
door for Nick Chubb to get a pretty significant workload
in practice. I doubt, very seriously we're gonna see a
lot of Nick Chubb in any games. Any of the
three preseason games, you might see Joe Nick Chubb get
a nice chunk of work in the two joint practices

(21:35):
that they hold. And again, now I will actually get
into some Nick Chubb analysis because Nick Chubb and the
team he's on and all of his teammates put pads
on today. So if you want me to talk about
how he's looked, if he's explosive, if he's got juice,
if he's a player they hope he's once been and
now he's again, be happy to address that now that
he's not playing against players who are addressed like me

(21:57):
at practice, because I think most of what you were
hearing about Chubb before then there's a bunch.

Speaker 6 (22:01):
Of hot air.

Speaker 8 (22:02):
Maybe now it could could be proven true, but we'll
find out now that the pads are on. Same thing
with the offensive line. Definitely worth talking about. One rookie
who continues to look like he's going to be at
one of the eleven players starting for the Texans when
they take on Jimmy Garoppolo and the Rams the opening
week of the season, or maybe Stetson Bennett.

Speaker 6 (22:20):
Best of X is.

Speaker 1 (22:21):
Next the age On Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 7 (22:30):
Did you all see this?

Speaker 3 (22:31):
Should be putting out?

Speaker 11 (22:31):
Between five and fifteen posts a.

Speaker 6 (22:34):
Day, four hundred people were arrested for things that they
said on social media.

Speaker 8 (22:38):
History repeats itself type, bang.

Speaker 3 (22:41):
You'll succeed. Never doubt that you're.

Speaker 7 (22:44):
The one who pus for no one building.

Speaker 6 (22:47):
You're the best X.

Speaker 3 (22:50):
Nothing's gonna have a top.

Speaker 6 (22:52):
You know, you're the best of X.

Speaker 8 (22:55):
Post an every single day and you're the best of
the breaking the entire.

Speaker 5 (23:01):
To Well, I told you I had broken up with
the Astros until further notice after this weekend.

Speaker 6 (23:12):
And it's not even all their fault. I get it.

Speaker 5 (23:13):
There's a lot of injuries going on right now. That offense, though,
I mean, it's okay to score that pitching well yeah,
I mean, but that's honestly, all of their pitchers are
dead right now for the most part, except for Hunter
Brown who pitched well Romber who wasn't in this series.

Speaker 8 (23:33):
Yeah, but they gave up a billion runs. They're pitching
was really not very good.

Speaker 6 (23:36):
But again, most of their pitchers are not of the
upper crust.

Speaker 8 (23:42):
Right, They're exactly the same as their offense. No, some
of the two guys who shouldn't be in the lineup
every day or in your rotation.

Speaker 5 (23:50):
But the top half of their offense at least includes
a lot of guys that were there on opening day
and Christian Walker.

Speaker 6 (23:56):
Yeah, we hah.

Speaker 8 (23:57):
Half of those guys that were there since opening day
have had bad seasons's opening day and that's the unfortunate.

Speaker 5 (24:01):
We're gonna put it more on the offense than the
pitching in a series where at least we got Hunter Brown.

Speaker 8 (24:05):
Oh you can if they would have scored thirty three
runs instead of same, You're right, definitely.

Speaker 5 (24:12):
Giving up that many and not scoring as many. It's
kind of equal blame.

Speaker 6 (24:15):
I don't know.

Speaker 5 (24:15):
But despite all of that, hence the breakup, I do
have to go to the Astros series for the best
of X, because wasn't the Astros that provided it?

Speaker 6 (24:27):
What are you doing?

Speaker 5 (24:28):
First of all, where was the usual annoying person that
does the play by play for Oakland slash Sacramento slash Vegas.

Speaker 6 (24:34):
They've mixed in a bunch of different people.

Speaker 8 (24:36):
If you've been I don't know why, but if you've
been paying attention to as baseball all season and you
know what goes on on social media, you have a
good play, you throw it up there, you get a
homer Denzel Clark climbs the wall and has the catch
of the year. You're gonna see it and hear it
from the Usually it's a TV clip, so you're gonna
hear the TV voices. I'm not sure what the number is,
but there's at least five or six different voices, multiple

(24:58):
play by play people, reserves, backups, and several different analysts.
I believe it was Dallas Braden and someone with the
last name of Kerry in this weekend for the A's.

Speaker 6 (25:09):
Why do you say it like that.

Speaker 8 (25:10):
It's a very popular name in the baseball broadcasting business,
is it not? Kerry skip Chip and this gentleman that
would make three us more than most families have.

Speaker 6 (25:23):
Well, whoever it was, this was not a foul ball.

Speaker 12 (25:30):
To pitch high in the air deep to right, that
ball is foul.

Speaker 3 (25:38):
Were gone?

Speaker 13 (25:41):
That ball was absolutely launched law dog posing them up
at the dish.

Speaker 3 (25:47):
He knew it off the bat. It was just a
matter of how far.

Speaker 13 (25:53):
He knew he got it, and the reaction from Cam
Smith in right field.

Speaker 8 (25:59):
The reaction Pam Smith and right field, if you listen
to the play by play call, probably was this. He
ran as fast as he could, as far as he
could into the corner by that tunnel that opens up,
and just barely it snuck outside the foul pole. He
tried to make a spectacular catch, probably had to run
into the wall to do it, but just couldn't get

(26:21):
there in time, and it was foul ball. But according
to the analyst, the reaction for Pam Smith was more
like this. He plays outfield at a major league ballpark
and the ball was hit so far over his head
he never moved. It was right in his tracks, one
hundred feet over his head and forty feet behind him.
Advantage analyst, because that's actually what happened. You had the
play by play guy said, Foal was hit by the

(26:44):
Astros bullpen a little bit to the right of it.

Speaker 5 (26:46):
I've been told by a reliable source that Jinny is
a Kavnar. Yes, she does more of their games, and
Carrie does seventy of them, and this was clearly not
her and I don't know for the life of me
how someone who is that ingrained in the game of
baseball Chris Carey.

Speaker 6 (27:06):
Missed that. They said he lost it in the lights.

Speaker 8 (27:10):
Well how is because his analyst, because he doesn't know
where the ball is and he didn't see the fielder
go get it, and he obviously can't see the fans
catching it, so he just said something stupid.

Speaker 6 (27:19):
Basically, you know, I'll give you his scenario. Totally lost
it in the lights, no excuses.

Speaker 8 (27:25):
Unfair to Butler and our fans that I messed it
up as badly as idea. But it is completely and
totally on me. Wish I could have it back, but
that's baseball. I apologize and will be better to Butler.
Law dog, law dog, that's what they called him. Okay,
you didn't hear it. I've heard it many times.

Speaker 6 (27:41):
I was actually the thing I had the most problem
with that whole call Lawrence Butler, he's a dog, law dog.
I get it. It's fine. Then it was the foul ball.
It was actually a home run that the second was from.

Speaker 8 (27:51):
Poked at him by Dallas, his analyst, and that's how
he took it in stride.

Speaker 5 (27:55):
And now I would have liked further to have been
apology in which Nick Castianus would hit a home run
during the middle of it. Obviously, when he came back
earlier on the broadcast, I attempted to call a home
run foul and clearly was not. And I consider myself
to have the most upstanding you know, like something over
the top like that that actually would have been funny.

Speaker 6 (28:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (28:17):
I wish people were treating this the way they should
on social media because since he posted that, most of
the comments on his posts are, hey, man, you're human,
shake it off. Hey, it happens to everybody. Hey, you're
doing a great job. We all miss one. Come on, people,
doesn't be mean. This is the X platform.

Speaker 6 (28:33):
What are you doing? Sh I have said something now,
to be fair.

Speaker 8 (28:37):
One mistake doesn't define you, but the courage to own
up to it speaks volumes to your character.

Speaker 6 (28:42):
Courage.

Speaker 8 (28:42):
I'm gonna submit this as the worst best of X ever.
Why is everyone so nice?

Speaker 6 (28:48):
Why is somebody saying that this took courage to acknowledge
his mistake. It takes courage.

Speaker 8 (28:53):
I mean, Chris really has to have shown a lot
of courage to stand up for I made a mistake.

Speaker 6 (28:59):
Was it that tough?

Speaker 8 (29:00):
Now the person who when he said he lost it
in the lights, And there's a few gifts here that
recognize how silly that is. You know's some movies and
scenes from movies. I haven't seen the Raiders of the
Lost Dark face melting off scene, like the fires burning
their faces off.

Speaker 6 (29:14):
You know that could be the lights. You haven't seen it.

Speaker 8 (29:17):
No, I haven't seen anybody post that. Oh, that would
make sense here. I would like to like to see that.
Yeah that, No, that would have been good, or maybe.

Speaker 6 (29:25):
Like he got enough practice with home run calls. It's true,
it was.

Speaker 8 (29:30):
I mean, as much as this was painful, baseball is
a sport that its records or its feats very much
standalone from the other two sports. And for something that
happens as infrequently as one player hitting four home runs
in a game, even when the fourth home run is
off of an outfielder, it is pretty awesome. It's awesome
in the worst way when you're on the other side

(29:51):
of it. Six for six Nick Kurtz four long balls
twentieth time in Major League Baseball, first time in this
organization's history. It's the first time any player where the
team has not had a home city as it for
home runs in a game, also for the whole history
of the Athletics franchise.

Speaker 6 (30:08):
Maybe he should have looked at the monitor.

Speaker 8 (30:10):
Yeah, there's lots of I mean, you've done some things
in your time as a play by play man both
TV and radio. There there's a lot of ways to
you know, like field goal kicks. I mean, you're your
bestest buddy, the Screamer, the voice of Minnesota Vikings football.

Speaker 6 (30:26):
The most violent call.

Speaker 8 (30:29):
One of his violent calls is on a Vikings field goal.

Speaker 6 (30:32):
The kick is up and it's good.

Speaker 8 (30:35):
In his play about his analyst says he missed it,
and he goes, no, he did.

Speaker 6 (30:41):
Was he not looking at the officials? Again? That's how
you know.

Speaker 8 (30:43):
There's a lot of especially on the radio side, just
they're not watching you are You're on the radio. So
wait until you see the signal, even if it's already
gone through and you've begun to hear the fans, If
you make sure and you wait a tick, you won't
miss it. It happens to everybody, by the way, So again,
be nice to Chris and anybody else that makes a
play by play mistake TV, radio or otherwise.

Speaker 6 (31:05):
They're human. Who is this? Who am I today? I
don't know and I don't like it? Are you sick?

Speaker 3 (31:11):
I hate this?

Speaker 6 (31:12):
I told you just the worst one in nice? You
know what.

Speaker 8 (31:15):
I'm gonna tweet him right now. We can give you
some grace. It happens.

Speaker 6 (31:19):
Oh my god, who sent that peno?

Speaker 8 (31:21):
Believable? It happens, and you made a mistake. We also
know you're not an imbecile and can give you some grace.
Now goes in karaoke.

Speaker 6 (31:29):
Where were these people when hul Cogan died?

Speaker 3 (31:31):
Uh?

Speaker 5 (31:32):
Hey, we're dancing on his grave. That's where they were.
Not most people. You said something at twenty fifteen, so
basically that's what you're known for now.

Speaker 6 (31:39):
Yeah, he's definitely not known for that, but it certainly happened.
Dennis Douche whatever his name is, Junior, no more.

Speaker 10 (31:46):
Being nice today. You're a wet blanket. Now you're giving
that nice, soft, warm and fuzzy field. We don't need
that one.

Speaker 5 (31:50):
Yeah what this is coming off a weekend too, you
should be all fired up and sopping wet.

Speaker 6 (31:56):
I was this morning out in the sun. I can
attest to that that. Yeah, huh, it was definitely.

Speaker 8 (32:02):
I would say it's the warmest of the five spend
me the warmest of the five days.

Speaker 6 (32:05):
Can we come back.

Speaker 5 (32:07):
I Am going to talk about how I am old,
and I'm also going to ask both of you guys
a question about this, and it's serious. It's not for effect.
I'm not trying to be a smart ass when I
asked you a question. It's very, very important that you
give me both of you an honest answer about it
as it pertains to training camp.

Speaker 1 (32:27):
The A on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 6 (32:36):
Come talking well.

Speaker 5 (32:40):
Last segment was best of X and we talked about
Chris Carey losing the quote foul ball in the lights.
I was out to dinner on Saturday, so this would
have been game three of four straight losses to the
Oakland Slash Sacramento Slash Vegas A's it was on in

(33:02):
the restaurant, and I, of course, because I'm a glutton
for punishment these days, I had situated myself to where
I could easily both observe and as it were, get
angry with each passing failed attempt to mount an offensive attack.
And then, of course, of course, the Hector Nares experience
here in twenty twenty five is absolutely abysmal, and the

(33:24):
latest installment was Saturday when he gave up a three
run bomb that effectively put any hopes of the Astros
coming back and winning that game right down the toilet.
So I say all that to say during the course
of that and maybe it was because I was in
the restaurant, so I wasn't like quite locked into the
screen like I would have been. But this has happened
at home, and it's a sign. And a lot of

(33:44):
things have happened this year. You know, like people say
when they turn forty that things start to hurt. Things
are slower for you, things are tougher, whatever, blah blah blah.
Yeah they're getting not for me, Oh good, Until I
turned forty four, and then all of that stuff started happened.
Now everything hurts. And my depth and I said this

(34:06):
to you the other day we were having a conversation
off air somewhere. My depth perception when it comes to
balls off the bat used to be like lightning quick.
I knew where the ball was going based on watching
the TV screen, not being in the stadium, which that
is a little bit difficult these days too. It's not

(34:26):
my vision, though my vision's pretty good. My wife's the
one who's going blind. She's got five years on me though,
but snuck that in what she's twenty nine? Didn't you
see the pictures?

Speaker 10 (34:38):
M hm.

Speaker 5 (34:38):
So when the ball went off the bat a couple
of times, and maybe it was because there were runners
on base, and that added to my anticipation slash excitement,
I was like, ooh, it's going to the craw for boxes.
But as we know, these days, only the other team, right,
only the other team, you know.

Speaker 3 (34:54):
The Crawford boxes.

Speaker 6 (34:55):
They give it and they take it away.

Speaker 5 (34:57):
No, they just pretty much take uth away these days.
There no Crawford boxes giving to the Astros. But more
often than not, these days, I'm seeing a ball launched
off the bat on the screen and I'm like, oh,
that's gone and it's not even close to being gone.

Speaker 6 (35:13):
I don't like that. Is that me getting old?

Speaker 8 (35:15):
Well, if you're really talking about the baseball, if it
just look who's out there and what they're doing, and
if it's not a Yiner Altuve Christian Walker swing, then
it's coming from somebody who doesn't have any power. Yeah,
and camp Smith is among those people that doesn't have
any power currently, And it's been a While he's got
seven home runs, they've come in just five of his
major league games. With those two multi homer games, most

(35:38):
of the balls off of his bat are going less
than three hundred feet if that. If they're hitting the air,
he just it's not swinging with a whole lot of forests,
not finding a lot of hard contact, and certainly not
finding much success. And he's somebody who should be here.
I don't know if he belongs here. He played a
lot of baseball this year that made it look like
he belongs here. His most recent baseball, which is stretching
almost the entire month, looks like less so. And then

(36:01):
there's a bunch of guys who clearly do not belong here.
And heck, I mean, I couldn't believe what Dana said
about it, but I'll let you hear it straight from him.
About the guys that do not belong here means you
got guys who can't hit, and they feel like they
don't have any alternatives at the minor league level currently,
so they're just waiting it out, which is a little
bit surprising. I guess when they were winning, it was
easier to do, and now that they're losing, it's become
a less So now the last three home stands or

(36:24):
road trips, you played all those games at home heading
into the break, and you were terrible and you won
once in six games. Then you open up the second
half of the season with two losses in Seattle, but
you countered that with four straight wins to close out
that road trip, all with the same offensive players essentially
throughout that entire stretch. And then you came back home
and began this home stand with four straight losses that

(36:45):
were disappointing in every single way. Poor pitching, poor situational hitting,
and poor hitting. All three of those clusters of games
were with roughly these same hitters. So as you were
making your way through it, if you're Dana Brown and
Joe Spot and the rest of the baseball op staff thing,
well can we continue to wait? Well, yeah, it looks
like we can continue to wait. We still have a
seven game lead, we still have a six game lead.

(37:07):
We are not at our best, But why do we
need to guess on this other minor league player that
doesn't belong here? And I think it was really crystallized
over these last four days, the woefulness of the at
bats and Cooper humbles at the top of the list.

Speaker 6 (37:22):
Oh brother, and you know when he's such a nice
guy too, But my goodness, I mean he he does
have a hit.

Speaker 5 (37:27):
I think nothing every time he gets into the box,
and I hate that because he really is the nicest guy.

Speaker 6 (37:33):
But it's not he won't to make contact.

Speaker 8 (37:34):
He has one hit nice in his last twelve games,
thirty plus at bats that did not result in a hit,
and the way too many of them result in strikeouts.
And to those watching, because I'm pretty sure Robert doesn't
pour salt in the wounds on the call, and Todds,
since he's on TV, doesn't have to. The salt is
right odd for you to see he's swinging and missing

(37:57):
by a mile, right If it's an off speed pitch
and he swings at it, it's not even close to
his bat And the frustration he's showing is pretty overwhelming.
And that's just one of five guys I could have
said here. I don't mind Bryce Matthews being here. I
absolutely think he does belong here for where this team is,
but I do expect the bats to look like this.

Speaker 6 (38:17):
He struck out a ton in the minor leagues.

Speaker 8 (38:18):
He had an enormous strikeout rate, only recently started to
hit in the non hitter friendly ballparks at Triple A,
and he's basically had the Arizona Series and nothing else offensively,
good enough defense.

Speaker 6 (38:30):
If it wasn't a home run, it wasn't anything.

Speaker 8 (38:32):
Yeah, they had three hits in that series, they were
all homers, and he had nine other at bats that
they weren't hits or homers. But it's one and after
the other. After you get through the walker ds portion
of the lineup, and remember your quote unquote counting on them, Well,
those two guys still have an OPS under seven hundred.
Still aren't having good seasons, aren't in some kind of
unbelievable stretch, even though Walker's clearly had his best month

(38:52):
of the season, and the numbers would be great if
they were all season, but they've gone on for about
two and a half three weeks. It's a little short
period of time. As soon as that part of the
lineup is over, it's over. You know, when you and
Chas McCormick's batting fifth any game, Chas McCormick can't hit
a field. Now, there's nothing that there's nothing that Joe
can do. If these are the players that are on

(39:12):
his roster, and that's why just it's the simplest stuff.
Baseball sometimes can be simple. The Astros would have had
no business beating the A's this weekend unless they beat
him eighteen to fifteen, because they weren't going to stop
the A's from scoring, because they barely threw any major
league pitchers to start games, and they showed that they
can't hit the zero cretics pitching.

Speaker 5 (39:34):
Zero credit to Nick Kurtz for getting that fourth home
run against Cooper Hammel either, Yeah, cooperum texting me.

Speaker 8 (39:40):
Came in and he obviously watched Kurt's murder baseballs. He
threw almost one hundred strikes until Kurt's got up there,
and then I think he pretty intentionally was pitching around him.
Threw him two straight balls way off the plate. Then
he decided to challenge him, and he had an opposite
field home run for his fourth homer.

Speaker 7 (39:58):
Of the day.

Speaker 8 (39:59):
An hour in, we got three more hours of discussion
to go, obviously more on what is actually in the
Astros future and changes are a coming, and obviously diving
into what did actually happen today of significance at Texans
Pad's first padded practice today.

Speaker 6 (40:14):
We'll talk about it.

Speaker 1 (40:14):
Next The A teen on Sports Talk seven ninety two.
Lifelong Houston sports guys named Adam Talking Your Team's Adam
Clinton and Adam Wexler are the eighteen.

Speaker 5 (40:36):
A Welcome into our number two and the simulcast over
on Space City Home Network. It is the A team
here on Sports Talk at seven ninety Wexac cold Thomson
with you on a Monday edition of the program. The Good,
the Bad, and the Ugly is coming up in the

(40:58):
four o'clock hour.

Speaker 6 (41:00):
We always do that on Monday.

Speaker 5 (41:01):
I could probably submit all three would be Astros related
and to be very easy, but you got to listen
to find out. We will hear from Steve Sparks this hour.
We will catch up with Sam Warren of the Houston
Chronicle coming up at the top of next hour for
Astros and Texans conversation, respectively. And as we get started

(41:22):
with our number two, I have a very very important
question to hold over from the last segment to my
coorts here. Training camps underway. First day of pads was today,
and we'll get to the Joe mix and stuff and
everything going on with the Houston Texans and they're running back,
and whether or not he's going to start the season
and all that kind of stuff. You got this question

(41:46):
asked to you last week by someone out there WEX.

Speaker 6 (41:50):
They were like, where's your co host? Why isn't he
out here? Why isn't he watching training camp and sweltering
heat with the rest of us? Why isn't he here?

Speaker 7 (42:00):
Yeah?

Speaker 8 (42:00):
I got that from one person who jokingly asked that
was about it?

Speaker 6 (42:04):
She was serious?

Speaker 8 (42:05):
Uh, she curio had a smile on her face that
suggested maybe not, but you could be right.

Speaker 6 (42:09):
I was there, you weren't. Maybe maybe you're right. She
listens a lot.

Speaker 5 (42:12):
She's a big fan. Yeah, as most are, thank you. Yeah,
we're She've got just a huge amount of fans and
we love that. No, in all seriousness and Cole, this
is this is obviously for both of you guys. Yeah,
of course, what what would me, Adam Clanton? What would
I honestly get out of going out there every day?

Speaker 7 (42:32):
Like you guys?

Speaker 5 (42:33):
You would see you love it, So that needs to
be prefaced by saying that you enjoy it.

Speaker 8 (42:37):
Well, yeah, well that's because what else I can't tell
people what's going on with the Texans If I don't
know what's going on with the Texans.

Speaker 6 (42:45):
You can how there will be ways? Good luck?

Speaker 10 (42:49):
Do I have to sit in the stands and go
be a content creator that tries to own on everything?

Speaker 6 (42:53):
Is that the way I gotta go?

Speaker 3 (42:54):
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (42:54):
The NFL.

Speaker 8 (42:55):
I don't know if every city and every media department
is the same. And we've talked to the Texans about
this many times. The fans have seven practices that they
are allowed to go to. First one with Saturday, second
one was today, and they obviously are fans or whatever
it is they are. They have no restrictions on what
they can do with their cellular phone devices in terms
of recording video and commenting on it and posting it

(43:15):
on social media, whereas we do. There're specific portions of
practice where we're allowed to capture video, whether it's for
us on our socials or our outlets Sports Talk seven
to ninety television outlets, et cetera. There's a certain period
of time and they say, all right, that's it for
shooting today, Except it doesn't apply to other people, and
it certainly doesn't apply in house. And Texans get some
unbelievable stuff with where they're allowed to go and what

(43:38):
they have to shoot with. I don't blame them for it.
It's just a perk of being on the inside. But
now the fans become part of the inside, the same
perk they have to a certain extent. Now their angle
is not particularly good, especially if they're not in the
front row and they're shooting between fans and through columns
that are holding up the party tenth that they're sitting under.
But nonetheless, if Nico Collins go over over the middle

(43:59):
and the ball thrown behind him and he tips it
with his right hand and it lands in his lap
in his left hand and he makes a great catch,
I can type about it, but I can't show you
it because I didn't shoot the video of it. I
can find the Texans video of it an hour later
and tell you, or I can just look at Joe
in the stands guy and he'll he'll have it posted
in the seconds later.

Speaker 6 (44:18):
So, yeah, you're right.

Speaker 8 (44:19):
You could probably get a handle on short snippets of
pieces of video that go out there.

Speaker 5 (44:25):
Even if it was like an injury situation like today,
like just for the sake of this conversation, the Joe
Mixon stuff was gonna be out there regardless.

Speaker 8 (44:35):
Yes, that's one item, and it's also in nothing like
what do you know about Joe Mixon Nothing?

Speaker 5 (44:42):
I know that he got under Demiko's skin having to
talk about it. He didn't all the subject did he
subject did again. I'm just I do not see it
the way. I don't know why it is this way.

Speaker 8 (44:54):
These people listen to these coaches, and the Texans had
enough of have had enough of them over the years.
Like Tamiko gave more than a minute's worth of commentary
on it with no change in tone of his voice
about a question that he was asked to me, totally normal.

Speaker 6 (45:08):
What he said is more.

Speaker 8 (45:10):
I don't know why he took that path, but he's
equally annoyed, at least the first time it gets asked,
with all the injury questions, especially in year three, when
he's told you, I'm not telling you not to ask.
I'm just telling you it's unfortunate for you because I'm
not going to give you any additional information. Then you
may have already gotten or may have learned through a reporter,

(45:31):
or think you already found yourself. That's just how I
choose to handle it. And every coach isn't like that.
Many of them are I think stupidly about during the season,
at least right now. It's a very little consequence, but
as if it gives you some sort of elevated chance
to win because the other team is unaware of this,
that and the other. Now, in football, unlike baseball, where

(45:53):
we've talked about the Astros handling and transparency, hiding an
injury in baseball or not telling people what it is
seems incredibly unnecessary because the other team is not gonna
benefit from it anyway. If so and so has a
tweaked ankle but he's playing, how's the other team. Was
the other team gonna throw at him? Is the other

(46:13):
team going to try to step on him because he's
a shortstop and when they get to second bait like
in basketball. I mentioned this analogy earlier today. Yeah, if
everybody on earth knows that Steph Curry's wrist hurts because
he wears a wrist guard and he's always shaking it, yeah,
occasionally it's gonna get hit. I don't think teams are
targeting it, but they know that it is a factor
in the way he plays. I mean, this is an

(46:35):
off field injury, but there's a lot of stuff that
you can see and form your own opinions. That's probably
the number. If you ask me why I go, That's
why I go. So I do not have to rely
on the thoughts of others who see things differently than
I do. I can go out there and tell you
what I think. I can tell you what I think
Blake Fisher's doing. I can tell you what I think
tay Ersery is doing as he gets reps, not exclusively

(46:56):
at right tackle, as I could swear for the fifth
straight practice, I've seen him get reps at left tackle,
not with the first team, but with either second or
third units out there, so I can tell you about it.
I can tell you how he fared in pads against
Daniel Hunter, if he was lined up opposite of him,
against Solomon Byrd, if he was lined up opposite him
Will Anderson, et cetera. By the way, Will Anderson destroys

(47:16):
every single player he's gone against in the entire camp.

Speaker 5 (47:18):
I'm glad you brought that up, because other than when
when they are out there and practicing in pads and
where they are at, specifically, like you just mentioned, on
the offensive line, which I think does obviously matter in
this upcoming season, because where they're practicing, it's safe to

(47:38):
say that's probably going to be where they end up
playing more often than not. But it does matter who
they're going up against. If it's not an open practice
against another team. If your defense sucks, it doesn't really
matter necessarily if your offensive lineman is holding up against
whatever pass rusher is coming at him, but if he's
holding up against the guys that are coming after other,
you know, opposing teams this year for the Texans, that's

(48:01):
gonna get my attention. But doesn't sound like anybody's holding
up because they're very good, well, especially the second guy
you mentioned.

Speaker 10 (48:07):
My big thing is that let's also put a pause
on Hey, he's doing really well in reps with this
guy who is fighting for a spot on the roster,
versus Hey, he's doing really well against this guy who's
fighting for a shot at being an All Pro this year.

Speaker 6 (48:18):
That's all I'm saying. When it comes to the offensive.

Speaker 8 (48:20):
Line, unfortunately, I think it will show their weaknesses. But
you have an advantage over other teams because your defense
is so good your offensive line is going to face.
You can look at the roster or the schedule if
you want before you answer this, but you don't need
to Who are the best set of edge rushers that
Tay Urserie, Cam Robinson, Blake Fisher, Trent Brown, Jalen Thomas,

(48:42):
anybody who are the best guy Zach Thomas. Who are
the best edge rushers are going to face all year?
It's the Texans duo in practice. It's a rhetorical question. Yeah,
and they're going to see every move in the book
because Daniel Hunter has all of them.

Speaker 6 (48:54):
Will Anderson continues to perfect all of his moves.

Speaker 8 (48:56):
He already has the unbelievable athleticism, drive to desire, bend
and everything that goes into being a great date, d
n to edge rusher, and they're seeing it every single
day and every single rep. It was noted last year,
probably not as loudly as it should have been, and
I'll try it again this year.

Speaker 6 (49:12):
These guys.

Speaker 8 (49:13):
There was a very small portion of the season where
Will Anderson wasn't practicing every single day, and it was
later in the season. There were obviously some injury concerns
with him, which were well documented, but over the course
of his time here for with Daniel Hunter, from the
beginning of the offseason workouts last year to where we
stand today. Those guys are out there every day, every
practice giving that offensive line group who's not particularly talented

(49:37):
based on their NFL results, those that have been here
already not a lot of success. They're going to make
them realize, the coaches or the players what they can
and can't do before they get there. So I want
to say they'll make them better. They'll make tay Ursery better.
I don't know that they can make the other guys better.
They're just going to show the flaws if there are any,
and there are in the offensive line, because these two

(49:59):
guys are gonna get out after it.

Speaker 5 (50:00):
A couple of things to pass along that have nothing
to do with anything you just said, but because they
are late breaking, we will do that.

Speaker 6 (50:09):
Jack can't wait to hear who this is. Jeremy Pane's
in Houston. He's as a resident now, he's always been
a resident. He has a home here.

Speaker 7 (50:17):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (50:18):
Jeremy Payna is on the injured list and he is
currently where the Astros are.

Speaker 6 (50:23):
They are in Houston.

Speaker 5 (50:25):
While being on the injured list, he's closer to playing
because he's in the same city as them.

Speaker 8 (50:30):
He's closer to playing because the calendar has moved along
as his injury.

Speaker 6 (50:33):
How do you do see? That's that's what I'm talking about.
Back in Rington, I guess he's on the roster.

Speaker 8 (50:39):
The roster he is merely working out with the Astros
rather than working out hundreds thousands of miles away cross
country from them when they're in Seattle. But they're only
in Houston and he was in Florida. He is back
with the team working out, but he's not been activated. Well,
somebody has been activated, though.

Speaker 6 (50:54):
I know it.

Speaker 8 (50:55):
I'm just about to tell everybody that the Astros were
I told you already that John Singleton was DA, so
that obviously meant someone was coming on to the roster,
and it was, as predicted, Jacob Melton that is activated
for the Astros, and they did. This is the day
of the week where they will give us the rundown
of how everything's going and where things stand with everybody,
And since they all pitched over the weekend, probably a

(51:16):
good place to start next segment is with them. But again,
this list newcomers to it. Brandon Walter wasn't on this
list a week ago, so an update on where things
stand with him. Nothing continues to there's too many players
on it. To go through all of them. Luis ki
Orme also not a part of the Astros anymore. There

(51:37):
was already on the injured list, They waived injured any
cleared waivers and has elected free agency. They've been doing
forty man roster work at a feverish clip this year.
Twenty six active players, you got eighteen on the injured list.
That's more than forty. There obviously are things that they've
had to do and players with and without options. It's
been insane what they've had to do from that standpoint.

(51:59):
But a full list and update on all of those players,
including Jeremy pana is in Houston with your Astros.

Speaker 6 (52:06):
But what does it mean next?

Speaker 1 (52:09):
The eight on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 6 (52:23):
Welcome back into the eighteen.

Speaker 5 (52:24):
It's Sports Talk seven ninety, It's Space City home Network.
Wexac Cole Thompson with you on a Monday afternoon. We
are creeping up on about an hour away from the good,
the bad, and the ugly from over the weekend. I
happen to have the good today. I'm willing to trade
out wex in that the weekend was so ugly for
the Astros. But bump, speaking of which, we got some

(52:49):
updates on the Astros injury situation from Dana Brown, as
you called him, Doctor Brown. Over the weekend, caught up
with the Astros Radio Network for yesterday's sweep at the
hands of the Athletics, and there is good news and
bad news.

Speaker 6 (53:06):
We'll start with the good news.

Speaker 5 (53:08):
I would say that getting one of presumably your better
pitchers back, we don't know because he only had one
season in an astrosino form, but I think everybody would
rather have Spencer Righetty out there versus not.

Speaker 6 (53:21):
And so that's the first name that Dana Brown covered
right here.

Speaker 12 (53:24):
I know you've talked about Eric Getty probably being the
first of the starting pitchers of all goes well to
come back. His next start is going to be in
the miners, correct, correct, So is the hope that after
that start, maybe we see him back in the rotation Ragetty.

Speaker 14 (53:39):
Yes, that is correct, and he will be the first
guy back. And you know we miss him daily, so
we got to get we'd love to have him back
here in this rotation. And then you know Hot would
be shortly after him, and those are two big ones
to have. I think Pinya is going to be back
here soon. And then Albarez is feeling a lot better,
and so you know, we're just ramping up his workload

(54:04):
and getting it more intensed. And so once he gets
that through that hurdle, you know, we can get him
on some lives and then we'll see where we are
from there.

Speaker 6 (54:13):
But yeah, the.

Speaker 14 (54:15):
Guys are coming back some point in the first two
weeks of August, and we could use them as soon
as possible.

Speaker 6 (54:22):
So clearly that is the good news portion of things.

Speaker 5 (54:27):
I think that is going to weigh heavily into what
they do, if anything, at the trade deadline, especially when
you consider that they just I don't think they have
a ton to trade, although say that every year and
then they find a way to do it.

Speaker 6 (54:40):
This would this part right here will qualify as the.

Speaker 5 (54:43):
Bad news portion of things because if you haven't heard
this yet, or if you haven't heard about this yet,
the Astros third base situation not great.

Speaker 14 (54:51):
It's a little bit more severe than we projected. And look,
ultimately I think he's gonna get this second opinion, We
get him to get a second and and we'll know more,
you know, probably in the next week, less than a week,
I would, I would say, but the fact that it
was a little.

Speaker 7 (55:09):
Bit more severe.

Speaker 14 (55:10):
Is it's more painful to us, you know, and it's
tough to be optimistic, you know, when when you know
that it's a little bit more severe. So but you know,
hopefully the second opinion clarifies a few things for us
and then we could move forward.

Speaker 5 (55:25):
All the buzzwords and buzz phrases are in there. Wex well,
it was a little bit more severe than we thought.
And the dreaded second opinion that's east soak Paritis's current status.

Speaker 8 (55:36):
Yeah, visually speaking, it's appeared playing doctor off of the television.
It is pretty significant injury, and it's turned out to
be that way. Second opinion might be a little more
scary in that it's it's so significant they're concerned about
even longer term than just the two months of season
that remained.

Speaker 6 (55:54):
I hope it's not that.

Speaker 8 (55:54):
I hope it's nothing beyond that, but these are injuries
that can obviously impact you for a long, long period
of time. I think it internally, I doubt this changed
their thinking. I mean, he knew he wasn't going to
be back for a long time. If he's going to
come back in September, it would prevent you from trading
for somebody that could help you for the majority of
the games that are left, little less than sixty games left.
He's going to help you for twenty five of them,

(56:16):
So for the next thirty plus, I will just wait.
If they weren't they're trying to win, it would not
have impacted that in any way. I do think this
puts his September in jeopardy. I already had him out
the unofficial injured list. I had him out like Jake
Myers until September. But a second opinion, yeah, I do
think that indicates they don't like what they're being told.
They don't like the news, and they're hoping that somebody

(56:38):
else will that's a real doctor, will tell them no, no, no,
let's still be fine in two weeks.

Speaker 6 (56:42):
But they won't.

Speaker 8 (56:43):
The second opinion, I'm sure will deliver the same information
as the first.

Speaker 5 (56:46):
You're more optimistic than another person on this station who
feels like it's not going to be until March that
either of these guys.

Speaker 8 (56:53):
That's what I kind of said. I said, I'm only
putting him out minimum until September. If he comes back, great,
I don't anticipate that happened, but we will know more,
like Dana said, sometime hopefully later this week before hit
the weekend.

Speaker 6 (57:05):
But they should, like I said, they can't count on him.

Speaker 8 (57:08):
He's not going to play baseball for the rest of July,
in the entire month of August most likely, if not longer.

Speaker 6 (57:14):
That's a huge hole.

Speaker 8 (57:16):
He was the healthiest and best hitter you had all year,
played more games than all the other guys that we're
having good seasons that are out, or for most of
the guys that are in the lineup currently that have
managed to stay healthy most of the season. You're losing
a ton with him out of the lineup. You don't
often have a team that can put three different players
in the lead off spot and all three of them
can succeed Altuve to a certain degree. Paynya as the

(57:38):
best lead off hitter in the American League. I don't
think there's much question about it. For the weeks and
weeks he spent there, and then Paratus was up there
doing everything you want a lead off hitter to do
except provide speed, long counts, long at bats, walks, getting
on base, doing things to get your offense started. It
was fantastic, and now they're on to cam Smith batting
lead off, Taylor Tremmell batting lead off, and Tremeell's had

(57:59):
a lot little success, but he saw a bunch of
left handed pitching, which relegates him to the bench.

Speaker 6 (58:04):
It's it's definitely not good news. I didn't expect it
to be. But it hurts to hear. Did I'm tying intended? There?
What you do right there?

Speaker 8 (58:12):
Well, it hurt to hear if he hurt aid and
here Pop, I don't think he hurt it technically, did he?

Speaker 6 (58:19):
I hate this season so much by the way.

Speaker 8 (58:21):
Spencer Araghetty, who probably is only going to pitch in
the minor leagues one more time, he'll do so with
sugar Land reporting there this week. His appearance this weekend
for Corpus Christy, throwing their Friday game three and a third.
So he got ten outs, sixty two pitches, thirty nine strikes,
gave up four hits, a walk and a couple of strikeouts,
a couple of labor intensive innings, and I think that's

(58:42):
why it went the way it did. But his pitch
count quickly elevating as his injury. Unlike the other three
pitchers who made rehab starts this weekend, It's not because
he had surgery for a blown out elbow. It's not
because he had surgery for a severe shoulder caut absolute
injury like France did and like Javier and Garcia did.

(59:04):
It's because he got hit by a baseball on the
head with his hand in between the baseball and his
head during BP and a road game at Seattle in April.

Speaker 6 (59:12):
Everything else about his.

Speaker 8 (59:13):
Arm and his legs are fine, and his ramp up
period thus should be very short.

Speaker 5 (59:18):
You mentioned about just the division because it has taken
both the Astros losing six out of ten over their
last ten and the Mariners going five hundred during that stretch,
coupled with the Rangers going nine to one and losing
six or winning six in a row, just to have

(59:39):
both the Mariners and Rangers four games back, the closest
either of them has been in quite some time. Of
the Astros. This is why I don't worry about the Rangers.
I just don't think they're that good. And I don't
really worry about the Mariners because the Astros overtook the
Mariners when they had the division lead, and the Mariners
were perfectly healthy then and they're perfect healthy now, and

(01:00:01):
the Astros have done nothing except for gets significantly less healthy.
So if the Astros are gonna get healthier and or
maybe make a deal, So even if the Mariners do
make a deal, which they've already made one, I just
I think this is still somehow, some way the Astro's
division to lose.

Speaker 8 (01:00:20):
Yeah, how long this worst stretch of baseball lasts is
pretty much all you need to know. If it lasts
for a month, then the Astros probably aren't gonna win
the division, even though they'll have time to make up
for it. If it lasts just another week or ends
tonight with the first of three Star at wins against
the Nationals, then they're gonna win this division because that
means wy We'll have started to win again without reinforcements,
even returning no offense to Jacob Melton, I wouldn't call

(01:00:42):
that reinforcements. That's a replacement for other players that had
already needed to be replaced when he then got replaced
because of his injury. Mentioned the injury situations with those
four pitchers France, Luis Garcia, Christian Xavier Spencer Arraghetti, all
expected to make a start with sugar Land in the
coming days. All pitched over the weekend, so the requisite

(01:01:04):
rest in between their starts. Still in front of him,
Lance mccollors he's playing catch but not throwing off the
mound as he recovers from his blister. Brandon Walter, as expected,
is not throwing yet. Dana Brown said maybe it's a
three week injury, hopefully not more than that. Obviously, the
longer it goes, the longer time it would take to
get ramped up to where he was. Also, everything that's

(01:01:26):
been said about it by Brandon himself and now by Dana,
it doesn't appear that they find it to be too
particularly serious. Gordon Alvarez continues to go through his hitting
progression and hopefully that will include some live BP sometime,
maybe as we get close to the end of the month,
maybe a little bit into the month of August. Jake Myers,
I could say, Jake Myers is in Houston rehabbing as

(01:01:48):
he continues to not be able to do a whole
heck of a lot to try to make his return.
Zach Decenzo has now begun hitting with off of a
te His injury, I would imagine, has lasted a lot
longer than those people expected, and Brendan Rodgers, who was
activated for a rehab assignment just over a week ago,
but in the third inning of that game, got into

(01:02:10):
a nasty collision with a shortstop concussion and nasal fracture.
He's still in concussion protocol. He's in Houston, not doing
baseball activities, you know.

Speaker 5 (01:02:23):
And as you're reading all of that, I'm reading about
Joe Mixon. I don't know if I don't know how
much you'd take into account some of these doctors that
like to weigh in on things, specially ones that haven't
looked at the player in question. But this one seems
to have a pretty big following, and he doesn't seem
to be all that surprised that Joe Mixon might not

(01:02:43):
be starting the season healthy. We're not saying that, just
saying what some people are saying could be the case
based on what they've seen here. We'll get into that
and a whole lot more as we continue here on
a Monday edition of The A Team. But coming up next,
Sparky replay of some of the comments he had earlier
today on the station about your Euston Astros.

Speaker 3 (01:03:02):
The A Team on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 8 (01:03:09):
Movie halfway point of hour number two, and as promised,
a little bit of what Steve Sparks, Astros radio analyst
right here on Sports Talk seven ninety had to say
about your team earlier today when he made his appearance
on the Sean Salisbury Show.

Speaker 6 (01:03:21):
Does so each and every Monday morning. Thus today and.

Speaker 8 (01:03:25):
Just the topic we're on with Estoch Peretta situation, according
to Dana Brown when he spoke with Robert Ford on Sunday,
a little bit more significant than they had hoped extended
period of time which we already knew for Esoch Perettas
to be out. The Thursday five pm Central trade deadline
is rapidly approaching. The Astros obviously did not win a
game during their four game series with the Athletics, three

(01:03:48):
games remaining on the seven game homestand the conversation starts
there that will give to you here.

Speaker 6 (01:03:53):
You can catch the whole conversation at Sports.

Speaker 8 (01:03:55):
Talk seven ninety dot com or via the iHeartRadio podcast
as a subscribe to Sports Talk seven ninety. But the
conversation with Steve question being do the Astros need to
find a third baseman in advance of the trade deadline?

Speaker 15 (01:04:09):
I do think so? Yeah, I mean you got to
fill those gaps.

Speaker 16 (01:04:12):
And there's expectations of guys starting to trickle in in
the month of August, and I think I think every
week we're going to see somebody new come in and
fortify this lineup or the roster, whether it be from
the pitching side or the hitting side.

Speaker 15 (01:04:23):
But right now, it just sounds like Paradius is going
to be out longer than they hope, and.

Speaker 7 (01:04:29):
I think they need to fill that need.

Speaker 15 (01:04:30):
And if it's a left handed bat, you know, from
that position, I think if it's available, you know, and
it's a pretty decent deal, then you've got to go
for it. One thing that Dana said yesterday, I thought
it's pretty interesting, and I've always kind of thought this,
because when you're trying to trade with somebody that's not
in contention, you know, there's going to be a lot
of bidders, you're going to have to outbid somebody, and

(01:04:51):
it's going to really be painful.

Speaker 7 (01:04:53):
But if you're.

Speaker 15 (01:04:53):
Trading with somebody that's in contention, and Dana said that,
you know what, we might be trading with somebody that's
in contention. He mentioned that yesterday, I think you have
way less chance of getting ripped off, say, having to
try to outbid somebody like you can look at each
other's rosters and say, where do you have surplus and
where do you have surplus?

Speaker 7 (01:05:10):
Do we match up?

Speaker 15 (01:05:11):
And it's a more fair deal, you know, And it
might be from the major league roster, but it's more
fair because you've got this area covered a little bit
more than some other area that the other team can
help you. So I thought that was really important, and
I think that's if I was a general manager, that's
what I would be looking for.

Speaker 7 (01:05:27):
That way, you know, if you're going to keep your eye.

Speaker 15 (01:05:29):
On the present, Danus says this, right, I on the
present and on the future.

Speaker 7 (01:05:34):
I think that's the best way to do it. But
it's not always going to match up.

Speaker 6 (01:05:37):
Yeah, it's a great point.

Speaker 13 (01:05:38):
And again, you know, the hope is that you know,
if if Paradus does miss the rest of the year,
you know, if it is just a hamsterring injury, that
he'll be back fully healthy, ready to go for spring
training and be healthy all next year. The problem with
that becomes, how do I get through the rest of
this year as a playoff contender with third base? And
so that's where a rental makes most sense. And one

(01:05:59):
of the names being flawed out there is You'rehineo Suarez,
Who's you know. We know it's just crushing bombs out
there in Phoenix. But when I read the CBS Sports
Report this morning, Sparky is listen, nine teams interested in
and it's like, gosh, you just I don't know if
the Astros have the ammo to get into a bidding war,
and look you talk about it's gonna hurt. I just
I can't see them training a guy like Cam Smith

(01:06:21):
that they worked so hard to get in the Kyle
Tucker Tragg.

Speaker 7 (01:06:24):
Yeah, I agree, and that would probably.

Speaker 15 (01:06:27):
This is just me and you know, it could come
back to buy, but I'm not interested in losing a
bunch of capital the way things are going right now.

Speaker 17 (01:06:35):
And I know it's just coincidence, but in a few
of the astros last trades, like you're thinking of the
Christian Basquez trade, that was William or Reu and Manuel
Valdez to get Burlander.

Speaker 15 (01:06:44):
You gave up Ryan Clifford and Drew Gilbert and then
Wagner and Low Braffito to get Kakuchi.

Speaker 7 (01:06:49):
What are those guys have in common?

Speaker 15 (01:06:50):
They're all left handed, and I think it's just coincidence.
But the Astros if shuffled off.

Speaker 7 (01:06:56):
A lot of guys that may have been able to
help them.

Speaker 15 (01:06:58):
You know, not have him in a position where is Melking?

Speaker 7 (01:07:02):
Is Melking going to be the answer?

Speaker 17 (01:07:03):
He's the only guy that's left handed in the orders
that there's there's a few more now and you're looking
at Joseph Sullivan and Bush the catcher in high as so,
but they still they still need some balance in that lineup, and.

Speaker 7 (01:07:15):
Everybody else knows that. So you're gonna have to give
up more than you want to.

Speaker 18 (01:07:19):
Steve put yourself in position of the other teams, and
you're and you're looking for you know, some future, but
some pop and the rest of it. Would you would
you inquire about the catching position on this team?

Speaker 7 (01:07:30):
No?

Speaker 6 (01:07:31):
You wouldn't.

Speaker 15 (01:07:32):
No, No, I mean, would I inquire about it?

Speaker 12 (01:07:35):
Yeah?

Speaker 18 (01:07:36):
You know, you're you're the you're the opposing team. You're
not the Astros. You're calling up? Yeah, what would you
would you say to everybody?

Speaker 15 (01:07:43):
I'm asking about everybody who's available, you know, and who
can help me?

Speaker 7 (01:07:47):
I mean, you've got to be a realist. Who can
help me? You know? And if you're talking.

Speaker 15 (01:07:52):
About some fringe guys and I'm not gonna name names,
but talking about French guys, they're not going to help
guys win the World Series. We're looking for if I'm
another team, I'm looking for guys that helped me win
the World Series, especially if it's another contender. Like you know,
we're not playing games here, We're not We're not playing
on the fringe.

Speaker 18 (01:08:11):
Do you believe it's a wild factor trade, Steve.

Speaker 7 (01:08:14):
If the ass make a deal?

Speaker 15 (01:08:15):
Yep, Yeah, yeah, I think I think it's gonna make
a difference, you know, when you're talking about so many guys,
when you're talking about Jordan, Jeremy Pani, you coming back,
Jake Myers coming back. We had we didn't get the
update on Jake Myers yesterday. We'll get a little bit
more on that as soon as we can. But there's
a lot of pictures. I for me, you know, I'm

(01:08:35):
still looking at a maybe a bullpen arm and a
left handed back, you know.

Speaker 7 (01:08:39):
And I'm going out there.

Speaker 15 (01:08:41):
I know dani is and uh he's gonna go out
there and get the best deal done for the Astros.

Speaker 7 (01:08:46):
And one thing I do know is I don't think.

Speaker 15 (01:08:49):
The luxury tax threshold is going to make a big
difference at all. I mean, if it's gonna mean that
the Astros have a better chance to win the World Series,
I think the Astros will certainly blow past that.

Speaker 8 (01:09:01):
So what Jim Crane has done so many times over
wanting to win, and when the opportunity is still there
four months into the season, he's obviously shown a propensity
to continue to go for it in a wow trade,
as presented to Steve Sparks when he said, yeah, I
think it will be Obviously a Hanio Suarez would be
a wow trade. I too don't think the Astros are
going to be in that particular sweepstakes. It's hard to

(01:09:24):
gauge what other teams feel about some of the players
they're moving could be moving on from, like you know,
the Pirates and O'Neil Cruz. I'm pretty sure the White
Sox are more than happy to part ways with Luis Robert,
though he consistently batting under two hundred and his inability
to do anything to move the needle despite an unbelievable
arsenal of skills and a willingness to crush at minute

(01:09:44):
made Park then and now Dyk in Park again this year.
Maybe there's still something for the Astros to consider. Marcelo Zuna,
Zach Gallon, who he faced and talked about last week.
Ryan Helsley, the closer for the Cardinals for the last
several years, who brings the heat, but Saint Louis may
envision his future a little bit differently. Sandy al Contra,

(01:10:06):
the starting pitcher for the Marlins, who most people believe
he knew it and everybody on his team knew it
when he last pitched it would be his last start
with the Marlins, clearly not having a great season. He's
coming off of a great outing and in the past,
the very recent past, has been a Cy Young Award winner.

Speaker 6 (01:10:25):
Most of the.

Speaker 8 (01:10:25):
Players the Astros should be looking at. I agree with Steve,
You're trying to win and they need something, not just
win the division, but win it all. And they don't
look at all like that.

Speaker 6 (01:10:36):
Now.

Speaker 8 (01:10:37):
If they can make all of these additions, one big
Wow trade plus a good Alvarez, plus a good paying
plus a good Arrogetty, I mean, all those things came
into play. Look at the American League. It took one
good month from the Blue Jays to have a Major
League lead in their division and over the Tigers, and
the Astros are still a couple of days away from

(01:10:58):
being the best team in the American League.

Speaker 5 (01:11:00):
It's wide open, well and it's but it comes down
to what we always talk about. You can get a
guy who makes a difference guy if you will, but
that doesn't always make as big a difference in a
major league roster as it would for an NBA team
or even an NFL team. But the Astros need just

(01:11:20):
to get the guys that do make a difference, especially
in their lineup but also in their pitching. Just back
and healthy, and I'll feel a little bit better about
them doing what you just mentioned. We'll continue to discuss
all of the Astros injuries and the Texans today. What
else did Demico have to say that is straight ahead
here on the eighteam The.

Speaker 1 (01:11:40):
A Team on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 3 (01:11:48):
It is the A Team.

Speaker 5 (01:11:50):
It is Sports Talk seven ninety. It's also Space City
Home Network. On a Monday edition of the program. Interesting
stuff there from Sparky the upcoming deadline, and we were
talking about this not only earlier in the show, but
at lunch today. How the injuries, not just the injuries,

(01:12:10):
the Astros are dealing with, which are by far more
than anyone else and just ridiculous at this point. But
also who the injuries are and specifically at third base,
and how that is going to affect what the Astros
do or don't do it the deadline potentially maybe one
of the more fascinating trade deadlines in recent memory, given

(01:12:30):
that I don't know that anybody was expecting the Astros
necessarily be World Series contenders going into this season, but
in light of what they're doing right now and who
they're doing it with, even though they just got swept
in a four game series, just from a standpoint of
keeping an eye on what they do in this deadline
with all of that underlying information, could be a very

(01:12:53):
very interesting deadline. Indeed, here in twenty twenty five, also
injury or interesting. What's going on over at Texans training camp,
first day of pads today, And we already told you
and let you hear from Demiko Ryans when it came
to the Joe Mixon injury situation, the fact that he
was in a walking boot, the fact that it's a

(01:13:15):
foot injury, that the words or the phrase Liz Frank,
Liz Frank, Liz Frank have been uttered with regards to
the type of injury. It was not that injury necessarily,
but just that general area and then the mileage that's
on the odometer, the tread off the tires, if you will,

(01:13:39):
just could be a lot of Nick Chubb potentially in
the early part or else or somebody else's right, But
you know the way. Demiko Ryans addressed that today got
people's attention for a variety of reasons, and he went
on to kind of expand on why he doesn't reveal injuries,
and this is what he had to say that.

Speaker 9 (01:14:00):
For me, it's everybody doesn't have all the information. We
have all the information on our guys. So when you
talk about injuries and all this with the guys as
a player you're sitting there, everybody wants to report about
who's not out here and what they're not doing. I
would like to talk about the guys that are here
and the guys who are are are busting their tails
out here on the field in this hot climate, the humidity.

(01:14:24):
Guys are working grinding. I want to highlight these guys
who are doing a great job and understand our guys
who aren't out here, guys are in the back end.
They're doing the same thing. They're working just as hard
as the guys who are out here. And I just
always think it's unfair for everybody to always jump to
be first to report something about an injury, and it's
not taking that player into consideration.

Speaker 6 (01:14:45):
Okay, everything he said is fine.

Speaker 5 (01:14:47):
Once again, just like the first sound bite, let me
ask you this WEX, what if this were CJ.

Speaker 6 (01:14:50):
Stroud? Do you think he would enjoy this ten times worse?

Speaker 8 (01:14:54):
I would be ten times worse, There's no question about it.
Your team probably, and even the Niners who lost McCaffrey,
or the Panthers when they had McCaffrey and they lost
him and other running backs, you know, the Giants playing
without Saquon Barkley during the years where he was with them,
where he missed significant amounts of time. You know, those
two right there are probably the most impactful running backs

(01:15:16):
to their teams. And yeah, I believe that more so
than even Derrick Henry in some instances, certainly last year.
It's a little unfair their team is. So he went
to a team that was awesome and they stayed awesome.
Maybe his time in Tennessee because Tennessee was stupid, and
how they put their team together, he was extremely vital.
And if Henry with the Titans or McCaffrey in those
two spots, or Barkley with the Giants went down, replacing

(01:15:40):
them and trying to do what you were doing became really,
really difficult. And I don't mean this in any negative
way towards Joe Mixon, but I think it's okay to
say he's not at that level. He's never been at
that level, he doesn't play football at that level. Doesn't
mean he's not a helpful player and a legit RB
one and one of the most important Texans last year,
one of the most important Bengals for the rest of
his career. Can the Texans go eleven and six if

(01:16:02):
Joe Mixon play gets one hundred carries this year, Absolutely
they can. If they can they go eleven and six.
If CJ. Stroud attempts one hundred passes this year, not
a chance.

Speaker 6 (01:16:15):
Yeah, well that's what I mean.

Speaker 8 (01:16:17):
So, yes, Demiko would be reacting differently, Plus the reporting
on it would be dramatically different and.

Speaker 6 (01:16:23):
Goes without saying.

Speaker 5 (01:16:24):
But if he were to sit there and say, uh,
it's not fair to Davis Mills because he's out here
in this humidity that we're asking about CJ. Stroud, like
no everybody, he would get laughed out off the podium, honestly, if.

Speaker 6 (01:16:37):
He would be done pretty quick.

Speaker 8 (01:16:39):
If people just want to ask about players that aren't
there and he's not interested in talking about it, he's, uh,
we act like they owe us something sometimes not lying
to us, he's not holding back, and he's just I
don't I don't really want to talk about injury. So
the more questions you ask about it, the less you're
gonna know about what's happening on the field. Or maybe
I'm not giving you anything even on that. Yeah, you
ask me a question about this player and maybe he

(01:16:59):
gives you a answer, and we don't live and die
by the public comments. Four times out of five practices
from Dimiko Ryans. He's talked every day except the day
we talk to the assistant coaches, and he'll talk again
the rest of this week. I mean things that happen
on the field as he's coming off of the practice field,
that's when we.

Speaker 6 (01:17:15):
Get to talk to him.

Speaker 8 (01:17:16):
We need to information if he's willing to give it
about players that aren't there, that are of importance to
this team, and there are currently two. I'd be shocked tomorrow,
and especially since I'll be there, I can pretty much
guarantee it if I'm not talked over and don't ultimately
give up. If we have a sixth straight Texans practice
day with Christian Harris on the active roster and not practicing,
which I anticipate, I'll ask him about it. I don't

(01:17:38):
think he'll give me an answer, but I'm mad at you.
I doubt he'll get mad at me. I haven't seen
him get mad at anybody in my opinion, So yeah,
it's just worth seeing if if the information he gives
is of consequence, like he really didn't tell you anything
about Joe Mixon, did he well say the information and
you don't, Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 5 (01:17:57):
Which is why when you say he doesn't know us anything,
I disagree, because what's the point of you being there?
Then nobody's gonna Nobody cares about the healthy players on
July twenty eighth, they do care about the top running
back on the team, and why the fact he had
a walking boot on.

Speaker 6 (01:18:13):
Of course, he owes us that if.

Speaker 5 (01:18:15):
For no other reason than the job of the media,
which they're taking the time out to speak to of
course they're going to ask about that. Well, even don't
talk to them if he doesn't know you anything, that's
the answer.

Speaker 19 (01:18:27):
No.

Speaker 8 (01:18:27):
The injury side of it and they owe you something
is he would get fewer questions about it if he
decided to tell you something about it, and he would
get less mad. For those think he's mad about it
if he wasn't already mad about it because he wishes
we didn't know anything. Well, that's because you're asking the
reporters to go figure it out for themselves.

Speaker 6 (01:18:47):
So you're saying he's already mad.

Speaker 5 (01:18:49):
So you ask him about tomorrow, when you ask him
about Christian not being out there or being out there
but not participating, he's not gonna get more perturbed?

Speaker 6 (01:18:56):
Is that a better word for?

Speaker 8 (01:18:57):
And this is specific to mix in Okay, Dixon is
injured and mixing. There was a report about mixing, and
I have to guess Demiko Ryans prefers there wasn't a
report about.

Speaker 5 (01:19:07):
Miss that's the party's actually mad about because it came
within whatever.

Speaker 6 (01:19:10):
So how do you prevent that? You tell people.

Speaker 8 (01:19:13):
He's chosen not to tell people, so you probably shouldn't
have it both ways the more you don't tell them,
the more they're there and going to look to other
sources for the information.

Speaker 6 (01:19:21):
Yeah, but he doesn't. He can choose to go this way.

Speaker 8 (01:19:23):
But if he wants to get perturbed by it, then yeah,
that doesn't seem to fit. I think either you if
you give us, hey, he had a setback three months ago,
he did this. This he's on NiFi because he did
this while he was blank when he wasn't at the facility.
He's in a walking booth. The reason he's in a
walking Buddhist because we feel like this is the best
way to have him healthy. In three weeks, we hope
to get him on the practice field. I'm not going
to put a timetable on it. Everybody's dip. There's a

(01:19:45):
lot of ways to go about it. And this is
the next coach in a row that's had their own
thoughts about it.

Speaker 5 (01:19:51):
I think what got me is when you said he
doesn't owe us anything is I've heard people that I
have less than zero respect for who f to themselves
media members say something like that, and it drives me insane.

Speaker 8 (01:20:03):
I mean, this is a kind of a different conversation
because it's specific to injuries.

Speaker 6 (01:20:07):
And it's definitely specific.

Speaker 8 (01:20:09):
Some teams give you more from the people that do
have the answers, Like if we were talking to Roland
Ramirez or Cap over the years instead of the head coach,
it would be very very different. It isn't always anything.
Maybe people think of that as the wrong thing to say.
I don't know, I don't really think so. But we
got Sam Warren joining us. He was out there this
morning with us as well. Sam owes us a visit.

(01:20:30):
The visit with us about Texans covers the team for
the Houston Chronicle.

Speaker 6 (01:20:33):
We'll talk with him next.

Speaker 1 (01:20:36):
The A Team on Sports Talk seven ninety two lifelong
Houston sports guys named Adam Talking Your Team's Adam Clinton
and Adam Wexler are the A team.

Speaker 5 (01:21:01):
It is the A Team Sports Talk seven ninety Space
City Home Network, straight at four o'clock. As we are
at the midway point on a Monday edition of the show,
a lot of Texans conversation so far, and that's not
going to change because as promised, we are joined by
Sam Warren of the Houston Chronicle to talk a little
bit about the Texans and how camp is going. First

(01:21:22):
day of pads and all anybody who wants to talk
about sam is the fact that Joe Mixon is not
practicing and hasn't been out there for a while. Oh
and there is a walking boot and everything else that
goes into all of the would you call it drama
surrounding Dimico Ryans's comments earlier.

Speaker 20 (01:21:37):
Today, First of all, thanks for having me on. Guys
really appreciate it.

Speaker 11 (01:21:42):
But I don't know if it would qualified as drama
just from covering the team for the past year plus now,
I think Demko has been very honest about being perturbed
about answering questions about injuries, and that's just something that
I doesn't really want, so all the stuff that he
said today, he was a little bit more upfront about it.

(01:22:05):
But I don't think this has really been anything somebody's
been surprised about when you're answering questions about injuries with
Tmiko Ryans, So wouldn't necessarily say it's drama, but it's
a little bit more out in the open now.

Speaker 8 (01:22:17):
Yeah, I'm not sure how much drama will have during
the entire run of Demiico Ryans as head coach, because
he's certainly is somewhat averse to trying to create any
but the position itself. We doubt now had the team
in pads today, Sam, you were out there once again.
Is so Nick Chubb is obviously, so to speak, operating
as RB one as many snaps as might be available
on a first day in pads, but the group as

(01:22:38):
a whole, if in fact there are some mixing health
issues that bleed into the season, how do you feel
about that group they've put together, the addition of Marx
bringing back Dari obviously adding Nick Chubb, Pierce's health situation,
just as a you know, we got six guys on
the field each day now with Taylor on the off
of the pup list.

Speaker 6 (01:22:55):
How do you feel about that group?

Speaker 11 (01:22:58):
Yeah, it's certainly not as wrong without mixing. It's you know,
the Shubb says that he he feels like he's back
to himself, and we really haven't seen much of that
axis yet because with the first day I've had wasn't
really a whole ton of explosive runs today. I think
Demko said that he liked a couple from Chubb, and

(01:23:18):
then I think he'd liked onet from Juwir Jordan. But
it's definitely a light group without mixing leading it we'll
see what Chub can really do as kind of this
lead back, so to speak. But outside of that, they
have Dara who can you know, function as a third
down back, and then they have a lot of unproving
guys and if you don't have Damian Pierce. Those are

(01:23:40):
the two the team's two top running backs that they're
down from last year. So it's definitely definitely pretty light.

Speaker 20 (01:23:49):
And if the Texans kind of knew how severe.

Speaker 11 (01:23:52):
Mixing injury was going to be, uh, only adding Shub
in the offseason and then having Woody I think says
something about their faith and what he marks and what
he can bring to this team, or their faith and
Nick Chubb or you know, just didn't have the wherewithal
on how severe mix and century could be.

Speaker 8 (01:24:12):
Yeah, interesting how any of those things might play into
a decision about adding something to it. Offensive line is
the other area where the most discussion has happened.

Speaker 6 (01:24:20):
They clearly felt badly about it last year.

Speaker 8 (01:24:23):
New online coach new oc three of the guys that
started opening day no longer with his team, and a
whole lot of turnover obviously because of it. A lot
of players are still people that have been here, but
would you call it safe to say with the work
you've seen tay Ersrie, their rookie second round pick get
during offseason workouts and now here in camp where he's
working a lot with the ones at right tackle, still

(01:24:44):
getting work at left tackle, and what you've heard from
Demico Ryans about him, they're at least giving him the
opportunity to be a starter when they play the Rams
in September.

Speaker 11 (01:24:56):
Absolutely, I think just from watching it camp so far,
I think they're giving him every opportunity to be that
starting right tackle. You know, he's still he's he's stilled
been in that role pretty much with the ones during
If he hasn't started uh with the ones during a
team period, he's played the position with the ones at
during a team period. So I think he's being given

(01:25:19):
every opportunity to start at that right tackle position. Demko
has talked about him being a swing tackle and being
and playing kind of on the left side. He's gotten
a lot of reps there along with Sam Robinson, but
I think that's kind of looking at him going forward
as maybe a left tackle of the future. But I
think they're giving him pretty much every opportunity to be

(01:25:42):
that right tackle and I think that was exemplified today
with the jury getting pretty much every first team rets
at right tackle when he's been splitting time with Blake
Fisher there, and Blake didn't get like any snatch with
the first team at right tackle today. So I think
there's starting to become a little bit of a pecking order,

(01:26:02):
even though this offensive line is definitely still in flux
and they're going to see a bunch of different combinations
throughout this camp, but I think they are giving Ariante
every single opportunity that he can to to win this job.

Speaker 5 (01:26:15):
Sam Warren of the Houston Chronicle joining us and being
very diplomatic calling the offensive line in flux right now.
It's very polite of you, but it's a perfect segue
to my next question, because I and you know this
is where WEX and I might differ a little bit
among other ways. But I've been like vehement all off
season long about how I thought that that CJ got

(01:26:39):
a little bit of an unfair rap as far as
the amount of criticism. I'm not saying that he had
a perfect sophomore campaign, but I've been seeing a lot
of especially the national types, you know, when they put
these these power rankings of quarterbacks together and whatnot, and
just talking about how year two was for him.

Speaker 6 (01:26:55):
Do you think he got, you.

Speaker 5 (01:26:56):
Know, an inordinate amount of the blame, a fair amount
of the blame, or too more much of the blame
when it comes to the quality of the play of
the offensive line last season. And then how do you
think that goes into year three for a guy like CJ.

Speaker 20 (01:27:10):
Yeah, I think.

Speaker 11 (01:27:11):
It's the NFL, right, So I think the quarterback is
the most facy person outside of probably the head coach.
Probably in this situation with the Texans, see his a
little bit more of the figurehead than the miko, I
would say, of this franchise. So the figurehead is always
can get the blame, right, So I think CJ was
too blame, did get probably more blame than he should

(01:27:34):
have for the situation that happened last year. I think
that was kind of a three part issue that happened
with why the offense stagnated. I think did play worse
than he did his rookie year. I think as some
of that came from the hits that he was taking
from the offensive line and particularly the interior of the

(01:27:54):
offensive line, and the pressure that was coming from inside.
You know, he really struck with not being able to
step up in the pocket and rushers coming in from
that interior, the offensive line, not being able to function
with stunts, and just kind of the pocket collapsing in
on him, not from only the edges like a you know,

(01:28:16):
most most pockets collapsed in there, but from the inside,
really getting no time. And then I also think the
relationship with Bobby Slowick really deteriorated over the year. You know,
things weren't being fixed. There weren't upgrades being made to
the game plan, that weren't adjustments being made. So I
think that definitely caused some risks and some some poor

(01:28:38):
play from CKA as well. But I think, you know,
I don't think you can say that he didn't play
worse than his rookie year, but I think there were
definitely some extraneous factors that that made him look worse
and probably put more blame on him than he actually
should have gotten.

Speaker 8 (01:28:56):
We've seen five days of practice this year, and I'm
not gonna ask you to evaluate c J. Stroud just yet.
We'll get you on again when it's more appropriate. Further
down the line, further into their pad work, and they're
more eleven.

Speaker 6 (01:29:06):
On eleven work.

Speaker 8 (01:29:08):
But I'll ask you about this group instead, and I
have my own answer, but of course I'll ask for
yours first.

Speaker 6 (01:29:12):
CJ.

Speaker 8 (01:29:12):
Gardner, Johnson, Jalen Petree, Kayln Bullock, Kamari Lassiter and Derek
Stingley Junior will be the best secondary in the NFL.
Who are you most excited to see play for the
Texans in twenty twenty five?

Speaker 11 (01:29:25):
Of those five, I think, I mean, it's hard not
to say Stingley. Right, We're not gonna see much of
Stingley during this camp because the Texans know how good
he is and they're not going to throw the ball
his way. I think we saw that today with Seve
was in a scramble drill and I believe he tried
to target Xavier Hutchinson down the side, but Stingley was

(01:29:48):
kind of in lockstep with them and broke up a
comeback round. So I think ce Getz Stroud is more
more in tune.

Speaker 20 (01:29:55):
No to not could not.

Speaker 11 (01:29:56):
Throw Derek Stingley's way, And I mean his ball skills
whenever he does get targeted, are insane. I mean, we
saw the the Miami intersection that he had, We saw
his performance against the Chargers. It's he's really really fun
to watch, not because of how good he is in covery,
but the spectacular interceptions that he can make. And then

(01:30:19):
also I think just adding Gardner Johnson to this the
secondary is gonna be really fun. I think a lot
of those guys has you know, between Kamari and Kaylin
and c J, they all kind of have that that
dog swarm mentality that the Texans talk about. So I
think he's just gonna only add some leadership and and

(01:30:42):
some you know, some more more chatter from that secondary,
uh to this this team. So really looking forward to
to seeing Derek improve on an all Pro season and
seeing what j can add.

Speaker 5 (01:30:55):
The Texans tight end situation is in one word, fill
in the blank.

Speaker 20 (01:31:04):
I would say in one word, I'd say, uh, I
think that's.

Speaker 11 (01:31:13):
A tough one because I'm I'm blanking on on what
I really want to say.

Speaker 13 (01:31:21):
With just one word.

Speaker 21 (01:31:23):
I'll give you a tople of words if you need them, right,
I think, you know, im prove like they need to
prove themselves.

Speaker 11 (01:31:35):
Is the is the thing I think Dalton Schultz in
twenty twenty three had a solid year coming over from
Dallas and then they really you know, took a back
seat to Nico Collins and the receiving.

Speaker 3 (01:31:49):
Corps and didn't Not only did they.

Speaker 11 (01:31:53):
Not excel in the past game last year, but they
kind of really struggled blocking and you saw that in
the Chiefs playoff game, where I mean Schultz led up
I think two sacks in that game that contributed to
the eight thatj took. So obviously the offensive line had issues,
but also the tight ends had issues in blocking. So

(01:32:14):
I think Schultz really needs to prove himself this year.
I think Kate Stover, from all that we've seen and
all that we've heard from the coaching staff, has been
one of the most improved players on this Titans roster
year over year. So I think they're very excited about him.
But still, you know, he has that built in connection

(01:32:34):
with CJ from college, but I think there's still you know,
some desire to see what he can do as a
pass catcher. There is questions about you know, Brevin Jordan.
Brevan Jordan said today that he feels better than he's
than he's ever felt. That's obviously, uh, what any player
coming off at a c L surgery is gonna is
gonna say but you know, he did look good so

(01:32:55):
far in these in these few practices, he definitely.

Speaker 20 (01:32:59):
Provides the receiving threat.

Speaker 11 (01:33:00):
But you know, it's a group that they feel like
they're undervalued and they're underappreciated, but they kind of have
to put stuff out there to say that they are.
I don't think they've proven that yet, So they definitely
have to go out there and put some good performances
together in the first few weeks of the season here.

Speaker 8 (01:33:18):
Unproven, undervalued, unappreciated sound like all would have been appropriate words,
and used many of them in your description.

Speaker 7 (01:33:24):
Sam.

Speaker 8 (01:33:24):
We appreciate your time and we'll check in with you
again over the course of camping throughout the season.

Speaker 6 (01:33:29):
Appreciate your time.

Speaker 20 (01:33:30):
Yeah, absolutely, thanks for having.

Speaker 8 (01:33:32):
Me, guys, Sam Warren, Houston Chronicle covering your Houston Texans
will react to one thing in particular, specific to the
secondary we just discussed when we come.

Speaker 1 (01:33:40):
Back the ad on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 8 (01:33:50):
Back at it here on Sports Talk seven ninety wexa
ce Cole with you. Appreciate the visit from Sam Warren
of the Chronicle. He and John Alexander covering the Texans
beat again this season as they prepare to at least
do what they've done in the last two when the
division make the postseason, host a home game, win it,
and then lose on the road. Probably would like to
do a little bit more than that. I asked him
a question about the five players that are expected to

(01:34:12):
start in the secondary. Also was the second consecutive practice
Jalen Petrie has not participated in, though it is not
expected to be anything that sidelines him for a long
period of time, expecting to see him back out at
camp soon. But those five players in particular, what's most
exciting about which one of them this upcoming season? And
it was really an easy answer because there is no

(01:34:34):
wrong answer. For the improvements that you're gonna see with
Kamari Lassiter, for the familiarity with his new role, going
through an entire offseason, there healthy for Jalen Petrie after
missing time last year, there's reasons to be excited about
what they'll provide. Clearly, he mentioned both CJ. Gardner Johnson
and Derek Stingley Junior and what their seasons could be

(01:34:55):
specific to You're talking about one of the two best
corners in football, widely regarded as one of the two
best corner so little respect to certain in Denver. I
technically I believe that Stingley is the best. I know
others that don't, but those are the top two pretty clearly.
And CDA Gardner Johnson has done a whole heck of
a lot of moving teams and a whole heck of
a lot of winning for each of the teams he's

(01:35:16):
been on. I don't expect it to be any different here,
and he has a chip on his shoulder, But my
answer is Kayln block like today at practice, even the
very first pass play that there was, he busted it up.
And I've gone back and watched it off of the
Texans video because it came during a non shooting portion.
I thought the hit on Cade Stover that he delivered
was much more violent because of the sound and because

(01:35:36):
of the fact the much smaller, slighter player, the safety,
although he was running at him and Stower was trying
to catch the football, bullet didn't go down. Stover went down,
he got right back up, and you know, not necessarily
the hits you like to see too often in camp.
But as I said, when I went back and watched it,
it was probably less violent than what I thought it was.

(01:35:57):
When I saw it live and that was one of
two plays he made on the day on the football.
He made a lot of other plays, but he easily
should have picked off CJ.

Speaker 6 (01:36:05):
Stroud.

Speaker 8 (01:36:05):
A little bit later, Stroud was fleshed out of the
pocket by Aziz al Shaier, rolled out to his right,
threw across his body back towards the middle of the field.
The defender was there to make the play on the
white out he was targeting, but the ball never got
there because Bullock made us such a good read on it.
He got there first and true. That's why he plays

(01:36:25):
in the secondary fashion. He got both hands on it
but did not haul it in and at a couple
of those last season. I'm curious what others would say.
Dereck Stingley Junior's ball skills are so good. He plays
corner and will obviously be targeted even as an elite player.
Quite often, I tend to believe that the Texans twenty
twenty five interception leader will not be Stingley, but rather

(01:36:48):
block well.

Speaker 6 (01:36:49):
You can't get picks if they're not throwing to your
side of the field. It's true. It's the weirdest dichotomy
in sports.

Speaker 8 (01:36:55):
I think so Why don't you use that for another reason?
Why you think Justin Herbert sucks.

Speaker 5 (01:37:01):
Because he throws a lot of picks to Kylen Block, No,
because he did throw to Stingley's side of the field.
I was just about to tell you that I got
in a rabbit hole of my own this weekend.

Speaker 6 (01:37:16):
Well, I was looking.

Speaker 5 (01:37:17):
I was looking up some old video I had done
for the Astros, and they're in the same I keep
them in a folder, and I have the Texans ones,
which are much fewer because they play fewer games. And
I was watching. I believe it was the Yeah, it
was the playoff game. I mean who did the first one? Well, yeah,
who didn't pick off?

Speaker 8 (01:37:38):
Justin Stingley had two last year, had the one deep
down the field and to the left side, and Murray
had the other that ended up in the end zone.

Speaker 6 (01:37:45):
With his pick pix. This block didn't play that day.

Speaker 8 (01:37:47):
It's hard for Derek Stingley Junior to do that. If
teams are that afraid of him, Sometimes you've got your guy,
Tyreek Hill. Sam Warren just brought up that interception, his
play on the ball on those two or three plays
in particular, and had a couple more during season where
you know you got a ball going right down the
middle of the field and or right down the right sideline,
and it's these are the plays that either are caught

(01:38:08):
or thrown out of bounds or are just a little
bit overthrown. So the defender is the only thing. The
defender catching the ball is the only thing that can't happen.
And I thought the quarterback and I'm blanking on who
threw it made that throw. And then Stingley just had
all this closing speed and he jumped up like a
wide out. The manner in which he caught the ball
was like a whiteout would catch it if he was

(01:38:29):
the guy at the back of the play, you know,
the guy with the lead and had made had created
separation with the defensive back and it was just thrown
to him. He has such good ball skills. But I
think that you're finding out more and more. And I
don't think it took the Texans long a little longer
than I hope. But you know, Ballock has has ball skills,
he has ball hawking abilities. As a safety, he is

(01:38:50):
going to be super disruptive. He might be a risk
taker a little bit. And I bet you they're trying
to play that out of him to a certain extent,
Maybe some of his angles on tackles see Travis Kels
in the postseason could be revisited. But the answer to
my own question is Bullock. I cannot wait to see
him help this team turn teams over.

Speaker 10 (01:39:09):
So we have one Bullock and we have one Stingley
so far, Yeah, I think it's lost there. Why is
that just the way that he played it? And you
were there with me and we were watching him playings
at the red zone. Any other receiver that is not
Nico Collins. He was winning every battle, every single one
on one. He's a great open field tackler. I think
he looks better. I think he looks more polished as
a coverage guy.

Speaker 6 (01:39:31):
And once again, Nico.

Speaker 10 (01:39:32):
Collins, wings fully healthy, is a top five wide receiver
in the NFL. It's the exact same way that we
talk about with other players going up against Derek Stingley.
Derek Sittley's the top two cornerback. So if you take
that out, I'm telling you, I think Kamorrow last season
for a break eye.

Speaker 6 (01:39:46):
He so all three of us have three different guys.
Because your CEAJ Garnard Johnson aren't you.

Speaker 5 (01:39:50):
Well, I'm My point is, though, this could be a
conversation with any three guys in a bar anywhere in Houston,
and it wouldn't surprise me because that's how good the
Texans defense, and specifically your secondary I think is going
to be. And that's to say nothing of their pass rush, which, oh,
by the way, makes your secondary better by default.

Speaker 6 (01:40:06):
And they've had a good.

Speaker 8 (01:40:07):
One less time to throw, quicker decisions, throwing under duress.
If you're in coverage the way that we think they
can be, you probably have a hint on when to break,
and you know when you're gonna be able to take
a chance, or quite obviously the ball is gonna come
out in a way that the offense doesn't like and
you're gonna have an even better chance to make the play.
There's one play in particular that Cole and I were

(01:40:27):
referencing when we were out there. You had a route
a little bit like a little slant in the red zone.
You guys have seen the Texans run it with DeAndre
Hopkins for years. You saw the Texans run it with
Nico Collins the last year in change. It's almost indefensible.
A big, huge wide receiver providing a target that's almost
impossible for a defensive back to defend when his body

(01:40:50):
opens up to the quarterback, the guy in the slot
to his left talking about CJ and the slot to
CJ's left, he just takes a step back or two.
The receiver just runs in run of the dB, opens
up his body and the throw hits him in the
chest and it's a touchdown. Almost every single time, it's
almost impossible for the defensive back to do anything about it.
And Lassiter was in Collins's kitchen today with it. I

(01:41:12):
think they called it a completion at the goal line.
But there's really nothing like. He did as good a
job and a better job than most every other corner
would in that situation against what we all think is
one of the best receivers in the NFL. So much
like what the offensive tackles are getting against Daniel Hunter
and Will Anderson Junior, well that's what Lassiter and Sting

(01:41:34):
and anybody else that's on the field. And remember, Nico
will line up in the slot. Anybody lined up against
Nico Collins at a Texans practice is not going to
see somebody significantly better than him all season long.

Speaker 5 (01:41:46):
Is Nico going to be a top three wide receiver
in the NFL this year.

Speaker 8 (01:41:50):
I mean he's healthy, yes, because the production will be
there to match the skills. The skills were there last year.
First four and a half games of the year, before
the play the seventy plus yard touchdown pass that he
got on, he was blowing away the whole field. He
was averaging well over one hundred yards per game, which
pretty much nobody does. That's a seventeen hundred yard receiving season.
He was absolutely uncoverable. He has among the best combination

(01:42:12):
of you know, underneath speed and just flat out speed.
I don't I really don't think two years into playing
elite level football, teams or fans realize how fast he
is on the field, okay, running away from people with
the football.

Speaker 5 (01:42:28):
Now, let me re ask the question, is Nico Collins
going to be a top three receiver in the NFL
with this offensive line?

Speaker 6 (01:42:36):
I still think he could.

Speaker 10 (01:42:37):
I mean, like, let me ask you guys, then, in
this perspective, Jamar Chase and Justin Jefferson are one and two.

Speaker 6 (01:42:42):
Who do you firmly think is number three? Do you
have an actually answer? Well, that's why that's kind of
why I'm asking this now.

Speaker 8 (01:42:47):
I think everybody has a chance to step into that
top three, including Nico.

Speaker 7 (01:42:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (01:42:52):
AJ Brown certainly is in that group. I'm kind of
knocking DK Metcalf's opportunities to even regard him as that
strong because of the offensive quarterback situation that he has,
even though he should be targeted like on every play
and we're not throwing to Calvin Austin, you should be
throwing to DK Metcalf. But yeah, I don't think the
like last year's offensive line was bad, right, Yeah, well,

(01:43:12):
until Nico got hurt, his production was through the roof.

Speaker 6 (01:43:14):
It's not gonna change, I don't think. But Tank was there.

Speaker 5 (01:43:17):
Not that I'm saying you don't have quote unquote replacements
for what Tank brought to the game.

Speaker 6 (01:43:23):
It's still not Tank.

Speaker 5 (01:43:24):
But what you're saying is fair in that he was
out there and the line wasn't great, but they did
have Laramie Tunsel. I guess, I guess there's just so
many question marks about the offensive line that I don't
see how it can't trickle out until proven.

Speaker 8 (01:43:37):
Otherwise, we had three games of one hundred and seventeen
yards receiving or more pre injury he had won.

Speaker 6 (01:43:44):
After Yeah, that's interesting. What was the one the one
hundred and nineteen yards against Jacksonville and that doesn't even
count because Jacksonville sucks.

Speaker 8 (01:43:54):
Yeah, thank goodness for a late field. Well, so the
Texans didn't go to overtime.

Speaker 5 (01:43:59):
They need to like dominate Jacksonville both games this year
because you know what, no matter what's been going on
in the history of the Texas franchise.

Speaker 6 (01:44:05):
They had to lead the whole game. It ended up
only a three point win.

Speaker 5 (01:44:08):
Well, no matter what's happened in the history of the
Texans franchise, it seems like they always find a way
to split those two Jacksonville games every single year. The Good,
the Bad, and the Ugly from Over the Weekend, that's next.

Speaker 3 (01:44:20):
The eighteen on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (01:44:26):
Now the good, oh good, the bad that's not good,
and the ugly.

Speaker 6 (01:44:31):
Don't make me good.

Speaker 3 (01:44:33):
With the eighteen, we're selling the good.

Speaker 5 (01:44:40):
It is, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from
over the Weekend. We do it every Monday at about
this time, four thirty ish or so. It's our signature segment.

Speaker 6 (01:44:48):
We look back on.

Speaker 5 (01:44:49):
Well, frankly is in a weekend in which the Astros
were polishing off a four game sweep at the hands
of the A's, and the Texans were learning about potentially
the significance of their top running back being injured. We
don't know the particulars, at least too many details. I

(01:45:13):
chose to focus on the hometown basketball team. And here's why.

Speaker 6 (01:45:18):
They gave off season grades for all of the NBA franchises.
And guess who got an A. Who gave grades?

Speaker 18 (01:45:26):
They?

Speaker 10 (01:45:27):
These people who are who's these said individuals es spend
the worldwide leader.

Speaker 6 (01:45:32):
Now that the bulk of the major offseason moves have
been made, Kevin Pelton, to be specific, KP.

Speaker 8 (01:45:39):
Has delivered grades to the thirty NBA franchises.

Speaker 6 (01:45:42):
They got an A huh KP on KD what do
we got?

Speaker 19 (01:45:46):
Uh?

Speaker 5 (01:45:46):
No team did this is this is a strong statement,
even if you are the biggest homer for the Rockets.
No team did more to improve its chances at the
twenty twenty six title than the Rockets, who added two
times Finals MVP Kevin Durant without sacrificing depth in the process.
Give Houston credit for pouncing at a reasonable trade for Durant,

(01:46:09):
then using a team friendly contract for Fred Van Vliet
two years fifty MILI to access the non taxpayer mid
level exception that allowed the Rockets to add proven three
and d wing Dorian Finney Smith to help replace departed
Dylan Brooks.

Speaker 6 (01:46:26):
I think that's a fair paragraph.

Speaker 8 (01:46:28):
No team helped themselves get closer to winning the title
in the twenty five to twenty six season than Houston.

Speaker 6 (01:46:35):
I mean that's a bold statement.

Speaker 8 (01:46:37):
Well, who's the best player to change teams this offseason?

Speaker 6 (01:46:40):
Kevin Durant. I mean you could just leave it at
that and we could try to fill time by saying.

Speaker 5 (01:46:45):
More, unless you think that the first full season of
Luka Doncic is what really counts.

Speaker 6 (01:46:53):
And then the Lakers get an a. I'm just kidding
for their offseason. I'm making that up.

Speaker 5 (01:46:58):
Although if you are wondering they got a, well I'm curious.
They are an interesting contrast to their crosstown rivals. Off season,
building around twenty six year old Luka Doncic, the Lakers
added Jake Larevia twenty three, the youngest unrestricted free agent
to change teams for more than the minimum, plus DeAndre Ayton,
who recently turned twenty seven. Marcus Smart thirty one, again

(01:47:21):
a guy I thought was much older is the Lakers'
oldest newcomer. Lakers editions weren't as effective last season as
the Clippers, but the new Lakers stand a better chance
of being long term contributors. The biggest question about the
Lakers offseason is what the approach means for forty year
old superstar Lebron James. However, James has little leverage after
exercising his player option. It's more important for the Lakers
to persuade Doncic to sign an extension when he becomes

(01:47:44):
eligible this weekend.

Speaker 8 (01:47:45):
One question on Lebron in twenty six, twenty seven, the
following season, after the next NBA season has been completed.
If he's playing NBA basketball, it's not for the Lakes, right,
I couldn't be.

Speaker 5 (01:48:03):
It means obviously unless he's playing on a discount of
some sort, which he won't be.

Speaker 8 (01:48:07):
I mean, anybody can decide to take whatever amount of
money they want at this point in their career, so
you never know. But I would think there's no way
he's playing for the Lakers after this season. That's it's
the end of the line and all the writings on
the wall. So their long term future is it was
already the second that dumb Nico called slick Rob Low

(01:48:28):
and they could orchestrate this deal.

Speaker 6 (01:48:30):
His future was sealed. The future is not him.

Speaker 8 (01:48:33):
I mean, as old as he was heading into last year,
the immediate future was still Lebron in LA because o
forever many years he was their key star. He's not anymore.
Their key star is in uniform for them now on
most every night. Basis So yeah, I don't think it
says anything about his long term future because we already
know what his long term future is.

Speaker 6 (01:48:52):
It's not with the Lakers.

Speaker 8 (01:48:54):
I don't know if he retires or he continues to play,
but I believe if he continues to play, it won't
be for the Lakers.

Speaker 6 (01:48:59):
Rockets angle on that.

Speaker 11 (01:49:00):
Yet.

Speaker 8 (01:49:01):
There's a lot of different ways to analyze what they did.
There's some people that believe they maybe are really not made,
have not made that big of an improvement. But the
best player to move teams, I think, and if you
look at Kevin Durant's last season or the last three seasons,
his age thirty four to thirty five, thirty six seasons,
it's just there's not enough there to believe there's some

(01:49:21):
kind of drop off coming, and I mean in execution
and ability. I'd be pretty surprised if he matches his
scoring output. But that's by design. It's not for a
lack of ability. They're not going to ask him to
take the number of shots, make the number of shots,
score the number of points. He's been asked to by
his last several teams. Now, there has been a little

(01:49:41):
bit of a dropoff to begin with. He went from
averaging twenty nine or thirty points a game the two
years prior to to full seasons in Phoenix down to
twenty seven the last two years. That that's enough of
a drop off to note, but not at the expense of, well,
he can't shoot anymore. He's fifty two percent shooter from
the floor. He's a forty two two percent shooter behind
the three point line. There's almost nobody in.

Speaker 6 (01:50:02):
The NBA that can match that. Cole You've got the
bad Yeah, see, I could focus in on a lot
of things.

Speaker 10 (01:50:08):
You can say, hey, being outscored twenty seven to six
against the whatever Athletics would be bad. I could say that, hey,
not knowing when you're starting running back is going.

Speaker 3 (01:50:17):
To be back.

Speaker 10 (01:50:18):
And the media that's local doesn't find out. But you know,
somehow Ian rapport can is bad. I could talk about
a lot of things that happened this weekend in the
city Houston, but I spend way too much time talking
about sports and pop culture is another thing that I
want to throw in here, So I want to talk
about half of Gilmore too.

Speaker 6 (01:50:35):
I saw the movie.

Speaker 3 (01:50:36):
I watched it in person with.

Speaker 4 (01:50:38):
My wife last night.

Speaker 10 (01:50:39):
It was great to be able to sit down and
see a happy Madison production.

Speaker 4 (01:50:44):
That's not the bad.

Speaker 10 (01:50:46):
The bad is all of these comments and people out
there who are trying to paint this movie as if
it is just a dumpster fire of mediocrity.

Speaker 6 (01:50:55):
Ladies and gentlemen.

Speaker 10 (01:50:55):
I don't know what you expected after thirty years of
waiting for a sequel to come on out. This to
be Citizen Kane, this to be Avengers Endgame, this.

Speaker 4 (01:51:04):
To be The Godfather.

Speaker 10 (01:51:06):
No, it was a stupid movie with a bunch of callbacks,
with a ton of cameos that brought a lot of
joy to people who just enjoy Adam Sandler's stuff. So,
if you were one of these people out there who
is constantly on the Internet trying to explain to me
and to everybody else out there. Why you think this
movie is an absolute disgrace. You're probably also a person

(01:51:26):
that likes to kick puppies and sour when it's sunny outside.

Speaker 3 (01:51:30):
Go get bt.

Speaker 10 (01:51:31):
I can't stomach when you decide to ruin other people's joy.
It's a fine movie. It's a solid seven point five
out of ten. I loved Adam Sandler. I loved the callbacks.
I love Shoogar McGavin. I hated at the beginning. I'm
not gonna spoil it for you, but let's be real.
You were expecting this to be a masterpiece.

Speaker 3 (01:51:47):
Grow up.

Speaker 8 (01:51:48):
I'm not sure that the expectations were masterpiece, but you
don't have to put any caveats on it. It's a
stupid movie. The first one was also stupid, very good
and entertaining. Stupid doesn't mean beat. Stupid means premise, and
it was a stupid movie.

Speaker 6 (01:52:02):
That's what the new Happy Gilmore and did not watch.
Boogie Night Shots.

Speaker 8 (01:52:06):
The Bachelts wasn't released on Netflix within the last thirty
six hours.

Speaker 6 (01:52:09):
This was released within the last thirty six years, So
we'll get around to that.

Speaker 8 (01:52:13):
My ugly is pretty simple and I don't need much
time for it. But it's really more of a hat tip,
you know me, I'm a mister positivity. I give a
hat tip to anybody on the Astros pitching staff named Brian.
They were the only two pitchers these last four games
against the A's not to allow an earned run, Brian
Abra Brian King in appearance an ending apiece, and neither
one of them were scored upon. Everybody else who pitched

(01:52:35):
for the Astros, including Cooper Hammel, including Hector Nearris and
his three unearned runs, got hit around, at least to
a certain extent by the Athletics.

Speaker 6 (01:52:45):
It's not gonna happen again, I don't think.

Speaker 8 (01:52:47):
But the Astros fielded team, the team they had on
the field for these four games, they just weren't as
good as the A's. And as much as that hurts
to hear, that's just very simple, and we knew that
before the games were played.

Speaker 6 (01:53:00):
It was nonetheless very ugly.

Speaker 3 (01:53:04):
The eighteen on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 5 (01:53:14):
It is the eighteen here on Sports Talk seven ninety,
Space City Home Network Monday edition of the program WEX
and AC with You until six o'clock tonight. I know
there was a lot of NBA conversation and the good,
the bad, and the ugly. I do have one other note,
and it's gonna maybe seem on the surface as something

(01:53:34):
that's small, but the NBA is not getting this past me.

Speaker 9 (01:53:40):
Day.

Speaker 6 (01:53:42):
They the NBA absolutely.

Speaker 5 (01:53:44):
Want the Lakers to succeed, right, I think we can
all agree with that, regardless of anything else. They want
the Lakers to matter. They want them to succeed. They
think it's good for the league when they succeed. In
other words, this is not Kansas City dominating the NFL,
small market Kansas City dominating the NFL.

Speaker 6 (01:54:02):
NBA doesn't care about that kind of thing.

Speaker 5 (01:54:03):
They want the Lakers and the Knicks to matter because
they're in the two biggest markets.

Speaker 6 (01:54:10):
In that vein.

Speaker 5 (01:54:12):
It was not lost on me that the NBA's official
pr X account reposted the following. It is an article,
and so in this case it's a It's a post
by the Men's Health account about their article, their cover
article on Luka.

Speaker 6 (01:54:32):
Doncic our digital star cover or cover star.

Speaker 5 (01:54:36):
I should say, Luka Doncic's ready to take his game
and the Lakers to new levels of dominance.

Speaker 6 (01:54:43):
And this summer shred has been years in the making.
And if you read the cover.

Speaker 5 (01:54:49):
It's their summer special, you know, men's health, Stronger, Faster, Better,
It says, Luka Doncic muscles up the skinny on the
Lakers Stars Summer Shred, and of course he looks not
fat on the cover. Most important of all, I realized

(01:55:10):
the NBA's PR account, the official PR account, this is
you could argue that's what they're supposed to do. In fact,
it's like you could argue that's the only thing that
particular account should do, you know, furthering attention to.

Speaker 6 (01:55:25):
Things like this.

Speaker 5 (01:55:26):
But everybody talked about the reason the Lakers were able
to get their hands on Luka Doncic the way they
were was because Dallas Brass just did not like the
lack of conditioning, lack of care about all this kind
of stuff, physical conditioning of Luka Doncic. And they are

(01:55:50):
trying to push this narrative forward, and it'll work as
long as Luca starts playing defense right Like, he can
score when he's fat, The scoring is not a problem.
He can look pudgy, he can get to Camp Dowey,
all that kind of stuff. He did it year after
year after year, and he'd still put up thirty to
forty points and dish out a bunch of assists. But
he was never gonna play defense on the other end,

(01:56:11):
So none of this is gonna matter unless he does that.

Speaker 6 (01:56:14):
Yeah, there's definitely some questions to ask if.

Speaker 8 (01:56:19):
I do think there's a reason that it happened, that
he's actually trying to get in shape and it's the trade.
Quite obviously, his old NBA life and life in general
was uprooted and he did not see it coming because
he needed a wake up call. Complaining non defense fat.
Luca was told to get out of here because you're
a complaining fat, no defense playing player. They can't say

(01:56:42):
it any more loudly than they have. Nico's practically literally
said it in interviews. That's why he's not here. And
I do think that's one of the reasons if this
is to be non photoshopped and real, that Luca is shredded.

Speaker 6 (01:56:56):
I think this is a wake up call.

Speaker 8 (01:56:58):
If he's going to be great and he's really going
to actually win for the first time, win the title.
He's been to the NBA finals, I do think that's
an accolade, that's an accomplishment. But if he's going to
take a next step, make his team more viable for
a championship. Then, yeah, he clearly needs to do all
three of those things. The opposite, he needs to not
be a fat and out of shape. He needs to

(01:57:18):
not complain about everything that takes away from the basketball.
It's okay to yell at the refs, so okay to
complained to the refs, but don't stand on one end
of the court while the other four guys in your
team are running down the actual end of the court
where the basketball is.

Speaker 6 (01:57:30):
Because you're too busy complaining.

Speaker 8 (01:57:31):
And plenty of players are guilty of it, but amongst
star players, he's probably the most guilty of it. And
clearly he needs to at least attempt to play defense.
I don't think he's going to all of a sudden
become a good His foot speed's not going to improve
a tremendous amount.

Speaker 6 (01:57:44):
His desire needs to.

Speaker 8 (01:57:45):
There's a lot of defense that is solely based on desire,
and he just doesn't have a whole lot of it
on the defensive end. But the real question that you're
bringing up is if he had some sort of wake
up call, like some sort of horrific postseason performance that
really made him reabvulvaluate things that did not require a trade,
but rather an awakening as a Maverick, as in, he's

(01:58:06):
not on the Lakers, he's a super popular NBA player,
one of the five most viewed player on social media
in the NBA, regardless before he became a Laker, he
was already there.

Speaker 6 (01:58:20):
Would the NBA do this?

Speaker 8 (01:58:21):
Similarly, if he had this so called awakening, reimagined his body,
his abilities, his desires, all these things, but he was
still wearing a Mavericks uniform and Men's Health decided to
put him on the cover because they know it will sell.

Speaker 6 (01:58:35):
Would the NBA fl compelled to post that.

Speaker 19 (01:58:37):
No.

Speaker 5 (01:58:38):
I can tell you that right right away, that even
though he's one of the five most popular players in
the league as a Maverick, why would they not, because
if they would do it for anybody who doesn't play
for LA or New York.

Speaker 6 (01:58:50):
And this isn't even so much here I said the Knicks.

Speaker 5 (01:58:52):
This is just mainly Lakers, because the Knicks haven't really mattered,
like actually mattered. They've mattered in that they're at Madison
Square Garden and all that kind, but they haven't mattered
in the grand scheme of do they have it even
shot at making noise in the postseason in like twenty
years until this year, like actual noise.

Speaker 3 (01:59:11):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:59:12):
And yet I think the NBA has been fine because
by and large, during that time period, more often than not,
the Lakers have mattered or they've at least had a
player on their roster that makes people say, ooh, I
want to watch that game.

Speaker 8 (01:59:25):
Yeah, that's pretty much they've They've at least managed that
he even during some of the lower points for them,
which aren't that low for most other franchises. But I
had not seen it prior to you pointing it out.
I look forward to reading all about it.

Speaker 5 (01:59:37):
I don't follow men's health, so the only reason it
was on my timeline is because I do follow NBAPR.

Speaker 8 (01:59:44):
From Nikola Jokicic to Patrick Mahomes to Shack decades before
all of them. We've seen loads of evidence that athletic
dominance comes in all shapes and sizes. But ask anyone
to pick out an athlete and a crowd, and the
walls always point to the dude with the Lebron size
arms and Ronaldo level at That's part of what you'll
get in the feature on Shredded Luka, Doncic.

Speaker 6 (02:00:05):
Are you gonna read the whole feature tonight.

Speaker 8 (02:00:07):
If I have time in between pausing Happy Gilmore too? No, hey, Hot,
the Astros are playing forget all that.

Speaker 5 (02:00:15):
Well, I was about to say, are you choosing to
watch the Happy Gilmore sequel instead of the Walgreens Nationals
taking on your Astros?

Speaker 6 (02:00:21):
Why not?

Speaker 8 (02:00:21):
I'll be watching the Astros pretty much regardless. When you
remember when the Astros were sent out to many fewer
homes because of carriage issues and their product was poor
because they had no talent on the team. Yeah, at
the same exact time, I watched or listened to just
as many games that year.

Speaker 6 (02:00:37):
You're working there, then too. That doesn't count working where
at that place that was carrying the games that nobody
could get it.

Speaker 8 (02:00:43):
I've worked in a lot of different places. I've always
been locked in good better otherwise.

Speaker 5 (02:00:48):
All right, when we come back, we are going to
get you caught up on more of the NFL variety
kind of thing, because it's football at five.

Speaker 6 (02:00:56):
And you know who we haven't heard from the current.

Speaker 5 (02:01:00):
In the clubhouse for first string running back duties for
your Houston Texans.

Speaker 6 (02:01:04):
Yeah, unchallenged, he is the current leader.

Speaker 8 (02:01:07):
Why can't you just go with me on this? Why
can't you say RB one Nick Chubb? We will hear
from one of the top two Texans running backs. You
guess which one, Juwar Jordan or Nick Chubb?

Speaker 6 (02:01:17):
Your choice? Who do you think it is? Who do
you think RB one is for the Texans.

Speaker 5 (02:01:21):
That's not hard to figure out who it will be
as of this exact moment if the season began today.
But yes, we will hear from Nick Chubb. Also Bryce
Harper and the Commissioner of Major League Baseball squaring off,
and there were some f bombs dropped. That's coming up
on the five o'clock hour as well.

Speaker 1 (02:01:41):
The eighteen on Sports Talk seven ninety, Adam Clinton.

Speaker 3 (02:01:47):
And Adam Wexler are the eighteen.

Speaker 5 (02:01:58):
Football at five is underway here as our number four
gets underway.

Speaker 6 (02:02:03):
It's a Monday edition of the A Team.

Speaker 5 (02:02:04):
It's Sports Talk seven ninety, Space City Home Network. You've
got Texans football right around the corner. And you also
have question marks at running back. We don't know what
Joe Mixon's status will be for the start of the
regular season. I'm gonna go ahead and presume wex that
preseason games, none of which matter, and there's one less

(02:02:28):
and there will soon be two less than we used
to have. Joe Mixon's not playing.

Speaker 8 (02:02:33):
In any of that probably wasn't going to even if healthy, right,
but he's definitely not now.

Speaker 6 (02:02:39):
Again, I'm not even sure.

Speaker 8 (02:02:40):
I don't know that this is I don't think it's new,
dramatically new information, and we're all treating like this news
like I don't know that anything happened, like there is
any real It just wasn't known to us.

Speaker 6 (02:02:50):
So it's not like something didn't just happen. We just
found out about it. Do you think that this is
a carryover from an in season injury that is not
healing the way he would have liked though? Yes, Okay,
so something happened, it just happened last year or at
some point during the recovery process. Yeah, that's awesome. Absolutely Okay.

Speaker 5 (02:03:09):
So all of that said, I like it got people's
attention when the Texans went out and got Nick Trubb
just because of the name and the potential high reward
to say nothing of low risk, because that's certainly not it.
It's high risk but potentially high reward. Let's put it
that way. Because if he's healthy, I think he can
still do something good for this team. He's got something

(02:03:30):
left in the tank, so to speak. But you might
wonder what he's saying about being here in Houston and
specifically what he likes about this particular and in this
case new offense.

Speaker 22 (02:03:40):
We love most about the guys that that's around me
and in a hotel, you know, the big guys are front,
the receiver's tight ends in CJ. I mean a bunch
of guys who who play with a tent, who love
to practice, love to work hard, and get better every day.

Speaker 5 (02:03:52):
So that's pretty vanilla quote for a running back. Get
used to it exactly. Oh well, don't worry because that
one was only fourteen seconds long. I can't imagine all
the details he fit into a ten second SoundBite about
working with, of course, the first team, because Joe Mixon's
not out there.

Speaker 22 (02:04:07):
As a lot. I need every rep I can get.
You know, it's been a while. I've been like, I've
been played. I got hurt last December, so I've been
been in past since. So it it's great to get
out here, get a chance to get passed on, get hit,
you know, move around a little bit.

Speaker 3 (02:04:18):
Now.

Speaker 5 (02:04:19):
He came from a different city. He's here in new
city with new weather, at least for him, And you
might wonder what his transition to a new city is like.

Speaker 3 (02:04:29):
It is a process.

Speaker 7 (02:04:30):
You know.

Speaker 22 (02:04:30):
I was where I was for my seven years, so
I got I got very comfortable in things there, how
things are done there. So the probably of small things
is like learning how they do this, how they do that?
You know what, how much time you have before practice?
And this is small things that I gotta get used to.
Other than that, I mean, the guys have embraced me.
You know, I knew a bunch of guys on the team.
I knew some of the coaches seats. I mean, it's
been fun.

Speaker 5 (02:04:50):
Did you hear what he's snuck in there? Very cleverly?
He was talking about Houston traffic. How much time you
have before to get to and from I wonder if
he installs two hours before and after practice to drive
back to wherever he's living.

Speaker 8 (02:05:02):
Yeah, it just depends on where he decided to set
up chub headquarters. How far away from the facility they are.
What did you call his house headquarters?

Speaker 6 (02:05:11):
No, you said something before that, I said his last
name before headquarter, chuff headquarters. Is that what she said,
that's wherever he lives. Yeah, he came from Cleveland, as
you know.

Speaker 8 (02:05:20):
I'm wherever that was before the Chub headquarters used to
be located in Ohio, and it's located somewhere in the Houston.

Speaker 6 (02:05:26):
A greater Houston area could be a humble. I don't
know what's the difference between Houston and Cleveland.

Speaker 22 (02:05:33):
For one, it's hot and it's human. That's the biggest
difference between here and Cleveland. But other than that, I mean,
the city's nice. You know, it's it's cool, nice, a
lot of traffic, I guess. But other than that, I mean,
I'm joining here.

Speaker 6 (02:05:43):
They didn't sneak it in that time. He just flat
out to set it. It's hot, it's hot, and there's traffic.

Speaker 8 (02:05:49):
I mean, I hope he gets used to it, even
though I even if it works out really well, this
could easily be a very short term situation, obviously with
the contract and in any potential future. But his seven
years in Cleveland were tremendously successful individually, and the Texans
saw that firsthand a couple of years ago with the
work he put in against them one Sunday afternoon. But

(02:06:09):
there were only two winning seasons, they only finished higher
than third once during his seven seasons. He joins a
team that, you know, the two key players and the
head coach has never finished any lower than once. He's
been in first place each of the two years that
Debiko Ryans, CJ. Stroud his quarterback, and Will Anderson Junior
have been here, and I don't anticipate that changing. This year,

(02:06:30):
potentially Nick Chubb's only season here. They added JJ Taylor
back into the mix today. He came off the pup list.
There's still two players unavailable to the Texans. Pierce is
on the pup list and Mixing is on the NFI list.
I don't know that anything will if those two things
don't change in the near future. And I still think
Pierce has probably headed to training camp practices, you know,

(02:06:53):
sometime before their preseason schedule has been completed. I don't
know what he participates in games, but with the joint
practice and the work they're going to do at the
Greenbrier in much much, much different and cooler temperatures, which
is another reason to go practice up there if you
feel like spending all the money to go practice somewhere
where it's cooler and the Texans.

Speaker 6 (02:07:11):
D I don't know that it indicates them.

Speaker 8 (02:07:13):
Maybe they do need to consider some sort of other
roster move I think we're going to see a ton
of Woody Marks and kind to get an idea of
where they think he fits in the pecking order. I've
told you from a roster situation, I think there's a
numbers game being played with Damian Pierce. They didn't re
sign Daria and Gunbalwally to not make the team. He's
their third down back when needed, and he provides special

(02:07:34):
team's assistance. He's obviously stepped in when they've had major
injury issues. He's also their emergency kicker. He's going to
very very very likely be wanted by Nick Kyley to
make this team. Nick Chubb and Joe Mixon of healthy
are obviously making this team. They didn't draft Woody Marks
to cut him and hope he is not claimed so
they can sneak him out of the practice squad, which
they would fail to do.

Speaker 6 (02:07:55):
Somebody would put a claim in on him.

Speaker 8 (02:07:57):
So where's the spot for Pierce If somebody else is
brought in Because they're concerned about the injury concerns, that
player should be at least as talented as Damian Pierce.
I think is that that's something you have to consider
just in that group. In and of itself, the Nick
Chubb situation's pretty clear. If he has what he once had,
even in the immediate year before he got hurt, then

(02:08:19):
he's gonna make this team.

Speaker 6 (02:08:20):
He's gonna make this team better. It's why they went
made the deal.

Speaker 8 (02:08:23):
They believe the two years removed from injury, and he
barely even wanted to talk about that today. If you
thought he barely wanted to talk about these questions when
he was asked a little bit about where he is
now versus where he might have been, and he said,
I'm two years.

Speaker 6 (02:08:34):
Removed from that injury. I'm way past that.

Speaker 8 (02:08:36):
But though there's still time to determine if the Nick
Chubb that's a perennial ten or one thy twelve hundred
yard running back fifteen hundred yards and as last full season,
which was only twenty twenty two, only two NFL seasons ago,
he was a workhorse back. He was a three hundred
touch three hundred plus touch back that year. But he's

(02:08:58):
also gonna play twenty twenty five with the Texans as
a twenty nine year old turned thirty at the end
of the season. There's always the question mark every running
back who's been there, even Derrick Henry, about when is
that that line crossed and how quickly do you fall
off the other side of it. It's definitely going to
be asked about him.

Speaker 5 (02:09:19):
Were you surprised earlier when I stumped our guest about
the tight end situation.

Speaker 6 (02:09:23):
Well, they didn't do much at tight end.

Speaker 8 (02:09:25):
So the Texans obviously had Kate Stover, they used the
late round pick on Luke Lache. They're welcoming back Brevin Jordan,
who they extended during the season last year contractually after
he was injured, and obviously Dalton Schultz's back, IRV Smith
is also back. I don't know that there's a place
for him here with how they might outfit the team.
And I do think there's a possibility that Johnson, the

(02:09:46):
fullback they brought in, could play a role in that
part of the numbers game if they feel like he
could help him as an h back and as a
tight end potentially somebody who just makes their roster a
little bit more flexible. So they really just didn't decide
to go out and do anything significant, but it's up
to It's really up to, you know, the individuals. Kate Stower,
I think, has put in a ton of work to

(02:10:06):
not be the next tight end, but to be the
tight end. I think there there's a coach out there,
and if he's here in Houston, it's gonna happen. I
don't know where it is and how it fits in
here because we just don't know enough about how Nickick
Cayley wants to use these players. They play the same position.
It's listed the same way. It says te Space cade Stover.

(02:10:27):
It also says te Space Dalton Schultz.

Speaker 7 (02:10:30):
Man.

Speaker 8 (02:10:30):
Are they different players? And I'm not sure how that's
going to play into who's on the field more, who's
being used more, and what they want them to do.
But they're gonna ask Kid Stover to make this offense
better at protecting their quarterback. They better not be asking
Dalton Schultz to do that same thing at the same
position because it doesn't work. And whereas they might not

(02:10:51):
ask Kate Stover to run these routes. I mean, I've
run through a bunch of different plays of the day
type instances from their practice today. Play the Day from
Alton Schultz is one of the best players of the day.

Speaker 7 (02:11:02):
CJ.

Speaker 8 (02:11:03):
Stroud threw a beautiful over the shoulder, passed him right
in the corner of the end zone, very well defended.
Ball was on the money, put his hands up, caught it,
hauled it in touchdown.

Speaker 6 (02:11:11):
Texans.

Speaker 8 (02:11:11):
Been a nice one handed catch to Dalton Schultz on Saturday.
It's all about what he does to me catching the football.
I lost confidence in him being able to do the simplest,
just catch the football. I don't know what happened. I
thought he had really good hands in Dallas, and I
thought he had really good hands early in his Texans career.
He made the catch of case Keenum's Texans life against
the Titans two seasons ago. But I just don't I

(02:11:34):
don't like the way he brings the ball in and
that's not a good thing for a tight end.

Speaker 6 (02:11:40):
The blocking that.

Speaker 5 (02:11:41):
You mentioned about Dalton Schultz is what I think most
concerns me, simply because it's just an extension of the
issue that I'm worried most about going into the season,
which is protecting CJ.

Speaker 6 (02:11:52):
Stroud. But you're right, that's something that stood out last
year and that.

Speaker 5 (02:11:57):
It was if he was in a blocking situation which
tight ends are a lot if they're not being thrown
to I mean, that's what they're doing.

Speaker 6 (02:12:06):
I just was like, well, this is that this is
a lost cause.

Speaker 8 (02:12:09):
I just even when they are being thrown too, there's
something you're supposed to do before you get out in
the flat or run your route ship. Just get your
hands on this player, slow them down anything, and it's
going to impact your ability to get where you need
to go. But that's all part of the design of
the play that's built that. It's they're aware, the coach
is aware of that when he draws that up, and
you're aware of it when you're out there asked to

(02:12:30):
perform that assignment.

Speaker 6 (02:12:32):
And it didn't happen enough.

Speaker 8 (02:12:33):
It was clearly, like most of the time, the issues
we bring up about tight ends of their ability or
inability to block, we also should be blaming the play
caller and designer. Why didn't you block TJ.

Speaker 6 (02:12:46):
Watt?

Speaker 8 (02:12:47):
Are you really asking me this, hey man? How come
you didn't keep this unbelievably talented edge rusher off our quarterback?
Is that rhetorical? Like they put these guys in some
really bad positions.

Speaker 5 (02:13:00):
Unwinnable situations. Yeah, it's It's something I'm gonna keep an
eye on. I don't I wish. I wish people were
more hopeful, optimistic about Brevin Jordan like I am.

Speaker 8 (02:13:16):
Well, if you want to hear somebody who's very upbeat
about things that are going on and much more engaged
with giving more of his answers, he was that today,
much more so than Nick Chubb.

Speaker 6 (02:13:26):
He was great today.

Speaker 5 (02:13:27):
Well he always is, Yes he is, but now that
he's back, hopefully he can couple that with play on
the field. All right, we will let you know about
some tickets we have to give away. We're also gonna
hear about one of Major League Baseball's brightest stars going
nose to nose literally with the commissioner of Major League
Baseball and telling him where he can go.

Speaker 6 (02:13:48):
That's next.

Speaker 3 (02:13:50):
The AE on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 8 (02:13:57):
Today here on the A Team, a Monday back from
the weekend edition of the program. Before we get to
Bryce versus Robert, a couple of astros notes a reason
for Jeremy Pania being back with the club in Houston
rather than working out in Florida is so he can
work out with the team today, go through that full
workout and then just head on down the road tomorrow

(02:14:18):
to be in the lineup for the Sugarland Space Cowboys.
That is the expectation. According to Joe Espada, no determination
on the amount of days, games at bats, etc. That
he thinks that Jeremy Pania might get there, but he's
clearly healthy and they want to make sure of that,
and once they do, I imagine he'll be back in
the Astros lineup, maybe as early as their immediate series.

(02:14:40):
Following this final series of the home stand against the Nationals,
they head out to Boston after this. Seems reasonable that
he could play in that series, according to the Astros,
day off for Cam Smith today has had a couple
of those lately because he is going through it to
be sure. He's four for his last forty seven and
has seen his plate apparent. It says, look less and

(02:15:01):
less comfortable or they appear to feel less and less
comfortable for him, and maybe another opportunity to see versus
be out there as he continues to play a lot
more baseball than he ever has will be beneficial for him.
His last thirteen games four hits and lineup tonight with
him out of it and fromber Valdez on the mound
throwing to Jiner Diaz, Taylor Tremmell back into the lead

(02:15:22):
off spot. He is in left field, Altuve, Carottini and Walker.
Altuve also in the outfield. I said left field, I
meant right field for Trammel because Altuve is in left field.
Walker's over at first. Carotini is the designated hitter. Melton
back from the IL just activated today. You'll bet fifth
and you'll play at center field. Janner's doing the catching,
Mauricio's over at third, Bryce Matthews second, Zach Short at shortstop.

(02:15:48):
As the beginning of players returning has started with Jacob
Melton and maybe just the first of two that we
would return this week.

Speaker 5 (02:15:55):
We're watching an interview with someone with the Nationals on
MLB Network earlier here in the studio. It was just
on the screen and they were wearing the hats with
the DC logo. Is that their new logo or is
that least like a batting practice hat?

Speaker 6 (02:16:08):
I think for them it's a batting practice hat. Why
wouldn't you change your logo immediately from Walgreens to that?
It's branding. I guess he sees so much better.

Speaker 8 (02:16:18):
I suppose, I mean, I don't have anything against the
Walgreens logo other than it's for somebody else's product line
or company.

Speaker 5 (02:16:25):
Do you know how bad it was after the Astros
lost in excruciating fashion in twenty nineteen to have the
stupid Walgreens logo up as the World Series champion in
Minute Made Park.

Speaker 6 (02:16:36):
At the time, it was pretty unsettling.

Speaker 8 (02:16:38):
We've had, unfortunately, during this golden age of Astros baseball,
the National celebrating there, the Red Sox celebrating there, the
Tigers last year celebrating there, and obviously the World Series
with the Braves celebrating right there on home plate at
Minute Made Park. Haven't seen any celebrations at Dykin Park yet.

(02:16:58):
No one can beat them in the Astros during the
regular season. No, they are absolutely undefeated at home.

Speaker 6 (02:17:04):
All right, deliver what you want.

Speaker 8 (02:17:05):
If somebody has beef and it's with Rob Manford, I
know whose side you're taking, Do tell two thumbs?

Speaker 6 (02:17:10):
And all right?

Speaker 5 (02:17:12):
So we you and I had a conversation earlier today
with I would call this person a fixture in Major
League baseball, and the subject of salary cap in Major
League baseball came up, and how would you describe that
person's reaction. It wasn't just a steady no, that's never happening.

Speaker 19 (02:17:32):
Was it?

Speaker 8 (02:17:32):
Oh about the possibility for a work stoppage, because it's
happening by the way I think it will. It's to me,
it's it's more about, you know, how do they go
about it and how much of the season, if any,
does it impact, like a lockout?

Speaker 6 (02:17:43):
Is that going to happen? Probably?

Speaker 7 (02:17:45):
Yeah?

Speaker 8 (02:17:45):
Can they make Can they do their best to reach
these deadlines and say, okay, this is the deadline for
us to get our season and make our money, which
is what this is all about, and not take the
game away from the fans and hopefully not lose baseball games.

Speaker 5 (02:17:59):
Well, Rob Man's the MLB commissioner who thinks that the
trophy that he hands off to each championship team each
year is just a hunk of metal. His words, not mine.
Was going around with his annual meeting with all thirty teams.
It's an effort that he conducts annually in order to
improve his relations with every team's players. Keep that in

(02:18:20):
mind as I continue the story. It lasted more than
an hour, and although Manfred never explicitly said the words,
salary Cap, sources said the discussion about the game's economics
raised the ire of one Bryce Harper.

Speaker 6 (02:18:36):
So who is he talking to the Phillies their clubhouse?

Speaker 5 (02:18:39):
He was, he was in their clubhouse. So ahead of
the expiration of this CBA agreement between Major League Baseball
and the Players Union or Players Association, I should say
that's going to be on December first of twenty twenty six,
so about a month after next year's World Series is determined.
A lot of the owners in Major League Baseball are
trying to get a set salary cap in place. They're

(02:19:01):
the only major men's North American sport without one, and obviously,
as has always been the guy, I don't know the
time where this wasn't the case, the Players Association vehemently
opposes a cap. And this is all Jeff Passon's article.
By the way, it argues it serves more as a
tool to increase franchise values than to lessen the game's

(02:19:24):
large disparity between high and low spending teams.

Speaker 6 (02:19:27):
And the truth is probably somewhere in the middle there.

Speaker 8 (02:19:30):
I would have to say, yeah, and baseball again is
unlike very unlike the NFL, and to the same degree,
but to lesser financial terms. Different than the NBA with
how much money is generated as a group, which is
then shared with the group, versus how much money is
generated by the individual team, which is only shared with

(02:19:51):
the other teams because they are forced to through revenue sharing,
not through national broadcast deals.

Speaker 5 (02:19:58):
Right, So this the one he's doing, all these meetings
with all these teams. The one with the Phillies lasted
for about an hour, and this happened last week. So
the description of Harper is that he was quiet for
the majority of the meeting. He was sitting in a
chair and holding a bat.

Speaker 6 (02:20:13):
That's kind of messing because he's a baseball player.

Speaker 8 (02:20:15):
Well not because he's al Capone about to walk around
the table and whack somebody.

Speaker 5 (02:20:18):
He could have been holding, I don't know, a sock,
but no, he's holding a weapon now, just reading what
it's written here, right, No, you've.

Speaker 8 (02:20:26):
Seen guys at their locker, like even when Joe A.
Spotta addressed the team this spring, when Cam Smith did that,
we saw all that. But we've seen a bunch of
this stuff. He wasn't holding a bat, but well, the
guys sitting at their chair were like guys sitting there
in their chair with a bat.

Speaker 6 (02:20:40):
Over their shoulder. Why not menace they're not on the field,
because that's what they do. They're gonna take a swing
in the clubhouse.

Speaker 5 (02:20:45):
Come on now, So this is the sentence, quiet for
the majority of the meeting, and then sitting in a
chair and holding a bat. Eventually grew frustrated and said,
if MLB were to propose a cap and hold firm
to it, players quote are not scared to lose one
hundred and sixty two games.

Speaker 6 (02:21:03):
Let me just stop right there.

Speaker 5 (02:21:04):
I'm sure Bryce Harper's not scared to lose one hundred
and sixty two games because Bryce Harper gets to make
Bryce Harper money. But other guys who are fringe or
don't make that kind of money absolutely don't want to
miss one hundred and sixty two games. Anyway, I digress.
Harper stood up, I don't know if he still had
the bat in his hand, walked toward the middle of

(02:21:27):
the room, faced Manford and said, if you want to
speak about that, you can get the bleep out of
our clubhouse. Manfred, according to sources, responded that he was
quote not going to get the bleep out of here oohoo,
saying it was important to talk about threats to MLB's

(02:21:48):
business and ways to grow the game. Before the situation
further intensified. Nick Castianos, who somebody apologized for afterwards, tried
to diffuse the tension, saying, I have more questions.

Speaker 6 (02:22:01):
I love this. This is like mean girls or something.
Excuse me over here, I have more questions.

Speaker 5 (02:22:08):
The meeting continued, Harper and Manford eventually shook hands, though
Harper declined to answer phone calls from Manford the next day.
He's ghosting him. It was pretty intense, he leave him
on red Well. Castianos is giving these quotes to ESPN.
He said, it was pretty intense, definitely passionate, both of them.
The commissioner giving it back to Bryce, and Bryce giving

(02:22:28):
it back to the commissioner.

Speaker 6 (02:22:30):
That's Harp. He's been doing this since he was fifteen
years old. It's just another day, just.

Speaker 8 (02:22:34):
Another day, the commissioner, just another day, just another day.

Speaker 6 (02:22:39):
Final out in the twenty two World Series. They didn't
win that. No, he hit the ball over to Kyle Tucker.
Foul ball. They were trained waiting to bear hug him,
and this time they finished the job.

Speaker 11 (02:22:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (02:22:51):
I think this is There are players and in Harper's case,
so you since you brought up the financials of it,
he's made well over two hundred and twenty million dollars
in salary and is still guaranteed to get another one hundred.

Speaker 6 (02:23:02):
And forty in salary scholarship. These guys, I mean, they do.

Speaker 8 (02:23:07):
It is difficult for a union like this to be
as unified because of the disparity.

Speaker 6 (02:23:13):
It's just like any union and in sports, clearly.

Speaker 8 (02:23:15):
But I do think they will be pretty unified on
this particular front, or at least to the point where
they think they have fought enough to get other concessions
that ultimately still make them give them the ability to
I think, create the earning power that they have. Even
if there's some sort of cap, there's just such a disparity.
Like these teams that you want to cap are se

(02:23:36):
a salary floor four. They don't generate any revenue. Some
of these teams have cheap owners on top of that,
or just cheap owners period. But a lot of them
generate x amount of revenue, while the Dodgers and Yankees
and Cubs generate x times a billion revenue.

Speaker 6 (02:23:53):
It is not a level playing field.

Speaker 5 (02:23:54):
By the way, Nick Castiano's the quote Machine in this article.
He's the real star of this. We don't really know
much about it. It's not like somebody is teaching us
about this conglomerate of Major League Baseball that we the players,
make up make possible. There's no players, there's no Major
League Baseball. I don't believe Rob Manfred is evil. I
don't believe the owners are evil. I don't believe any
of that. Nobody wants a work stoppage in baseball, not

(02:24:16):
the players, not the league. Nick Castianos low key the
star of this article.

Speaker 6 (02:24:20):
Not even the best thing. He said. I'll bring that
to you next. And in case you missed it.

Speaker 3 (02:24:26):
The ad on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 8 (02:24:32):
Music means we're halfway home on our number four, about
half an hour out from the Astros on deck show,
coming from Ballpark with the Astros and Nationals. Come in
your way for the first of three to close out
the seven game Homestand and in case you missed it,
we headed into this segment with a story about Rob
Manfred and Bryce Harper going face to face. Bryce Harper
may or may not have been holding a bat in't

(02:24:53):
Nick Costianos, through ESPN providing the verbal play by play
per Castiano. Manford talked about a possible lockout, and Castillanos
took issue with that term being thrown around the cebet
before the CBA expires, and he said, and what I
find is one of the more compelling and interesting and

(02:25:14):
hilarious quotes from Nick Costianos, who as AC gave you
last seven, they're about ten of them. He said, that's
nothing to throw around. That's the same thing as me
saying in a marriage, I think divorce is a possibility,
it's probably gonna happen.

Speaker 6 (02:25:30):
You just don't say those things.

Speaker 8 (02:25:32):
That's what once divorced, Nick Castillanos said, He's happily married now.
It was the first marriage I was with this high
school sweet sweetheart. They had a child. A couple of
years later they got married, and a couple of years
later they got divorced. He has since remarried and had
a couple more kids and seems very happy with Jess.

Speaker 5 (02:25:48):
How many times during that first marriage do you think
he said, Hey, you watch it, divorce.

Speaker 8 (02:25:54):
Don't say that it's a possibility. It's just you don't
say those things.

Speaker 5 (02:25:58):
I just love the act that they went full iron
eagle talking about Bryce Harper and yeah, I.

Speaker 8 (02:26:05):
Was actually looking for that sound. But if you're going
to talk about that, I need you to get the
bleep out of here. I don't think so, or how
about this, Maybe I'm thinking of the wrong exchange. Get
the bleep out of our clubhouse. I will not, I will,
same conversation.

Speaker 6 (02:26:20):
Right, same conversation. Yes, we do have In case you
missed it for you here.

Speaker 8 (02:26:24):
Also want to mention in the final segment of the show,
as we usually do when we have the opportunity to
do so, this weekend, the.

Speaker 6 (02:26:30):
Big Three comes to town.

Speaker 8 (02:26:32):
So we've got a pair of tickets to give away
for that event coming up at Toyota Center.

Speaker 6 (02:26:36):
It is this Saturday, and there are.

Speaker 8 (02:26:37):
Four games, including the game featuring Houston's rig hands in
Big Three coach by Calvin Murphy. Rockets legend a co
host on occasion over at Space City Home Network, and
it's their home debut obviously this season over at Toyota Center.
You can also find tickets on sale now at Toyota
Center dot com. Give those away in the final segment
based on a question, ask about something discuss this hour

(02:27:01):
of the show, maybe even over the next seven minutes
of In Case you missed It, what do we have today?

Speaker 7 (02:27:04):
Cole.

Speaker 10 (02:27:05):
Yeah, we did get to hear a little bit from
Brevin Jordan today at training camp, and one of the
big things that both you and Ac have talked about
is the tight end room in general, what is this
team going to be And the overall sense is that
this room is a bit disrespect.

Speaker 6 (02:27:18):
To going into twenty twenty five.

Speaker 10 (02:27:20):
Kate Still, we're coming on back in the addition of
Luke Lasche from Iowa, you have Dalton Schultz, you have
healthy Brevin Jordan. So the big question was, Hey, how
do you feel about this tight end room going into
twenty twenty five? Underneath the tight ends coach and Nick
Kayley is your offics cooridator.

Speaker 7 (02:27:35):
We have an unbelievable group.

Speaker 19 (02:27:36):
I think I think people are giving the tight end
grouping up credit for whatever reason. But I think this
year we're going to be able to show everybody that
this is a group that we can rely on on
special teams. On offense, that we're gonna go out there,
We're gonna be able to block a deepens end one
on one tram to a mic and then go run
a you know, a fifty yard get to catch a
fifty yard touchdown. So that's that's the expectations from everybody

(02:27:57):
on our in our room.

Speaker 10 (02:27:58):
What's really interesting is that both Demiko o'rians and Nick
Casserio have spoken highly of the tight ends this offseason,
with Brevin Jordan being spoken on today from Demika Ryans,
and earlier last week, Kate Stiver was the most improved
player according to Nick Casserio.

Speaker 8 (02:28:14):
Yeah, that comment from Nick definitely stood out. He said, arguably,
you could say that Kate Stower's been the most improved
player over this offseason, obviously leaning into the work that
he'd put in off the field, limited work. There's only
so many days where you see them on the field.
But obviously the second year, meaning your first actual offseason
as an NFL player, when the year ends in early

(02:28:35):
January for a playoff team like the Texans were, He's
into this offseason as an NFL player the very moment
they walk on the field. The year prior, when you're
a rookie heading into the draft, you stop going to class,
which is perfectly fine. You train for your combine, then
you go to your combine, then you trained some more,
then you have your agent make a bunch of phone calls.
Then you get drafted, and then you kind of become

(02:28:57):
an NFL player after that when they start paying you
and ask you to come by the facility all the time.
Just a very different scenario in preparing for an upcoming season.
We've talked to Kamari Lassiter Saturday and he said I
barely took any days off. They only took a couple
days off right after we lost our last game because
the team made me and I've been doing everything I
thought was necessary to try to become, you know, even
better player this year. But I understand where Brevin's coming from.

(02:29:21):
I think it's you know, we talked about the words
you'd use to describe the group. Inspiring is probably not
one of them. Hopeful, underappreciated may turn out to be
the words for them. A lot of it just depends
on Like, let's say they didn't change ocs and they
brought back the same group of tight ends, which is
essentially what they did. You'd have zero confidence in this
group being a helpful unit. Changing OC's may change our perspective,

(02:29:45):
and then I do believe the offense will be better playbook,
better ability to find openings, better use of the personnel
that you have all those things.

Speaker 6 (02:29:54):
It applies to the O line. I think it applies
to the tight ends. What else do we have? So ac,
how much do you hate the Tennessee Titans. They don't
matter enough to really hate him at this point.

Speaker 10 (02:30:05):
Okay, so it's almost like me when it comes to
the Chicago Cubs. They don't really matter, but yet some
reason I still think about them.

Speaker 6 (02:30:10):
For twice a year, I'll bring out the hate. Yeah,
there you go.

Speaker 10 (02:30:13):
Well, do you remember when they decided to make the
dumbest trade in the history of the NFL that actually
made the DeAndre Hopkins trade somewhat look decent by saying, hey,
AJ Brown, Yeah, you're an All Pro, we don't care,
go have fun in Philadelphia, and we're gonna use that
pick on one mister Traylon Burks. Well, after Traylon Burk
suffered yet another setback in an injury with a fractured
collar on this past weekend, he has been released, So

(02:30:36):
the entirety of the trade has been completed for an
all pro wide receiver who signed a four year, one
hundred million dollar extension to go to the City of
Brotherly Love and help the Eagles win their second Lombardi
Trophy in a decade, Traylon Burks, Roger McCreery, Nicholas Petite
Freer and wide receiver Kyle Phillips was the return of

(02:30:58):
those four players. Roger McCurry, who was in a contract season,
is the only one that remains.

Speaker 4 (02:31:04):
Hey, good job Amy out of struck. You know what
you're doing, lady.

Speaker 6 (02:31:08):
I don't recall this. What was the reason that was given.

Speaker 10 (02:31:13):
Because of Amy Adams shrunk at John Robinson ri idiots?

Speaker 6 (02:31:16):
But I mean, was it a money was it? It's
among the many moves that got the jam fired.

Speaker 8 (02:31:21):
It was what was the reason they gave it? That's
like like, look, here's here's all that. All the trade
analysis is all well and good. They immediately did this
on drafted on Draft night and trade and drafted a
wide receiver in the first round in Traylon Burke's at
eighteen to replace him. Same build, same player, same position,

(02:31:43):
going to be asked to do the same things and
hopefully grows into that well. Cade Aughton and his teammate
Okonkwo and Alec Pierce and Christian Watson, and a host
of running backs like Jerome Ford are among the long
list of players that have more receiving yards than trailing burks,
or receptions than trailing burks.

Speaker 6 (02:32:05):
It's literally it's almost.

Speaker 8 (02:32:06):
A one for one deal of a talented Pro Bowl
caliber player for his replacement. Well, his replacement was a guess,
and they guessed wrong, very wrong. Draft was him at
eighteen in a draft that was full of elite wide receivers.

Speaker 6 (02:32:20):
Well, the best ones were gone.

Speaker 3 (02:32:22):
You have a guys.

Speaker 10 (02:32:23):
See the episode of Family Guy where they're talking about
with Peter. Hey, you can either have the boat or
the mystery box. The boat's a boat, but we can
have the mystery box. It could be anything. It could
even be a boat when you have an all pro
wide receiver. Or you can take the mystery box. Oh,
we already have no Proride receiver, but the mystery box
can be anything. It could already be an all pro
wide receiver. When you're smuk a mess on that one,
just like you miss when you go ahead and bought

(02:32:44):
those tickets to the Funny Chuckle.

Speaker 3 (02:32:46):
Box, that's what.

Speaker 8 (02:32:47):
Yeah, they they made a bad trade in and of itself,
and it becomes worse when the player you chose to
make the trade work.

Speaker 6 (02:32:55):
He just was the wrong pick, a bad player. Been't
hurt too much. Cut him loose. What was in the
mystery box? I don't know. We'll have to find out
next segment. Try tickets to the Big.

Speaker 3 (02:33:03):
Three the age on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 6 (02:33:11):
You heard that voice there.

Speaker 8 (02:33:14):
Both of their voices were mentioned yesterday in Cooper's Town.
Craig Bigio's sitting on stage in front and slightly to
the right of Jeff Bagwell, and both of them to
the right of Billy Wagner as he gave his speech,
and Billy noted that Milo Hamilton was there on the
mike calling his games on the radio. Great place to

(02:33:34):
take in Astros Baseball and congrats to Billy and the
four other enshrinees inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Fantastic speech from William Wagner and the bus that goes
in and the words inscribed on them fantastic in describing
his absolute dominance. The tenth try on the ballot, Billy

(02:33:55):
Wagner makes it into the Hall of Fame. Mention, we
had tickets to give away, So you just have to
answer a very simple question about something discussed here.

Speaker 6 (02:34:01):
Earlier on the show this hour.

Speaker 8 (02:34:03):
As a matter of fact, and if you can at
seven one three, two, one two five seven ninety you
win tickets, say a pair of tickets see the Big
Three Saturday, August second, That is this Saturday. They're playing
those four games over at Toyota Center, a four days
slate as they make their way across the country, and
here they have arrived in Houston, and Houston's righands, of course,
are playing for you in front of their home fans

(02:34:25):
for the first time.

Speaker 6 (02:34:26):
Calvin Murphy, if youre unaware, is coaching this team.

Speaker 8 (02:34:29):
So enjoy yourself out there at Toya Center, and tickets
are also on sale now toydacenter dot com. Should you
not win them a year, we'll have a couple of
those to give away throughout the week. If you know
the answer to this question today now you can win
them seven one three, two one two five seven ninety.
During this five o'clock hour, specifically, we have heard from
two different Texans played you some audio from their comments

(02:34:51):
following today's first padded practice. Just tell us who they were,
either one of them, as easy as it can be,
not both, just either one of them. Which two Texans
the play offense did we hear from earlier this hour?
Here on Sports Talk seven ninety about the upcoming season,
and it sorted other things seven to one three two
one two five seven ninety and hoops at Toyota Center,

(02:35:14):
Big three style can be yours.

Speaker 6 (02:35:16):
I can't wait for the hoops later on this year?

Speaker 8 (02:35:19):
Should you like the shot that each Hero launched at
the Marlins during his.

Speaker 6 (02:35:25):
Speech refresh everyone's miss? So he was talking about his
time in the league.

Speaker 8 (02:35:29):
He thanked all the teams he was with, even though
the ones he was with for just a brief time,
and quite obviously as much as a player who did
play for several teams can be known for his play
with only one team each Heiro fits that each row
is a Mariner, and he played there for such a
long period of time some people might even forget where
else he played. He still had another seven or major

(02:35:51):
league baseball seasons after that. Very few people, I think,
look at his Yankees career as much of anything. He
played three more years in the league after that with
Miami and then returned to the Mariners to close out
his career, albeit briefly. But he said, you know, he was,
you know, talking about his path to Cooper's Town, and
I think he kind of viewed that as his last

(02:36:11):
stop because it was the last stop before returning to Seattle.
And he said, you know, when you reached out to
my agent, and when I knew that the Marlins had
reached out to me and offered me a contract, I said,
I didn't even know they had a team. I didn't
even know about that team. Everybody got a good laugh
about it. And then he played for them for three years.
I bet he knew they had a team that, but
I think he did. His statistics as a big time

(02:36:35):
singles hitter were just tremendous and obviously Dave Parker, Dick Allen,
and CC Sabbathia, in my opinion, all deserving of what
was there Parker at the beginning of Parker's career was
so incredible. I think that helped pave the way for
maybe some numbers that don't stack up with everybody else's
over the remainder of his career. You know, Sabathia did

(02:36:56):
a lot of stuff with the Yankees here recently that
I think people remember the stuff he did before that,
the work he did in Milwaukee when he was added
at the deadline, and obviously his Indians career playing for
the Cleveland Indians.

Speaker 7 (02:37:09):
He was.

Speaker 8 (02:37:09):
He was as indicated by what this weekend was all about.
That's a Hall of Fame pitcher. Now, the numbers that
previous generations produced, especially as starters go, it's definitely not
going to be what starters produce now. The pitchers that
are pitching a Major league baseball currently are going to
the Hall of Fame, and none of them are going
to have three hundred wins.

Speaker 6 (02:37:29):
It's never happening again. Too eighty.

Speaker 8 (02:37:32):
It might be a number that none of these pitchers
ever reach. Even Justin Verlander is not too far away
from it, but he just can't be looked at the
same way. The way things go, long careers, great careers,
dominant careers, multiple say, young award winning careers.

Speaker 6 (02:37:45):
Paul Skeens has never seen it.

Speaker 8 (02:37:49):
If one race was over among the big awards to
hand out, it's that one The National League say young
Award winner as Paul Skeens.

Speaker 5 (02:37:57):
But what's crazy is he'll probably have bad quote unquote marks.
He'll get that award.

Speaker 8 (02:38:03):
Every mark that he has will be great, except for
the one that I do think people finally realize doesn't
matter anymore, and that's wins and losses. Last year's ERA
was one ninety six. He pitched for the Pirates last year,
and he won eleven out of his fourteen decisions. This
year is era is better. It's one eighty three and
he's six and eight playing for the same Pirates team.

(02:38:24):
He's actually throwing the exact same number of innings this
year as he did last year, but he's first in
base in the majors in ERA plus FIP, hits per nine,
homers per nine, and he'll make his twenty third start
later this week without allowing a first inning run all
season long so.

Speaker 5 (02:38:43):
Far, so he's the anti Astros. He does not allow
first inning runs.

Speaker 6 (02:38:47):
That's one other item to watch for.

Speaker 8 (02:38:49):
Listen for record baking tonight nineteen to tie the record
of having the other team score first. The last eighteen
consecutive games going back to July fourth, the opponents have
scored first. The Astros have tried to play come from
behind baseball in every game since July fourth, a nineteenth
consecutive game, should it happened tonight, would tie the modern

(02:39:10):
day record for falling behind futility.

Speaker 5 (02:39:14):
I I'd like to say that it's the Nationals are
in town, so they've got as good a chance as any,
but they're still trotting out Sugarland Space Cowboys lineups.

Speaker 8 (02:39:24):
Yeah, the person who most recently played for the Space Cowboys,
Jascob Melton, is in the lineup tonight in batting fifth.
The player who will be in the Cowboys lineup tomorrow,
I think the Astros will welcome back to their own lineup.
I would expect Jeremy panielll bat lead off for the
Space Cowboys tomorrow, is expected to play for them again
in I'm not sure how many innings at shortstop, and
potentially make his return to the Astros when they visit

(02:39:46):
Boston this upcoming weekend. Not quite to the extent that
I actually respect the A's offense. The A's probably are
going to lead the Majors and homers this month. They
have one of the best offenses in baseball.

Speaker 6 (02:39:58):
They had four from one guy the other night, But
that's not who the Nationals are. Their records are almost identical.

Speaker 8 (02:40:02):
The A's came in off a losing streak and twenty
games under the Nationals are very same twenty games under.
I don't think they have the quite the same potency
offensively that the Nationals, or that the Athletics do. But
the Astros didn't pitch well or hit well, and that's
why they got clobber the way they did in that
four game series.

Speaker 5 (02:40:19):
Well, the good news is that maybe the Athletics will
play that well at home when they take on the Mariners.

Speaker 8 (02:40:26):
Yeah, there are two teams for the Astros to at
least keep an eye on now that both of them
are only four games back in the Al West.

Speaker 6 (02:40:33):
You mentioned one of those two teams.

Speaker 8 (02:40:35):
Mariners are in West Sacramento to take all the Athletics
late tonight, and the Rangers are in Los Angeles with
Jacob de Grom on the mound to face the La Angels.

Speaker 5 (02:40:45):
And then after this series, the Mariners and Rangers will
play each other. So come on, Astros, you can do
it again.

Speaker 8 (02:40:51):
Take care of your own business, and then in the
series that remain against those two teams, also do that. Yeah,
the magnitude of the importance of those series went up.
If you had a seven game lead when you're playing
the Mariners late in the season with only three games
left against them, they probably aren't going to tie you,
so they aren't going to win the tiebreaker even if
they had won those three games.

Speaker 5 (02:41:09):
Does it matters now, make the sweep over the Dodgers
in LA all the more impressive.

Speaker 8 (02:41:15):
Very impressive, but unfortunately too far back in the rear
view for what they've been doing of late, especially at home.
They've won a ton of games at home, they just
have not recently won much of anything at home. Astros
on deck. That is what we have for you next.
Back at you tomorrow at two o'clock. Another Texans practice
tomorrow morning. For us to reash for you tomorrow afternoon,
right here on the eighteen

Speaker 3 (02:41:36):
The eighteen on Sports Talk seven ninety

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