Astros Take 2/3 vs. Texas, Altuve Heads to IL, Worst WCF Ever

Monday on The A-Team, Adam Wexler and Adam Clanton discuss the Astros' series win over the Rangers, react to Jose Altuve heading to the injured list, weigh in on the Western and Eastern Conference Finals matchups, and more!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, welcome in the A team. Wexac and Josh here

(00:04):
with you. We got more baseball for you till the
rain comes later on tonight in Minnesota, three games followed
by three more games, followed by four more games, the
second ten game road trip of the campaign for the
Houston Astros.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
They'll get a day off in there.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
They'll finally get a day off after thirteen straight days
of baseball, and they leave town after losing a series
to the Mariners three games to one, but most recently
winning a series over the Rangers, but not yesterday, an
eight nothing lost yesterday to the Texas Rangers. Obviously, baseball
is a pretty simple game. You don't score, you can't win,
pretty much like all sports. And they did not score.

(00:42):
And that's happened quite a bit this month. It's happened
a couple times over the course of the season, and
you can thank Goodness for the Los Angeles Angels. If
not for them, the Astros would be the worst offense
in baseball in May. For as good as everybody thinks
they are. When they look at their season long numbers
and remember when they scored the most runs of any

(01:02):
team in March. They have outscored one team this month,
and that is the Angels. They are ahead of the
Angels in the standings, they aren't out of it by
any means in the standings because nobody in the league,
basically outside of the Rays and the Yankees, doing much
of anything yet, and we're almost at the fifty game
mark for your Astros. They'll play game number forty nine tonight.

(01:23):
We'll obviously get into what took place over the weekend
against the Rangers. Two good days of baseball, pitching wise
and offensively, just enough to get those two wins in
a yes, win a series, unable to win a third
straight game, which they have not done since the third
straight or basically the fifth straight win to close out
their home stand, and they haven't swept a series since

(01:43):
that opening homestand of the season. We have four teams
left in the NBA. Unfortunately, the two we did expect
but don't want to see in the Western Conference Finals
will be there beginning tonight with the San Antonio Spurs
and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The winner of that series
will host game one of the end Finals. Two teams
that won over sixty two games. That's already determined. Each

(02:04):
of them with more wins than the two teams in
the Eastern Conference Finals, and that matchup got set last
night with the Cavaliers absolutely embarrassing the Pistons on their
home floor in Game seven. To take that into a
three versus four, calves are four and the New York
Knicks will host them beginning tomorrow night as the three seed.
One of those four teams will be the NBA champion.

(02:27):
If it's Oklahoma City, they will repeat as their best
player repeated over the weekend as MVP of the league.
The vote was announced and he was the overwhelming choice.
We even have some football to discuss, which is pretty
much going to be the story every day. If you
aren't familiar with this program, five o'clock every day, we
have this segment. It's called Football five, and we do

(02:48):
it every day year round because there's always football to discuss,
whether it's on the Texans defensive line or whether it's
the player coming off of the worst performance of his
career getting twenty two plus million dollars from the Steelers
officially today.

Speaker 3 (03:03):
Yeah, we'll get to that. That's pretty uh.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
If you're a Steelers fan and you're in that quarterback purgatory,
dreaded place in your organization's history, or in your fandom,
your fan based them, whatever you want to refer to
it as.

Speaker 3 (03:15):
Yeah's that's underwhelming. I mean it's better than the alternatives.

Speaker 1 (03:20):
I guess he's new QB one. It's no longer Will Howard.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
Like who's out there? That would have gotten you more
excited seeing him.

Speaker 1 (03:29):
They have chosen this path, and the Texans and most
other teams in the league should be appreciative of teams
that choose that path. Their interest in replacing Bent Roethlisberger,
just like the Cult's interests in replacing Andrew Luck has
been virtually zero.

Speaker 2 (03:45):
That's awesome. The cult situation is the only thing you
compare it to, and they listen. I was saying it
last year during the run to start the year, as
Daniel Jones and the Colts were beating terrible team after
terrible team and just looking like absolute frauds, and then
they started playing good teams and before he got hurt,

(04:08):
they were losing those games, and like, if it weren't
for that, those two teams are basically the same. I mean,
they're not mirror images from a roster standpoint, but as
it pertains to the Texans.

Speaker 3 (04:19):
I love this. That's two less teams you've got to
worry about in a loaded AFC.

Speaker 1 (04:24):
It really should be the Colts obviously, if you're unaware
in my opinion at least, and it looks like everybody
else's opinion. That just realized who was on the seventeen
game schedule for everybody, So now they can predict the
season because I guess they didn't know before last Thursday.
Nobody has much faith in the Indianapolis Colts, the difference
between them and the Steelers, just like has been the
case since Roethlisberger left, even without Mike Tomlin this year,

(04:46):
there's a ton of faith in them except for a quarterback.
They have a good enough roster to win and win
in the playoffs, but they don't have a quarterback that
can help them win in the playoffs. And Aaron Rodgers
is no different than any of the other guys once
you get there. They've had Russell Wilson and then they've
had a hodgepodge of reserve caliber players and he's got
three of them there his teammates. So we'll definitely discuss

(05:08):
that too. But we do want to welcome you back
from your weekend, and for those that spent a little
bit of it, Dyke and Park, it was helpful that
the Astros are doing one thing. They aren't falling further away.
Winning only three out of the seven games doesn't sound
like much because it isn't. That means you're still headed
in the wrong direction. But where they are and what

(05:29):
they hope for in terms of players coming back, that
can actually make a difference. Maybe you'll see some more
of that. But we also can't ignore the obvious. When
we left you last, Jose al Tuve was the everyday
second basement and as we sit here today, I assume
the Astros will announce before tonight's pit first pitch that
Jose al Tuve is going to the ten day IL
with a Grade two oblique strain. They're going to activate

(05:51):
Jeremy Panyaon. Presumably he will bat lead off tonight for
the Astros and hopefully for the foreseeable future. He's played
all of ten games this year, and I expect him
to produce a lot more than Altovey had, So maybe
there's not much of a loss other than well, you're
still taking al Tuvey out of the lineup and out
of the clubhouse to a certain extent as a non player.

(06:13):
Maybe we're six weeks away from his return. Jake Myers
had a similar injury. Everybody heals differently, and Jake probably
will also be activated for tonight's game. I told you already.
I don't honestly think that makes a bit of difference
for the Astros. I haven't missed anything defensively, might actually
have gotten better defensively, and I just don't think it

(06:35):
makes much of a difference. I'm not sure what they're
gonna do with Nate Pearson since they used him yesterday
and what should be his final rehab appearance. Dana Brown
yesterday on the General Manager so seemed to indicate they
would pitch him in this series, maybe twice. But I
doubt they're gonna use him today, So I don't know
that they'll bother activating him and sending him up there.
What do they do with Coldy Bolton, who threw fifty

(06:57):
plus yesterday? What do they do with Jayden Murray, who's
obviously the last guy in the in the room from
a pitching staff standpoint. Shay Whitcomb obviously can head back
down to the miners if they need a roster spot there,
and bigger questions remain, what do you do with all
the guys that can't hit? And unfortunately that group includes
front of the line Cam Smith.

Speaker 2 (07:19):
Yeah he is really, I mean, you know, Chandler Rome's
writing entire articles about it, and it.

Speaker 1 (07:25):
Is He's your number one prospect. He really, truly is.
I know how much everybody loves Kevin Alvarez and Nine's
and I do too. This is the number one prospect
in your organization. He's just spent his prospect years playing
for you.

Speaker 2 (07:36):
Yeah. I mean, like, but does sending him down at
this point do more harm than good?

Speaker 1 (07:42):
You never know. I want to say no, because what's
the harm in it? If you can't hit minor league pitching,
then you're really sunk because now he's really mentally broken.
I just feel like I'm being serious. I'm saying that
is the downside.

Speaker 2 (07:54):
Yeah, And that's always I guess the argument in this
kind of situation. Even though this kind of situation I
don't want say it's rare, but it's just not the
usual path. This is super rare. No, But I mean,
if he had all the tools they think I don't,
I'm not It's not the worst organizational decision to say
you're making the opening day roster, You know what I mean?

(08:16):
That's not that in and of itself, is not the
rarest of rare in baseball. It's not normal.

Speaker 1 (08:22):
It's in a very unique, very very small number of
current major leaguers have played fewer minor league games, but
you can count them on one hand.

Speaker 2 (08:29):
Yeah. But in saying that that also, I would think
would give him a ton of confidence. Yeah, a year
and a half ago. Yeah, And so now here we are,
and I just I don't see him going to Triple
A and not Raking. I just don't.

Speaker 1 (08:44):
He's setting down there and they've got options on what
they can do on an everyday basis with Bryce, Matthew,
Zach Cole. Obviously, if Jake Myers is activated, then you
have that option as well.

Speaker 2 (08:54):
There's plenty of things they can do.

Speaker 1 (08:55):
Zach Decenzo looks a little bit more comfortable at the
plate than he ever has before a Major leaguer. And
I only bring up Cam Smith just to point out
the obvious. Everybody can see what his numbers are this
year and know that he kind of slumped towards the
end of his rookie season. A year ago, got a
ton of playing time. Then he's almost been in the
lineup every single day this year. Only recently, with his
continued slump, has he gotten more time away. It's basically

(09:19):
since I guess the country turned what two hundred and
forty nine last year, Since July fourth of last year.
As the lowest batting average in baseball, he's number one.
Nobody's been worse at getting base hits than cam Smith.
Among those who have two hundred and thirty at bats,
he's number one, as in the worst, the least likely
batter to step to the plate and record a base

(09:39):
hit is Cam Smith. And that's going back to July
of last year. So it's basically all of July, all
of August, all of September, all of March and April,
and now half of May. Right that in a long
period of time, right.

Speaker 2 (09:50):
In the midst of that sweep of the Dodgers, he
had to bring up America, bring America into this. It's
just when when I noticed I could make the numbers
look as bad as possible, probably had a hit on
on July third.

Speaker 1 (10:00):
It was for effect. Well, it's just it's it's how
you make the numbers hit home hard and I hate
to do it, but mean remember last year, every every
couple of days during April and May, I'd be sitting
here going the Astro's got to win yesterday home run
from Camp Smith, let's get on the Camp Smith high train. Well,
it's you haven't done that a lot dull at the station.
I don't think we'll ever do it moving forward. But

(10:22):
Twins and Astros. Probably a bullpen day for the Twins
today with Rojas throwing for them. Got stretched out a
little bit in the minor leagues, but it's unlikely he's
going to go deep into this game. And on the
Astros side, I could say the same thing. It's not
because he hasn't been stretched out. I don't know that
the Astro starter can go deep into this game because

(10:44):
his name is Tatsuya Emi.

Speaker 2 (10:46):
All right, you just had to say that name, didn't you,
Right the tail end of the segment, he's four hours
from now, will be in Astros coverage and he's gonna
throw the first pitch on the bottom of the first.

Speaker 3 (10:56):
It's rough time to be an Astros fan right now.

Speaker 2 (11:00):
Al twove, I would say, is the latest Astro or
a mind fans they can no longer have nice things.
So we'll discuss that and some other ASTROS news and
notes when we come back. Best of X is very
gen z friendly. I'll leave it at that, and yeah,
we'll talk a little NBA this hour two as we
get into things on a Monday edition of the program.

(11:23):
The thing is up since I know it never happens
in your house domestically. Uh, you ever get the double
standard in conversations because you can't remember things or because
you didn't write stuff down in a calendar, which you
have actually taken a part in a conversation like that
in a speaker phone call at one point.

Speaker 1 (11:42):
Not as often anymore, because it's pretty common knowledge in
my house that I, for I don't remember everything that
is said, both in conversation and calendar wise.

Speaker 2 (11:52):
Well, I told you that, I know. Just tell me again. Well,
I'm asking her about our our little guys, his little
graduation at his school from first grade on Wednesday. We
have a day game that day that's going to preempt probably,
I don't know, what do you think if it's an hour, yeah,
somewhere in that range. You know what, it could fly

(12:13):
by fast, it could it could preempt us by only
forty five minutes, you know. I just so, I'm trying
to nail down the exact start time so I can
see if I even need to say something to you
about possibly missing a segment, like a segment maybe under
the circumstances.

Speaker 1 (12:31):
Yeah, I don't know how I could possibly manage to
host the Astros tenth th Inic show without you be
less of a d I mean, most share, most of
the people here at the station can handle it.

Speaker 3 (12:42):
I don't.

Speaker 2 (12:42):
Well, maybe I'll find out if I can listen at
their peak of their powers in twenty nineteen or whatever,
for you know, twenty two seventeen, I had I have. No,
it's just not it's a lot.

Speaker 1 (12:54):
Astros complete the three game sweep of the Minnesota Twins.
Welcome into the Astros tenth th Inis Show. They're off
to the final seven games of this road trip and
looking forward to it. Light up the phone lines, That's
what I'll be saying at three to zero six on Wednesday.

Speaker 3 (13:05):
Will you have phone calls?

Speaker 2 (13:07):
Absolutely? Will you have as many phone calls as you
would have if they were ten games over five hundred
or do you think you can get.

Speaker 1 (13:14):
We just did a show during our show last week
right board was lit up for the entire show into
the hour of people.

Speaker 2 (13:20):
Call in more when they lose or things are going
more poorly.

Speaker 1 (13:24):
I think they call in when they're going poorly. But
there's a breaking point, and the astros are dangling on
that breaking point.

Speaker 3 (13:31):
Where apathy sets in.

Speaker 1 (13:33):
Yeah, I mean, if there's no hope, if there's nothing
to shoot for, if there's nothing ahead of you. And
they got two ways that they can combat that. A
they play better or be the fans and have hope
that when Hunter Brown returns, when Jeremy Paynia returns, when
you know insert Josh Hater returns, those three players specifically,
I think should be viewed as difference makers.

Speaker 2 (13:53):
I don't know if there's more.

Speaker 1 (13:54):
I do know there are three, and one of them
is again coming back today Jeremy Payanna. All indicate he'll
be back and back in the lineup. He's had two
different injuries that have kept him away from playing all
but just ten games this year. He's been thirty eight
of their forty eight games currently on the il with
that hamstring, but went for his six days worth of
rehab ended up getting in just a couple of games

(14:15):
because of the sore neck suffered from getting run over
in a baseball game on the base paths while he
was a fielder. But Dana Brown indicated and Joe Spot
indicated over the course of the week it wasn't really
anything that's he's taking with him. He was able to
get in the game Saturday, was with the team, yesterday,
flew with them to Minnesota, and again I expect that
he'll be in the line. That's a difference making player now.

(14:36):
He has to be the same player he was last
year or else. He's not a difference making player. They
need it. They almost can't survive without it. Offensively, I
gave you the sad numbers that this month they have
a as heart of time scoring as anybody else in baseball.
That's not the Angels. Nobody has scored fewer runs than
then this month and then the Astros, other than one team.

(14:56):
So they need to get going offensively, and he certainly
could jump start that. You've seen Joe a Spot a
fiddle with the top of the order for the first
time all year in that yord On Alvarez didn't permanently
stay in the number two spot, did spend a little
bit of time in the three hole. You had a
day off for Esa Perettis. I don't think there's any
ill effects from Christian Walker getting hit in the helmet

(15:17):
for the second time this year. This one was much
more of a glancing blow, but he also, unfortunately and
trying to get out of the way of it, lowered
his head right into the path of it. But later
in the game he was taken out. Jordon Alvarez was
taken out yesterday of their lopsided loss. Those are the
only two players who played in all forty eight games,
so it stood to reason with them heading into game

(15:39):
eleven of thirteen straight days, that maybe you get them
a couple of innings off. Hunter Brown's return is probably
targeting the beginning of June. He is expected to throw
live BP tomorrow and if all goes well there, then
he is probably headed out to a rehab assignment that
probably begins next weekend, and that gets him on the

(16:00):
path to getting ramped up with no setbacks, hopefully for
an early June return, and that puts him in the
same track as Josh Hater. Hater probably has, according to
the ASTROS, five more rehab appearances in order to get
himself prepared to go into the season without any any
slowdowns and hopefully get no setbacks. All three of those

(16:20):
players can be monster difference makers. They currently have a
six man rotation, They don't currently have a reliable closer.
Good signs from Brian Obray who continue. They also don't
feel better the good signs continue, so.

Speaker 3 (16:35):
You feel optimistic, cautiously optimistic.

Speaker 2 (16:37):
How's that?

Speaker 1 (16:38):
I mean by the time we're we're getting a better answer,
Like if he's continued this for three weeks, that's awesome.
Now maybe when you have the lead after six you
can count on Brian King and the seventh, Brian a
Brallion the eighth, and Josh Hater in the ninth, which
is what you were able to do last year. I
don't know how many more games they'll have that. And
this whole time that they've been without Hater, what they've

(16:59):
made is a reliable arm. What they haven't missed is,
oh my god, another Astros win gets snatched away in
the ninth inning because they don't have a closer. They've
had like four games maybe all year, maybe three where
that's happened. That's not the problem, isn't They're losing games
in the ninth inning because they don't have a closer,
because that would mean they have the lead in a

(17:20):
close game in the ninth inning, which has been few
and far between all year long. They just need, they
need more reliable arms. He obviously is that, and then
it trickle pushes everybody back into a much more familiar,
comfortable and over the course of the Brian's respective careers,
they've been very successful in those roles that they're not
currently in.

Speaker 2 (17:38):
Well, I know that he hasn't had his most prolific season,
and those are probably going to be the main first
or the norm moving forward, just because of his advanced age.
But I just feel like, you know, we're talking about
Jeremy Pania and Jake Myers coming back. We're talking about,
you know, circling some sort of date on a soft
target for a Hunter Brown. And oh, by the way,

(18:00):
I was thinking about that, you know, with with jose
Al Tube going down as the latest victim of this
just I don't even know what to call it anymore, witchcraft, voodoo,
bad juju, whatever it is. When are we gonna realistically
see him? Grade two is is worse.

Speaker 1 (18:16):
It's the same thing from a grade standpoint that Jake
Myers suffered Meyer's been out since the eighth of April.
His expected return is either tonight or tomorrow, so beginning
of my last week then al Yeah, five and a half,
six weeks neighborhood of if if it's similar recovery, I mean,
grade two is still gonna be on the lower end
of grade to the higher end of Grade two. Different player,

(18:37):
different age, that's the other part of it. It's you know,
Charles Barkley is a rocket recovering from injury versus you know,
someone in their early twenties.

Speaker 2 (18:45):
It's very different.

Speaker 4 (18:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (18:47):
Uh. And you know Altuve has statistically and over the
years been a quote fast healer. That's not like just
a phrase. He's come back from things. He's played through
things that you know a lot of normal athletes.

Speaker 1 (19:02):
He's been pretty healthy just as a general rule, durable. Yeah,
you know, since he essentially debuted, is their everyday guy.
Part of the twenty one is the age twenty one
season and eleven and then the next year twenty twelve,
he was there every day, second baseman. The games that
he's missed, you know, twenty twenty three obviously he missed
games because he let his hand get hit by a pitch.

Speaker 2 (19:23):
Let it the year before COVID, he did by playing
in that event.

Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yeah, he played in exhibition games before the regular season,
which every player does every single year.

Speaker 2 (19:32):
World Baseball Classic or not. He played extra ones. No,
he played different ones, extra, not extra. He actually played
less spring training. He would have been in normal is
just like everybody else. There are other players that didn't.
Therefore he played in extras. My logic, I love it.

Speaker 1 (19:46):
And then hey, maybe had one other year the year
before COVID where he missed you know, thirty some odd games.
That's pretty much it. He's a thirty plus, you know,
mid thirties player. He's been very durable, he's been very healthy.
You're right, he hasn't had a lot of injuries that
have slowed him down tremendously. This year is going to
be a low games played year because of this. It's
you know, five and a half week's minimum I would

(20:07):
expect if games missed, is a little bit less than
what he's already played. Forty two of their forty eight
he's been out there for, and there's probably the neighborhood
of forty plus games about to be missed by Altuve.
And unfortunately, the oblique injury is not the first of
its kind with the Astros. As we sit here today,
he's not on the IL, but oblique injury Myers is

(20:30):
oblique injury. Diaz is you had an oblique injury earlier
this year with Bennett's SUSA. He's returned and gone back
on the al with an elbow injury. So that's four
different players have had oblique injuries, three position players and
a pitcher that have sidelined them through the first forty
eight games.

Speaker 2 (20:50):
I'm tired of it. I just want a little bit
of health, just a little bit, but we can no
longer have nice things. As I mentioned the best to Altuve.
Hopefully he's back around that target date that I kind
of threw in there, maybe even earlier.

Speaker 3 (21:03):
We shall see.

Speaker 2 (21:04):
But in the meantime, the Astro is trying to battle
back from still ten games under five hundred is they
head out on the road and again you'll have the
opener of that game against the Twins in Minnesota coming
up in just a little bit. Best of X coming
up next. Peyton Manning and one of Peyton Manning's offspring,
they're involved.

Speaker 3 (21:24):
There's audio you'll hear.

Speaker 2 (21:25):
It next this segment. I'm gonna make it happen because
Wex has painstakingly edited the audio. I am not going
to supersede the originally planned topic here, but I do
want to add something.

Speaker 1 (21:40):
A lot of show left. We can always get it in.

Speaker 2 (21:42):
A long way to go a lot of segments. Well,
I just wanted to point out something that is being
offered in a major league ballpark that you and I
would both be interested in. But we'll get that. Peyton
Manning has always been what when it comes to pop culture,
what's the best best word or like a few words
to describe a guy who's done commercials and all along

(22:05):
the way, like very early on. Yeah, I guess not
afraid to poke fun at himself. That's probably self deprecating. Yeah,
there you go. Were you surprised when you watched this
video of him and his daughter going over jin Z terminology?

Speaker 1 (22:23):
Not at all, because I think he's very funny. It's
why he killed on SNL. It's why he's great on
the commercials that he does, because most of them have
some sort of comedic angle to it. It's why he
is usually laughing when they have guests on the Manning
Cast Must see television, especially when Shane Gillis is on
with him and Eli and they're watching an Eagles game
and Shane says, I think one of the Exciting Whites

(22:46):
is going to make the play here, and Eli and
Peyton are stunned, like what oh where?

Speaker 2 (22:51):
This is bad.

Speaker 1 (22:52):
We shouldn't have had him on. This is not gonna
go well, and Shane jumps in. He goes, that's the
name of their podcast. Texans Safety Read Blank and Ship
and Cooper de Jean have a podcast called Exciting Whites.
And they kind of laugh, and you know, Shane's like,
I could see the look in your eyes. You guys
are Peyton said to them, I think you could see
the look in our eyes. We were a little concerned
about where that went. We don't know much about that.

Speaker 2 (23:12):
And then Shane adds to the joke and says, you
guys should start a podcast, call it Dull Whites. Then
they almost fell out of their chairs laughing. That's because
Shane's awesome.

Speaker 1 (23:22):
Right, so they don't mind laughing at themselves. Peyton has
some kids. He actually has twins. This young lady Moseley
has a twin brother. But the Broncos, the Texans and
I'm not sure how many other teams did the right
thing when they put out their schedule release they got
lots of extra footage, whether it's outtakes or this is
just completely different. The Texans have honestly sent out another

(23:44):
three or four schedule release type videos since the Cushing video,
so you definitely should check it out. Some of them
are at least as entertaining, if not more so than
what they have. But she took the microphone and decided
to quiz her old man. I split it up into
two parts. If he knows anything about gen Z terminology,
Like you're driving the kids to go pick up food
or you've taken them to the mall and you hear

(24:06):
him talking and you don't know what they're talking about.

Speaker 5 (24:08):
What is RIZ means that you have a little little style, right, I?

Speaker 6 (24:16):
Bet? I?

Speaker 5 (24:18):
Bet? Is I the first part? How do you spell?
I means all right and bet means yes?

Speaker 3 (24:26):
How about auras?

Speaker 5 (24:28):
This is an awful experience because I have two kids to
say these words a lot. Or it means what was
the first word we talked about?

Speaker 7 (24:35):
Riz?

Speaker 5 (24:35):
Yeah, somewhat in the same realm. You kind of got it.
It's kind of with you.

Speaker 6 (24:41):
And how about sus lo sush.

Speaker 5 (24:44):
That means you kind of suspect, like that's not sure
about that.

Speaker 6 (24:49):
How about sligh of slag means out there just killing
hitting volleyball, hitting bombs in baseball, throwing, throwing post routes
and football, just.

Speaker 1 (25:00):
Can't get away from sports slay. Yes, technically those things
are all right.

Speaker 2 (25:05):
You.

Speaker 1 (25:05):
You might say that to Moseley when she, you know,
hopped off the court from a volleyball match, but you
more likely would Moseley would hear it from a friend
of hers after they got ready to go out, and
she said, girl, you're gonna slay in that outfit.

Speaker 3 (25:21):
Slay queen or something like that.

Speaker 2 (25:23):
Carson brings out sus all the time, especially when talking
about characters on Minecraft. If you don't know that one,
my gosh, how it's pretty self explained. It's the word itself.
You just left off, leave off the last whatever of
any word. So nice job there.

Speaker 1 (25:38):
And again I said, Peyton cannot get away from sports.

Speaker 8 (25:41):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (25:42):
She asked him about a few more things that are
definitely going to drive you into sports, And I kind
of tend to agree with Peyton on a.

Speaker 2 (25:49):
Few of these, and I bet most of you do too, all.

Speaker 9 (25:52):
Right, what about like this slaps?

Speaker 5 (25:55):
No clue, this slaps. This is boring, This is all
I want to leave. This is no good? Is that right?

Speaker 8 (26:05):
No?

Speaker 10 (26:05):
No?

Speaker 2 (26:07):
The answers, all right, how about mid Oh?

Speaker 5 (26:11):
Yeah, it means it's okay, it's just okay, it's not awesome.
It's it's sort of in between. But I'm embarrassing because
I hate that word.

Speaker 2 (26:22):
All right? What about I'm him?

Speaker 5 (26:24):
Another one of my least favorite expressions. I'm the man,
I'm the guy. We should never use it because we're
the team. We about lee? How about i'm wee? Is
that is that better? Can I get that gone? I'm wee?

Speaker 2 (26:41):
I'm weak. We are never going to hear that.

Speaker 1 (26:44):
No, But like I said, he can't get away from
the sports, and I tend to agree. It is very
popular to say it's not quite as bad as goat
because the goat, what does goat stand for?

Speaker 2 (26:55):
Grast of all time? If you're talking.

Speaker 1 (26:57):
About somebody in different sports, by all means, go ahead.
You could have the goat here, and you can have
the goat there. Everybody that plays at a high level.

Speaker 2 (27:04):
In the NBA cannot be the goat.

Speaker 1 (27:06):
Everybody that's a great quarterback in the NFL. They can't
be the goat the greatest of all time. That's the
best one, not a bunch of good ones. So I'm
not on board with that. And you know, people, screw
it's you know, you've won a game with a shot
and your teammates are about to mob you after an
NBA game and you're screaming and beating your chest and
saying I'm him, I'm him. It's very common. I'm I'm

(27:28):
a little bit like Peyton, I'm that regard. I don't
see the need for it. He nailed most of those.
I'm actually shocked that he didn't get slaps slaps it like,
I don't know where he has teenage kids.

Speaker 2 (27:41):
I do as well you do. But I just think
by a virtue of him being around the people he's
around every day in the profession he's in.

Speaker 1 (27:49):
What profession is in entertainment, I mean he's he's just
sitting at the house until they tell him to go
do a commercial, right, I guess. I mean he's literally
sitting at the house when he does the Manning asked,
it's from his house.

Speaker 2 (28:01):
I wonder if he like has to get out of
the house that day just so he cannot look like
he's been sitting there all day to only sit there longer.
It's a nice setup.

Speaker 1 (28:09):
I don't know if you've seen some of the behind
the scenes when they go inside, especially when Eli's putting
the stickers up, or they're drawing up plays or they're
doing stand up, kind of show you how it works.
Taking snaps what they've given them in their respective basements
or extra rooms in their house is awesome.

Speaker 3 (28:27):
I love it, absolutely, the greatest theater room ever.

Speaker 2 (28:30):
Well, now hold on, I'd like to at least put
mine up against that somewhat. Okay, really quick. This is
from the Major League Baseball x account a little over
an hour ago. I don't know how much you see
that on one of your fifty seven tabs. Well, not
very much. Now that I am a destitute non premium

(28:51):
payer of I just wantatch the platform. I won't do it.
I haven't had my columns, all two of them, in
so long. All right, and a friend have nine innings
to complete this at a Diamondbacks game. Who are you
picking to take this on? I left out a small detail.
This is a one hundred and twenty eight ounce nacho bucket.

(29:17):
Now again, it's just a picture that is accompanying this caption.
There's no list of ingredients. You just kind of have
to take a gander at it and see if the
base is loaded. Nachos over in Arizona, as they're called,
do you have the ingredients list nach of you nacho ingredients? Well,
one hundred and twenty eight ounces worth of that, chips, cheese, guawk,

(29:37):
sour cream. Looks like there's some bride black olives, beans, piko, salsa, pico, jalapenos, usual,
usual suspects. Now think about it this way.

Speaker 1 (29:48):
Your typical nacho ballpark purchase, probably smaller size if it's
offered me, because a bunch of different places, especially here
in Houston, offer nachos where it's twelve, it's probably twelve
to sixteen.

Speaker 2 (30:01):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (30:01):
If you're getting it at one of the restaurants that's
in the ballpark, they probably serve it to you in
the big, open, clear container with a top, it's probably
sixteen ounces or so. If you're getting it from the
organization's ballpark concession permanent stands, maybe it's on a little
smaller side, but either way, it's probably sixteen ounces. So

(30:22):
sixteen times eight is one hundred and twenty eight in
your sixteen ounce nacho purchase. What are you concerned about
when you're walking back to your seat and you've begun
eating it. Well, the nachos that aren't on the top
are gonna be soggy, even for my tiny, little two
inch high stack of nachos in this tiny container. Now

(30:45):
you're talking about a bucket maybe half the size of
a paint bucket you might bring back home from Low's
when you've got some work to do at the house,
or your bucket of softballs or baseballs when you're going
to the batting cage. What are the nachos at the
bottom of that going to be like, completely inedible, totally useless.

Speaker 2 (31:03):
You've seen me during during feeding time, as I like
to call it, right, I eat once a day, it's
right after the show. If you get in my way,
it gets serious. I could do this, save for what
you're talking about. I could absolutely, I think put one
of these away. I wouldn't feel great after, but I
could do it. I do think it is a little
bit funny texture thing though that they have.

Speaker 1 (31:24):
It looks like there's probably a protein in there as well,
maybe some chicken. Yeah, they've got a couple of forks
in there, and at some point you do have to
eat the rest of the nachos at the ballpark with
a fork if you really want to scrape the plate clean.

Speaker 2 (31:35):
And I did that.

Speaker 1 (31:35):
I went to the ball game one of the Dodgers games,
sat in the Budweiser one fifty section, got some nachos,
and when I was done with well, somebody else got
the nacho so I got to finish them. And yeah,
I forked the rest of the remaining cheese, chips, other
product that's right the bottom of this. You'd need a
shovel and you'd be peeling it off the bottom.

Speaker 2 (31:56):
It's a texture thing for me that it's not about
not being able to inhale the amount of food.

Speaker 1 (32:02):
I can do that fine, and two, three, four people
all inhaling the same item out of this bucket.

Speaker 2 (32:10):
Gross's that's the second grossest thing I think I've ever seen.
The grossest thing. Teresa had an event one time at
a local bar. It was a Saint Patrick's Day type
of event, so there was themes and there was a
Lucky Charms eating contest in which if you couldn't finish,
someone took over. It's cereal out of a giant bowl.

(32:34):
The one person has been eating repeatedly, double dipping. That's
the concept of cereal eating. And so somebody takes over
that after that, and the milk's not cold anymore. No,
that's I actually had to look away.

Speaker 1 (32:48):
And in the truest sense of what you do on
X when you post stuff and you want some action
on it, you want some activity, you want some likes, responses, comments,
et cetera. They posted a picture of this, said you
got nine innings to complete this, and they ask this question,
who are you picking to take this on?

Speaker 2 (33:04):
So you'd pick me?

Speaker 1 (33:05):
I mean, do they think some people that follow the
MLB account are friends with.

Speaker 2 (33:12):
The undertaker?

Speaker 1 (33:15):
I don't know who else you'd want to suggest, Obviously
Joey Chestnut. I'm not a friend of mine. Maybe a
friend of yours. Maybe it helps.

Speaker 2 (33:22):
Joey Chestnut's a friend of mine on the show, I
have him on end to enjoy that with you. There
you have it, ballpark fiend. Chips at the bottom are
going to be trash. Perfect comment. I'm more annoyed with
who won.

Speaker 11 (33:35):
The Most Valuable Player award or how much everyone is
so upset that Scham's quote broke the news before it
could be officially.

Speaker 2 (33:46):
Announced on one of the dumb studio shows. I can't
decide which one of those things is more annoying and
less important to me, because I don't think that. I
don't think SGA is anywhere near one of the more
popular MVPs in recent memory. I think there's a lot
of backlash against the way he plays the game. But

(34:06):
I also don't understand. Okay, if Woaj had done that,
for example, a few years back, would there be as
much blowback as there is on Sham's right now? I
don't see why not what difference would make Who did it? Well,
remember back in the day, when I guess it was
Adam Schefter was like releasing draft picks thirty seconds to

(34:27):
a minute before they were announced, and then that got curtailed.
Somebody at the league office was like, don't do that anymore.

Speaker 1 (34:31):
You mean somebody at the league office who their partners with,
decided it would help the partners if they would stop
doing that, which is to me almost no different than this. Yeah,
this wasn't The game was not on the NBA network,
NBA TV. They don't have games anymore. They barely have
a network. Right, But it was on one of their
partner's networks, and they specifically schedule these announcements to either

(34:53):
contractually do so because it's part of their contract. And
we get do we get these games? Those games and
we get one of the major announcements. Sure, all that
is in there, but that's part of the partnership they
have with all of these outlets, streaming or otherwise. And
there's no more prestigious announcement than this. And it was
completely unnecessary to watch Taylor in the four studio analysts

(35:17):
unveil the winner and announce it because Sham's had already
done that, do you think and they did comment on
it last night.

Speaker 10 (35:23):
Yeah, clear, the official announcement is happening here, Dirk and Steve,
you all both want MVPs. But I don't remember Sean
spoiling it way back then.

Speaker 3 (35:35):
M what are we doing? Man, It's Sunday, Sean's going
to brunch, come on.

Speaker 1 (35:45):
And I'm sure they all have relationship with him. So
you definitely take that as the inten like big babies.
I mean, I totally I agree with them because this
is you sound like a big baby. Well, think about
what this news is. This is the MVP of the league.
This this isn't Shay's been traded somewhere. This isn't he's
agreed to a contract somewhere. This isn't free agency. This

(36:07):
is a major league award that the league has segmented out. Okay,
we have these players playing in these games. We've already
done our.

Speaker 2 (36:13):
Rookie of the Year.

Speaker 1 (36:14):
We're four announcements this week, Rookie of the Year, Coach
of the Year, six Man of the Year, Comeback Player
of the Year. Then the next week we're gonna announce
this And it's all part of all scheduled around league
programming for a reason, because it's a prestigious announcement you're
breaking the news of. And it also came so far
in advance. Some are wondering why that happened, as somebody

(36:35):
gave it to him. You could be mad at them.
I'm not mad at really anybody for breaking news and
on Draft night it's such major news, even though we're
finding out thirty seconds a minute, two minutes, four minutes,
five minutes in advance. I didn't really mind that as much.
This I think who needs it?

Speaker 2 (36:52):
Like is it?

Speaker 1 (36:53):
And especially from him? And it's the same as Woach.
Oh my god. I thought Sham's was the second best
news breaker, but now since he got this, I think
even more highly of him.

Speaker 3 (37:05):
Not necessary two things here.

Speaker 2 (37:07):
If you don't want him to do this, then there
needs to be some sort of official league rule in
place where you can I even know if that's possible.

Speaker 1 (37:14):
Yeah, I mean how many different people do you have
to get to to make sure it doesn't happen? Oklahoma
City has been notified SGA is aware of it. They're
ready to link him up for an interview. Somebody within
the organization is planning a big surprise announcement because the
league has told them.

Speaker 2 (37:29):
How do you prevent it from happening?

Speaker 1 (37:30):
If you want all those things to be a part
of it, I mean, maybe you announce it and you
say we're hoping to connect with SGA sometime tonight during
our two games or our one game that we're broadcasting,
rather than have him sitting there are the announcement and
here's SGA. Because clearly that means enough people know to
help set that up, and some of those enough people
knows told chums.

Speaker 2 (37:50):
This reminds me of when there are spoilers for like
wrestling pay per views, but that's scripted, so it's a
little different.

Speaker 3 (37:58):
The other thing is, though, I just.

Speaker 1 (38:00):
Think the league is scripted yet, like when they put
out the announcement of Calves versus Nicks before Game seven
was played.

Speaker 2 (38:07):
Don't run that commercial and those things don't happen. People
gotta be prepared, can't wait to officiates these games to
just feed into that. But yeah, I just think that.
And oh, by the way, this has nothing to do
with it. But I wonder if did you think this
was any really semblance of a surprise or did you
pretty much think he was a shoe in. I thought
he would win.

Speaker 1 (38:28):
I was always curious about the margin of victory. We'll
get into that a little bit, because it was a very,
very landslide type of vote. He won the great, great
majority of the vote. Get into that, get into the
matchup obviously that series begins tonight, and get back into
the Astros as they hope to get better, as they're
getting worse health wise.

Speaker 2 (38:48):
The straight up three o'clock in most places in the building,
that's a little inside joke. It is the a team
Sports Talk seven ninety SCN SIMULCAF is underway. That means
it's our number two of a Monday edition of the program.
He's wex I may see. Josh Jordan is our producer
as we take you up into Astros on deck coverage

(39:10):
at the bottom of the five o'clock hour. They are
going to be in Minnesota for the opener of a
three game set as they head out on the road.
And by the way, if they go ten and zero
on this trip, they'll be back to five hundred. That's
my favorite thing that Brian McTaggart tweeted over the weekend.
It is it's been tough sledding. I'll say this, the
weekend went a lot more positively than I thought it would.

(39:34):
And credit to the Astros for doing what they did,
which was obviously not just hitting timely, especially during Saturday's game,
but they pitched well.

Speaker 3 (39:43):
In fact, they pitched.

Speaker 2 (39:44):
Well into the latter regions of yesterday's game.

Speaker 1 (39:48):
And Peter Lambert took a no hitter into the fifth inning.
Peter Lambert left the mound in the seventh inning, having
allowed only three hits on the day, unfortunately, left with
the bases loaded and Cody Bolton's probably I understand why
he was in the game. I hate it that it's
a guy who doesn't throw enough strikes, and he got
behind the very first hitter, and all of a sudden,
when he left the mound after recording the three outs
in the seventh inning, they were down seven to nothing.

(40:10):
Because all three of those runners scored, and two more
scored that Bolton had put on bass, he gave up
three hits and all of a sudden, a nothing Pitchers
duel was a seven to nothing laugher, and again at
two nothing, it would have ended the same way.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
The Astros never scored. Yeah, Wex mentioned at the very
start of the show that if you don't score, you
can't win games.

Speaker 3 (40:28):
I don't know if you guys know that or were
aware of that.

Speaker 1 (40:31):
Not a real game and the other team could forfeit. Technically,
I think that awards you a one nothing victory. But
if a game is played and you take swings and
try to run the bases, if you ever reach them,
it behooves you to touch the paystation.

Speaker 2 (40:44):
There's ties in soccer. Yeah, there are scoreless ones, a
lot entertaining ones.

Speaker 3 (40:49):
By the way, I.

Speaker 2 (40:51):
Mean, I know this is never I know this has
never happened. There could be a scoreless tie in the
NFL technically couldn't there?

Speaker 1 (40:57):
Absolutely, that's so bad, nothing, nothing going on, overtime, ten
more minutes of no scoring, you're tied at zero.

Speaker 2 (41:02):
Absolutely, Why do I feel like the Texans with their defense,
could be a part of something like that?

Speaker 1 (41:07):
How many shutouts did they have last year?

Speaker 2 (41:09):
Zero? I know it's not that easy.

Speaker 1 (41:12):
What especially as the new kickoff rules, you're that usually
that sometimes that much closer to scoring right when you
get the ball.

Speaker 2 (41:19):
Well, I wanted to do something today with what's going
on in the Houston sports landscape where I just basically
talk about how Houston is just it's a miserable place
to root for sports right now. And here's why. Even
though the Texans I think, are like lapping the field
as far as what they've got going for them, promise,

(41:43):
I mean, we can't. You can't talk about a team
that's not playing as far as how well they're doing
in the grand scheme of things in the sports landscape,
but you can talk about all the things they've got
going for them. And I just feel like, right now,
on May eighteenth, twenty twenty six, the Houston Texans have
a whole lot more going for them than either of
the Rockets or especially the Astros, even though the Astros

(42:03):
the only team's playing right now.

Speaker 1 (42:04):
Who can win a championship? Yeah, that's what you just said. Yeah,
And it's as simple as that. The Texans can.

Speaker 2 (42:10):
Can.

Speaker 1 (42:11):
I envision a scenario where the Texans played the twenty
twenty sixth season, reached the playoffs, win two or three
games in the AFC playoffs, and reach the Super Bowl
and become out victorious.

Speaker 2 (42:21):
I absolutely can. I could have done that last year.
It's not far fetched.

Speaker 1 (42:24):
It's completely far fetched when you're talking about either of
the other teams, especially on the baseball side, clearly because
of the record, clearly because of the difficulty in it.
It's hard enough to win in baseball when you think
you have the best team. It's really really hard to
win in baseball in the playoffs when you know you
don't have the best team. And the year they made
the playoffs with Joe Spotta, they did not have the
best team or even close. Obviously the year they missed

(42:45):
the playoffs, that's why they missed the playoffs because they
really probably didn't even have a top ten team in
Major League Baseball, and now they're in the bottom ten
in Major League baseball, and the Rockets aren't close to
winning a championship. They have not won a playoff series
with the guys make up their team.

Speaker 2 (43:00):
I don't know what would have happened had they had
made the postseason, but if they had been, they had
a lot of star power on the shelf last year.
You know that wasn't playing. You're not on Alvarez not
being a factor at all. That matters every day.

Speaker 1 (43:14):
During the last seven games, Payne, you could be back.
Maybe we'll see about Alvarez.

Speaker 5 (43:21):
Now.

Speaker 1 (43:22):
If you win the division by performing well against Seattle,
you also buy yourself another week. Because the first game
of the division series would not have been until after
the wild card teams took care of their business. You
would have had four or five more days of maybe
seeing somebody return.

Speaker 2 (43:39):
Yeah, I just I can't look at that team and
this team the same in that manner. But it just
hasn't felt right from the start this year.

Speaker 1 (43:49):
Well, I started the year losing the first two games
to the Angels, then had a five game winning streak. Obviously,
their record since then is awful, and the fact that
they have not even put three straight wins together since
that point in time should tell you about all you
need to know about the team's performance. All you need
to know about who they have is what's sitting on
what could be. Yesterday when they entered play, they had

(44:09):
fourteen players on the injured list. I couldn't even tell
you what that number is going to be when they
enter play tonight. I assume Altuve will be on it
because they know he can't play. I assume Jeremy Panie
will be off of it. I don't know for sure
that Myers is activated today. I do know that he
got sixteen at bats and his four games played as
in his minor league rehab. I know he's coming in

(44:29):
hot because he got a hit in his last at bat, thankfully,
or else he would have gone oh for sixteen.

Speaker 2 (44:35):
Yeah, baseball is a game of streaks, good and bad
and it. But right now, it just like we're talking about, Okay,
Jeremy Pania right around the corner, Jake Myers, right around
the corner. And you even said in the last hour,
I don't know how much it matters from a defensive
standpoint when it comes to Jake Myers.

Speaker 1 (44:54):
I don't I personally don't think it matters at all.
I hope Jake Myers comes back, plays every day, shows
that he's healthy, has a few hits, and they move him.

Speaker 2 (45:02):
Geez, that that sentence right there just encapsulates the twenty
twenty six astros.

Speaker 1 (45:07):
And again, for what I get it, you're trading him
away because you don't want a dfame. You're trading him
away because somebody's sixth best reliever is available. They need
some help offensively. They've got a surd plus a reliever
who knows and by no means saying that Bryce Matthews
is your center fielder of the future. The second you
trade Jake Myers away, you don't have a centerfielder of
the future. If Bryce Matthews is gonna play every day

(45:28):
at second base, which I assume he is without Twovey's absence, well,
your new everyday center field or the third different one
you've had this year, will be either Jake Myers if
it's him, so back to him, or Zach Cole, who's
been getting the starts in center field while Matthews has
been playing other positions, presumably and most recently a second base.

(45:48):
It's just that they need they need something from somebody offensively.
I brought it up earlier that their offense is doing nothing.
They can't score runs against anybody. The Rangers have a
good pitching staff, but what happened this weekend offense was
not new to the month. They're they're averaging less than
three runs a game for the month. They've had a
ten run game against Cincinnati, and they're still averaging just
two point seventy five runs per game. Jordan Alvarez clearly

(46:11):
has slowed this month, so has Christian Walker, not to
the point that they're not still a little bit productive,
but almost nobody else. I mean, Braiden Schoe make's the
third best hitter. And I'm not even looking for anybody
to debate me, nor should you be, because it's true
and it's wild. That's what their offense is right now.

Speaker 2 (46:28):
Statistically speaking, it is unfortunately accurate.

Speaker 1 (46:31):
Well, they put a bunch of guys in the lineup
every day that are hitting around two hundred with ops
is all below seven hundred. They strike out too much
because all these young hitters, Cam Smith, Bryce, Matthew, Zach Cole,
they are kings of the swing and miss. It's just
who they are right now. And if two like Jake
won't swing and miss quite as much probably, and that
could help you know, maybe you're sending a runner over

(46:52):
to third base on a ball hit behind him, maybe
you're bleeding one through the infield.

Speaker 2 (46:56):
I wish he still had power.

Speaker 1 (46:58):
He doesn't, so I'm not sure sure what he provides
for you, because I'm still I think I've said it
like five times and I can't even think of a
different phrase. I am blown away by how awesome Bryce
Matthews is. As a defensive player in center field, a
position he really does not know and has barely played
in his life, he is unreal great instincts, great jumps,

(47:18):
great ability to close on the ball he's making. He's
doing what Jake Myers used to do, making these difficult
catches look easy. And if he can do that with
a better arm, well, if he can hit a little bit,
rather see him out there. Yeah, he also gets thrown
out stealing bases, just like Jake.

Speaker 2 (47:35):
But he's got speed.

Speaker 1 (47:37):
He didn't yesterday when they he had a leadoff single
and they had to strike him out throw him out
to open up the game. It's gonna happen, though it
shouldn't happen as often as it does. He's not from
the AL two Bay school of base running at least, No,
he took off when he was supposed to. He dropped
out of the school, I hope. So if at your
speed and I'm not saying it's a bad bass run,

(47:58):
that probably don't want to see that. That happened with jord
On Alvarez. I mean, he doesn't normally swing and miss
so I understand why you sent him, but kind of
took you out of an opportunity there. And they didn't
have too many They had base runners, sure, but another
day where extra bassist hits were very hard to come by.
They had one yesterday against the Rangers. Rangers have a
good pitching staff.

Speaker 2 (48:17):
Yes, Astros also had a good pitching staff through the
first twenty four innings of the series. Yeah, Lambert is
that's such a deceptive final stat line everything that comes
with it.

Speaker 3 (48:31):
Yeah, because he's been he's been good.

Speaker 1 (48:33):
Yeah, watch the games if you want to know how
he pitched. And I could be in a small group,
but I don't think I should be. He pitched the
same way he has all year. He was great, He
was fantastic, got his swings and misses, thirteen more whiffs
on his outing, only gave up three hits. He was fine,
he got into trouble and they did not have him
try to finish it. They went to a bullpen arm
as he was into the nineties with his pitch count.
I'm not worried about how he threw the baseball. He

(48:54):
pitched into the seventh inning for the third time. That's
the best time anyone in this uniform has done this year.

Speaker 2 (49:00):
Yeah, unfortunately that's where they're at, but that's absolutely the case.
And then he had what Spencer Arighetti did the other night.
That was I wanted that for him so bad.

Speaker 1 (49:11):
He's done it twice through six talking about spinning a
no hitter into that point of a game, and it
shows you he has that kind of Usually you need
some swing and miss, and I'm glad he pointed it
out so often after the game you usually need defense.
They must have had six plays that were no hitter quality.

Speaker 2 (49:27):
Plays, stational defensive plays behind him, and that's what you need.
It's what he got for the most part. But you'll
take the victory every single time. And at least they
won the series. I know, small consolation, all right. The
worst possible Western Conference Finals ever is upon us. It

(49:48):
begins tonight, and while we're kicking Rockets fans in the crotch,
something else happening in the Eastern Conference. There's a whole
lot of Houston sports misery still to come here on
a one day edition of the show. The Western Conference
Finals gets underway tonight, and I have never wanted both

(50:09):
teams to lose more than I do right now.

Speaker 1 (50:12):
Yeah, I think at this point we're left with four teams.
I kind of think it's difficult to come up with
any other conclusion.

Speaker 2 (50:20):
We're Knicks fans, absolutely, we're Knicks fans.

Speaker 1 (50:23):
So Nix and Cavs will start tomorrow. We'll get we'll
get into that as we continue. Let me ask you
a question that'll ease you into this SGA versus Victor
Wembinyama extravaganza. We'll see at least four times, probably five,
six or seven MVP SGA Defensive Player of the Year Victor.

(50:46):
It's the third time this century that's happened in either
the conference finals or the NBA Finals. So the previous
two times, you're pretty smart usually know these things. Geez,
Jordan did it with Peyton saying this century, but I'll
give you the others. Jordan six Jordan and Rodman Byrd
and Moncreef, Moses and Moncreef. So this century, it happened

(51:08):
in two thousand and eight, it happened in two thousand
and nine, and now it's happening again. So the other
two previous matchups were who two thousand and eight and
two thousand and nine conference finals or.

Speaker 2 (51:18):
Later two thousand and eight and two thousand and nine.

Speaker 1 (51:23):
One of these players will be participating in the Big
Three this year, and the he was the Defensive Player
of the Year in two thousand and nine. He went
up against the league MVP that year, Kobe currently active.

Speaker 2 (51:36):
Oh oh, never mind.

Speaker 1 (51:37):
Kobe did against KG in two thousand and eight.

Speaker 2 (51:39):
Okay, that was one I was thinking of.

Speaker 1 (51:41):
Lebron did it against Dwight in the finals Orlando and
Cleveland Conference finals, Conference finals.

Speaker 2 (51:46):
Right, and now.

Speaker 1 (51:48):
SGA and Victor So two sixty two win teams, two
teams that clearly were the best teams in the league
and the best teams in the West. Everything that you
should have as an NBA entity, exactly. This is exactly
what we want to put on the Marquee. This could
not be any better for viewership, for eyeballs, for the

(52:09):
league's growth, for the expand every single thing about that
should be great, and you're gonna have a segment's worth
of why you don't don't think it is, and it's
hard to blame you.

Speaker 2 (52:20):
Well, I just I get a kick out of the
fact that we already know Okac's act, and we already
know SGA's act as the MVP. He's already making comments
after winning it that make you like him even less.
I mean, I'm coming for Jordan, you know, respectfully, it's
right around the corner, all that kind of stuff, like
I'm sorry, free throw merchant, but your style of that

(52:41):
style of basketball is like the most turn off a
ball I have seen in I don't know people. Now,
I understand why people outside of Houston hated James Harden,
But take James Harden's game where you thought he was
baiting for foul shots and put it on the most
anabolic ultimate war or your whole Cogan macho man steroids combined,

(53:03):
and you've got SGA. He doesn't do anything particularly sexy,
he doesn't do anything that's particularly wow. He makes shots
at appeal. There's a billion other guys, don't though, KD
these people. I'm making shots? Who cares about the percentages? Well,
that's what I'm talking about. You're asking me if I

(53:23):
think he's appealing to watch because he makes shots, and
he's not because all these other things over here completely
take away from that.

Speaker 1 (53:29):
Again, I'm not really saying that he is doing something
at a level that pretty much no guard, no one
cares about it. You're that I agree that that's perfectly.

Speaker 2 (53:38):
The problem for the league. And when once they realize
that maybe they'll change something about how he's official.

Speaker 3 (53:43):
They usual, Well, I hope they do.

Speaker 2 (53:45):
They have.

Speaker 1 (53:45):
I mean, James is the perfect example. And that's why
we keep bringing his name up. They did change the
rules because they didn't want their league to have more copycats,
and I hope we don't see any copycats of this act.

Speaker 2 (53:55):
Oh be awful. It's just I mean, but you know,
I I just they're so gung ho about changing the
draft and the lottery so that they can fix tanking
right now that it's hard for them to get to
the fifty other things they need to that are wrong
with the league. And why casual fans can they completely too?
If I'm a fan right now and this is coming

(54:16):
from one of the most diehard lifelong NBA fans. Ever,
and I've got a choice between watching this Western Conference finals,
for example, or I don't know any hockey game on
and I don't even know the rules. I'm going hockey
every single time right now, cause it's not it's not
going to feel to me like it's rigged or however
you want to describe it.

Speaker 1 (54:35):
What what would make you think people are into this series?
Because I don't think the I think it's an unanswerable question. Yeah,
Like I can't sit here and say, well, I'll tell
you what the ratings are. Look at how many people
streamed it, right, look at this because I don't think
you'll buy it or you don't even believe in it,
which is very fair. I'll tell you how what would
make you think people aren't turned off by this? I'm

(54:56):
not saying it's going to work out that way.

Speaker 2 (54:57):
I'm just curious they're a resident of San Antonio or
Oklahoma City, that's it.

Speaker 1 (55:01):
No, I mean I mean after the fact, I mean
after the series gets played and we know how many
people are talking about whatever watching it or things like.

Speaker 2 (55:08):
That, When whoever comes out of this series is in
the NBA Finals and you feel like it was the
lesser of two evils, Like can the games be entertaining?

Speaker 3 (55:16):
Maybe, But here's the problem.

Speaker 2 (55:18):
Here's the other part of that that I wanted to
get to about this particular matchup. You had the guy
who didn't win the MVP telling everyone that the reason
he should have won the MVP was in part because
he beat this other team. That's just that's a lot
to swallow for anybody who's not a fan of his team.
But then you had that same guy talking about ethical

(55:40):
basketball with regards to this other team they're about to
play as he flopped his way and elbowed his way
throughout the second round of the postseason and single handedly,
in my opinion, take everyone aside from on the Spurs
roster besides Victor wimbin Yama.

Speaker 3 (55:56):
If you were one of those.

Speaker 2 (55:57):
People that was like, oh man, I'm for the Spurs,
if for no other reason, then they're going to get
rid of this cancer that is the Oklahoma City Thunder
style of basketball, well one series is all it took
to turn a lot of those people off of that.
Because of how he conducted himself on and off the
floor against the last series against the Timberwolves.

Speaker 1 (56:18):
They have enough offsetting that, because I don't think their
style of play him excluded is a turnoff in any way.

Speaker 3 (56:24):
Take him out, they're actually fun to watch.

Speaker 2 (56:26):
Well.

Speaker 1 (56:26):
He also doesn't play as much as most stars, even
in the playoffs. They've been afforded because they.

Speaker 2 (56:30):
They know the Minnesota film. Eventually, I've been.

Speaker 1 (56:32):
At the beginning of the series when it didn't look
that way. When they're down oh one, things were a
little different. He also got a whole game off at
his own request, and uh Nosreed's face. The voters said
this pretty loudly, whether you want to buy into it
or not. There's one hundred votes for MVP. Five of
them thought Victor was the MVP of the league. Victor

(56:53):
thought he was the MVP of the league for some
of the reasons you just mentioned. Because if you're, you know,
putting me against him SGA, and there's only so many
ways that he is above me, and there's a bunch
of ways where I'm above him. Well, why can't the
equalizer or scale tilter be the fact that we played
him all those times and beat him all those times.
It wasn't a close season series. It was lopsided in

(57:14):
our favor, which I helped to show everybody, but only
five people had him first. Only ten people had Jokic first.
Eighty three people had SGA first. It was pretty overwhelming.
Doesn't mean they're right or wrong, but a big and
I do think for the most part, with some of
the international voters, some voters from TV, some print everywhere else,

(57:36):
that's about as good as you could hope for now.
I don't know that we all agree that they should be,
even the people voting, because of what we know it
does for contracts and things like.

Speaker 2 (57:44):
That person that voted him fourth, was that the same
person that voted Victor Wembinyama first. There's somebody that voted SGA.

Speaker 1 (57:49):
There's only four people that got first place votes, So
whoever voted SGA fourth had Yokich, wemban Yama, and Kad
Cunningham as the top three because they're the only the
only way you could produce somebody who could even get
to fourth. Yet I have three people ahead of him.
I take that back. You could have done it a
couple of different ways, but I don't really have an
issue with that either.

Speaker 2 (58:09):
That's why we have one hundred voters. Yeah, that person's
probably not voting on narrative, they're voting.

Speaker 1 (58:15):
In ninety six people had SGA first or second out
of one hundred.

Speaker 2 (58:19):
Yeah, he was hands down the I mean, he's not unanimous,
but he was pretty close.

Speaker 1 (58:24):
It's it is funny why I brought up something very
specific on SGA, because I thought it stood out. And
we shot fifty five percent overall from the field. His
effective field goal percentage was just under six hundred. If
you look at some of the per game numbers, even
some of the counting numbers, can he He and Luca
didn't play that dissimilar number of games. He actually only

(58:46):
played Luca by four games, but probably played fewer minutes
because he was sitting fourth quarters. Luca was crushing every game.
All the numbers except for his, basically his two.

Speaker 2 (58:57):
Point percentage, they're either very close or Luca's statistically I
saw graphic today, but value to the team and all
these other aspects.

Speaker 1 (59:06):
I would not have voted Luke over him. I would
have voted SGA.

Speaker 2 (59:09):
Scoring was Luca, Rebounding was Jokic. I believe assists might
have been Jokic or another category. I can't remember which
of the candidates of or of just these people led them.
Everything you've said is correct. Steele's per game was stuh Luca?
Was it really? Yes?

Speaker 1 (59:29):
Remember we had our Luca the defensive Player nonsense discussion.

Speaker 2 (59:33):
And there was there was one other statistical category, but
none of those leaders were SGA. And then at the
bottom of the graphic it was like MVP obviously SGA.
It's those are all It's all true. Yeah, And you
don't have to lead the league in statistical categories in
order to win this award. And we have obviously over
the years talked about the fact that NBA and specifically

(59:55):
the the voters for awards like this, well not only
vote on narratives. They'll move the goalposts. However, they need
to to get the guy they want that they're voting for,
and who is that narrative for whatever given season it
is to get that award. And I think that probably
cheated James Harden out of not one, but two MVP

(01:00:16):
awards along the way. I mean, we didn't even get
to the fact that James Harden is back to a
conference final before the Rockets after he threw a grenade
on the franchise and walked away. But we can save
that for another segment. As we had something else planned
to get to here. I'll tell you what, Like, I

(01:00:39):
think that we know what screw that I will get
to the Rockets and James Harden. I think that first
of all, this report that Amen Thompson may or may
not be getting that max deal. We talked about this,
I can't remember what you can't what conclusion you gave
to you thought they would end up maxing him? Yep.

Speaker 1 (01:01:01):
I think if they don't offer him a max, he
will not be agreeing to a contract extension.

Speaker 2 (01:01:07):
Yeah. So that's the part of it that I just
don't I'm like, that's fine if you want to do
the rafel Stone thing where you get your players that
you're giving new contracts to to agree to terms that
are lesser than the full whatever the max contract offer
you can give them is I just don't know how
you're going to get amend to do that. With Jalen

(01:01:27):
and Shingoon, it was a least understandable.

Speaker 1 (01:01:31):
I mean, you could make the very same case for
a mend. Don't you think, Well, you just can't shoot
a big deal. Yeah, it's a big deal. I mean
he's still one of the best. Very badly if you
take that tact and Ultimately, someone in the room, presumably
on the other side of the table, says, I mean, okay,
I mean maybe that's a little harsh.

Speaker 2 (01:01:49):
At least you're not a sar.

Speaker 1 (01:01:52):
Like I think a SAR might be a better defensive
player than amend maybe, but it's very close. A sarwar
makes a men look like an offensive wizard. Yeah, I
mean he's And maybe it has a little bit to
do with the offenses they play in and how they're used,
because if I imagine if a men was asked to

(01:02:12):
play offense like us are, he would not be scoring
nineteen points per game because he's They said, this is
a why we's wasting him. He can't shoot. We don't
want him to so and do you know who I'm
talking about yet, Well, I'll fill you in. Both teams
say that. One team doesn't want him to touch the
ball on offense, that's Detroit. The other team says, but

(01:02:34):
he's so good from eight feet in that would be
a waste to not utilize that. And when we are
playing guard, when he was playing point guard. I I'm
not a genius, I promise you I'm not. I thought
the injury to Fred when it was first learned of
and the likelihood of where they were headed that before
we'd heard word one from Houston about what their plans were.

(01:02:55):
I said, I don't want to see him and Thompson.
That's a point guard of this team. That takes him
away from the best thing that he does to help
you win. I'm glad to see that part of his
game developed. I'm not saying that's something that should last forever,
but I don't really want to see a whole lot
of that this year, and for the first part of
the year. I don't know what game you want to
pinpoint it at. That's where he was and that's why
his numbers weren't what they turned out to be at.

Speaker 3 (01:03:17):
The end of the year.

Speaker 1 (01:03:17):
He clearly has flaws in his game. He would be
the first to acknowledge that, which is why I don't
know how off I can't believe how often he gets
stuck with the grenade at the end of these shot clocks.
I know why the defense wants it, but you shouldn't
let the defense dictate that to you. So, yeah, you
could sit in your meeting and that could come up,
and if you were saying, Jalen, you could understand why Yeah,

(01:03:38):
Jalen was an exceptionally inconsistent scorer. For your number one
scorer in jump shooter, he was not good enough to
be that. And Alperh and Shingun and Jabari Smith Junior.
We could run down all the parts of their game
that are not where they probably should be at the
time they reached an agreement on their extensions, let alone
where they should be now a men in all realities,

(01:03:59):
no different. He just does so many things well that
it helps you in basketball games even without that. And
I think he's definitely not getting worse. I think everything
else he does for this team and it suggests that
those areas of his game are going to be getting
nothing but better. And on top of that, he's on
the floor more than anybody in the NBA. Zero players

(01:04:20):
in the NBA played more often than he did. He
was number one.

Speaker 2 (01:04:23):
Yeah, we would constantly look up at the box score
at the end of games and see that he had
played thirty eight thirty nine forty forty one minutes and
just I mean, he got beat up in a lot
of these games. He's playing those kinds of minutes, but
he was also doing a whole lot of beating up
of the opposition. I say that because he is, in

(01:04:44):
my opinion, by far, the best thing to come of
Harden dropping, said Grenade on the organization. He blew it
up before it was blown up. He accelerated the process.
It was going to be blown up no matter what.
Even if he stayed, he was not going to stay.
He could have stayed, and they could have traded him,
I guess more on their terms. It wouldn't have made

(01:05:06):
any difference. Gonna they didn't get a Did they get
a bad return for him? No?

Speaker 3 (01:05:11):
So I don't really like. Yeah, he left of picks.

Speaker 2 (01:05:14):
Here's the deal, though, if if if d'An TONI and
Maury in that order, by the way, don't leave first,
does James Harden do what he did? Does Russell Westbrook
do what he did? Because that did happen before James
Harden showed up in his fat suit and demanded a

(01:05:34):
trade out of here. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:05:35):
Those games that were played were obviously games that he
didn't want to even play in. And then eventually he said,
well this isn't gonna work and I'm out, and so
they ultimately moved him. I thought it had run its course,
and I thought they would be like It's hard to
move on from a player that's that talented, and he
clearly was very close to his prime still if not
actually still in it, So moving on from him doesn't
seem like it would make sense. Like, you're the team,

(01:05:57):
we have one of the best five players in the league.
Why don't we want him?

Speaker 2 (01:06:00):
You want him here?

Speaker 1 (01:06:01):
So he did have to force his way out, so
I wouldn't really put that on them, But he is now.

Speaker 2 (01:06:05):
In the Eastern Conference Finals and he's teammates with a
guy a lot of Rockets fans wish rafel Stone had
taken instead of Jalen Green with the number two overall pick,
Evan Mobley. I think that's why the whole kick in
the crotch thing comes full circle for this both Eastern
Conference and Western Conference final matchups.

Speaker 1 (01:06:23):
I mean, two of the teams that are there benefited
from the Rockets on draft day. Stefan Castle is a
Spur because the Rockets took Reed Shepherd among the other
two teams that went one two with two other players,
and Evan Mobley is a Cavalier essentially because Jalen Green.
So I don't think anybody was saying that the Pistons
should have taken Mobley. Everybody knows the Piston should have

(01:06:44):
taken Cad and they did.

Speaker 2 (01:06:45):
And Men Thompson is only a Rocket because the lottery
balls didn't go the Rockets way, they went the Spurs way. Again.

Speaker 1 (01:06:53):
Yeah, but that's different. Well, that's not a team they
picked making a choice to leave a better player as
it turns out on the board.

Speaker 2 (01:07:01):
Yeah, but if the Rockets got that number one overall pick,
they they definitely take Wmbanyama. And then if you redraft
that draft, does a Men go second? I can if
you do a redraft, yes, I don't. I don't have
it in front of it. Also doesn't matter.

Speaker 1 (01:07:13):
If the Rockets win the lottery and draft one ban Yama,
then we would still be working one hundred percent chance
of that, we would still be calling games on the
radio here on Sports Talk seven ninety one hundred percent.
sEH n would still be doing postgame shows, no question
about it.

Speaker 2 (01:07:28):
It's just a very very bitter pill to swallow, especially
if you want to go to Texas Route and you
look up the road and you see, well, the Mavericks
are gonna get Kyrie Irving back and add him with
Cooper Flag and all of a sudden you're feeling like
if they don't do something this offseason to change things
like drastically. And I don't just mean well, Fred's gonna

(01:07:49):
be hooty, Like you can't just sit around and think
that and think that things are going to be different.
As a matter of fact, I don't know that you're
the fifth seed next year. If you do that, it's
probably pretty.

Speaker 1 (01:07:59):
Cool with everybody after San Antonio and Okay, see, I
don't think there'll be a tremendous amount of difference, just
like there was this year.

Speaker 2 (01:08:05):
And again fifth seed seeding you know, in the West
doesn't matter as much these days because of those two
teams you just mentioned.

Speaker 1 (01:08:11):
Yeah, the Spurs will hit the court in this series
and then again next year with one number one overall
pick that matters greatly for them. The MAVs will do
that next year with two number one overall picks Cooper
Flag and Kyrie Irving, and the Rockets will do that
with zero don't have any Yeah, that's awesome. I love

(01:08:31):
that the Spurs, you know, because I feel bad for
the Spurs. They didn't get nearly enough luck the first
time around when they sat a healthy David Robinson and
got Tim Duncan. Well this luck came from a coin flip.
Rockets and Spurs same record.

Speaker 2 (01:08:43):
I really hate them and I hope they lose, but
I hope the thunder loose two how eight team continues here.
Sports Talk seven ninety s HN on a Monday edition
of the program.

Speaker 1 (01:08:57):
Considering the lineup is out and Jeremy Paine in it
and he's been activated.

Speaker 2 (01:09:02):
Oh good, because I was wondering after seeing the lineup
if that had been the case. Uh leading off? Of course,
Wam's making sure he's your leadoff hitter, so he should
lead off. There you go.

Speaker 3 (01:09:16):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (01:09:17):
I want to continue our theme sports misery here in
Houston because even though I said what I said about
the Texans, what did I say? They are the leader
in the clubhouse when it comes to momentum, promise, championship caliber, worthiness.

Speaker 1 (01:09:33):
There's nobody else in the clubhouse by themselves. I mean,
I'm serious. Unfortunately, it is unfortunate. That's the whole point
of this whole hour, the Houston sports misery. Like you
cannot get the training camp faster. That's not miserable. Why
what's so great about things right now? Outside of the
tex You're making it sound like it's miserable for both
of the other two teams. I think that's even a

(01:09:53):
stretch for the Astros. It's obvious it's not much of one,
if you even agree with me. But miserable in the
NBA is only that you're really good, you're just not
quite good enough.

Speaker 2 (01:10:04):
Like it's not.

Speaker 1 (01:10:05):
The Rockets aren't miserable. They're back to back fifty two
win team. They probably should have won two postseason series,
and they've lost both somehow. Injuries clearly played a huge
role in this one. They didn't in the year before.
Kevin Durant's on a fifty some odd win Rocket team.
I don't think it's miserable.

Speaker 2 (01:10:23):
Did any of the picks the Rockets provided the Thunder
help contribute to this current juggernaut?

Speaker 1 (01:10:29):
In Paul deal, I don't even I would have to
say yes, because you've got this pick in that pick,
so maybe you can now trade this pick because you
got those Rockets pick, or you've used it to do that.

Speaker 2 (01:10:37):
I don't know all the inner workings of Sam Presty.
Did the Rockets get Victor winbin Yama with the number
one overall pick? Nope? Okay, some miserable. You're watching the
Western Conference finals with those two teams pitted against each other.
That's misery. I guess you got Kevin Durant last year.
You thought you were going to add them too, a
young core, and you would be in this position right now,

(01:10:59):
and instead you're sitting at home because you couldn't even
beat one third of the three best Lakers players this year.
That's miserable. Man. I don't, I mean, I just don't.
I can't agree. All we hear about it's all about championship.

Speaker 3 (01:11:13):
We hear about right now from Rockets fans.

Speaker 2 (01:11:16):
Is Katie's burner and whether or not these guys like
each other and should E may go? And on? This
is just disgusting right now.

Speaker 8 (01:11:25):
Yeh.

Speaker 1 (01:11:26):
Team's a team that won a playoff series this year
asked that got that question from their fans. Should Jamal
Moseley go? And the answer was yes, nobody cares about
the East.

Speaker 2 (01:11:37):
Well, I'm just.

Speaker 1 (01:11:37):
Saying, these coaches, these are questions for all of the
teams that don't win the title. Heck, Michael Malone didn't
even last a full season after into the second season
after he won the title. Totally normal for a team
that doesn't win a title to have everything about it
questioned by their fans.

Speaker 2 (01:11:54):
I think people are as miserable as I am than
you think.

Speaker 1 (01:11:57):
It's a just totally semantics here. We don't to dive
deep into this. I just you know, the Astros are
ten games under five hundred. We're not sure that their
future is competitive. I don't think we're doubting that with
the Rockets that they just happen to be. And again
it's happened before. The Rockets this era aren't quite anywhere
near as good as the Hard Narrow Rockets, and the

(01:12:17):
Hard Narrow Rockets really only had one team in their
way in the whole league. It looks like for the
next four to five years, at a minimum, you have
two much better outfits than you in the West for
the next four to five years.

Speaker 2 (01:12:28):
That's that's misery.

Speaker 1 (01:12:31):
I think a postseason series against the Thunder, I don't
think the Rockets would win in a postseason series against
the Spurs. I could see that. I could have seen
the Rockets team this.

Speaker 2 (01:12:42):
Year winning at full strength h Okay.

Speaker 1 (01:12:46):
And the Rockets obviously played the Thunder actually pretty well
during the season. I don't I would not have picked
them to win either series. But I wouldn't have been
going into Game one, two through seven and saying, oh
my god, this is miserable. They've reached the again, play
them though, you gotta win. The Rockets didn't even do that.
They would have been playing Oklahoma City had they won

(01:13:06):
this year in the opening round. They could not do that.
At least the Rockets have called about Lebron James. Oh yeah, yeah,
I said they should last week, but they did.

Speaker 2 (01:13:14):
That's the difference.

Speaker 1 (01:13:15):
Okay, So give me that awesome report.

Speaker 2 (01:13:17):
Ow somebody's out there saying that all of the teams
that have been eliminated in the postseason have called Lebron James.

Speaker 1 (01:13:22):
Is that at Rich Paul that reported that? Probably at
Clutch Sports.

Speaker 2 (01:13:26):
Well, he's the one that probably planted that story and
then a bunch of people ran with it on social.

Speaker 1 (01:13:32):
I mean, it actually makes sense. I don't know if
I really believe it. He's a free agent. You don't
know what he's thinking until you ask.

Speaker 2 (01:13:39):
I don't think he's gonna go back to LA I
do think he's gonna land in Cleveland. That's what I
think is gonna happen. I don't know how that happens
or what the figures will be. But that's what I think.

Speaker 1 (01:13:47):
Another report that came out before Game seven, last night's
Cavs Pistons game, would indications are the Cavaliers intend on
pursuing a longer relationship with James Harden, continuing to have
him play alongside Donovan Mitchell, who probably is not available
this offseason for those that thought he might be. Yeah,
So now Lebron's gonna play out his career back.

Speaker 2 (01:14:10):
Home with Mitchell and Harden. I mean, for the minimum,
if you were throwing up a lot in your mouth
when he said he he was thrust into a new position,
being the third best player, the third option. Isn't he
the fourth behind Mobley?

Speaker 1 (01:14:28):
I mean only I would try to He's the third
lower option per se than Harden, but Harden being the
point guard, the ball is always in his hands, if
you get what I'm trying to say. But I don't
know what Cleveland's gonna do this year. They clearly can
win the East, there's no question about that. I don't
think they're going to, but they definitely can. They're the favorites.
If he's on their team next.

Speaker 2 (01:14:49):
Year, I'm legit going to buy a Knicks jersey after
the show.

Speaker 1 (01:14:53):
I mean, don't what's a Harden Lebron James locker room,
plane flights, days off and just the season of those
two on your on your team in your locker room?

Speaker 2 (01:15:07):
If all year, what's that like? Coexists with Dwight Howard
because he was immature and wore DC comics, boxers and
things of that nature. He is going to hate Lebron
James's act.

Speaker 3 (01:15:20):
He didn't get a basket ball pp that's Lebron James
at forty one?

Speaker 1 (01:15:26):
Does James not want him there? If they don't win
a title this year? Would he not want him there?
So he I mean, does he want a title bad enough?
Or does he want a title under his conditions enough? Yea,
because they're already close without him that they're one of
the four teams left and that's the way he comes aboard,
and they could become the favorites and they won a title.
He's got it, don't say win a title.

Speaker 2 (01:15:47):
The funniest thing I read today was that Lebron is
interested in going to the team that makes his path
to the championship the easiest right.

Speaker 3 (01:15:56):
That's his mo since he was twenty years old.

Speaker 2 (01:16:00):
He's always gone to the team that is going to
make his path to the championship the easiest, because he
would never just putta in one place and try to
win by getting players surrounding him to do so. He
team hops and championship chases just like other free agents.
Don't do that.

Speaker 1 (01:16:16):
It's not the same, James exactly the same Kevin Durant.
What's the difference.

Speaker 2 (01:16:20):
James Harden is the same Brooklyn with Kadie and Kyrie,
Philadelphia with Joe Joel Embiid. I don't like Kawhi in
la is now Mitchell the same thing.

Speaker 3 (01:16:30):
I won't let you do that.

Speaker 2 (01:16:31):
Lebron is one of one when it comes to team
hopping to chase championships. One of one, yeah, one of one.
To you to a lot of people that you're the
only one here. I know that, so you're the wrong
one here. I don't wrong.

Speaker 1 (01:16:46):
James Harden has forced his way into how many what
he thought and was wrong, better situations, better path to
a title.

Speaker 3 (01:16:52):
He just wanted here six times.

Speaker 2 (01:16:54):
He just wanted to get out of here, and then
he wanted to get away from Daryl Morey. That's different
than chasing a championship. It is, yes, okay is it?
Listeners seven the A Team Sports Talks seven ninety s
c H n Over on the telly speaking of Witch.

(01:17:19):
Two shout outs right here. The first one is for
and we'll actually get to this topic as as WEX
referred to her Nashville Jillian, see UH Jillian, to.

Speaker 1 (01:17:32):
Make sure I have that memory bank properly UH itemized
with people from the past.

Speaker 2 (01:17:39):
Yes, I remember her went to school with UH Gillian
at Sam Houston State and she turned the TV on.
She was like, I wasn't expecting to see you there,
So yeah, we are.

Speaker 3 (01:17:49):
We are absolutely being discovered.

Speaker 2 (01:17:54):
And then we'll get pictures sent to us and all
this kind of stuff all the time from people who
are just going and they're by the way, she's not
in Nashville anymore, but I've gotten texts as far as
Arkansas watching us on the simulcast. So that's kind of crazy.
The other thing or the other person. Yesterday, I was
in the grocery store and I heard AC behind me
and I didn't know who it was, and it was

(01:18:15):
longtime listener Colin, who just happened to see me. Wanted
to say hey, said he listened to the show. Wanted
to say hi to you, and he's a longtime listener,
longtime fan of the both of us, So I apologize
to him for listening to our show like I usually
do when people say they listen to us every day,
and well, I know that's the difference between me and you. No,

(01:18:39):
Colin's good dude listens to the show, and apparently we
grocery shop at the same place. So I wanted to
say hi to those people speaking to Nashville. This is
kind of going to round out the Houston sports misery,
and I'm just I'm leaning into that a little bit
on This found out today and I didn't realize this
at the time. So Nashville is gonna get a Super Bowl,

(01:19:03):
likely for the twenty thirty season, or in twenty thirty,
I guess I should say it so after the twenty
nine season. I don't know exactly the parameters, but I
didn't realize that when they built that stadium there that
they're replacing now, back in ninety six or seven or
eight or whatever, open they never got a Super Bowl
there in Nashville. That was usual, or it became at

(01:19:25):
one point it became you build a new NFL stadium.
You're getting a super Bowl no matter where it is outdoor,
cold weather, it's happening. And boy do they have a
cold one in Minneapolis. Who I was there, It was
minus five when we walked in the door, twenty eighteen.
It hurt. But Nashville is gonna get another super Bowl
before Houston and gonna get a super Bowl. Well, they're

(01:19:48):
gonna be the latest another one. It's their first they're
gonna get. They're gonna get a super Bowl before Houston,
and other cities will get super Bowls before Houston does.
And Houston's never getting a students never getting a super
Bowl because they build a new stadium.

Speaker 1 (01:20:03):
In my opinion, I'm not saying I just did. I
am saying never.

Speaker 2 (01:20:07):
I'm shocked.

Speaker 1 (01:20:08):
I shocked they got the one in twenty seventeen. Super
Bowls come to Houston three times. I'm sure people.

Speaker 2 (01:20:13):
Very Rice Stadium.

Speaker 1 (01:20:14):
Everybody remembers going to the super Bowl in nineteen seventy
four right at Rice Stadium, but twice since the building
they're currently playing in. And just as you mentioned with Nashville,
it's normal, you build it, they'll give you a super Bowl.
And they obviously did that for the two thousand and
four Super Bowl year three of the Texans playing at
the stadium that's been under several different names, and they

(01:20:36):
got one in twenty seventeen. They committed to several upgrades,
they put together a package they won the bid against.
Like the way that the Texans would or Houston would
get another Super Bowl is if somehow there was nobody
bidding for one that had a good bid, and that's
virtually impossible at this point. There's gonna be new stadiums.
We have four dates for the future so far. This

(01:21:00):
year's twenty twenty seven Super Bowl, this season's Super Bowl.
We'll be back in Atlanta in twenty twenty eight, and
they'll be back at Allegiance in twenty twenty nine. Now
we know that they'll go to Nashville for the first
time in twenty thirty. Well, none of those games were
played in New Orleans, and none of those games were
played in Arizona State Farm Stadium, which I'm assuming we'll

(01:21:22):
get more. Hard Rock had one in twenty twenty. They're sixth.
Won't they be in line for another one in Miami
in February.

Speaker 3 (01:21:33):
By the way, I love that stadium.

Speaker 2 (01:21:36):
I mean, I know it's outdoors and it's in Florida,
but that's exactly what they're going for at that time
of year.

Speaker 1 (01:21:41):
They're gonna have another one at next to the substation probably,
don't you think where Levi Stadium Santa Clara, what did
you call it? Next to the substation? We didn't mention
that when the schedule releases came out, and I think
that's which I didn't get an accurate count, but I
did watch them all. I think the substation showed up
in at least five of the team's releases that had

(01:22:02):
San Francisco on their schedule. Some sort of joke made
at playing a game next to the substation.

Speaker 2 (01:22:07):
Next It's not like sort of in the vicinity. It's
next door.

Speaker 1 (01:22:11):
And they got one in twenty six and they had
the original one not long after they went to Santa
cla way, so they're going to get another.

Speaker 2 (01:22:17):
Utiful stadium, beautiful setting in California, even though it's there,
so where where do they tell you they've got a
lot of problems there? But that's not one of them.
I love the stadium. It's a great stadium. I like
it's we didn't mention. I mean, could US Bank get
another one. I would I would wonder being there in Minnesota.
And some of these, like Buffalo's got a new stadium.

(01:22:39):
It opens this year. It's got a roof on it too,
though right right, I don't think so. I doesn't have
the ability to shut I have to double check, but
I do not believe. See if I played football in Siberia,
I'd put a roof on it.

Speaker 1 (01:22:52):
Are they ever going back to met Life? They went
there in twenty fourteen and it was cold.

Speaker 2 (01:22:58):
This is the thing about that Orleans gets a Super
Bowl once every four years just because they're in New Orleans.

Speaker 1 (01:23:06):
Well, I mean they had a twelve year You've had
some gaps longer than that. But they've had more Super
Bowls than anybody. And they're not going insight absolute dump.

Speaker 2 (01:23:16):
And I know this is going to hurt some feelings.
New Orleans is an absolute dump.

Speaker 1 (01:23:23):
It is the NFL plays games with awesome stadiums in
Miami and Pasadena and Los Angeles and San Diego, and
I could go on and on and on. They have
played eleven Super Bowls in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Speaker 3 (01:23:40):
I don't get it. I just you cannot.

Speaker 1 (01:23:42):
Tulane Stadium three times.

Speaker 3 (01:23:44):
I don't care. That's crazy to me. I don't care.

Speaker 2 (01:23:48):
If you're the biggest boozer partier on the planet, big
deal is going to the Super Bowls. What's the appeal
of New Orleans Otherwise? Then it's not the stadium, which
is older than dirt. It's not the surroundings of the weather,
which is awful.

Speaker 1 (01:24:00):
Is it the only state that has an NFL team
where you have casinos?

Speaker 2 (01:24:06):
Not even close? I'm trying to I mean, hello, Vegas,
right like i'd have If you're into that, just have
it in Vegas every year. I mean that that has
always been my problem. Well, it's New Orleans. They've got
to be on the circuit. Why why, I mean, I
get it. Houston's not in the mix anymore? Is Dallas

(01:24:28):
always in the mix simply because of the size of
that stadium?

Speaker 1 (01:24:31):
I mean, if not even Dallas in the mid trust
their non permanent seating.

Speaker 2 (01:24:37):
But I mean it's it's just if it's not one
of the Magic four basically you realize I mean Arlington
City at and T Stadium, I should say one hundred
thousand you they wouldn't put.

Speaker 3 (01:24:48):
It at that.

Speaker 1 (01:24:49):
I think it went in at ninety something for the
super Bowl that was there, the one super Bowl that's
been played there and none.

Speaker 2 (01:24:57):
That's got to make Jerry so mad Well built this
palace and they've only come here one time. That's one
more time than his team's been in it. Yeah, thirty years.
That's got to hurt Dallas fan. But yeah, I guess
I just don't get how they go about this. And
you know what, after Nashville gets Theirs, that's it.

Speaker 1 (01:25:15):
Well, Nashville gutting a super Bowl should have every team
like Houston, every city like Houston saying hey wait a minute,
but you know.

Speaker 2 (01:25:25):
And Nashville honestly should be like I hate the team.
Everything about Nashville besides the Titans. I love in the
stadium where it is is right in the middle of downtown.
I mean, it's not the Star of the River, but
it's all in one place. I mean, you're talking about
New Orleans like that. What's really different between Nashville. It's
just a different type of party vibe. I mean, I

(01:25:47):
could I know it's colder up there and all that
kind of stuff. By the way, are they putting a
roof on this one? I can't keep track with all
these places. Is does Nashville's have the ability to close
or no, I don't think so, Okay, I don't. I
just don't get that. Well, NFL stadiums, for the most part,
what do you need a roof for the heat? I

(01:26:09):
mean yet for the fans that I get, it's just
funny to me that Miami has exactly the same kind.
And by the way, they're doing the same thing in Jacksonville.
You know that, right, they're renovating that current stadium where
it is, so they're just kind of putting a facelift.
They're putting a roof on there.

Speaker 1 (01:26:24):
I should say, what do you need a retractable Just
put the roof. If you want a roof, put a
roof on. If you don't, don't, well, that's my thing.
Any roof should be retractable. I'm not opposed to elements
as long as they're pleasant. Well, the retractable roof here
has been non operational at times. It's been refurbished and
repaired multiple times and been used a very small number
of times.

Speaker 3 (01:26:45):
No, the roofs used a lot of times. It's not
the use of the roof that has been.

Speaker 1 (01:26:50):
Using its ability to change, it's what is it doing.
It's currently covering the seats and the field like always, yeah, yeah,
it is. It's actually we did have one game last
year that it does appear. The plans were one hundred
percent in place to have it open for the home opener,
the Tampa game, the Monday night early Monday night game,

(01:27:11):
but it got squashed.

Speaker 2 (01:27:13):
For why. I think it was technical reasons, because it
wasn't I don't know the answer, because I know that
the storm had done some number.

Speaker 1 (01:27:22):
I don't think it was anything like that, but there
was a reason why it didn't happen.

Speaker 2 (01:27:26):
M Okay, well there you have it. Stadium talk here
and the fact that, oh, by the way, one other thing,
international games they're going to increase, which means home games
for United States fans will decrease.

Speaker 1 (01:27:41):
Well, they added a game to the schedule. They're going
to add another game to the schedule, so it might
not decrease. They just set they just won't get them.
I think this has been pretty common thought. They keep
increasing the games, and they're going to move to a
position where they think they can get a game almost
every week, if not every week. You have an eighteen
week schedule. I think they really do an eighteen game
international schedule is what they're aiming for.

Speaker 2 (01:28:04):
How do these owners not not say, ah, I don't
want to give up a home game.

Speaker 3 (01:28:09):
Are they getting some of the gate to offset that
cost that they're.

Speaker 1 (01:28:12):
Sure, there's some financial considerations given, but it would be
a one time thing for the next five years.

Speaker 2 (01:28:18):
Unless you're Jacksonville and there's a multi time thing a season.
But they're renovating a stadium.

Speaker 1 (01:28:24):
They are playing overseas this year in London. They're not
losing a home game. Who are they playing again, They're
playing jackson exactly.

Speaker 2 (01:28:30):
All right, we will take a quick time out. We'll
come right back. Steve Sparks stop by for his weekly visit.
What does he have to say about EMI and other
ASTROS related things. We will do that when we come back.
Texted in and said, translucent roof for the new Nashville
whatever they're going to call it stadium, so that when

(01:28:53):
the blizzards hit, they don't have to You know, when
the blizzard hits during one of the ten days they
have a game there, it can happen.

Speaker 1 (01:29:01):
It can happen. Absolutely. There are three hundred and fifty
five other days.

Speaker 2 (01:29:06):
Are you this argumentative with everyone in your life? I
really want to know.

Speaker 1 (01:29:09):
When was the last Nashville blizzard?

Speaker 2 (01:29:10):
I miss it?

Speaker 3 (01:29:12):
Uh last year? How do everybody do? Well, they didn't
play football.

Speaker 1 (01:29:17):
But if they would have had a roof, they could have.

Speaker 2 (01:29:21):
Yeah. Where the fans going to get there? I don't know,
but the teams would have That's true. They have a
change they put on the tires of the buses. Heard
about that stuff? Yeah, I don't get that. People that
drive in like what weather winter weather towns are like
they can drive better than people down here because they're

(01:29:41):
used to it. I don't get that though. How do
you get used to slipping around on ice? You practice
drive on it?

Speaker 1 (01:29:47):
Do you go to a parking like I sr Thompson
he's going to become a better shooter because he practices.

Speaker 2 (01:29:52):
Well, what's a man going to do the same? Maybe, well,
maybe Calvin can work with Shinghun on his free throw shooting.
It would be nice. I mean, he's in the building,
might as well, it would be nice. All right, What
does Spark you have to say about Emi and the
rest of this Astros mess.

Speaker 1 (01:30:12):
Well, his comments on tatsu Emi will deliver to you
on the Astros on Deck show coming up. When we
get started with that around five thirty, he had his
weekly visit with the Morning Drive this morning with Dan
and Cole, and clearly one of the unfortunate topics from
the weekend that center stage. Jose Altuve will officially be
on the ile as of today with his grade two

(01:30:33):
ozero leaque strain. So the conversation portion of it that
we give to you here with Steve is about the
what they lose with Jose Altuve no longer in the
lineup and kind of the presence that he's provided for
this team for better than a decade.

Speaker 8 (01:30:47):
I had somebody that just came to the team last
year and I asked him what's different about the Astros
culture and clubhouse and he said, and he was talking
about out today and I think I've told you guys
this before. So somebody comes into the locker room, say
Shoemak came into the locker room for the first time
a few weeks ago, a two, they goes to the
locker room, He'll sit there for an hour, sometimes longer

(01:31:10):
and get to know them on a personal level. And
what other face of the franchise would you imagine does
that around the major leagues? I would imagine that makes
somebody feel really good, you know that somebody cares about them,
to get to know them on a personal basis and
just kind of let them know what they expect of
that person too, is like, hey, you're on our team now,
You're just as important as I am. We're all pulling together.

(01:31:34):
And I think that's kind of been the secret sauce,
and I think it's been going on for a while.
And I think they've been very inclusive of the young players,
which is contrary to the way it used to be
twenty five years ago. And I'm glad for it that
they get guys to come in and help them feel
more relaxed and part of the team so they can
produce better and become productive players on the team.

Speaker 2 (01:31:55):
So too, they is the main guy for that, and.

Speaker 8 (01:31:59):
I've heard that for multiple guys. You know, he's not
a raw, raw guy, and he's not going a whole
team meeting, but he's gonna sit at your locker and
get to know you.

Speaker 9 (01:32:08):
So I want to get into the inner mind of
Steve Sparks. We're going down a dangerous path through with
us one.

Speaker 3 (01:32:12):
Dan, see back in.

Speaker 2 (01:32:13):
Your playing days, you remember being.

Speaker 9 (01:32:16):
A part of rosters that would go through some trialing times.
But were you ever on a roster that you see
a turn and there's the light at the end of
the tunnel where you get a massive series win, But
it's hard to celebrate because not the record says where
you are, but just losing an impactful bat or an
impactful arm that it's hard to celebrate the little victories

(01:32:37):
because of any single time that you feel like this is.

Speaker 3 (01:32:39):
Where the turning happens.

Speaker 9 (01:32:41):
Here comes a rent in the plane and it throws
us off of the tire sparks.

Speaker 8 (01:32:45):
You know, you're gonna get tired of me saying this,
And it's hard to explain unless you've played and.

Speaker 5 (01:32:51):
Been part of it.

Speaker 8 (01:32:53):
And I know it's a very reactionary game. And it's
hard to go from sports sport and realize that a
football season seventeen games on a baseball season is one
hundred and sixty two. If there's going to be things
that crop up during the course of a baseball season,
and it might be you might lose somebody for one
seventh of the season. Say, but if you miss somebody

(01:33:13):
for three games in a football season, it's it's the
end of the world. Sometimes, especially when it's an impactful player,
but it's not like that in baseball. You know, you've
dealt with this so many times, there's nothing you can
do about it, and just continue to gather confidence in
you know, the team unity and your approach and your

(01:33:33):
preparation and all that. I think the Astros are really
good at that. I've always monitored. I've told you, guys,
when the team gets on the plane, I can't tell
if they've won or lost. Everybody's just about the same
every time that take off on a road trip because
they know that it's not going to help them to
feel or act a certain way when it comes to

(01:33:56):
what they do the very next day. And that's what's
most important is be ready for the day and if
your name's called, let's go, let's battle together. So I've
seen a lot of teams cold, and I think in
two thousand and seven when I first started doing pre
and post game work on the Astros television broadcast, right

(01:34:17):
after I was done playing. I remember in two thousand
and seven, I don't remember exactly what month it was,
but it had to be July or later. Thinking that
the Colorado Rockies might be the first team in Major
League baseball. This is July, I think, and they ended
up going to the World Series that year. I thought
they were horrible. I didn't think they had any hope.

(01:34:37):
But it just goes to show you how things can
flip on a dime. Last year, I think it was
the Guardians for I'll probably get these numbers a little wrong,
but I think the first week of July they were
fifteen games out of first place and they came back
and won the division against the Tigers. So you never
know when things changed.

Speaker 2 (01:34:54):
And with Hunter Brown.

Speaker 8 (01:34:57):
And your operas, two superstars are on your team. I think,
especially this year, when you look at the American League,
not very good guys, and I think they I think
they're to be in it for a while now, until
somebody tells me differently. I still think this team's got
a chance to start playing better and string and wins together.

(01:35:17):
I think they just got to keep their heads above water.
Why guys get healthy, I.

Speaker 9 (01:35:20):
Got to ask you, Kaiwai Tang. Five innings of work,
seven strikeouts. Guy looks in control, and he's still coming
in from a standpoint of getting his arm ramped up
for more endings. Because if he started the year off
in the bullpen, So now that we see him getting
more acclimated to a starting rotation, is the best still
yet to come for a guy who we didn't even

(01:35:42):
know if he was going to make the opening day roster.

Speaker 2 (01:35:45):
I think so.

Speaker 8 (01:35:46):
And the reason why I say that is I got
a comment from a player on the Texas Rangers team,
a right handed batter that face Tang on Saturday, and
he said, that's the best sweeper I've ever seen him
my entire life. I felt helpless. You know, we saw
Geddy sweep some dudes we've seen. We've seen a lot

(01:36:07):
of guys in the league with really good breaking pitches.
But he said, Kaiwai tang sweeper is the best I've
ever seen, So, you know, I'd leave it to guys
who have faced them here recently, and to say that
he throws it really hard. I think the only thing
Tang needs to do is pitch inside a little bit
more to riety, so that particular pitch that sweeper tunnels

(01:36:29):
out of the same spot. When you think about lanes,
you wanted to start inside to the writing, and also
the same thing with the sweepers, start inside to the
writing and then sweep across the place. When you can't
tell which pitch.

Speaker 2 (01:36:40):
Is going to do what.

Speaker 8 (01:36:42):
That's when I think you're really in business. And I
think they took a great gamble on getting Tang. They
gave up a catching prospect out of the minor league.
They saw something that maybe San Francisco didn't, and the Astros,
I think you're me real happy with him, especially if
they have a six man rotation for a little while.

Speaker 1 (01:36:59):
Very interesting that that's pretty high praise from the unnamed
Rangers player. And this last start against the Rangers, he
was all that Steve Sparks said. He did throw what
seemed like unhittable pitches. I was ranting pretty good about
my disdain dislike for the idea of converting him into
a starter, and I look like a fool. He was great,

(01:37:19):
but easily his best start, probably his best start as
a pro. He's gone from forty plus pitches to sixty
pitches through seventy six pitches in that outing and they
are in a six man rotation. Now, what do you
do when Hunter Brown returns? Are you gonna have any
other issues injury wise? Because that's kind of solved all
their problems all year long. What are we gonna do
with all these infielders. Nothing someone's gonna be hurt the

(01:37:43):
whole season base It doesn't matter. You haven't had to
deal with these perceived issues because they never came to fruition.
So you do with what you have, and what they
have right now is six guys they seem inclined to
keep giving the baseball to. It includes Lance mccullors Junior
and Mike Burrows, who will get the other two star
arts in this series, and includes a guy with a
nine E r A and tatsu Emi who pitches today.

Speaker 2 (01:38:05):
Who do you think the ranger was?

Speaker 5 (01:38:08):
Uh?

Speaker 1 (01:38:08):
I'm trying to think of some of the at bats
because the way that the ball was tailing away. No
at bats strike me as I remember that swing and
oh my gosh, And there might have been one.

Speaker 2 (01:38:19):
I just couldn't tell you who it was. I was
just curious and.

Speaker 1 (01:38:22):
Which player might actually divulge that like to me, thinking
it from that way, I would say it's somebody like
Andrew McCutchen, the long veteran, been around, seen a lot
of pitches. He might have a nice conversation with Steve
Sparks before a game then, But I'm totally I don't
want to out him. Steve intentionally didn't out him, so
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:38:38):
So you call him Andy McCutchen.

Speaker 1 (01:38:41):
Uh, Well, when does that the shift from kid to adult?
Like you're Andy? Is you can be Andy as a
kid like I'm sure when Andrew Bernard was growing up
he was Andy, but now he works at under Mifflin,
so he's Andrew. Now when does it go back to Andy?
Never you're an adult.

Speaker 2 (01:38:58):
I thought maybe if you get older you could pull
that off, but apparently not. We don't know the rules,
all right, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. It's
a signature segment. We do it every Monday. It's next.

Speaker 3 (01:39:10):
The ad on Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 2 (01:39:13):
It's the good, it's the bad, and it's Wex who
has the ugly. That's true from over the weekend. We
just look and see what happens and then we report
on it. There's not much to this other than that,
and Josh has the good, so he'll get us started. Yeah,
let's do it.

Speaker 4 (01:39:31):
I was at the ballpark on Friday night, so I
got to see it firsthand. Spencer Arragatty, that's my good
taking that no no into the eighth inning. He was fantastic.
Just awesome to see just when you think, like, oh,
can he keep doing it?

Speaker 3 (01:39:45):
He does.

Speaker 2 (01:39:46):
He's been terrific this year.

Speaker 3 (01:39:47):
Spencer is my good.

Speaker 2 (01:39:48):
Did you see his unprompted SoundBite about the belief in
each other inside that Astros clubhouse right now? I did not,
He just basically and Chandler Rome's the one that shared
this among others. If I just saw Chandler's tweet, just
you know, not really getting down with the record and
the injuries and everything else.

Speaker 1 (01:40:08):
I know it sounds dumb to say where we are
sitting right now, but this is a really special group
and I really believe in every single player that's in
this locker room right now, and I think we need
to take it a little more personally. I'm sure there's
stuff being said right now that makes it seem bleak.
I don't think it feels that way in here. There's
no quit in this locker room. We work the same
way every day, win or lose, and I really do

(01:40:28):
believe in everybody in here. And like you said, he
just kind of interjected that after an answer to a
specific question about his pitching and talked about that you
just heard what Steve Sparks had to say a little
bit about the clubhouse vibe, and it certainly jives with
this exactly. And you can see it when they play,
even when they don't come out and get a lot

(01:40:49):
of hits and don't prevent the other team from scoring
a lot of runs, and people go out just like
Spencer sian Oath. But people are being saying things, Yeah, well,
these guys are lifeless. They're not into it. Their dead
man walk and every day That's really not the case.
It's what happens. When a game goes that way, then
it appears that way. That's what it looked like yesterday.

(01:41:10):
Nathanyvaldi out he out pitched their hitting, and they had
very little to show for it. They had a few
base runners, they had no runs. It was a two
to nothing game into the fifth inning, or out of
the fifth inning. It was two nothing game into the
seventh inning. He had every chance to win that game
with nine outs to go. It just did not work out.
There's not a lot of walk away from this challenge
with this group. They're gonna be without Corea the rest

(01:41:32):
of the season. They're gonna be without al Tuve for
a good chunk of the next two months. If not more,
but somewhere in that neighborhood. But if Arraghetty is this
this year, we're only six starts in. If Peter Lambert
is this, if Hunter Brown is who he was a
season ago, and for his two starts this year, there's
a possibility that in any division, and in a league

(01:41:54):
where nobody's doing much of anything to keep the Astros
from making the playoffs, there's three wild card spots.

Speaker 2 (01:41:59):
So he's right.

Speaker 1 (01:42:00):
One of the teams in the AL West is get
our in the AL East is getting one, Okay, So
that leaves you two spots, and the winner of the
division gets one. So that's three spots you're fighting for,
and you're not out of the race in any of them.
You're not gonna be out of the race forever because
nobody's doing anything elsewhere in the league. The Astros are
five games out while being ten games under five hundred

(01:42:22):
in the division. They're even closer in the wild card chase.
They're four games out. Plenty of teams to jump, but
at nineteen and twenty nine and playing bad baseball and
having the second worst record in the league does not
have them out of anything.

Speaker 2 (01:42:37):
It's crazy and it's the most fortunate part of this
mess this year. So games still matter. Sorry, you're not
out of it in May May, mid May. At this point,
all right, I'll take the bad because, as I alerted
the other two participants of the show, it didn't matter
if this was good, bad or ugly, because I didn't

(01:42:59):
know the or what you're going.

Speaker 1 (01:43:01):
Before we hear it, Are you gonna explain how it's bad?
Or after we hear it, are you gonna explain how
it's bad?

Speaker 2 (01:43:05):
After? All right, So set it up and I'll roll
it out. Well, there is a member of the show
in this room that is not a huge fan of
a certain beverage I happen to usually. I didn't do
it today, but I usually bring in that beverage for
the first hour of the show. I'm still kind of
nursing a coffee.

Speaker 1 (01:43:25):
Enjoy, exclamation point and other messages or happy face, two
dots and a curved line.

Speaker 2 (01:43:32):
Or thank you, things of that nature. They write on
the side of the cup. Yeah wex one day asked me,
so do they write on this after they put the
coffee in it, or do they do it beforehand, or
do they just write the message on all of them
pre there's.

Speaker 1 (01:43:44):
A little manager and order in my brain a little bit.
You got eight employees, maybe six'. SEVEN i don't know
how many, baristas et cetera you're having in the building each,
day all, right be people in the back we don't.
See set up the, cups set up the. Stations make
sure the amounts are. Ready we haven't opened the doors.
Yet do, this do, that make, sure just do all
the cup writing first thing in the.

Speaker 3 (01:44:05):
Morning but you. Don't it's not personalized that.

Speaker 2 (01:44:08):
Way it's not personalized when they say.

Speaker 3 (01:44:11):
Me, There i'm like every day in there except for
the last.

Speaker 1 (01:44:14):
Month if it's too much TO i, MEAN i don't
know how many different you can one stack of cups
with all the messages that you, want just put them
and just pick it, up fill it, up hand.

Speaker 2 (01:44:22):
It that wouldn't be if IF i walk in the,
DOOR i guarantee you somebody's gonna say, Hey. Adam they always.

Speaker 1 (01:44:27):
Do and to be doubt because of the does it
pop out of the register with everything on. It it's
got your name and your, drink and then the sticker
comes off and they put it on the.

Speaker 3 (01:44:38):
Cup right, WELL i order a. Head so that's how
the name gets on.

Speaker 1 (01:44:41):
There so, otherwise Because i'm familiar with ordering coffee only
from The this Is Sports center commercial That becky lynches
in and she orders a coffee and the person behind
the counter says, name and he's got the cup in his,
hand he's about to write on, it and she just
goes off on.

Speaker 2 (01:44:57):
Him you don't know WHO i? Am she just runs
through the. Hole Is i'm the? Man and he goes
for the. Cup just Put?

Speaker 1 (01:45:03):
Becky, yeah and can you make sure there's a little
foam on?

Speaker 3 (01:45:06):
Top, Okay so you hate, coffee that's the point of all.

Speaker 1 (01:45:10):
This, okay you hate. IT i MIGHT i might come,
around but that's fine for. Today it's just not your.
Preference i'm with. You it's Not Bill belichick's. Either oh
we just found that. Out let's hear From.

Speaker 7 (01:45:24):
BILL i don't care how much milk you put. IT
i don't care how much sugar you put. It how
much why cream you? Can't you can't bury that. Taste
it's still it's still.

Speaker 5 (01:45:36):
Go.

Speaker 3 (01:45:36):
Through and you really hate? Coffee is? No that's. Fascinating
let me test you here right, now gun to your.

Speaker 2 (01:45:43):
Head coffee or The New york chats he gave a
great answer to that. Question by the, Way.

Speaker 1 (01:45:50):
Oh you want to hear THAT i. Do, okay let
me see WHAT i should. Do, OKAY i need to
make the window a little bit bigger because when it's
not in the full, window it doesn't like to play
the whole. SoundBite you gonna make sure the whole thing
is in. There so let's try that.

Speaker 12 (01:46:03):
Again remember, undefeated unscored on head coach in THE rchs,
twice never lost the, game never gave up a.

Speaker 2 (01:46:17):
Point that's AT i.

Speaker 1 (01:46:20):
Mean i'm gonna tell you WHAT i get out of,
this and you're stay with me here for a.

Speaker 2 (01:46:23):
Second that well we just. Heard that's WHY i Dislike
Bill belichick so. Much why because that's who he. Is totally,
normal fun to talk, to plenty of funny things to,
say and what is he delivered to everybody the only
times we have to talk to him utter garbled.

Speaker 1 (01:46:46):
Nonsense AND i hate that he does.

Speaker 2 (01:46:49):
That it's totally.

Speaker 1 (01:46:50):
Ridiculous when he does studio, shows when he does specials
With Nick, saban when he TALKS nfl, football when he's
sitting at THE Nfl network OR, espn he's awesome and
this is, great but he Can't why can't you be like?

Speaker 2 (01:47:03):
That why does he have to do? That, well you.

Speaker 3 (01:47:07):
Guys have a lot in, common, THEN i APPARENTLY.

Speaker 2 (01:47:09):
I don't think you should be leaving my house at
two thirty in the morning and don't think that's a
good look for me in the.

Speaker 3 (01:47:16):
Program for the, RECORD i love. COFFEE i just wanted
to put that out. THERE i love, it.

Speaker 1 (01:47:21):
Undefeated jets coach and this GUY.

Speaker 3 (01:47:25):
I knew that you would. Love that's something you would,
say IT'S i love.

Speaker 2 (01:47:28):
It you guys are the same GUY i wish man
swimming in money bank. Account, yeah that would be. Awesome all,
right we'll get to this is on a, vacation send the.
Kids do you do that?

Speaker 3 (01:47:39):
Anyway, WELL i gotta, work.

Speaker 2 (01:47:41):
My, Gosh i'm taking some time. Off you should, too
try it at the same. Time oh, boy all, right
The ugly coming up.

Speaker 1 (01:47:47):
NEXT a couple offerent options to close out to, good
bad and The. Ugly we got another half hour after,
this we'll get you Into astros on.

Speaker 2 (01:47:59):
Deck following that first.

Speaker 1 (01:48:01):
Thing BEFORE i get into The, ugly The astros' roster
moves official Jose Al tuve to the ten day il
with That grade two oblique Strange Jeremy payinna. Activated they
did Recall Jason alexander From TRIPLE, a and they Dfa'd Cody.
BOLTON a bit surprising if you asked me that that's
what they chose to. Do he obviously is unavailable probably

(01:48:22):
for the next couple of, days and maybe they have
a feeling that he will be available to rejoin the.
Organization but he's definitely better at pitching at the major
leagues Than Jason alexander this, Year so just an interesting.
Move and Both Nate pearson And Jake, myers who have
probably each completed rehab, assignments not yet active for The.

(01:48:43):
Astros that move may come as early as, tomorrow and
we'll hear From Joe spotty here shortly and he may
have some intel on.

Speaker 2 (01:48:49):
That but neither of the two of them were. Activated
so The ASTROS il in fact does not. Decrease it
adds one and loses one all the same. Time so
still sitting at fourteen as they enter play. TONIGHT i
could use The astros injured list as the, ugly but
that's an every day clich very very. Easy could say.

Speaker 1 (01:49:09):
Football for football at, five But i'm gonna hit it.
Here tell me if this sounds ridiculous or, not and
there's so many quotes in this filing that are. RIDICULOUS
i had to bring it up at some point, today
So i'll call it the Ugly Texas tech is uncertain
who their quarterback will be this year because the quarterback
they paid all that money to to transfer there to

(01:49:30):
play for them this year is not currently eligible to
play due to AN ncaa rules. Violation and from his,
filing which included his, Affidavit Brendan, soresby the former quarterback
of The bearcats and now part of The Red raiders,
program says the following and THE appi. Data to be,
CLEAR i never placed any bets Against, indiana where he

(01:49:55):
used to, play or against any players on the. TEAM
i never used any public information THAT i knew about
the team and deciding what bets to. Place my bets
were purely intended to make me feel more connected to
the game and my, teammates and to give me more
of a reason to root for my. Teammates because The
indiana football team was not a very strong competitor in

(01:50:17):
twenty twenty, TWO i.

Speaker 2 (01:50:18):
Lost most of the BETS i.

Speaker 1 (01:50:19):
Placed now he was not playing at the, time who's
a reserve. Quarterback ultimately did get on the field a little.
BIT i don't know if that's enough for you to
see how ugly this thing. Is but in the most basic,
TERMS i think all this is about from him trying
to petition to be allowed to. Play is he broke the.

(01:50:42):
Rules he's not denying that he broke the. Rules he
know that he broke the, rules and his high powered
attorneys aren't making the case that he didn't break the.
Rules but come, on, man don't punish me for breaking the.
RULES i, mean you guys like taking the gambler's money
to help support the sport. Itself BUT i broke the,

(01:51:03):
rules which are super duper. Clear there's no bingo. Here
this is, ridiculous totally utterly. Ridiculous this is what. Happens
IF i can't practice with the, team it will be
severely detrimental to my mental health and my development as an.
Athlete without access to, coaching teammates and on field, REPETITIONS

(01:51:24):
i cannot develop the chemistry and skills necessary to start
at quarterback in the twenty twenty six, season and each
additional day away compounds that harm these developmental. Opportunities cannot
be replaced or. Replicated he's, Right, yeah don't break the. Rules,
yeah could not be any, SIMPLER i.

Speaker 2 (01:51:42):
Know and Nothing i'm about to say is going to
thwart that very. Thing but come, on like all of
this money is being made off of again the backs
of these, players.

Speaker 1 (01:51:56):
And they're all getting paid from another and the.

Speaker 2 (01:51:58):
Difference, now BUT i still think that no matter whether
you're you, know college pro some points in, between if
you're a TRIPLE a, PLAYER i don't. KNOW i just
feel like everybody is capitalizing on this current gambling culture with,
sports and how many times are we, seeing you, know

(01:52:22):
guys be caught Up. Now i'm not talking about like
A Terry rosiers of The world and that kind of,
thing like illegal gambling, ring that kind of.

Speaker 3 (01:52:29):
Stuff it's like where The feds are.

Speaker 2 (01:52:30):
Involved but like expecting these athletes to not take part
while everyone else. Does no one said you can't take? Part,
well expecting this kind of thing to not happen more,
OFTEN i guess is probably be on the team you play.
For what did you think was going to? Happen i'm.

Speaker 1 (01:52:47):
Sorry why you have? Rules don't break? Them couldn't be any?
Simpler what bet on? Something else you're more than welcome.

Speaker 2 (01:52:53):
To that's, so do you realize how disingenuous that?

Speaker 1 (01:52:56):
Sounds disingenuous about you play this, sport in this, game
don't bet on, this bet on whatever.

Speaker 2 (01:53:01):
Else we haven't said you can't bet on which at almost?

Speaker 3 (01:53:03):
Everything are you?

Speaker 2 (01:53:04):
Saying not not bet on your own, team but you
can bet on other teams in your same.

Speaker 1 (01:53:08):
Sports, no he literally bet on his team a game
involving his, team and we've SEEN nfl Players Calvin ridley
betting on games involving his own. Team you can bet
on other. Sports they're not telling you not to do.
That the same people that are giving money THE nfl
or giving money to THE nba and giving so go,
ahead use their, services just don't bet on our.

Speaker 2 (01:53:29):
Games that's like telling a member Of, congress, hey don't
do any insider. Trading, okay there are punishments for, It,
yeah there are Not everyone is getting punished for, it
and nobody thinks that's.

Speaker 1 (01:53:41):
Great it is. Happening but this is this is, total utter.
Nonsense he's just mad they're punishing and so. Hard he
wants to play football and they're not letting him, to
not letting him do. That and their petitioning to get
him on the practice. Field and you, Know i'll accept this,
suspension But i'm not gonna accept that. Suspense you want
to take me off the field for two. Games, Okay
i'm ADMITTING i did. THIS i shouldn't have done, this

(01:54:03):
but you can't take my whole season. Away, well you're,
right they can't take your whole season away if you
didn't do.

Speaker 3 (01:54:08):
It, yeah how did he get?

Speaker 2 (01:54:09):
CAUGHT i don't even. KNOW i, Mean i'm seriously, asking
because you, know there's, like for every guy like, this
there's how many that haven't been yet they're totally doing.
That there's totally players doing this all over the.

Speaker 1 (01:54:23):
Country, great so when you find, one you punish, one
AND i hope it keeps others from doing. It that
other people doing it shouldn't, Say, man why are you punishing?
Him but because we found out that he did.

Speaker 3 (01:54:33):
It but that's just. THREE i, MEAN i know what
you're saying in theory is how you.

Speaker 1 (01:54:39):
Should put rules in, place expect people to follow, them
and punish them when they.

Speaker 2 (01:54:44):
Don't that's there's nothing else.

Speaker 1 (01:54:46):
Here you can debate how big the punishment, is which
is actually part of what is this whole injunction is
about he's not allowed to play this. Year he's trying
to get back on the field in some. Capacity he's
not saying you can't punish me at. All he, saying
don't punish me this. Hard BUT i couldn't help but
read some of those, statements and you know this is
a this is a medical, condition a mental.

Speaker 2 (01:55:07):
Condition he's being treated for.

Speaker 1 (01:55:08):
This it's all part of what is very well, paid
highly powered. Attorneys we, know we know these. So's it's
a big. Deal and and how they ultimately rule on,
this because this Is i'm not saying he's this is
a nonsense. Case it's a real, case and he has
a real chance to get his punishment lessoned.

Speaker 2 (01:55:26):
With precedent one way or the other going. Forward for
you would think, not But i'm.

Speaker 3 (01:55:33):
Not i'm not that.

Speaker 2 (01:55:34):
NAIVE i may sound somewhat naive.

Speaker 1 (01:55:36):
Here there's hundreds and hundreds of teams In division ONE,
yea and there's one hundred ninety to one hundred players
on these, teams but only one guy better on his own. Team, like,
yeah that's. RIDICULOUS i get.

Speaker 2 (01:55:48):
It that's Where i'm coming. From and this, again this
applies to more than just sports. Gambling this is this
applies to the.

Speaker 1 (01:55:53):
Law would it be different If soresby was from another
country and didn't speak the language and had an.

Speaker 2 (01:55:58):
Interpreter we long as his interpreter could take the. Fall,
no but, Hey i'm sure show he will be in the.

Speaker 1 (01:56:05):
Lineup are you happy to show hit into a triple
player earlier this? Year was that a little bit of.

Speaker 2 (01:56:09):
Redemption i'll be happy when The dodgers system of buying
championships on credit is thwarted, Finally but that's not coming anytime.
Soon cap or no, cap floor or no. Floor football
at five is coming up, next and that is right
around the corner the.

Speaker 3 (01:56:26):
Eighty it is time For football at.

Speaker 2 (01:56:28):
Five BUT i just thought this was funny considering what
we were talking about last. SEGMENT i open UP x
AND i see. What i'm sure you already saw. One
maybe you. DIDN'T wex that a certain betting company is
shutting down its sports book operation At Wrigley field just
after two.

Speaker 3 (01:56:44):
Years did you see that?

Speaker 2 (01:56:45):
Story?

Speaker 3 (01:56:46):
Nope but it had.

Speaker 2 (01:56:47):
More according to, this this company has made the decision
to discontinue on site sports book operations At Wrigley field
following a review of our retail presence In. Illinois the
venue itself will remain, open but in person sports betting
will no longer be offered at the. Location the reason
for that is Increased illinois wagering. Taxes so it wasn't

(01:57:12):
anything like you, know.

Speaker 1 (01:57:13):
Unbecoming there's an handful of venues that was one of
them where in house betting was very.

Speaker 2 (01:57:21):
Available, YEAH i just. CAN'T i, mean It's, texas so
we don't see.

Speaker 3 (01:57:24):
It it's just wild to.

Speaker 2 (01:57:26):
Me, AGAIN i keep thinking the same thing no matter
where you're talking, about like it's only a matter of
time until players get involved or coaching staff or something
of that. Nature the temptation is just. There it's too,
much and it's been there for a long.

Speaker 1 (01:57:42):
Time and CLEARLY dfs and some other states laws changing
has made it even more. Available and it's there's there's
a reason why more of the prize, picks, fanduels, DraftKings
on and on and. On polymarket exists in a this
in sports predict because people are still interested in wagering

(01:58:03):
on not even just only.

Speaker 2 (01:58:06):
Sports i've told you about my addictive, personality you've experienced it.
Firsthand there's a Re i'm not kidding or saying this for.
Effect IF i gambled or, Drank i'd be dead in
a ditch decades ago by. Now glad you.

Speaker 1 (01:58:20):
Don't you're here on the eighteen each and every weekday.
Afternoon oh all, right let's earlier today around ten to seventeen,
am one of the thirty TWO nfl franchises solved the
riddle we've all been wondering, about, WHO i, mean who
could possibly be the starting quarterback for The Pittsburgh steelers this.

(01:58:40):
Year but they let us all know this morning we
have SIGNED Qb Aaron rodgers to a one year. Contract
and then they got their sponsors in. THERE i saw
that earlier this, morning AND i quote posted. IT i
saw That rogers is back double exclamation, points coming off
the steelers thirty to six playoff loss to The, texans
and which he had his and then the list of

(01:59:02):
statistics that you're gonna, say his bell, run his fewest
passing yards, ever its fewest touchdowns, ever lowest pass rating,
ever most fumbles lost, ever fewest points scored, ever most
lopsided lost ever in a playoff game in his twenty
two playoff. Games, obviously there's a little bit.

Speaker 2 (01:59:20):
Of tongue in. Cheek even THOUGH i did not add a, laughing,
crying or smiling, emoji.

Speaker 3 (01:59:25):
He had to have tied that most fumbles lost in another.

Speaker 1 (01:59:27):
Player he has lost a fumble in a game before
all all of the and he's thrown zero touchdown passes
in a game before all the other ones were singular lowest, effort,
performance production, statistic all that. Stuff guess what it Wasn't
Aaron rodgers' fault that they lost to The. TEXANS i
can't believe he was only sacked four times in that.

Speaker 2 (01:59:50):
Game it seemed like way.

Speaker 1 (01:59:52):
More there were only a few plays that they really
left on the. Table and the other thing to remember
about this game THAT I i'm sure even today the
game was played four months. Ago the particulars of a
thirty to nothing loss or thirty to six beat down

(02:00:12):
probably get lost when you, say, oh, yeah they tortured.

Speaker 2 (02:00:15):
Him he had one hundred and fifty yards.

Speaker 1 (02:00:16):
Passing they absolutely annihilated The steelers in that. Game, yeah
the final score was thirty to. Six and as they
rolled through their opening drive that carried over from the
third to the fourth, quarter The Houston, texans they were
hoping to build on their seven to six lead in
the fourth.

Speaker 3 (02:00:33):
Quarter people forget that.

Speaker 1 (02:00:34):
The texans led seven to six after forty, five forty,
six forty, seven almost forty seven minutes of.

Speaker 2 (02:00:41):
Football that's on the. Offense they kicked a.

Speaker 1 (02:00:43):
Field goal to conclude that drive with a little over
thirteen minutes ago to go up ten to, six and
then they scored two more touchdowns defensively and mixed in
A Woody marks.

Speaker 2 (02:00:54):
Touchdown it was a sign of things to come the
next week In. Foxborough offense just didn't have it last. Year,
yeah The steelers.

Speaker 1 (02:01:03):
Have Aaron, rodgers AND i don't blame them at. All
they're the options that they had after not BEING i,
MEAN i keep ripping The steelers like The. Colts you're
not doing anything to try to replace you've. Had you've
had all these years Without Ben, roethlisberger all these years
Without Andrew, luck and what are you really trying to?
Do colts Took Anthony richardson in one, draft AND i
guess The steelers Took Kenny pickett in another draft at

(02:01:24):
Twenty they've run they've run out, it probably worse quarterbacks
than The Indianapolis. Colts, now The colts kept getting guys
that probably didn't have it, anymore Like Carson, wentz Like Matt,
ryan Like philip Rivers. OVER i, mean come, on you
can't do better than. That but it's no different than
what The steelers were. Doing The steelers were just taking

(02:01:45):
guys who never had it to begin, with And Russell
wilson And Justin fields And Mason, rudolph who's still.

Speaker 2 (02:01:52):
There they have.

Speaker 1 (02:01:53):
Four quarterbacks in their quarterback. Room and tell me this
doesn't sound. Sad their newest quarterback Is Drew. Aller they
drafted him this. Year HE'S c Before Mason rudolph is still.
There HE'S qb. Three Will howard was taking snaps Before
Aaron rodgers, arrived and some reports suggested The steelers And
mike McCarthy And Aaron rodgers did this intentionally so they

(02:02:15):
could Get Will howard more looks so they could better
evaluate this. Quarterback, okay whatever you. Say but as we
get closer to the, season we get through camp and
we get to where predictions actually matter because now we
know what the teams really do have on their. Rosters
not much faith in The steelers in year, one earner
Coach mike McCarthy that they'll be repeating what they did

(02:02:39):
pretty much every year with Coach Mike, tomlin and they'll
be on the outside looking in when it comes to postseason,
time even with potentially very Healthy Aaron, rodgers who wasn't
bad last. Year but there's too many other teams with
better quarterbacks and obviously better offenses and. TEAMS i even
like some of the things they did this. Offseason who
even won that division?

Speaker 2 (02:02:58):
Again last? Year what do you you look at it this?
Way it wasn't The, ravens was? It The ravens didn't
even make the? Playoffs that's, right on the last day
of the season they lost to The browns And bengals were. Bad,
yeah and those two teams played for the last playoff
spot division.

Speaker 1 (02:03:14):
Title that's so, sad that's so al west of. Them
we'll look inside the division this. Year zach Freaking taylor
returns and the other three teams have new.

Speaker 2 (02:03:27):
Coaches, yeah it could be a bloodbath in THE Afc.
NORTH i, MEAN i think that THE i know what
you're saying from the new coaching, standpoint just sheer talent,
alone not to mention at the quarterback. Position you would
think The ravens had a bounce back. Year But i'm
telling you right, NOW i don't like we've been waiting

(02:03:48):
for this decline for why AM i drawing a blank
on their running? Back And Derrick, Henry Derrick, henry thank,
You and it's, like, oh he just keeps, defying like
that's it's probably gonna be this, year just so it eventually. Happens,
WELL i feel like he's GOT i, mean think about
how much tread would be left on. That those are
tires that are. Bald they're like cab driver tires In

(02:04:12):
New York, City, like just how much does he have
left in the. Tank he's Not Adrian. Peterson we kept
saying this About Adrian. Peterson But Adrian peterson was like
one of. One he was like a. Cyborg he was
just completely a different. Animal i've never seen anything like
that at the running back. Position And Derek henry's had
a nice long. Career but that's What i'm.

Speaker 1 (02:04:32):
SAYING i just has an entire additional season worth of
carries more than every other running back in the league
since twenty, nineteen three hundred plus. Carries he has that
many more carries than every other running. Back he has
two additional seasons more than any other running back other Than.
Jacob's he's got six hundred and that's just carries more

(02:04:53):
than the guy that's, Third. Saquon that's how hard it
is to say healthy as a running. Back Saquon barkley
has the sixth, most third most carries in the last six.

Speaker 2 (02:05:01):
Seasons it doesn't that lend itself to What i'm, Saying
sure it. Does he's gonna hit a, wall so why he? Hasn't,
Yeah and during that, time during the six seasons combined
since twenty, nineteen he's still averaging over one hundred yards per,
game which is way more than anybody. Else that's across
two teams with two very different, offenses coaching, staffs all

(02:05:24):
that kind of. Stuff the thing that.

Speaker 1 (02:05:25):
Could derail them is probably injuries, again or maybe some
unfamiliarity with what they're doing because this is all new
to them with the coaching. Changes i'd still think the
talent is, there it's just not. Overwhelming they used to
have more talent than everybody in the. DIVISION i, thought
from kind of top to bottom roster, wise are you
what's more likely to Happen Derrick henry falls off Or

(02:05:46):
Lamar jackson isn't.

Speaker 2 (02:05:47):
Awesome Derek henry falls.

Speaker 1 (02:05:50):
Off so If Lamar jackson is, awesome they're gonna win the.

Speaker 2 (02:05:53):
Division but he wasn't running as much last, year and
that was probably how The ravens would have preferred. It
but it also it took that that dynamic part of
their offense in.

Speaker 3 (02:06:06):
GENERAL i thought away.

Speaker 1 (02:06:08):
First season of his career where they lost more games
than they won that he.

Speaker 2 (02:06:13):
Started, yeah it felt like he was hurt the whole,
year even though he. WASN'T i, mean he had a
chunk of time he MISSED i want to, say like
three four games.

Speaker 1 (02:06:23):
He played in thirteen. Games he really, was as you,
said not.

Speaker 2 (02:06:27):
Playing it wasn't Himself like he was out there and
he was, healthy cleared to. PLAY i, mean and nobody's
one hundred percent in THE. NFL i get. That no,
burst he just Never, yeah he just didn't look like
the guy that carved The. Texans for, example that right,
there that little comment From josh if we were doing
radio in their, CITY i feel like that would make

(02:06:47):
it onto A Lamar JACKSON t. Shirt no, burst he
would run with that this.

Speaker 1 (02:06:51):
Year so, YEAH i GUESS i don't have anything run
with it or Just i'm just not TELLING i don't
know what do you guys want from. ME i man
coach minners, here but he Knows i've got no. Bursts
i'll see WHAT i can do this, year but to
see IF i can make it.

Speaker 2 (02:07:02):
Work the guy is a good to great, passer a
traditional you're not supposed to say.

Speaker 1 (02:07:08):
That you're not supposed to actually analyze what he's done
throwing the football in his.

Speaker 3 (02:07:12):
CAREER i mean in the.

Speaker 2 (02:07:13):
Playoffs people did the same thing With Michael vick because
he was a running.

Speaker 3 (02:07:16):
Quarterback he could throw the.

Speaker 1 (02:07:17):
Ball so when YOU i actually saw this earlier, Today
i'm just kind of surprised it was noted this. Way
the two quarterbacks, active If i'm not, mistaken BECAUSE i
Think Pat mahomes dipped underneath them that have the highest
passer rating among active quarterbacks are the two quarterbacks we've
talked about.

Speaker 2 (02:07:37):
This, Segment Lamar jackson And Michael.

Speaker 1 (02:07:40):
VICK i didn't who Said Michael? Vick me just, Now,
yeah we spent ten minutes On Aaron. Rodgers you barely
Mentioned Michael.

Speaker 2 (02:07:48):
Vick, well then you should count. BETTER i should. HAVE
i should have listened more. Closely that makes. SENSE i,
mean they've been around forever specially, well you got to
be at the top of the.

Speaker 1 (02:07:56):
List you gotta be, good you gotta be did HAVE i,
mean when's the Last i'm gonna give you this as
we catch our first. Break here are the top six
quarterbacks active in passer rating heading into twenty twenty, six
and they will all but one of them will likely
start this. Year Russell, wilson he's, fifth probably not gonna
start anywhere this, year may not play this. Year we'll

(02:08:19):
see number, one And Aaron rodgers And Lamar jackson essentially
have the same one or two point. Two Joe burrows,
Third Pat mahomes is. FOURTH i Mentioned russell is, fifth
And Deshaun watson is sixth passer rating among active.

Speaker 2 (02:08:31):
Quarterbacks likely start likely this. Year yeah for The. Browns sorry,
Shoulder we'll see gotta beat him, Out dur's. Gig this
has to be a great competition That deshaun will destroy him.

Speaker 1 (02:08:42):
In we will see pitch it with one more segment
of this interesting how something that took place at the
end of The Western conference semifinals this weekend and how
it was. Perceived then we'll get you To astros baseball.

Speaker 8 (02:08:59):
The a on.

Speaker 2 (02:09:02):
Before we talk about AN nba player that had a
lot of people questioning his motivation or things of that.
Nature did you see this story Where Michael jordan facetimed
his former high school transportation, coordinator Miss etta while she
was in hospice. Care her last request was to see,
HIM i, guess or communicate. Somehow how do you think

(02:09:27):
the comments are going respectful on THE x? Platform? Yeah
when are they? Ever lebron would have went and visited,
her got, It.

Speaker 1 (02:09:39):
Both of them should have time to do, so, right.

Speaker 2 (02:09:42):
You, know he was bleep talking. Her that's pretty cool
that he did, that though there's pictures of him on
the FaceTime on the.

Speaker 1 (02:09:50):
PHONE i, mean if he had some sort of relationship with,
her and if he was obviously made aware that she
wanted to reach out to him to get in contact with.

Speaker 2 (02:09:59):
Him, yeah it was great that he did. That, yeah,
Absolutely that would be my comment IF i had posted
anything as a reply on that post on THE x,
PLATFORM i think this is. Neat, yeah but THEN i
would have to care enough to do. That you would
say this is, neat, YEAH mj, Neat.

Speaker 3 (02:10:17):
BUT i really hammers at.

Speaker 1 (02:10:18):
Home it does a great job By Michael. Jordan NOW
i think he.

Speaker 3 (02:10:23):
Is, him not, we not, we he is.

Speaker 2 (02:10:27):
Him.

Speaker 1 (02:10:28):
Yeah the other thing that took place THAT i alluded
to was at the not really at the, end but
near the. END a writing was on the wall end
of The Minnesota timberwolve. Season roughly eight minutes. Ago they
were never almost never In there turned out to be
their season, finale lost to The, spurs which ended their.
Season Anthony, edwards who clearly is not one hundred percent
for this, postseason but returned regardless and did everything he,

(02:10:51):
could got very little help from those others near him
in the star caliber category Like Julius, randall and as
the longer the series, went the less they got From
Rudy gobert and on and on down the. Line it
was a no contest. Game so eight minutes ago it
was time for the coach to put the reserves in
and everybody knew it was coming on both.

Speaker 2 (02:11:10):
Sides the score was what one ninety seven at the,
Time So.

Speaker 1 (02:11:14):
Anthony edwards during that time out before the deep reserves
were headed to the, game he.

Speaker 2 (02:11:20):
Made his way over The San antonio.

Speaker 1 (02:11:22):
Bench obviously was captured by television and they brought it
to everyone's attention and he shook hands with their, coaches
tapped up players active and, otherwise then went back to his.
Bench and the SECOND i saw, THAT i knew WHY
i disliked, it and it has nothing to do With Anthony.
EDWARDS i only disliked it because of what it was

(02:11:43):
going to, create which is the, NonStop, overwhelming ridiculous statements
from everybody who has to take everything that happens and
turn it into the biggest thing that's ever happened until
the next not minor thing that they'll then treat it
create and treat as the most important thing that's ever.

Speaker 3 (02:12:00):
Happened it's almost always negative.

Speaker 1 (02:12:02):
Stuff it was a game On, prime so this crew
immediately had one of the first big reactions to. It
AND i didn't think anybody there was over the. TOP i,
thought Actually haslam And dirk And, NASH i, thought And
griffin treated it kind of LIKE i wish everybody. Would
they gave their, opinion and You donna's probably had more
to say than anybody, else but they all agreed they
didn't like. It they said it's SOMETHING i wouldn't have.

(02:12:24):
Done And donna's specifically talking about you're the leader of the.
Team game's not over. Yet there's time on the. Clock
we all know the. Situation but as a leader of these,
GUYS i would be so ticked. Off hey, man last
buzzer rings and we've lost our seasons Over, Yeah i'm
gonna go over. There i'm gonna be a good. Sport
i'm gonna do what you're supposed to. Do i'm gonna shake,
hands And i'm gonna move. On but during the, game

(02:12:46):
Maybe i'm old, school as he, said but that's not
SOMETHING i would want the leader of the team to.
Do LIKE i, Said i'm more concerned with everybody going
flying off the handle for. It my thoughts on it,
SPECIFICALLY i already know who he. Is this didn't change
WHAT i, thought doesn't change my view of. HIM i
don't imagine it should for too many. Others maybe it

(02:13:07):
WILL i because guy's an awesome. LEADER i think he
does so many things basketball, wise. RIGHT i think you
show your best attribute as a leader when you bust
your backside to win basketball games and are a good
team guy on the, court which is exactly what he.
Is we could or maybe should be talking about what

(02:13:30):
Nas reed said after the game as opposed to, this
but that got buried because this story became a bigger.
One Nas reed just basically, said we're, Selfish we've got
too many guys there.

Speaker 2 (02:13:42):
To moody and he's we all know who he's talking.

Speaker 1 (02:13:45):
About and of all these bigger stars that are, available
a slightly lesser, Star Julius randall who he's talking, about
he could be on the.

Speaker 2 (02:13:56):
Move because what, happened you don't you Have, again this
is going back to The. Rockets they didn't get it,
done and there's glaring reasons if you don't want to
call them holes on the roster that quite frankly should
be addressed in some, way shape or, form and if they're,
not you can't realistically expect things to be. Different the

(02:14:19):
only difference between The rockets and The timberwolves in that
vein is that The rockets were playing with a hand
tie behind their back from the start of the season
With fred Van, vlietz so they do have that excuse
along With Steven adams halfway through the season kind of
baked into the.

Speaker 1 (02:14:32):
Cake they're loss of a couple, Players anthony being, down
To sumo being hurt also and then playing this series
Without Deevin Chenz. Vincenzo, yeah it's just curious what was your?
Viewpoint what's your thought on What Anthony edwards.

Speaker 2 (02:14:47):
Did, Well i'm the Biggest Anthony edwards fan there is
because he's my favorite non rocket in the. League he
is now playing the role That Kevin durant played for
so many years when he wasn't on The Golden State.
Warriors my favorite non RU i get to watch AND
i would give pretty much anything on the roster to
have him here In. Houston so with that all being,
said kind of gives you an idea of HOW i

(02:15:09):
feel about the. Guy you, know this is funny to
me because it kind of made me think of The Last,
dance like everything does these. Days remember how much was
made about The pistons and The bulls not shaking. Hands you,
know we, Can't. Jordan we went over there all the,
time we shook their hands when they beat, us and
Then Isaiah thomas just walks off the floor and before

(02:15:30):
the game was, over correct this kind of before it
was actually? Over, yeah, exactly not now with eight minutes
left to go the exact opposite and then some to
go above and. BEYOND i didn't like that because SIMPLY
i just, thought wait till the end of the. GAME
i understand why he did. It just get it over.
With i'm coming out of the, game and he. Did

(02:15:50):
he didn't go back in the, game but you still could.
HAVE i, mean so then what the game's over and
he can go to the locker room. Faster is that
what this is. About it's a good. Question it just
DIDN'T i get how it doesn't sit well with. People,
no it's, not you, know doesn't change my perception of
him as a, player as a, man all this kind of.
Stuff it doesn't make me think he's less, competitive none of.

(02:16:13):
THAT i have A i'll tell you this if you
want to talk, about you, know picking knits and making
something out of. NOTHING i have a much bigger problem
with how friendly TODAY'S nba players are openly on the
floor after these playoff lot, like, laughing all that kind of.
Stuff And i'm not SAYING i have a huge. Problem

(02:16:33):
i'm just SAYING i have more a problem with that
THAN i do with Anything Anthony edwards did here in this.

Speaker 1 (02:16:38):
Situation, yeah we're there's a generation that watched THE nba
and many other, sports but nbass each.

Speaker 2 (02:16:44):
Other that's not fake when they're in the. Game, yeah
they don't like each. Other, yeah Ask Charles oakley about. That,
yeah he sees these guys off the floor in a public,
setting he's liable to slap.

Speaker 1 (02:16:56):
Them like the number of times when The rockets And
warriors were and met in the postseas was a good.
Number and had that been in the eighties or early,
nineties mid, nineties they would have been clear hatred that
was on display all throughout those series and in the
aftermath of any of. Them even though the same team
won every, time which we saw on, display it did

(02:17:18):
seem like it stood out more in The, EAST i
guess because we had a clear Lineage, Boston detroit To,
Chicago boston To, detroit no fake, hate real, hate absolute real,
Hate Detroit chicago not, fake not, fake all. Real and
then maybe Even Bulls, knicks even though The bulls won
all of, them that was very.

Speaker 2 (02:17:37):
Real that was. Real, yeah it's just not like that.
ANYMORE i, Mean scotty's standing Over Patrick, ewing The Spike lee,
stuff like they hated each.

Speaker 1 (02:17:44):
Other, now think about how many times we've talked to
players in their mid twenties now and they're meeting somebody
in a postseason series and we get to what's your.
Relationship like with this, guy, WELL i met him WHEN
i was fourteen and we were playing in this, league
OR i was in this league and we went with
This All star, team or they played under whatever With TEAM.
Usa they've played with these guys for half their. Lives

(02:18:05):
sometimes these guys for a lot more of their lives
than many others before.

Speaker 3 (02:18:10):
Them, Yeah i'm not questioning some of these Friend Larry.

Speaker 1 (02:18:13):
Bird Bill laimbard grow up together on THE aau.

Speaker 2 (02:18:16):
Circuit do you Think, No AND i don't think That
magic And larry hung out when one was In French,
Lick indiana and the other one was In. Michigan so
do you find that like the wildest? Thing, ever how
friendly they. Became they're like.

Speaker 1 (02:18:28):
The best of. Friends they talk about each other in
such glowing. Light they spend time.

Speaker 2 (02:18:32):
Together but when the game was on the line and
they weren't, friends then they would kill each. Other they
Would And magic talks about that WITH. Mj magic talks About,
Magic Mister laker talks about that being one of the
biggest differences Between michael And lebron and more. People people

(02:18:53):
are always talking about that, comparison and Then kobe ends
up coming. Up you know Why kobe comes up more
is because he had the same mentality As. Michael they
were both sociopathic maniacs who would tear your heart out
and eat it if it meant getting AN nba. Championship
And lebron just looks like a. Goofball, sorry he's just

(02:19:15):
it's just, no it's no competition at. All like in
the longer he plays and the more numbers he pads
and all, that it honestly just makes it worse in my.
OPINION i know everybody thinks he's the goat because he
scores more and he plays.

Speaker 1 (02:19:30):
Longer way more people Think Michael jordan is better Than.
Lebron there Are lebron, fans stands, clearly BUT i don't
think it's shifted in favor of him.

Speaker 2 (02:19:40):
Worldwide, yeah, WELL i don't. KNOW i don't. Know we
have baseball to.

Speaker 1 (02:19:43):
Discuss sorry to stomp on your lebronness THAT i know
you like talking about so. Much so we'll get to
that another. DAY i wonder what day that will. Be
maybe tomorrow Is. Tuesday, yeah we'll get to The astros
On deck show next