Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Two lifelong Houston sports guys named Adam Talking Your Team series,
Adam Clinton and Adam Wexler are the A Team A Team.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
What's Up, Houston, Texas. It is a Friday edition of
the A Team. Gosh, it's been a busy week to
get to this point. We've hosted almost two shows and
we will try to get through this very arduous task today.
Now we've got you until six o'clock and then we'll
make way for the latest. I want to call it
(00:38):
a measuring stick game for the Houston Rockets because I
think a lot of key components of both teams are
going to be out of this one, and so it
kind of doesn't really feel that way. But as we
get into that, a lot to get to. As far
as the NFL weekend, the final week of the regular season,
that's one of those things where when I was talking
earlier about how I thought this this whole sports calendar
(01:00):
have had flown by in twenty twenty four, definitely one
of the elements of that. And I feel like for
everything that's happened for the Houston Texans this year, and
a lot of it has been negative, it still has
seemed like the season has flown by. Normally, when when
that kind of stuff goes down, it just makes it
kind of be a crawl. Same with the Astros with
their super slow start for the year. But it's all
(01:24):
flown by. I cannot believe we're going into the final
week of the regular season. And in that vein, Wex
was listening to Matt Ross earlier and Matt was going
through all the scenarios about who wins and who loses tomorrow.
This is where you and I are going to completely differ.
I can guarantee you one hundred percent certainty. You love
that kind of stuff, and I'm like, no, no, no,
(01:44):
Just tell me what the matchups are when it happens.
Doesn't mean I'm not gonna watch games, doesn't mean I'm not,
you know, somewhat curious, but the scenarios and who has
to beat whom or lose and get to what seeding
and all that. Just let me know when the matchups
are set. Let me know who's coming to Houston. So
I even want to think they have a shot at
winning a playoff game at home this year, That's all
(02:06):
I want to know, all right.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Much to it, there's three teams that could be here,
they three.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
That's it.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
I mean, I don't know why it's such a big deal.
There's only a couple scenarios left. We're going into week eighteen.
Find out something on Saturday, so before you even get
the Sunday we'll have an idea. Certainly could know it
by Sunday. I've mentioned this a few times. If the
Ravens somehow don't beat the Browns and they are now
almost twenty point favorites to do so, Lamar Jackson will
(02:35):
play until no longer necessary, and the Browns will be
using yet another starting quarterback. Not quite sure that Dorian
Thompson Robinson is awful, so he'll still play, but they're
gonna go ahead and start Bailey's appy. He's been there
for about five minutes. If the Ravens somehow lose that
game and Russell Wilson can lead his team to a
(02:56):
victory over Joe Burrows Bengals in Pittsburgh, well then the
Texans will know their opponent. It'll be the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens will be coming here for a return visit
to open up the wild Card round of the playoffs
for the Texans. In light of that potential matchup, you
might think, wow, ravens Lamar Jackson, Texans, there's some buzz here.
(03:19):
Maybe we'll want to put that game in a certain
spot that can show it off. But you probably balance
that reversely off of Nah, they whooped him pretty good
on Christmas thirty one two. I don't know that we
need to primetime this one. The other option, if what
should happen on Saturday does happen, Texans won't know for
sure who they're playing because Baltimore is gonna beat the
(03:41):
tar out of Cleveland, and that means they're going to
win the division. Pittsburgh wins over Cincinnati, then you're playing Pittsburgh.
But I don't think Pittsburgh's gonna win, So I think
you're going to see Pittsburgh loose and Baltimore win, Meaning
that still leaves the door open for the Chargers to
be your opponent. If the Chargers would then win their
(04:02):
game on Sunday, then they would pass the Bengals, And
if we get down to it, that is what I
think is going to happen, and the Chargers and the
Texans will meet in the wildcard round.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
That's strange, just this whole time, I felt like the
Texans were on another collision course with Baltimore, another disappointment,
a very quick out in the postseason, and a lot
of question marks headed into the offseason. I feel like,
if it is the Chargers, then you at least that's
one of those teams where I'm like, all right, I
(04:34):
think the Texans have a chance in this one, even
with all their flaws.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Yeah, Chargers have been to the playoffs once with Justiner
Herbert nunts with Jim Harbaugh. This is obviously his first
year there and he's got a little bit of postseason
heat that comes with it. Consider he's taking a team
to the super Bowl. Considering for another couple of weeks,
he will be the reigning champion himself as the coach
of Michigan until Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, or the
team that won yesterday Notre Dame. There will be a
(04:58):
new champion this year claims that title, and that'll be
a couple of weeks into the NFL playoffs. Hard balls
team could still be playing. The Chargers play the Raiders
set on Sunday, and that is one in the late
afternoon games. That's the NFL did as good a job
as I think they could have and they really had
a nice setup based on some of the matchups. So
they really could, you know, separate the AFC North games
(05:19):
for Saturday and give them themselves, I think, two highly anticipated matchups,
one of them at prime time. Able to hold the
Minnesota Detroit game until Sunday night football. That obviously determines
the first seed and the fifth seed, so a couple
of NFC teams will be extremely interested in that. Aside
from the two teams playing in that game. Middle of
the afternoon, we'll find out which team is lined up
(05:41):
against the loser of that game, whether it's the La
Rams or the Bucks or the division.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Champions should say.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
So, there's a couple of different things out there, But
you know, playing the Chargers versus the Steelers or the Ravens,
I don't think there's a whole lot of difference between
these three teams. The Ravens obviously matchup very well against
the Texans. We just saw that the Chargers and Steelers
both have a defense that I think could be nightmarish
for the Texans offensive front.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
And CJ.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Stroud, you know, Justin Herbert has some playoff experience. He's
been extremely quiet about how awesome his season has been
because he plays in the AFC where a bunch of
other quarterbacks just flat out have been unbelievable. You never
heard his name in the MVP race, nor should you have.
You didn't hear his name about being one of the
best quarterbacks in the AFC this year because the list
(06:29):
there's only sixteen of them, is pretty small.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
But he's been really, really good, really really effective.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
He's only thrown three interceptions this season against twenty one touchdowns,
doesn't have much of a receiving corps as. They made
some interesting decisions this last offseason, although I think they
turned out to be correct. That's an interesting matchup for
the Texans defense. But I think it's a heavy advantage
to the Chargers defense against the Texans offense. And again
(06:56):
that's not set yet. They would need to win their
game in order to tie and or pass. They can't
pass them by tying them, they would need to have
a better record than the Steelers, and the Steelers, as
far as you're the thought that they were on a
collision course for the Ravens, I never thought that, and
I try and we talked to somebody from Baltimore and
I asked him his thought. He said, no, I don't
think so, and he explained why. It was the same
(07:17):
reason I didn't think. Why because the Steelers didn't play
anybody till the end of the season. And guess what
the Steelers did at the end of the season. They
lost to them all. Steelers didn't even have a division
game till after the first ten games of the year.
Then they closed with the Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs, and now
there Bengals game.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
That's lost loss loss.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
They were leading the division when they were playing nobody's
when they were playing the also rans, when they were
playing the non playoff caliber teams, that's who they have
most of their wins over, certainly in the middle portion
of the season where they took over that division lead.
And then they they're an average team, They're slightly above
average team. They're very much like Houston. No two teams
(07:57):
that are more similar in the AFC playoffs could meet
than if that is the matchup. That is a very
we haven't played very good football in quite a long time.
For the Texans, probably the entire season. And for the Steelers.
While they got a lot of wins with Russell Wilson,
I'm not sure how great their football was. He just
managed to make very few mistakes, had some good connections.
(08:17):
Then with George Pickens. Now we mentioned George Pickens I
think every day, Yeah, on the show this week, and
we have to again because as it was pointed out
to him, you know, Russell Wilson said on that interception,
he and you weren't on the same page. How did
you see it? And what was the issue there? You
said that, No, Russell said that. Russell said that, Yes,
George Russell said that, and he turned around and the
(08:39):
interview was over. So things are great for the Pittsburgh
offense as they head into a game they'd like to
win to win their division. Albeit if they lose and
end up as the five seed, just like the Chargers
could win and end up the five seed, this is
probably a desirable spot for the possible opponents. You never
(08:59):
want that, you know, the whole you'll look out for
what you wish for. Of course, any of these teams
should want to open with the Texans if they want
to advance, if they want to be one of the
final eight teams in the AFC, that's probably a better
plan than most. If you're the sixth seed, well, you're
playing the Ravens. Probably if you're the seventh seed, which
neither of these three team, none of these three teams
(09:21):
can still be anymore, Well, then you're playing the Bills.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Nobody wants that.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Good luck with any of if four division winners in
the AFC, one of them has the week off. The
other three are Buffalo, probably Baltimore and Houston. Those three
teams aren't similar. One of them is very different. It's
this one.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
One of these is not like the others. And it's
a shame said this yesterday. Just a lot of promise
going into this year. You know, let's just say, for
the sake of argument, the Texans offensive line was an
absolute crap. By and large. They'd still be dealing with
two significant injuries to their trio that we kind of
said was the best in football win healthy, and they
(10:01):
were not together very much, but they were for parts
of the season, and now two thirds of them are
gone and it's Nico Collins against you know, the rest
of whatever.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
If their offensive line was good, then they would be
just fine with whoever they had a wide receiver. They
clearly wouldn't be as awesome, or as explosive or as
threatening but you'd have no problem playing offense if your
offensive line was fine.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
So that's an interesting scenario because if the Texans offensive
line was good, then they probably win how many more
games this year?
Speaker 3 (10:30):
They're definitely in the mix to be the three seed
had if they had good offensive line. I'm not going
to tell you they're gonna win fourteen games like Buffalo,
but you're probably gonna be in a better spot where
you might even have that lead. And I don't even
think all these last couple of games would have gone
like this. It's it's the biggest problem with a team,
and when that's your biggest problem, it's it's impossible to
(10:50):
hide it. If you have bad secondary, bad safeties, bad linebackers,
bad edge, bad tackles, bad wideouts, bad tight end, bad
running back, you probably can figure it out. You really
can't if your offensive line is bad, or at least
for sure your coaching staff can't figure it out. Because
that's what we watch happen this year. I'm not sure
that that's worthwhile blame to put on them, because it's
(11:12):
a pretty big hurdle to jump over. It's been the
story of the season and it won't end until the
season ends because it won't be fixed until the off season.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
If then, Yeah, Instead, it is a situation and it permeates.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
And uh, if they get these Steelers, they'll be favored.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Wow, okay, even with their pass.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Rush, even with their four game losing streak. Yes, the
Texans will be favored over them.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Yes one. Yeah, I know what you're saying, and I
know that they have flaws of their own.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Every team has a good pass rush that they could play,
and the Texans also have a good pass rush they
do that doesn't even matter. Honestly, for the billionth time,
everybody has a great pass rush provided their opponent is
Houston exactly.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Well, that's what I'm actually trying to say. You just
put it more.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
It just it doesn't meanven like their pass us is
actually good, so is the Chargers. But it's not even
that's not even the issue. The issue is it doesn't
matter who's over there. You got to figure out how
to block take care of your own business, and they
just haven't done that.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
I agree. All right. Speaking of which, we will reveal
to you the best team in college football. It has
been discovered. It is on the record, and we'll tell
you who that is. When we come back.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
The A Team on Sports Talk seven ninety back to
Adam Clinton and Adam Wexler.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
The A Team shout out to Brian McTaggart of MLB
dot Com listening earlier. I don't know if he's still listening,
but he was earlier. Wanted to give him a shout out.
He's probably he's probably enjoying a little bit of a
break right now, although I don't know how much MLB
(12:57):
writers get any sort of break, specially this time of
year when the stove is typically hot, although it seems
to be cooling down, and I love the fact that
we still don't know where Alex Bregman is going to
play next year. I did not have that on my
bingo card for January third of twenty twenty five. It
is the A Team Sports Talk seven ninety X and
ac here on a Friday edition of the program Taken
(13:17):
You until six o'clock tonight, then making way for Rockets
versus Celtics, mentioned that a lot of key players probably
aren't going to be taking part in this one. So
if you were saying, okay, how do you measure up
against the defending champs since you've come out of the
Gate with one of the best records in the NBA,
who's not playing well. I don't think that. I don't
(13:39):
know that Jalen Brown's going to play for sure.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Yeah, he missed a game last night with a shoulder injury,
the first game of a back to back, so he
is listed as questionable for tonight.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
You will not have him in Thompson, which crushes me
because I would have loved to have seen him and
his defense go up against this lineup that shoots fifty
threes a game. That's average, that's not like, oh, an outlier.
They shoot fifty three is a game I just can't
I mean, they make a decent amount.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Twelfth in the league and percentage.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
So right in the middle, a little above average, but
that's a lot that's like Mike D'Antoni James Harden level
of marksmanship, or at least takes.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
There's six teams in the league that shoot more than forty.
They're the only one over fifty by quite a large margin.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
So it'll be raining.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
He's seven last night and one by.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Three's it'll be raining something. I just don't know if
it's going to be actual rain or bricks inside Toyota
cent they will definitely be launching. Al Horford, I think
is resting tonight. He is out, dude to rest, which
I know that sounds like oh Kevin Love the other night.
He's been around for twenty years in the in the league,
but I feel like he always hits a key bucket
for them every time they played Rockets, let alone everybody else.
(14:49):
And then I feel like, oh, Christas Porzingis is also out?
Is he not not out?
Speaker 3 (14:54):
He's also questionable, So we'll have to see what the tart.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Easton's not going to play for the Rockets.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Yeah, he's listed doubtful, definitely seems like he's got an
eighth straight game to be missed tonight, and those will
be your two Rockets that are probably not playing tonight.
It's also possible Jacques Landell will not be available tonight
for the Rockets.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
He doesn't really play. He's not a part of the rotation.
But you know, I would say, I mean, when Porzingis
was healthy, they cruised in the championship round last year, so.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
There's no difference. He's no question he is a difference maker.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
So I'm saying two difference makers I would say for
both teams are not going to likely be participating in
this one. It just kinda I don't know how much
you can take away from it one way or the other.
If that's the case.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Yes, I just don't want to say Jalen Brown is
playing yet, and he probably will. I mean, I don't
know if he sat out one night so he could
make it the next night. But he did just get
hurt two games ago. Before last night's game, their head
coach said, well, we'll see how he is. I think
he's going to be out tonight. That makes it sound
like it's not that bad and maybe he would be available.
They just started a four game road trip, game number
(16:00):
two that got Oklahoma City coming up. They may be
looking at that game a little bit. They've been awesome
on the road. But yeah, I don't really personally these
measuring stick games. The Rockets are good. I don't need
them anymore. I mean, I'm not telling you they're better
than this team, and they match up well, they're good.
I don't need a measuring stick game for them. If
they beat the Celtics, it doesn't mean they're better than
(16:21):
the Celtics. It just means they beat them. They've beaten everybody,
they've played quite honestly. That's why I don't really need it.
Everybody that's been on their schedule, that's good. They've beaten
every single team.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
One of Wex's New Year's resolutions was not to leave
the web blanket in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
I mean, if they beat the Celtics ton I with
Jalen Brown and again, I think Porzingis is more likely
to miss the game. Great, they're good. You know, the
Rockets are really good. They're really good at home. There's
no way they should have lost those last two home games.
You should have one of the five best home records
in the NBA. Celtics happened to be the second best
road team in the NBA. So I don't mean to
(16:59):
knock the match. That's not what I'm saying at all.
This is I'm very excited about seeing what happens.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
It's extremely important.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
But I'm not going to base what I think about
the rock Let's say they get whacked tonight, which is
obviously a possibility. Boston can do that to anybody. It
doesn't change my opinion. I mean, the Cleveland's lost four games,
how many of them are to Boston.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
I did not have that on my being go card either.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
I know the Celtics are the defending champs, but Cleveland's
the best record in the NBA basically or one of
for a long time, and they never lose at home.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
They've had the best record in the NBA from day
one and still do oh.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
I thought at one point maybe they didn't.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
I want fifteen straight to open the year. Nobody has
caught them.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
You know what's funny is that Oklahoma City right now
is on a twelve game winning streak and they're not
sniffing Cleveland's record.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
I mean, I guess not. They're one game back.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
See, I just wanted to see you.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
I don't know how big of a you want.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
I wanted to see. Well, I wanted to see how
the Semantics were rolling today.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
So I would well, I would say that they're nipping
at their heels. That would be that would be, yes,
they're sniffing it. They are one whole game back. Well,
so I think with h was Oklahoma City playing to
night yeah and Cleveland. Yeah, So by the end of
the night they could have the same record. They could,
they could, but not likely probably not. Cleveland has the
Mavericks and Oklahoma City has the streaking Knicks.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Yeah, actually the Knicks are.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
They were nine in a row, you know what I
found out over the weekend, and the Rockets have beating
them too, right, Yeah, but you know things say why
that happened because that on that night the Rockets were
better outscored them. What else are they going to tell me?
Speaker 5 (18:35):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (18:35):
That's what I would say too, But well, what what's
the excuse? I think there was some call in late
in that game. Maybe no, no, no, this one.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
When Aaron Holiday got fouled on a three by Jalen Brunson.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
That one, well, I think they thought there was a
foul the other way around. I think it was even
maybe involving those two players. And if Aaron Holiday was
playing late in that game, who was out that night
as Mike? What did Fred not play that night?
Speaker 6 (19:00):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (19:01):
No, I just think he was out there. The Rockets
beat him by a twelve in early November. I don't
know that there was one single play that the Knicks
would be complaining about.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
It pretty decisive victory there. Okay, so this doesn't surprise me,
but I think maybe put it this way. You remember
when Phil Jackson would say stuff and we would clearly
after a while, know that he's just playing head games
with his comments to the press. He would do that
(19:30):
a lot, especially when he was in Los Angeles, but
he did a little bit in Chicago beforehand. Is that
what Sark is doing by saying Ohio State is the
best team in college football? Or does he really believe this?
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
I'm gonna grab the audio and see how he presented
it because it's done during a zoom call today, so
that I can get a better Yeah. Well, I mean,
you know, I love that we can hear it. I
love that we can read it, but I'd prefer to
see it. Kind of like yesterday we were talking about
Cliff Kingsbury, Glyff Kingsbury stump for a job? Was he
really The words that were typed in a tweet or
(20:04):
in a story might suggest that, but it certainly didn't
look like that the way he responded to the question do.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
You think and part of what he said by the
way he went on to say, I need Longhorn Nation
to show out in Arlington. We're going to need everything
we've got to try to win this game. Clearly, we're
massive underdogs. Nobody's going to give us a shot. This
is the best team in college football, and we're going
to have to make sure that we put our best
foot or our best forward to give ourselves a chance
(20:32):
to win the game. Massive underdogs, almost a touchdown.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
That's pretty sizable considering where we are in the postseason.
There are only four teams left.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Nobody's giving us a shot.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
That's where you tend to believe he's saying it for effects,
play the role that people want us, that we think
will benefit us.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Yet, and maybe most impressive to me at least, I
need Longhorn Nation to show out two hours away from
where our home stadium is.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
Essentially thirteen thousand tickets allotted per team from what I read,
and the Longhorns have sold their allotment already.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
I've never thought that that would be a problem at
this particular stadium in this state.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
No, but it's also the third third postseason game. There's
potentially a national championship game also very close proximity to them.
I mean, I know there are a lot of people
that have a lot of money and like to go
to football games, but it is a lot more than usual.
Most seasons are twelve games plus potentially a conference title game,
which for Texas, even has not been a given recently.
(21:38):
Then there's one more game. Last year there could have
been two more games now because they were one of
the four teams in the playoffs, they did not win
their opening game, so there was no additional game. Well,
they're playing this game this coming week next wee week
from tonight, it's their sixteenth game. Yeah, Well, and buying tickets,
(21:58):
traveling to games, I lodging everything else that goes with it.
Sixteen times if you're going to road games all year
versus twelve is the pretty sizable difference.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Not every ut die hard has the bank account that
Matthew McConaughey does.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
And to the best team in college football remaining, they
did beat the number one team that probably holds a
little weight towards that statement and the odds makers they're
saying what Sark is saying, they are favored by nearly
a touchdown over them. The odds in a title game,
if Ohio State would be there, or if Texas would
be there, all the possible matchups, they are favored by more.
(22:35):
They would be favored by more against Notre Dame or
Penn State, then Texas would be favored against Notre Dame
or Penn State. Thus he's correct and real feeling is
this is the best team in college football.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
But much like what was said on the broadcast the
beginning of the game against Arizona State, will this not
be the best defense that Ohio State is faced?
Speaker 3 (22:57):
Oh? I don't think there's much doubt, even though some
might say, ah, well, look at what Michigan did to them.
Michigan's defense is very good and they performed against them
better than anybody else has. It would be a tall
ask for the Longhorns to match that performance, but I
do think they have a better defense. Yeah, whether they
go and do what Michigan did to them is another story.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Not no offense to Quinn yours or anything any other
part of the offense. But the reason I think the
Longhorns absolutely I'm giving them a shot, Sark, is that defense.
Just like I said going into the Arizona State game,
I love the Longhorns defense, and that was what ended
up actually determining the game on the final play the
other day.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
It ended the game after they gave up thirty one
points and twenty four of the week before.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
That determines it because it's the last play all right,
we will continue here on the eight team Sports Talks
seven to ninety when we come back. The best of
X a rant for the Ages. I thoroughly enjoyed this one,
especially since it involves a head coach coming to Houston
this weekend. The A team on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 7 (24:04):
If you can buy Astro's gear on it, you can
hear us on it.
Speaker 8 (24:09):
I bet listen live for free on any smart device.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Did you'll see this?
Speaker 8 (24:18):
We're putting out between five and six posts a day.
Speaker 4 (24:21):
Four hundred people were arrested for things that they said
on social media.
Speaker 8 (24:25):
History repeats itself.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Type and you will succeed.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
Never doubt that you're the one who plus with no word,
build the lead.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
You're the best of it. Nothing's gonna ever top you
know you're the best of X. Post an every single day.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
You know you're the best of X breaking the entire internet.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
All right, every day about this time, we I'd say
it's like a review of the past twelve or so
hours of the best material that we've seen. Now, my
submission today is not something that is limited to X.
As a matter of fact, I didn't even see it
on X initially.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
It was all right, then it's disqualified.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
It was everywhere in addition to X.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
You'd rather go that route than get a load of
what's on a Parker Jones Burner account, And.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
We can do that first. That's fine, No, go ahead,
Well why'd you bring it up then? So we would
use it?
Speaker 3 (25:33):
This doesn't have to be first.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
All right? What are your thoughts on JJ Reddick just
in general, not the analyst, not the coach. Just when
you think of JJ Reddick, what's the first thing that
comes to mind? Duke Blue Devil. Hey see, see that's
my guy right there. I knew that would be your reaction.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
But that's old news, long since gotten beyond that.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
And he actually, I would argue at times since then,
has even become downright likable on.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Occasions when he rolled into his podcast, which then ultimately
got him on ESPN as an analyst phenomenal, he talked basketball.
I thought he had a really I mean, usually you
like someone when you agree with their perspective on the
game in general and how it's evolving, and you know
ins and outs of the game, and I just happened
to so yeah, I thought he has a very big
(26:22):
asset to the analyst world. For people that wanted to
know more about the game. And again, even that was
after we should have disliked him for scoring sixteen points
per game in the first quarter as a Clipper against.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
The Rocks every single time.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
Look, guess what they're gonna do. He's gonna run off
on thousand screens, Chris Paul's gonna throw them the ball.
Nobody's gonna be on him, and he's gonna hit five
jumpers in the first quarter and we're gonna be down
eight points at least all right break, but you're still
going to lose. In seven games, you still might beat them.
But he did have a tendency to do that to
Houston quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
Yeah, I think he's kind of done the peaks and
valleys thing a lot. I think he's come back to
the side of what you initially said.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
Now he coaches NBA basketball, He coaches.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
The Lakers specifically, and he got that gig because of
said podcast with Lebron.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Different podcast. His original podcast was Lebron Less, right, That's
why it was tolerable.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Now they're together and it's hilarious when you hear Okay,
here's another one for you. Real quick rapid reaction what's
the first thing you think of when you think of
Charles Barkley? Hilarious? Right, yeah, great for the NBA. Right,
So what he had? What happens when you take those
two subjects and put them together as again for the
umpteenth time, on inside the NBA, Ernie is trying his
(27:36):
damnedest to get the highlights out of a game that
has nothing to do with the Lakers. As a matter
of fact, it was about the Celtics highlights. He's trying
to give you the highlights, and Charles Barkley is like,
I'm not letting you do that. When I could go
on a rant ripping JJ Reddick, he said something.
Speaker 9 (27:54):
About were the reason of people I watching this praffit
product we got? Yeah, like we are the jacking up
on hundred threes.
Speaker 8 (28:02):
JJ.
Speaker 9 (28:02):
I know Jason Monroe. I don't know who that is,
but JJ, you come for the King. You better not
miss I can get you, brother, because I got Remember
I got your Lakers games. You can't hide them flalls,
they got You're just a dead man walking. They got
rid of Frank Bogan, who did a good job. They
got rid of Darborennham, who did a good job if
you came out that thing and you were gonna change
(28:23):
things with that same ugly girl you went on to
hat with sixty.
Speaker 8 (28:26):
Fifty one was your halftime score.
Speaker 9 (28:29):
Getting back to the highlights there, he came in after
thinking I can make this thing work here, you can
make up on that pig Leakers think, man, man, okay,
come on man, there's.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Like three absolute body blows in there. But man, like,
he's right. That's the thing. Most of the time when
Charles does something like this, you know he's full of
hot air. He's dead on balls, accurate what he's talking about.
The Lakers right now and JJ Reddick, and even when
he mentioned his predecessors as head coaches, they did do
(29:10):
a good job, both of them with what they had.
I mean, you can you can argue I guess Darvin
Ham's tenure there, but it's not like they got remarkably
better after he was fired. And it's not like they're
better this year.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Aside from Charles Barkley who clearly just said it. Do
other people think that JJ Reddick's doing a bad job
because they shouldn't. And I haven't heard of anybody saying that.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Well, I don't, I don't know I can't speak for
anybody else. Have you heard other people? What are you
thinking on that? Well, I'll answer your question with a question.
Do you think he's doing a great job? What would
you like him to do? Like?
Speaker 3 (29:49):
What isn't what this is about? It is what it's about.
He's saying they suck and he's terrible.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
No, he's saying, you weren't going to change it. That's
what he's saying. He's saying, what the fact that they suck?
They don't suck.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
They're just not the championship caliber team that Lebron and
others would have you believe they are.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
Do they have two top fifteen players on their roster?
Maybe they won because if you have two top fifteen players,
if the Rockets had two, they have zero top fifteen
players in the roster, and they're boat racing the Lakers
right now. They suck three less ahead of the Lakers. Okay,
they're still better, and they're better like I said they
(30:28):
were going to be at the beginning of the season,
and the Lakers still probably won't playing you.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
This top fifteen player stuff is pointless. They've been there
for years. What makes you think they're good? What was
JJ supposed to do. How could he make them good?
Speaker 2 (30:44):
They're not good?
Speaker 3 (30:45):
What's he's He's the coach. He can only do so
much with what they have and how they play. And
the top fifteen player that they have is Anthony Davis.
The maybe top fifteen player is Lebron because he's the
top fifteen offensive tributor. But he contributes to them being
disastrous defensively, which is why.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
They aren't any good.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
And JJ Rennick can't change that because he's not I mean,
could he may change that at least a respect clearly
respectable defensive coach. Had Ima Udoka been hired by the Lakers,
could he have turned the group of players that Rob
Polinka and Lebron have gathered for him a good defensive team.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
He might be against these players and got rid of
the players that helped them win a championship with those
same two guys.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
Yeah, And I don't know where they're going to be
at the end of the year and injuries and maybe
a move that they make that helps them more than
the two moves or the move they made the other
day with D'Angelo Russell, which I do think was both
a good financial move and a good basketball move.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
So they're probably going to be a little bit better.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
They're two games, two wins ahead of where they were
a year ago.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
Doesn't really matter a whole lot.
Speaker 3 (31:49):
It'd be totally, completely overwhelmingly shocking if they landed in
the top four. They're only three games back of Houston.
It's a team they could catch.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
I be shocked.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
They're gonna be battling to stay out of the play
in tournament. Best case scenario. Worst case scenario is somebody
that matters him or Anthony Davis is hurt for a
significant amount of time and they're battling to be in
the play in tournament despite having two pretty talented players.
We can debate whether they're top fifteen. Anthony Davis is
(32:21):
having another awesome season, but he's hurt himself when nobody
was around. When he hurt himself without being contact and
he sprained his own ankle, didn't step on anybody's.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Foot, he just sprained it.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
And it seems to happen far more often to him
than just about any other great player. You know it,
I know it. I think Charles knows it. And we
grade them out differently. We say the Lakers suck, they're
terrible because Lebron and Anthony Davis are on that team
and they're not championship level caliber player or team.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Is that not a fair statement, though, Well, they're.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
Going to the playoffs. They're probably gonna be top six.
I don't know that I would say that that team sucks.
I think people want to say it because they expect, Well,
that jersey says Davis and that jersey says James. How
come they're not better? Look at the teams that are
going to be better than them.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
But I do.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Nuggets and the Mavericks and the Thunder and I mean,
they're so.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Much nice teams that you're listing. Are why I disagree
with you. I don't think they're going to the playoffs
if they're not. If they're playing like this right now,
and they they've already made a trade, a good one, yeah, which,
by the way, uh, that's what got them into this mess,
was trading away all the role players around those two
that help them win that championship. I just I don't
(33:36):
know if they make the playoffs, great, but it won't.
I'll be mildly surprised, to be honest with you. And
that's that's almost almost as much a part of how
good the Western Conference is win fully healthy, Like Dallas
might be one of those that falls by the wayside
because of Luca, but they get Luca back for final
two months three months of the season. I should say
(33:57):
they're gonna be ahead of the Lakers. That's just one team.
You mentioned several others, and the Rockets are one of them,
and they weren't there last year.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
No, that's the big difference. They were not there. Memphis
wasn't there either, Right, Memphis is ahead of Hugh Jamoran's
not shooting guns off. But there's only one team in
the last ten games, the Thunder, the only team in
the West with a better record than the Lakers in
the last ten.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
That's it. That's the only one.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
How I mean, I know it's fun to say it,
and I get the perception of them because of who
these guys are. But they don't suck. They're just not awesome.
I think they suck, and so does Charles Barkley. But
Charles bark they're closer to missing the playoffs. If you
want me to give you that, hey, you go then
catching the Rockets. They're three games behind the Rockets, and
they're only two and a half games from being the
(34:42):
tenth seed. Luckily Phoenix is there, they would still have
to pass them too.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
Joe trev is saying that, and as he calls him,
hill Billy Kobe, Austin Reeves might be a top fifteen player. Yeah,
they couldn't go that far. Love Joe.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
Joe's one of the biggest tweeting contributors posting contributors to
our program. Thus he's always listening. We love it Austin
Reeves today, tomorrow, and every year of his career. Despite
the near triple doubles, despite the game winner he posted
the other night against the Warriors on Christmas Day, it
sounds recognizing how well he's played is awesome because nobody
(35:19):
else will. So I applaud Joe for that. But if
you don't think you can quickly name fifteen players in
the NBA better than him, he's a.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
Really good player.
Speaker 3 (35:27):
It was a really good contract for as much of
the detractors that were out there, where would they be
without Austin Reeves. They'd be under five hundred and outside
of the playoffs. Definitely without Austin Reeves. It was a
much better player than people will ever give him credit for, apparently,
But ranting about JJ Reddick. I actually thought it was
more about Jason McIntyre. I thought his words were more recognized,
(35:51):
even though one of them is an NBA coach and
the other one is a sidekick on a radio show.
But they seemed I had heard them from him first,
and I do. I do, especially with this future change
where ESPNABC carries inside the NBA a little bit more
or all, you have to recognize the simplistic nature of
what both JJ and Jason are saying. This is your
(36:13):
most high profile analysis program about your extremely lucrative product,
and they constantly tell you how bad it is. You
can't be in management and think, yeah, but it's Charles
and Kenny, it's all right. You just kind of live
with it. You'd prefer there's of course, you'd prefer they
don't do that. They can still be just as awesome
and just as critical. They don't have to continually tell
(36:35):
everybody I'm not watching.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
And Charles does.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
It without doing it. He doesn't say I don't watch
any of the games, but if you listen to him,
you know he doesn't. And then when he tells you
the product stinks, now you know why he's a highly
paid NBA analyst who's not interested in watching the product
unless he's on TV that night.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
The problem is he's not the only one saying that
at this point in time, but.
Speaker 3 (36:55):
Nobody else is on that pote on the platform.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
But they've been around for a long long time and
the NBA product has it's changed over the course of
that time.
Speaker 3 (37:06):
I every period of time in the NBA has changed,
and it does appear with more competition for eyeballs in
this digital age and everything else that we're dealing with,
it's about the biggest hit they've ever taken from where
they rose up after the Uh hey, let's get these
games live on TV era.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
If you are I don't know, we gotta go break.
But if you're one of those people that's you know,
a diehard NBA fan, but you're also realistic, it's probably
not the best brand of basketball at this exact moment
in time with what you just highlighted we are dealing
with from a broadcasting standpoint, to be putting out there,
you'd really like to have Michael Jordan right now, or
(37:42):
Lebron be younger, or Kobe back in the day. You know,
any number of recognizable and well marketed players. I don't
know if you have that right now other than a
very old.
Speaker 3 (37:53):
Lebron Jordan Kobe Lebron, Who's that that era is over
because of the question just asked. They don't have an answer,
and it's not because they aren't looking. There isn't one.
There is no answer.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
But there was that perdatory between like ninety eight in
two thousand and three where Kobe was there, but he
was also with Shack, so he wasn't a standalone You
didn't really have the guy necessarily that was carrying the
torch like MJ and then Lebron did. In my opinion,
it feels like Kobe was doing it. Kobe was doing
(38:27):
other things during that time. I mean, okay, what was
he doing then? Well, Denver didn't help that whole situation.
The first three years of his career. Well that was
when he was airballing threes in the playoffs to lose
to the Jazz.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
All right, Well, I mean he only got into the
league in ninety seven or ninety six.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Yeah, the age on Sports Talk seven ninety back to
Adam Clinton and Adam Wexler.
Speaker 8 (38:54):
The eighty.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
Carrying over a bit from last segment, we only say
that because it's best of X right, and so social
media is key when it comes to this story. As
much as we heard that the non targeting call was
the only reason why Arizona State didn't complete its comeback
against the Longhorns, do you think it's even more of
(39:21):
a scapegoat situation as Georgia fans are saying the penalty
on Parker Jones is the reason they lost to Notre
Dame in the Sugar Bowl.
Speaker 3 (39:34):
I mean, I'll let you explain. But they're still drunk.
Maybe they're saying that, well, it it was played in
New Orleans.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
Yeah, that's what I mean.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
There's a real possibility not just hungover, but literally still drunk.
Maybe they think that they're twenty three to ten loss
is due to their sideline shenanigans. But I don't think
they think that, do they.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
I think some people are just because use That's how
it goes the reason why it became a big deal.
Speaker 3 (40:04):
I think obviously it has some impact, but because of
the really because of how I was treated on television.
It's often the way it was just over and over
and over, and you know this kid, and you know
they kept showing him and back to him and back
to him. So, yes, a lot of people had some
fun with it. Social media is this is where they
they as an entity, they thrive. So someone decided and
(40:28):
I'll go with them on this decision saying this is
this is hilarious. I'm crying. This is actually Parker Jones. Berner,
Parker Jones, a non playing soon to be part of
the Georgia football team. We think, and you saw both teams,
all the teams that are playing games. They got a
bunch of guys that are wearing their uniforms without pads
(40:49):
and sweats and whatever on the sidelines because they're not
active members of the team. But based on some of
the responses, this definitely has some.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
Some burner potential.
Speaker 3 (41:00):
Parker Jones one thousand percent has a burner account, good
trip son, and he quote tweeted that allegedly he if
this is in fact is Berner. Someone suggested that, you
know this, this isn't in fact what we have here
his little burner account. So we got to kind of
run through what was posted and what are the burner's responses. Well,
(41:24):
your one of your favorite accounts, it's at AB eighty four.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
You want to tell everybody who that is well, that's
first of all, who you go to if your Netflix
is buffering and you need to see a really bad, public,
highly publicized quote fight between Mike Tyson and one of
the Paul social media stars brothers.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
That's Antonio Brown's account. Kid made a mistake, not the
reason they lost it all. Number thirty nine, which is
Jones' number, is a legend out a picture of the
legend on the sidelines that was quote tweeted by this
burner account allegedly a simple word agreed, not the reason
we lost.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
You keep it simple.
Speaker 3 (42:01):
You don't need to say too much if if that's
how you feel and you're trying to get out there,
Parker Jones just cost the Georgia Bulldogs fifteen yards for
a sideline infraction with the video, the burner replied, get
a life. I mean, he's not going over the top,
and maybe he doesn't want to get noticed. But I'm
not sure how many other people would be out there
(42:22):
saying this. They probably wouldn't say anything at all. There's
some curse words here. He told somebody to get lost
with a blame text about him. Parker Jones has answered
the transfer portal and we'll be committing to Sigma Kai
you responded to that, get over.
Speaker 2 (42:38):
It not sure seems to like that line.
Speaker 3 (42:40):
Yeah, I mean it's just like I said, maybe you're
trying not to get caught, but you definitely want to.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
Get the word out.
Speaker 3 (42:46):
Good job, Parker, Jones, Burner, congrats.
Speaker 8 (42:52):
The age. On Sports Talk seven.
Speaker 1 (42:55):
Ninety two lifelong Houston sports guys named Adham Talking Your
Team series, Adam Clinton and Adam Wexler are the A
Team am.
Speaker 2 (43:14):
Hour number two of four here on Sports Talk seven
ninety It is the A Team and now simulcast on
Space City Home Network. He's wex I may see as
we take you up until six o'clock tonight. A lot
of football and basketball conversation in the first hour, namely
of the college variety on the football side of things,
and of course we talked a little bit about that
(43:37):
Rockets Celtics matchup tonight and all of the people who
will not be involved in all likelihood. Don't know for
sure on some of them, but Amn Thompson definitely not
in the lineup for the Rockets tonight, second game of
his two game suspension. As you said it yesterday, he's
halfway home after serving that one. The other night against
the Mavericks, And again I mentioned before, I'd really like
(43:57):
to see him try and match up with whomever is
in the lineup for the Celtics. Don't know if Jalen
Brown will be playing or not, but Jason Tatum, you
need all hands on deck to try and stop that
guy on any given night. And as the defending champs
come to town, I hate the fact that that two
game suspension means this is one of them for Amn Thompson.
But we shall see. You'll hear it on SPORTSOX seven
(44:20):
to ninety. You'll see it obviously on Space City Home
Network talked a little bit about the Texans and their
playoff scenarios. Who could be coming to town next weekend
at three thirty five on a Saturday afternoon maybe kind of.
It's like WEX said, it probably depends on the opponent.
If that's Baltimore, don't you think there's a better chance
(44:43):
it might be shifted later.
Speaker 3 (44:44):
I mean, they got six spots again. The Monday spot
is available, three games on Sunday, two games on Saturday,
so there's all sorts of possibilities. They've created a third
primetime spot by having a game on Monday. Josh Allen
is playing Opening weekend, but it doesn't Lamar Jackson is
playing Opening weekend, not against each other.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
So that's two games for two days.
Speaker 3 (45:08):
They will want more than the Texans game no matter
who they're playing, unless it's Baltimore.
Speaker 2 (45:13):
Right, That's what I mean.
Speaker 3 (45:14):
That's why I would be pretty surprised if they got that.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
Although wasn't last season in the second round when it
was CJ. Stroud v. Lamar Jackson without Derrick Henry, it
was a day game. Well you have a you have
a different lineup.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
You got the Saturday night game was the lone first
ever stream only playoff game. That was the Peacot game.
Well guess who got that, Pat Mahomes. That's what they wanted.
So we'll have to work around that again. But this
this round is it's honestly it's different. Look at where
look at the difference between this year's potential matchup and
(45:54):
the opening round between the Texans and the Baltimore Ravens
and last year's matchup between those two teams and THEND
Baltimore won their playoff game, the Texans had won their
playoff game. The Texans were riding high after winning on
the final day of the season to clinch the division.
You just had the best ever quarterback season from a rookie. Again,
that was last year, because now somebody's already had a
better one in Jayden Daniels. There's just a lot of
(46:17):
great storylines. They want new blood, they want to promote new,
excellent talent, and CJ. Stroud was that and Jamiico Ryans
from a coaching standpoint, same thing. I know, it's only
a year later, there's none of that, there's no feel
for that whatsoever. I mean, it's nice that Russell Wilson's
probably in the postseason, well, definitely in the postseason, because
(46:40):
he's the least desirable quarterback product that the AFC has
to offer. But Justin Herbert and CJ. Stroud aren't much
different anymore, and bo Nix is probably not much different
than that either. And if Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati
Bengals are that other team, that's an absolute lock to
be in primetime, the Bengals and the Bills. It's the
(47:00):
best game they have opening weekend either conference. The Eagles
are playing opening weekend, the Vikings or Lions are playing
opening weekend. They just have better teams, better matchups, more
marquee players coming off of more notable awesome seasons probably
going against each other. The Texans opponent might carry that,
but the Texans won't.
Speaker 2 (47:20):
Yeah, the cachet that comes with basically who the quarterback
or quarterbacks are and these games is priorities one through
ten and then you get into all the other kind
of stuff. Again, Like I said, you've got like you.
Speaker 3 (47:34):
Just could have played like if the Christmas game was
Lamar Jackson takes the Ravens on a fourth quarter drive
with two minutes left and they beat the Texans twenty
seven to twenty four on a touchdown pass to Mark Andrews.
Speaker 2 (47:46):
That's different.
Speaker 3 (47:48):
They ran through them and embarrassed them two weeks ago.
Speaker 2 (47:51):
Yeah, Yeah, it was not a lot of fun. It
was kind of noise in the background by halftime of
that one, and so we shall see a lot to
be determined obviously, However many snaps the Texans put CJ.
Stroud and others out there against the Tennessee Titans, who
frankly would like to lose this game if they're being
(48:13):
honest with themselves, Like if you have a season like that,
it was like the Texans in that final game against
the Colt a couple of years ago. Nobody wanted them
to win that game. It ended up working out for
the best.
Speaker 3 (48:22):
It happens every year, and as much as we discuss it,
you have to look at it from the player's perspective,
and you only have to go back to last week.
The Giants scored forty five freaking points and beat the
Colts to knock them out of the number one spot.
And granted, every year's draft is different, so maybe you
have a different vibe. But management can want to lose
(48:44):
all they want. They have to field the team. They're everybody,
especially in those situations, so including the coaching staff and
the players. You're playing for something. You're hurting your franchise,
but it's not your franchise. If you're the offensive play
caller for the Giants, do you know you have a
job in twenty twenty five? No, are you gonna go
(49:07):
out there and lay an egg on purpose? So everybody
knows that you did that, might want to hire He
goes with the players too, That's who it goes for
more than anybody, because sometimes the coaching staffs are a
little insulated. You would think coach Callahan, Brian Callahan, the
coach of the Titans, is not on thin ice. I
love that coaches can be both on thin ice or
on the hot seat. Doesn't seem like it goes together,
(49:27):
but it means the same thing. He's in a year one.
They don't have talent. He's not one. He's not getting fired,
and maybe his offensive staff is fine. I'm not sure
about that. And that's why these other people involved. They
can't just tank it. If Nick Caserio took over as
head coach, maybe you can tank because he would make sure.
Hey man, these are it's my team, it's my decisions.
(49:49):
I'm not gonna make any coaches look bad with some
of their ridiculous play calls. I'm not gonna, you know,
punt on fourth and one down seven at the end
of the game when I need to score it a
tie it.
Speaker 2 (49:59):
I mean, there's only so much you can do.
Speaker 3 (50:01):
The players are playing for contracts, they're playing for their future.
And I don't just mean players who are about to
finish their contract. I mean players who know well they're
just gonna cut me anyway, They're just gonna move on
to somebody else. I'm putting something on film on tape
for somebody else to know that I went out there
and did it. I mean, Drew Locke might be able
to earn himself another backup stint somewhere. You know, some
(50:23):
of the reserve players that were out there, Devin Singletary, whomever,
just talking about the Giants and again in that game,
the Colts actually needed a win to stay alive. The
players aren't gonna do it. They'll never do it. Davis
Mills and Jordan Akens wouldn't do it. Lovey Smith wouldn't
do it. The same thing's gonna happen this weekend. Will
Levis is getting the start. Coach Cayllahan said that today
(50:45):
it appears Mason Rudolph will also play. Not really sure why,
but Will Levis isn't going out there to say, I
don't know if you guys have made your decision on
me or not, but I'm gonna go out and out
here and play off of football so I can help
the franchise find my replacement. That's what I'm going to
go out there and do. And what could be literally,
I'm not even trying to hyperbally this comment. This could
(51:07):
be the last start of Will Levis's NFL career. Well,
that's well as a Titan as in anybody. Well, he
might get a start somewhere else because he's the backup.
Speaker 2 (51:15):
And somebody gets hurt.
Speaker 3 (51:15):
You're right, he might, but yeah he's not.
Speaker 2 (51:19):
He's not good.
Speaker 3 (51:20):
But the point is he's not going to go out
there and try to help the Titans lose for their future,
for his future. Exactly, he got benched this year. He
doesn't doesn't want to help prove them right.
Speaker 2 (51:31):
Davis Mills was in the same exact position two seasons ago.
Speaker 3 (51:35):
Except he was never considered. This guy was a high
second round pick and has been the starter for the
most part for two years. And one of the reasons
they haven't drafted one draft his replacements because they thought,
maybe this is our guy. They were confident enough in him.
And to compare, like, if you were inside the Texans
building basically Nick and any staff member and you were
confident in Davis or thought he was the answer, then
(51:58):
get another job. But I'm not saying something that happened.
They never believed that. How many he wasn't playing for
his starting futures is playing.
Speaker 2 (52:06):
I know somebody usually slips through the cracks, but how
many quarterbacks deep is this upcoming draft realistically zero, that's.
Speaker 3 (52:15):
A good Like Kenny Pickett would be worse than these quarterbacks.
He was the first quarterback drafted a couple of years
ago at number twenty. I can't remember another recent season
where you should feel as bad about this group, and
as a group, it's a fair statement. Not noting that
cam Warden should her Sanders have a chance to be really,
really good NFL quarterbacks, it's probably unfair, so I'll note it.
(52:35):
But if they were in last year's draft, or the
year before, or the year before or the non Kenny
Pickett year before that, I should say they would not be.
They wouldn't even be in the discussion for the top
pick last year's draft. My god, it blows them away.
And at least CJ and Bryce Young would have been
both considered better prospects than those two.
Speaker 2 (52:53):
So then it's even worse if you're worsening your draft
position and you need a quarterback.
Speaker 3 (53:03):
Yes, from only that standpoint, and that's the years that
you're bad, Like look at the Texans. The years that
the Texans have been awful. A two win outfit prior
to the CJ. Stroud draft didn't matter because there was
no quarterback to take one time as an expansion team,
I will just take him anyway and we won't take
Julius Peppers or anybody else. Another year, there wasn't even
(53:23):
a real option.
Speaker 2 (53:24):
Well, they could have taken Vince Young. We talked about
that yesterday, but they didn't because of his agent. Apparently
that was a mistake.
Speaker 3 (53:31):
As I used that word yesterday, the Jadavian Clowney draft.
I mean, did they miss on some quarterback? That mean
there wasn't anybody to take.
Speaker 2 (53:39):
No, they missed on Khalil Mack. That wasn't a quarterback?
Is you're not the Colts?
Speaker 3 (53:45):
When do the Colts have the number one pick when
they're deciding between Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf? And then
when do they have it again because they tanked, Well,
they get Andrew Luck This year is more like when
the Texans have had the top pick. There's no obvious pride.
Even though I do think a quarterback goes number one,
I think the draft itself is actually pretty good. I
do think there are a bunch of difference making defensive
(54:08):
players and guys that will get drafted at the top
of the draft are gonna be great. They just don't
play quarterback.
Speaker 2 (54:13):
By the way, Autrey Fodokasi, Shaq Mason, and Jeff Akuda
all out.
Speaker 3 (54:18):
For non surprises. Unfortunately, Akuda with the concussion. Autrey has
been having a hard time practicing throughout the week Vatakassi's
missed a bunch of games here recently. Maybe a concern
at linebackers alleviated with Al Shaier coming back because both
Christian Harris and Jamal Hill are questionable for the game
(54:39):
with their respective injuries. But we'll talk about how much
and what situation. How much will these starters play and
what situation has Demiko Ryans opened the door for against
the Titans coming up on Sunday at noon to determine
nothing for the Texans.
Speaker 1 (55:00):
The Age on Sports Talk seven ninety back to Adam
Clinton and Adam Wexler the eighteen.
Speaker 2 (55:15):
By the way, speaking of this weekend's games, just looking
over the numbers for our Stone cold locks, I hate
this weekend. All the quarterbacks aren't the typical usual suspect,
not all of them, but it is a little bit
more difficult of a weekend.
Speaker 3 (55:31):
And I'm gonna stop you before you cry too hard.
Like some national gambling degenerates who are big huge moronic
cry babies when it comes to overtime football games.
Speaker 2 (55:45):
Laughable if you will. But because it's skews because there's
extra time.
Speaker 3 (55:49):
No, because they're a big, huge whiny baby because they
lost the game and they think that they should change
the rules of gambling because you lost.
Speaker 2 (55:57):
Because you can't predict overtime, and so they feel like
the only reason they lost is because of that.
Speaker 3 (56:04):
I mean, I don't really feel the need to get
into it. It's just so embarrassing in and of itself.
Speaker 2 (56:09):
Is this akin to complaining about a fantasy football league
being ten teams versus twelve teams and vice versa.
Speaker 3 (56:15):
No, because you set your rules where we are essentially Vegas. Yeah,
we set the rules and then you play by them.
I mean, this is someone trying to not to play
by the rules that everybody else has to play for
and play with and suggesting that, hey, man, I know
this team is gonna cover, but the game went overtime,
(56:37):
and so since they scored a touchdown and overtime, now
they didn't cover, give me a break, man, help me out,
change your rules for me, please and everybody else.
Speaker 2 (56:46):
Laughable. Okay, I didn't see that coming, all right, Yes, it's.
Speaker 3 (56:51):
Very difficult this weekend because very uncertain situations. Texans are
one of them. Yeah, I do believe him. I don't
think he's been lying all week I don't think the
players are also in on the lie their starters are
playing as certainly the offensive starters are playing. I could
see him the way he is actually the words he's used.
(57:13):
I could see a scenario where CJ. Stroud, the entire
offense goes out there and has a series or two
or three or maybe more. And at the same time
I could see Daniel Hunter and Will Anderson Junior playing
zero snaps. There are lots of different ways that it
actually plays out, but it certainly appears the offense is
going to play as a whole. And again, each part matters.
(57:36):
If your Demiko ryans and you want some good vibes,
I want my offense to feel better. I want my
team to feel better. And thus you're playing CJ. Stroud,
you're playing everybody else too. You can't play CJ and
not Laramie. You can't play CJ and not Nico. If
he's playing, they're all playing. And if he's not playing,
(57:58):
then there's no reason to playing. There's no reason to
play Laramie or a number of others. But all educations
are he's gonna be out there. What he could be
setting up. The good news is, I don't think it
can get any worse, but you could have a situation where, Okay,
we win the toss. Well, I don't want my offense
playing too much anyway. Let's just take the ball, kick
off to us so we can put our offense out there,
(58:19):
get some good vibes, march down the field on Tennessee,
score a touchdown. Maybe that's all we needed. Maybe it's
like a preseason game. Maybe we don't have a good series,
so we're out there for another one, and we get
done what we want to get done. Well, how many
series does that go? Texans get the opening kickoff, Damian
Pierce gets it out to the twenty nine yard line.
Offense runs onto the field. First snap, sack, second staff
(58:41):
dump off to Joe Mixon, third and nine, drops back
to pass, nobody's open, eats it, third and twelve punt.
So do they go back out for another series? Because
the good vibes certainly haven't come. The bad vibes are
still hanging over this team. How many of those series
do you run through before you Finally, I can't do
(59:02):
this anymore. I can't run the risk of him getting
hit anymore. I tried to get them good vibes. I
tried to spin the arrow the other way. But at
some point you gotta say it's enough. Hopefully it doesn't
come to that, and you do get a series or
two or three or half of the game where you
feel good about it. But the end of the day,
(59:23):
I think one of the reasons he's doing it is
they're not gonna go out there and feel worse. They
feel awful. They played awful. That's the feeling they have.
The only way they'd feel worse heading into their next
game than they do going into this game is if
their quarterback is no longer available. And that's the risk
you're taking by playing it.
Speaker 2 (59:41):
Yeah, and I think there's a pretty good contingent of
people here in Houston that are looking at it that way.
They understand everything you just got done saying about the
offense and how it's looked, and on and on and on.
But in a year where two thirds of that wide
receiver room that matter the most have been taken out
by injuries and the third guy has missed time, just
(01:00:02):
a flukey injury. It was a long touchdown. Two of
these guys either missed a significant time or, in Tank
Dell's case, is going to miss the rest of the
season on touchdown scores. That's the craziest part. But I mean,
if something happens to c J. Stroud, and let's face it,
the betting money would be on someone getting through that
(01:00:24):
offensive line and causing that injury versus any other scenario.
Oh my gosh, this team, the fan base, you're never
gonna hear the end of it. There's just it's gonna
be horrible. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:00:36):
I don't want that to happen, And that is my
point of view. It's why I said from you know,
before last game was even over, I wouldn't play these guys.
That's my perspective on it. I totally understand the head
coach's perspective on it, and I'm glad that he has
conviction about it and he's trying to tell these guys,
you stink. We we can't play like this moving forward.
(01:00:56):
And I don't think by sitting you for two weeks
where all of a sudden going to figure it out.
So you guys need to go out there figure it
out so we can go into a game against the Chargers,
the Steelers, or the Ravens and feel like this isn't
our last game of the season. We are dead man
walking out of the Texans tunnel into our home crowd
just to have them boo us off the field for
our final game of the season. Because that's what they
(01:01:17):
played like and what was their final regular season home
game of the season.
Speaker 2 (01:01:23):
It's just again going back to the scenarios this weekend.
You can it's so funny. You can go down the
list of games, see who's starting at quarterback. Just start
there and see you who has something to play foreign
who doesn't like that Minnesota Detroit game. Awesome, gonna be amazing,
(01:01:43):
but they're playing for something. And then you have like,
I don't know, I'm just trying to go down the
list and pick one. I know the games I wanted
to stay away from. The Texans were actually one of
them because of this. You know, Bengals Steelers, that's another
game where there's there's something on the line there clearly,
(01:02:03):
and even like like I took the over on Baker
Mayfield because I just feel like he's he's playing for
the division essentially definitively. Yeah, I guess I should say
it that way, but they're also playing the Saints. But
he's just he's played the same way all year. He's
been a guy who puts up numbers regardless of the situation.
(01:02:24):
I'm just trying to find the safest picks to make
on a weekend where nothing feels like it's safe.
Speaker 3 (01:02:30):
Yeah, because he could also throw for two hundred and
twenty five yards and they could have a twenty four
to nothing lead in the third quarter and they say.
Speaker 2 (01:02:36):
All right, perfect, right, that's another thing out well, talk
about overs and unders. Thus this is making it.
Speaker 3 (01:02:43):
This is as difficult a week as we've had all year,
and we knew this going in. But we can't just bail.
Speaker 2 (01:02:49):
The over under. I mean you could just you.
Speaker 3 (01:02:51):
Could skip all the games this weekend, just move to
a game that's being played on Thursday of next week,
because that's a game that matters. I wouldn't suggest it,
but I also can't deny it because it happened last
week too, and I let it.
Speaker 2 (01:03:02):
Go then, so I gotta let it go now. Did
I do it again? No, you didn't do it? Oh
Dan did it? Yeah? See I had an excuse because
I was putting mine in insanely early because I was
on vacation and didn't one to forget.
Speaker 3 (01:03:14):
The college football landscape has now yeah, three games remaining
that matter. Yeap that Friday nights. They're obviously going to
play hard. They're obviously in on it. But I wouldn't
have expected one of those playoff games to be in
this week's Stone Cold Locks.
Speaker 2 (01:03:29):
But it is.
Speaker 3 (01:03:30):
And then last week we had a Tuesday game that
was on last week's Stone Cold Locks. I let that go,
so I gotta let this one go too. The judges ruling,
I mean, we're burying the lead here that people really
care about. You and I are neck and neck. Yeah,
but you have surged ahead by percentage points. The season
does not end when the regular season ends, because guess
(01:03:50):
what we have next week? Nothing but games that matter.
Speaker 2 (01:03:52):
Yeah, all five tenths of a point ahead of me.
Speaker 3 (01:03:56):
I really really wouldn't. I don't know how to to
score a tie, so I just don't. I hate just eliminated.
I can't believe I have not one but two.
Speaker 2 (01:04:06):
Yeah, that's on you. It's on YouTube.
Speaker 3 (01:04:08):
Well, when you pick games with half a point or
half a yard, on your prop. Pretty hard to get
a tie, and yet I did it twice this year. Yeah,
I did it once, not alone.
Speaker 2 (01:04:20):
Dan has no ties. That's impressive.
Speaker 3 (01:04:22):
And even on the other side of this, teams that
are playing for something like what are the teams that
are on the other side of it, like the Titans,
there's some draft position, there's player evaluations. I mean, the
Browns are going into this game this weekend. I do
think all three players that I'm gonna mention are actually hurt.
But Pierre Strong and Ford and Djoku were all put
on ir today by the Browns. They all, I do
(01:04:45):
think are hurt. But in any other game and if
it mattered to them, I do think there's a real
chance that they would could be out there. But we
can use this to evaluate the guy that's been on
practice squad all the year. We can evaluate our four
string running back, we can evaluate our backups at these positions,
and that's what's some of going to what's going to
be out there on the field. And in their case,
(01:05:05):
just like the Titans case, it absolutely benefits the going
nowhere Browns to lose. They're a four win team. It
matters to them to solidify or help themselves from a
draft position, even if they're not necessarily in the three
win team, not in position to get a quarterback. But
if the Browns finish as one of the three win teams,
(01:05:25):
thus locking in a top four pick, they're absolutely going
to be evaluating Shador Sanders and cam Ward. No matter
how many more millions over the next two years they've
committed to Deshaun Watson. They can't win with him. Yeah,
so they have to pretend like he's not there. Other
than the cap hit and the money they're paying him.
(01:05:46):
They've got to put a team together as if he's
not a part.
Speaker 2 (01:05:49):
Of it, because he isn't he thinks, yeah, even after
the renegotiation of the contract says he will probably be
there multiple seasons even. All Right, we will continue by
talking about a non trade target for the Rockets next.
Speaker 8 (01:06:05):
The eight on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 2 (01:06:09):
Hey, it's Craig af Listen to the Home of the
Rockets on yours smart speaker.
Speaker 6 (01:06:15):
Just ask hey, Google play Sports Talk seven ninety on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (01:06:24):
All Right, So it's crazy because once the calendar flips
to twenty twenty five in the NBA season, you're on
the clock. If you are an NBA team looking to
improve yourself at the trade deadline. And there are names
that are bandied about every single year, and some of
them get thrown out there sooner than others. But one
(01:06:44):
that is floating around, and I just want to put
it on the record is I have zero desire to
see Rafelstone and the Rockets go after this guy is
Jimmy Butler. Now, if this were the summer of twenty nineteen,
which is when I believe he landed with the Heat
and flirted very very aggressively with the Houston Rockets during
(01:07:06):
that offseason, that might be, you know different, But that's
now six years ago, coming up this summer. Crazy to
think how fast that's gone by. He's thirty five. Whether
you want to dress it up or however you want
to put it, he's been a problem at best. Every
(01:07:28):
stop safe to say that. You don't want to say malcontent,
you don't want to say locker room cants are fine,
but there at some point in time, everywhere he's gone,
it's gone bad, it's gone rogue, and this is the
latest stop. You can use all those terms because they
don't mean the same thing. Yeah, I mean, I don't
think that he like tries to go in and become that,
but it's how it ultimately ends. There's always a bad
(01:07:50):
breakup and he's in the middle of I don't know
if it's the nastiest, but I don't want to get
into a staring match with pat Riley, who at one
point in time and I was Barkley speaking of which
brought this up last night as well. He let Dwayne
Wade go over the same exact issue. He's not going
to give him more money when he's got a fifty
five million dollar player option and he's thirty five years old.
(01:08:13):
He's declining. That's why he's mad to begin with, because
he's declining. Eric Spolster's like, I'm not playing you as
many minutes. You're not going to be as big of
a role on this team, and so he wants out.
And I've seen people say, oh, Rockets should go get
Jimmy Butler. Why a rental that's going to cost you assets,
either in the form of draft picks young players are
(01:08:34):
both for a guy who you don't know he's going
to resign here, and even if he does, you're getting
the last remnants of a career where his best years
are in the rearview mirror.
Speaker 3 (01:08:43):
Yeah, you got to figure out what to do with
the other twenty plus regular season games than he's not
there for also, hadn't played more than sixty games in
a season since before he got to the Miami Heat,
just one time sixty four games a couple of years ago.
This all comes to a head today for like the
tenth time, because the last couple of days there was
post game or following a practice, this case was following
(01:09:04):
a game.
Speaker 2 (01:09:05):
He was pretty clear.
Speaker 3 (01:09:07):
I think I think we don't have to read between
the lines here with what Jimmy Butler had to say.
What did Jimmy Butler have to say? And why are
we sure now one percent sure he's not going to
be a Miami Heat for too much longer?
Speaker 10 (01:09:21):
What do I want to see happy? I want to
see him get my joy back from playing basketball. And
wherever that may be, we'll we'll find out here pretty soon.
But I want to get my joy back.
Speaker 8 (01:09:33):
I'm happy here, uh.
Speaker 10 (01:09:35):
You know, off the court, but I want to be
back to somewhere dominant. I want to hoop and I
want to help this team win. Right now I'm not
doing it.
Speaker 2 (01:09:44):
Can you get your joy back here on the court.
Speaker 10 (01:09:46):
Probably not.
Speaker 2 (01:09:48):
I'm just I mean, you know, this is very It
has a lot of shades of James Harden on his
way out the door. The huge difference is how much
is left in the tank for Jimmy Butler versus how
much was left for James Harden when he forced his
way in his fat suit out of Houston.
Speaker 3 (01:10:05):
Here one other huge difference, because it's very similar, because
this is what stars do when they're not winning and
they want money. Won't just move me on to somebody
else who will give me one or both of those things.
The other difference is, I don't mean Harden's discussed with
where the franchise was. I suppose at that point in time,
and that they couldn't win at that point in time
was squarely on his own shoulders. You know, Jimmy Butler's
(01:10:27):
contract has a little bit to do with it. But
he's not running the heat like James Harden was running
the rockets. He wasn't in cahoots with the GM who
would just do whatever he wanted basically, and that's why
the team ended up where they were. In Butler's case,
he's looking at a roster that's looked remarkably similar year
after year after year. They have three really good players.
(01:10:49):
One's a star in Butler, one's a borderline star an
All Star in bam Adebayo, and one is machine gun Kelly,
but the rest of their roster isn't really helping them
in any way season after season after season now, so
he's looking at the guy who's butting heads with and saying,
what do you want me to do? They're already lessening
my usage, lessening my role, even though my numbers are
(01:11:13):
actually at least as good, if not better than in
other seasons. It's true, shooting percentages on all time high,
the best of his entire career. So I'm not sure
how far off people think he's fallen when he's just
not being used in the same way. And maybe that's
to help him reach those numbers, because if he's used
in that way, maybe the numbers go back down. But
(01:11:34):
he was pretty clear, I want to get my joy back.
It's no fun playing basketball for the Miami Heat under
coach bolstro with these teammates, with pat Riley running the team.
I'm putting words in his mouth because that's what he said. Well,
you can get your joy back, No not here, So
he wants to play somewhere else, And now the reports
are even indicating that in a way that says I'd
(01:11:55):
rather play anywhere else.
Speaker 2 (01:11:57):
Yeah, it's not preferred destinations. And by the way, nobody
can have joy playing basketball with Tyler Hero. If you're winning,
it's very fun.
Speaker 3 (01:12:04):
And I don't Again, I'm really confused on where he
thinks they are. Like, you're in the East, dude, what
couldn't you be third?
Speaker 2 (01:12:14):
Fourth?
Speaker 3 (01:12:14):
I mean, maybe that doesn't matter because you're not as
good as Cleveland or Boston, So what difference does make
if you're eighth or first or eight or fourth? But
where are you going? That is, you're the reason you're
now are a top five team? Where's he going nowhere?
I mean, well, unless he goes to a top five team, and.
Speaker 2 (01:12:34):
Then he's what making sure that they don't fall out
of that standing.
Speaker 3 (01:12:38):
Oh maybe that's what he would bring him joy. It's
not what he said. What he said is I want
to help my team win. He doesn't think he can
help this team win. He doesn't think they're good enough.
That's pretty much what he said. And that is clearly
a huge similarity to Harden. Maybe a different spot in
the standings. That's literally what he said. It's just not
going to work here. You know, I can't. I can't
make this team win. We don't have good enough players anymore.
(01:12:58):
Because the players that we did to have, that we
were good with, I've helped run out of town, just
make terrible trades for Yeah, Jimmy didn't necessarily do that
again because his pat was convicted in his own desires
of how to build a team. But the team he's
built is a second tier non championship contender in in the.
Speaker 2 (01:13:16):
NBA, but obviously even in the East.
Speaker 3 (01:13:18):
Just under I am with you, though, just to make
my side clear, there are stars of it. We had
to talk about this last week and earlier this week,
and we mentioned three prominent names. One's probably not available
Anthony Edwards. One's not yet to a time because Devin
Booker's owner is definitely not ready to blow it up
(01:13:39):
yet it's his first year fully as the owner of
the team.
Speaker 2 (01:13:42):
Give it time.
Speaker 3 (01:13:43):
And Jimmy Butler's name just doesn't He just doesn't belong
with that group. I don't think he's bad, but I
don't I don't want him here. I don't I don't
think he does what you think he can do, what
he once did, and he's been His last two postseasons
were awesome. I'm sure he can have another one. I
just don't think it's here.
Speaker 2 (01:14:01):
Well, that's the thing though, it's not even about him
so much as the cost and for what you're talking
about again, what do you trade for me?
Speaker 3 (01:14:10):
And he doesn't recapture his joy, Well, then when his
contract is over, so is his time here.
Speaker 2 (01:14:15):
Yeah, and you're not gonna recapture what you sent out
the door to get him. And that's the biggest part
of this. I don't care about Jimmy Butler. I don't
care about any of the other guys either until they
become Rockets, because I care about the Rockets and what
it's gonna cost them and anything that you're gonna be
sending out, either draft picks or young talent or any
combination of that, or contracts, if you want to put
(01:14:36):
it that way, you better be getting something that is
not only going to make your team better, as you mentioned,
but it is also going to you know, it's gonna work,
and I Jimmy Butler checks no boxes when it comes
to that. So for those of you who want Jimmy Butler.
I would strongly advise against that for all the reason
which we mentioned and probably some more.
Speaker 8 (01:15:00):
On Sports Talk seven.
Speaker 1 (01:15:02):
Ninety Clinton Adam Wexler.
Speaker 8 (01:15:05):
The A Team continue the ball, football, basketball.
Speaker 7 (01:15:11):
Sports Talk seven ninety home for your home teams.
Speaker 2 (01:15:23):
It is the A Team Sports Talk seven ninety Friday
edition of the program. Geez, just like that, we're three
days into the new year. Wex it's flying by already. Yeah,
what's happened a lot? Actually, and something's happened. I mean,
the Texans haven't played in forever, and they'll play that
game on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, then find out,
(01:15:43):
after all of a sudden done who they'll be welcoming
to town the following weekend in the wild Card round
Rockets basketball to night against the Celtics. And oh, by
the way, we were talking about Jimmy Butler last segment.
I have to so a lot of times during you know,
(01:16:05):
for example, right now is the not hot stove? What
would you call this point in the baseball off season,
Like the hot stove has already start to cool down.
A lot of the big dominoes have fallen.
Speaker 3 (01:16:16):
I mean, you could put your hand down on it
for a second or two and not realize it has
recently been turned off without burning yourself.
Speaker 2 (01:16:23):
I was about to say, how severe is like you
just just.
Speaker 3 (01:16:25):
Made some you know, made something on the stovetop. Yeah,
you've pushed the pan off to the side and started eating.
Then you go back into the kitchen to go grab something.
You put your hand on the counter or stovetop. You're
probably okay for a second or two. Now it's not
on on, it's not red.
Speaker 2 (01:16:42):
But there is a big to get a blister. That's true.
That's good.
Speaker 3 (01:16:45):
By the way, the hospital visit, don't have to grab
any butter, don't go to the er butter. I've always
forget about that.
Speaker 2 (01:16:51):
So uh, but one of the biggest falling dominoes still
has not fallen, and that is obviously pie Alonzo, I
said one of there's keep going. There's several. Bregman's another
one and Anthony Santander so I saw something last night.
I know you know what I'm talking about, so I
(01:17:11):
tell them what you're talking about. Well, I checked into this.
So there is a there's a Twitter account, and a
lot of people were referencing it last night. Somebody named
Hector Gomez at h Gomez twenty seven. He's got, like,
I think, one hundred and eight thousand followers. That's the
first thing I always look for, fair or not, judge
or not whatever. If you've got a quite a following,
(01:17:33):
then I'll, you know, probably at least take a gander
more what you have to say on any given moment
in time. He he first of all said that he's
hearing that the Blue Jays have offered Anthony Santander four
years eighty two million. This is what he wrote this
on New Year's Day, and then he quote tweeted it
(01:17:56):
last night around seven point thirty by saying the Astros
are the biggest threats for the Blue Jays in Anthony
Santander sweepstakes, while the Angels have offered similar offer than
the Jays. First of all, ignoring the fact that that's
just a horribly worded sentence, I was like, all Right,
has this guy's got at least some semblance of a following.
(01:18:18):
Is he even legit? Because I remember seeing his name,
but I don't hear about him a lot. He's not
one of the usual national suspects, I don't think. So
I did some digging into this and let's just say
somebody I trust was like, Nope, not even a chance.
That guy is basically a guy who throws stuff against
(01:18:39):
the wall a couple of times. He's sort of maybe
kind of been right, but no, there's no chance that's happening.
Speaker 3 (01:18:45):
What about a tweet that also was written on January first,
reminding you that today is January third, breaking Anthony Santander
and the Toronto Blue Jays are in agreement on a
four year deal.
Speaker 2 (01:18:58):
Do you believe that? I don't know who Jack Passon,
So somebody was trying to get somebody m h with.
Speaker 3 (01:19:06):
The actual handle is at low Perfedo Hof. You're not
down with that one. I'm down with a guy no
blue Jack mark, so you shouldn't be. Yeah, but low
Perffito Hof.
Speaker 2 (01:19:17):
You've got to give him points for creativity on the
handle blue Jays fan. Yeah, well, obviously I don't think
it's an Astros fan any He.
Speaker 3 (01:19:23):
Says he's in his bio blue Jays slash ball noer
slash Garrett Cole exposer slash not affiliated with Jeff Passon.
Speaker 2 (01:19:32):
What did he expose Garrett Cole for doing? Uh?
Speaker 3 (01:19:35):
Maybe some subsequces stuff. I mean, I don't know that
he's really the guy. Did that Anthony Sontander for a
lot less money and probably not for four years might
make some sense if the Astros were into spending money
well over the tax, which they would have signed a
player that plays third base very well, if they were
into doing that. I don't the player itself, just the
(01:19:58):
analysis of who that player is is. I do think
he can play. I do think he would help this team.
I do think there are some major concerns with his
you know, his batting profile. He had a bunch of
homers last year, and yet the rest of his offensive
profile is quite poor. A forty four home run season
to produce an ops of under eight twenty pretty hard
(01:20:21):
to come by.
Speaker 2 (01:20:22):
That's hard to do. That's hard to do both of
those things.
Speaker 3 (01:20:24):
Are you saying to produce something much better than that,
because the other numbers would have to be really poor
to balance out a forty four home run season and
they were.
Speaker 2 (01:20:34):
Are you saying he's got shades of maybe Aaron Judge
light And I know the Aaron Judge is not just
a home run hitter.
Speaker 3 (01:20:42):
Aaron Judge is freaking great.
Speaker 2 (01:20:44):
Not in the postseason.
Speaker 3 (01:20:45):
You can't say that now on the postseason, he's not
Judge is a Triple Crown winner. I mean, he's phenomenal.
He hits, he can hit it, just there's no comparison.
Speaker 2 (01:20:56):
I just did it. You can't stop me.
Speaker 3 (01:20:58):
I said, you can't say that, but you're right. I
can't stop you from saying it.
Speaker 2 (01:21:01):
It's America.
Speaker 3 (01:21:01):
I mean he I just hit three twenty two. Last year,
his hope hes was eleven to fifty nine. He literally
led the American League in everything, and then he led
the World Series and errors. If you signed players because
they were awesome in the postseason and terrible in the
regular season, you'd never get to see those postseason numbers.
Speaker 2 (01:21:20):
He can, he can help get you there.
Speaker 3 (01:21:22):
He just can't help you get anywhere after you get there.
Speaker 2 (01:21:26):
I and you know, as usual, you are the numbers guy,
and you're just up to your shoulders in them.
Speaker 3 (01:21:33):
You got probably a declining hitter. Who guess what last
I wish it could be ignored in baseball. It seems
like you can't. It's contract year. Guess how many times
Anthony Santander has been an All Star last year? First time?
Speaker 2 (01:21:46):
How old is he?
Speaker 3 (01:21:47):
Guess how many times he hit over thirty three home runs.
Speaker 2 (01:21:49):
In a season.
Speaker 3 (01:21:50):
Last year he hit forty four. Guess how many hundred
RBI seasons he has one it was last year. Some
of it is due to the fact it's the best
team he's ever played on. Is Alice Bregman's excuse last
year's Well, what he did in his contract here was
say walking, why would I want to walk?
Speaker 2 (01:22:08):
I want to swing away? For the first two months
he also said hitting, why would I want to do that?
Speaker 3 (01:22:13):
Yeah, there's just Anthony Santander is gonna get signed by
a team that thinks they can he can help them win,
and he probably will. It's just you really got to
be concerned about the rest of his game, the lack
of a really good position. He doesn't play any position well.
He could play a few, but he doesn't play any
of them well. And he's he's at that same age
where the style of player he is, you wonder, well,
(01:22:33):
he's now going to be a two twenty hitter who
hits thirty bombs and doesn't do anything else.
Speaker 2 (01:22:38):
This is why relying on analytics is still far and away. Like,
I get it. You don't want to have your roster
programmed by a bunch of computer nerds as you put them,
because you can read the back of a baseball card
or whatever.
Speaker 3 (01:22:57):
The funny thing is, none of these numbers are on
the back of a baseball card that I've seen. Maybe
they are in twenty twenty four. I haven't looked at
one this year.
Speaker 2 (01:23:03):
That's it last year, that's what you're saying. Literally, Yeah,
they're on the back of his baseball card from last
season and before that. When you look at all the
other years on the back of that said baseball card,
those numbers aren't going to be I mean, do.
Speaker 3 (01:23:15):
They do they now put hard hit percentage on the
back of a baseball card.
Speaker 2 (01:23:18):
I don't know about that. You're right, Actually I didn't.
I didn't really realize the direction you were going. But yeah,
it's I mean, that's how you avoid Jeff Luno wouldn't
have signed jose A Bray you not in a million years.
I really don't think he would have.
Speaker 3 (01:23:32):
They needed somebody to play first, correct, and there were
other options, Yeah, Anthony Rizzo, which would have been better.
They overpaid for him and they probably should have tried
to say, well, we can give you two.
Speaker 2 (01:23:44):
And that's that.
Speaker 3 (01:23:45):
He also no numbers, none of a Brave whose numbers
suggested he's unplayable the day you signed him, but that's
actually what happened.
Speaker 2 (01:23:54):
And they're gonna pay him again this year.
Speaker 1 (01:23:58):
The eighteen on Sports Talk seven ninety two lifelong Houston
sports guys named Adham Talking Your Teams series, Adam Clinton
and Adam Wexler are the A team.
Speaker 2 (01:24:17):
A four o'clock hour is underway here on Sports Talk
seven ninety It is the eighteen Space City Home Network.
Simulcast continues as well. We'll take you up until six
o'clock tonight. Wex over there ac right here. Talk a
lot of astro or astros. We talked a little astros
last second.
Speaker 3 (01:24:37):
Stop talking a little bit of astros as some would
believe the astros are in the mood to spend a
lot more money to upgrade the twenty twenty five astros
and six seven, maybe twenty eight astros as well, with
whatever contract that might take. Alex Bregman News remains as is.
Speaker 2 (01:24:58):
Same.
Speaker 3 (01:24:58):
Couple of teams continue get mentioned, although I think we've
heard a little bit more Blue Jays than previously. I
think that makes very very little sense. So much like
some of the other teams on the outside looking at
I would. I'm not sure what kind of offer it
would have to be for him to even consider it.
But the thing I've stayed with is he's going to
(01:25:20):
sign somewhere he thinks they can win immediately and throughout
the length of his contract.
Speaker 2 (01:25:25):
Toronto, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (01:25:26):
Toronto is probably not all in on Vladimir Guerrero Junior,
who's going to be a free agent after the year.
Speaker 2 (01:25:33):
Aren't you glad that Christian Walker is the first basement
here instead of him?
Speaker 3 (01:25:36):
Instead of Guerrero? M Is that a trick question? No,
come on, you can't do this now. Every time I
brought up vlad Junior's name to you, you were like,
at that point in the year, he was not hitting
the ball well. And then for four months after that
(01:25:57):
when we stopped talking about him, he was incredible. And
if you now are telling me you also don't have
Kyle Tucker, meaning if they were asking for Kyle Tucker
and you knew you weren't going to sign him, if
you have any interest in signing Vladimir Guerrero Junior, then yeah,
I'd love him here. But let's be real, you're not
bringing Kyle Tucker back. Why would Vladimir Guerrero be here,
(01:26:18):
you'd have him for a year and then he'd be
in the same situation. These are the two biggest twenty
twenty five free agents, Guerrero Junior and Tucker. Why would
the Astros be in on either one of them? So
now you get Guerrero for Tucker for what?
Speaker 2 (01:26:31):
Just swap him out? How much do you think vladd
ends up getting? What kind of deal? If you think
Tucker's gonna get like, let's say it starts with.
Speaker 3 (01:26:37):
A five, Oh my god, the Tucker's not getting five
hundred million? Why why would you give him five hundred million?
Speaker 2 (01:26:43):
Why wouldn't you?
Speaker 3 (01:26:44):
I don't know why anybody gave Juan Soto what he got.
Speaker 2 (01:26:47):
Why do well? Okay, why cause he's good? Right and
you could argue across the board numbers wise, Kyle Tucker's
right there with him, Okay, So if that guy gets seven,
why wouldn't Kyle get two hundred million? Less? That's a
lot of money less to get a guy who's comparable.
(01:27:08):
From am an member standpoint.
Speaker 3 (01:27:10):
Yeah, you also have a year of seeing what does
Juan Soto do for the Mets? Mets won eighty nine
games last year. If Peter Alonzo is not a Met
next year, and I set the over under on Mets
victories at eighty nine and a half. Would you take
the over? Yes, your ANSWER's already made. If you can't
automatically say yes, then how do you know? Spending fifty
(01:27:33):
plus million a year on Juan Soto, it's gonna get
you in it. But that's dumb to not bring back
Alonzo with him. Well for the way that they spend money,
I actually agree.
Speaker 2 (01:27:41):
That's what I mean. Just go ahead. Just I'm only
saying that because it's the Mets. But that doesn't answer
the question about Kyle Tucker. You really don't think somebody
would offer him five hundred million over you know, double
digit years, obviously if you're doing that, But.
Speaker 3 (01:27:53):
I mean, take it from the Yankees' perspective, and this
will disprove my thought. The Yankees were willing to spend
seven hundred million dollars over sixteen years for Juan Soto.
So you're telling us we can pick up the phone
to talk to Kyle Tucker's agent and it's only going
to cost us five hundred million over ten years.
Speaker 2 (01:28:11):
And that's not even the only team that I would
think would look at it that way.
Speaker 3 (01:28:14):
I think it's the only team that would look at
it that way. I offering seven hundred million for Wan Soto.
I know the Dodgers were in it, and they probably
would have been close, but not quite to that level.
And Tucker has to probably be really really good this year.
Speaker 2 (01:28:30):
If he had not gotten hurt last year and was
playing the way he played, he would have his numbers
would have been up there with Sodo.
Speaker 3 (01:28:38):
Yes, that's a pretty big if that you're basically saying
the best season of his.
Speaker 2 (01:28:42):
Career would have happened like and again he didn't stay healthy.
I'm not sitting here saying that the bats are the same,
because they're not. I get that Soto's awesome. He's in
a league by himself, but Kyle Tucker's defense take a seat,
Wan Soto.
Speaker 3 (01:28:55):
Would you like to revisit last segment's main point of emphasis.
Speaker 2 (01:28:59):
On compared Anthony Santan Dare to Aaron Judge, Well, just
to just to kneel you almost more than anything.
Speaker 3 (01:29:05):
That part, okay, the part about Aaron Judge's postseason abilities
or inabilities.
Speaker 2 (01:29:12):
HI have we met?
Speaker 3 (01:29:14):
I'm Kyle Tucker. Do you share the same room in
that postseason.
Speaker 2 (01:29:17):
That's not as egregious defensively, but I think I recall
him having some gaffes in the ALCS that probably would
have helped cap at least one of those. None of
the home games you won, especially the last two.
Speaker 3 (01:29:31):
Just offensively speaking, Kyle Tucker's six postseasons twenty nineteen to
twenty twenty four are poor.
Speaker 2 (01:29:38):
He had one kid game that the Astros loss. He
hit two home runs in Game one against the Phillies
in the World Series. That's it, I mean.
Speaker 3 (01:29:45):
And Juan Soto's for the comparison, his postseasons.
Speaker 2 (01:29:48):
Are awesome, insane. Pick a highlight, but you like that again,
Kyle Tucker's postseason highlights. Those two home runs are probably
at the top of the list, right.
Speaker 3 (01:29:58):
Well, he's a two to twenty nine hit with a
six eighty five ops.
Speaker 2 (01:30:01):
That's bad. It's really bad when you're an awesome player,
and it's really bad when you're an awesome player who's
in the lineup. He was in doing that, like I can't.
That is why Jordon is so freaking awesome. People don't
get if it's possible, he doesn't get enough credit that
home running hit against the Phillies, that should be like,
(01:30:22):
I know, I'm sitting here in Houston and I'm not
wearing orange today, but it's gonna sound like I am like,
that's a top what all time home run? It's top ten.
It has to be, And I don't even think it's
looked at like that. That flipped It turned the game
upside down. Wex but great line. It won the game essentially. No,
(01:30:43):
they have one of.
Speaker 3 (01:30:44):
The five best hitters in the American League for sure,
and probably in baseball now that one. Soto's over there,
Judge Soto, Wit Jordan. Those are the only four hitters
in the AL last year with an ops of over
nine to fifty.
Speaker 2 (01:30:56):
I'm glad you.
Speaker 3 (01:30:56):
Brile Tucker would have been there, but he only played
half a seats would have been second in the AL.
Speaker 2 (01:31:03):
Yeah, I'm glad you brought up the Royals. Can they
do that again this year? Win? Well? Actually not, can
they will they? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:31:10):
Well, they didn't do it because Witt was so awesome.
They did it because they're pitching was so awesome. Well,
and they had who's the first baseman that got hurt?
Speaker 2 (01:31:19):
Vinnie? Yeah, he's come on.
Speaker 3 (01:31:22):
Yeah, I'm not saying their offense was bad. Now, but
I'm saying, really they're starting pitching specifically was outstanding. Reagan's
et cetera. Yeah, and for a while there, I thought
you're gonna laugh. Oh good because now Friday, but anything
goes you, you will know. You will also know because
you watch baseball like a fiend. When Nicki Lopez first
got there, I thought he's going to be something like
(01:31:44):
he showed promise and then and he was gone. He
was just a kind of a little a nuisance and
then he couldn't get on base enough to be a nuisance,
and so that he's a white.
Speaker 2 (01:31:54):
Probably played well against the Astros for that one year.
Speaker 3 (01:31:56):
Yeah, Perez and Vinnie all were in the top eleven
RBI last year.
Speaker 2 (01:32:00):
Their offense was fine. But Salvi's like ninety now, it's
got to stop sometime, right, Probably unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (01:32:07):
But he was super productive and he was there for
one hundred and fifty eight games, obviously not catching them all.
Speaker 2 (01:32:13):
He's what the Astros wished. Martine Maldonado was a big
dude behind the plate that can hit until he's like
ninety years old.
Speaker 3 (01:32:20):
Yeah, but they I don't think they thought that when
they got you.
Speaker 2 (01:32:24):
It's that's for.
Speaker 3 (01:32:24):
Effect, but I gosh, I hate it, but because I
just think that's that sounds outrageous. I could be in
the I could be wrong. Five hundred million for Kyle Tucker.
Maybe he will, I don't. I don't think that's going
to happen. I think he's gonna get the most money
in the offseason. I think he gets more than flat.
Speaker 2 (01:32:40):
So it's got a fore in front of it. It has to.
Speaker 3 (01:32:43):
But why just because Soto got this?
Speaker 2 (01:32:45):
Because you are what the market says you are.
Speaker 3 (01:32:47):
But are we that far removed from all these three
hundred million dollar contracts or are we really that far removed? Yeah,
because this, to me is a little bit like Deshaun Watson.
How long he did not set the market? No, but
he just got paid way more than what should have
the next cap though, Right, But when the next five
quarterbacks signed, they all got less because he was so
far out there and they were at least as good
(01:33:08):
as him, if not better, or at least were thought
of as that type of quarterback.
Speaker 2 (01:33:12):
When you ask me that question, you know, the first
name that comes to my mind because of the proximity,
because you're talking about recency, not biased, but whatever, it's
Mike Trout he signed his deal with Anaheim. Now again,
I get it, it's Anaheim. All they do is sign
stupid deals, no matter who it is, because as soon
as you get there, even if you were good, but uh,
(01:33:35):
what up, Anthony Rindoon, are you hurt already? It's January?
But no, Like when he got that deal, it had
a form in front of it, and we were all like,
oh my gosh, this is and that was it was
less than ten years ago. It was maybe less than five,
was it? Right? At five years ago?
Speaker 3 (01:33:50):
It was probably twenty twenty to go into the twenty
twenty season, right, so.
Speaker 2 (01:33:54):
It was the winner of twenty nineteen into twenty.
Speaker 3 (01:33:56):
Thirty seven million a year over the length of that
twelve year deals where it.
Speaker 2 (01:34:00):
Was now, Yes, but if you're talking about a ten
year plus deal, Otani his.
Speaker 3 (01:34:08):
Ability to make money based on what he had accomplished
individually light years, it's not even he and Kyle Tucker
don't even share the same book. Like, this is an
MVP MVP, MVP, MVP runner up for MVP MVP MBS
until he's play well, Kyle Tucker says, zero time MVP
runner up. Yeah, but if you're asking me next season,
(01:34:32):
just who's going to be healthy? And I know we're
talking about Kyle Tucker having the worst bone bruise ever.
But like before that iron Man, now maybe he's going
to start becoming Mike Trout.
Speaker 2 (01:34:43):
No, I think he's hill. I wouldn't be too.
Speaker 3 (01:34:45):
He plays one hundred and forty five fifty games with
the Cubs this year. You forget about what happened to
his leg this past year.
Speaker 2 (01:34:49):
Five GM, You're fine. We're going to go into this
season asking ourselves, Hey, how many games do you think
Trout's going to play for the Angels.
Speaker 3 (01:34:56):
Yeah, we're also five years into that long term deal.
Things just obviously a turn for the worst health wise
with him, and he's running in an injury after injury after injury.
Speaker 2 (01:35:04):
Part of that's age, which is another factor why I
say what I say about Kyle Tucker. He's only twenty six.
There's another reason why Frinkly.
Speaker 3 (01:35:11):
What Trout was twenty seven? I think when he signed
his dual. Yeah, and so that was five six years
ago or whatever it was.
Speaker 2 (01:35:16):
And now we're going into a season where Provider he
stays healthy at the age of twenty six, five hundred
millions for what you're gonna get from him in the
regular season. I will take the under. I can't wait
till he signs that deal next year at this time.
Speaker 3 (01:35:30):
Well, and I can say ha, you're gonna say ha,
I was right, Kyle Tucker, the New York Yankee. I
don't think he'll be too happy about it.
Speaker 2 (01:35:37):
Well, and obviously as soon as he signs there, they
won't win, so it'll be even more awesome. It's not him,
it's them. They don't win anymore. They are yesterday's news.
All right, we'll continue here on Sports Talk seven to ninety.
Could a big name be done after one year in
the broadcasting booth? Plus college football playoffs? Said nay to
the SEC. We'll explain.
Speaker 1 (01:36:00):
The eighteen on Sports Talk seven ninety. The A Team
continues on Sports Talk seven nineties.
Speaker 2 (01:36:17):
It is the A team. Sports Sox seven ninety are
stone cold locks of the week, the most difficult week
of the entire season, at least from the perspective of
what we do trying to predict those things coming up
in the very next segment. I think Richard Deisch does
this every single year. I think he does the media
(01:36:39):
twenty twenty five Sports Media predictions. He does these media
predictions every year, writes this article, and it's just things
that he thinks might happen. I don't think they're all
necessarily for effect either of fact. I think he seriously
means most of these. He wrote this article for The Athletic,
and the number one thing he lists is kind of
(01:37:00):
crazy when you think about it, especially considering all the
hooplaw that surrounded it. Merwin Tom Brady retired and had
that ten year, three hundred and seventy five million dollar
contract waiting on him from fox Yep. Yeah, he thinks
he's gonna walk away from that deal after one season.
Speaker 3 (01:37:16):
Does seem like a smart business move for someone who's
so involved with business, especially if one of the things
he likes to do in addition to that is not
looked at as a conflict of interest.
Speaker 2 (01:37:27):
His role is with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Speaker 3 (01:37:31):
Interestingly, today that came up again for a different reason
since the Jets one of the teams with an interim
head coach. Well, there's a couple guys out there that
are unattached to NFL teams right now, so they've already
begun the process of interviewing head coaching candidates Ron River
earlier this week and Mike Rabel today. Some people believe
Antonio Pierce is in the process of giving his last
(01:37:54):
couple of press conferences midweek before Raiders games, and that
he will not be coming back next year. I'm not
in their building. He may or may not be a
good NFL head coach, and there may be those reasons
to move on if they're expecting to win, that's silly.
Nobody was going to win with that roster and those quarterbacks.
So I'm not sure if that will be open. But
(01:38:14):
if it is, is Tom Brady and his ownership role
with the Raiders going to say? I don't really think
Mike Rabel is our guy. I know him a little bit.
But if there's no conflict here and he can continue
pushing more in more of his chips in on helping
to run a football team while he's still broadcasting games
for good teams. I mean, he's the number one team.
(01:38:35):
He's not gonna do any Raiders games. There's no way.
It's totally fine, And so far we haven't seen any
enough pushback on the meetings that he has with other
coaches and players, production meetings, et cetera. Whether he's good
at it or not is up for debate. But why
would a how much more money is there for him
elsewhere then working a couple of days a week for
(01:38:59):
less than half the year for thirty seven and a
half two okay, for nine more years.
Speaker 2 (01:39:04):
Right, And we always talk about that like it's the
best gig. Ever, It's why guys like you know, Bill
Cower could never be coaxed out of retirement to come
coach another team. Jimmy Johnson, same thing. Now, these are
coaches versus players, And I know that players put their
bodies on the line a whole lot more, but coaches
put far more hours I would say, of manpower into
(01:39:28):
those respective gigs. Then I think that the players do
at least as far as most players on average. This
is different because what you just said makes sense to
like ninety nine point nine percent of the population, even
the ones that we're talking about, like these coaches. Brady's
not that guy. Brady's gotta stay busy. Brady's got to
(01:39:49):
have his irons in the fire. He just strikes me
as the guy that would not, I guess, settle for
something and you can do other things.
Speaker 3 (01:39:59):
And just another remind from a financial standpoint, how many
of his NFL seasons with the Patriots do you think
he made more than the thirty seven and a half
million he's gonna make each year to talk about football
a couple of days a week.
Speaker 2 (01:40:11):
None, because none constantly giving up money so that they
could stay good.
Speaker 3 (01:40:14):
He he did make more than thirty seven and a
half million during one of his twenty NFL seasons. One
in Tampa, one of the ones in Tampa, not all three,
just one of the ones.
Speaker 2 (01:40:25):
The one where he was good and they won it
all and not the ones they said his marriage.
Speaker 3 (01:40:28):
Like zero other NFL players that I can think of,
other than Tony Romo. Sadly, he got a race. He
quit playing NFL football and got a massive raise for
a massive decline in work. For well, yes, for a
massive for something of any kind. Richard's point in all
(01:40:48):
this is that he's, like you said, very busy. He
wants to he has other interests. This allows him to
pursue them while making tons and tons of money, traveling
a couple, you know, half of the weekends, a little
less than half of the weekends a year, going to
a few meetings and going to a couple of football games.
I mean he puts in the work. I'm not saying
it's a lazy person's job. That's literally what the job entails.
(01:41:11):
You can do your work during the week from wherever
you want, whatever research you want to have, even though
in his position unlike our positions.
Speaker 2 (01:41:18):
I mean, I know, I.
Speaker 3 (01:41:19):
Talk about the Wexler research team, but I can't sit
on my butt all day and do nothing just have
them feed me all this paper work. When I roll
in here at two o'clock and roll out a four
hour show, there's actual work that has to get done,
and I have to do it.
Speaker 2 (01:41:32):
Tom can do some of it.
Speaker 3 (01:41:34):
And he could also say, hey, you guys have all
those numbers, right, can you put them in front of
me so I can read them while I'm on the air? Perfect,
And I don't mean that as a negative. I mean
that's just part of the job. He's still Tom Brady
at the end of the day. Any analyst has that.
That's part of what you have when you're at that level.
So I'm going to say no. On number one, are
there any others on this list of media predictions worthy
(01:41:55):
of investigating? I hadn't really thought about any of You
want a debate whether he's good or not on television.
Speaker 2 (01:42:01):
There's no debate. He's not good, but he's he can get.
Speaker 3 (01:42:04):
Better, right, and he might not be the best, but
he's better than some of his colleagues, the people that
currently have jobs on Fox and CBS in my opinion.
Speaker 2 (01:42:14):
Who you have to name names? I mean, he already
scrubbed one guy out of his gig who was and
is still better than him and Greg Olsen.
Speaker 3 (01:42:24):
Yeah he did not you screwed him out of money
in the process.
Speaker 2 (01:42:28):
He did.
Speaker 3 (01:42:29):
Probably people who get had a lot of Texans games
the last couple of years prior to the CJ era
that caliber of analyst. Honestly, as simple as this is,
he's better than Tony. I can't stand Tony. His analysis
of the game has dropped, well, what's increased him screaming
the name of his broadcast partner. Do you ever hear
(01:42:50):
Tom saying hey, Kevin over? He probably says KB or
Kevin a couple times, like most people. Well, his crunch
fifty times and crushed out they were chunks.
Speaker 2 (01:42:59):
But I'm not saying that that's necessarily Tony Romo's crutch
so much as it's just something he does when he's
not playing golf. I can tell you which one of
these items that I would like to see, just because
I'm biased. Number four, Kevin Harlan will call NBA games
for Amazon Prime Video. He says, Iron Eagle has an
(01:43:19):
agreement in place as one of Amazon's lead broadcasters, and
I predict Harlan joins him and one two game calling
combination featuring those two will give the streamer massive instant
credibility in the live game space. I neglected to mention
something to you as it relates to this. I met
Noah in Kansas City. He was on the call, and
(01:43:42):
first of all, we didn't play the video of him
doing an impression of his dad grounding him. That was awesome.
Speaker 3 (01:43:47):
Oh my gosh, I can't He was doing that while
on the air during a broadcast with the Normal Nets
analyst Sarah Coustack, and while she was smiling throughout it,
I don't know how she wasn't laughing out loud, like
losing her mind. Was so hilarious his dad. She did
a great job of just taking it for what it
was got It was awesome.
Speaker 2 (01:44:07):
He is the nicest kid ever, and I've heard the
same about I've never met Ian. I know he's boys
with empty. I've met the other guy in that in
that scenario.
Speaker 3 (01:44:16):
They're they're both said to be, as advertised, very very
cool people.
Speaker 2 (01:44:20):
And we I've never met Kevin Harland either, but we've
had him on the show, and you know my affinity
for him. He's the closest thing, in my opinion, we
have gotten. And I'm just going to keep it to NBA,
to Marv.
Speaker 3 (01:44:35):
So I've told you, I've told you this before, and
I'm listeners probably as well. And I wish I was
better at the family tree side of it because I
would have an answer, but I don't. Through my wife's
brother's wife, they're related to the Harlan family what so,
they're not that far removed and they see them from time.
Speaker 2 (01:44:52):
To time and they know this until today.
Speaker 3 (01:44:54):
I've told you this before. I was years old when
I found you know, Olivia and Sam and all of
her sisters, Kevin's daughters, et cetera. But kind of unrelated
to that until I showed my sister in law the
text I got when the Texans were playing Kansas City.
Speaker 2 (01:45:08):
Kansas City had.
Speaker 3 (01:45:08):
Reached out to a bunch of people here, Hey, do
you have time to do this. I went on with
them and they came on with us, and then they'd said,
do you have time to do a quick recorded pregame hit,
you know, the day before the game? I said sure,
They said I about noon, like perfect, And then later
that night I got a text from their producer saying, well,
is there any other time we can do it? It
looks like, you know, Kevin Harlan is able to do
it and he needs to do it at that time.
Speaker 2 (01:45:30):
Are you available another time?
Speaker 3 (01:45:31):
And in all caps I responded, you're bumping me for
Kevin Harlan, Yeah, no problem.
Speaker 2 (01:45:39):
Whenever you need me.
Speaker 3 (01:45:40):
He's from Casey, right, He's from the Packers area, whatever
specific city's right.
Speaker 2 (01:45:46):
I always get those two mixed up.
Speaker 3 (01:45:47):
Because his family is involved has been with the Packers.
Speaker 2 (01:45:52):
You would never know that.
Speaker 3 (01:45:53):
No, but that's a from a what we're talking about.
That would be a pretty good way to say. I
think Amazon's serious about these broadcasts because they've brought in
a list broadcasters, both of them, and I'm sure the
analysts would be the same. On that same note, the
last thing on his list is says ESPN rents an
active player or coach for NBA finals. I don't know
(01:46:14):
how much of a prediction that is. It seems kind
of standard when you get to whatever point in the playoffs,
you start bringing in active participants in the league. Sure, coaches, players, whomever.
It's a huge asset to the broadcast because they've played
against these teams. They've scouted these teams, they've tried to
stop these teams. They've been amazed by these teams. They
(01:46:34):
always bring great analysis.
Speaker 2 (01:46:36):
Well. The funny thing is the two names they mentioned
right off the bat, Lebron and Steph, meaning we don't
think they'll be in the finals.
Speaker 3 (01:46:43):
I think that's safe. They also mentioned Chris Paul of the.
Speaker 2 (01:46:46):
Spurs, your favorite your favorite guys would be very good though, Yeah, no,
he would he point guards typically are. We will continue
with more these stone cold locks of the week coming
up next.
Speaker 8 (01:46:59):
The ad on Sports Talk seven ninety. Hey, it's Robert
Ford from the Astros broadcast team.
Speaker 1 (01:47:07):
Catch every Astros game on Sports Talk seven ninety and
the iHeartRadio app Home of your Astros.
Speaker 6 (01:47:15):
Remember that magic eight ball? A nice little shaken.
Speaker 8 (01:47:20):
Look at this I'm getting laid tonight would make.
Speaker 2 (01:47:22):
An answer, guys, giving it to you.
Speaker 6 (01:47:24):
You can trust whatever it said, or you could trust
these two guys named Adam.
Speaker 8 (01:47:30):
It's a crap shoot either way. But these are your
Stone cold Locks.
Speaker 3 (01:47:41):
Stone Cold Locks have arrived our signature segment each and
every weekday afternoon around four thirty. We get you with
our signature segment, especially the days of the week where
we have shows.
Speaker 2 (01:47:50):
Today is one of them. One of the three tends
to work out better that way.
Speaker 3 (01:47:53):
Stone Cold Locks on a Friday, a weekend of football
on the college side that provides zero games of great consequence,
A couple of bowl games today, and we're just about
done with bowl season. Playoffs recontinue late late next week.
In fact, only one playoff game to be played before
next week's stole in Cold Locks, and we will find
(01:48:14):
that game on the list somebody's selection today.
Speaker 2 (01:48:18):
But revisit of last week how we got here.
Speaker 3 (01:48:21):
Thankfully, last week's college game that was somewhat outside the
parameters LSU Baylor got Dan his one win.
Speaker 2 (01:48:28):
We don't have to.
Speaker 3 (01:48:30):
I'm not gonna harp on it. I'm just gonna mention it,
not hammering it home, just noting it. There was one
other loss for the two of us. I want harp
on that either, but that's it go ahead, just one
and just don't even get need to get it two specifics.
The there was a nine to one mark by those
of us in here. We have pushed ourselves into a
neck and neck battle for the final.
Speaker 2 (01:48:52):
Few weeks of the season.
Speaker 3 (01:48:53):
You have a long, long, long time. I only have
a one win lead, so it's far from cemented.
Speaker 2 (01:49:01):
Well, we'll get more weeks all the way through yeah,
but all the way through Super Bowl. Yeah yeah, but
there's got any other I forget how we do it.
Speaker 3 (01:49:09):
We keep going. Last year's final week twenty three selections
Week twenty three, we had Rashid Rice over six and
a half receptions, We had Christian McCaffrey over eighty nine
and a half rushing yards. We had George Kittle over
fifty and a half receiving yards, mahomes touchdown passes, and
then we selected the game on the line, So.
Speaker 2 (01:49:31):
We do four props in a game.
Speaker 3 (01:49:32):
I mean there, I mean you could pick the game
and the over or the under and the game.
Speaker 2 (01:49:37):
You know, okay, you have options. I just couldn't remember
how we did it.
Speaker 3 (01:49:39):
I was thinking about through the postseason, and now we
have a couple of additional college football games at random
times moving forward. But yes, as we head to into
this week, fifty three wins for me, fifty two for you,
forty one for Dan.
Speaker 2 (01:49:52):
So Dan, get us rolling this week.
Speaker 3 (01:49:54):
Hit us with all five of your selections, all right,
I'll start with the outlier. I'll start with Notre Dame
against Penn State and the Orange Bowl College Football Playoffs semifinal.
I love this Irish team. I'm taking them minus one
and a half against the Nitney Lions. NFL side gonna
go Lions minus two and a half against the Vikings
Cowboys plus six and a half finished strong Cowboys against
(01:50:15):
the Commanders who are already in the playoffs. And I'm
gonna go with the Texans plus one and a half
against the Titans. Davis Mills can beat this half West
Titans team, and my prop, I'm gonna go Jared Goff
under thirty five in a hook. Passing attempts only gone
above thirty five to out of the last five games. Yeah,
he tends to get a lot of work done touchdown
(01:50:35):
wise and yardage wise without throwing a billion passes. And
they also have a pretty even without David Montgomery. Their
running game is still very very good. So it seemed
a bit on the high side, and you just explained
why that's exactly right. Thursday's national semifinal, that's Notre Dame
and Penn State. Friday's national semifinal is Texas Ohio State.
Speaker 2 (01:50:58):
You had brought it up earlier.
Speaker 3 (01:50:59):
A se and we did mentioned that the SEC had
requested the possible flip of those games, which would make
sense for Notre Dame.
Speaker 2 (01:51:07):
For you brought that up yesterday, didn't you, Because I
knew that it was being discussed.
Speaker 3 (01:51:10):
I was surprised that that was the entity pushing for it,
because it's really Notre Dame that benefits by you know,
Penn State played two days earlier, and now this is
the first of the two semi finals for Notre Dame,
so they have significantly less time in between. One of
the reasons why yesterday's kickoff was at three o'clock now
in honor of one of the bowl games being played
(01:51:31):
this weekend. In fact, Tonight's game. Rather than placing the
teams playing in our graphic for those of you watching
on the simulcast on Space City Home Network, both AC
and I have taken the over in the Duke's Mayonnaise
Bowl being played later tonight. It felt like I needed
to take like I wouldn't have done this if this
were the you know, random corporate sponsor Bowl or the
(01:51:54):
Pop Talks Bowl, but specifically because it was the Mayo Bowl,
I wanted to get that written down.
Speaker 2 (01:51:59):
You do realize, and I'm a fan of pop Tarts,
that is they probably are for you. You do realize
that there are polar opposites when it comes to bulls
in the current slate of corporate sponsors, when it comes
to me and my personal taste. Right, this is the
obvious bottom feeding cellar portion of the calendar, the anything
(01:52:23):
having to do with that substance Bowl. And then of
course there's the other end of things. The Cheese It Bowl.
Speaker 3 (01:52:29):
Yeah, let me know when you can't have it as
a food or drink that is a bowl sponsor. All right, Okay,
there's the Coffee Bowl, Scooter's Coffee, they plan Frisco.
Speaker 2 (01:52:40):
That's been played. You're good with that, yep.
Speaker 3 (01:52:42):
Okay, make your way down the list, and we've mentioned
it already. The Pop Tarts Bowl, you're good.
Speaker 2 (01:52:47):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (01:52:47):
There's the Idaho Potato Bowl.
Speaker 2 (01:52:49):
Sure, you're down.
Speaker 3 (01:52:50):
There's ships involved and whatnot. Potato baked potato. Right, yeah,
you know you're French fries.
Speaker 2 (01:52:55):
You're a girl.
Speaker 3 (01:52:56):
Those are potatoes. Yeah, the aforementioned. Oh, I guess this
one counts. And you're probably gonna have to say no
to this one. And it's not what you're thinking. The
Arizona Bowl presented by Gin and Juice by Dray and Snoop, Well,
the Snoop Dog Bowl.
Speaker 2 (01:53:17):
Are you down? I mean, this song is great, the
first one, but.
Speaker 3 (01:53:23):
But are you going to drink?
Speaker 2 (01:53:25):
You have the juice? Well yeah, but it's not the
Juice Bowl.
Speaker 3 (01:53:30):
Uh, there's the cheese at Citrus Bowl, right, obviously the
best Kinders right here in Houston, the Kinders Texas Bowl,
a variety of tremendous flavors to enjoy.
Speaker 2 (01:53:38):
It ever, gonna say no to barbecue, love it.
Speaker 3 (01:53:42):
And Reese's Senior Bowl if we're gonna go bowls, they're
they long time sponsored the Senior Bowl coming up on
in February.
Speaker 2 (01:53:50):
There is specified which products. All of their products are good.
I know, but I'm just curious.
Speaker 3 (01:53:56):
Well, we'll get back to the stone cold lock.
Speaker 2 (01:53:57):
We can go over. It's fine, but this is a
this is that's all.
Speaker 3 (01:54:00):
Of the counting. The Orange peanut butter cups. You're saying
yes to both, right, But I'm just so we're good.
But I'm curious what's on, Like, what do they push
as the imaging their logo reesesky cursive of es sometimes
you know, like the cheese it's you'll have the cheese
at logo. But I'm sure the players lounge both candy products?
Speaker 2 (01:54:19):
Are they?
Speaker 3 (01:54:19):
I want to go to that bowl so I can
have these things? Well, you go there for the week.
Are sure our lockdown leader will be at the Senior Bowl?
Speaker 2 (01:54:28):
Yeah? He's making the rounds right, Well.
Speaker 3 (01:54:29):
You'll have a week's worth of who are the Texans
going to draft? With the thirty first pick in the draft?
Speaker 2 (01:54:35):
They won the Super Bowl?
Speaker 3 (01:54:36):
They lost this they lost which was your prediction? Right now,
you got a little time to run through your other picks.
You're taking the over in the mail bow, what about
the other four?
Speaker 2 (01:54:43):
Well, so I alluded to this earlier Baker Mayfield over
one and a half touchdown pass? How do you say
that passes that it's one and a half, it's not
a whole one.
Speaker 3 (01:54:54):
Over one and a half touchdown passes. Hey, let's say
Daniel Hunter sacks a quarterback and then he and Will
Anderson sack a quarterback. He didn't have one and a
half sack, but he didn't have one and a half
sacks either, Yeah I did he technically he had two.
That's how it should actually go in the books. How
they sacked. He sacked the quarterback. Do you say runs
(01:55:15):
batted in? Sometimes the semantics?
Speaker 2 (01:55:19):
All right, So I'll take the over on that, which
I just come on. It's like an automatic Vikings Lions.
I'm taking the under on what Vegas thinks will be
a relatively high scoring game fifty six and a half
Bengals Steelers over as well, forty seven and a half,
just two high pirate offenses, well three technically involved there,
(01:55:39):
and I'll take the over on the Texans game as well.
Speaker 3 (01:55:42):
Well, it's a tease for our listeners and you've already
seen it for our viewers. But I'll run through my
stole cold locks week nineteen. On the other side here
on the eighteen.
Speaker 1 (01:55:54):
The eighteen on Sports Talk seven ninety, it's the a
team Adam Planting at Adam.
Speaker 8 (01:56:03):
Wexler find Sports Talk seven ninety, your.
Speaker 7 (01:56:06):
Rockets, your astros, your voice.
Speaker 3 (01:56:13):
Quick run through my stone cold Locks and then a
very quick game of believe it or not, we'll follow
hope you enjoy it. I as well, just like we
mentioned with Ac Mayobule taking the over Minnesota Virginia Tech,
my prop bet I'm gonna combine rushing and receiving yards
for Najie Harris game that the Steelers would probably like
(01:56:34):
to win, chance to you know, make themselves feel a
little bit better and possibly change their playoff positioning. Over
fifty six and a half, I'll take the Chargers, who
will be playing the Texans the following week to cover
their four and a half against the Raiders, take the under,
and the Giants in the Eagles, regardless of what they
have on the field. Thirty seven and a half points
is so low. I just feel like they can get there.
(01:56:55):
And it's the same philosophy I'd taken to the Texans
Titans game playing the thirty six.
Speaker 2 (01:57:01):
And a half the over. So we're gonna cancel twenty.
Speaker 3 (01:57:03):
Twenty to seventeen on one ten two, yes, two picks.
But as some people know, and I'll tell everybody now
so they'll all know, I rarely write my picks on
the spreadsheet in advance of the week weekend.
Speaker 2 (01:57:16):
Oh I was pleasantly surprised.
Speaker 3 (01:57:18):
So, in other words, they were all there before you
made your picks. So if you're unhappy about matching some
of mine, that's on you.
Speaker 2 (01:57:27):
Well, peeling the curtain back. I wrote my picks on
the doc first, then transferred over.
Speaker 3 (01:57:35):
And again to peel the curtain back even further.
Speaker 2 (01:57:38):
How far can this thing go?
Speaker 3 (01:57:39):
Ten of the fifteen picks were made before year five.
All of Dan's.
Speaker 2 (01:57:43):
Kidding because I'm the worst person ever about getting here
on time and doing this exact segment beforehand. You're here
before two o'clock.
Speaker 3 (01:57:52):
It's fine, all right now, jeez, we brought up the
burner previously.
Speaker 2 (01:57:57):
A deep pool. By the way, what I just did.
Speaker 3 (01:57:59):
Of Parker Jones number thirty nine for the Georgia Bulldogs.
Speaker 2 (01:58:03):
Yes, now I'm going.
Speaker 3 (01:58:04):
To read you what Parker at Parker D. Jones posted
today on his non burner on his ex account and
again this was created in twenty twenty two, and I'll
read you parts of it, and then I'll ask you
believe it or not? Is this him or is this
a phony? I want to begin, Well, he titles the post,
(01:58:27):
and this is one of those. He wrote it in
notes because He's got so much to say. Yeah Dog
Nation title. I want to begin by the way Parker
Jones was the player on the sidelines that was into
the white and the referee bumped into him and it
cost him a fifteen yard penalty. Context I want to
begin by acknowledging that the past twenty four hours have
been some of the most difficult of my life. As
(01:58:48):
many of you know, during yesterday's game, I made a
mistake that I deeply regret. I let my emotions get
the best of me, and in a moment of frustration,
I interfered with the officiating in a way that is
not reflective of the standards I hold myself too, or
the respect I have for the game of football. Says
a lot of other things that make sense according to
what I just read. After reflecting all my actions speaking
with my coaches, I made the difficult decision to enter
(01:59:11):
the transfer portal. It's not a choice I take lightly,
but I believe it's the best step for my personal
growth and future in this game continues with more of
those things. While I am leaving, I do so with
a deep understanding of the lessons I've learned here. I
wish nothing but success for the team moving forward, and
I will forever be a dog at heart. God bless
and go dogs. Do you believe this is from the
(01:59:35):
gentleman who was wearing number thirty nine on the field
yesterday that was involved in the play, mister Parker Jones?
Or do you want more information or do you want.
Speaker 2 (01:59:44):
To render your decision? Believe it or not? This is
really him? I would like more information.
Speaker 3 (01:59:49):
I will read you the two posts that are more
recent than that post that was about nine hours ago,
A couple of posts more recent than that.
Speaker 2 (01:59:58):
And again this account was created to three years ago. Basically, yep, okay.
Speaker 3 (02:00:02):
I cannot thank Georgia fans enough for the support over
social media and in person at the game. I will
forever be a Georgia Bulldog. Not sure if that helps
you or not. Would you like more?
Speaker 2 (02:00:10):
Yeah? I like the more.
Speaker 3 (02:00:11):
At the end of the day, the official was past
the white paint his boundary when he made contact with me.
How does it make sense that I get flagged hashtag
dog Nation, hashtag Georgia.
Speaker 2 (02:00:23):
Parody account or no? It sure sounds authentic official all
of those words. I'll say yes.
Speaker 3 (02:00:34):
Now I'll deliver your bio.
Speaker 2 (02:00:37):
I should have said hell, yes, since it's it's Friday.
Speaker 3 (02:00:39):
Parker d Films thirty nine dB at the University of
Georgia parentheses.
Speaker 2 (02:00:45):
Parody account O, man, you got me at the end
of the day.
Speaker 3 (02:00:49):
The official was pasted the white paint when he made
contact with me. How does it make sense that I
got got flagged? Do you think the player would say that?
Speaker 8 (02:00:59):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:00:59):
Today, yes, absolutely, and today today's day and age to
sound old using a phrase like that, But I mean,
it's not on me.
Speaker 3 (02:01:09):
It's his fault for doing his job. I wasn't in
his way. He was in my way.
Speaker 2 (02:01:12):
I was trying to.
Speaker 3 (02:01:13):
Cheer, Like how many now I've you probably have done
the same. We've been to a lot of football games,
most of them high school where we're on the field
and I'm working, I've got the camera, and they're always
in the way. Now their job requires them to be
a little bit closer to the field NBA baselines. Well yeah,
high school basketball game shooting. I'm like, oh my god, seriously,
(02:01:36):
you I know this, this is what y'all do in practice,
and this is part of where I can see more
of the court. I stay, you stop standing right in
front of me. Seriously, and in football they'll they'll be
usually you get to know them like, you know, watch
out or back up a little bit, or I'm gonna
be coming down here. You've got to be outside of
this or they got places for people. Where was the
Georgia get back guy? Because he, by no means was
(02:01:58):
Parker Jones the only place player not where they He
was the only one that got hit. But they were
all over where they shouldn't have been. I mean, was
there one exciting moment, not one shining moment, but their
one exciting moment.
Speaker 2 (02:02:11):
Yeah, well that's a good point.
Speaker 3 (02:02:13):
First of all, God for the the Texas Longhorns. By
the way, We're really gonna spend the whole day not
saying they're carrying the conference.
Speaker 2 (02:02:20):
I mean, no one else made it this far in
their first year in the conference.
Speaker 3 (02:02:24):
I will say the people that are enjoying this more
than they should be. Oh you didn't think we could play?
Oh they're gonna root awakening wait till they get there.
Just keep in mind next year. Also, their schedule is
a cakewalk.
Speaker 2 (02:02:41):
Yeah, well, you.
Speaker 3 (02:02:41):
Play Georgia and that's pretty much it. You better beat
Ohio State. Then if you're going to talk like that
well that one of these two teams is going to
play the other team two games in a row, because
the first game of next year is Ohio State Texas. Wow,
whoever loses, we'll see the same team. Where is games
(02:03:01):
in a row there?
Speaker 2 (02:03:03):
Well? Hey, listen, the last time the Texan or the
the University of Texas had a very very meaningful early
season game at the Horseshoe, they went on to win
the national championship. It was very memorable.
Speaker 3 (02:03:17):
A J. Hawker members when he is team lost, it
was awesome?
Speaker 2 (02:03:21):
Was it? Kwan Cosby?
Speaker 3 (02:03:23):
Well, there might be a line of swede catch in
the corner of the end zone that I recollect.
Speaker 2 (02:03:27):
Cosby was more of the Colt McCoy era.
Speaker 3 (02:03:30):
Just so you know, the current semi finalists University of Texas,
who will play Ohio State on Friday. They start the
year at Ohio State, then three straight home games against
three awful universities that have no academics. San Jose State, UTEP,
and Sam Houston.
Speaker 4 (02:03:44):
Hey.
Speaker 2 (02:03:44):
Hey, hey, hey, I won't sit here for this.
Speaker 3 (02:03:47):
I was joking, all right. Many of you might not
know that, but I was joking.
Speaker 2 (02:03:50):
Crue.
Speaker 3 (02:03:50):
San Jose State, though, go to Gainesville for Florida. Then
they have their Cotton Bowl matchup with OU. Go to
Lexington for Kentucky, go to Starkville form miss it be
State time out.
Speaker 2 (02:04:01):
Will the Gordys be attending that game? Okay, Lauren?
Speaker 3 (02:04:05):
Will Vandy comes to Austin. The Georgia game now is
in Athlebeany.
Speaker 2 (02:04:09):
And Austin could be a good one. I'm just kidding,
no kidding.
Speaker 3 (02:04:12):
And then they have their final two games in Austin
against Arkansas and Texas A and M. Georgia is a
really really good team in the SEC. They might not
have any games against any other really good teams in
the Sea.
Speaker 2 (02:04:24):
Georgia and and M back to back. No Arkansas in between.
Oh well, that's no gimme? Is that at Arkansas? No?
Speaker 3 (02:04:31):
The last two games are both in Austin. Arkansas and
Texas A and M. The return trip for Marcel Reed
and Mike Elko in Austin.
Speaker 2 (02:04:38):
It doesn't sound like it's gonna be hard to get
tickets until late in the year. We'll see, I mean,
And let's just put it this way. If for some
reason they don't win this game on Friday, as huge underdogs,
you've got a lot to look forward to I would
say next year. They're in Austin.
Speaker 1 (02:04:56):
The A team on Sports Talk seven ninety two lifelong
Houston sports guys named Adam Talking Your Team. Adam Clinton
and Adam Wexler are the A team.
Speaker 2 (02:05:15):
A five o'clock hour is underway, fourth and final hour
here on a Friday edition of The eight Team, which
means it's the final hour of the week. Before you
know it, it'll be six o'clock. We'll get you off
(02:05:36):
in running for Rockets basketball. Wex already making his way
over to Toyota Center to call that one alongside Matt
Thomas as the Celtics are in town tonight. And again
we've mentioned this throughout the day, haven't talked a ton
of Rockets basketball, though we have talked probably an inordinate
amount of NBA for this time of year, just giving
(02:05:57):
the fact that Jimmy Butler decided I'm gonna I'm gonna
make sure that you guys can completely forget doubting any
part of my intentions here. I want out, and I
don't even have a preferred list. I just don't want
to play in Miami anymore because I need to get
my joy back as an NBA basketball player. I think
he's got a fifty five million dollar option waiting on him,
(02:06:17):
so I would be able to find that joy. But
to each his own, all right, So Rockets and Celtics tonight,
Noah men Thompson will find out who plays. Of some
of the other names that were doubtful or questionable at best,
Tarry Easton probably not going to be playing in this one,
but it's gonna come down to Kristaps Porzingis. I don't
(02:06:38):
think we'll be playing. And then Jalen Brown I think
might be a game time decision. So again, a lot
of absences in this one for what should be, no
matter what, a marquee matchup between two of the best
record holders in the NBA. Here's what I wanted to
get to here at football at five and it's something
(02:07:00):
that I have heard discussed for a long time, not
just in the NFL but in other sports, but it
particularly comes into play in the NFL, and I think
it particularly comes into play this season. So you have
a situation where teams have had amazing seasons in some cases,
(02:07:22):
take the Lions for example, and I'm on Ross Saint
Brown is the one that wanted to talk about this
and so it's going to be something that's clearly going
to come into play, and until the NFL does something
about it, it's going to keep coming into play so
long as you have situations like this mention that the
Lions and the Vikings are going to play in an
(02:07:43):
absolutely spectacular game as far as stakes go, but just
the fact that these are two of the better teams
in the NFC this year, they happen to be in
the same division, and when they get together in Detroit
on Sunday night, it's going to be for like, basically
all the marbles. North's on the line, and the winner
of the game gets, you know, just the number one
(02:08:05):
seed in the postseason, with a bye week that comes
with it, and the loser is going to have to
play not only a wild card game, but a wild
card game on the road, possibly on a short week,
and against a team that's gonna have either a ten
and seven or a nine and eight record, you know,
(02:08:27):
like the Houston Texans, even though they're in the AFC
and we don't know what their record will be yet,
but those are the only two options. The Texans only
will either be nine and eight or ten and seven.
After Sunday's game against the Titans. But going back to
this situation, you're talking about the Vikings and the Lions,
both teams fourteen and two. So the loser, regardless of
(02:08:52):
who wins this game, is going to have the best
record in NFL history to not win their division. The
only team in the NFC with a chance of matching
the losers fourteen and three record is the Eagles, who
have already clinched their division championship. And so what Raised
(02:09:13):
Saint amand Ross Saint Brown had to say was that,
and this is just a quote, it's crazy, he says,
I think the rules should be changed. Obviously, if you
win the division, you should obviously make a playoff spot.
But having a fourteen win team having to go on
the road is kind of crazy. But I guess I
don't make the rules. Hopefully we can get a win
(02:09:33):
and get home field advantage, but whatever happens, we both
have a spot in the playoffs. So we might see
each other again after this game, and I mean I
think they probably will. They're clearly the two best teams
in the NFC, with all respect to you know, the
Eagles and some of the others. This is by and
large been the two best teams all season long, and
(02:09:56):
in the case of the Lions, it's been wired to wire.
I mean, the lion best chance at a loss other
than the two that they did suffer was right here
in Houston when the Texans forced five interceptions and somehow
lost that game after just going completely a wall on
offense in the second half. We all know how that
went down, and I've said several times I felt like
(02:10:19):
that's where the Texans season peaked, because I don't expect
a lot out of them the rest of the way,
even if this game against the Titans on Sunday is
relatively meaningless. I think it's going to be a short
run for the postseason for the Texans because of a
variety of factors. But he went on to say amine
Ross Saint Brown, I think it would be big. We
have a lot of injuries, obviously, but just to be
(02:10:40):
able to get some rest would be nice. He's talking
about getting the top seed. Either way, I think will
be fine. Whether it's going on the road or having
a bye week and playing at home. We're built for either.
Or We've got the best fans in the world to
help us. If we're at home, and if we aren't
at home, we've been pretty good on the road this year.
Either way, I think we'll be fine, but we'd love
to have home field manage in the playoffs. I'm not
(02:11:02):
sure the timing of the Hutchinson injury and whether or
not if they were to have a bye week he'd
be able to come back. I know there was talk
about that when he first got injured. It was several
weeks back, but I will I'll say this, first of all,
credit to Detroit for not letting that railroad their season.
And I get it. He's a pass rusher, it's defense.
(02:11:23):
There's a lot more that goes into the situation. You
can't tell me they're not a better team with him
out there than with him on the sideline. But Detroit
was like, didn't even blink, just kept on. They're not
only winning winning the games that they are this year,
they're mowing down most of these teams they're facing off against.
That's why I think this is going to be a
fantastic game. That's why I took the over. Actually I
(02:11:46):
think I took the under now that I think about it,
But I just I look at I'm checking that out
right now. Yeah, I took the under fifty six and
a half as the number. I get what he's saying,
and I just wonder how long until hell the NFL
does look at this, or if they ever will, because
it's like, if you're the NFL, you want to make
(02:12:06):
sure that you know your division still means something. I mean,
I love the NBA, but why do they even have
divisions anymore? And in fact, they've talked about changing this.
The NBA has talked about, you know, just doing away
with that and really just seeding. I don't even think
it would necessarily be conferences. You would just seed based
(02:12:26):
on records across the league. Well, you don't necessarily have
that situation if you actually made it to where your
divisions mattered. I don't remember the last time, like Rockets
won a division championship, and who cared the last time.
I don't know. Maybe it meant more when you would
play the San Antonio Spurs five six times a year.
It certainly was pointed out, you know when they when
(02:12:47):
those two teams met the ninety five Western Conference Finals,
I think the Spurs had won five out of six
of those games. So I guess going in you thought,
all right, this is not gonna be good for the Rockets,
And then they ended up winning, and so I guess
that looks better on paper. But whatever, the NFL and
their divisions mattering, needing to matter, geographically flawed as they
(02:13:09):
may all be, especially the one that Texans play in,
I just don't know that that'll ever that want by
you know, the powers that be that are the shield,
will ever be superseded by anything else. Like I don't know, fairness,
I get where Saint Brown's coming from. You want if
(02:13:30):
you go fourteen and two and you've got to start
the playoffs on the road in the wild Card against
a team that is clearly inferior both record wise and
probably on the field wise because of that record, and
you you what you I guess people are going to
point to, well, you should have won that game for
the division, okay, but sometimes that doesn't happen, and you're
(02:13:55):
still looking at teams that I feel like are getting
the shaft. Like, let's face it, the biggest diehard Texan
fan on the planet is probably gonna know deep down
Daniell deserve to host a playoff game against a certain
team that might come in here. It's gonna depend on
who it is. But let's just say the Ravens came
in here. It would just you know, you might hate
(02:14:16):
the Ravens. I do, but you probably know they've clearly
earned that playoff game at home. Now, what you're gonna
say is, well, based on the rules, they haven't. But
what we're talking about here is, you know, if you're
going by the letter of the law versus if you've
watched the games this season. I just feel like it's
tough to say to a team that's gonna be fourteen
(02:14:38):
and three, Hey, you've got to go on the road
in whatever elements potentially, but you've got to go on
the road. You're not gonna start at home, even though
you've got a record that is better by several games
than the team you're being asked to go play in
their home stadium and everything that comes with it. I
get why why players like like A'man Ross Saint Brown
(02:14:59):
or saying this, and I'm sure he's speaking for a
million different other players in the league to feel this way,
And no other league, you know, I'm talking about the
NF or the NBA, but no other league than the
NFL does this to me seem like it's just so pronounced,
because what do we talk about NonStop? What are we
talking about with the Detroit Lions and the Texans in
(02:15:22):
addition to their offensive line woes injury woes. So you've
gone throughout this season, the Lions have obviously put together
what would end up being a fourteen and three record
with their best defensive player out and some other injuries,
you know, the running back issues they've had, and you
know it's for what you've You've literally put your body
(02:15:42):
on the line all season long, just like every other
team has. I get that, But you should, you feel
like you should, even more so than maybe other leagues,
be rewarded for having that type of record in a
league where it's so hard to win week in and
week out and not have to turn around when the
players get there and start on the road. You should,
(02:16:02):
you should be rewarded for something like that. And I
get that. I again, I don't know that the NFL
does anything about this, though, because how many other things
have we just been you know, screaming about at the
top of our lungs for years and they don't change it,
And then yet they'll they'll change other things. It's kind
of like baseball in that way, we're gonna, you know,
(02:16:24):
put a gift runner on second base. We're gonna do this,
that and the other to speed up games, and you know,
pitch clocks and all that, uh, automated balls and strikes.
We can't have that be accurate and consistent across the
majors every single time. It just strikes me as hilarious
how some of these leagues have things that are really
like screaming to be addressed, and then they'll they'll absolutely
(02:16:45):
ignore that kind of stuff in favor of other things.
And I don't know that, you know, the the NFL
is maybe necessarily as guilty. Although the kickoffs are a
clown show. I think they should go back to to
the way it used to be. But this would be
one of them at the top of the list. Like
if I'm in a competition committee, guy, if I'm on
that panel and I'm putting things forth, definitely something that
(02:17:09):
should be looked at. Speaking of the NFL, the most
overrated coach in the NFL, We'll tell you that is next.
Speaker 1 (02:17:17):
The A team on Sports Talk seven ninety Adam Clinton,
Adam Weckford, the eight.
Speaker 11 (02:17:25):
Team five o'clock hour, rolling along here, on a Friday
edition of the A Team Sports Talk seven to ninety
Space City Home Network.
Speaker 2 (02:17:39):
Both are places you'll be able to consume Rockets basketball
beginning at the top of the hour as the defending
champion Boston Celtics make their lone appearance inside Toyota Center
this year. Provided they don't get back to the finals
and the Rockets make a I guess it'd probably be
a miraculous run. I don't know the fact that the
(02:18:01):
Dallas Mavericks were the finalists from last season, that's pretty
incredible when you think about the Oklahoma City Thunder. We're
doing last year basically what they're doing this year, which
is seemingly running away with the Western Conference. But I
guess stranger things have happened, and I would love it
if the Rockets made a miraculous run to the NBA finals,
(02:18:23):
be the first time since nineteen ninety five. So I'll
take it. But we'll get to that at the top
of the hour. In the meantime, I'm having a hard
time with something NFL related, like which way do you
go when it comes to Mike McCarthy, who, for all
(02:18:43):
intents and purposes, I'm going to say, is right now
the most overrated coach in the NFL. And let me explain,
because I realized there's probably other more likely candidates. But
because he coaches in Dallas, that automatically makes you overrated.
It just does. What have the Dallas Cowboys done of
note in the last thirty years. Nothing going to the playoffs,
(02:19:08):
blowing a bunch of playoff games, blowing a bunch of
seasons in which you've won eleven, twelve, thirteen games. None
of that impresses me, just like it wouldn't impress me
if the Texans did it and still lost in the
same round of the postseason every single year. So that
right there, you know, Dallas them calling themselves America's team.
(02:19:28):
It's also played out, Jerry Jones played out. It's all.
We all get it. They're the Cowboys. We're supposed to
pay attention to them because people do according to television numbers,
so therefore we should all as well. I don't subscribe
to that theory, and I'm definitely not calling them America's team.
That's an embarrassment to the United States of America. But
(02:19:50):
when it comes to Mike McCarthy, the guy you know
won the Super Bowl there in Green Bay unceremonious in
his exit, I would call it at best. We all
remember the press conference where he and Jerry again just
it felt like I think I said this earlier this week,
it felt like Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy needed to
(02:20:12):
go get a room. And I've never seen Jerry behave
like that. I mean, Jerry brought in Bill Parcells and
never was as googly eyed as he was that day.
I don't know what it was about Mike McCarthy. I
don't know if they knew each other prior they go back.
I don't know what the connection was. But I was
even then, I was like, all right, Mike McCarthy, that's
(02:20:34):
certainly a decision. But I never thought, even on your
best day, you're excited about this hire that that was
called fort He just doesn't strike me as that guy
like Demiko, having never been a head coach. I mean,
they basically threw him a pep rally when he walked
through the front door. But I get that he played
(02:20:55):
here for a long time, was a Pro Bowl player,
has had a stellar reputation from start to finish of
his playing career and into his coaching career. Helped a
forty nine ers organization go to a super Bowl, just
an absolutely a guy that you know, you get it.
There's a lot of raw raw for a guy like that.
(02:21:16):
I didn't get it with Mike McCarthy, just like I
don't get now. What's less impressive or what's more lackluster
the fact that a Jeremy Fowler is saying that McCarthy
could quote set his sights on the vacant Chicago Bears job,
(02:21:36):
or that there's like a small, maybe not that small
chance that he returns to Dallas. Think of it this way,
if you're both of these fan bases and you're trying
to figure out what the next step is, and you
have been slamming your head into a brick wall repeatedly
(02:21:58):
for multiple years for very different reasons. We all know.
I just went over some of the spectacular flameouts that
have been Dallas Cowboys just in the last decade, recent seasons,
going back to was Dez Bryant you know, inbounds or not?
Was it a catch all of that stuff? The Tony
(02:22:19):
Romo botched snap against Seattle, multiple double digit win seasons
that ended in spectacular failure last year, Notwithstanding the Packers
come to town with essentially a rookie quarterback, Jordan Love,
first full season as a starter, and he embarrassed you
in your house where you hadn't lost basically all season.
(02:22:39):
So if you're the Dallas Cowboys, what's worse trying to
pick up the pieces as you have now just freshly
inked your franchise quarterback that is not probably a franchise
quarterback in Dak Prescott, and you weren't winning even when
he was healthy, and then he went down and you
somehow actually did they win more games after he went down?
(02:23:01):
It feels like it. But if you're the Cowboys, that's
one option, and you're doing that without Mike McCarthy potentially
bringing somebody else in. There goes my Bill Belichick prediction
since he's now the head coach at North Carolina. Nobody
had that on their being go card, or there's a
(02:23:23):
chance that you bring him back. Mike McCarthy, Like, I
don't understand how it gets better, and in actuality, there's
probably not a scenario where it doesn't get worse for
the Cowboys, whether McCarthy's a part of things or not.
Everybody's a year older, you have I don't think ceedee
(02:23:43):
Lamb's particularly happy there because he's not happy during the season.
And again, your franchise quarterback is he that? And if
he is, how far can he take you hadn't taken
you far, so at least in this scenario where Mike
McCarthy moves on, you would have the promise of at
least a fresh approach. Somebody's you know, playbook that's different,
(02:24:06):
whether it's an offensive versus a defensive heavy guy, a
new staff, all that kind of stuff. And then if
you're the Bears, you can't get it right, whether it's
coaching or the quarterback or any number of things that
just year after year after year, it feels like you're
just turning your wheels. And you see the Packers have
(02:24:28):
their multiple, you know, plural runs sometimes to a Super Bowl.
You're seeing the Lions have a resurgence the likes of
which we haven't seen in forever. And the Vikings get
Sam Darnold in his first year, who was languishing with
the Jets and he's potentially going to lead them to
fifteen wins. And here's the Bears haven't had a quarterback
(02:24:49):
in like forever, still not sure that they have their guy.
And then if you get a new head coach, it
could be Mike McCarthy. Now again, this is a report
where he said he could set his eyes on the job,
not necessarily that Chicago's interested. I've talked to. This is
a quote from a fowler. I've talked to multiple people
(02:25:10):
who believe McCarthy, should he leave Dallas, could set his
sights on Chicago. More industry sources than I expected believe
McCarthy has a small chance to stay, in part because
of what's considered a weak candidate pool. But McCarthy and
his entire staff are operating under expiring contracts, which complicates
(02:25:31):
matters and frees up McCarthy to look into other jobs,
which I also think is entirely possible. I just if
you're I don't know what fan base could be more underwhelmed.
That's why maybe overrated isn't the right term, but certainly underwhelming.
Most underwhelming coach in the NFL could apply here. I mean,
(02:25:51):
you're talking about a Dallas situation where I don't know
how much more worse it could get, but I could
see it because I don't know that your roster is
getting better. Micah Parson still wants to get paid. There's
a lot of stuff to sift through after you get
through the season, and then wouldn't you probably want a
(02:26:15):
fresh approach at head coach. But then to hear, well,
the talent pool from a coaching standpoint is kind of weak.
Well is it weaker than Mike McCarthy. It's just crazy.
And then the Bears, uh, yeah, you're gonna get your
umpteens head coach, and this guy is going to try
to be the one that gets through to maybe who
(02:26:36):
we think is the franchise quarterback that we you know,
drafted high. It's just I don't know, I don't know
who has it worse right now, Bears fans or Cowboys fans.
And that's why when I look at the Houston Texans situation,
YAD sucks. They're probably going to be one and done.
YAD sucks that for all the talent that Nick Cassario
put together, particularly on the defensive side of the ball,
(02:27:00):
they probably didn't get as far as they maybe could
have had they done a better job of addressing the
offensive line. Because I'm not going to sit here and
say they didn't address it. But this is certainly one
of those situations where you sit here in Houston and
you look up the road in Dallas could be worse, right,
you look at the Chicago Bears, still trying to get
that franchise quarterback or at least figure out if the
(02:27:21):
guy they have in house is the guy. Finally after
so many different tries. I think Cleveland might be the
only team that's been trying longer to get a franchise quarterback.
Because remember, even when the Bears won in eighty five,
it was Jim McMahon. So I don't know, I don't know,
but I do know this. If you're a Texans fan
(02:27:42):
and like me, you're just very underwhelmed by what happened
in twenty twenty four and you want twenty twenty five
to be a big time change, just remember it could
always be worse. You could be Dallas, you could be Chicago.
You could be Cleveland, where you deposited Deshaun Watson, who
now had his contract reworked because they continue to make
(02:28:05):
stupid decisions, just saying it's not that bad.
Speaker 4 (02:28:07):
Here.
Speaker 8 (02:28:10):
The ad on Sports Talk seven.
Speaker 1 (02:28:12):
Ninety Sorry Ethan Hey is Tory Eastman.
Speaker 2 (02:28:16):
It is good for listen to Rockets radio or your
smart device. Just ask Lay Sports DOOT seven ninety on
iHeart Radio. Well, this is the segment that we reserve
for in case you missed it, and unfortunately, uh, we
(02:28:37):
did miss it. I did the last segment as I
was hosting solo and not looking at Twitter at the
exact moment this all broke. But in the last fifteen
minutes or so, it has been made apparent by rocket
head coach Ime Udoka that Jabbari Smith Junior is going
to be out tonight and for the foreseeable future. He
(02:28:58):
broke his left hand today when he got hit on
the hand in practice. Pain got worse. I'm just reading
from Clutch fans. There's any number of different outlets that
have reported this. Rockets had it looked at, checked, and
they found a break. He's gonna be reevaluated in four
to eight weeks. That is a killer. And it's more
(02:29:21):
so from the defensive side of things. I think it's
hard to quantify sometimes. I mean, you can see good
defense being played, you can, but Jabari Smith Junior, for
being taken third overall in the draft, probably hasn't been
the offensive whatever you want to call it that Rockets
(02:29:43):
fans might have liked to see. But what he gives
them defensively on that end of the floor, and not
exactly something that you can just plug somebody else in
there and have it still magically work. That's going to
be sorely missed. This is what up until this point,
(02:30:04):
and I realized, we're talking about Tari Eastan missing his
eighth or ninth game in a row. But up until
this point, the Rockets have been able to avoid any
high profile or at least extended, if not that high
profile of injuries until now. So, however much you want
to put on what Jabari Smith Junior's contributions were to
(02:30:26):
the Rockets being twenty two and eleven right now, the
third seed in the West and competing for home court
in the first round of any sort of postseason that
would begin anytime soon. That's not gonna be around for
the next four to eight weeks. So you're talking post
All Star break at best, that's a absolute death knell. Well,
(02:30:48):
it's a blow. I won't say it's a deathnell, but
you're gonna feel it. If you're the Rockets, you're definitely
gonna feel it tonight, seeing as how you were already
shorthanded in the front court. I'm guessing, look at me,
looking at the silver lining of this situation, I'm guessing,
if you're Cam Whitmore, You're probably gonna get some of
(02:31:08):
those minutes you'd like, Hey, Amy got any more of
those minutes. I mean, he's not a four, but he
is a wing. He is a guy that can spread
the floor and maybe you get creative with your lineups,
but I'm guessing, just by default, Cam Whitmore will probably
see the floor even more with this news. Not good
(02:31:29):
news at all if you're a Rockets fan, especially on
the heels of a very very big matchup tonight with
the defending champs in town. So I hate that I
had to bring you that news here on the Rockets
flagship station and television station as it were. But Jabbar
Smith Junior, in case you're missing it, breaking his hand
at practice today and he will be reevaluated in four
(02:31:50):
to eight weeks.
Speaker 4 (02:31:53):
Not possibly good news for the Astros if you had
your wish list of veteran pitchers possible to return because
Charlie Morton no longer available. One year, fifteen million dollar
deal going from the Braves to the Baltimore Orioles.
Speaker 2 (02:32:08):
Ooh, that's a sneaky good pickup for them, all that
youth in there, you know, particularly from the pitching standpoint.
We all obviously know about their lineup, but that's a
great veteran presence in that clubhouse. How much you think
he has left in the tank. He was supposed to
be done after he left here, right, That's what we
were told. Anyway, to Atlanta, and we all know what
(02:32:30):
happened from there.
Speaker 4 (02:32:30):
Well, he almost won, He almost won the cy Young
in Tampa. He was unreaded Tampa. I forgot about that
and sent the Astros home. Yeah with the Rays. Yeah,
he did that sucked.
Speaker 2 (02:32:42):
Well. Good for him, but not good since that's one
of the obstacles presumably in the way of the Astros
getting out of the American League again, if they're going
to be doing that again.
Speaker 4 (02:32:52):
Yeah, JV to the Astros. Still alive at least for now.
All right, So you brought this up earlier, Steve Sarkisian
talking about the challenge they have this week taking on
Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl at and T Stadium, Arlington,
and at least the Vegas line has the Longhorns as underdogs,
and you brought up through your spoken words what Sark
(02:33:14):
said earlier.
Speaker 2 (02:33:15):
Here's a little bit of what he said in his
own words.
Speaker 5 (02:33:18):
But now to be in the Semis and playing the
Cotton Bowl in Dallas is huge. You know, we're we're
gonna need our fans. We're gonna need our fans support.
I need Longhorn Nation to show out in Arlington. We're
gonna need everything we got to to try to win
this game. You know, you know clearly we're massive underdogs.
Nobody's gonna give us a shot, so we're gonna need
all that we can to try to win this game.
Speaker 2 (02:33:40):
Does your mind change at all having heard it? No,
I mean he's saying what he's supposed to say. He'll
have that that team ready, but specifically that defense needs
to be ready. And if it is, I give the
Longhorns a perfectly good shot.
Speaker 4 (02:33:56):
I mean, I think they're gonna get a better challenge
Ohio State, that is, than they have in the first
couple of games. But I mean, funny enough, when you
have two of the best receivers in the country, and
Jeremiah Smith and a mechag Buka, maybe you stop trying
to bang your head against the wall like you did
against Michigan. And say, oh, but we really have to
run the football. Yeah, go to those guys first, then
you can run the football. And funny enough, that's been
(02:34:18):
the result in their first two games of the playoff.
Speaker 2 (02:34:21):
Well, maybe they'll think they can run the football because
that would play right into what the Longhorns are very
good at doing, which is stopping the run. That's gonna
be I can't wait for this game. I really do
think it's gonna be a good game. I hope it is.
Speaker 4 (02:34:34):
Yeah, I mean it should be because Texas is very
talented in the secondary Manny Mohammad, Andrew mccuba, obviously mccouba
being the hero of the Peach Bowl, So I mean
they are going to give them a little bit more
of a challenge on that front. You also have to
keep in mind though Texas has really struggled to run
the football in the.
Speaker 2 (02:34:53):
Last few weeks. Well, they've they've been hurt.
Speaker 4 (02:34:55):
Well, I mean, you know, Trey Wisner might be kind of,
you know, making down a little bit as the season
goes along. I mean, Jayden Blue, who people thought was
going to be the first guy after CJ. Baxter went down,
but I mean that front for Ohio State, Jack Sawyer, JT.
Tuamoloile they're pretty solid themselves. Lathan Ransom in the back end.
Ohio State has had cooked football team. They just stubbed
(02:35:17):
their toe a couple of times this year.
Speaker 2 (02:35:20):
Yeah, I mean you could very well be looking at
the winner of this game being the national champion. Not
saying by default, but I don't think that's an outlandish
statement to make.
Speaker 4 (02:35:32):
No, No, that's definitely my pick. So we'll see how
it goes. And then I can't wait for if Ohio
State wins it, for the Big Ten to say, see,
we're better than the SEC. No, you're not yet, perdue
Minnesota and Wisconsin in your conference. You're not better than
the SEC. In the NFL Draft this April is going
to prove that all right, finally, So for as disappointing,
I guess we could say the Texans season has been well,
(02:35:54):
it's been even worse for another team in the AFC South,
that is the Indianapolis Colts and a guy who's programmed
to love the Colts, him being a man who used
to wear number one for them and punted Football's Pat McAfee.
Speaker 2 (02:36:05):
They were doing their picks segment today on.
Speaker 4 (02:36:07):
The Pat McAfee show, and Pat went ahead and went
with his Colts, but he couldn't stop.
Speaker 2 (02:36:13):
Right, there's last game possible.
Speaker 4 (02:36:15):
And a lot of people on that Colts team, hopefully
last game as Indianapolis Colts.
Speaker 2 (02:36:20):
That's kind of my hope. I wish we could transfer
portal the whole team, just take Ohio State. We had
like seventy guys to hit the portal. Can't do it
though in the NFL. I guess I've been trying to
research it. Wow, Pat's on the ram page right now.
He's had a fan well yeah, I mean and if
you heard him last year, gave all the love in
(02:36:42):
the world to c J. Stroud, But he was high
on his old team and it basically took one year
of Anthony Richardson for a lot of people to turn
south on that turned sour. And I think Pat McAfee's
one of them. And I don't know if that's who
he was talking about. Even if it isn't, he sounds
(02:37:02):
like he's got a list, a lengthy list, as he
has criticized the culture there. We got one more segment
to go. We will do that when we come back.
Speaker 8 (02:37:13):
The A team on Sports Talk seven.
Speaker 1 (02:37:15):
Ninety Adam Clinton. I'm Wexler Ower, A team returned on
Sports Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 7 (02:37:22):
Three, Horny Head Tack, I guess your Rockets play here.
Speaker 2 (02:37:32):
The final segment of the week here on the A
Team Sports Talk seven ninety Space City Home Network, Rockets Basketball, Sands.
I'm in Thompson Sands, Tarry Easton and now sans Jabbari
Smith Junior. Depending on which outlet you read, it's four
(02:37:53):
to six weeks or four to eight weeks, but broken
hand for Jabari Smith Junior. In case you missed it
last segment, we uh break that news, but we brought
it to you in case you weren't aware that he's
going to be missing from tonight on. And you know, again,
it's a nice round beginning of the month number for
the date January third, but you do the rough math,
(02:38:13):
you're talking about late February, and February is a short month,
so late February before he's reevaluated, potentially that is post
All Star break, and that really really hurts, cause, again,
like I said, I don't know that he stands out
as a guy who's necessarily going to show up as
much on the scorecard with what he does, but particularly
(02:38:37):
on the defensive end. And just again, this is such
a quirky Rockets roster because there is no superstar. Albrnchingoon's
the closest thing to that. But it just works. It's
just this machine that just works the way they do
things and you're looking to improve it. But it's got
(02:38:58):
to be the right deal. But this was not according
to plan. So we shall see how ema Udoka and
the rest of the staff is going to adjust to
this news, because that's that's no small thing. That's not
I mean, think about Tari Easton hasn't played in what
three weeks now, maybe a little less than that. I
(02:39:19):
can't remember the exact date. First one off the top
of my head that he missed, but he's part of
the Terror twins off the bench, doesn't play as many minutes.
This is going to be felt perhaps more, we shall see.
But not good news for the Rockets, who have largely
been able to with the exception of Tari Easton, avoid
(02:39:40):
you know, big time injuries, long lasting injuries throughout the
course of this season. So we'll see how that goes.
We've got Rockets launch Pad followed by Rockets Countdown and
then the game in a little over an hour tipping
off inside Toyota Center against the Boston Celtics, who again
mentioned earlier they themselves are gonna be a little shorthanded
(02:40:02):
as they've been dealing with some injuries and whatnot, and
kind of takes the luster off of what was going
to be a pretty marquee matchup early on, considering how
the Rockets have come out of the gate, and obviously
the fact that you're talking about the defending NBA champs
in the Boston Celtics. Speaking of the NBA, now, I
(02:40:23):
don't normally get into rappers dissing news stories, but given
as how this guy is gonna be in town on Sunday,
seeing as how there's all sorts of stuff floating around
about Lebron James, it's interesting to me that a beef
(02:40:46):
between two rappers has gotten Lebron James caught up in
the middle of it. But that's exactly what's going on,
we think, at least if you read between the lines,
and I do mean lines. You guys may or may
not if you're NBA fans especially, but you may or
may not be aware that Kendrick Lamar and Drake have
(02:41:09):
a little bit of a beef that goes back to
I believe earlier this last year. I guess it was
pre summer that started. I could be wrong on my timeline,
but what's important is there is a freestyle that Drake
has recently dropped called fighting Irish and if you read
the lyrics, I don't know, man could just be me,
(02:41:32):
but I think a lot of people are also accurate.
Then they're reading these and they feel like he's talking
about Lebron. The world fell in love with the gimmicks.
Even my brothers got tickets, seemed like they loved every minute.
Just know this bleep is personal to us. It wasn't
just business, and people cried the blues for you, saying
(02:41:55):
it wasn't malicious talking about we family. Well, I'm not
the cousin to visit God forbid, we ever got to
tarnish your public image. All that brother talk as if
I really discovered a sibling six degrees my memories, retrieving
our humble beginnings. Okay, I mean, I don't know what's
(02:42:20):
gonna happen. I'm not gonna start speculating here on the
air about Lebron James and what he may or may
not be involved in off the floor and all that
kind of there's whispers out there with recent news, whether
or not they're accurate, that's a whole other thing. This
(02:42:41):
stuff usually comes out in the wash, right, as they say,
or sunlight is the disinfectant, or any number of little
phrases and cliches we can use. But if that's about Lebron,
that freestyle, by the way, fighting Irish. Remember that giant
(02:43:04):
Irish across Lebron James is high school Jersey. If that's
about Lebron James and what he's implying or kind of
alluding to, woo, it could be some fireworks. I mean,
I basically retired from being invested hardcore in wrapping beefs
(02:43:27):
way back in you know, nineteen ninety six and ninety
seven when Tupac and then Biggie each got offed after
that whole deal. Just like, it's just not that serious
for me at this point. I don't like it when
some of my favorite artists are getting gunned down in
the streets over words, and yeah, I just never There
(02:43:48):
was some Eminem ones over the years, because I was
a big Eminem fan when he first came out, and
but this is I've kind of like I heard Ross
talking about it, which is it's actually even funnier when
he talks about it with Matt, because Matt couldn't be
less enthused or even up to date on things like this.
But you know, Ross and I fancy ourselves at least
(02:44:11):
historians of this genre a bit. And it's just funny
to hear that, you know, that was going on this
summer and he was letting Matt hear these songs that
they were, you know, the Kendrick and Drake were putting
out about each other. But this is a whole different dimension.
Now we're getting like the biggest sports star currently in
(02:44:32):
the world involved. Now we're getting to some nitty gritty.
If indeed that's the case. It's all speculation, right, But
when these guys put this on tape, as they say,
it's it changes. It's not even just a tweet or
something you said on the air. It's it's a song
(02:44:52):
or in this case, a freestyle. So we'll have to see,
all right, we will get to Rockets basketball right around
the corner again, Boston Celtics in town, and then Lebron
James and company come to town on Sundays. This is
a home stand that you wanted to kind of show
what you were so far. I don't think the Rockets
are particularly happy with how the first two games of
(02:45:13):
this went, but recovered nicely against a short handed Mavericks
team the other night, albeit they still had Kyrie Irving
and Klay Thompson, but no Luka Doncic. It's not exactly
the Mavericks, not the team that went to the NBA
Finals last year. But you can only play who's in
front of you with who is on the roster, and
now the Rocket's gonna have to deal with a long
term injury, much like Luca with the Mavericks. They are
(02:45:37):
going to be looking post All Star Break in all
likelihood to getting Jabari Smith Junior back. But who is available,
That's who will play tonight and we'll get you ready
for it. Right around the corner Rockets basketball against the
Boston Celtics coming up at the top of the hour.
Gotta say thanks to everybody who was involved in our
(02:45:58):
huge three day week of shows week. Go get back
to normal next week for Dan for Wex over at
Toyota Center. I'm ac it is the a team. Sports
Talk seven ninety have a great weekend. Everyone. We will
talk Texans playoffs when we get back in here on
Monday
Speaker 8 (02:46:13):
The A team on Sports Talk seven ninety