All Episodes

December 20, 2024 • 165 mins
Matt Thomas of "The Matt Thomas Show with Ross," Ryan Hollins, former NBA center and Space City Home Network commentator, and Chris Gordy react to breaking news that the Houston Astros and free-agent first baseman Christian Walker are in serious talks and are progressing towards a deal. The Astros' failed pursuit of Nolan Arenado led to a pivot to Christian Walker, which would leave newly acquired Isaac Paredes at third base and most likely shut the door on a reunion with Alex Bregman. Matt, Ryan and Chris also:
  • discuss reports that the Astros are no longer listening to trades concerning Framber Valdez
  • recap the Rockets defeating the Pelicans 133-113
  • talk with Soren Petro of Sportsradio 810 in Kansas City about the Chiefs hosting the Texans
  • preview the first round of the college football playoff
  • have Dr. Roto cure their fantasy football ailments and more on this "Anything Goes Friday."


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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Lunchtimers.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
This is the Matt Thomas shown you in h Town.

Speaker 3 (00:08):
Good morning, and welcome to a Friday edition of the
Matt Thomas showing Ross. This is Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
I want sixty minutes of piece and quiet. I want
my head.

Speaker 4 (00:21):
Down that little area that you know, the little open
hole there you boom clip that.

Speaker 5 (00:26):
I do not shoot the video from in front of me,
and nothing on my chest to jiggles in that manner.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
So it is not a it's not a proprietary I
do think your views are as high strong hand. Do
you think you're gonna last eight seconds? I would think
that probably so.

Speaker 6 (00:40):
And then the question is can you last eight seconds?

Speaker 1 (00:44):
Do you think some teams go through more adversity than others?

Speaker 7 (00:46):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (00:47):
Absolutely no.

Speaker 4 (00:48):
You don't have to worry about constantly kissing seventeen year
old's asses to tell them how about how great they are.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
I don't remember what the D is for. Oh she does, Dallas.

Speaker 8 (00:57):
I bet you're going to where else?

Speaker 1 (00:58):
I know you thought, but you know what, give me
a little credit once in a while.

Speaker 9 (01:01):
Yeah, I'm glad you cleaned cleared that up for us all.

Speaker 4 (01:07):
Oh yeah, it was a Friday edsue of About Tamas
Show and Ross Connor McGovern producing our Friday open.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
It is unbelievable, per usual, and I'm really happy to
have my buddy.

Speaker 4 (01:20):
With me, the television radio analyst for your Houston Rockets
on Space City.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
Also a man that worked with me the last two games.

Speaker 4 (01:28):
On the University of Houston games on ESPN plus the one,
the only, the Ryan Hollins with us today right now.

Speaker 7 (01:35):
What's up, dude? What's up?

Speaker 1 (01:37):
I'm good? How are you?

Speaker 10 (01:39):
I'm great, Matt. I mean, I was panicking in a
in a real tizzy. I know about less than three
minutes ago. I didn't realize I had no Wi Fi.
I'm connecting. Now we're good.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
You sound great.

Speaker 4 (01:51):
You're in the Siana studios of of Sports Talk seven ninety.
We should explain that Ryan and use my equipment one
time to do his show when he was on the
road because he does some work on Fox Sports Rady
on the weekends in the off season.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
Of course, we carried here we are.

Speaker 4 (02:09):
You're you're number one on Sunday mornings and during the
off season in Houston, Texas.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
Probably congratulation.

Speaker 7 (02:13):
Sweet, that's pretty sweet, Matt.

Speaker 4 (02:15):
And so you said I'm gonna buy one and buy
a unit, and you able to do that, so you
do this radio freelancing once in a while.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
I thought, you know what, hang out with me.

Speaker 4 (02:22):
For a couple hours Rosses in New Orleans and enjoying
his fortieth birthday weekend, and you and me are going
to hang out and talk about a variety of things,
including a deep dive into tonight's.

Speaker 1 (02:32):
Indiana und Dame football game.

Speaker 7 (02:33):
Is that right?

Speaker 8 (02:34):
No? Probably not.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
I mean we could, we could get into.

Speaker 7 (02:36):
It, but just a little bit, just a little bit
touch on it.

Speaker 8 (02:40):
Have you seen it?

Speaker 7 (02:41):
Though?

Speaker 1 (02:41):
It is snowing like a mudda in South Bend right now.

Speaker 7 (02:46):
Hey man, that's why it's nice to be in Houston.

Speaker 10 (02:47):
And you know it, Matt, like, we'll we'll travel somewhere
on the East Coast.

Speaker 7 (02:51):
We got our jackets on our and everything, and you know,
you're freezing.

Speaker 10 (02:55):
You come up that plane in Houston, You're like, Wow,
this is beautiful. This is unbelievable. And I think it's
just one of those unique experiences. Right You come home
and you're like, this is nice.

Speaker 7 (03:06):
Wow.

Speaker 4 (03:07):
I will never and I'm I'm and people get mad
about me when I say this. I lived in Minneapolis
for three years where I covered the Wolves, and you
remember them, you used to play for them, And I'm.

Speaker 7 (03:18):
Doing this in the show.

Speaker 1 (03:20):
Go ahead and explain why I said that.

Speaker 7 (03:23):
And he said it just like that.

Speaker 10 (03:24):
He goes, you remember playing in Minneapolis, because let me
throw it back to you, Matt.

Speaker 7 (03:29):
Do you remember me.

Speaker 10 (03:30):
Playing in Minneapolis at the exact same time that you
were there covering sports?

Speaker 7 (03:34):
No?

Speaker 4 (03:34):
I don't, and I'm sorry for that. I'm really apologized.

Speaker 7 (03:38):
So hey.

Speaker 4 (03:38):
So he's like, so, folks, He's like, Ryan says to me.
He says, when were you in Minneapolis? I was in
Minneapolis between two thousand and seven and two thousand nine.
He goes, I was there too, it, Oh you were.
I was like, oh, man, I covered you all the time.

Speaker 1 (03:50):
You were great.

Speaker 7 (03:52):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
Did I sell it well enough or no?

Speaker 7 (03:54):
Not that great?

Speaker 8 (03:55):
Great?

Speaker 7 (03:55):
Great though.

Speaker 4 (03:55):
Oh So the point being is this, when I moved
back to Houston in twenty ten, I told my wife
and my family. I told my friends on this radio
station that I was never gonna bitch about how hot
it would be, whether it's one hundred and seven degrees
in the summertime, whether it's ninety one in October, whether
it's like it's been the last few weeks here. You'll
never ever hear me complain because the weather in Minneapolis,

(04:16):
and by the way, they're getting in like eight inches
of snow today, closing down freeways, closing down streets, closing
in the airports. You never have to shovel rain, you
never have to put on layers of clothes. You have
to take clothes off when it's super warm. But like,
we're going to Toronto tomorrow, and you know what the
forecast is in Toronto. It was the forecast. It's like
eighteen degrees is going to be up there. Oh hello,

(04:37):
that's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying.

Speaker 8 (04:40):
All right.

Speaker 4 (04:41):
So Ryan is a basketball guru, as you clearly can
hear on when you listen to broadcasts. How'd your broadcast
go last night in the Old Space City? Wit, We
had some time to kill because the game was frankly
a blowout from almost a jump right.

Speaker 7 (04:52):
Yeah, okay, So did you did you hear what Craig did? Craig?
I'm sorry, everybody, here's what I'm gonna out you.

Speaker 4 (05:00):
Craig out in Craig because I didn't, you know, look
as much as I love all of you, and you
guys are family to me.

Speaker 1 (05:06):
I don't go home and listen and rewatch the game.

Speaker 10 (05:08):
I just called. So that's just so whatever it is,
I'm gonna pretend like you didn't say that.

Speaker 8 (05:13):
Matt.

Speaker 1 (05:13):
I'm sorry.

Speaker 10 (05:14):
I'm gonna so we're the broadcast, right, and Craig goes, man,
I got this great bull writing story, man, bull writing story.
This on the broadcraft, Matt. This is not like us,
you know, eating before the game or on the plane
or talking. And he goes, I get this great bull
writing story. Like, man, cool, Craig, let's go. We want

(05:35):
to hear your bull writing story. And he goes through
this whole story. He's in college and everybody on the
broadcast heard it, so I don't mind sharing last night.
And then he goes out of nowhere and he says, yeah,
my buddy told me to get on the bull, and
I didn't get on the bull.

Speaker 7 (05:51):
And we go, hold on, hold on, Craig, you tell
this entire story.

Speaker 10 (05:55):
About you writing a bull and this bull writing thing
being at your college and your glory days, and you
didn't ride the bull. Are you are you kidding me, Craig?

Speaker 7 (06:04):
So yeah, Craig, Craig's been in the doghouse.

Speaker 10 (06:06):
And then on Twitter people were recommending bull riding places
for Craig to go, and he asked me if I.

Speaker 7 (06:12):
Don' I sai, Yeah, I'd ride a bull, like why not?

Speaker 10 (06:15):
And so now Craig's got to kind of make up
for lost time and ride a bull.

Speaker 1 (06:20):
No way, man, you're talking about a mechanical bull or
a real bull.

Speaker 10 (06:23):
And that's part of the worst part of his story
also because he also said that he goes bull writing
story and we're thinking, wow, okay, you know.

Speaker 7 (06:33):
Most interesting man on the planet.

Speaker 10 (06:35):
We didn't know that you wrote a real bull, Craig,
and then he goes mechanical bull, so it gets worse.

Speaker 7 (06:40):
Then on top of that, yes, he didn't even ride
the mechanical bull.

Speaker 4 (06:43):
Now, I would never ride a real bull, but I
would ride in a mechanical bull for the bit.

Speaker 1 (06:46):
Sure I would. Yeah, you would.

Speaker 7 (06:48):
You would?

Speaker 10 (06:49):
So, hey, hold on, hold on, So you're telling and
Vanessa's in on it too, and Vanessa apparently in her
college days, Vanessa, this was on the broadcast, so I'll
say it again. Yeah, she wrote a bull, And I said, hey,
did you do it on a margarita? Monday, right, so
we had a bit of fun.

Speaker 1 (07:07):
Okay, So.

Speaker 4 (07:09):
Vanessa's been on a bowl, Craig has not been on
a bull, and you've not been on a bull? Is
this accurate? So I would pencil. You know what college
girls do, crazy stuff. So yeah, I'd go ahead and
I would make her the favorite. If I was to
think I had to guess which one of you would
rude in a mechanical bull.

Speaker 7 (07:25):
That's fair. Okay, So hold on.

Speaker 1 (07:27):
Have you ever seen the movie ervin Cowboy?

Speaker 4 (07:29):
By the way, I have not. You have got to
see it. It's about an old bar here in Pasadena
called Gillies. It was a legendary bar where Sissy's spasic,
not Cisy's basic. John Travolta and Deborah Winger were this
couple and it revolved around Gillies and a mechanical bull.

Speaker 1 (07:46):
It's it's one of the.

Speaker 4 (07:47):
All time classic country Western movies that featured that made
John Travolta beyond Saturday Night fevers a superstar. I'm gonna
have you watch it. It's about the mechanical bowl for
two hours. It's hysterical.

Speaker 10 (07:59):
No, no, Now, can I get the clarity again? Yes,
if we find a mechanical bull. Yes, yes, can we
pencil Matt Thomas? Yes, now, Matt.

Speaker 1 (08:09):
Thomas, there's no chance of making in eight seconds.

Speaker 10 (08:10):
By the way, my recommendation is that you work on
your upper body strength.

Speaker 7 (08:15):
I don't want you.

Speaker 10 (08:17):
I don't think anybody what's to see you flipped off
this mechanical bully.

Speaker 1 (08:22):
No, there's no chance I stay on it.

Speaker 7 (08:24):
Okay, you're a good sport. You're a good sport.

Speaker 4 (08:26):
I will do it, all right. Listen to me, ladies, gentlemen.
This by the way, and you don't know this Ryan,
because I know you listened the show all the time.
But today is Friday, which isn't anything goes Friday, and
anything goes means. That means anybody can call in a
seven one three two one two five seven, honey and
get into anything you want to. It can be about sports,
it can be about about life. It can be about basketball.
It can be about the Texans game against Kansas City.

(08:47):
It can be about the free kick that we saw
in last night's game between Denver and the LA Chargers.
It can be about I don't know favorite places to
eat stir fry in this town. I mean there's ahbachi,
I mean, all sorts of things and anything goes Friday.
So I just want to let you know that when
people call in, it may not be a breakdown of
why aren't more teams running zone in the in the NBA.

(09:07):
I'm just throwing that out at you. So just be
ready for anything. I mean, you like it, I love it,
all right, that's good. But when you say anything goes,
I'm a little scared of here. Oh you have to be,
because again you're not gonna prepare for some things. Texans
and the Chiefs coming up on Saturday. It's really weird
Noon Saturday. It's now nothing. College NFL football doesn't get
played on Saturdays when the college football regular season is

(09:29):
over with, but we do have playoff games, and I
think I like playoff games in college football. I think
I like the twelve team. But I'll be honest with you.
I don't expect Indiana to play. I mean, they had
one opportunity this year to be competitive against Ohio State.

Speaker 1 (09:48):
Think I beat up.

Speaker 4 (09:50):
I don't think SMU is going to have a real
fun time playing in the cole weather in State College
against Notre Dame, excuse me, against Penn State. I think
the Texas Longhorn should dispose of a team. But we'll
get into all that. We got the Texans to get to.
We've got the rockets from last night. It is literally
and anything goes Friday here on the Matt Thomas Show
of Ross Ross's Offer. Our buddy Ryan Hollins is in

(10:10):
until noon. Coming up at noon today, we'll have the
Stripper introduction, We'll have the news at noon. We'll also
have a doctor Doctor rote with this at one o'clock today,
and we're gonna go to sore and Petro as sports
radio host in Kansas City. He's going to join us
at twelve thirty for a perspective on the Chiefs. Plus
we have hell Y are Not at one fifty seven
one three two one two five seven ninety seven one
three two one two five seven ninety with the word

(10:32):
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Speaker 2 (11:25):
Sethe's More Matt Thomas Show with Ross Now on Sports
Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 4 (11:36):
Goes up against Shangun comes up short ball tapped up.
Here comes Dylan Brooks lit a three on two right
side of Jabbari Alley out.

Speaker 3 (11:43):
Had a two head finish for Taima Greed.

Speaker 1 (11:46):
Time out New Orleans.

Speaker 4 (11:47):
It is all rockets here the third ten twenty one.
It is the Matt Thomas Show and Ross our buddy
Ryan Holland's gonna hang out with us until noon today.
We're gonna get a lot of football towards the back
half of the show, a little basket ball, especially with
Rhino with us here today. We also want to get
into the Texans and a couple of reports on baseball
wise about Alex Brugman probably not making his decision about

(12:09):
where he wants to play until after the Christmas holidays.

Speaker 1 (12:13):
These are things we will discuss throughout the course of
the next.

Speaker 4 (12:15):
Four hours on anything that goes Friday here on Sports
Talk seven nine. If you want to jump in the conversation,
you may do so at seven one three two, one
two five seven ninety seven one three two one two
five seven ninety Ryan Quick impressions about what you thought
last night?

Speaker 1 (12:31):
New Orleans beat up.

Speaker 4 (12:32):
Rockets took advantage of it, and Jalen Green was spectacular.
All five starters in fact, scored in double figures.

Speaker 10 (12:39):
My biggest concern with the team is the offense. Matt
and you got to be a static anytime the Rocket
hitch shots. Now we've seen this uh through this Rockets,
you know their time.

Speaker 7 (12:50):
They have those games where they they can't miss, and
the challenge for.

Speaker 10 (12:54):
Houston moving forward is consistency with the outside shot.

Speaker 7 (12:58):
You know, the rim is there, you know Shinku can
post up.

Speaker 10 (13:01):
Obviously, guys don't mind getting in the paint and getting nasty.

Speaker 7 (13:04):
The offense.

Speaker 10 (13:04):
Rebounds are excellent, but at the end of the day,
if the three ball is going. Now you're talking about
Houston competing with the league's best, and generating those shots
is even more important than hitting them because percentage is
way out. If you keep getting good looks, they're gonna
go down. The Rockets have struggled in times to get
good looks. Stay with those good looks. Yeah, attract the

(13:25):
defense and it's a group that's gonna have a shot.

Speaker 7 (13:27):
Matt.

Speaker 4 (13:29):
They are still the number three spot in the Western
Conference and did not gain ground on Memphis last night
because Memphis be Golden said by fifty one points. Did
I lose track of that that I had and subtracted properly?

Speaker 7 (13:40):
Yeah? Yeah, No, No, you're you're right on poite with
that and.

Speaker 4 (13:44):
Fifty one Ryan, I mean, did Golden state't even bother
showing up.

Speaker 1 (13:49):
In the rein of the answers?

Speaker 10 (13:50):
No, okay, Matt, tell me if am I alone when
I when I think of this, that game against Golden
State was it was epicers.

Speaker 1 (14:00):
Using game in five years in Houston.

Speaker 7 (14:02):
By far, by far, no question, right. Yeah, do you get.

Speaker 10 (14:05):
Frustrated with the sense that Golden State goes out and
lays these eggs? But they just played championship level basketball
against our guys like they're just locked in and ready
to go. And I get the feel I'm like this
this is personal, Like where did this personal streak? Because
they go and lay at fifty one points, Like, come on, dude,
it's disrespectful. So I'm happy the Rockets won, but I'm
just like, be the Golden State that you are against

(14:28):
the Rockets against everybody else.

Speaker 7 (14:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (14:30):
You know, it's funny to me because people always want
to ask me, who do you hate losing two?

Speaker 1 (14:34):
In life? Like people, there's a Dallas Houston hatred.

Speaker 4 (14:38):
There is a you know, if you're a baseball fan
of the Asters, you're supposed to hate the Yankee You're
supposed to hate the Rangers.

Speaker 1 (14:43):
And I'm not fans of those teams.

Speaker 4 (14:44):
But it doesn't pay me because all losses, to me,
I think are supposed to be created equal. In my life,
except when I'm calling Golden State games, because up until
that point where the Rockets won them in that lockout game,
they have lost fifteen consecutive games. And the thing that
hurts me so much about watching the Rockets lose the
Golden State is they do it basically the same way

(15:05):
every single time. It's this Steph Curry. Either he scores
seventeen in the fourth quarter, or he hit some incredible
bank shot from twenty nine feet, or he goes to
drive the lane and he closes his eyes, flips the
ball up high in the air, hits the roof of
the building, and it drops down. They've always figured out
these sick, cruel ways to beat the Rockets, and that's

(15:26):
why I think I took actually too much pleasure in
beating them, because A the streak was.

Speaker 1 (15:30):
Over it, but B I really don't like the Warriors.

Speaker 4 (15:34):
I just not because I don't appreciate what Staph does
and what Draymond has done. And when Clay was there,
I just was sick and tired of losing to them.
I wanted some sort of satisfaction against colinor Rocket's Warrior game.

Speaker 1 (15:46):
And it took me basically four years for that to happen.

Speaker 10 (15:48):
No, and honestly you said it right Steph's credit. But
it's that they get the big brother victories. And the
big brother victories are you know, or the dad victories.

Speaker 7 (16:02):
I don't want to say dad victory. I didn't want
to go there, but you did.

Speaker 10 (16:05):
But you know what I'm talking about, Matt, where you
go into the backyard, right, you're playing against your little
brother and he's getting of age and he and he's bigger,
bigger than you, stronger than.

Speaker 7 (16:15):
You, faster than you.

Speaker 10 (16:16):
But guess what, as the big brother, you know, you
got that mental edge and you know, when it's game point,
you're just gonna back them all the way underneath the
rim and put the ball in the hole, you know,
even though you know little brother is probably physically better
than you, and then a few more times of winning
and you never playing again for the rest of his life.
But but that's kind of with all due respect, now,
was sim a similar edge that at the end of

(16:38):
the day you felt like Golden State had So it did.

Speaker 7 (16:41):
Maybe maybe it.

Speaker 10 (16:42):
Was a close game, maybe you can say why would
they make that call at the end of the game,
But from a mental standpoint, oh yeah, they're not that good.
Our guys can beat them, and hey, how about they
chill out with all the uh you know, they're extra
shenanigans in the game, and I and I think it
just build momentum. But it's a I'm telling you man,

(17:03):
in sports, there's a real mental thing going on with
some of these teams. And I do believe that that
was there in that matchup.

Speaker 4 (17:09):
And I think we're seeing it a little bit in
the NFL right now. I mean, look at the way
Kansas City Ryan has won all the games. It's like,
we've done everything we can for fifty eight and a
half minutes of football and they do something incredible in
the final ninety seconds and escape with these victories. I
don't know if it should be if it's if you're flabbergascid,
or you show a sign of appreciation that Casey has

(17:30):
won all these one score games over the last two months.

Speaker 10 (17:33):
Over half their games, if not more right, have been
just a big brother wins. And I think that, you know,
this weekend coming up, in this matchup, if you are
the Texans, the first thing you got no big brother wins.
No big brother You're not just We're not going to
fold at the last second. There's not going to be

(17:53):
the phantom fumble like no big brother.

Speaker 4 (17:56):
Blackfield goal hits at the crossbar wins the game or
the upright. I mean, yeah, I think I think you
want to you you don't want it to be and
if the Texans win this game, you do not want
it to be a three or four point game with
five minutes left to go, because for some reason, somehow,
some way Ken said, has been able to win those games.
We'll get tomorrow on that way. Strange thing happened in
the NFL last night. Jack in Montrose wants to ask

(18:19):
about Jalen Green's defense. That's all coming up between now
and two o'clock. Ryan's with us until twelve noon. We'll
get into doctor Rode with this fantasy football at one o'clock.
We'll talk with a member of the Case media team
at to twelve thirty. But right now it's you me,
it's Ryan at seven one three, two, one two five
seven ninety seven to one three two one two five
seven ninety I want to tell you, if you're concerned

(18:41):
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(19:03):
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(19:49):
thirty two on Sports Talk seven ninety It is the
Matt Thomas Show with Ross. Ross is off for a
couple of days to be back with me on Tuesday.
We'll be with you Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday of
next week with time shows ten o'clock until two. Ryan
Hollins from our friends at Space City and the Rockets
TV Network with us here on the program, and we've
got a phone call.

Speaker 1 (20:08):
Wants to talk about a little Rockets if you want
to get into anything.

Speaker 4 (20:10):
And Ryan's well versed in just about every sport because
he is a sports fan through it through, and of
course you hear him on the weekends here on Fox
Sports Radio during the off season. Seven one three two
one two five seven ninety seven to one three two,
one two five seven Ninti Jackson Montrose jack thanks for waiting.

Speaker 1 (20:25):
Good morning. You're on seven.

Speaker 8 (20:26):
Ninety Good morning guys.

Speaker 11 (20:28):
I was just giving you a quick call to really
find out it seems like Jalen Green has been way
more engaged in the defensive end of the book the
court as of lately. I know he had all the
points last night, but I just wanted to hear from
Ryan on maybe why that is.

Speaker 7 (20:44):
May you spot on Jalen wants to win.

Speaker 10 (20:47):
You know, he's kind of shown that he can score
forty points in the NBA. Uh, you know, he can
play with the league's best. But this is a group
that hadn't won, and for Jalen, he's trying to find
his way. And I think the most important thing to
me that I've seen from him mentality wise is not

(21:08):
just that he's trying hard and his best defensively and
he's being much more physical than we've seen him be
in the past. But when somebody else is rolling or
somebody's having a good game, go watch Jalen Green.

Speaker 8 (21:20):
Man.

Speaker 7 (21:21):
He's celebrating his guys, he's cheering.

Speaker 10 (21:23):
I feel like he's truly giving himself to this team
and the team's gonna need his scoring. But yes, defensively,
he's saying, man, I don't want to be that guy
that doesn't fit in. And for a while, you know,
you'd see like a guy like jay shon Tate Madden
correct me if I'm wrong. Jay Shontate would be diving
on the floor, hustling, doing all these things, and it's like, well,
Jay Shawn just playing super hard.

Speaker 7 (21:43):
He's the only guy out there doing that.

Speaker 10 (21:45):
And now you got a whole group of Rockets that
are playing hard.

Speaker 7 (21:48):
So if you're that odd man out, you don't want
to be that.

Speaker 10 (21:51):
So Jayden Green don't want to see Tarry Easton and
the men and Dylan and all these guys and Fred
working hard defensively and then him not doing the same.
So that's why you're, you know, a part, large part
of the reason. And he may do udulka obviously why
you're seeing Jayleen Green work his tail off defensively. Now,
man that the effort has really been there. So hets
off to you for applauding that and seeing those efforts.

Speaker 7 (22:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 11 (22:14):
No, when he was in the game against I think
it was Golden State and it was Chari and Amen
and Jabbari and Dylan and they left Jalen in the
game and the Rockets went on a little bit of
a run like everyone was seeing it. So it's just
interesting to see that has given him a little bit

(22:35):
of leeway on the defensive side.

Speaker 10 (22:38):
Well, here's the thing is, e may can forgive a misshot,
he can forgive maybe even a turnover. He ain't gonna
forgive is defensive assignment miss you know, And that's why
you have to appreciate I may and you know these
guys are you know, like welcoming the call. So's off

(23:00):
to emy, but it is that is the large part
of the Rocket success. And right now, does this team
need to score more? Yeah, yeah, no one is going
to deny that. But defensively, those are the things that
are changed in Houston right now, that's change.

Speaker 4 (23:14):
Yeah, let me ask you this because you know I've
been calling NBA games that will be my this is
my ninth year. And forgetting about the Houston coaches, just
as coaches in general, it's a players league, Ryan, and
you were part of that player's league. When a player
checked out on a coach, the coach was looking for
work somewhere else. And emys in it only his third
year as an NBA coach, He's not that far removed

(23:36):
from being a player. Second year in Houston, I have
never seen a coach and I shouldn't say never, very
few coaches can call out a player and that player go,
you know what, you're right, my bad?

Speaker 1 (23:50):
How is E may allowed? Not allowed?

Speaker 4 (23:52):
But how does E may effectively get away with being
very hard on players When a lot of coaches are
in the league.

Speaker 1 (23:58):
If they were to do that, the players would check out.

Speaker 10 (24:01):
Well, for one, you hit it beyond Rafel Tillman and
family have putting their stamp on email and said, he's
our guy.

Speaker 7 (24:11):
We trust in you.

Speaker 10 (24:12):
You know you have, you know, a full piece of
whatever you need to do to get this done.

Speaker 7 (24:19):
And hey, man, he's had the green light to bench
out peak. We'll speak on it to bench Jalen. Okay.
And when you do.

Speaker 10 (24:28):
That, of course, the agent's probably frustrated. And I'm not
speaking from any personal experience. I'm speaking from my experiences.
Agents probably frustrated. Players frustrated because you're kind of fighting
against man. I've been able to kind of do my thing.
This has been a different a style of plan. I'm
speaking from my experience, not from anything I know in
the locker room anything I'm throwing out.

Speaker 7 (24:46):
But now when you go and then you you.

Speaker 10 (24:48):
Kind of by Intaidy s well, Man, if I don't
play defense, I'm not gonna play. If I don't do this,
I'm not gonna play. If I don't rebound, I'm not
gonna play. You're gonna see guys by end and they
have so Matt, You're you're hitting it right on the head.
But there is that you know that we've seen it
that there's that ugly, that ugly baby stage with the
patches in the hair and the blushes all over and

(25:09):
the big teeth. You know what I'm saying. You go, oh,
that's an ugly baby. Then you see, oh, man, that's
a beautiful baby.

Speaker 7 (25:14):
Look at that.

Speaker 10 (25:15):
And we're getting out of that ugly baby stage. With
all due respect, don't take my.

Speaker 7 (25:19):
Words out of context, but that's that's really what we're seeing.

Speaker 1 (25:23):
All right, Well, that's that seems fair.

Speaker 4 (25:25):
But I again, there are timeouts that he'll call that
he will go run in the middle of the court
and make sure he finds the identifies whether it's a men,
whether it's Alpi, whether it's jailing. I mean, they're nobody
is can can avoid the staredown of Imadka after a
defensive lapse.

Speaker 10 (25:41):
Oh yeah, no, no. And here's the thing about Emy too.
When things are rolling right, like if we've seen our
guys get into scuffles, get into it like Emy's right
in the middle of it, like like we've seen Dylan
gets a tech, he may get a tech right behind him,
like you know, and and even two, this is.

Speaker 7 (25:58):
The thing you may not like him.

Speaker 10 (25:59):
You gotta respect to watch em man all all probably
six eight to try.

Speaker 7 (26:03):
To whatever of them.

Speaker 10 (26:04):
When one of our guys comes to the sideline or
something happens, he puts it watch and put his arm
around those guys. And as a as a player, you
gotta respect that when you make a mistake and you
do something well.

Speaker 8 (26:16):
He ain't.

Speaker 10 (26:17):
He's telling you like you didn't work on defense, or like, hey,
you're not making a shot, like he's a I need
you to do X, Y and Z. He's telling you
those things. So you have to respect what he's saying.
And then you're you're not in the dark. You don't
got to hear from the front office or or from
your agent somebody, yeah, oh he not playing because it
is no, you ain't playing because you ain't doing this,

(26:38):
this and this, And you're hearing that straight from e
May because so many times I'm not gonna call out
any coaches. Coaches say you gotta find out somewhere else
why you're not playing, what's going on or you know,
oh you know, there's just no with all due respect,
I'll just saying like there's no funny business, Matt. And
and that's why Houston's having the success success that they're happening.

Speaker 1 (26:56):
Yeah, I'm I'm such respectful.

Speaker 4 (26:57):
The way he runs his basketball team, it's it's refreshing
and the results are you know, winning sixty seven percent
of the game so far, it's been spectacular. All Right,
more on basketball throughout the next couple of hours, as
Ryan's with a stillnoon. But something happened last night and
we're going to play the audio right now for you
of something you don't see in the NFL these days.
It was the final It was the second to final
play of the first half. You had San Diego trying

(27:21):
to catch a punt to end the first half. The
man who was trying to catch a punt was interfered
with a fifteen yard interference call against a kick coverage
team that allowed this to happen.

Speaker 7 (27:34):
Terry, what are you seeing here?

Speaker 12 (27:36):
It is fair catch interference and it's a fifteen yard penalty.
We'll get him on time down and LA will have
two options. They can either snap the ball or they
can do a free kick for a field goal.

Speaker 8 (27:48):
It's a fifteen yard which we haven't seen him forever.
We are going to happen there. This is within his distance.

Speaker 13 (27:55):
I mean he's as long as fifty nine, especially.

Speaker 7 (27:57):
In a free kick situation.

Speaker 8 (28:00):
Jenny fang it through on a sway.

Speaker 14 (28:03):
It is.

Speaker 8 (28:06):
Made history then.

Speaker 4 (28:07):
Yes, imagine Ryan, if you and I went to, say
like Russia, and we were to try to teach a
group of young adults the game of football, how would
you explain what the hell that was in the first
half last night?

Speaker 7 (28:21):
You wouldn't.

Speaker 10 (28:23):
You'd say, just forget about what just happened, and forget
about what just happened. We'll focus on seven points as
a touchdown.

Speaker 7 (28:33):
A touchdown.

Speaker 4 (28:34):
I mean, it was cool, but it was really ridiculously
odd how that penalty comes into play as long as
there wasn't another play happening, and a penalty like that,
you get a free kick. Now, you can't use a
t you don't set it up like a regular field goal.
You you do have a holder that has his index
finger on the football.

Speaker 1 (28:51):
But what a bizarrow.

Speaker 4 (28:53):
Interesting fun and people seem to like it on social
media in the first half of that game, and I
want up helping the Chargers eventually when that's gonna happen,
win the football game.

Speaker 10 (29:01):
Yeah, no, it was a huge play. I think you
gotta think twice before you interfere.

Speaker 7 (29:08):
With the fair catch.

Speaker 10 (29:09):
I'm sure, I'm sure the defender did not know the
rule when he did it.

Speaker 7 (29:14):
But how good is Jim Harbaugh? Dude?

Speaker 10 (29:17):
Like I'm saying, like Jim Harball's unbelievable chargers making over
the hub man.

Speaker 1 (29:21):
But but isn't that saying?

Speaker 4 (29:22):
Isn't that? Isn't that his special teams got and he's
got to know that, And obviously you gotta you gotta
give him his kudos, his props for knowing that rule,
because look, I've been watching football since I was, you know,
five six years old. I've never seen that universe end
a half like that.

Speaker 10 (29:36):
I'd be surprised if anybody on Denver do that.

Speaker 7 (29:39):
That's probably one of those. And I'm not mad at
them for not.

Speaker 10 (29:42):
Doing anything right and like like like, I'd be surprised
if somebody on Denver knew what had happened at the moment.
And you'll know, now, Matt, I have my opinion. Do
you think that's good for the game? Like you said,
it just looked weird? Like was that was that good
for the NFL?

Speaker 4 (30:01):
I don't think I'm gonna let one play decide what
is good and what is not good for a league.

Speaker 1 (30:06):
It was just so No, No, was.

Speaker 7 (30:09):
That play good for the like the optics?

Speaker 10 (30:11):
If I'm a fan and I paid my money and
I'm a Denver Broncles fan, I'm just a fan of
a football, right, was that good for the NFL?

Speaker 4 (30:19):
I'm gonna say it wasn't bad, because again, if you
have an untimed down and a penalty cannot end a
half like that, why don't you give an opportunity for
them either to go for a hail Mary or try
to get points? And obviously Cameron Dicker was a University
of Texas guy, has got a big foot. He had
no he had no line to go over. I mean,

(30:41):
it's not how I would draw it up, but I
wouldn't say it necessarily hurt the sport last night. This
is weird, that's all.

Speaker 7 (30:48):
If you are a Broccls fan, you feel, oh.

Speaker 4 (30:51):
You're like, what are they doing out there? This can't
be true, This can't be happening.

Speaker 1 (30:54):
And it did.

Speaker 7 (30:55):
I listen. I think it is what it is.

Speaker 10 (30:59):
At this point, you should have paid attention to whatever
the rule beck is. And it's silly to interfere on
a fair catch in our reality. I don't think it's
good for the game. And then the Chargers winning the game,
and you look back, it was definitely a pivotal play.

Speaker 1 (31:14):
Do you want nothing? Do you want basically nothing? Fluke?

Speaker 4 (31:17):
You want no one time rule that is used once
every thirty years determining whether or not a team scores
points or not.

Speaker 7 (31:23):
As an athlete, you want zero? Fluke? You don't.

Speaker 10 (31:26):
You don't even want the the semblance of Fluke. Yeah, no,
not not not even close.

Speaker 7 (31:31):
Man.

Speaker 4 (31:31):
So it'd be better if you, if they, if they
would have, if Herbert or to come out try to
hail Mary to get some points, as compared to letting
Cameron Dicker try for the three.

Speaker 1 (31:39):
I don't know.

Speaker 4 (31:39):
I can kind of see it both ways. I'm just
telling you it doesn't happen. I mean, it's never happened
in a game I've ever seen in my life, So
to say this is a common occurrence would not be fair.

Speaker 7 (31:50):
How about this? How about this, Matt? How competitive was
that kick?

Speaker 1 (31:55):
There was no competition?

Speaker 7 (31:56):
There was no competition.

Speaker 10 (31:58):
Yeah, I don't want to see anything to do with
the NFL that does not compete.

Speaker 4 (32:02):
There you go, Damn, that's a compelling argument. Now, Now,
I'm thinking about swaying your inside of it.

Speaker 7 (32:09):
It like they couldn't even rush in. It just looked weird.

Speaker 1 (32:12):
It looks like like like.

Speaker 7 (32:14):
It looked like, you know, just practice like there's no.

Speaker 4 (32:17):
Way now now, but this way, if the kick was short,
Denver could have grabbed it on the fly and returned it.

Speaker 10 (32:23):
But it's not, dude, because there's nothing. There was no pressure.
It's and like it was zero pressure, like a a free.

Speaker 7 (32:32):
Throw with nobody on the line is probably more pressure
than that.

Speaker 1 (32:35):
Yeah, I know that's true. That's true.

Speaker 4 (32:37):
Is there anything in the NBA that's fluky like that?
I can't think of anything that would be super fluky. Now,
if you foul somebody before the ball goes into play,
it's one shot, but that doesn't seem fluky. That actually
happens probably once or twice a month between I.

Speaker 10 (32:49):
Would say the closest thing the NBA had in comparison
in Matt. I'll let you chime in, or I'll just
ask you a fun fact. You tell me, what did
the NBA do the hack a shack?

Speaker 4 (33:01):
Now that that but we're not seeing that anymore. Why
don't we seen that anymore? Because the guys are throws.

Speaker 10 (33:06):
Well, maybe you forgot, So that's I believe that the
NBA made an adjustment that said you can only do
it like at the end of halves or like it's
like the window in which where you can do it
is much much smaller, and you would see teams implore
that in random situations.

Speaker 7 (33:24):
It's actually been a while since you've seen the hacker.

Speaker 10 (33:25):
Shack, but the NBA did tweak the rules behind it
and it and it really changed the game. You know,
you don't see it, but it just wasn't good. They
tried to hackershack me one time. I never forgot it
and how to go. It did pretty good. I was
excited on the free throw line and got and got
rhythm and made my free throws. I can't remember. It
was the I'm gonna date myself to Pack ten tournament

(33:47):
at the time.

Speaker 1 (33:48):
You are dating yourself.

Speaker 7 (33:49):
That was you.

Speaker 4 (33:50):
You you didn't date You didn't date yourself Packed twelve.
You dated yourself Packed ten. Yeah, that's truly like og
West Coast. They try to go hack a shack. Albeit,
I was just it's like, are you kidding me right now?
Do you going the heck shackling me? And I made
my free throw, all right, I gotta up the stats
on that, all right, Ryan Hollands with us till twelve
noon seven one three, two one two five seven ninety.
If you want to jump in it is anything goes

(34:11):
Friday here on the radio program seven one three two
one two five seven nine A zero one.

Speaker 2 (34:17):
More Matt Thomas Show with Ross now Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 4 (34:25):
All right, buddy, Ryan Hollands from Spacity Network rockets analysts
with us here till noon today. We'll go to the
news at noon, wake the surpers up at twelve noon
here on seven ninety as well. Uh, Ryan, we got
the Texans and the Chiefs coming up on Saturday. Tomorrow.
Noon will be the start time. And I don't know
how much you've paid attention during the course of the year,

(34:46):
but these games, this one tomorrow and then the Wednesday
Christmas game against Baltimore has been circled on Texans fans
counters for quite some time now. Yesterday it was announced
official that Pat Mahomes is going to start and play.
It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be a good Kansasity
team that's got one loss to its resume so far.

Speaker 1 (35:08):
They did beat up on Cleveland last week.

Speaker 4 (35:09):
But frankly, everybody's beating up on Cleveland for you, as
just a fan from a distance, Texans go to Kansas City,
win this game, even though that Pat Mahomes is less
than a hundred percent with the bomb ankle. What does
that say for you if you're a observer of the
Houston Texans at the national stage tomorrow.

Speaker 10 (35:28):
It's confidence, man, it's confidence. And I think there's no
greater time. And here's the thing. As a player, and
I've been in locker room before, obviously, you can't look
at this and say Pat Mahomes is banged up. We
got an advantage. We can't say, ah, he's not his
best self. You know, you know we can do this,

(35:50):
this and this. Now you're gonna attack him. You're gonna
see what that ankle looks like. But you got to
assume ankle's probably been banked up for the last three years, Matt.
So if you're the Texan, you go out and focus
on what you can do to be your best version
of yourself. But if you get to looking over at
Pat Mahons, say oh they're banged up, they're not playing

(36:11):
their best. You know this, this and this you can
put yourself in a real bad way and the focus
is go in the game, make a move, find a.

Speaker 7 (36:22):
Way to protect CJ.

Speaker 10 (36:23):
Stroud, get Joe Mixon going, and this can be one
of the sweetest wins of the year.

Speaker 4 (36:28):
Yeah, and I do think that for a season where
the Texans have not had very few really.

Speaker 1 (36:33):
Dominating wow moments.

Speaker 4 (36:35):
I mean, the Buffalo win at home early in the
season was a very impressive win, and you can't take
that away from them. But the Bills are significantly better
today than they were when the Texans and Bills played
earlier this year. Winning the number of road games they
have won this year has been impressive, but there are
still some sour losses. The Tennessee home loss stings to people,
the way that you went to Minnesota and got beat
up pretty badly, the last second loss at green Bay

(36:57):
and whatnot. I mean, losses are gonna be a part
of the thing. But for a community of Texans fans
that say, all right, nine in five is cool, but
you're probably in the weakest, if not the second weakest division.

Speaker 1 (37:08):
Well, but I think you are in the weakest division
in the NFL.

Speaker 4 (37:10):
Go do something out of character, Go do something that
your fan base is going to say, you know what,
when January comes around, we're gonna win more than just
the obligatory one playoff game per year. And not that
you can't win and go to the divisional playoffs and
go to the championship game if you lose these next two.

Speaker 1 (37:28):
But there there is some hesitation for people.

Speaker 4 (37:31):
To get all in on a football team that, frankly,
from an offensive standpoint, has regressed.

Speaker 1 (37:36):
Well, the defense I think has been significantly better than.

Speaker 7 (37:38):
It was a year ago.

Speaker 10 (37:40):
No, no, you're right, And here's the thing for the
Texans in NFL football. One of the biggest things. You know,
stay healthy. Nice having Nico Collins back, welcome back. But
if you get hot at the right time, all can
be forgiven. And you're right, Matt. You know CJ hadn't
had the same year that he's had. He hasn't looked
as confident that he's been in the past. But if

(38:01):
he gets rolling at the right moment, they find a
way to protect him. Att, you have a real chance
at winning a Super Bowl, and especially if you can
be one of those teams that nobody's looking at. But
for the Texans, I think echoing your sentiments. Man, this
is a team that has to be the best version
of themselves and you don't feel like they've been there.

(38:23):
Make no mistake, every week is a tough game. You know,
there's no gimmes in the NFL, but you have enough
on that roster that if you tweak some things, you
have a chance to be competitive. I'm interested to see
how Demiko is gonna go after Patrick Mahomes because he
is just so unique at just making things happen. You know,
Andy Reid doesn't mind simplifying things, they don't mind relying

(38:44):
on the run, and they don't mind winning these low
scoring games. So I think you got to have the
utmost respect for this group, but you gotta go after man.
I think it's just a prime situation to make a
statement to the NFL right now.

Speaker 4 (38:55):
And you know what, and this is the you were
talking about expectation levels. The only expectation levels that the
Houston Texans have are with themselves in their locker room
and their fan base. Because let's face it, if you
look at the NFL landscape, Ryan, you got Lamar Jackson,
who needs to get to a Super Bowl?

Speaker 1 (39:11):
Right, would that be fair to.

Speaker 7 (39:12):
Say, yeah, Oh, absolutely, you.

Speaker 4 (39:14):
Have Buffalo and Josh Allen that needs to get to
a super Bowl because they have been on the front
page of news headlines and games and all the market.

Speaker 1 (39:22):
They've got to go there.

Speaker 4 (39:24):
I think those two teams, frankly have ten times the
pressure that a Texans team does, and for.

Speaker 1 (39:30):
That matter, kansasity does.

Speaker 4 (39:31):
I know there's a lot of people that wanted them
to threepeat, but they've already got plenty of Super Bowls.
If they were to lose, it wouldn't be the other
world to them because they've already celebrated to Lombardi Trophies
in the last couple of years. I think, to me,
the pressure when it comes to postseason is squarely on
the Colts, and the Colts on the Ravens and the
Bills because they're the ones that had the high profile stars.

Speaker 1 (39:53):
CJ's still in the second year, Dimiko just in his
second year.

Speaker 4 (39:56):
Not that they can't win these games, but man if
Lamar fails again in the postseason, that's part of his resume,
he's gonna have a tough time shaking.

Speaker 10 (40:06):
Nothing that you're saying is wrong, like nothing that you're
saying is wrong, you know. And we compared to basketball.
I've always said this, Lamar Jackson is the closest thing.
He's the Giannis out to the Kupo. Gianni's went out
and got his championship. But prior to his championship, you know,
it got to the point nobody cares about another Lamar MVP, Like, like,

(40:27):
we know how dynamic he is.

Speaker 7 (40:29):
You know, in the regular season, you want to see that.

Speaker 10 (40:31):
In the postseason, you want to see him get over
that hump and then you can really really rave and
get excited about Lamar and what they've done. And obviously
they tooled up with Dereck Henry and them, So no,
the Texans don't have that same pressure Matt. But there's
pressure because the Texans went out and got aggressive in
free agency. They've built around c J. Stroud. They've said, hey, man, like,

(40:52):
we don't want to just be a bottom tier team.
We believe. And this is the way you win in
the NFL. You get a quarterback on your rookie contract
and then you spend money around him, and then when
you got to pay him and you hope he lives
at those expectations, you can't expect the same success. That's
the way the NFL Sunary cap has made so if
you are the Texans, with all due respect, that pressure

(41:13):
still is there. Now, Matt, You're right, it's not the
same pressure. And when you pay Lamar Jackson, you know
you're not gonna have the same You're not gonna have
the same success. You know you're gonna lose a little
bit and there's gonna be a little bit more on
his shoulders.

Speaker 7 (41:26):
And granted, you know what, that's.

Speaker 10 (41:28):
Still a really good ball club over there, you know,
in Baltimore. But you know, this is a golden moment
because if you are a Texans fan, you can say
that pressure should not be there.

Speaker 7 (41:41):
Go play stress free football. But hey, easier said than done.

Speaker 4 (41:44):
Well Again, the next two weeks can build a resume
towards there should be a legitimate team competing for an
AFC championship, especially if you get least split between Kansas
City and Baltimore. Eleven o'clock on Sports Talk seven and
Anne Ryan Hollins with this for another hour. If you
want to join the conversation, you may do so on
Rockets on the Astros. There is some word about Bregman
I want to get to. There is some words about

(42:05):
from Bervaldez, which are interesting as well. Seven one three
two one two five seven ninety seven one three two,
one two five seven ninety. Of course, the Rockets last
night with a nice win over New Orleans. Want to
tell you that with all the sporting events going on,
Bowl playoff games, the college football Playoff, the NFL doubleheader tomorrow,
full sled of games on Sunday, and don't forget about

(42:26):
college in pro football and basketball, how about making some
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Speaker 1 (43:41):
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Speaker 2 (43:49):
This is the Matt Thomas Show eleven.

Speaker 4 (43:52):
Five on Sports Talk seven. HOUNTI our buddy Ryan Hollins
from Rockets Broadcasting and Spacity Network is filling in for
this hour. We'll to the news at noon. We'll wake
the Strippers up at twelve noon. At twelve thirty, we'll
visit with Soren Petro from Kansas City Radio his thoughts
on the Chiefs. Doctor Rotal is gonna make his weekly
appearance with us at one o'clock Today we have non
Florida stories and today's edition of Hellyerre or Not is

(44:14):
the movie Christmas Vacation. How well do you know your
Christmas Vacation Trivia that's coming up today at one point
fifty seven one three two one two five seven ninety
seven one three two one two five seven. Rockets last
night beat the New Orleans Pelicans. You had the I
keep wanting to call them San Diego. The Los Angeles
Chargers beat the Denver Broncos last night. You are LA guy.

(44:40):
What's the percentage of Ram fans compared to Charger fans
in southern California?

Speaker 10 (44:46):
You got more Ram fans, you know, because they were
the La Rams before the Rams in more recent date when.

Speaker 7 (44:52):
It win a Super Bowl. So the Chargers thing is
kind of weird.

Speaker 10 (44:56):
Obviously, you went from having like no football for a
span to like two teams that are in a really
unbelievable stadium there in Los Angeles. So Yeah, there's more
more rams love and I think right now more people
go to the games with the opposing team still yep,
or just to get into SOFI honestly, did anything else, Matt, I.

Speaker 4 (45:17):
Think the same thing going on with the Las Vegas Raiders.
We drove by it last week. We were there for
the end season tournament. Those are two amazing facilities. I
mean for Southern California to go from zero to two teams.
But again, if you watch a Charger game, like last night,
I watched a little bit of the game. When I
got back to the house, it felt like there was
fifty percent Bronco fans and fifty percent Charger fans in
the building.

Speaker 10 (45:39):
Yeah, yeah, no, and that's what you're gonna see right now.
But I mean sofar is like it's it's nice, like
nice nice, And that's a lot of what you see
going on.

Speaker 8 (45:48):
Mat.

Speaker 4 (45:49):
Yeah, we had time at the endto a dome when
the Rockets played the Clippers.

Speaker 1 (45:53):
What do you think of that arena?

Speaker 10 (45:56):
It's gonna have to grow on me. I mean, from
our standpoint, we're all the way in known.

Speaker 15 (46:01):
Poor you, poor.

Speaker 4 (46:03):
You having to broadcast not from court side. I feel
terrible for you.

Speaker 10 (46:07):
We're not always court side, but no, you're unbelievable higher
than the than the cameras. It's the most highest in
the league. It's it's hopefully that's addressed. And that's way
way above my pay grade, to be honest, So we'll
leave we'll leave that there. But I think that the
best thing that they've done with the Clippers Arena is

(46:27):
like it's so open, so I believe they're gonna have
options to do different things there. They're gonna have a
chance to pivot left or pivot right, and they're gonna
make a whole lot of money on concerts. But it's
cool what they've done. It's just it's very hard to
broadcast from the nosebleeds. I'll be honest that, you know.
Like I said, above my.

Speaker 4 (46:46):
Pay let's get a position sign so you get down
on your rifle spot on the floor. I'll stay up
in my normal perch because I'm I'm used to calling games.

Speaker 7 (46:54):
Yeah, well, I'm sure Craig would love to be a
part of that.

Speaker 1 (46:56):
He likes writing those petitions, that's for sure, all right.

Speaker 4 (46:59):
Seven one three two one two five seven ninety seven
one three two one two five seventy Craig, if you listening,
shout out to you, my friend. We missed you and
look forward to uh singing you in the plane. Toronto
and Toronto, Toronto.

Speaker 8 (47:12):
Oh gosh.

Speaker 4 (47:13):
You know, Craig and I do a grand one thing,
and it's not anti American, it's just pro Canada. We
think Oh Canada is a better anthem than the Star
Spangled banner.

Speaker 10 (47:21):
I'm not joining again on this, dude, why not. I'm
not gonna be a part of you two with this.
This it's not Oh Canada is a wonderful song. I'm
not gonna start this, man, There's no way. There's no
way we get on. It's eleven o'clock, okay, Central, and
we're gonna we're gonna.

Speaker 4 (47:37):
Do this, Okay, just telling you if it's easier to sing,
it's more.

Speaker 1 (47:43):
It's it's a it's I'm just gonna it's it's it's
a more complete song. I'm just gonna say. I'll leave
it at that.

Speaker 7 (47:47):
Believable man.

Speaker 4 (47:49):
And I don't even like Canada. I mean, I like
going to visit Toronto, but I love Oh. I mean,
it's fine. The rat Exchange is good though. Roger northwest
Side on SEVENINTI right, Good morning.

Speaker 16 (48:02):
Good morning Matt, Good morning Ryan.

Speaker 17 (48:03):
Hey, So I kind of enjoy watching this growth of
this Rockets team.

Speaker 16 (48:09):
Kinder vaguely reminds me.

Speaker 17 (48:10):
Of the old Rockets when I had a bunch of
draft picks that didn't quite work out with the.

Speaker 16 (48:16):
Bug Johnsons and the Derrek TV season whatnot.

Speaker 17 (48:19):
But then then you're starting got some draft picks and
kind of hate like with Robert Orry, and you traded
for Kenny Smith and you traded for Overstorpo and then.

Speaker 16 (48:27):
You know, you kind of like just met up.

Speaker 17 (48:30):
I'm not saying Shango as the loads you want, but
he does have some nice grounding found down low and uh,
you know, I like.

Speaker 16 (48:36):
The defensive to anaclety.

Speaker 17 (48:38):
And if I've ever seen a team morph into what
its coaches, it's this team.

Speaker 16 (48:42):
Because yeah, it does have a strigle handle on this team.

Speaker 17 (48:44):
That's good the scene, especially nowadays, where the actors is
more fan than the coach, and I'm not sure why
that is, but that's just what we are today to
twenty twenty four to twenty five. So I just really
hope that this growth of this team can carry on
to the playoffs and then we'll see what happens. Get
a shooter if you know we can't develop one, And
I'd just like to see why on the calls.

Speaker 16 (49:05):
You know, you're not so bad yourself and have a
good day.

Speaker 1 (49:09):
Thank you Roger for a phone call.

Speaker 7 (49:11):
You're not so bad yourself.

Speaker 1 (49:12):
Man, I know I'm not so bad that it was backhanded,
but I'll I'll still accept it. Thank you very much.

Speaker 7 (49:18):
I mean, he is listening to the Matt Thomas Show.

Speaker 1 (49:20):
That's that's true.

Speaker 7 (49:21):
That's true.

Speaker 4 (49:21):
Hey, so when when people come to you and they
say Rockets need a shooter, what what is your initial
response when you when you get that from people?

Speaker 10 (49:34):
One, I don't hear that a lot. I think they're
they're they're just very kind and nice to talk to.
Getting a shooter doesn't just solve the woes of the
Rockets like having one guy. Because here's the thing about
a shooter, it's what type of shooter?

Speaker 7 (49:54):
Right? And I have to hear Duncan Robinson's name thrown around.

Speaker 10 (49:58):
If you can't manufacture a shot for the shooter, what
good is it to know you have a shooter. So
if there's a guy that's a shooter, no one's going
to leave him. But now you may give up the
offensive rebounds, you may give up the defense. So I
think for the Rockets, if they have someone who can
create shots, now you'd be cooking more than just I

(50:18):
don't think the answer.

Speaker 7 (50:19):
I don't think the answer is just go get a shooter.

Speaker 4 (50:22):
Does that make sense, Matt, Well, there's a volume shooter
and then there is just a very effective efficient shooter.
Now you every team wants an effective, efficient shooter that
can get his fifteen or sixteen points on say eight
or nine shots as compared to fourteen or fifteen. It's
just going to be the argument I get when people
ask me this question is what do you want to

(50:43):
give up? And if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
This team is playing, you know, about sixty six percent
winning basketball. They're top four right now in the Western Conference.
They've got some difficult games coming up in the next
few weeks, wilsh we'll have a better determination. They're also
in this area world. They're all rowing up together. And
how much would the chemistry change? What would you have

(51:04):
to give up? And if you're gonna go get Ryan
that unbelievable three point from three point shooter out there,
what are you giving up in return? Are you giving
up a young of Man Thompson who's got, you know,
basically everything except a long perimeter shot. Are you giving
up the intensity and the steals and the defense of Tarisan?
Are you giving up the defense and stability of a

(51:25):
Jabari Smith. It's gonna be what do you have to
give up in order to get this guy that you
think is gonna ultimately turn this team in from say
maybe a fifty win team to a fifty five or
fifty six win team and a deep playoff run.

Speaker 7 (51:37):
I don't I don't think there's here's a thing with
the Rockets right now.

Speaker 10 (51:40):
I don't think there's anything that you want to give up,
like like like you're you're getting slim pickings. You know,
maybe you can send over some cap and compensation and
a draft pick, but there's there's slim pickings. And I
think I don't like the term the old Rockets just
need a shooter. There's you need a three and D
guy because if you can't play defense, you can't defend,

(52:00):
you're likely not going to get minutes and then you
end up throwing off the scheme of what email Udoka's doing.
So a three and D guy could help a guy
who can really defend and can shoot, or at least
play enough defense. You can't just be a you know,
you know, a cone out there. But you know, I
think there could be a value there. But that's what

(52:22):
it's going to have to be.

Speaker 4 (52:24):
Seven one three two one two five seven ninety seven
one three two one two five seven ninety our buddy
Ryan Hollins with us till the top of the hour.
A respected baseball journalist says, the Astros are gonna have
to wait a while for a decision on Alex Pregman,
and probably a decision they will not like to hear.

Speaker 1 (52:41):
We'll tell you more about that in just a moment.

Speaker 4 (52:44):
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Speaker 2 (53:45):
More Matt Thomas Show with Ross now but Sports Talk
seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (53:56):
Time is eleven twenty.

Speaker 4 (53:57):
Ryan Hollt's from the Space City. Matt Thomas with you
from Sports Talk Semmer and of course the Rockets seven
one three, two one two five seven ninety We'll wake
up the Strippers coming up today at to twelve noon.
Saren Petro from Kansas City Radio Joints is coming up
at to twelve thirty. Doctor roto for his weekly visit
at one o'clock. We have non floora stories and all things.

(54:19):
The movie Christmas Vacation is today's edition of Believe or Not?
Hellier are not at one point fifty Ken Rosenthal Fox Sports.
He always speaks, and when he does it's measured. But
he did have a few measurable comments on the Astros
trying to retain Alex Bregman.

Speaker 1 (54:36):
I see Alex Bregman leaving Houston.

Speaker 18 (54:38):
Astros under Jim Crane have not been willing to give
these monster contracts.

Speaker 1 (54:43):
They've been extremely successful, Do not get me wrong, But why.

Speaker 18 (54:46):
Do they trade Tucker because they don't want to go
to the three hundred four hundred five hundred million dollar
range next year when it's going to be a matter
of him being a free agent and them having to
ante up Gregman.

Speaker 8 (54:57):
They've made an offer.

Speaker 18 (54:58):
It obviously was not sufficient. It was in the one fifties.

Speaker 1 (55:01):
He wants more. I expect some team to give him more.

Speaker 18 (55:04):
It could be Toronto, it could be Boston, It could
be the Yankees, although it seems to me the Yankees
have made their big push with Freed and now Bellinger.
As far as the financial commitment is concerned, so I
don't know exactly where Bregman's going to end up. Detroit
is another possibility, reunion with aj Hinch. He seems to
me though, a guy that's going to be just fine.

Speaker 4 (55:27):
Yeah, Ryan, he turned down six years, one fifty six.
And I think in some athletes, and you've been around
a lot of in your life, they have a number
in their mind that they go and get the number
one agent in sports, Scott Boris to say, hey, go
get me this, And it feels like the Bregman's going
to exhaust all avenues to make sure that at least
one team offer him is what I think. I think

(55:47):
he wants to get as closely ken to two hundred
million dollars before his career is all said and done.

Speaker 10 (55:51):
You have to, man, and baseball is thrown around money,
so the players are all looking around and it is
a tricker down to fact that say, man, if I
can get a chance to get life changing money, the security,
you have to go out and do that. I think
you're gonna see more and more of it. And you know,
we've kind of seen the trend through sports. When you

(56:14):
know Mahomes got his mega three hundred million dollar deal,
you know everybody's going, oh man, we got to.

Speaker 7 (56:21):
Get this, this, and this. I want to be somewhere
comparable as good as Mahomes is.

Speaker 10 (56:24):
You know, I think it happens just about every summer
in the NBA, there's one guy who becomes the highest paid.
So I think, you know baseball, you're gonna see the
players going after the money and there's no hesitation in you,
there's no I think you have to respect and understand that.

Speaker 4 (56:40):
Yeah, and I and it sounds like to me there
will not be a decision before Christmas, which is probably
good to get focused on family.

Speaker 1 (56:46):
I mean, like he's worried about his next paycheck.

Speaker 4 (56:49):
Look, and you you fought in scratching claw your way
through ten years in the NBA. You have got a
lot of good friends in professional sports that had a
chance to get those Megan.

Speaker 1 (56:59):
Megan million dollar.

Speaker 4 (57:00):
Deals take us through not and every athlete is different, Ryan, obviously,
But when does an athlete wake up in the morning
and go what my agent just told me is good enough?
Or does he have to be careful about what he
relies on from his agent to say, hey, you shouldn't
take this offer because I think I can get you
something better, and again knowing that every athlete is not

(57:20):
created equal. What's the balance between what your gut tells
you when you wake up in the morning and what
the agent does when he texts you to say good morning.

Speaker 1 (57:28):
Here's what I'm hearing.

Speaker 10 (57:29):
You're talking pure insanity right now, Matt, because as a player,
your mindset is you're the best on the planet. And
then the worst thing that can happen is a guy
that you feel like you're better than. And you may
be better than, you may not be.

Speaker 7 (57:45):
I don't know. Whatever you know you have in your
head or your your mindset is that you are better
and someone has your money, and that's not a fun
place to be in.

Speaker 10 (57:55):
So we've seen situations where a guys that have missed
out on a lot of money because sometimes they'll be
promised something from an agent. Hey, I'm gonna get you,
you know, double and triple later on, Hey, wait until
this money freeze up.

Speaker 7 (58:08):
In my professional opinion, know the market, know your true value.

Speaker 10 (58:13):
Notice I said true value, and understand what you can
get paid and not get paid.

Speaker 7 (58:18):
And sometimes the money on the table is something that
you have to take. Hey. For instance, the rockets came
into that essentially this offseason.

Speaker 10 (58:26):
You know, there's nothing that nobody would have batted batted
than I if our Prince Himgoon or Jalen Green end
up being max contract players and you know, the Rockets,
you know, end up getting very friendly deals.

Speaker 7 (58:38):
I thought there are great deals for both sides.

Speaker 10 (58:40):
And you know, again out of my jurisdiction speaking for
myself when I say this, but you know, you gotta
think about the team.

Speaker 7 (58:47):
You got to think about where you want to be.

Speaker 10 (58:49):
There's a lot of uh, there's a lot of elements
that go into play, and sometimes, man, when you have
to strike while the iron is hot, if you have
an opportunity to get the most money you can get,
you can, you gotta there. But a lot of times
you do have conflicting stories when they come between the agent,
the player, the mindset, the front office and you know
kind of the delusion from maybe some friends and family.

(59:11):
And the worst thing, Matt is you noted you see
another guy's contract.

Speaker 7 (59:15):
What do players do? Man, if he got that I
need to get this, this and this and that happens
so much.

Speaker 4 (59:23):
Did you ever have a friend and you don't name
the persons, I don't want you to, but would you
ever have a friend call you and say, my agent
got me this, I'm gonna go for more, and you're
think in the back of your mind, look, this is
a really good deal.

Speaker 1 (59:35):
You shouldn't turn it down.

Speaker 10 (59:37):
Yeah, I've had guys all the time come and you know,
sometimes the best advice can come from another veteran or player.
People come to be trusted and say, hey, do you
know should I hold out? Should I take the deal?
Where am I at?

Speaker 7 (59:49):
My rule of thumb is, you know, if you're a
young guy and they put money in front of you,
take it. Take it.

Speaker 10 (59:55):
You're on the back end of your contract. Maybe you
can wiggle, you can negotiate a little bit. And you know,
the money that a player makes shows how valid value
they are. If he's making you know, the highest paid
player on the team. You ain't gonna put the highest
paid player on your team on the on the bench.
That's gonna ensure minutes you make less money. That makes
you tradable. You know, it's sometimes it's more a matter

(01:00:17):
of respect than just making the money. So, man, there's
just a million different ways that you can grasp and
approach these things. So yeah, Matt, no, you're You're you're
right online when you say that, And I think just
my advice is, man, you know, kind of puts your
ego to the side and go out and make the
most money you can make.

Speaker 7 (01:00:35):
Hey, when I played, you know, fifty million dollars is
a lot.

Speaker 16 (01:00:39):
Well.

Speaker 4 (01:00:39):
The one well, the one thing Ryan I think I've
noticed from Bregman is he knew this was his last,
probably his last big free agent contract, and he knew
in his mind and still knows in his mind that
it probably wasn't gonna come for me Astros, and so
had he had to mentally prepare himself for wearing a
different team's gear. And I think when you open yourself
up to free agency, you've got to think about every

(01:01:00):
possible place you can go. And that's why I think
that there have been so many teams that have shown
interest in him. It's because I don't think he's put
out there nor his representation to say, you know what,
I can see myself worrying Yankee Gear. I can see
myself playing for the Red Sox. I can see myself
playing for Detroit or Toronto. He's not limited himself, which
then is going to make other teams still very interested
even all those negotiation period's gone for quite some time.

Speaker 10 (01:01:23):
Yeah, No, it is a fact that you got to
do it. And you know, as a player you get
to two places. You know, do you want the money
or do you want to be happy? You know, and
a lot of times those things don't necessarily mix, Matt,
you know, making the money and being happy. Unfortunately in sports,
you know, the team that probably needs you may not
be winning, you know, and it's always nice when you

(01:01:45):
can mix both, but a lot of times you may
not be able to. And then obviously take a look
at expectations. You know, those expectations are huge things. It's
a huge thing.

Speaker 4 (01:01:55):
And having to be there all right, Love in twenty
eight is our time a difficult conversation that Ryan and
I are going to have a little bit here that
that will be difficult. Sports traio is not difficult you
I know you've been hearing all this criticism about the
NBA and the ratings, right, Yeah, I want to talk
about when come back, okay seven one three two one
two five seven ninety seven one three two one two

(01:02:16):
five seven ninety Ryan Hollins with us at the top
of the hour will wake the strippers up at twelve noon,
and soarm Petro from Kansas City joins us at twelve
thirty to talk all things about the chiefs right now.
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(01:03:52):
Eleven thirty three on Sports Talk seven ninety our buddy
Ryan Hollands some Rockets TV and hanging out with us
to the top of the hour.

Speaker 8 (01:04:00):
All right, So.

Speaker 4 (01:04:03):
The thing I fight Ryan as a broadcaster of the
team and as a radio host is I love to
talk about the NBA.

Speaker 1 (01:04:11):
I think it's a great sport.

Speaker 4 (01:04:12):
I'm enjoying it. Rockets are playing well, but there is
still a tremendous group of people, all walks, all ages,
all demographics everything, Ryan, that still has this negative stigma
about the NBA. First and foremost, the season doesn't start

(01:04:33):
till Christmas, and then football takes over on Christmas, so
that's now that's not their day. Wake me up when
the playoffs start and all the NBA does shoot three
point shots, and we're seeing a record number of three
points three pointers being attempted. We're not seeing the success rate.
And then report last week that the NBA ratings, depending
on what report you believe, or anywhere between eighteen and

(01:04:54):
twenty five percent down over year to year, the NBA
Cup ratings, we're not spectacular this year. A lot of
it was because of Noel Lebron and Adam Sober basically
defending saying, hey, we're doing great.

Speaker 1 (01:05:07):
We're not worried about it.

Speaker 4 (01:05:09):
The key people that should be watching games still are
we just we just lined a brand new television deal.

Speaker 1 (01:05:14):
We're globally doing great.

Speaker 4 (01:05:16):
So if you run into those circles that say, I
don't get into the NBA, I don't watch it some
playoff time, or I don't like the style of aspect because.

Speaker 1 (01:05:25):
All they do is dunk and shoot threes, what do
you say back to those people, Matt?

Speaker 10 (01:05:29):
There are two big factors here, and there's a little
bit of truth in every single lie.

Speaker 7 (01:05:34):
Are you are you ready for it?

Speaker 1 (01:05:36):
I need some help because I have to spend a
lot of time talking about buddies with about this.

Speaker 10 (01:05:40):
The first big factor is the way that we quantify
our sports, the way that we watch sports is different.

Speaker 7 (01:05:47):
We have never watched sports and the way that we
watch it now.

Speaker 10 (01:05:50):
A lot of times the consumption comes from highlights now
a lot of times when these games.

Speaker 7 (01:05:56):
Are pirated, because that's very accessible too.

Speaker 10 (01:05:59):
You don't always you're not always going to be able
to find out where these games are coming from, Okay,
where they're being seen, how much they're being watched in
the second factor, which may be the most important. And
you've heard these rumblings and Matt, I really want to
hear your intel on this.

Speaker 7 (01:06:18):
Are you ready for it?

Speaker 8 (01:06:20):
Go?

Speaker 7 (01:06:21):
You're gonna appreciate him when he's gone.

Speaker 10 (01:06:25):
Lebron James has been the face of the league and
maybe you don't want to hear it. Okay, for the
last what twenty years now, Triver Long, whatever he is
or whatever he isn't, he has been must SYTV. Lebron
Ramon James has been musty TV. Okay, and within that,
you want to see him win, You want to see
him lose, whatever you want to do.

Speaker 7 (01:06:45):
You want to see him.

Speaker 10 (01:06:47):
We had Kobe Bryant, we had Michael Jordan. We do
not know who the next one is going to be
and that is the biggest factor right now. Why if
we can argue that there's legitimacy to some people not
watching the NBA, the ratings being down is because Lebron
is not there. The big drop on the n season tournament.

(01:07:08):
Who are the last season champions? Who Lebron James and
the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA is looking for an
air apparent. They need an air parent. Forget the NBA.
The fans are because you talk about viewership, Matt, Now
I want to ask you who is the next up
to take that throne? We see we see it by

(01:07:29):
committee right now. But we all know you want the
hero or you want the villain, but you want somebody
to be there. And I don't see who the next
guy is yet.

Speaker 4 (01:07:39):
All right, well, let's take a look at the Let's
talk about the five best players right now walking the NBA. Okay,
we we cauld argue about maybe five or six. Nikolae
okitch yep likes playing basketball. He has no interest doing
television commercials. He has no interest in going on talk shows.
He has no interest in being the face of the league.

Speaker 8 (01:07:55):
Fair, fair.

Speaker 1 (01:07:59):
Y honest with them.

Speaker 4 (01:07:59):
The bo yep again foreign players are gonna have a
hard time. I don't know if he embraces it.

Speaker 7 (01:08:06):
I don't.

Speaker 4 (01:08:06):
I don't see him on commercials. I don't see him
doing a lot of national TV stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:08:10):
He just wants to play. You're really good? Who was
on our Uh?

Speaker 4 (01:08:15):
Maybe Anthony Edwards because he got a little bit of
badass in him, a little bit, a little bit of
uh dgaf if you know what I mean on that?
I mean, you know what I'm saying about that. I mean,
he is a He's a guy that would really have sparkling.
I think he's got a pretty sparkling personality. He plays
in Minnesota, not necessarily a household city when it comes

(01:08:36):
to Minneapolis to come to NBA basketball, Uh, shake guilders
Alexander a wonderful basketball player, but he plays in Oklahoma City.
And if there were ten guys up against the wall
and said pick out who shake guild as Alexander was
to be very hard pressed for most NBA sports fans
to pick him out of a group.

Speaker 1 (01:08:55):
Who am I forgetting? Who is a bona fide unbelievable Luca.

Speaker 7 (01:09:00):
DoD Luka dot Luca Jason Tatum in there?

Speaker 4 (01:09:06):
I mean from an athletic standpoint amazing, but a carry
the fly of the league.

Speaker 10 (01:09:12):
I don't think so, Mega, Matt Thomas, you are not
putting the world champion, the raigning champion, Jason Tatum.

Speaker 1 (01:09:22):
But at my point is that we just went through
six guys.

Speaker 4 (01:09:25):
Yeah, and maybe Anthony Edwards would have that it factor,
that would be a star power when it comes to
he is more than just an excellent basketball players.

Speaker 1 (01:09:37):
Is gonna win a championship?

Speaker 7 (01:09:38):
No, you're right there.

Speaker 10 (01:09:39):
There there's something either either it's it's it's foreign bone born.
You're honest, has the personality. I think he's willing to
do the commercials, but he is foreign born. We are
in the US of a We'll be honest there. We
don't hope, we don't offend, but we can't sugarcoat. Anthony
Edwards just hasn't won. But if he won, he would

(01:10:00):
he would be there. I think he's must see TV.
But he has not won. In fact, the Wolves and
many respects of taking a step backwards. Uh, Luca hasn't
won also, and he is another foreign born player.

Speaker 7 (01:10:13):
You're right, Matt, you.

Speaker 10 (01:10:14):
Gotta find and then I think we wouldn't be asking
these questions because Jason Tatum just won and you know
they were a great team.

Speaker 7 (01:10:21):
You know, not to say that. You know JT isn't
unbelievable because he's a of a player.

Speaker 10 (01:10:25):
But you know, we wouldn't if you would know already
if he was that guy, because he just got a championship,
it wouldn't be the questions there.

Speaker 4 (01:10:32):
Okay, So you know, uh and as far as Zamba
is concerned, we'll wrap it up with this. They don't
care if the ratings are down because they just signed
a mega television deal for the next ten years.

Speaker 10 (01:10:44):
Honor, but Matt, you gotta honor that deal. Just signing
the deal isn't good enough. You gotta honor. You gotta
at least make good on you know.

Speaker 7 (01:10:52):
What you signed, right?

Speaker 4 (01:10:56):
No, well, I mean if you wouldn't got thirty NBA
owners are they generally concerned about the television ratings.

Speaker 1 (01:11:04):
They've already got the Amazon NBC money coming in. They
want to know where they are.

Speaker 10 (01:11:08):
You want to know where they are because the commissioner
is concerned because he's a man of his word.

Speaker 7 (01:11:13):
And you know what.

Speaker 10 (01:11:13):
You know what backs that up the way that the
NBA has spurred competition on the way that Adam Silver
has said, hey, guys, you ain't getting no award if
you don't play. He's challenged these guys. He's looking to
the nd season tournament. He is incentivizing competition. Make no
mistake there. So Adam Silver is very concerned. Maybe you

(01:11:34):
can say the coaches don't care. You can maybe say
the players don't care. But guess what the league cares
because as they ask for that money, they want to
operate in integrity and they want to get more money
for those deals.

Speaker 7 (01:11:44):
So, Matt, it is it. It is a factor. You
can't just say they don't here.

Speaker 1 (01:11:49):
Last thing, too many threes? Do you push the NBA
three point lineback?

Speaker 8 (01:11:54):
No?

Speaker 7 (01:11:55):
You make it shorter. I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:11:57):
Oh no, no, I can tell you they're not going
to do that.

Speaker 10 (01:12:00):
No, you can't push it back again. Well, what you've seen, Matt,
and and you know when we see it in our guys,
and this is to help the Rockets. The NBA game
is physical, dude.

Speaker 7 (01:12:10):
The NBA game has gotten more physical. They have.

Speaker 10 (01:12:15):
You can put your hands on players, you could grab them,
you could rough them up. Man. This is this is
something that you know we've been we've been seeing and
the Rockets have been one of the teams that's taken
advantage said okay, emails like oh we can mix it up,
oh fair game, and the Rockets have been excellent, uh
in those regards.

Speaker 7 (01:12:33):
So you know, that's where I.

Speaker 10 (01:12:36):
Think the commissioner has taken that into factor. And I
think whatever the world champion is this year, that's gonna
be one of those hard nose uh, hard nose ball clubs.
Because yes, the three point shooting is still in the
NBA game, but the physicality is back. And then if
you want to argue against the three point shooting, who
are the two best players in the NBA right now?
That you mentioned that, we we can maybe we can argue,

(01:12:59):
but we're pretty certain of recent memory. The two best
players in the NBA right now? Who you the first
two names you.

Speaker 1 (01:13:05):
Mentioned, Jokic and Sga. Maybe there is the top two.

Speaker 10 (01:13:10):
Okay, and you may be honorable mention Embiid, but guess what,
those guys are bigs.

Speaker 7 (01:13:16):
They ain't small, Those guys are bigs. So uh. As
far as the physicality, it's back in the NBA.

Speaker 4 (01:13:25):
But man, the league still feels like it's nothing but
three pointers. I'm disagree with it. I'm just telling you
what the average fan fast.

Speaker 1 (01:13:30):
Let us general. We've got some breaking news here on
the show, Connor, that's one.

Speaker 7 (01:13:42):
That's two.

Speaker 15 (01:13:46):
We're going three.

Speaker 1 (01:13:49):
You want to go four? Oh you're going Wait now,
this is not a five. I'm stopping you right here.

Speaker 4 (01:13:56):
According to Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome, the Astros and
free agent first baseman Christian Walker are in serious talks
and are progressing towards a deal.

Speaker 1 (01:14:07):
We'll discuss that next.

Speaker 4 (01:14:09):
Christian Walker an Astro and the best part is he
was not offered a qualifying offer, which means they don't
have to give up a draft pick, or he declined
the qualifying offer, so they'll lose the first round pick.
They will lose their second and fifth round selections in

(01:14:30):
the twenty twenty five class.

Speaker 1 (01:14:31):
Who Cares?

Speaker 4 (01:14:32):
Details on Christian Walker next eleven forty four on Sports
Talk seven ninety seven one three two one two five
seven ninety seven one three two one two five seven
ninety more.

Speaker 2 (01:14:43):
Matt Thomas Show with Ross Now on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 15 (01:14:54):
Another round time.

Speaker 19 (01:14:56):
A twenty Christian hacker has taken over Er Stadium.

Speaker 1 (01:15:01):
There is no explanation for this.

Speaker 2 (01:15:04):
It just goes on and on and on.

Speaker 1 (01:15:07):
It's amazing.

Speaker 7 (01:15:09):
He's not even cracking a spile.

Speaker 20 (01:15:11):
This defies all logic. My goodness, stay in that bubble,
Christian Walker.

Speaker 4 (01:15:19):
According to Jim Bowden of MLB Network, Chandler Roman on
it as well Ken Rosenthal, Uh, it sounds like Jim
Bowden says, as long as the Astros and Christian Walker,
the physical goes okay. He is now a Houston Astro.

(01:15:40):
Reports were he was looking for a four year deal.
Whether or not that is what the Astros gave him,
we do not know. They are not particulars being reported
at this point. But Christian Walker is your new first baseman.
Isach Perettis, who the Astros got in the Kyle Tucker
trade is your new third baseman?

Speaker 1 (01:16:00):
And Ryan Hollins that will officially, I.

Speaker 4 (01:16:03):
Shouldn't say officially, but that basically closes the door on
Alex Spregman possibly coming back to be Houston Astros. So
the new Astros infield apparently is set for twenty twenty five.

Speaker 10 (01:16:14):
And that's huge, man, And you know what it says.
It shows you how serious the Astros are about winning.
And some were worried kind of with the free agent
and the trade reblings that you know, was this the
group that's going to kind of tear it down and
start over. The Astros said no, no, no, no, weird
gearing up to go after another World Series.

Speaker 7 (01:16:33):
Man, this is exciting news. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:16:35):
The numbers for him last year two fifty one batting average.
He had twenty six home runs, drove in eighty four.
His ops was eight oh three, which is considered good.
His ops plus where our friend rossvill arealt if you're
one hundred year considered an average player. His ops plus
was one twenty one. He's thirty three years old, he

(01:16:56):
is a first baseman. His career ops plus is one
four teen is curro ops is seven ninety three. And
the Astros apparently are going to be grabbing him now.
I want to make sure I'm clear on the compensation.
Nothing it really matters. If it indeed is true, the
Diamondbacks will be owed from the Astros a second and

(01:17:18):
fifth round pick in next year's draft. Draft picks, especially
in professional baseball, are a Diamond dozen. You want him
to hit, obviously, because you're replenishing your minor league system.
But you don't have to worry about John Singleton playing
majority of first base. You don't have to worry about
Easak Peretts being the first baseman trying to figure out
what you can do at third base.

Speaker 1 (01:17:38):
Your infield is set. So it has been an interesting week.

Speaker 4 (01:17:41):
Last Friday, Ryan, they got rid of Kyle Tucker, and
that certainly send shock waves. Letting a guy go with
a year love in his contract, you got a third
basement in return. Now you replace it with the first baseman.
While again it's good news because you're not adding another
power hitting guy to a corner infield spot. Bregman now
has one less team that would be going after him.

(01:18:04):
I think the dollars and cents were there. My guess
is that Alex Bregman's representation told the Astros thanks, but
no thanks, and now it's going to be down to
some other teams.

Speaker 1 (01:18:11):
So we now can.

Speaker 4 (01:18:13):
Officially be mentally prepared to see Alex Bregman wearing a
different jersey in twenty twenty five.

Speaker 7 (01:18:20):
It's a part of the business sometimes, you know.

Speaker 10 (01:18:22):
Obviously we don't know sure some level of those reports
are going to end up coming out, but hands off
to the Ashols because a lot of times, man, you
can step in a free agency and while you might
say this is not the perfect pick.

Speaker 7 (01:18:35):
But you can swing and miss.

Speaker 10 (01:18:36):
So to come out with the best defensive minded you know,
first basement in baseball right now, I think that's huge.
And that's something again, you got an organization that's still
very serious about winning.

Speaker 7 (01:18:49):
Now going into the dark age.

Speaker 10 (01:18:51):
It's not gonna, you know, go step backwards, you know,
and you got to be excited for the For the
Astros fan base, this is this is big time.

Speaker 7 (01:18:58):
This is great news.

Speaker 4 (01:19:01):
Now again Jim Bounden saying it's based off of physical
being completed. And again I don't know much about his history.
He is thirty three years of age. He played on
I'm gonna take a look at his career numbers here.
Just see what he has done the last few years.
That's my computer tries to refresh here. Six feet two

(01:19:21):
oh eight throws right place, first base, right handed. Obviously,
let me look at his bioinformation here. It's terrible meat
to look at the internet while I'm trying to a
radio show at the same time.

Speaker 8 (01:19:33):
I know this is not good.

Speaker 1 (01:19:34):
It's not good, Okay.

Speaker 4 (01:19:37):
In twenty twenty three, he batted, had thirty three home runs,
one hundred and thirty one hundred and three RBIs. He's
had one two two thirty plus home run seasons. He
had a twenty six home run year last year with Arizona.
He had twenty nine for the Diamondbacks in twenty nineteen.
He started his major league career very short amount of
time with Baltimore, but the majority of his career from

(01:19:59):
two thousand and seven teen to twenty twenty four as
a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Okay, OPS plus OLPs
career about I have seven ninety three. His high water
mark of OPS was eight twenty five in that twenty
nineteen season. Act and twenty twenty three and OPS have

(01:20:19):
eight thirty. Dropped a little bit this year. Played one
hundred and thirty games this past season, the year before
that one fifty seven, the year before that one sixty,
So it's been fairly durable as a major leaguer. We'll
give you more details on him as we move along here. Ryan,
I appreciate you hanging out with me today.

Speaker 1 (01:20:34):
It was fun.

Speaker 4 (01:20:35):
A little baseball breaking news in the middle of the
show was interesting, uh you learning about bull riding was interesting,
and we did get video of Vanessa actually on the
video bull riding a couple of years back.

Speaker 1 (01:20:48):
So I'll hope you get a chance to see that.

Speaker 7 (01:20:50):
Where where's this video at? It's on my Twitter?

Speaker 1 (01:20:53):
Can go look it's on your Twitter.

Speaker 7 (01:20:54):
Let me go look?

Speaker 1 (01:20:54):
Yeah, yeah, go look that's her.

Speaker 7 (01:20:57):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (01:20:58):
Very talented, right she is?

Speaker 7 (01:21:00):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (01:21:01):
All right, and please bundle up because you're gonna be more.
Gonna be in Toronto tomorrow. I'm gonna freeze our rare
ends off. You know this, right, stir fry. Maybe I've
told the audiener for how much you love the stir fry.
It's it's what you live for.

Speaker 7 (01:21:16):
I do, I do. It's with you, Matt. It's our thing.
It's the thing.

Speaker 1 (01:21:19):
It is our thing.

Speaker 7 (01:21:20):
It is our thing.

Speaker 1 (01:21:21):
You are my guy too. Thank you, Ryan, well to
see you on the plane tomorrow. Friend, Thank you for vistening.

Speaker 8 (01:21:25):
All right.

Speaker 1 (01:21:26):
That's Ryan Hollands, a Space City Network. All right.

Speaker 4 (01:21:28):
So we got a lot to get the news, and
noon's gonna be chock full of stuff. We got Texans
with the Rockets winning last night, and we had the
Astros apparently ridiculously close to grabbing a new first basement.
Eleven fifty six is our time. If you want to
jump in on not only Christian Walker coming here, but
this is it for Bregman. Are y'all mentally ready to

(01:21:54):
him to sign somewhere else? Now it's there's no chance,
it's zero percent chance. Paride's at third Walker at first.
Provided everything works, you know, in the semantics of the
contract and whatnot, We're done.

Speaker 1 (01:22:07):
That's it.

Speaker 4 (01:22:09):
Alex Bregman is no longer going to wear an Astro uniform.
Let me know how you think about that. Seven one
three two one two five seven ninety seven one three
two one two five seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (01:22:20):
It is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross. The News
at Noon is coming up in a minute. We are
going to wake the strippers up, maybe some more Christian
Walker highlights. Do you think of the News at Noon?

Speaker 7 (01:22:28):
Connor?

Speaker 1 (01:22:28):
Will that be part of the the uh the opening conversation?
I can do that.

Speaker 8 (01:22:33):
We can do that.

Speaker 4 (01:22:34):
We gotta get people ready for it, especially if Robert
Ford's gonna be calling a lot of those home runs
for him. Seven one three two one two five seven ninety.
So Christian Walker apparently is super super close to signing
with the Houston Astros to replace whatever combination of first
base the Astros had last year, especially after the Jose
of Braved situation went so bad seven one three, two

(01:22:54):
one two five seven ninety lunchtimers, this is the Matt.

Speaker 2 (01:23:01):
Thomas Show, twelve O three ah Town.

Speaker 15 (01:23:07):
Good Nor exterrives.

Speaker 3 (01:23:22):
And walk over the third hour the Matt Thomas showing Ross.
This is Sports Talk seven ninety. When we get to
the news at noon, lots and lots.

Speaker 4 (01:23:37):
Of speculation about the Astros going to get a first
basement with that the newsroom here's connr dy mcgovernn sources
tell Ken Rosenthal and further reported by friend of the
station Chandler Room, the Astros and free agent first basement
Christian Walker are in serious talks and are progressing toward
a deal. According to Jim Bowden, the deal is done

(01:23:58):
pending a physical pursuit of Nolan Arnaudo led to a
pivot to Christian Walker which would leave newly acquired Isaac
Pretis at third base and shut the door.

Speaker 1 (01:24:06):
On your reunion with Alex Pregman. Here it is life
without Alex Bregman. What do you think, folks?

Speaker 4 (01:24:15):
Seven one three, two one two five seven HINTI Nolan Aeronato.
Apparently that's they moved on from that East sac Pretis
will play at third base, Christian Walker at first base,
significant power at first base, which you haven't had really.
I mean, Guryel was a great first baseman, but he
didn't have a whole lot of sock to him. You

(01:24:36):
thought Jose Abray was gonna give you that kind of
home run punch that did not happen. And John Singleton's
a nice player, but he's not a guy you want playing,
you know, even half the time at first base.

Speaker 8 (01:24:48):
Now.

Speaker 4 (01:24:48):
I don't know enough about Christian Walker except there's the
numbers I saw in front of him.

Speaker 1 (01:24:51):
Connor, is there anything alarming about him at all?

Speaker 4 (01:24:54):
I mean, is he is he a civit first base
is or I mean injury problems almost going to be
a big problem of his in his major league career.

Speaker 1 (01:25:01):
I mean, I haven't seen anything that's outstanding. I just
think a lot of people initial reaction on Twitter, a
lot of people are excited.

Speaker 4 (01:25:08):
Well, because again, you will improve your first base on
the slugging position. You've already kind of started to move
on from the Bregman's not going to sign here. You
can't be left empty handed, just like they weren't gonna
be left handed empty handed. Last next year, if Kyle
Tucker would have left now the Astros who have to
give a second and fifth round pick.

Speaker 1 (01:25:25):
To the Diamondbacks.

Speaker 4 (01:25:26):
That's not a great situation to be in because of
the fact that the Astros need need picks to replenish
their draft or their minor league system. But if you
still want to be in the win now category, I'd
give up a second and fifth to get a guy
that was gonna hit a bunch of bombs for me.
And that's what he did last year. Thirty three home
runs for Christian Walker last year in Arizona. What else

(01:25:48):
is happening in news? Well, we could stay with the Astros.

Speaker 21 (01:25:52):
I mean, Dana Brown said at the winter meetings he
would listen on anybody in regards to possible trades. We've
already seen the Astros trade away Kyle Talker to the
Chicago Cubs, But what about from Valdez. According to Jeff
Passon of ESPN, the Astros have no plans to trade
the race and are telling opposing teams that they do
not intend to trade from ber Valdez.

Speaker 1 (01:26:08):
I'm surprised by this a little bit. Maybe they're going
to try to keep him here long term. And a
deal that would be more team friendly.

Speaker 4 (01:26:17):
Maybe that Fromer has told him he would be willing
to renegotiate a deal, get a new deal when it
becomes a free agent, or they just want to take
their chances and say they can get more money for
more for him if they were to move him, perhaps
the trade deadline. But I treat it very similar to
as if Fromber thinks he's worth a certain amount of
money and the Astros are not willing to give him,

(01:26:38):
why wouldn't you go get out, go get a good
batch of players in return for him now is compared
to be left empty handed if he was to live
in free agency. But you know, again, every player is
treated differently. The way Kyle Tucker approaches his free agent
status is obviously a lot different the way that farm
ber Valdez perhaps is treating his free agent status. But
so Fromber at least at this point, not being talked

(01:26:59):
about in trade speculation.

Speaker 1 (01:27:01):
I continue, I think that could change if the Astros
get off to a slow start.

Speaker 4 (01:27:05):
Yeah, I mean, if they are underperforming or falling seven
eight games behind whomever in the American League.

Speaker 7 (01:27:11):
West.

Speaker 1 (01:27:12):
Got hope it doesn't happen, But if it does.

Speaker 4 (01:27:13):
I could see him being in July thirty first trade, absolutely,
especially for a team that's looking for starting pitching for
the for the Pennant Drive. Hopefully it's the Astros doing
that and having not to be sellers because we've been
to worry about being a seller in this team since
what twenty sixteen been a long time.

Speaker 21 (01:27:30):
Jalen Green scored thirty four points to lead the Rockets
to a one hundred and thirty three to one hundred
and thirteen win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Jalen had
a great third quarter, scoring twenty two points, Dylan had
twenty six, Albert and Shangun had twenty three in The
Rockets improved to eleven and three at home, while the
Pelicans stay at the bottom of the Western Conference.

Speaker 4 (01:27:47):
All right, Rockets, though the three seed in the Western Conference,
will take on Toronto on Sunday, Monday against Charlotte, then
back to playing New Orleans after Christmas, so some winnable
games coming up against three teams that you would not
consider to be challenging for any sort of supremacy in
either the East or the West. And Normans, frankly is
probably the worst team in the Western Conference. So I
was reshpect to baseball versus as I can. Josh See

(01:28:08):
producer here on seven ninety reminded us that Walker has
won three Gold Gloves in a row, so he has great. Okay,
here tell me, guy hits thirty three home runs, actually
twenty six last year, thirty three of the year before
that is ops above eight hundred, and he's a goal
glove winner.

Speaker 1 (01:28:27):
By second round pick, by fifth round pick. We're good. Yeah,
We're We're gonna be just fine.

Speaker 4 (01:28:33):
And now the question is going to be how long
in the contract is. I did read as of about
three days ago that Walker was looking for a lengthy
deal in the three to four year range.

Speaker 1 (01:28:41):
Whether or not he gets that or not, the remains
to be seen. That'll be interesting.

Speaker 21 (01:28:45):
Okay, Texans are visiting Kansas City tomorrow face the Chiefs.
Both teams have clinched playoff berths. There was much speculation
earlier in the week about Patrick Mahomes's availability after suffering
a high ankle sprain against the Cleveland Browns, but head
coach Andy Reid confirmed yesterday that Homes intends to play. However,
Joe Mixon also says he intends to play for the Texans.
I think the biggest key to the game will be

(01:29:05):
the play of the offensive line for the Texans that
will once again see Titus Howard Schift to guard and
rookie Blake Fisher at tackle. With struggles all season, can
the offensive line hold off Chris Jones and company?

Speaker 1 (01:29:15):
To protect CJ. Stroud?

Speaker 4 (01:29:17):
How many sacks for Chris Jones to get on Saturday?
If I put that number one and a half, you're
taking the over the under.

Speaker 1 (01:29:24):
I'll say over.

Speaker 21 (01:29:25):
He might get too because the inside It's the problem
with the Texans O line is mostly the guards and
the stunts that they do, and the linebacker blitzes.

Speaker 1 (01:29:35):
It's gonna free up Chris Jones on the inside a lot.
Chris Jones can line up anywhere.

Speaker 8 (01:29:38):
All right.

Speaker 1 (01:29:38):
I got news for you.

Speaker 4 (01:29:39):
How many false starts will the Texans offensive line have tomorrow?

Speaker 21 (01:29:43):
I'm gonna say, cold, loud crowd, I'm gonna say just one.
I feel like they'll be disciplined in that fact, but
they're just gonna have they're missa assignments. I like anything
else in the news. I mean, we'll talk about the
college football playoffs here. It starts tonight with number ten
Indiana at number seven Notre Dame. Tomorrow, we got SMU
at p State, Clemson at Texas, and Tennessee at Ohio State.

Speaker 1 (01:30:03):
Any upsets in that first round.

Speaker 4 (01:30:04):
I don't think s mu's winning, I don't think Indiana's winning,
and I don't think Clemson's winning.

Speaker 21 (01:30:09):
I think Tennis c might be able to upset Ohio State.
I think that's the one that does Ryan Day get
fired if they lose this playoff game. No, I think
Ryan Day still stays. But I see I could see
Tennessee being Ohios State.

Speaker 4 (01:30:25):
You know who's waiting to coach that team is Ran Vrabel,
who played at Ohio State.

Speaker 1 (01:30:28):
In this college football day, is that the rumor? It's
it's a decent rumor not that.

Speaker 4 (01:30:33):
I don't think a lot of people down here are
worried about the future of Ohio State football.

Speaker 1 (01:30:36):
But well, Frable is looking for a job. He is
looking for a job, And that, my friends, is the
news at noon.

Speaker 8 (01:30:43):
All right.

Speaker 4 (01:30:44):
By the way, our buddy a sore and Petro from
WHB Radio is going to join us at twol fifty.
We're going to push himack a few minutes because I
want you guys to get in on and ladies on
the Christian Walker potential signing. Now McTaggart Rome, a guy
named John Fine Sand I think from MLB is all
saying it's Somebody even says it's the ten yard line.
It's ridiculously close. Jim Boudnaby of IMMBI Network says it's

(01:31:09):
a done deal, pending and physical. This is all semantics
depending on who you believe who you not believe. Look,
Roman McTaggart are guys. We love them and they're all
over it, so you know what, We'll wait for them
to say it's a done, done deal because Jim Bowden,
I don't know if he's a newsbreaker or not. The
point being is that, again, you could be hearing different

(01:31:29):
things in different people, but everybody is saying it's ridiculously close.
And it does make sense because the Astros have always
had a Plan B. Especially if they didn't think that
Alex Berman was going to come back, you.

Speaker 1 (01:31:40):
Brought Parides in.

Speaker 4 (01:31:41):
He could have played first base At Berkman does come back,
you could have put him at first base if Aeronatto
would have been there. But the aeronaut stuff is kind
of fizzled in the last twenty four hours, Christian Walker,
potentially your first baseman thirty three years of age, six
foot two of eight swallow a guy, and last year

(01:32:03):
again for the Diamondbacks, twenty six home runs two fifty one,
the batting average ops of eight oho three he slugged
four to sixty eight and an ops plus of one
twenty one. Where you learn on this show an average
ops is one hundred. So while the batting average in spectacular,
when he gets when he swings, he definitely connects and

(01:32:24):
brings in people home to eighty four RBIs last year
in one hundred and twenty hits. All right, your thoughts
on the new first baseman and more importantly for some
of you than a parting third baseman, it is the
Matt Thomas Show with ross seven to one three two
one two five seven ninety seven to one three two
one two five seven nine zero. Our time is at

(01:32:47):
twelve thirteen or once again, want to tell you about
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Speaker 1 (01:33:17):
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Speaker 2 (01:33:49):
More Man Thomas Show with Ross Now on Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 22 (01:33:54):
Ninety So Montgomery, the delay was so long, was scratched
and say so long?

Speaker 19 (01:34:03):
Christian Walker gave me the shooters.

Speaker 7 (01:34:05):
There they are.

Speaker 1 (01:34:06):
That's his sick pet's one, not the diamond Back at
for the twenty first time in thirty one games.

Speaker 23 (01:34:12):
The Diamondbacks take of the first lead in the game
on that solo ho, I'm run by Christian Walker.

Speaker 7 (01:34:18):
He's two for two. He's got both their hits.

Speaker 13 (01:34:21):
Oh man, I'm above the bell the four seed fastball
and he corobered at the left field.

Speaker 4 (01:34:28):
Big time pull hitter, Christian Walker. Well, we're setting this
team up for the Crawford Boxes. I think he still
the Crawford boxes, Chris Cord, I know everything else is
changing names around over at Dyking Park.

Speaker 24 (01:34:41):
Yeah, as far as I know, still the Crawford boxes.
Would you call it I just tweeted out I called
it a short port. It's not a short porch technically,
because the short porch is what right field is, because
it's it's like short from the ground. I would call
boxes are high, but they're in I would still call
a short port. You would, yeah, because again, whenever you

(01:35:03):
hear a home run being hit, especially in the first
row of the Crawford boxes, what do you always hear?
That's the only ballpark in America that would be a
home run, right, But well, you're here just to say
hello and mention the Texas Ball, which we'll get to
in a minute here, but your first blush, I've just
put this out on Twitter. Three years, sixty million dollars.

Speaker 4 (01:35:19):
According to Bob Nightingale, that is yet again, the epitome
of an ASTROS deal is they're going to give you
fair compensation. They're just Jim Crane has told anybody and
has given you multiple examples, Gordy. They're just not going
to extend people to super long contracts. That's just how

(01:35:39):
they operate.

Speaker 1 (01:35:40):
Look for all the parties and crews out there who
like to say.

Speaker 24 (01:35:43):
You're cheap and all this kind of stuff, Jim Crane's
background is running multi million and billion dollar businesses.

Speaker 8 (01:35:52):
He is.

Speaker 1 (01:35:53):
He is a very successful businessman.

Speaker 24 (01:35:55):
With every operation he's done, I think the big one
is what chipping or something registics yetistics.

Speaker 1 (01:36:01):
So he brings that to the baseball mentality.

Speaker 24 (01:36:04):
You cannot like it all you want, but the mentality
is they're not going to make a long term deal
that is going to handcuff them and anything at six, seven, eight, ten,
twelve year deals handcuffs your franchise to that player. Again,
I feel like I have to reiterate this whole time
to people, baseball deals are fully guaranteed.

Speaker 1 (01:36:20):
You don't get out of it. You owe that money.

Speaker 24 (01:36:21):
That's it's that money is committed and it's done. You
can't get out of it. So I like their mentality.
It's constantly saying flexible that where there's no deal, even
when the Jose brew You deal backfires, Matt, you get
out of it. It's in getting out of it, meaning
it ends after three years.

Speaker 7 (01:36:38):
So to me, I love it.

Speaker 24 (01:36:40):
I mean the Christian Walker, he's old, he's gonna be
thirty four when the season begins.

Speaker 1 (01:36:44):
He's getting up their age. But his numbers have been good.

Speaker 4 (01:36:47):
But you can find thirty four to thirty five, thirty
six year old first basemen that have been still and again,
Jose albre You probably isn't a great example, well not
an example at all of it, but there are there
are older first basemen that are still carrying.

Speaker 1 (01:37:00):
I mean Paul Golschmid's a great example of that.

Speaker 24 (01:37:02):
Yeah, I think the bigger story here is like they're
willing to aav they're willing to go high, they're just
not willing to go years, and the agents hate that.

Speaker 1 (01:37:10):
The agents want the years.

Speaker 24 (01:37:12):
The Scott borses I want you to you know, I
want to see a six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven,
twelve in that number.

Speaker 1 (01:37:16):
Sorry, we're not doing that. Yeah, but I love it.

Speaker 24 (01:37:19):
And yes, I was just looking at the spray chart
this past year. I just tweeted it out for Essac
Paratus and Christian Walker. They love you would feel like.

Speaker 4 (01:37:28):
I mean, if you were to buy season tickets for
the Astros, you're not buying him in the craft Ford Baxes.

Speaker 1 (01:37:33):
You're doing something wrong? Why not?

Speaker 24 (01:37:34):
I mean, and again will at work, time will tell,
But you gotta like, you know the possibility here those
guys sitting a bunch of home runs the left, and.

Speaker 4 (01:37:41):
I think there were a lot of people that were
very concerned about whether or not they were going to
figure out the first base spot.

Speaker 24 (01:37:48):
Yes, think I just the biggest thing I had was
a cyber relief that I don't have to watch John Singleton.
And I love John and good guy. Yes, absolutely, he
he did his best last year. He gave you some moments, but.

Speaker 7 (01:37:59):
That was kind of Now.

Speaker 24 (01:38:00):
Look, if they want to keep him as a bench
guy and bounce him back and forth from Triple A
to Big Lee closed, I'm fine with that too.

Speaker 4 (01:38:06):
But I just it's hard to carry a first baseman
only left handed stick and he can't and he can't
be a pincher runner.

Speaker 1 (01:38:13):
You know, you're not put him in the outfield. There's
no versatility.

Speaker 24 (01:38:16):
Yes, if they think he is worth if he has
a nice spring and they want to keep hims the
backup first baseman, fine, but you've got a lot of
flexibility though now because Paradis can play first uh, your
DS can play for I mean, you got a lot
of roster flexibility.

Speaker 4 (01:38:30):
All right, So let's take some phone calls. People want
to talk about the deal today. And the number one
thing I keep seeing on Twitter is, Okay, this infields awesome,
but how are you going to justify this outfield one
step at a time? I think it's what the astlers
are probably trying to tell you, folks. Let's go to
Steven Huffman on seven Unty High.

Speaker 8 (01:38:46):
Steve, Hey, how you doing man?

Speaker 7 (01:38:49):
Good?

Speaker 8 (01:38:51):
Hey?

Speaker 25 (01:38:52):
You just you just stow my thune there and now.
And by the way, I just want to say one
thing about Jim Cray. I've been one that's disagreed with
the way he does contra, but not this time. I
think Bregman isn't going to get any better of a
deal than Jim Crane's offered him, given what's happening.

Speaker 7 (01:39:07):
He's the thirty.

Speaker 25 (01:39:09):
He had surgery in the offseason on the elbow. He
had to miss some time because the rest of that arm,
and I don't know the other teams are going to
go any better than what Jim's giving him.

Speaker 8 (01:39:20):
But anyway, I'm fine with Paridi's. My brother in law
is a big Cup fan in.

Speaker 25 (01:39:24):
Chicago and they hated to see him go up there. Now,
the guy has a lot of upsize the younger player,
Christian Walker.

Speaker 7 (01:39:32):
I mean there's no question.

Speaker 8 (01:39:34):
I mean he's played really well the.

Speaker 7 (01:39:35):
Last few years.

Speaker 8 (01:39:37):
I think we've sealed up the infield, But please.

Speaker 25 (01:39:40):
Tell me we're not going to start the outfield and
McCormick and Myers and Dubon. That would just kind of
dilute things a little bit. And what I wanted to
ask is this other player I can't remember his name
in the cub deal. He's a top ten prospect. I
think he's a third baseman. But think they could convert

(01:40:01):
this guy to outfield?

Speaker 1 (01:40:03):
Uh help me, who you're talking about? The third basement.
They just got the number one, right, Yeah, Yeah, Cam Smith,
you know Caam Smith.

Speaker 8 (01:40:14):
That's a guy's name.

Speaker 25 (01:40:15):
Yeah, Helen hit or hell of an athlete.

Speaker 1 (01:40:18):
I just wonder if they could convert him to the outfield.

Speaker 24 (01:40:21):
Dana Brown mentioned that on the conference call last Friday
when he talked with the media on this trade. He said, yeah,
he's a first he's a third base prospect, but we
think he could play some first, he could play some
right field, So I wouldn't be surprised if, you know,
he starts the year maybe with the Space Cowboys and
they play him a little bit, right, yep.

Speaker 1 (01:40:39):
I mean that's it's a good sign. I mean, they
they're not there. You have to understand, Steve.

Speaker 4 (01:40:43):
You know that they're not overly comfortable with the outfield
that is currently put together out there, whether they improve
it or not by but.

Speaker 1 (01:40:52):
They're not foolish on this. They they know that's going
to be the first one they've got to attack.

Speaker 4 (01:40:55):
But ultimately, you know, anybody that thinks they could go
fill well first, third and the outfield with legitimate, everyday,
unbelievable starters in one off season, that's a bit much
to ask. And that's why I think it's a slow process.
On this, but to get the corner infields positions taken
care of for the foreseeable future.

Speaker 1 (01:41:15):
I think it was a lot of work done in
one off season.

Speaker 7 (01:41:19):
Yeah.

Speaker 25 (01:41:19):
Well, Jim, if you're listening out there, I apologize for
being impatient.

Speaker 1 (01:41:23):
Wanting to get Mickey Man and Roger Merris and everybody.

Speaker 25 (01:41:26):
But yeah, I know if you were sitting here now,
Jimmy look at me and say you gotta be patient.

Speaker 7 (01:41:31):
Steve, I know what I'm doing.

Speaker 4 (01:41:33):
Yeah, he called you, Steve too. Thank you for the
phone call, Steve. Let's go to Brian in Paarland at
twelve twenty seven.

Speaker 1 (01:41:38):
Hi, Brian, Hey, guys, Matt, I like this deal.

Speaker 16 (01:41:42):
I mean, I know we all everybody wanted Bregman there.
We all want him, good dude, part of the core,
won two titles with him.

Speaker 8 (01:41:49):
But you gave him one of.

Speaker 26 (01:41:50):
The largest contracts in Astro's history. And he said yeah, thanks,
but no thanks, or sat on it and just waited
and waited.

Speaker 8 (01:41:58):
So I like this deal.

Speaker 1 (01:42:00):
Like you said, you're not tied up long term.

Speaker 26 (01:42:03):
You're out of the bread you deal after this year
on the Montero deal in Presley, so three four year
contracts if it doesn't work out, you're not tied in
for forever, so you're looking forward to let's go.

Speaker 8 (01:42:15):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:42:15):
I mean that's all you can say at this point again,
because I don't think you would have liked the Astros.

Speaker 1 (01:42:21):
And look, I don't mean to.

Speaker 4 (01:42:22):
Dog on John Singleton because he's you know, he's done
a lot of things to get back to it to
playing a major league baseball. But John Singleton's not an
everyday baseball player. I don't I would never want him
hitting lefties under any circumstance.

Speaker 1 (01:42:33):
I just wouldn't. And now you don't worry about that.

Speaker 24 (01:42:36):
And just to throw out there, I know Santander was
a name that was thrown out there. Apparently he's looking
for a big money deal, so I maybe they're probably
out on him, but I'm just looking like some of
the other free agents.

Speaker 1 (01:42:47):
Jason Hayward had a nice little stint here. I mean,
I've heard nothing about him. I don't know anything, but like,
if you can get.

Speaker 24 (01:42:52):
Him on a one year, cheap old deal, I'd maybe
throw him into the mix and then some of the
other names.

Speaker 4 (01:42:55):
Out there, and he would be basically a fourth outfit
that you would put in your left field road making
But I'm just that's what I'm thinking.

Speaker 1 (01:43:01):
Like a guy on a one year deal.

Speaker 24 (01:43:03):
I'm just gonna throw these names out there, went Maryfield,
Adam Duval, Manuel, Margo, Randall, Gritchik Like these are just guys.

Speaker 1 (01:43:11):
I don't know what they're looking for.

Speaker 24 (01:43:12):
But if you can get one of those guys on
a one year deal and just go hey thirty and
right field, I take any of those guys.

Speaker 1 (01:43:18):
Yeah, this is interesting.

Speaker 4 (01:43:20):
I did not anticipate this happening because I, you know,
having Chandler in studio with this Yesterday's like, man, don't
completely sleep on aeronauto. I think we can sleep on
aeronaudo now that the quarter infield spots have been taken
care of. Twelve twenty eight Sports Talk seventy. If you
want to get in seven one three two one two
five seven ninety seven one three two one two five

(01:43:40):
seven nine zero will check in in Kansas City in
twenty minutes. Something also happening here on New Year's Eve
inside inn RG Stadium.

Speaker 24 (01:43:50):
Speaking of at RG Stadium, Yes, we have got the
Texas poll coming up New Year's Eve, two thirty Central.

Speaker 1 (01:43:55):
Where are my LSU fans out there?

Speaker 4 (01:43:57):
All right?

Speaker 1 (01:43:57):
Well, maybe not LSU fan. Maybe you're a Baylor fan.

Speaker 24 (01:44:00):
Baylor Bear fans, A lot of those in the area,
my mother in law, but Baylor Bear fan. You can
get out there to the twenty twenty four Kinders Texas
bull It's LSU and Baylor battling it out on the
grid Iron and Energy Stadium.

Speaker 1 (01:44:11):
Tickets are on sale now.

Speaker 24 (01:44:13):
I know Baylor and LSU both sold out their initial allotments,
but there were still tickets available. Plenty of tickets available.
Head to Kinders Texas Bowl dot com right now for tickets, sweets,
group opportunities and more.

Speaker 1 (01:44:23):
Again, tickets going fast. Don't miss this opportunity.

Speaker 24 (01:44:26):
Visit Kinders Texas Bolts K and d E r S
Texas Bowl dot com.

Speaker 2 (01:44:32):
Matt Thomas, Ross Verel It's the Matt Thomas Show with
Ross Hi Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 7 (01:44:43):
All Right, the big.

Speaker 4 (01:44:44):
News today not concerning in the Texans or the Rockets
they're in season. It is a Christian Walker apparently is
going to sign a three year deal with the Astros
for sixty million dollars and a lot of folks on
Twitter like, is this a Jose Bray you two point zero?
First of all, Christian Walker didn't have a significant drop
off in the last couple of months of his previous

(01:45:06):
career with the Diamondbacks. Second of all, is an excellent
defensive player, Gold Glove winner thirty. I think he's even
younger at thirty three than when a Bray he was
when he came here. And Fourth, I don't know. I mean,
I would hope not I would. I would say, let
me tell you if he is Jose A Bray or
two point zero. We're in a really tough spot here

(01:45:27):
for Jim Crane and anybody with the Astros wanting to
spend money on free and say this this kind of
has to work. But as I brought up a moment
ago on Twitter, this to me is as team friendly
as it gets because the Astros have said.

Speaker 1 (01:45:38):
We will pay average annual value. We're just not paying
super long term deals.

Speaker 4 (01:45:42):
If you want to comment on the Astros corner infield
spots being completely different in next year as compared to
what it is right now seven one three two one
two five seven ninety seven one three two one two
five seven ninety Islach Predes is your new third baseman.
Christian Walker is your new first baseman, and something that

(01:46:04):
my partner, Ross philar Reale did before he left for
his is it Far East or Far West adventure? Always
I get the geography mixed up, maybe a little bit
of both when he was gone for like two and
a half weeks.

Speaker 1 (01:46:16):
Now he's in New Orleans and he's just in a
big Easy.

Speaker 7 (01:46:18):
Now.

Speaker 1 (01:46:18):
I don't know what he need, just to call that
the Big Easy.

Speaker 4 (01:46:20):
He has something prepared just in case he would not
be on the air if Alex Bregman was to move
on from the Astros. Now he is not signed with
a team at this point. But the Astros had moved on,
they went and try to get an Nolan Aaron ot
allway from the Cardinals.

Speaker 1 (01:46:34):
That did not work.

Speaker 4 (01:46:36):
They've got a new third basement and now today a
new first basement. So I present to you Ross from
just a few weeks ago to Alex Sprigman, because he
is not going to sign here now, the only question
will be is will he sign somewhere while mister Villarreale
is away from this country.

Speaker 9 (01:46:56):
Alex Alex, Alex F. Bregman, We really appreciate you as
a representative of the new era of Houston Astros baseball

(01:47:16):
where we didn't have to watch bull Porter bumble through
double switches where we didn't have to watch Brad Mills
just call everyone special when they were replacement level, to
where you finally got some national recognition. You Carlos Correa, Dallas,
Kayko Lynz, mcculler's junior, Jose Altuve, the foundation.

Speaker 1 (01:47:39):
Of the New Houston Astros.

Speaker 9 (01:47:41):
We will always remember how you could hit forty home
runs when there was a juice ball at least. We
will always remember you calling Trevor Bauer Tyler and being
brash and young and setting the edge and having an
attitude about the New Houston Astros and all the great
times you've given us and all the great plays over

(01:48:02):
there at the hot corner.

Speaker 4 (01:48:06):
Go ahead, of Del Thank you. I didn't realize Rossk
is so emotional. Sometimes you didn't know about Christian Walker,

(01:48:30):
did a.

Speaker 27 (01:48:30):
Two time All Start, sometimes Gold Glover, sometimes Crawford box shots.
Sure you couldn't hit home runs over four hundred feet,
but they still went out, and we appreciate you for that.

Speaker 1 (01:48:43):
An all time Astro.

Speaker 9 (01:48:44):
Great Well, welcome back, Welcome you back for your orange
jacket to be in the Astros Hall of Fame. Go ahead,
and as Marshaun Lynch.

Speaker 6 (01:48:52):
Would say, get your chicken, and we appreciate you, and
we won't be rooting for you as you play for inserteen,
but we'll always love you and respect you and remember
the greatness of Alex F.

Speaker 1 (01:49:07):
Bregman.

Speaker 4 (01:49:11):
All right, So if any of you want to say
you're goodbyes to Bregman, whether he knows he's living or
not he knew, I mean, come on call in and
let Connor give you if you have a song you
want to put behind your farewell.

Speaker 1 (01:49:25):
We've never mixed callers and music.

Speaker 4 (01:49:27):
Together in the history of the show Connor, but today
maybe a first seven one three two one two five
seven ninety seven one three two one two five seven nineties.
So if you want to say goodbye to Breggs and
with a song behind it, let us know what that is.
Seven one three two one two five seven nine zero.
Let's go back on the phones and talk to some folks.
We say hello to Glenn on seven ninety Glenn, thanks

(01:49:50):
for waiting, good afternoon.

Speaker 1 (01:49:53):
How you doing, guys?

Speaker 28 (01:49:54):
Good good So one I want to know Ross, what
do you do with that?

Speaker 1 (01:49:59):
You say, Jersey, I gave you He's not here. That
was That was him from about a month ago.

Speaker 28 (01:50:05):
Oh okay, okay, Well, I think the Walker's signing is great,
but what about I've never heard like Ben Gammo. Remember
how good he was when he played for US before
he got hurt.

Speaker 1 (01:50:15):
Ben gammele just a guy apparently at this point, that's
all I've heard.

Speaker 28 (01:50:21):
Okay, I thought he did pretty good when he was
with US. I think he got hurt right before the playoffs.

Speaker 7 (01:50:25):
So I mean he was.

Speaker 1 (01:50:26):
I mean I haven't heard.

Speaker 4 (01:50:31):
I mean, thirty two years old, not considered a prospect
short term. He played a little bit for the Mets,
a little bit for the Astros. I I don't know
much about him in terms of he he's part of
the franchise for next year. I mean again, small sample
size was just fine. But I'm trying to look at
his numbers here for the Astros, he batted. Let's see
with the Astros. After he left the Mets, he was batting,

(01:50:57):
and see he played in adding average of this has
gone grade two fifty nine. I mean, he's just fine.

Speaker 28 (01:51:03):
He's just a guy, Oh right, all right, But he
did just some clutch hits for it, that's all. But no,
I'm glad with that that uh Walker's signing. They took
aggressive steps and they didn't want to wake Paranauto and
Bregman just wanted too much money. I mean it's it's uh,
we're all for it.

Speaker 4 (01:51:20):
Yeah, I mean again, the Astros made an offer, and
you can say it was underwhelming. It was a proper,
properly spent. It was too much, too little. I don't
think amazing. Gonn say it's too little because these major
the players want the kind of cash and there was
a president for what Matt Chapman got for the Giants,
and I think he felt he.

Speaker 1 (01:51:36):
Was more than that, and he's, you know, he very well,
maybe we'll get it. He just wasn't going to get
it in Houston. So the Astros had to go to
plan B.

Speaker 4 (01:51:41):
Plan B was Nolan Aeronado, they said, Nolan aeronaut was
said things, but no thanks. So Plan C was go
get a legitimate first baseman, put parades at third base
all along in case you lost him, and now you've
got your corner in field set with a lot of
power to left field.

Speaker 1 (01:51:57):
Twelve forty one on Sports Talk said on.

Speaker 4 (01:51:59):
He again, if you want Ian to join us the
next hour and change, we've got doctor Roto coming up
in about twenty minutes.

Speaker 1 (01:52:03):
We have a check in in Kansas City.

Speaker 4 (01:52:05):
But if you want to say you're farewell to Alex Pregnant,
because this would be the sign that he is leaving,
let us know what you want to say and what
song you wanted to play behind you? Is you wish
farewell to our one of our favorite all time players
in Astro's history. Seven one three, two one two five
seven ninety seven one three two one two five seven nine.
If you want to visit with us on Twitter, you

(01:52:25):
may do that as well. It's at Sports Sports Empty
and at Connor d m. Govern Affordable Tree Service knows
that your trees do not like the potentially chilli weather.

Speaker 1 (01:52:38):
Coming up Ice could be a possibility. Hopefully it's not.

Speaker 4 (01:52:42):
Rain and wind could certainly do a lot of damage
to your trees. And that's why if you've not visited
with Martin Spoon Moore an Affordable Tree Service right now,
I simply ask you what you're waiting for. Have them
come by while you're off during these holidays at seven
one three six nine ninety two sixty sixty three and
get your trees evaluated to give them the best chance
to live during the harsh winning that we're about to
go through. If you've not had your trees deep root fed,

(01:53:05):
or your trees pruned or generally evaluated for health, now's
the time to call Martin at Affordable Tree Service seven
one three six nine nine two six sixty three. That's
seven one three, six nine nine two six sixty three
seven to one three six nine nine two six sixty three.
Get those trees looked at so they're best for the
upcoming spring with Affordable Tree Service. Matt Thomas, we'd like

(01:53:29):
to thank his parents for only giving him two first names,
because who would listen to Billy Ray Thomas talk about
Houston sports the.

Speaker 1 (01:53:37):
Matt Thomas Show on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 4 (01:53:46):
We appreciate our next guest showing a little flexibility with
the Christian Walker's signing with the Astros today.

Speaker 1 (01:53:52):
We had to kind of put that towards the top
of the hour.

Speaker 4 (01:53:54):
The host of the program Sports Radio eight ten WHB
and and that I don't know gets to consume lots
of Q thirty nine barbecue is soaring.

Speaker 1 (01:54:04):
Petro on the show from Kansas City, sarring you a
Q thirty nine guy, I love Q thirty nine.

Speaker 8 (01:54:09):
The Great barbecue. There's listen.

Speaker 29 (01:54:12):
We always say, you know, like fifteen and the sixteen
best barbecues in the world are probably hear in Kansas City.
So you can be tenth best in Kansas City and
still be tenth best in the world. But they're definitely
right up at the top of the list.

Speaker 4 (01:54:21):
I'm gonna tell you something right now. I've been to
your town multiple times in the last few years for volleyball.
Very friendly, love the downtown vibe. The barbecue is amazing,
the casinos are good. You get a little hidden gen there.
And I was just there to watch Houston play Kansas
in college football, my first trip ever to Arrowhead. Needless
to say, didn't know the same buzz as the Chiefs game.

(01:54:42):
I don't know how many other NFL stadiums you've been to,
but do you realize what a gym that facility is.
Even though it's like fifty years old.

Speaker 1 (01:54:49):
It is fifty plus years old.

Speaker 29 (01:54:51):
We do enjoy it, and I think the people and
the fans make it even better than what the stadium is.
But it's probably living out it's fin no years. There's
a lot of talk that they're going to be moving
the football team over to the Kansas side in a
new domed stadium. So that's they got to figure out
are they going to renovate again or are they going
to build a dome stadium. So it's done a great job.

(01:55:13):
It served its purpose. You know, they had only had
I think was it zero playoff wins or one playoff
one playoff win before Patrick Mahomes And it was built
in like nineteen open in like nineteen seventy four. There
was a bit of a drought before pack got there.

Speaker 4 (01:55:27):
So you're telling me that Bill Kenny did not lead
the Chiefs of very many posts and wins. Hmm, okay, no,
no Bill.

Speaker 29 (01:55:33):
Kenny, No, Todd Blackledge. No, I mean like Brady Quinn.
I mean I can go on and on and on
with some of the gems that have starred Tyler Palco.

Speaker 1 (01:55:43):
Oh right, yeah, yeah, yeah, keep going.

Speaker 11 (01:55:46):
Yeah yeah, it's quite a list.

Speaker 7 (01:55:48):
It gets worse from there.

Speaker 1 (01:55:50):
I'll match you with brock Oswater and Davis Mills. Boom.
How about that right there.

Speaker 29 (01:55:55):
I'll see your third round pick Brody Croyle, who didn't
win a game as a starter for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Speaker 1 (01:56:01):
Okay, great guy, great guy, but you.

Speaker 4 (01:56:03):
Win, you win all right, any part of you that
does not want Pat Mahomes to play, or do you
feel like he's got to get in there because of
the fact that if if he was to miss this week,
probably doesn't play in Week eighteen, doesn't play in the
wall the division of the first round game.

Speaker 1 (01:56:17):
It could be too much of a timelowoff between games.

Speaker 29 (01:56:21):
I think usually coaches know more about football than we do. Right,
They usually have a better plan, But I think there
are times that they don't see the trees through the forest.

Speaker 8 (01:56:28):
One.

Speaker 29 (01:56:28):
I think game management's a little bit of it because
they only break down tapes of games and they only
know the games that they've actually managed and coached, so
they don't see twelve games a weekend like a lot
of fans do. So I don't know what their game
management is always the best, And I think sometimes the
hell you know how to push through injuries? When to
push through injuries. Their mindset is if you can't play,
if you can, you know, and Andy Rita said, look,

(01:56:50):
he's got to be able to protect himself. He's got
to be able to avoid some pressure. If he can
do that, he's going to play. That's how we do things.
I think that's just being a little bit too easy
about it, right. It's the mindset you need to have,
and it's maybe the mind that you need to have
with everybody save the quarterback, especially when you've got one
game cushion in the AFC for the one seat, so
you do have a margin of air. And when this

(01:57:11):
guy means so much for your team, he's gonna play.
I think he's in a lot better shape than maybe
it looked like when we came up to the field.
He has said the injuries not here as bad as
when he had two years ago against the Jags in
the playoffs. The fact that he was a full going
practice I think points to that being the case. But
I think it should have been a lot longer discussion,
particularly when you have a Christmas Day game on Wednesday looming.
On the other side of this, I think they should

(01:57:33):
have spent a little more time than they did talking
about maybe sitting in all.

Speaker 4 (01:57:36):
Right sore and Petra with its so from WHB Radio
in Kansas City, Look, we're not watching your team every
week because we're focused on the team here in town.
But there has been a storyline of a lot of
last gasp victories. Block punts doing so off the uprights
one score games on. Granted, you beat the Chiefs beat

(01:57:56):
the Browns by a couple of touchdowns last week.

Speaker 1 (01:57:59):
Do you credit that as they're getting lucky every week?

Speaker 4 (01:58:02):
Or the great teams always find interesting and perhaps sometimes
last second chances to win football games.

Speaker 29 (01:58:09):
I'm a believer. Good football teams find a way to
win close games. Bad football teams find a way to
lose close games. I think there's no doubt that the
Chiefs are really good, and those situations they're comfortable. They've
played in a lot of them, a lot of big games,
a lot of close situations.

Speaker 1 (01:58:21):
They don't will.

Speaker 29 (01:58:22):
They don't usually give you the game the way the
Raiders will by snapping the football into their quarterback shoulder
when he's not ready, or or the Broncos will by
having a guy who can't block it all on the
left side of their protection for field goals, you know.

Speaker 8 (01:58:35):
And the Chiefs were close all.

Speaker 29 (01:58:36):
Day before they finally got to the last one. So
they don't do that because they're a high quality team.
That being said, yeah, they're a little bit lucky this year.
I mean, there's no way around I think they were
probably unlucky last year at this point they were nine
to five and getting ready to lose. Just an absolute
dog of the game that the Raiders on Christmas Day.
I think they were probably unlucky last year. You know,

(01:58:56):
the frowns they were getting last year, they're getting the
kisses this year. They probably should be more in the
neighborhood of a three loss team than a one loss team.
They're very good. I don't think anybody would try to
claim that they're not, but they're not. I mean, I
think it's okay to say they're not the best.

Speaker 7 (01:59:11):
Team in the NFL.

Speaker 29 (01:59:12):
That maybe the Bills are better, a healthy Lions team
is better, the Eagles might be better right now. So
they just have to be the best team on the
field on any given Sunday in the stadium that they're playing.
And last year they managed to do that, and I
think that's going to be the challenge for everyone again
this year.

Speaker 1 (01:59:26):
Can you be better than them that day in the
stadium you're playing it.

Speaker 4 (01:59:30):
We're going to reconnect with soorn here for just a second,
try to get a little bit of a better connections,
probably on our ring, because you guys know, our equipment sucks,
and we loved our company, but this equipment's terrible. Soren
petro whb with us here on Sports Talks Center. Doctor
Roado is going to join us in about seven or
eight minutes. We'll be ready for fantasy football chatter plus
more on the Christian Walker signing coming up in just
a couple of seconds.

Speaker 8 (01:59:49):
Again.

Speaker 4 (01:59:49):
The Texans and Chiefs to play that game tomorrow at
twelve noon, and then the two teams, both the Chiefs
and the Texans, will both be playing on a Christmas
Day as part of that double header. It's coming from
a Casey perspective. They are good teams win the lucky games,
and the Texans certainly been that in the last few years,
all these one score games, especially this past season. So

(02:00:10):
we will once again try to connect here with Soren,
and we'll try that one more time. Sorron, let me
ask you about Travis Kelcey, and the numbers just don't
bear it out. Is he's slowing down? Has the offense
not found him? Is it a combination of both why
his production has dropped off so significantly this year?

Speaker 8 (02:00:27):
Yeah, he's slowing down.

Speaker 29 (02:00:28):
He's been slowing down for probably about five years, maybe
even six years, I can't remember. When the decline started.
But he's such a smart player. They use him in
ways that he can be successful. But I think, you know,
everybody finally gets to a point that you can't really
run at the you know, required rate, and I think
he's getting there. The yards per catcher down, you know,
almost running back level at a little over eight and change.

(02:00:49):
I think there's no doubt in I think it's also
fair to wonder. I mean, if you're going to play
it that into your late you know age, and you're
going to be, you know, a rock star's boyfriend and
be seen all over the globeople are going to question,
you know, is the commitment still there? And I think
it's a fair question. I don't have the answer. I
don't see his workouts. I don't think anybody has the
answer except for Travis Kelcey himself. But there's no doubt

(02:01:11):
he's not the player he once was. They tried to say, oh,
his numbers will be there. They did that for three
or four weeks. You know, they don't say it anymore
because nobody even bothers to ask anymore. Because nobody wonders
it anymore. I think everybody has come to grips with
the fact that he's not the same player he was
and other players he.

Speaker 8 (02:01:25):
Could still be.

Speaker 29 (02:01:25):
You know, he's gone for being a top five wide
receiver to being a pretty good tight end. That's still
a valuable piece for most clubs. It's a valuable piece
for this team, but he's not going to be the
guy that single handley wins games anymore.

Speaker 4 (02:01:37):
Lastly, before I let you run, we appreciate you starting
joining us. The Texans have had a work in progress
all season long at the offensive line. The Chiefs front
four is pretty dominant at times. What has it been
like watching teams with suspect offensive lines going against at
front seven in Kansas City?

Speaker 1 (02:01:54):
And is that a big asset for Casey going into
tomorrow's game?

Speaker 29 (02:01:58):
And I think it's a nightmare for both teams when
their offense turns on the film. I know the Chiefs
are worried about their tackle situation against the edges of
the Texans, and I'm sure the Texans are very worried
about their interior offensive line against Chris Jones. And whatever
numbers you see, you're going to see. The sack numbers
are down this year from last year, but over the
last couple of weeks they've really started picking up, and
that's because Charles the mena Who has come back, and

(02:02:19):
not that it's all Charles the mena Who, but he's
a good player. He's a long six six two hundred
and eighty pound player that can play inside outside, gives
the versatility to Seespagnolo's front that he likes, and it
allows everybody else to kind of settle back into their role.
It gets harder to just double team Chris Jones on
every play. And Chris Jones didn't have any sacks last week,
but he really had a lot of pressures, made his
presence known, set up a couple of turche On Wharton sacks.

(02:02:42):
Carlotis getting back after the quarterback, So what the Texans
are going to see is getting back to being the
best version of their pass rush. Last year, they were
second in the league in sacked and that's more the
unit that they're going to see than where the rankings
are right now. While the Chiefs have taken on some
injuries in a lot of places, they look like they're
going to get Hollywood Brown back as well on the
offensive side, somebody they haven't had since the first preseason game.

(02:03:05):
But defensively. Not only have they got a many who back,
but he's shaken up a little bit of the rust
over the last couple of weeks, and the pass rush
that they will see is the best one that the
Chiefs can throw at him at a point during this year.

Speaker 4 (02:03:16):
Lastly, so in the Texans are using this game as
a measuring stake against who they are against the likes
of the upperational on teams in the AFC. The last
time the Chiefs I think played a super meaningful game
against an appointment went wow, would have to probably be
the Buffalo game. What is the kansasity mode against a
Texans team that I would like to gain some popularity

(02:03:38):
among NFL circles and put themselves in a contendership if
they were to win this football game against the Chiefs.

Speaker 29 (02:03:44):
I don't say it flippantly, and the Chiefs approach isn't
flippant at all, but it's business as usual. I mean,
that's just kind of what they are. It's two time
defending champions with Patrick Mahomes.

Speaker 1 (02:03:54):
I think it's a great game.

Speaker 8 (02:03:54):
CJ.

Speaker 29 (02:03:55):
Stroud to measure himself against Patrick Mahomes. They obviously don't
go against each other, but you know, you've got to
win these head to head games. You want to be
the man, you got to beat the man, a great
Blospher once said back in the day. But I think
the Chiefs know that this is an important one for
them to get to the goal they want, which is
the number one seed. They need two more wins or
a win and a bill's lost along the way to
get there. And I think that's how they view this,

(02:04:17):
and they really want to get it done before they
got to turn around and play a game in five days.
So you know, I think they're used to having the
mark on their back, but they see the Texas as
the team that's definitely one of the up and comers
and is one of the ones that they want to
make a statement against from the standpoint that we're still
the team.

Speaker 7 (02:04:33):
You need to be.

Speaker 29 (02:04:33):
They know every time they lose to somebody, they got
to hear about it for a while. They lost to
the Bengals in a playoff game last year. The Bengals
never shut up about it, and I think it irked them,
and they handle business against the Bengals ever since. I
think they'll have that same kind of mindset against the
Texans here.

Speaker 4 (02:04:47):
Great hearing your voice, Man Sarin, thank you so much
for joining me on my show today. Happy holidays you
and your family, and stay warm though this holiday season
up in case.

Speaker 29 (02:04:56):
Yeah, it's a cool one today. We'll do our best
Mary Christmas. Happy holidays everyone down there.

Speaker 4 (02:05:00):
Thanks very much, Sory sorm Petro whb with us here
on the Matt Thomas Show with Ross.

Speaker 1 (02:05:04):
Doctor Roto is up next final hour of the show.

Speaker 4 (02:05:07):
We're gonna skip non Flora stories today because I want
to get some more Christian Walker chatter going in, So
Roto's till one thirty and then if you want to
get a segment of Christian Walker. That is the big
headline of today, Christian Walker, a new Houston Astro, a
new first baseman that means mister Prettes goes to the
third base and mister Bregnant will be looking for a
new place to play after these decisions were made in

(02:05:29):
the last few days by the Astros. Twelve to fifty
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Speaker 1 (02:06:18):
Lunchtimers. This is the Matt Thomas Show.

Speaker 15 (02:06:35):
Waiver claims have to be made, and I've got.

Speaker 21 (02:06:43):
Trade proposals fly in my way.

Speaker 15 (02:06:48):
My first round pig.

Speaker 7 (02:06:51):
Turn out to be a big flop. I don't know which.

Speaker 15 (02:06:56):
Wide receiver I need to dry up.

Speaker 7 (02:07:02):
Doctor Rohuto, gimme the new who's out.

Speaker 15 (02:07:05):
Really don't know what else you do.

Speaker 18 (02:07:09):
My quarterback keeps getting sacked I've got a bad keith
of fair to see blue.

Speaker 1 (02:07:19):
It is a busy sports day.

Speaker 4 (02:07:21):
Christian Walker signing a contract to be the newest member
of the Houston Astros, will play third base. We'll get
to more of that coming up at the bottom of
the hour, but we're gonna spend the next twenty minutes
getting you ready.

Speaker 1 (02:07:31):
For your playoffs.

Speaker 4 (02:07:32):
Doctor Rolod, this is our What are they call when
something is second to last? Is it penultimate appearance of
the seasons?

Speaker 7 (02:07:37):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (02:07:37):
My god?

Speaker 7 (02:07:38):
Ultimate?

Speaker 4 (02:07:38):
Now next Thursday, lock it in because everybody's off Friday,
so we gotta get you here next Thursday.

Speaker 7 (02:07:43):
So put it down.

Speaker 4 (02:07:44):
No change, nobody's moving anything around. We're with me next
Thursday because it's championship week right now. It's playoffy for
folks in the NFL, and we gotta start.

Speaker 1 (02:07:51):
With first and foremost. The game that will open up.

Speaker 4 (02:07:55):
Well, we had a good open last night between Denver
and the LA Chargers, but Houston and kan't city. If
you have Pat Mahomes or anybody as a skilled position player,
hesitant to put him in there with Mahomes being less
than one hundred percent.

Speaker 8 (02:08:11):
Yeah, I don't think so. Not against the Texans pass defense,
which we both know has been very underwhelming this season.
So yeah, I think Mahomes has been a really great spot.
DeAndre Hopkins, you know I love a revenge narrative MT.
Yeah this is It doesn't get any better than this one.
Keelseason play. But Checko's in play. I think that I'm

(02:08:31):
certainly playing Chiefs for the Texans. Mixing for sure, Nico
for sure. Dalton Schultz great great spot. The Chiefs are
wretched against opposing tight ends. If there was ever a
week that Schultz should probably get ten twelve points, this
should be the week.

Speaker 4 (02:08:46):
All right, Let's get to the second game on Saturday,
Pittsburgh against Baltimore. If Pittsburgh wins, they win the AFC North.
Baltimore is at home, They're very good there, but they
can't beat the Steelers on a regular basis. How do
you see this one sizing up, at least from a
fantasy perspective.

Speaker 8 (02:09:03):
Look, the Steelers have issues. Justin Fields is out and
why is Justin feels interesting because sometimes on a fourth
and one they bring him in and he doesn't running
play and gets gets the one yard. George Pickens is
still out. How do you compete against the Ravens. When
you don't have your best receiver, and the Ravens are
offlip covering receivers, so you're gonna play Van Jefferson and
Calvin Austin. You're not winning with that. The Ravens have

(02:09:24):
a great matchup. I love Derek Henry this week, and
I loves Dave Flowers this week. Stills play a lot
of single high back there and Flowers eatact coveragejump and
you know this time of year, Lamar always plays well.
So give me Lamar, give me Henry, give me Flowers,
give me Mark Andrews. On the other side, maybe Pat Fryarmouth.
But outside of that, I'm not loving it.

Speaker 4 (02:09:43):
All right, we got a changing quarterback in Atlanta. First
of all, were you shocked? Secondly, what do you expect
that on Michael Pennix this week?

Speaker 8 (02:09:50):
Sadly not shocked. I mean, Cousins just looked like he
didn't have much mustard on the football anymore, and he
was making bad reads. And if they wanted a chance
to make the playoffs, they had to make it change
now here. This is really important, Michael Pennix. And I'm
a big Michael Pennock fan. When you're a lefty. The
ball comes off your hand differently, so the receivers have
to like get the timing down. They've got to look

(02:10:12):
the laces travel differently. There's a learning curve right now.
The one thing I get the Giants he may not
have to throw a ton. So I don't really love
most of the skilled players this week. I mean, obviously
I like Jean Robinson, but between London, McLeod Mooney, I
don't think any of these guys are our fantasy winners
this week. I think they're all fine, but I think

(02:10:34):
moving forward, this is what the Falcons needed.

Speaker 7 (02:10:36):
All right.

Speaker 4 (02:10:37):
So let's with that being said, is there anybody you
would push in that's not been playing in recent weeks?
Or do you kind of if you've got a line
of players, you stay with them.

Speaker 8 (02:10:47):
I mean, look, you played Bjeon Robinson, you play Drake London.
Outside of that, I don't really like Mooney, I don't
like McCloud, I don't like Pits for the Giants. You
play elite neighbors, and this is going to be a
very underwhelming, low scoring game. I don't think you this
is not the game that's getting in your Fantasy finals.

Speaker 4 (02:11:01):
Thirty four degrees in Chicago for the Lions and the
Bears de Troy a rare loss that's just their second
of the season. Do they feel better about themselves that
are playing against Chicago who look like a disoriented team
last week in their loss.

Speaker 8 (02:11:17):
Now, this is a game you want for your fantasy playoffs, right,
So Jamir Gibbs is going to get all the tires
he can handle now that Montgomery's out. Sam Laporta is
in a terrific smash spot this week. The Bears have
been terrible against opposing tight ends. Kittle, McBride, Hawkinson all
did a number on them. I don't love Jamison Williams.
I don't love Jared Goff. This week Amal Rossain Brown

(02:11:39):
should be okay but not dynamic for the Bears. I
like DeAndre Swift in a revenge narrative spot. And I
like Dj Moore a lot, and I do like Keenan Allen.
This game is all about Caleb Williams. Caleb Williams been terrible,
he really had He's been terrible. But the Lions don't
have a pass rush anymore. They just lost to Lin McNeil,
They lost Carlton Davis. They don't have Hutchinson. They've got

(02:12:00):
nobody that you saw on opening Day, So I think, really,
if Caleb can play well, the Barretts might shock.

Speaker 4 (02:12:06):
A super intriguing matchup in the NFC East between Philadelphia
and Washington. Do the Commanders need a signature win? Do
they have one in the recent weeks? I mean nine
in five is good, but still not grabbing a lot
of headlines. A victory agains Philadelphie would certainly get them
some postseason attention.

Speaker 8 (02:12:25):
Look, I think they're gonna make the playoffs. They're a
much improved team from last year. They got a great
young quarterback, they got a dynamic number one receiver, Brian
Robbinson has been great. Well what do they need? They
need a better second receiver, right, like a T Higgins
type of guy. That would change this team. I think
they need to have better guys in the defense. And
I think you're gonna see the difference between Philadelphia and

(02:12:47):
Washington come this week. Washington. Look, maybe they're sixty, maybe
they're seven seed, but they're not ready to win a
super Bowl yet, right, They're still missing things. So do
I like Jaydon Daniels? I do? Do I like Robinson? No?
Do I like McLaurin.

Speaker 7 (02:13:00):
I really don't.

Speaker 8 (02:13:00):
I would bet the under in that prop bet all day.
It's like sixty three and a half yards. I don't
think he gets it. I really like Barkley, I like
AJ Brown, and I like Jalen Hurts.

Speaker 4 (02:13:09):
I'm looking at these East Coast teams playing games this week.
The Jets game could have some weather, Buffalo could have
some weather as well. On New England obviously plays in it.
The Rams don't. Are you worried about anybody for La
having troubles playing in East Rutherford even though the Jets
are terrible?

Speaker 8 (02:13:25):
Oh no, no, I think the Rams are gonna a
good week. Firstly, you know, Pookinakua, Cooper Cup gonna be
a lot better than they were last week, especially Cooper Cupp.
Kien Williams is going to see twenty to twenty five touches.
So those three guys are absolute starters. I think this
is more of a Garrett Wilson week than it is
at DeVante Adams week. So, I mean, and Wilson's just
been begging for the football. I mean, there's so much
dysfunction there. Did you see that article empty that Woody

(02:13:48):
Johnson was looking at Madden ratings. When deciding that, I mean,
who does that makes Jerry Jones look like, you know,
a cub scout. This is ridiculous stuff here. So I
think Rogers pads his stats and try to get a
couple of touchdowns because he's at four ninety eight for
his career, so he probably gets to five hundred. But look,
you play Cooper Cup, you play Pookinacua, you play kiro

(02:14:08):
and you played Garrett Wilson, you play DeVante Adams. Maybe
you played Breese Hall because you probably don't have better options.
But he's not a great start, all right?

Speaker 4 (02:14:15):
Minnesota at Seattle are the Vikings giving you fantasy numbers
for a team it's twelve and two.

Speaker 1 (02:14:21):
I mean, I don't know. I don't see enough of them.
So that's so I'm frankly just asking you.

Speaker 4 (02:14:25):
Have they been as much of a point value as
other teams have been with a similar record.

Speaker 8 (02:14:31):
I would say that Sam Darnold, for you probably took
him in drafts because most drafts he was probably a
free agent has been a fantasy MVP, just like Baker
Mayfield has. Jefferson has been solid, not spectacular, Aaron Jones
has been good, t j Hawkinson has been good, and
I think Jordan Andison has been a revelation. This guy's
a legitimate number two receiver in the NFL. So this game,
you know, I always say this is their had to

(02:14:53):
have it games. This could be the had to have
a game of the late slate. Why because Minnesota is
terrible against slot receivers. Well, that's good for Jackson Smith JEGBA.
Minnesota is not great against number one wideouts. We haven't
seen DK Metcalf do something in a while. Kenneth Walker
is expected back, so I mean, I think Geno Smith

(02:15:14):
is in play. Both receivers are in play. Walker's in play.
On the other side, Donold for sure, Aaron Jones, both
receivers and Hockinson. This may be the game that you
need to have, and I would start all my players
in it.

Speaker 4 (02:15:27):
All right, now your turn to get your questions in
for Doctor Roto. It is playoff weekend. If you want
to get your question in, do so now seven one
three two one two five seven ninety seven one three
two one two five seven nine zero Doctor Rodo with
us to the bottom of the hour and then we'll
get back to some more Christian walker as again. He
has signed a new contract apparently reported three years and

(02:15:49):
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Speaker 2 (02:17:24):
Matten Ross return return on Sports Talk seven ninety A
lot of folks want to get in.

Speaker 4 (02:17:30):
Is the semifinals of Fantasy Football next Thursday.

Speaker 1 (02:17:34):
Road will be with us day after Christmas.

Speaker 4 (02:17:38):
Gotta figure this out, Gotta get you a champion here
seven one three two one two five seven ninety seven
to one three two one two five seven ninety Matty
B first s up for doctor roto Go ahead, Maddie B.

Speaker 30 (02:17:50):
Hey, Doc, last year you help me to the ship.
I hope you do it again this year. Are two questions.
First off quarterback Jared Goff, Jordan Love or Tua And
secondly one point PPR. I need a flex Jayden Reid
or Jonathan Taylor.

Speaker 8 (02:18:05):
All right, we're gonna go Love and we're gonna go Taylor.
I don't trust to it all. This week off on
the road against the Bears, not my favorite spot, but
I think Jordan Love is playing really well. The Packers
are gonna score a ton of points in that game,
and Jonathan Taylor just matches up really great against the
Titans defense. Should have had a touchdown last week he
let everybody down. I don't think that happens this week.

Speaker 4 (02:18:25):
Thanks Maddie B. Let's go continue on the phones. Talk
to Kenneth and and clear Lake on seven on me
for doctor Rotal. Go ahead, Kenneth, Hey, Doc.

Speaker 31 (02:18:33):
First of all, thanks for the the suggestion of Derrick
Henry at number ten. You know uh in the draft.
He's obviously worked out really great this year. My question
is for the flex position. My lock starts are Brian
Thomas Junior and Juwan Jennings at wide receiver, Cuba Howard,
and obviously Derrick Henry at the running back position. So

(02:18:55):
for my flex, I have to decide between Drake London
or Garrett Wilson or possibly even Tony Pollard.

Speaker 8 (02:19:04):
Yeah, I'm gonna go with Wilson. I think that they're
gonna feed him this week. I think he was angry
last week on the sideline complaining, and I think that
the Rams don't cover outside receivers particularly well, so I
think this is a Wilson week. I'm worried about Drake London.
I'm worried about Michael Pennox. Maybe he only throws the
ball I don't know, twenty six twenty seven times. It
feels like a running game to me. So I'm gonna

(02:19:25):
go Wilson there, all right.

Speaker 4 (02:19:27):
Got a couple of folks sending me some emails and whatnot.
Which running back into PPR Stevenson or Ford.

Speaker 8 (02:19:34):
Ford all day. I do not like New England at all.
Buffalo is gonna run all over New England all right.

Speaker 4 (02:19:39):
My link neighbors Jacoby Myers Jordan Addison, Which two of
those wide receivers.

Speaker 8 (02:19:45):
I am gonna go neighbors in Addison I am a
Neighbors doesn't score a lot, but he gets about, you know,
fourteen to sixteen fantasy points and Addison in the game,
which I think should explode. I want a part of Addison.

Speaker 4 (02:19:57):
Too, all right, staying with that Addison or Neighbors if
you add Chase and More to the mix, which one
of the four doesn't playing.

Speaker 8 (02:20:04):
I am playing Chase, I'm playing DJ Moore, and I'm
playing Neighbors for sure.

Speaker 1 (02:20:07):
All right, let's go to Mike on seven Hunty for
doctor Ronal.

Speaker 18 (02:20:11):
Hi.

Speaker 1 (02:20:11):
Mike, Hey, doctor Rodal, how are you doing?

Speaker 16 (02:20:14):
Thanks for all you hill Man.

Speaker 32 (02:20:15):
I got Elite, Nabel, Calvin Ridley, Michael Tomas, Julia.

Speaker 8 (02:20:20):
I need two of the three, Jerry go Anthony Rigison.
All right. So I don't I like Richardson? I do.
I like Richardson at home. I think he's going to
have a better week than golf. It's not that GoF
is bad, but you can run on the bear. So
I think this feels like a Jamier gives week for me.
In terms of your receivers, h I'm gonna go Brian

(02:20:41):
Thomas because he has been really good as a rookie,
I mean special. So now it's down to Ridley versus neighbors.
Two bad teams, two bad quarterbacks. Mason Rudolph when he
was in there, he threw the ball a ton to Ridley.
I think that happens again, and to benefit you, Mike
Richardson and Ridley in this same game. If that game
gets high scoring, both those guys should benefit. So I

(02:21:03):
would go with that play.

Speaker 1 (02:21:05):
Burrow or Mayfield, Oh man.

Speaker 8 (02:21:08):
I mean, look, Baker has been fantastic and he's got
a great start, but I never want to be benching
Joe Burrow. I just don't want to do it.

Speaker 4 (02:21:14):
All right, let's see what else is on the Twitter verse. Neighbors,
g Wilson, Bowers or Tyreek Hill. Two of those four
need to start.

Speaker 8 (02:21:25):
I'm not gonna play Tyreek. I know that sounds crazy.
I just don't like the matchup this week. I don't.
Maybe they play a lot of Cover three and Tyreek
that's not what he specializes in. Brock Bowers will be
better this week. Desmond Ritter, we know is historically awful.
Aide McConnell is starting, so I think brock Bauers feels
like he's a great play. I'm gonna go Wow, neighbors
or Wilson, give me neighbors. I mean Atlanta's past defense

(02:21:48):
has been bad, and I you know with Wilson, you
do worry about DeVante Adams, you do worry about Brisol
and the Giants. Who do you worry about? Nobody?

Speaker 1 (02:21:55):
Yep, Golf Stafford or Daniels at the quarterback spot.

Speaker 8 (02:21:58):
Jane Daniels. I think you look king at a guy.
Look if this was a home game for GoF, it's
different on the road and the cold yea when they're
gonna run, Yeah, don't. I don't like Jared on the
road as much.

Speaker 4 (02:22:07):
Greg and levingson for doctor Rotal on seven Aunty go ahead, Greg.

Speaker 25 (02:22:12):
Yeah, Sutton set me back a little bit, but I
need one of the London neighbors or Edison, thank you.

Speaker 8 (02:22:20):
Yeah. Look, I think a lot of people are coming
down for the same three guys, give or take. And
I think it's a neighbor's spot. I mean, look, Brian
Dables clinging on to his job. Neighbors is the best
player the Giants have. They're gonna feed him the football
and what Atlanta does is they allow guys to catch
the football. They don't want him to make big plays.
But they let them catch the football. London. A lot
going on there. I don't think they throw a lot.

(02:22:41):
And as I said before, Addison is good, but there's
a lot of targets there. There's only one neighbors.

Speaker 4 (02:22:46):
All right, Let's go to Ray and Katie on seven
hunting for Doctor Rotal. Hi, Ray, Hey, doctor Rodo. Can
you pick two of these four? Juan Jennings, Jerry Judy,
Jacoby Myers or Hollywood Brown traditional TP.

Speaker 8 (02:23:02):
Yeah. I'm gonna go with the first two. I'm gonna
go with Jennings and Judy. I mean, Jerry, Judy has
been terrific, he really has. And dt R doesn't bother me.
He's gonna I mean, I don't even know if djok
who's gonna play. We don't know if Tilman's gonna play.
We know Judy's gonna play. We know that Cincinnati's defense
is bad. Jennings matches up really well against Miami's zone.
He's the guy who should have a big week. I
don't trust Myers. I mean, Myers is fine, but I

(02:23:24):
don't trust him. I think I'm gonna go with Jennings
and Judy.

Speaker 4 (02:23:26):
All right, let's go to Jason and Katie Jason, you're
on seven any good afternoon.

Speaker 14 (02:23:32):
Hey, doctor Da thanks a lot too, Uh, windk Metcalf,
Flowers or McMillan and a flex Hubbard Grendo or Kendra Miller.

Speaker 8 (02:23:44):
All right, I'm gonna go Cuba Hubbard for what I
like to call flop flag means that he flopped last week.
But I don't think he's gonna flop this week against Arizona.
I'm playing Cuba, I'm playing Z eight Flowers, and I
do think. Look, McMillan has been a good story. He
has been, but is he better than Dk Metcalf. This
feels like a game where if if Seattle wants to win,
Netcalf has to be involved. So I'm going to take

(02:24:04):
DK Metcalf in Cuba and Flowers.

Speaker 4 (02:24:07):
All right, Let's continue Scott and river Oaks for doctor Rodal.
But and they're coming in fast and furious for your roadal.
Go ahead, Scott.

Speaker 8 (02:24:13):
Hey, doctor Roto, I asked you this once before. This
is part of the reason my team is said good.
It's I've struggled with this position all year. Two good options,
Burrow or Daniels. Yeah, give me Joe Burrow. So listen,
Cleveland allows the most explosive plays in the league. They
play the most man coverage in the league, and you've
got Jamar, Chase and t Higgins who dominate man coverage,

(02:24:34):
and Cincinnati still has an outside chance to make the playoffs.
Joe Burrow three hundred yards, three touchdowns.

Speaker 1 (02:24:39):
Okay, and we go to Tony and Richmond on seven
ninety Hi Tony.

Speaker 32 (02:24:44):
Hey guys, So I'm gonna preface my question with the
guy I'm playing against, test Justin Jefferson. I normally would
not ask this, but the Steelers usually clamp down on Lamar.
Would you go with Lamar Jackson or Sam Donold this weekend?

Speaker 8 (02:24:57):
Lamar Jackson, the Ravens are supposed to score three to touchdowns.
Lamar always played this is when he won his MVP
last year. Lamar wasn't an MVP player all year, but
all of a sudden in December, he looked like the
next greatest quarterback of all time. I'm going with Lamar.
Ravens won this game.

Speaker 4 (02:25:11):
They need this game last one Standard League. Patrick Mahomes
or Jared Goff this week?

Speaker 8 (02:25:16):
Patrick Mahomes all day.

Speaker 4 (02:25:19):
You sound like that's gonna be a confident Kansas City
victory over Houston. Are you calling that shot too? Yeah,
I can, It's okay.

Speaker 8 (02:25:26):
I don't care, Yeah, I do care. I mean people
are Texans fans. I think it's going to be a
good game, But I don't want to be going up
against Mahomes in Kansas City. If you breathe on him,
they're pulling up the flag.

Speaker 4 (02:25:38):
That's him from a national perspective. Right there, ladies and gentlemen.
For the second to last time this season, Doctor Rohto's
gonna give you one player that's going to win you
some serious points in your playoff.

Speaker 1 (02:25:47):
It's Doctor Rodo's Lock of the week.

Speaker 8 (02:25:52):
All right, MC, I'm gonna do two things today. First,
I'm going to tell you guys to play Jamiir Gibbs
because he is the ultimate lock this week. He's going
to get twenty to twenty five touches, one hundred and
forty yards, probably one touchdown, maybe two. But here's my
Christmas play. Maybe this guy does nothing, but if he hits,
you can have money for gifts. Ray Davis Ray Davis
from Kentucky, the rookie running back. I think Buffalo wins

(02:26:14):
this game by I don't know, thirty four to ten.
James Cook scores, but Ray Davis that's a guy to
play as well. But Jamier Gibbs is the lock of
the week.

Speaker 1 (02:26:22):
There you go, hit it.

Speaker 7 (02:26:25):
You'm a man.

Speaker 1 (02:26:26):
You're on.

Speaker 4 (02:26:28):
Your pager is going to go off religiously between now
and tomorrow and the weekend. What do we got for
you to find people that they need to get ahold
of you this week?

Speaker 8 (02:26:36):
All right? You find me at d R r ot
O at x you find me at doctor Roto dot com,
and you find me at serious XM Fantasy Sports Radio
eight to ten am Eastern on Saturday. Wishing everybody out
there very merry Christmas.

Speaker 4 (02:26:48):
Same to you and your family, and we'll talk for
the final time this season on Thursday. Thanks again, friend,
all the best time taking Doctor Roto with us here
weekly on Sports Talk seven Hoey. The Astros have a
new first baseman. If you haven't heard about them, you're
gonna hear a couple of us highlights. Next one twenty nine,
It is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross seven one
three two one two five seven ninety seven one three

(02:27:10):
two one two five seven ninety Now today's edition I
Believe or Not would normally be on Christian Walker. But
since we're just running a one man shop here, uh,
I've already picked it out. It's Christmas Vacation, the movie
the greatest Christmas movie of them all?

Speaker 1 (02:27:23):
How well do you know? The movie Win You Surprizes
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Speaker 2 (02:28:34):
The Man Tana Show with Ross continues so on Sports
Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (02:28:44):
Another one on its way.

Speaker 19 (02:28:46):
Christian Worker has taken over Tanser Stadium. There is no
explanation for this. It just goes on and on and on.
It's amazing.

Speaker 7 (02:28:59):
He's not even We're not gonna spile.

Speaker 20 (02:29:01):
This defies all logic. My goodness, stay in that bubble.

Speaker 22 (02:29:06):
And so Montgomery, because the delay was so long, was
scratched and say so long. Christian Walker gave me the shooters.

Speaker 7 (02:29:13):
There they are.

Speaker 8 (02:29:14):
That's his sick.

Speaker 1 (02:29:15):
But it's one nothing.

Speaker 23 (02:29:16):
Diamond Bed for the twenty first time in thirty one games,
a Diamondbacks take of the first lead in the game.

Speaker 1 (02:29:23):
On that solo home run by Christian Walker, He's two
for two.

Speaker 7 (02:29:27):
He's got both their hits.

Speaker 13 (02:29:29):
O man up above the bell, the four seed fastball
and he slabbered at the left field.