Rockets Win 3rd Straight! Ryan Hollins Joins The Show, "D" of The Year Winner!

Rockets Win 3rd Straight! Ryan Hollins Joins The Show, "D" of The Year Winner! 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Ten one an Age Town.

Speaker 3 (00:09):
Good morning, and welcome to a Tuesday edition of The
Matt Thomas Show at Ross No Ross. It's Ryan Hollins
on Sports Talk seven ninety Locket twin Final Score Houston

(00:29):
on twenty six.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Indiana one nineteen.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
You're saying, well, why are you playing pink houses?

Speaker 4 (00:40):
Wow?

Speaker 3 (00:40):
That's because the great John Mellencampus from Indiana on.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
The television call.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
Craig Ackerman and Vanessa Richon is from Indiana, and Ryan
Hollins is from Southern California.

Speaker 2 (00:52):
RHYANO, good morning to you.

Speaker 5 (00:54):
Good morning, Matte. Let's go home, brother.

Speaker 6 (00:58):
Man.

Speaker 3 (00:58):
It's good to hear your voice. I only saw you
like hours ago.

Speaker 6 (01:01):
Listen, man, I could hear your place every day, Matt.
I know you could wait to wake up.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
That's not the way to know.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
Well, the only one person I'll forget it r Ryan's
gonna hang out with us for a couple of hours.
He is from the Ryan Hollins Celebrity Studios and we
look forward to hanging out with him today. We will
also have today gut Fillings at twelve thirty, and he
made Doka's gonna be bout one o'clock for our little
visit as weekly conversation. Rockets last night took care of
the Pacers in a game that, frankly, the box score

(01:29):
there's some ugly parts of that box score. First of all,
Rhino first, the turnovers obnoxious. Number two, the Pacers, who
were the worst shooting three point team in the association,
comes in and hits a bunch of them last night.
And the seven point game was not truly indicative of
what it could have been when the Rockets were up
by twenty plus for most of the game.

Speaker 5 (01:48):
Yeah, no, Listen, honestly, nothing surprised me. And here's the
thing for the Rockets, and I'm glad that they're back
to defending at a high level. Thank you getting back Dorian,
Finny Smith, Tarry Easan. That is a huge, huge part
of it with their versatility in size and mindset. But

(02:09):
you know, Matt, I'm sure there's a point in that
game where the Pacers went on a flurry.

Speaker 6 (02:13):
You're going, this.

Speaker 5 (02:14):
Might not be a Sacramento game at home or a
Pelican's you know game at home, but the level of
respect is there, and that's what you saw from a
group that kind of like buckled back in and didn't
take it for granted.

Speaker 6 (02:27):
Last night.

Speaker 3 (02:29):
Well, you know, the Pacers are terrible. They're injury riddled.
Tyrese Haliburton was a final half away from winning a
championship and now he's not gonna play this year. They
have been beset by numerous injuries and that will include Ryan.
Our Indiana Pacers breakdown for the season. More importantly, and
I had Kevin Durant on the post game show yesterday,
and you guys have had a chance to visit with
him a lot, and we got him yesterday on the

(02:49):
radio side. I didn't know much about him except I
hated him for obviously, for all the reasons, whether he
was Golden Stain or Oklahoma City or Brooklyn. I only
did was score, and did was defended. And all he
did was become one of the best best big shooters
of all times six ten and above. I mean, what
do you put him in primenal wise? I mean top
five and six guys take sixten and above pretty much. Yeah,

(03:12):
I mean, so all he does is go to the
elbows last night and I said, man, when you retire,
And I wasn't trying to kiss his ass but it
probably came across that way.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
He hits every one of them.

Speaker 3 (03:25):
I mean, his success rate at the elbows has got
to be about ninety percent, give or take right.

Speaker 6 (03:30):
It's crazy, he's that good.

Speaker 5 (03:32):
And Matt, I think the one thing that we're looking
at in AWE is not just that he scores, but
the efficiency in which he scores. That's that's what sets
Kevin apart, is that he doesn't you know, a lot
of scores. You know, I played with a lot of
guys who could score.

Speaker 6 (03:51):
It takes time.

Speaker 5 (03:52):
They're normally those are valume shots that we see going
up and not with Kevin.

Speaker 3 (03:59):
Unbelievab He's missed a thirty point guy he's ninety forty
and it's gonna be fifty forty ninety a guy at
thirty seven years of age. And the crazy thing about
it was yesterday when I was talking to email about
this for the game, is that you know, you think
about all the minutes that he plays, and he's top
ten minutes. But it's all about taking the right steps.

(04:20):
When he plays, he kind of camps out at the
top of the key or the three point line, makes
his two or three steps to the elbows and again,
he can drive the lamp for the lamp line too,
but primarily he's in that mid range area. So it's
not like he's wasting He's so smart. He's played so long.
He conserves every step possible. That's why he's able to
play as many minutes as he has.

Speaker 5 (04:39):
It's it's it's a bit of old man basketball at
this point.

Speaker 6 (04:43):
You know, he can mix from the top of the key.

Speaker 5 (04:45):
But like there are some of those moments where he's,
like you said, he's not wasting energy. He puts his
back on a defender, throws that one leg up and
shoots right over you. Like he prides himself on efficiency,
and I think that's the that's the that's the really
cool thing, because you look at a box score and
you go, it didn't take you thirty shots to get

(05:05):
thirty points. And I know sometimes for a guy or
a player, you know you can hit a headline with
that and you know say, oh man, you know you
have thirty points. Kevin Durant doesn't just want thirty. He
wants an efficient thirty. And even more so, Matt, I
don't know how you feel about this. When I watch
Kevin's approach to the game. It looks completely different when

(05:26):
Alprin's out there versus not being out there, and you
see him, it's like this understanding that I'm not wasting
any possessions. I don't want to say hunting shots, but
he's more aggressive when the shots do come to him
than not.

Speaker 3 (05:39):
Yeah, and the fact is we've seen the teams back
off on the double teams, not because necessarily because Kevin
wins at that. It's because Jabari Smith's knocking down shots.
I mean, Thompson doing his thing. And think about this, Ryan,
the Rockets are one of these games. Alprin shan Gun
is resting a sore leg or whatever he's got going
on right now, and they're still winning basketball.

Speaker 7 (06:00):
Now.

Speaker 3 (06:00):
Granted, Indiana is terrible. Cleveland's been a little bit of disappointment.
You got Brooklyn coming up, which is not great, but
you know, you kind of have to do what's in
front of you, and that's beat the teams that are
directly in your schedule. It was a really strange road trip, though,
when you're not saying with the fact that you beat
Denver in their building, you beat the Lakers on Christmas Day,
and yet those three losses against Sacramento New Orleans and

(06:23):
the Clippers kind of haunt you a little bit.

Speaker 6 (06:26):
Yeah, Matt, I don't think we had that on the
Bengo card.

Speaker 5 (06:28):
It was it was a surprising trip, and you know
what I kind of see as a former player, and
we go, you know, knowing that we had a long
road trip out, you know, you kind of you know,
you throw out, hey, you know, we're looking to win
every game, but if we go four out of six here,
we're not going to be complaining. You know, you're right
on pace, or you'll kind of look at that. But

(06:52):
I think this group is going to have to learn
how to deal with adversity. And what we saw, Matt
is that first game that lost to Denver, and there
are some challenges. Obviously Jokicic's is one of one, and
I think we'll appreciate him later on. But there there's
a lot of energy that was taken away from Zach,

(07:13):
from our group, and that's what you want to be
aware of, is to carry over. And there are some
tough calls, some some that the league you know, went
out and said, you know, weren't weren't the right calls.
But some of those calls came back and it just
it kind of haunted Houston through the trip, and it
looked like they didn't shake it off into the very
last game.

Speaker 6 (07:32):
Obviously.

Speaker 5 (07:32):
If there is one game I wanted to be one
selfishly was the Lakers on Christmas Day, obviously for reasons.
But they've got to learn how to shake those games
off because sometimes there are tough calls from officials, and
again it's that's how you respond.

Speaker 3 (07:47):
And they did. They responded well. They've won three straight
games Brooklyn, a game coming up on New Year's date.
So how many times have you do you remember how
many times you've gone against Kevin in your career when
you're still playing.

Speaker 6 (07:56):
Several times man and their few guys?

Speaker 5 (08:00):
Is that I want to say I feared on a
scouting report because I felt like they were good enough
to beat me. And with the team. When I was
with the Clippers, we played him a lot. We played
him in the playoffs. Obviously. You know on the West
Coast you'd see Kevin multiple times a year. But when
we read the scouting reports, he's seven feet tall, got

(08:22):
to take away the three, got to take away the
mid range. When he drives, he drives and he's efficient,
he gets fouled. You know which way does he drive?
He can go right well, and he can go left well. Like,
the only beat that you get on Kevin is that
I don't even know. I mean, you can't stop him anyways.
I'm sure everybody knows this. But when he gets the
ball in his left hand, that's when the pull up

(08:43):
is coming.

Speaker 6 (08:44):
He's more efficient.

Speaker 7 (08:45):
Now.

Speaker 5 (08:45):
It's not to say that he can't shoot the pull
up going right, because he's a student of the game,
but that's about the only beat that you can get
on him in the scouting report, other than that you're stuck.

Speaker 3 (08:56):
Well, the reality is this The only thing that as
a blemish on his and his ruck, and I mean
he's one of the greatest players of all time, is
he turns the ball over quite a bit. And that's
because a ball handler at six ten is gonna do
that a lot more than a ball hundred six feet tall.
So if there's anything about his game, and that's it,
but everything else has been I mean, he is think
about this right, in the last eleven games, he is

(09:16):
shooting about fifty eight percent from the floor. He's shooting
north of fifty percent from three. He goes the free
throw line, it makes about ninety three percent of his
free throws. We're talking about the last ten games or so,
and he's thirty seven years old or thirty.

Speaker 4 (09:30):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (09:30):
I always lose track how old he is. But point
being there, he isn't what he was ten years ago.
But when that slippitch comes in, let me know what
it is. Because all he's doing right now is waking
up and putting up thirty seven to eight assists, five
or six rebounds, and as you mentioned before, he's incredibly efficient. Look,
we love Jalen Green here in Houston in the last
couple of years, but Jalen would get to his thirty

(09:52):
but I've also taken him like twenty four shots to
get there.

Speaker 5 (09:56):
You know, Madam Will let you brought that up because
you when you speak about Kevin's longevity and fair enough.
Tell me if I'm wrong when we would discussed Michael
and Kobe and Lebron. He deserves to be in these conversations. Yeah,
Am I crazy for saying this?

Speaker 3 (10:12):
No, he's in the conversations. You know again, you have
so many great players that you just can't it's impossible
to narrow it down. For instance, if you're really gonna
narrow it. It's basically Wilt, Kareem Russell's a defensive player,
Michael and Lebron. I mean, there really is the maybe

(10:35):
indisputable five. I mean I don't know. Again, everything is disputable,
I guess in life. But when you get the six
to say six to twelve, there's arguments about a Keeam.
There's Tim Duncan, There's Kobe Bryant, there is Kevin Durant.
There are players that you and I never saw play,
you know, like elgend Baylor. I mean, you tell me again,

(10:57):
when you have such a large league with seventy eighty
years of existence, it's hard to narrow it down.

Speaker 2 (11:04):
It just is.

Speaker 5 (11:05):
And the reason that I say that is because Kevin's
in a unique space where he can kind of carve
out his own destiny. And the reason I say that
is because he's looked at this group and Kevin's so
so intelligent man, and he's been able to kind of
sit back and say less is more and how can

(11:28):
I efficiently, you know, push my career out, how can
I get the most bang from my buck? And in
my opinion, that's the most impressive thing.

Speaker 6 (11:38):
And tell me, if I'm wrong, Matt.

Speaker 5 (11:40):
The way that he's able to do this is he
looked at our group.

Speaker 6 (11:43):
And said, man and men, Tim's got a ton of energy.

Speaker 5 (11:47):
If he's getting in the paint and making the plays
that he's making, I can I can play a couple
more years at that pace because now I'm getting some
spot of jumpers.

Speaker 6 (11:56):
You know, he with no outprint.

Speaker 5 (11:57):
We're seeing him work hard for his shots, but he's going, man,
probably I'm not gonna have to work as hard for
these shots anymore because we got this young, hungry group
that's attacking, you know. And and again there's different mindsets
that he attacks the game with. Yeah, and you know,
in fairness, as I compare it to you know, the
Kobe Bryants or the Jordans of the world, those guys

(12:21):
didn't turn it off, turn it off, you know, man,
Like when Kobe was was older, he still was getting
those same shots up. He didn't he didn't take lesser
of a role necessarily. Where Kevin said, hey, right, I'm
gonna play my part correct and and and I'm gonna
let these guys roll, and I'm gonna let Alp get
shots and and and all of these guys and then

(12:44):
you know what, like, I'll be ready to go.

Speaker 2 (12:46):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (12:46):
Yeah, I think obviously what Kevin's got surrounding him as
much better than when Kobe had his last few years
with Los Angeles. All right, that is our friend Ryan
Hollins with Space City and the Rockets. We're gonna talk
about a lot of basketball. We also got to get
some football in Bjeon Robinson, Ryan, all I needed to
do is go for three carries and four yards before
turning an ankle. Instead, he ripped off a ninety one

(13:07):
yard touchdown. I lost my fantasy football championship. I got
squashed in the finals.

Speaker 2 (13:12):
Bjon Robinson.

Speaker 5 (13:13):
Wow, that's a tough one. That's a tough one. Shit, dude,
I won a fantasy championship. It was some years ago
with a forty nine er interception. How about that? How
about that?

Speaker 3 (13:24):
I don't care about your personal success. I want to
talk about my personal failure. That's I mean, this is
what the show's about, right, Come on, now.

Speaker 6 (13:30):
You're still sticking too soon?

Speaker 7 (13:32):
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (13:32):
So, yeah, I don't care.

Speaker 3 (13:33):
I don't want to hear about your lovely stories about winning.
By the way, your niners, are they feeling better that
the Rams lost last night?

Speaker 5 (13:40):
Yeah? Yeah, no, absolutely, And I think for the forty
nine ers, man, like they're playing with house money right now.
There's no you know, with all their injuries. This is
just a feel good season right now that you're looking at.

Speaker 3 (13:54):
How did you, by the way, how did you, as
a cow kid, southern California kid, become a Niner fan?

Speaker 2 (13:59):
I mean mean helped me out?

Speaker 3 (14:02):
Because because the Rams and Raiders were moving out of
town every other year, is that the reason why?

Speaker 6 (14:05):
Well, I'll give you this. I'll give you this.

Speaker 5 (14:08):
When I was growing up, there was a lot of
gang activity in southern California.

Speaker 6 (14:12):
That was a that was a big thing.

Speaker 5 (14:14):
And essentially if you had Raiders paraphernalia you could get
robbed for that. You know, they literally they were starter
jackets were huge. Okay, I'm dating myself for those of
you who remember, and you know, the Raiders weren't just
like a football team like they were like a gang.
So it was like, you're not gonna be a Raider fan, Okay,
I hope you. I hope you know that much at

(14:36):
the end of the day. And honestly too. On top
of that, you know, the forty nine ers were really good.
My father was a huge forty nin er fan, and
I was, you know, one of the things that we did,
we'd watch the games and the forty nine ers when
I was coming of age, they were dominant, man. So
my dad and I just big time forty nine ers fans.

(14:57):
And then the Rams weren't really weren't giving you so
that for that they left to Saint Louis and then
they did that and became good.

Speaker 6 (15:03):
So, uh, you know, for me, that's my forty nine
Ers story.

Speaker 3 (15:07):
You know, well, you're sticking to it. I appreciate that.
I we got a lot to get to day. Besides basketball.
There is a serious injury potentially happening in Denver. We'll
talk about that. The Colts are playing the Texans this
Sunday and they're going to change a quarterback.

Speaker 2 (15:19):
It's interesting.

Speaker 3 (15:20):
And Ryan, somebody turned fifty in sports, one of the
all time sports greats. What will his life be as
a sports personality and athlete once he gets past fifty.
We'll tell you about that as well. Ten eighteen is
our time. Seven one three two one two five seven
ninety If you want to chime in on the conversation.
Seven one three two one two five seven Nintie Ryan

(15:41):
Hollins Matt Thomas.

Speaker 2 (15:42):
With you here on Sports Talk seven NINTI ten twenty four.

Speaker 3 (15:48):
It is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross Rosses Off. Today, Ryan,
you and I will be going to Brooklyn tomorrow. We're
gonna watch the ball drop in a time square, tomrown I.

Speaker 5 (16:00):
You want to got to it's it's a thing.

Speaker 2 (16:02):
That's what we're not doing. That's no, no, no no.

Speaker 6 (16:05):
That's a bucket list activity not happening.

Speaker 3 (16:07):
I'm not doing it.

Speaker 5 (16:08):
No chance, one time in your life, Nope, one time. Nope.

Speaker 2 (16:12):
Come on, let me give you.

Speaker 3 (16:13):
The reasons why upper twenties.

Speaker 5 (16:16):
Okay, cool, well just warm.

Speaker 3 (16:19):
Number two, Uh, you're gonna be in a spot where
there's gonna be hundreds of thousands of people, Okay, and
you're gonna want to get your spot correct.

Speaker 6 (16:29):
Yeah, we'll go early.

Speaker 2 (16:32):
Number three, you gotta go to the bathroom. What are
we gonna do.

Speaker 6 (16:36):
We'll have it.

Speaker 5 (16:37):
We'll map out our our exit plan.

Speaker 2 (16:39):
Do you know people use diapers.

Speaker 5 (16:41):
We're not diapering. No, no, no, no, there's no diaper.
There's no diaper. We're not gonna diaper.

Speaker 3 (16:46):
Matt, what come on, Jonathan, seriously, you have to use
depends because if you get a good spot, you have
to not leave that spot. So we're not gonna eat,
we're not gonna drink, We're not going to go to
the bathroom or not. We're going to be around hundreds
of those thousands of people that are probably going to
probably sold themselves.

Speaker 2 (17:06):
That's what you want, Ryan?

Speaker 5 (17:07):
For New Year's Eve. I listen, everybody at Times Square,
it is not wearing a diaper. Mad.

Speaker 3 (17:17):
Here's what I want y'all to do, Jonathan, Ryan in
me a favor Google diapering on New Year's even Times Square.
I promise you're going to see stories about it.

Speaker 6 (17:27):
Oh my good.

Speaker 3 (17:28):
Somebody typing behind you? What's going I feel like you
got to typing class behind you? Is that you just
typing away on your on your computer?

Speaker 6 (17:34):
Yeah, pull it up? Diapers stop.

Speaker 3 (17:38):
Well, here's what I want you to do. Then, why don't
you live. I'll live vicariously through you. You go down the
time score tomorrow night and video call me and I
can watch the ball with you in my room when
I'm probably half asleep at eleven forty five.

Speaker 6 (17:50):
Oh and see, I would never do anything without you,
all right.

Speaker 3 (17:56):
I just wanted to say I just, I just I
want to see what your thought was on it.

Speaker 5 (18:00):
We're doing something, Matt. You will not be You.

Speaker 3 (18:02):
Can't get a batch to you in New York. We
can't even eat dinner Morrow. Every place in New York
is gonna be totally full. We're gonna to eat our rooms.

Speaker 5 (18:09):
Somebody's gonna have plans. We'll have plans. We'll have something, right.
I don't know what it is. Well, we'll have something,
all right.

Speaker 3 (18:14):
Seven one, three, two five seven. I get some folks
that are gonna call and want to say hi. We'll
talk obviously a lot of NBA.

Speaker 6 (18:19):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (18:20):
Do we know anything about the yokicch injury? I know
he turned his ankle pretty bad last it. Have you
heard anything more this morning about it?

Speaker 5 (18:25):
I haven't heard anything more, but I.

Speaker 2 (18:27):
Was actually need on an ankle. Yeah.

Speaker 5 (18:29):
I will give you my un uh non doctor former
player breakdown that I don't want you to could or
use anywhere.

Speaker 3 (18:38):
Oh, this is an educated guess on your part.

Speaker 5 (18:41):
Uneducated? No, well it is educated because I played my opinion.
I hope there's no structural damage. It looked like a
hyper extension. So when you do those things, they'll check
the tendons make sure nothing gone, nothing's out of place,
And I think very likely it's just a hypertension that
should hyper extension that you'll let that need to have

(19:01):
calmed down. It didn't look like it bent all the
way back.

Speaker 6 (19:04):
You know.

Speaker 5 (19:05):
I didn't check the video if he had to be
helped off the court, but it just looked like someone
bumped into his knee and he wasn't prepared.

Speaker 3 (19:12):
Yeah, it was the cam kid cam Jones, I think
is what it was. It was the one that ran
into him. So by the way I got back up here,
let's talk to Chris on seventy and Chris your ID
with Matt and Ryan.

Speaker 2 (19:21):
Good morning to you, Oh brother, good morning, how are you?

Speaker 7 (19:25):
Man?

Speaker 8 (19:26):
I had to call in. Man, I'm talking to you
on the past. Man, it's I love.

Speaker 7 (19:31):
To show up.

Speaker 8 (19:32):
I love, but I'm not mad on this one. I
got a sister's been up there for about twenty years.
Everything he's saying about these the truth every She's like,
basically it was the worst one of the worst experiences
that she's had in her light sheeting when she first
moved up there. Man, it's most of a lifetime opportunity

(19:57):
did and all this stuff, But she went out there
and she didn't didn't realize that she needed the diaper things.
And he got to the point of where she was
down there, darn there in tears. So the I'm like,
I do I lose my spote or do I feed
myself because I don't have no I don't have no depends.
So oh she she she got smarter about it, and

(20:20):
she lost the spot and now she had to go
to the bathroom.

Speaker 9 (20:23):
Uh huh uh huh uh huh sat.

Speaker 8 (20:26):
There and suffered off her spot didn't He wasn't drinking,
was probably dehydrated, she was cold, she was miserable, broke.
So not my ideal situation I have. And that's not
a happy New Year to me.

Speaker 10 (20:39):
Man.

Speaker 7 (20:40):
You can miss me with that.

Speaker 3 (20:41):
Bro Thank you very much, Chris, I appreciate you the backup.
You hear that, John, you hear that Ryan? Got what
do they make I mean asking you do they make
depends for seven footers?

Speaker 5 (20:50):
I am strongly against all this depends talk. Just so
we're clear, there's no part of me that plans on
doing this depends thing.

Speaker 6 (20:57):
Okay, but Matt, can you take him?

Speaker 3 (21:00):
Can you tinkle?

Speaker 2 (21:00):
Are you a free floor?

Speaker 5 (21:03):
What this bull pig fell a little bit, A little bit,
we'll keep that show. Hey, this is all I'm saying, Matt,
this is all I'm saying. We might not be in
the action, but we could be around the action. So
I believe we're gonna find something to do. I don't
know what it's gonna be, but I you know a
place with the restroom. Okay, that's the fair bit of

(21:25):
a bare mesroom, restroom, some food.

Speaker 2 (21:28):
No, no, no, okay, yeah, we will.

Speaker 3 (21:29):
Whatever we do tomorrow night, it's gonna involve a restroom
very close by. Ten thirty is a time. That's Ryan
hiands on, Matt Thomas, and we were glad to have
you with us. We're with you till two o'clock today.
Ryan's gonna hang out with us until noon. We have
a gut feelings at twelve thirty, the final gut feelings
for the twenty twenty five Countar year, and then at
one o'clock we'll visit with e may Adoka ten thirty one.

Speaker 2 (21:49):
Here on Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 3 (21:50):
Ninety Brian Holland's filling in for Ross for a couple
of hours. All right, so Ryan, the pole question is up?
Should Craig Ryan Vanessa and I go to Times Square
tomorrow night to see the ball drop, even if we
have to wear depends to keep our spot small. But
number of votes are in and again to pull questions

(22:11):
on my Twitter account at sports MT seventy one percent
say yes once in a lifetime.

Speaker 2 (22:16):
Twenty nine percent say no, not worth it.

Speaker 5 (22:22):
Oh my goodness, I can't. So we're clear. I'm out
on the depends. I'm out.

Speaker 3 (22:29):
Okay, whether you're gonna get a terrible spot, then you're
not gonna say anything.

Speaker 6 (22:32):
That's fine.

Speaker 5 (22:33):
But what, Matt, what if there's a building or a
place in view where you can see everything in your.

Speaker 3 (22:38):
Well, I hope you can find it for us, That's
all I'm saying.

Speaker 6 (22:41):
Great, you know, great people watching.

Speaker 3 (22:43):
Yeah, I'm off, look now, Granny. We could also we
could also get into like a bar near the hotels
in Times Square. But my guess is that's gonna cost
us about a thousand dollars just to get in there.

Speaker 2 (22:53):
You don't realize that the racket these the Time Square.

Speaker 3 (22:56):
I mean, people been dying to do this for decades now, Ryan,
you and I were twenty two years old, I'd say
we we could just suck it up and do it
and bring like a little uh water bottle.

Speaker 2 (23:06):
If you will.

Speaker 6 (23:08):
Oh have you done that before?

Speaker 3 (23:10):
Have I brought a water bottle of things? Absolutely? On
a boat? Yeah, it's on a long car drive. You
don't want to stop. Now, some things are going to
be easier done than others. But I'm just saying we'd
have to eat light.

Speaker 5 (23:22):
Hey, I mean listen again, why do Matt is? Why
did I didn't see this coming from you today? You
seem like you were a negative Nancy. It looks like
you were you were looking for the worst possible scenario.

Speaker 3 (23:36):
In this I have not I mean this.

Speaker 2 (23:38):
Put it this way.

Speaker 3 (23:38):
I've not worn a diaper in fifty one years.

Speaker 6 (23:44):
Oh my god.

Speaker 3 (23:46):
All right, let's go to the phones. Rogers with us
on seven thirty nine, Roger, good morning.

Speaker 9 (23:53):
Good morning. That's a lot of the Fens talks or
before forty five, Matt's that's new for it is. So
in regards to the offense, let me just get this clear.
I say this out. We are not better without Alpi.
We've got to have out to get anywhere where we're

(24:14):
going to go. All right, I did see the offense
just a little tick tick more fluid? Should I say
look more, look more nice and fluid and and and
you guys, I like to see Reach Shepherd looking like
a true porn guard and probing and just like a
Domino term. But you know, Kevin Durant, like you like

(24:35):
to got that mentality of a not all money's good
money and likes to spread the buck around. Get everybody going,
and what looked like yesterday? So yeah, I liked it. Uh,
you know, get get Rett soon Altpie and maybe we
can mix and match going moving forward with the offense.
But yeah, I like the way it looks, not saying
because the Alpie was out, but a tick more fluid,

(24:58):
if I can say that. And and Ryan, thanks for
being on the show man, uh giving Calvin a run
for the money with your with your sixty year man.
I like it, love it and keep it moving.

Speaker 5 (25:10):
Thank you.

Speaker 3 (25:10):
Thanks Roger for the phone call. All right, so Ryan,
give us a little basketball one on one here, tell
me how the offense has changed without being one of
the floor for large chunks of time like we've seen
the last couple of games.

Speaker 5 (25:20):
Here's the thing with alp. Yeah, the ball has moved,
but I think what the improvement is coming And this
has nothing to do with ALP.

Speaker 6 (25:28):
But we talked about it earlier.

Speaker 5 (25:29):
Man, you have uh, Finney Smith is back and you
got Tari Easton. So I think the defense has improved
and what that's done is allowed Houston. We talk about
this all the time to get in transition to run.
It takes the pressure off the offense, so the need
to score hasn't been there. And he is spot on that.

(25:50):
That's someone who watches Rocket Basketball, for one, because he recognized, hey,
you know how good of a group that we have,
But even more so, you're gonna need ALP to be
successful down the stretch. Make no mistake, that's a that's
a Matt. Can we say the second or third best
center in the NBA right easy? It's it's Yoki.

Speaker 3 (26:09):
Well, I mean yeah, All Star last year, he's playing
at all star level. This year. He's closer to triple double
numbers has ever been in his point in his career.

Speaker 6 (26:18):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (26:18):
The three point shot has failed him a little bit
as of late, but generally speaking better than it was
last year. Free throws are about the same, defense is about
the same, but moving the ball around obviously, and the
responsibility of bringing the ball up at times has been
on his plate with something he didn't do a whole
lot of last couple of years.

Speaker 5 (26:34):
Yeah, yeah, you know you're right, and and you know
that's the point. So yes, can the ball stick with Alpi? Yes,
as the team is he is he good enough for
the ball to stick with him. Yes, he absolutely is.
And there's moments where you know, and he's gonna have
to grow because he's getting doubled.

Speaker 6 (26:50):
Kevin's getting doubled.

Speaker 5 (26:51):
And you know, you like to see the ball free
flow and get it off, get off, you know, move more.
And in fairness, yes, the ball movement has been excellent
of late, but I think that's a little bit of
the defense.

Speaker 6 (27:03):
You get different guys out there.

Speaker 5 (27:04):
Kevin has been electric and I do you know, it's
funny you say this, Matt, and I want to touch
back on the point that you made that Kevin does
turn the ball over in spans. But I think what's
really huge about Kevin Durant, as we speak about those turnovers,
is that he's a guy that doesn't make the same
mistake twice, right, So he almost gets computes to whatever

(27:25):
defense he sees or the players, and he will make
those adjustments.

Speaker 6 (27:28):
So I think that's really fun to watch a guy that.

Speaker 5 (27:31):
That still goes out to get better because I played
with great players that make the same mistakes against the same.

Speaker 6 (27:36):
People for their whole career.

Speaker 3 (27:38):
Kevin's not what and you want to yell on him,
don't you?

Speaker 6 (27:42):
No, No, I'm not a yeller.

Speaker 10 (27:44):
Man.

Speaker 2 (27:44):
Okay, okay, don't okay, don't tell me who it.

Speaker 6 (27:48):
Is, Matt yell catch out four weeks.

Speaker 3 (27:50):
Yeah, I saw that hypertension when you you know what,
you got that right, by the way, Good for you,
doctor Hollins.

Speaker 5 (27:57):
I appreciate it. You know, I've played long enough. I'm
not a actor a trainer, but I kind of understand
a little bit of everything.

Speaker 3 (28:02):
Yeah, reevaluate in four weeks And the number one thing
that people thought of was, well, first of all, it's
nothing in terms of a serious knee injury, but that
takes if he doesn't play sixty five games, it takes
them out of the all MVP conversation, right.

Speaker 5 (28:21):
And then Shaye runs away with it, Wow, just saying.

Speaker 6 (28:26):
Okay, man, I see you.

Speaker 5 (28:30):
Just wo No, No, you're right, that's a that's a
big thing because right now, am I fair to say
there's no question he's the MVP of the NBA. It's
it's he's putting up video game numbers.

Speaker 3 (28:41):
Well, I put up we do we do a thing
called to tell the truth, and we did this two
weeks ago. I think when it and this may be crazy,
and maybe I'm talking about it because it's recentcy you know,
the recent games we're watching. I think when Nicole retires,
which could be probably eight to ten more years long
as he cares about basketball, he's gonna be one of
the top ten players ever to play in the NBA.

(29:01):
I think we're gonna have to kick We're gonna have
to kick somebody out of the top ten to put
Niccola yochicch in it.

Speaker 2 (29:07):
Look, man, if just saying.

Speaker 5 (29:09):
I'm gonna throw this out there, if he gets another
championship or two and his his numbers are there, he
might be in the goat debate like like like that's like,
that's how wild his numbers are. Yeah, And when you
check up, because when you talk about Jordan and talk
about Mike, right, it's dominance of an era, it's dominant,

(29:29):
utter dominance of an era. And you can look at
those numbers, and you can look at what he's done
with his matchups and and and you can say that,
and and that's the thing, why why Denver. If they're smart,
they should be doing everything and they in their power
to make sure he has the most talent around him.
You know, we see similar with Giannis out of the
Coupo uh in Milwaukee. And that's why Milwaukee was fighting

(29:51):
to get Dame Lillard and and and and buying out
Dame Lillard and getting Turner and you know, really just
sacrifice being all the outs of the Koupo brothers on team.
Like you know, like if Yokicic's brothers, if they had
some something to take, you know, I'm putting them on
a ten day like what do you need? Keep him happy?

Speaker 6 (30:08):
Yeah, by all means necessary.

Speaker 3 (30:09):
I think he's gonna be traded, by the way, I
really do. I do believe he's gonna be traded. I
think Milwaukee's gonna be on the outside looking in and
they're gonna get a haul. I think I have a
feeling this is gonna be one of the most active
trade deadlines in place.

Speaker 5 (30:22):
In my head, did you just say you think Joic
will be traded? No?

Speaker 2 (30:26):
No, no, Yannis oh.

Speaker 5 (30:28):
Yanni's okay, okay, Well, let me ask this I'm glad
you say that. What makes you feel confident that, because
this is every dude, this has been like the last
four or five years. What makes you confident this season
Yannis will be traded by.

Speaker 3 (30:42):
The deadline Because the Eastern Conference are wide open. You're
gonna have four or five teams that think they got
a legitimate shot of getting it. And I think if
you're in New York, this is your best chance to
get your first ever championship. And I think Yiannis could
be the determining factor.

Speaker 5 (30:58):
Mmm.

Speaker 3 (31:00):
I think there's incredible pressure in New York to win
the East this year because Indiana's out, because Boston is out.
Are you gonna tell me you're gonna let Cleveland, Detroit,
Orlando beat you for the Eastern Championship?

Speaker 2 (31:13):
No, they're gonna go get him.

Speaker 3 (31:15):
Are the Knicks are gonna do something crazy to make
a jar, to make a really really crazy trade?

Speaker 2 (31:23):
Headline?

Speaker 3 (31:24):
Just hold me to it, and if I'm wrong, I'm wrong,
just saying, all right, we'll talk to Gary, We'll talk
to you. We gotta update of numbers on our poll question.
We got some good news coming in on that. We'll
take about that as well. Ten forty six Texans conversation.
We'll get to as well as they are probably gonna
take on the winner of the AFC North between Pittsburgh
and Baltimore last night. Be John Robinson cost me a

(31:44):
championship by running for five thousand yards. We'll get to that,
and we also have to get to a happy birthday
for someone who's now fifty. There will be in a
new sports league, so to speak. Ten forty six on
Sports Talk seven ninety. We'll head back on the phones
for a second, Brian. The Philip Rivers retirement tour has
come to an end. Riley Leonard is going to start

(32:05):
for the Colts against the Texans on Sunday. I don't
know how much you saw of Philly performing. He did
his best. He just has nothing left from the fastball.
And when he would throw a mid level pass of
say beyond fifteen or twenty yards, it had no zip
to it, easily interceptible, could move. It was a last

(32:26):
gasp effort and it just didn't didn't work for the Colts.

Speaker 6 (32:29):
Are you mad that they did it, though, Matt.

Speaker 3 (32:32):
I'm not mad. I'm no. It's an amazing against. It's
an in diamond against. The quality of quarterbacks right now
in professional football.

Speaker 5 (32:38):
But at that way, this not about just the feel
good part, but so you felt like there was better
out there in a high pressure moment than Philip Rivers.

Speaker 3 (32:54):
That I can't tell you now, Roley Leonard, you know
Anthony Richardson is on the to reserve. They didn't have
very many options. Wasn't Ronald Leonard hurt as well? So
what are you supposed to do? I mean, I guess
you could go grab somebody that was in the CFL.

Speaker 2 (33:10):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (33:11):
It was just an It was an odd selection. I
just don't know how many guys that have been retired
five years from anything in life could come back and
be successful, added, especially with as an important of a position.

Speaker 2 (33:23):
It just shows you.

Speaker 3 (33:23):
I think the desperation that the Colts had to at
least bring somebody they knew and somewhat trusted. Problem is
it was it was as expected. I mean, I don't
think aybody thought that Philly Rivers are going to come
in there and throw for two hundred and fifty five
yards in three touchdowns a week. He did the best
he could. It just wasn't good enough.

Speaker 5 (33:40):
Yeah, But here's the mindset, right, you have one of
the top defenses in the NFL. You have arguably the
best running back in the NFL at worst, top three
right in Jonathan Taylor. And all he's got to do
is hand the ball off and manage the game. And
they darted near beat the Seahawks, and and again it
could be something as simple as handing off the football

(34:03):
and running a game plan and being a leader and
motivator of men. That's what they needed.

Speaker 3 (34:08):
But they couldn't fall But when they fell behind, he
wasn't going to be the guy who's going to rally them.

Speaker 5 (34:13):
The call was not to fall behind.

Speaker 3 (34:15):
You're right, Yeah, here's his numbers. Goal, here's his numbers.
Not terrible. Ryan thing with this fifty eight or ninety two,
five hundred and forty four yard sixty three percent, four touchdowns,
three interceptions. One of those interceptions was a pick six
late in the ball game. He was okay, he just
I thought when he would go back on a five
or seven step drop and throw the deep ball, there

(34:37):
was absolutely nozip. And you know, anybody knows in the NFL,
if you don't have something extra on that pass, it's
going to be easily picked off. Because these cornerbacks know it,
and they did, and you just nothing more than an
intermediate passing game is not going to win in the NFL.

Speaker 5 (34:52):
Well, I thought the goal, right, Matt, if I'm not mistaken,
was for him to never be in those situations.

Speaker 6 (34:59):
And I think he.

Speaker 5 (35:00):
Manufactured as as many points as he could, you know,
but like the goal was just hand the ball off,
trust the defense, let them go win the game. And
the mindset being that our defense was good enough, our
run game was good enough, and if anything, you get
in the play accident situation and you're you know, you're
able just to make the simple throws. And honestly, I

(35:23):
think Philip Rivers was good enough. You could argue and say, hey,
the defense let him down, the run game let him down.
And obviously the flip side, Matt, I get what you're
saying with the deep ball.

Speaker 6 (35:32):
If this quote, don't quote me wrong.

Speaker 5 (35:35):
If they know you can't throw the deep ball, even
off the play action, nobody's biting down.

Speaker 6 (35:39):
They're just sitting and no, they're just sitting in the bus.

Speaker 3 (35:41):
So what it did, basically is it simplified the prep
for the Indianapolis offense. We'll take our chances with him
trying to beat us thirty yards down the field. We're
not gonna let Jonathan Taylor get off and he just
didn't do much. All right, let's go back on the
phones forget at the top of the hour break. Let's
talk to Gary on seven h and ten to fifty six. Gary,
Good morning, Hey, morning man. How y'all doing good?

Speaker 6 (36:02):
Great?

Speaker 7 (36:02):
Hey, Yeah, you know what a cafeter is.

Speaker 11 (36:05):
I'm sure you do.

Speaker 12 (36:06):
Yeah, they make external cafeters and it's like putting on
a rubber and it's got a hose and it goes
to a bag and you strap it to your legs
so you can go to the ball drop, you know.

Speaker 11 (36:17):
Just you can or them on Amazon.

Speaker 7 (36:19):
So that makes your.

Speaker 5 (36:21):
Problem problem fixed.

Speaker 3 (36:24):
So you're gonna have a time to order a cather
off of Amazon and get it here in time for
our flight tomorrow.

Speaker 6 (36:30):
It would be a great story.

Speaker 11 (36:31):
Well we did for my dad two days.

Speaker 3 (36:34):
Well no, not okay, Well, thank you Garret for that.
I appreciate the update on the cather up. By the way,
we have an update on our poll question for believe
it's once in a lifetime experience.

Speaker 6 (36:48):
Do it?

Speaker 3 (36:49):
Fifty nine percent say no, not worth it?

Speaker 6 (36:51):
So I think you know the people.

Speaker 3 (36:54):
Did you vote by the way, I quote tweeted you.

Speaker 2 (37:00):
No, that count it counts. It counts a count cow.

Speaker 5 (37:04):
But I mean, hey, Matt, I mean listen, I don't
think it's it's it's not the craziest, you know, thing
to do. I don't. I don't think it's wild. Now again,
I am on the side of comfort. So just so
we're clear there, you know, I'm not I'm not saying
to do anything extreme.

Speaker 6 (37:22):
I'm on the side of comfort. You know.

Speaker 5 (37:23):
I'd like to find in the perfect world an amazing
spot where we can watch the drop, we can watch
what people watch. This is going to be some great
people watching.

Speaker 3 (37:33):
And that is true. That is true. But the problem
is the people watching spots are probably going to be
a table four minimum one thousand dollars spend.

Speaker 6 (37:42):
But what if they know Matt Thomas.

Speaker 3 (37:45):
Uh who's known more in the NBA circles?

Speaker 1 (37:47):
Me?

Speaker 2 (37:47):
Or you?

Speaker 6 (37:49):
You've been at it for a long time.

Speaker 3 (37:51):
No, yeah, but you played and you and everybody they're
all your people, your guys, your ladies, your guys.

Speaker 2 (37:57):
New Yorkshire town are you.

Speaker 6 (37:59):
An't New York? New York is not my town.

Speaker 5 (38:01):
But you know, I will attempt to try to find something.

Speaker 4 (38:03):
All Right, there I go.

Speaker 6 (38:04):
All right.

Speaker 3 (38:05):
Second hour of the Matt Thomas Show with Ross. Ross
off today Ryan Hollins, our friend from Space City and
Rockets TV, joining us for another hour or so. We've
got gut feelings coming up at twelve thirty and at
one o'clock will visit with e may Adoco. You would
like to join us, come on in and be a
part of the program. Seven one three two one two
five seven NANTI seven one three two one two five seven. Auntie,

(38:25):
it's ten fifty eight here on Sports Talk seven. Aunty
with a word is the Matt Thomas Show with Ross.
Stay here we go eleven oh three on Sports Talk
seven NINTI. Our friend Ryan Hollins from Space City Network
is in for the hour. Rockets last night took care

(38:45):
of the Indiana Pacers and it won three straight games.
Onto Brooklyn for a game with the Nets on New
Year's Day and then two days after that the Dallas Mavericks,
Nicola Jokic high percent and the knee last night gonna
be reevaluated in four weeks. We have a quarter change
for the Indianapolis Colts as the Philip Rivers era at
least ends for the twenty twenty five campaign, it will

(39:07):
be Roley leonard As starting for the Texans against or
for the Colts against Texans at the twelve noon start
at Energy Stadium. And Ryan, I know you've lived here
a few years, but I think you've got a pretty
good grasp. You know, this is big time Dallas cowboy territory,
even though the Texans are in town, right, you mean,
it's hard enough to run into a Cowboy fan somewhere,

(39:28):
that is, even in California, even in California. So Greg Rajan,
who writes for the Houston Chronicle, is like their TV guy,
just found out that on Channel twenty six this noon,
this Sunday at noon, they are not going to air
the Cowboys Giants game. They're gonna put the Titans Jaguars

(39:50):
game on instead, because obviously that has an impact on
where the Texans could finish in the AFC South. If
the Jaguars win the game, they win the AFC South health,
which is going to happen because the Titans suck. The
Jaguars are home. But I can't remember, and I've lived here.
I'm fifty three years old. I've lived in Houston for

(40:10):
thirty nine years of my life, I cannot remember a
Dallas Cowboy game not being televised when it could have
been televised. Now, for instance, when the Texans were at home,
the Orders were at home. These have rules where you
could only put the local game on and you could
put a game opposite on, Like if the Texts were
home or the Orders are home, you couldn't put a

(40:31):
game on opposite on the episode channel. But that isn't
the case in this in this new NFL TV rules.
So twelve noon, Titans Jaguars are on, Cowboys Giants are not.
That's got to be a first in television history, at
least for Houston.

Speaker 6 (40:47):
That's a lot.

Speaker 5 (40:48):
And go Texans and go Texans. It's it's it's it's
the right thing to do. The Texans have a team
that has an opert Ton, you win a Super Bowl
this year, Matt, it's the right thing. And depending on
where they play, where they're at the bracket, this is
a this is a huge game.

Speaker 2 (41:08):
And we care more about that game. We don't.

Speaker 3 (41:10):
Look, the Cowboys are out, the Giants are horrific. So
it's the right decision, it really is. But I know
there'll be some cowboy fans bitch him on, buddy. If
you're a cowboy fan, I do you really even care
about watching the last game?

Speaker 6 (41:21):
That's what I was gonna say, Matt.

Speaker 2 (41:23):
It's serious.

Speaker 6 (41:24):
You're a cowboy fan? Do you even care?

Speaker 5 (41:27):
And to be a cowboy fan is to be disgruntled
and frustrated, you know, and especially in a year like this.
Maybe you're a Micah Parsons guy or gal. Maybe you know,
you're you're you're Dak Prescott guy. Maybe you're you know,
you're frustrated with Ceedee Lamb, frustrated with the George Pickings situation.

Speaker 6 (41:48):
I mean, Jerry Joe, Like, where do you stop?

Speaker 5 (41:51):
Like there's frustrate So maybe you're tapping out and saying,
you know what, just just put me out of my
misery here.

Speaker 6 (41:56):
Yeah, you know, I don't need to see it.

Speaker 3 (41:58):
By the way, the Titans are a ten and a
half point favorite Donner Dog at Jacksonville. I mean that
would be again, just put things in perspective here. If
the Texans would want to win the AFC South, they
have to beat the Colts, which is probably a pretty
good chance of that, and the Titans have to beat
the Jaguars in Jacksonville. That would be such a Jacksonville move.

(42:21):
By the way, if that happened. I keep wanting to
tell you the whole world, and I've said it for many,
many weeks. I'm just not a Trevor Lawrence guy. But
as I say that he's had a really good season,
he really has. It's not been great, but it's been
better than previous Trevor Lawrence seasons. And every time you
want to rip on bon Knicks for being who the
Hell's bon Nicks? That Bronco team, except for the one

(42:45):
blemish against guests, who Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars in Denver,
that's been a really good football team this year.

Speaker 6 (42:52):
No, they have.

Speaker 5 (42:53):
And let me ask you, what makes you so anti
Trevor Lawrence.

Speaker 6 (42:58):
What makes you go?

Speaker 3 (43:00):
I think his I think he takes sacks. I think
he overthrows receivers. I think he makes the easy passes
look difficult. I think he looks skittish in the pocket.
He does not to me, Ryan looked like a one
dash one. He doesn't even look like to me like
a quarterback. That I mean, think about all the money
that the Jaguars have put into his piggy bank over
the last handfl of years because that's what NFL quarterbacks

(43:21):
get with.

Speaker 2 (43:22):
Their second contract.

Speaker 3 (43:23):
And honestly, that's part of the reason why some Texans
fans ryan are skittish about putting so much money into.

Speaker 7 (43:33):
C. J.

Speaker 3 (43:34):
Strouds wallet because if you spend all that money in
the quarterback, which you kind of have to do, that's
how the NFL landscape goes. If you mess up at
that spot, you're screwed to other places.

Speaker 6 (43:47):
Yeah, look look at the Chiefs right now. That's a
big thing about the chief And that's even.

Speaker 3 (43:52):
And that's and Pat Mahomes contract isn't really even that
crazy for what it was it was originally signed a
few years back.

Speaker 5 (43:57):
Well, actually it is. People don't remember with that contract.
What they did is they really backloaded the contract, so
essentially it gave them the best chance to win when
he originally originally signed it. And the longer it goes,
the worst the team's gonna get because well, how about this,
Ye'll make more money. Well how about the Dak Prescott contract.
I mean, that guy is making sixty million dollars a year.

(44:19):
No wonder Jerry Jones.

Speaker 3 (44:20):
Can't finagle the rest of his situation because he's spending
so much money on the guy.

Speaker 5 (44:24):
In fairness, with Dak, whatever you want to say, I
believe he's lived up to it.

Speaker 6 (44:28):
He's worth every bit of the money.

Speaker 5 (44:30):
And I think that Dak is one of the rare
instances where you pay a quarterback and he's lived to
the expectation. Because what happens when I pay you? Now,
I got to run the offense through you. And I
can listen if you watch the Cowboys game, you can
say there's a lot of instances in these games it
was not Dak's fault. He made some incredible throws. Yeah,

(44:50):
there were some drops we will name, who will not
name who drop the Georgian big and wide receivers who
were uninterested in certain games, Like I can't I can't
blame I cannot blame Dak Prescott. So I think you're right.
The challenges obviously with Trevor Lawrence and and Cjay. You know,
when you pay those guys the big bucks, now you
got to shape the offense around them, you know, And

(45:12):
is that the best move to make or do you
kind of play hardball and it can kind of like
take a life of its own with your season because
Now everybody's gonna be asking about your quarterback getting paid.

Speaker 3 (45:22):
And we saw that in Dallas, Trevor Lawrence Ryan makes
fifty five million dollars a year. Wow, ain't worth it?

Speaker 5 (45:33):
Listen, I mean there are there are crazier contracts out there.
I know, you're tough in a situation. Do you move forward?

Speaker 6 (45:40):
You know?

Speaker 5 (45:40):
And and again the controversy can inulf your organization. And
that's all that you hear about, and you're you're you're
really almost not able to really in a sense, not
able to move forward. And so you pay these guys,
especially when they're that big of a name.

Speaker 3 (45:52):
Yeah, he's got uh, he's tied with Joe Burrow as
one of the highest pain in terms of guarantee money
twohunre million dollars guaranteed, keeping them on a contract through
two thousand and thirty. It does include a no trade clause.
There's incentives for team's success one hundred and forty two million.
A guy that's signing two undred million dollars guaranteed money. Now,

(46:14):
what you have to do, and we talked about this yesterday,
is that you know, you've got to spend a lot
of money in your quarterback you got to make sure
you're very reasonable with draft picks and those street for
agents and making sure you're getting a good value. I'm
just saying that if I'm a Jacksonville Jaguar fan, I
can live with my quarterback making crazy money because that's
what quarterbacks do. And nobody would care if Trevor Lawrence

(46:37):
was making fifty five million dollars a year if you're
throwing for five thousand yards. But he's no, we're close to.

Speaker 5 (46:41):
That, just not.

Speaker 6 (46:43):
But okay, he's a meta this year.

Speaker 5 (46:45):
He just asked, here's here's the problem that the organization
is running into. Who else are you going to put
in that situation? Who else are you going to bring it?
You know, are you going to move forward? Because here's
the only and this is the way that they've set
it up. Not me, not anybody else. If you want
to move forward from Trevor Lawrence, the smartest thing you
do is you go into the draft.

Speaker 2 (47:06):
You gotta wait, though.

Speaker 5 (47:08):
If you go into the draft, you're essentially starting all
the way over and you're evaluating a young kid that
you don't know is worth it. You got to be
able to look and say, well, you know, this guy's
worth it. And again, you don't know what's out there,
and you can take a chance and you can get
a late drafted guy or somebody else and say, you know,
it kind of work out, works, it works its way out,

(47:30):
but you know a lot of times not Matt.

Speaker 2 (47:33):
Yeah, I just.

Speaker 3 (47:36):
And look, people are gonna wig out about whatever CJ gets.
But that's what quarterbacks to average quarterbacks, above average quarterbacks,
elite quarterbacks take up a lot of the salary cap.
Eleven twelve. Here on Sports Talk seven eighty, Ryan Hollins
took up a lot of salary cap in the NBA
during your ten plus years, correct.

Speaker 5 (47:52):
I took up probably the most minimal amount from the
salary cap. I think one year I missed the year
I took out the mid level exception.

Speaker 6 (48:00):
And how about that? That's definitely that I.

Speaker 3 (48:03):
Get the mid level exception in radio? Do you You
didn't know that, did you?

Speaker 6 (48:07):
I did not know that? How does that work?

Speaker 5 (48:09):
Did?

Speaker 2 (48:09):
It's not great?

Speaker 3 (48:09):
Mid level mid level for a radio host in Houston, Texas,
not even comparable to an NBA deal seven one three
two one two five seven ninety seven one three two
one two five seven Hointy Ryan Hollins Matt Thomas with
you here until noon, and then I'll take it from
noon until two, where we'll have gut fillings at twelve
thirty and we will also have Emai Doka at one
o'clock seven one three, two, one two five, seven ninety.

(48:32):
We need to wish somebody a happy birthday when it
comes to the world of sports, and say about that
next eleven thirteen here on seven ninety. Hi, Ryan Hollins,
you know everybody, Lebron James turns forty one years old today?
Do you text him a happy birthday?

Speaker 6 (48:49):
I did not. I did not text him that.

Speaker 3 (48:52):
Matt all Right also turning fifty years old today. Tiger Woods. Wow,
Tiger Woods fifty years everybody was at Stanford.

Speaker 2 (49:05):
Do you remember when he was in Stanford?

Speaker 7 (49:06):
Right?

Speaker 5 (49:06):
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (49:07):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (49:09):
So when you're fifty year eligible for the Champions Tour, MMMM.

Speaker 6 (49:16):
You can assume that Tiger is going to be part
of that.

Speaker 3 (49:18):
I would assume that, But man, I don't even know
what the rest of his life is entailing. I don't
know when he's healthy, when he's not, when his golf
game is good when it's not. I frankly hear more
about his son than I hear about anybody else, don't you.
I mean, it's he's not out of side of mind
because obviously he's still one of the most. Right, if
you were to go to a bar and just name

(49:41):
I mean I'm talking about not necessarily a sports but
just a regular restaurant and said name a golfer, Tiger
was still going to get half the votes.

Speaker 6 (49:48):
Oh, no question, you know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (49:49):
I mean, he is.

Speaker 3 (49:50):
Such a such a legend. But I thought Jack Nicholas's
record was going to be crushed. Jack's likes he's well,
he's like, I ain't scared of it. If if Tiger
ain't gonna do it my record's my record point being
is that do you if you're fifty years old and
you're playing in the Older Tour, the champions where the

(50:12):
people that are fifty five to six. I mean, I
don't think you can reinvent yourself. You may get a
few more eyeballs on those events, because I don't watch
senior events.

Speaker 2 (50:20):
I just don't.

Speaker 3 (50:21):
I'm not a big golf watcher as it is. But
is it can Tiger reinvent himself or is it just
what a natural fifty year old does when he's no
longer able to win on the PGA Tour.

Speaker 5 (50:31):
The big key that you just said is you're not watching.
And the reason that that's important is because if Tiger
Woods played, you'd watch, or if you wouldn't watch, you
would check up and he would be the face of
the entire tour.

Speaker 4 (50:48):
Right.

Speaker 6 (50:49):
So, athletes now know their value.

Speaker 5 (50:53):
So for even Tiger Woods to entertain something like that,
you know, you would have to he he it would
have to be worth his while because right now, I mean, clearly, Matt,
what we're both saying, he's bigger than the tour.

Speaker 2 (51:06):
Right Well, here's the thing.

Speaker 3 (51:07):
Here's what the tour now is, and the Champions Tour
is fifty plus. Most of their events are three day
events as compared to four day events, and you get
to use golf carts. Now, I mean, I would assume
that would help out Tiger Franklin, would help on anybody
over the age of fifty. You know, he did not

(51:28):
compete on a single PGA Tour event this year at all.
I mean again, granted, the Nike swoosh and the branding
of everything still puts him on the top of mind,
but it's so weird that he goes from what obviously
was the most dominant run for any individual athlete ever

(51:48):
to the extracurricular activities that got him in at plus
the plum throw of injuries and the accidents and the
pills and the booze and all that to trying to
come back and reinvent himself to his body just kept
breaking down. And now what's the forecast? What would you guess?
Does Tiger do some events? Does he go wait a minute,

(52:11):
I used to kick casting a PGA tour. I'm not
going to this seniors tour, this Champions Tour and just
going to just cash it in because I can to
draw him a cart now and I don't have to
worry about playing in a seventy two hold, but I
can play in just fifty four.

Speaker 5 (52:25):
I think it's what they're willing to sacrifice to him,
if it's something like this, I don't know if obviously
with his son playing, there would be an immense value there.
They would have to offer Tiger something that makes it
worth his wow. If not, I don't believe you get him.

(52:47):
I don't think he goes out. I don't think I
don't think it essentially makes sense. Matt, right, Is that
fair to say I think.

Speaker 3 (52:55):
If he does want event a year, it gets a
lot of media attention, but Tiger's not looking to grab
meeting attention. In fact, probably my guess is Tiger would
just just assume, just make sure the plenty of the
Nike gear is still sold and then he's done.

Speaker 4 (53:08):
Right.

Speaker 6 (53:09):
Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely, Like I said.

Speaker 3 (53:12):
Is he still attached with Nike? By the way I
was trying to think about that, is he still attached
with him?

Speaker 5 (53:17):
You haven't seen much, but guys like that normally get
lifetime deals. Yeah, truly, you'd assume that Nike locked him
up for a lifetime deal. He's still getting paid, and
he'd be you know, he probably makes a couple appearances
a year that's you know, well worth whatever they're paying them.

Speaker 6 (53:32):
Or giving them.

Speaker 3 (53:33):
Right, But he did not complete for an entire year.
He was at a news conference in December said he's
only recently started putting and chipping and wasn't close to
being able to take full swings, and don't selling a
guy like me is gonna run on the Champions storeroom
and make a lot of money, all right, So the
other guy celebrating his birthday, But way do you think
December thirty. It's the most famous birthday of all time.

(53:54):
That's got to be with between him and Lebron. Right,
that's pretty big time. That was probably a hectic deal. Livery,
I don't think that they were not at the same hospital, Ryan,
I mean the nine years apart. But point being, we
saw Lebron not together.

Speaker 6 (54:07):
But I'm saying that day alone. It's being born that day.

Speaker 3 (54:10):
Right, we saw Lebron on December twenty fifth. See, I
know a lot of people want to go crush. He's
can't shoot threes anymore, he can't defend anymore. He can
still not doing it a bunch. I wouldn't even say
hat the season, but there's gonna be once or twice

(54:31):
or even three times a month where Lebron James can
take over a basketball game. And if anybody's expected more
than that, then they don't realize the value of father time.
But I think Lebron, even though he keeps telling us
he's getting ready to settle, retire, I think he's gonna
do it as long as he can. He wants to
break all the records. He wants to make sure everything
that he's accomplished individually is so far out in front

(54:56):
that no one's gonna be able to get to it.
The only thing that I think about that I I
don't know the answer to is will he finish his
career in Los Angeles or does he want to go
chase after one more championship, Because I don't believe, at
least when you and I saw Christmas Day, that that
team's not ready to win a championship. They don't look
like they're defensively ready to do it. They don't look

(55:17):
like they get along at all. It was an odd matchup,
and the Rockets frankly beat them from almost the opening
tip of the game.

Speaker 5 (55:25):
Yeah, but you know, with Lebron, I thought that LA
was always a business move. I think I thought he
was fortunate to get a championship out of it when
he did.

Speaker 6 (55:33):
But I always saw the business there.

Speaker 5 (55:36):
I never saw and felt like, hey, you know, this
is just strictly a basketball move. And again he was
good enough to get a championship there. It worked out,
but I just don't see, you know, didn't see otherwise, man, Yeah,
if that makes sense.

Speaker 3 (55:53):
Yeah, by the way, when I thought about whether he
was tied the Nike anymore, I was right, And I
want to thank Greg and Brian for backing me up.
Tiger's low to Nike and Apparel. His equipment has moved
to Taylor Made for clubbing balls, and Greg says that
he has his own brand now called Sunday Red.

Speaker 2 (56:10):
Sun.

Speaker 3 (56:11):
Second word day, third word red.

Speaker 6 (56:13):
I like that.

Speaker 3 (56:14):
I wait a minute now, Brian tell me he's got
an apparel deal. But Greg says he's got his own
apparel deal. Whatever he's ain't worried about.

Speaker 6 (56:23):
He's Tiger Woods, y'allah.

Speaker 2 (56:24):
You can do it, you can do whatever that. So no,
I know, well, how's it go?

Speaker 6 (56:28):
Is Tiger Woods, y'all? It's all good, y'all. It's Tiger Woods, yalla?

Speaker 2 (56:33):
Are you laughing? If you keeps singing? I'm looking to
fill two hours here.

Speaker 5 (56:37):
I don't think that Tiger sang the song, but I
forget what it was. It was some type of show
or something that was on that that that that may
have been a little more famous, even the Tiger himself.

Speaker 3 (56:48):
All right, Ever been in a party or at place
where Tiger Woods was in the same place you were?

Speaker 6 (56:53):
Have not?

Speaker 5 (56:54):
No, he's one of the verre guys. I have not
seen Tiger in any place, oh or not? Mar I
gotta I gotta be honest.

Speaker 2 (57:01):
Now I know Lebron and you've been in the same spot.

Speaker 5 (57:03):
Yes, yeah, of course we played against each other.

Speaker 6 (57:05):
Yeah, Matt.

Speaker 2 (57:06):
Do you ever fould him?

Speaker 6 (57:08):
Yeah? Of course I fouled Lebron.

Speaker 3 (57:10):
Do you feel bad about it?

Speaker 6 (57:12):
Uh?

Speaker 4 (57:12):
No.

Speaker 5 (57:13):
One time I actually knocked his headband off and the
crowd cheered. Remember I was on I was on Cleveland
after Lebron left, and the the love and hate and
wildness that was going on in that game was absolutely crazy.
And we lost on the first game. It was an absolute,

(57:33):
absolute mess. I've never seen an NBA game like that.
It was a very unique situation. You had several fights
in the crowd when he came out. I kid you not, Matt.
There were so I've never heard this before, Matt. When
Lebron came out, there were so many booze. It was
about ten straight minutes and the booze just sounded like

(57:55):
one loud vortex.

Speaker 6 (57:57):
Whoa it was.

Speaker 5 (57:58):
It was just a not you know, you can hear
kind of boo and the people think boo you can hear,
but it was that's how loud it was, and it
and it sounded.

Speaker 6 (58:09):
And it was it was such a.

Speaker 5 (58:11):
It was a unique moment man in sports again, and
you know I was there. I was a part of it,
and it was just there. There was a lot going
on when we beat him. The second time, it was
celebrations for everybody. Was it was, you know, a happy
time in Cleveland. But uh man, I will I will
never forget that experience.

Speaker 3 (58:28):
And that was that for the first time you left Cleveland, correct.

Speaker 5 (58:31):
Yes, okay, yes, everybody was upset and and again, you
know when the thing that I know about Lebron, he's
never been content with being a bad guy, and at
that stage when he went to Miami, he was unapologetic.

Speaker 6 (58:46):
He had the decision.

Speaker 5 (58:46):
It went horribly wrong, and for Lebron, being the villain
never worked out for him, and he was uncomfortable the
entire time.

Speaker 3 (58:59):
I want to give you a statement and I want
you to respond when we come back, and we're gonna
break here. Okay, he doesn't want to be the villain,
but his actions make him hateable. Stay with me on that.
Oh yeah, tell me if you agree to disagree on that,
I'm gonna say it again.

Speaker 6 (59:15):
I'll tell you when we get back.

Speaker 3 (59:17):
He doesn't want to be the villain, but his actions
make him hateable. Eleven twenty seven on Sports Talk seven
ninety eleven thirty three on Sports Talk seven ninety is
Matt and Ryan loss Is off today. This is my
last show the here Tomorrow, we're gonna have the Morning Drive,
hangout for an extra hour, and then Adam Wecks is

(59:38):
going to jump into eleven o'clock until one is Ron
and I head to New York City to the Rockets
and the Brooklyn Nets tomorrow night or on New Year's
Night in Brooklyn and the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. All right,
So the Rockets. Ryan had Dylan Brooks the last couple
of years, and Dylan Brooks lived the life, will always

(59:58):
live the life as the villain. He liked it, embraced it,
wanted to be it. He thought it was a great
way to motivate himself, his teammates, and to draw the
ire of his opponents. I said before the break, Lebron
never wanted to be hated, but his actions made him
very hateable around the NBA.

Speaker 2 (01:00:19):
Agree or disagree, and.

Speaker 5 (01:00:21):
Yet no, I completely agree. You know, Lebron knows it's
his show. With all due respect, you know it's his show.
He's a spotlight. That's been him since he was in
the eighth grade, since he was fourteen fifteen years old,
you know, and that's kind of what makes him who
he is. And I think the reality from Lebron's standpoint, though, is,

(01:00:45):
you know, he'll kind of be him unapologetically and deal
with it later.

Speaker 6 (01:00:49):
And you got to understand, like it's.

Speaker 5 (01:00:51):
Tough man, Like he's done this for twenty something, Like
we've grown up watching him and living and dying with him.
And I think what's toughest players is we don't and
always have the greatest sense of reality. So I don't
think he necessarily wants to be hated. But he knows
his value, he knows how important he is, and he
embraces it. You know, he kind of is who he
is unapologetically. But I don't think he wants to not

(01:01:13):
be liked. It's just the conflict with some of the things,
you know, and the thing about sports, and we're starting
to see this is you know, when you aren't playing
up to your value or what you you know.

Speaker 6 (01:01:26):
You kind of demanded.

Speaker 5 (01:01:27):
You know, there's frustrations there, but it's like, hey, man,
like he's just he's he's a unique situation And the
one thing I learned really quick in sports is like
you can't compare yourself to somebody else, Like like it
ain't for everybody. Like you have a number of guys
going out and saying, well, Kobe Bryant had this magical
farewell tour. That ain't for you, brother, that was for

(01:01:48):
Kobe Bryant. That's for different guys. And again, everybody just
has unique situations that.

Speaker 6 (01:01:53):
Work for them.

Speaker 5 (01:01:54):
And Lebron has earned more than his keep in his spot.
And you know, I think he's challenging now, and I
understand it between hey, how committed I am to this game?

Speaker 6 (01:02:06):
Is this worth it?

Speaker 5 (01:02:07):
And you know, am I kind of locking into my
family and my business ventures. And what's crazy is he's
still really darned good, as he said earlier, Matt. So
those are the conflicts we're seeing and kind of you know,
we've been privileged to kind of grow up and watch
Lebron James grow up right before our eyes.

Speaker 2 (01:02:24):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (01:02:25):
So I've never hidden the fact that I think the
greatest player in the history of the NBA is Michael Jordan. Okay,
and it's gonna there's really nothing I can do to
you could do for me to change my mind. Do
I think the gap has closed because of Lebron's greatness. Yes,
he's clearly number two. And for anybody that doesn't like

(01:02:47):
Lebron because of his basketball skills, then you're only watching
a certain part of the world. And that's just not
fair to Lebron because Lebron on the basketball court is
still a special human being. The other stuff in his
life ill informed social takes. I think probably rubbed people
the wrong way as far as on the court demeanor.
And you are on the court with him, so you

(01:03:07):
tell me when I'm wrong about this. I think he
spends way too much time talking to officials. I think
there's been issues of him flopping in the past. I
think there has been some issues of blaming others when
things don't go right. And maybe when you are the
alpha dog and you've been that you want everybody to
play at your level. Maybe Michael Jordan was guilty of
that as well. And I also believe that there are

(01:03:31):
sportsmanlike things that should be done that he's been guilty
of not doing, the shaking of hands, the saying goodbyes,
whatever the case will be. And again that's all minor,
minor minor stuff, but it goes to the big part
of who he is. The complete package. I can separate
because I think I'm a pretty decent person. I can
do this. I can separate the extra stuff from what

(01:03:53):
I see on the basketball floor, and when I see
in the basketball floor, is the second greatest player in
the history of the NBA, the all time winning score.
A guy who is not at one hundred percent or
what he was in his prime, but he's not at
forty percent. He still can contribute. He still wakes up
and puts up eighteen and ten with his eyes closed.
He still has value left, and he's still going to

(01:04:13):
be a thrown on anybody's side, whether he stays with
the Lakers or not. The question is, can most fans
separate the other gunk with his on courtability? And I
think the answer to that is Frankly Canna. That's why
there is so much perceived hate for Lebron James.

Speaker 5 (01:04:30):
Yeah, no, in no mistake, You're right, Matt, because you
know Lebron is a guy. And you know, again, these
are languages I couldn't speak as a player, but you know,
I like to call it they move the goal post.
You know, he's going to move the goal post or
whatever you know fits him in an argument or a situation.
And again, it ain't for everybody, and it can't frustrate people.

(01:04:52):
But he plays by his own rules. You know, if
you play well in moments, yes, it is, it is.
It's it's him. And if you know you play bad,
you're you're kind of out. It's your fault. And you
know what, they're picking one guy.

Speaker 6 (01:05:03):
You know.

Speaker 5 (01:05:04):
That's the thing even about sports, you know, you a
lot of times you don't blame the players.

Speaker 6 (01:05:07):
The coach got to go, you know, in situations.

Speaker 3 (01:05:09):
Oh and coach killer too. Don't forget that any I
forgot about that one too.

Speaker 5 (01:05:12):
Oh my goodness, man, look at you. You're just on
a tirade right now. But yeah, he has earned the
right to do that. He's been that good. So you know,
because of that, Lebron has loved and hated, you know,
depending on what you know, where you're at in the scenario.

Speaker 3 (01:05:27):
Was he the hardest guard guy for you to guard
ever in your life? Who's if you had a top
three list, I've never really asked you about this all
the years have known each other. Who is in your
top three of? And maybe because it was centers, because
you were You're obviously have a five. But is there
a shirt list of guys who are like, oh my god,
I just can't. I'm trying. I'm athletic, I'm seven feet
tall and trying, but I just can't stop the kid.

Speaker 5 (01:05:49):
I've played against great, great players at my position.

Speaker 6 (01:05:55):
Tim duncan shack.

Speaker 2 (01:05:56):
Those guys are Kevin Garnett.

Speaker 6 (01:05:58):
Yeah, Kevin Garnet. You go down the list.

Speaker 5 (01:06:01):
Shoot, I still had a bid a bit of the
power forward era. That's a position that's pretty extinct now.
Those are guys that played in the post, played or
in the mid post, and you know, would do a
lot of the scoring. And they said, now we're gonna
score with our point guard and our wings. We're not
gonna score with power forwards anymore. But I say that
to say the guys who gave me problems was DeMarcus Cousins,

(01:06:26):
Mark Gasol, and Chris Bosh because they they could they
could go either way with either hand. When they got
you in foul trouble, it took your aggression away. And
when you take aggression away from a defender, I can't
guard you the way I gotta guard you. I gotta
I gotta be careful, got to keep my hand out
the cookie jar, Matt. So those guys gave me problems. Now,

(01:06:47):
I did play and was in that game, and I'm
salty and resentful, Matt. And yes there's something I'm very
salty and resentful for.

Speaker 7 (01:06:54):
I love.

Speaker 6 (01:06:55):
It is.

Speaker 5 (01:06:57):
Lebron One that they when they won their championship, we
were up three to two against the Heat and they
came back and won that series. And we had a
home game and we knew in Boston that we were
gonna win this game, and Lebron James put on one

(01:07:17):
of the greatest performances that we've ever.

Speaker 6 (01:07:20):
Seen in sports and at that time, Matt.

Speaker 5 (01:07:23):
So for those who listened, I give Lebron a lot
of respect, a lot of props because I competed against
him and I played against them, and everything that we
thought we knew about him, we did not, because he
showed up in every way. We double team him everywhere,
He hit impossible shots, and you know, that was that

(01:07:44):
monster Lebron James signature game was then, and you know,
he he became him. And again he forever has my respect.
And whether Paul wants to admitted or out or I
know KG does. For the most part, that absolutely does.
Like they he showed us what he was and we

(01:08:04):
did not think that at that moment Lebron would show
up in in those games, and it wasn't Wade's team
early in the series. It was Wade kind of closing
and it got to a point where like Lebron closed
us out man they went on to win a championship.
So anything he kind of talked about him not being
the guy and all this stuff, like you can miss.

Speaker 6 (01:08:24):
Me with that, Like he's the guys.

Speaker 5 (01:08:26):
He's one of the greatest, if not the greatest, to
ever do it, you know, depending on who he's speaking to.

Speaker 3 (01:08:30):
All right, take quick time out, we'll come back. You
get a phone call in before the top of the hour.
Ryan's with us for one more segment if you want
to get a rocket chatter in, because of course Ryan
sees it as go as anybody. He's got better seats
than I do at most games.

Speaker 6 (01:08:43):
Stop it.

Speaker 3 (01:08:44):
I shouldn't. I'm sorry, I shouldn't say most all seven one, two, five,
seven ninety. You saw what it was like to do
radio and San Antono, didn't you, big fella.

Speaker 6 (01:08:55):
I had a blast. I mean that's on my bucket list.

Speaker 5 (01:08:57):
I mean, listen, man, if I can get one of
those in a year or as many available, man, I
mean listen.

Speaker 6 (01:09:07):
I think I had a lot more fun than you did.

Speaker 3 (01:09:09):
Yeah, because the Rockets lost. I was a miserable after
the game.

Speaker 5 (01:09:12):
No, I was upset, but I got to you know,
I got to sit there with my butt all right.

Speaker 3 (01:09:16):
Yeah, that was I like it. I like it a lot.
Eleven forty three on Sports Talk seven eighty final segment
for our man Ryan Hollins. And then he's going to
go get us some diapers.

Speaker 5 (01:09:27):
We can go on.

Speaker 3 (01:09:30):
Time score tomorrow. Let's check the pole question. I don't
think we're doing it. I think I think the people
have spoken Ryan.

Speaker 5 (01:09:41):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (01:09:41):
Fifty eight percent say not worth it, forty two percent
say worth it.

Speaker 2 (01:09:44):
So there you go.

Speaker 7 (01:09:46):
No, we're not.

Speaker 5 (01:09:48):
Diaper and I don't. I don't think anybody wants to.
Well maybe they want us to diaper, but they win
diaper themselves. That's a fair assessment, you know, and it'd
be it'd be a heck of a store.

Speaker 3 (01:09:56):
Look, I fully expected my life. Later in life, I'll
be wearing a diaper. I I'm fully aware of that.
But I don't think I want to do it right now.
I want to wait to the very last possible second.

Speaker 5 (01:10:05):
Yeah, I'm with you. I'm with you when you're right. Brother,
I'm with you with you're right.

Speaker 3 (01:10:09):
Let's go to Gill on seven on it, Geo, thanks
for holding. Good morning to you.

Speaker 7 (01:10:14):
Hey, good morning guys.

Speaker 13 (01:10:15):
Great so as usual, nice to hear from you.

Speaker 7 (01:10:18):
Ryan. Good to have you on the show.

Speaker 6 (01:10:19):
Man.

Speaker 13 (01:10:20):
While we've got you here, I got a question for you, Man,
I'm real curious about this. Seeing as you've played in
the NBA for a lot of years. You know you're
good at your job, and Matt same for you. Man,
You've been around basketball. I've been around NBA for you know,
a lot of time of your life, and I just
want to know who do you guys think is the
next Not to compare, but who do you guys think

(01:10:41):
is the next player or play yours to kind of
take that mantle in being like the faces or the
face of the league.

Speaker 3 (01:10:47):
Hmm, good question. Thank you Gio for the phone call.
You could go Anthony Edwards of Minnesota, but his voice,
he's self salting with his language. I don't even know
if the NBA wants to build it around him. He said,
I mean, if I'm a player itself and the ability
on the floor, it's ann right.

Speaker 5 (01:11:09):
I agree, well to a degree. Okay, Okay, here is
where the challenge is. If you're willing to say that
the next face of the NBA can be a European player, Okay,
that's Victor Winbinyama, and there's no question there.

Speaker 3 (01:11:31):
If that he will not be pleased with hearing you
say that.

Speaker 6 (01:11:36):
Well, it's the truth.

Speaker 5 (01:11:38):
I respect saying that it's an American born player. Anthony
Edwards is our best option. And who Anthony Edwards is
now is not necessarily who he's going to be tomorrow.

Speaker 6 (01:11:55):
And maybe he is.

Speaker 5 (01:11:56):
Maybe that's just you know, where he stands as far
as the language and whatnot. It's really hard because you
want these like to be the face of the league.
And you can say Lebron has been the face. It
was it was Michael, then it was Kobe, then it
was Abron, Okay, and then there's another list that will
have Steph Curry on it, and we'll have you know,
a couple of the other guys you know, or you

(01:12:18):
can say Shaq was one of the faces of the
league when Kobe was there, but you can say clearly
it was Kobe Curry is as clean an image as
you can get, and that is a part of him
being one of the faces.

Speaker 6 (01:12:32):
Of the league.

Speaker 5 (01:12:33):
Yes, So that's the challenge with Anthony Edwards. And again,
who he is today is not who he's going to
be tomorrow. But if we take out American born what
we've seen from Victor wimbin Yama, it's him.

Speaker 3 (01:12:51):
Can't So that goes back and that's a great it's
a great name to choose from. Can the face of
a sports like which, by the way, it may be
too big for one person to do it? I mean
we may be just talking out of our you know,
our brands on this. It may be the league maybe
too big for one person. But can that one person
be somebody from another country? Can that one person be

(01:13:13):
from a team that is not globally known? I mean,
look Santurnio wins championships with San Antornio. You know the
small markets, you know the sexy teams of the New York's,
the LA is the Chicago's. Now granted, Minneapolis is not
a super big market. So Edwards could do it, but
is it also part of it is if he misses
twenty to twenty five games a year, which very very

(01:13:34):
well can happen for guys at are north of seven feet.
As you know, Ryan, is it hard to build around
a league when Victor weibin Yama is gonna be missing
some time from.

Speaker 2 (01:13:41):
On a on a regular basis.

Speaker 5 (01:13:42):
It's gonna be hard, extremely hard. I'm glad you brought
that up. And for Lebron James, you know, you got
to credit his longevity. Lebron James had to get to
the point of winning and then like there's clearly like
flair behind it. Also, Matt, so you know you got
to be a player that has flair too. So there's
a lot that goes into it. Yeah, you got you

(01:14:04):
gotta have the game, you gotta win, and then you
gotta have like the flare and the story behind you.
And you know what I'm seeing from Wemby this year.
Tell me if I'm wrong, man, I want to see
how you feel. I feel like he's shown us like
this attitude, this flair, like this edginess that made you
kind of okay, Victor, you know that he's showing and

(01:14:27):
you and I do want to throw this out too
that you know, Shae Shay Gilders. Alexander is the name
we have to throw in the hat, and he may
be more like Steph Curry, where you know, Steph Curry
didn't come in as a number one draft pick and
held it all this, but Steph Curry's body of work
through time and the way he won and how much
better he got in his development pushed him into being,

(01:14:50):
fair to say, right, one of the faces of the league.
If not he if Lebron's won A he was one
b undoubtedly, but it came with winning, and it came
with swagger and a great story behind him.

Speaker 3 (01:15:01):
And I think, honestly, maybe SGA has a leg up
because he's on his way to winning another MVP, especially
if Jokic can't play sixty five, he's they're the chalk
favored to win another NBA championship. And frankly, if Anthony

(01:15:22):
Edwards can't get deep in the playoffs and doesn't get
the national recognition, and frankly, every time he does an interview,
he's dropping a swear word that takes him off cameras.
And the reality is the NBA, how you become a
starist by what you do on the corporal. Also, how
you're seeing how you're interviewed. What's your demeanor on the floor,

(01:15:45):
And I hope that look. I want Anthony Edwards to
fail because that means the Rockets are gonna have another
team to worry about it much less everybody else in
the West. But Edwards, he doesn't want to change who
he is. He enjoys being pined, boisterous, using salty language.

(01:16:05):
That's just and again that shouldn't determine who the guy is.
But when you're the face of a league, you are
more to your point, you are more than just a
great basketball player.

Speaker 2 (01:16:13):
You are a representative of the league.

Speaker 3 (01:16:16):
And Steph Curry because of the squeaky clean image he
has has been able to gain that and Victor webin
Yama and Nikolai Jokis doesn't want it because Nikolai ok
just wants play basketball. He has no interest doing anything
else but just playing basketball.

Speaker 5 (01:16:30):
He does not care, doesn't care. I'll give you this, Matt,
and I don't know if you saw it. There is
a video surface and I mean not like a big
deal or anything crazy, but after the Edwards but understandable
to your point, And there's a mom she's in a
like in the shoe store and the little boy goes,

(01:16:51):
look at these new Anthony Edwards. These are the shoes
I want, Mom, can you get these? And Mom goes, oh,
absolutely not. I hear the way he talks, absolutely not.
And you know, to your point, yeah, for for Anthony Edwards,
at is going to be a thing. You know it
again an apologetically himself. But in terms of the face
of the league, if that's something that he wants, you know,

(01:17:13):
he wants to have and wants to be, you know
that the language will be an issue.

Speaker 3 (01:17:17):
Maybe nobody wants it. Maybe nobody wants to carry the league.
You know, you want to be on the video game.
You want that. So if you want to if you
want to be on the front of the video game,
you're gonna have to have some sort of demeanor to it.
And maybe maybe the video game doesn't matter. Well you
know it, maybe it doesn't because that's a that's a
different clientele. Let's go to before the top of the
hour ends. I had a Kenny on seven and Kenny,
what do you got today?

Speaker 11 (01:17:40):
Hey, Happy holidays, gentlemen, Good morning you Governor, mister Hollins.

Speaker 9 (01:17:45):
Hey, I just joined in.

Speaker 11 (01:17:46):
Is Thirsty RV?

Speaker 7 (01:17:48):
The other day.

Speaker 11 (01:17:49):
No, he's off today, Okay, yeah, excuse usually about two
or three days a week, right, easily has vacation or something. Uh,
we'll definitely doing the holidays. Hey, Ryan, I think you
do an excellent job, you and Craig. Uh, and those
shoes are locked to fill. With me being biased to Calvin,
I mean I loved him as a player and even

(01:18:09):
more so uh as an announcer. The reason I called
I got through yes listening yesterday? Uh, we are giving
the d of the Year award. Yes, And basically Lane
Kiffen basically owns that award every year, whether he's coaching
or not. I mean, I love Gordy, but goodness, everyone

(01:18:31):
knows this isn't going to this isn't going to end.

Speaker 7 (01:18:33):
Well.

Speaker 11 (01:18:34):
Did you catch him in the when they brought him
up to the booth on the Cougar game the Kinderbow.

Speaker 2 (01:18:39):
Oh, Lane Kiffin?

Speaker 3 (01:18:41):
No, I was, I was in the car, but I
definitely saw the people shooting videos of it. Yeah, how
did how did that conversation go about?

Speaker 6 (01:18:48):
What did you did?

Speaker 5 (01:18:49):
You?

Speaker 2 (01:18:49):
Would you listen to it?

Speaker 11 (01:18:51):
I just tuned out. I just I was infatuated what
he had on. He looked like a uh, a strip bar,
like a real sleazy owner of a strip board. He
had this leather, this brown leather mid coat on, and
I was just looking at him. I'm like, you know,
because I had it tuned down. I was watching something

(01:19:11):
else at the same time. When it was a half
when they go into the breaks, because you know, they
weren't showing the game, they was just showing him in
the announcers, and I looked at him, was like and
then of course you know they you know, introduced him
and everything, and I'm like, oh goodness, yeah, that that situation,
she's going to not go in. They gave him ninety

(01:19:32):
one million dollars.

Speaker 3 (01:19:35):
Yeah, because he's because he and thank you for the
phone call, Kenny and the nice words.

Speaker 6 (01:19:39):
Thank you kiddy.

Speaker 2 (01:19:40):
Yeah.

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

Speaker 3 (01:19:41):
He was number one off season higher. Everybody Florida wanted him.
Uh LSU wanted him. I'm sure all other schools would
have wanted him too. Lane Kiffin was the number one
go to guy. Won some games in that ole, miss
wins wherever he goes. Now doesn't win championships, but he
would like to get there to that point. And he
feels like that that iss use the spot to get
to here's the reality. I don't know how much you

(01:20:03):
paid attention to the whole Lane Kiffin leaving thing. It's
never easy to leave a school, much less a rivalry school.
But everything about the whole situation was just sleezy, because
I think the college football coaching industry is sleezy. It's
just I'm just saying it is what it is. It's
just there's no there's very few ways to be classy

(01:20:24):
about it. But I do believe he does not tell
the truth. I do believe he believes in lying. I
remember I tell you this, Ryan coaches live. Players lie,
general managers lie, owners lie. We're in a lying society.
But when you get called on on it, you know,
the way that he got mad at the kid for
calling him a hoe and all that kind of thing, I.

Speaker 2 (01:20:46):
Know he's.

Speaker 3 (01:20:49):
He just plays the camera. He plays to.

Speaker 7 (01:20:53):
You know what.

Speaker 3 (01:20:55):
It's important to him. He wants the narrative of he's
just a football coach where he's frankly.

Speaker 2 (01:21:00):
More than that.

Speaker 3 (01:21:01):
It's just and for a school that got rid of
a coach and paying all that money to go take
them away again, leaving one job another, you can do that.
It's just there probably was just a much more classier
way to do it.

Speaker 2 (01:21:12):
Than I think the way the Lang Kiffin did it.

Speaker 5 (01:21:15):
Yeah, it's understandable, it's fair, Matt.

Speaker 2 (01:21:19):
All right.

Speaker 3 (01:21:20):
I will see you on the plane tomorrow. I look
forward to seeing what size depend you're wearing, and we'll
look forward to having a great time in Times Square.
Or maybe we'll just find a restaurant and have dinner
and not worr about anything of this other stuff.

Speaker 5 (01:21:32):
Hey, Matt, it's been a pleasure of my brother at
any time I get to work with you, you know,
beyond our friendship.

Speaker 6 (01:21:37):
Man, it's always cool moments. Man, thanks for having me.

Speaker 3 (01:21:39):
That's why I love him like a brother. That's Ryan
Hollins of Space City Home Network. Up next the News
at noon. We've got gut feelings in one half hour,
but first we have to salute the Rockets win over
the Pacers with John Mellencamp on the Tunes twelve o
one on Sports Talk seven ninety Matt Tommy Show with
Rossot twin Final Score Houston on twenty six in Neana

(01:22:14):
one nineteen and it was.

Speaker 2 (01:22:18):
Kind of game away.

Speaker 3 (01:22:20):
I need a ruling from you, Jonathan, John Mellencamp.

Speaker 2 (01:22:24):
I was hoping to ask me. I've heard this song before,
but it's been a long time, so you started playing it.
I don't know what this is. I played it, dude,
this is the perfect time of you for this song,
and you're driving along.

Speaker 6 (01:22:33):
I like this.

Speaker 3 (01:22:34):
Oh, it is a great driver run song. I'm glad
you said that, and turn it up. It's it does fit.
Ironically enough, he's the most famous Indiana who's your football supporter?
He's been going there with his dad for like forty years. Really, yeah,

(01:22:55):
I think sixty minutes. Somebody did a story on him
about or was ESPN, about how he's been going to
those you know, because Indiana football sucked for most of
its life. Yeah, the last couple of years have been
a lot better. But yeah, little John Cougar Mellencamp, he's funny.
He was John Cougar Mellencamp, then he was John Cougar
for a while, and then he went to John Mellencamp.
I think I think it's where he is now.

Speaker 2 (01:23:16):
Yeah, all the songs that look couplement, it's just John
mellikin down Mellencamp.

Speaker 3 (01:23:21):
Yeah, yeah, man, And I don't mean to get old.
I'm getting old guy, because I don't want to be that.
I always want to stay young, at least I want
to sound young. But that's another guy that's I would
go seeing concert. But if I'm going to go see
in a concert, he's gonna sound forty percent of what
he sounds like on the.

Speaker 2 (01:23:40):
Music right there. That's you know what that makes me
sad to get old because he's you keep saying that,
I'm like, now, I imagine I couldn't imagine that.

Speaker 3 (01:23:48):
Do you get who is your favorite performer right now?

Speaker 2 (01:23:51):
Performer? I don't know. I could just say something just
about the blue I would say, like Bruno Mars.

Speaker 3 (01:23:56):
You go to see Bruno Mars for the next twenty
or thirty years, He's going to say, I'm pretty good,
Bruno Mars is seventy five. A't gonna sound so hot
that life is crazy.

Speaker 2 (01:24:05):
So I got the.

Speaker 3 (01:24:06):
Eagles, who are not even because one of them's dead
and unfortunately Glenn Fry. But and they've got a couple
of people that have left the band. But generally speaking
there sound pretty good. But they're also in their late seventies.
My man Paul McCartney my one of my favorites because
of my favorite all time band of the Beatles. He's
in his early eighties. You know he's got forty percent,

(01:24:27):
He's got twenty percent of his voice. My man, Barry
Manlow got lung cancer. Hope he survives. Things go well
with him. I saw him this summer. He sounds like
he's eighty.

Speaker 2 (01:24:36):
I got nothing left.

Speaker 3 (01:24:38):
I got John Cougar Mellencamp Pine in his seventies by now.
But that song, oh man, you put a John Cougar
Mellencamp song on Jack and Diane hurts so good. I mean,
there's one hit after the other. A lot of things
about life by getting older, it sucks. Somethings are really good,

(01:25:02):
but losing my Losing my favorite bands to music is
not one of my favorite things now. Granted they're also
you have the art of music that you can listen
to that same song. I mean, the Beatles haven't been
around since the sixties. I still listen to them all
the time, still enjoy it, So you sure do. Like
I stay young as possible long as I can.

Speaker 2 (01:25:22):
You look young upsides the bald head.

Speaker 3 (01:25:25):
But you know, I mean, besides the baldhead, I knew
a dude in college. He was twenty two with a
bad head. Now you know you still look young. You
black guys love bald heads. I don't know what it is.

Speaker 5 (01:25:34):
Did am I wrong?

Speaker 2 (01:25:35):
It's like once that hairline starts pushing back, we just
we're not gonna do it.

Speaker 3 (01:25:38):
I mean Tyed Diggs like one of the hottest guys
in the world apparently, and he'd been ball for twenty
five years.

Speaker 2 (01:25:44):
It's in the move. It's cut it all off. It's okay,
embrace it.

Speaker 3 (01:25:47):
Well, you got a good maine and going there, so
you're fine. You see Johnny Furfey's maine from the Indiana
Patriers last night. No, no, that thing was once you
go google Johnny Furfey f you r p h y.
He was one of their starting wings for the UH
Pacers last night. He's a it was a former Kansas
Jayhawkers from Australia.

Speaker 2 (01:26:06):
Okay, I got a littlemulley going on. He's got like
a mullet going now. It's kind of same, yeah, okay,
but it's it's.

Speaker 3 (01:26:12):
Disjointed, don't you agree it's it doesn't have any form
to it. He's started it off as it's the ugly phase.
It got it, Okay, I got it? Yeah, Yeah, it's
the whole process with the mullet thing Kentucky.

Speaker 2 (01:26:23):
All right, well there's your news of the day.

Speaker 3 (01:26:24):
Johnny Ferry's got a bad mad Jonathan got a good
one real quick. Nicolea Jokics hybrick center, and ne gonna
be out a minimum of about four weeks will be reevaluated. Rockets,
as you heard, just beat the Pacers last night.

Speaker 5 (01:26:36):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (01:26:37):
No Philip Rivers starting a quarterback this week.

Speaker 11 (01:26:40):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (01:26:40):
The Coults have decided to make a change at starting quarterback.
And I don't think you particularly care, because again, they're
not playing for anything the cult. The Texans still are,
but they're going to go with Roley Leonard. Are the
Colts this Sunday for the twelve noon starting If you
don't know, the game with the Texans and the Colts
is Sunday twelve noon in RG Stadium.

Speaker 2 (01:27:00):
And what else?

Speaker 3 (01:27:00):
Happy birthday to both Lebron James and to Tiger Woods.
Tiger Woods turns fifty years old today, which makes him
now eligible if he so chooses.

Speaker 2 (01:27:08):
To be on the champions Tour. Speaking of feeling old.

Speaker 3 (01:27:13):
I remember Jonathan when he won the US Amateur Championship,
meaning he was not a pro player yet, meaning he
couldn't make any money playing golf.

Speaker 2 (01:27:22):
Hmm. You know this might make me sound young, but
I thought he was much older than fifty. I was
actually surprised when he said that.

Speaker 4 (01:27:29):
Hmm.

Speaker 2 (01:27:29):
I forgot. I didn't know how good. I know how
good Tiger Woods was, But do.

Speaker 3 (01:27:34):
You really even remember when Tiger was killing it?

Speaker 2 (01:27:36):
Well, my grandpa is a huge golf thing, like so
I was. I remember, like, you know, being at his
house and when five or six years old. Yeah, that's
all I remember. You know, I didn't know he was
that big of a deal, you know what I mean. Yeah,
all right.

Speaker 3 (01:27:48):
At the bottom of the hour, we have our final
gut feelings of the calendar year twenty twenty five. So
y'all need to get your gut feelings ready. K J
and Larry want to talk about some basketball. Little Texans
will get to those two calls coming back as well.
Twelve fourteen gut feelings bottom of the hour, those where
you make your sports predictions, whether it be about the Texans,

(01:28:10):
the NFL playoffs, but the NBA just ending sports related.
Will take your gut feelings at twelve thirty. It's twelve fourteen.
It's a Matt Thomas show with ross Em Doka in
forty five minutes here on seven ninety. Not to be
a DeBie downer here on the show, but did you
see the story about Stefan Diggs Uh oh uh huh

(01:28:34):
uh huh facing serious criminal charges for strangulation and assault.
He was charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor
assault and battery charges stemming from an incident on Tuesday,
December the second. Diggs is scheduled to be arraigned on Friday,
January the twenty third, just two days before the AFC

(01:28:56):
Championship game. If there is smoked this fire, the NFL
can suspend him hm hmm, and maybe he misses the
AFC Championship provided they get that far. Matter of fact,
he could. He could be missing playoff games, not just alation.

Speaker 6 (01:29:14):
He was what's going on? Man?

Speaker 3 (01:29:17):
Well, I don't I think strangulations pretty cut and dry. Unfortunately,
m now didn't he play over the weekend?

Speaker 2 (01:29:32):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:29:33):
I thought I saw him playing, not that I spent
a lot of time watching Patriots. I was on red Zone.
But yeah, that's that's not good.

Speaker 2 (01:29:42):
God. I mean.

Speaker 3 (01:29:45):
Again, two sides every story, innocentence are proven guilty for sure.
I'm looking at the box score right now. How did
he do New England? Yeah, he had six for one
on one with a touchdown. Yikes, it's gonna be another
uh Mike Vick situation, Ray Rice, As I was thinking

(01:30:07):
all that, Ray Rice, Ye, yeah, Michael Vick was the dogs.
Not that I was saying better, but yeah, yeah. And
there's nothing to do in comment except let's let the
judicial process take over things here. Let's go to kJ
on seven two. Happy early New Year to you friend.

Speaker 7 (01:30:28):
Same to your fellas man. Yes he was of my open,
typical open.

Speaker 4 (01:30:31):
I love the show.

Speaker 2 (01:30:32):
Thank you.

Speaker 7 (01:30:33):
Real quick.

Speaker 5 (01:30:34):
Uh.

Speaker 7 (01:30:36):
First, I'm gonna start off with a question. Watching the
game Saturday, the two opening touchdowns that we got, the
one the Higgins and the once Noel, do you guys
think that was more of a good play calling of
the play design or do you think it was more
of a byproduct since the Texas don't typically do that.

(01:30:57):
They caught the defense off.

Speaker 3 (01:31:00):
A wouldn't you think that the good play call was
because the other team wasn't expecting it?

Speaker 7 (01:31:06):
Okay, so you can be a combination of both. They
don't have to operate exclusively.

Speaker 3 (01:31:09):
Yeah, I would say this. We don't say enough of that, honestly,
and I loved that. I would have tried to go
for it again a little later, to at least put
something on tape, because after those two plays, we didn't
see anything nearly as dynamic the rest of the game.

Speaker 7 (01:31:23):
And I guess that means into my point because again,
one of the things that you hear people say consistently
about CJ is here's a master of the deep ball.
And I'm bringing this up because this offseason, the Texans
is gonna have to make a decision with CJ. And
I know, and I meant, well, they're gonna have to
make a decision. A decision is pretty much already beate.

(01:31:44):
He's gonna get paid, right. But my point saying per
seing this is, I mean, we all know the dem
Cousi defensive minded coach. I wonder and I'm gonna ask
this question. I'm gonna make this statement and ask this question.
I'm gonna let you guys have it to respond.

Speaker 6 (01:31:58):
Okay, you don't.

Speaker 7 (01:32:02):
You don't buy a Ferrari to drive it in the
schools off you know what I'm saying. I mean, if you,
if you, if you genuinely feel like your quarterback has
the ability to make plays like that or make more
plays over the court of sixty minutes every Sunday more,
but it's more capable of doing. So why not genuinely
find out how capable he is and since that where

(01:32:26):
you have a better gage of what you're getting. Because
to me, as good as c J was his richie season,
he didn't have any tape on it because a lot
of you know, he caught me off guard, because that
sawn of our state had no idea he was going
to be that good in a pros this first year,
Tate was out on him. His second year last year
was still a solid year, but again nowhere near as
good as his rookie year. And he struggled consistently this year.

(01:32:48):
Like we all knowing sports, once some footage gets out there,
teams make adjustments. So I'm wondering, do you guys think
that the lack of offensive consistency this season is more
a byproduct of lack of confidence in himself, in his
line or in the play calling, or do you think
it's more Nick kaylee By and by extension to Miko

(01:33:11):
Ryans wants to consistently run a conservative offense, and because
of that, the offense dollars it back when they talk
about that on the league because they missed the lattin statement.
Then I'm not a fan of giving somebody a quarter
of our payroll that we basically want to be a
game manager.

Speaker 2 (01:33:27):
Well here's the thing, you guys, real quick before you
hang out kJ. You know he was talking. What you
say you don't want to drive a Ferrari in the
school zone.

Speaker 3 (01:33:35):
What if you buy that nice Ferrari but the guy
who's driving it never wants to go by past sixty
miles an hour?

Speaker 7 (01:33:42):
Okay, so you think it's more CJ.

Speaker 3 (01:33:44):
No, No, no, I think looking at the sum of
the product this year, I don't think Nick Kyley's a
tremendous play caller. That's the first and foremost thing. I
do believe CJ has trouble with some progressions, but I'm
I can't I don't have an eye for that, so
I can't say that's a little bit of it, a

(01:34:05):
lot of it, or none of it. I do believe
the body of work watching the Texans operator as an
offense to me is that Demiko Ryans is a very conservative,
offensive minded coach.

Speaker 7 (01:34:19):
Well, this is my last name, real quick, Matt. I'm
looking at the game the other night with uh the
Chicago Bears. Who was that they played the other day
when they had that shootout?

Speaker 3 (01:34:28):
Chicago was playing, Uh what was it?

Speaker 2 (01:34:32):
Packers? Packers, Packers, Yeah.

Speaker 7 (01:34:34):
Packers, Okay, no, no, no, no, this is the last game.

Speaker 2 (01:34:37):
Oh Chicago. Oh, I know you're talking about State. I'm
whoever it was.

Speaker 7 (01:34:44):
I'm looking at Caleb Williams, and I'm looking at Vote Nicks,
I'm looking at I'm just naming some of the younger
quarterbacks of the league. These dudes have a command.

Speaker 3 (01:34:52):
It was Sunday night game. Yeah, Sunday night game against
the night Yeah.

Speaker 7 (01:34:57):
So Brock Breddy another young quarterback. These guys have a
strong command of their of their offense to the point
to where they literally make plays when plays aren't there consistently.
Not all the time, obviously, but they make enough place
to keep them teams in games offensively. And I just
don't see CJ with that swagger. I see him moping

(01:35:18):
a lot, I see him throwing the ball away at
times when he actually has time to get rid of
the ball, and I just don't see him having that
confidence that that that that Zebi ferre that a lot
of these quarterbacks have. And I'm wondering again it seems
if he's being affected by the play calling or if
CJ's just lost some of his mojo, man, because I
don't see the same thing in him from a competence

(01:35:38):
standpoint that I see in a Drake may or Jordan
love some of these other quarterbacks. And I'm gonna chick
back when I got to get into work.

Speaker 3 (01:35:45):
But I'm I mean, what we will know is this,
the Texans offensive line is better, It's still an elite.
That strike one, Umber two is the Texans have no
running game to speak of. Jordan and Marx and Chubb

(01:36:09):
don't scare anybody, so that hampers you too.

Speaker 2 (01:36:15):
So what I would.

Speaker 3 (01:36:16):
Say is this, and maybe you don't want to do
this right now, Let's see what CJ does with a
running back. I mean, think about it. In his three years.

Speaker 4 (01:36:29):
Now.

Speaker 3 (01:36:30):
Last year he had Joe Mixon.

Speaker 2 (01:36:31):
That was nice.

Speaker 3 (01:36:33):
The year before that ad Damian Pierce, when we thought
Damian Pierce could be an NFL running back, and that
clearly has not happened. This year, He's had no real
running game to speak of. Average lost from four yards
of carriag There've been a few bursts here and there,
but no one is game planning for the Texans running game.

Speaker 2 (01:36:49):
To beat them.

Speaker 3 (01:36:51):
And then let's see what the Texans do in terms
of approving their offensive line, either through draft or through
trades or through frig and acquisitions. It's just you just
can't say one particular thing is hurt. I do believe
the conservative play calling that Nick Cayley has been told
to do. We talked about it on the show yesterday.
A lot of first down runs, especially late first half

(01:37:14):
and basically all the second half. We we don't we
don't see a lot of I'm not talking about freaky plays,
am I talking about backward passes or double reverses or
flee flap. I'm just talking about general going down the
field with a little bit of aggression. It's up tempo.
We've seen it a few times, but nothing consistently because

(01:37:34):
that's just not in Di Miko's DNA. And I think
when given the opportunity, sometimes when you are to take
that five to seven step drop, when when the when
the coach gives it to you, it's you know, you
get a little nervous think about it in your place
if you if you have a conservative boss that doesn't
let you do a lot of things, trying different things,

(01:37:55):
and then you get an opportunity to do something you're
a little skittih about whether it's going to work or not.
Now you can't be skittish if you're an NFL quarterback.
If that's the case, you're doomed. And I don't think
I don't I don't think CJ's is worrying about making mistakes.
If you do that, then you're never going to survive.

Speaker 6 (01:38:10):
But he did.

Speaker 3 (01:38:11):
The opportunities for him to really go downfield and try
things and be it more advanced like some of the
other offenses you've see in the NFL just aren't there
because as the Texans don't have the offensive weapons from
a line, from a running back to experience receivers. Nole's
an okay, way, we have Nico Collins, Dalton Schultz obviously

(01:38:33):
has come through Hutchson to a smaller extent, but it's
still not a receiving core that's going to strike a
lot of fear in a lot of teams. That's why
it was so encouraging to see what they did on
those two big catches early in the contest, and I'll
give you a long win. Did they answer kJ? But
that's just the truth. It's just it's too difficult to say, Well,
if CJ had more confidence or CJ had a better
command of things to be different. I think it's a

(01:38:55):
combination of everything. I don't think Nikiley has done any
himself any favors this year as an offensive play call.

Speaker 6 (01:39:00):
I don't.

Speaker 3 (01:39:01):
I think that the governor has been put on him
and CJ by its head coach. I think CJ has
made some mistakes. At least one of the interceptions on
Saturday was a shaking your head, oh my god, what
was he thinking?

Speaker 6 (01:39:14):
Moment?

Speaker 3 (01:39:15):
Maybe two, but certainly at least one of them. Larry
and Mark, we'll get to you guys coming back. We'll
also get got feelings betwere before when we visit with
im Doka. It's twelve thirty one here on seven ninety
Mat Thomas Show with Ross. Ross is off today, Medoka
is not off. He'll be joining us in twenty five
minutes from now. Let's go back on the phones and
talk to in terms of the longest wait, John on

(01:39:36):
seven ninety, Hi, John.

Speaker 7 (01:39:39):
Hey, what's going on?

Speaker 14 (01:39:41):
I have a quick question, and I want to get
to before.

Speaker 7 (01:39:45):
He may comes home.

Speaker 14 (01:39:46):
But I was real quick even I was listening to
the conversation real quick before I asked my question.

Speaker 4 (01:39:53):
Even with day's mistakes.

Speaker 14 (01:39:55):
I mean, the OC and an all line coach is
still fired at the end of the year, right, Like
you don't believe that they still stay off regardless of
the talent being inferior. I mean offense a line looks
trashed period.

Speaker 3 (01:40:09):
I think both stay I think I mean, could you
imagine the questions that Demiko Ryan would get if you
fired back to back offensive coordinators.

Speaker 14 (01:40:19):
Yeah, but it's just so they just were so so
just in depth. I mean, it's obvious. It's obvious the
only way we get to where we get to is
what the offense is forward at least twenty seven right
now they've been doing it at twenty But if it
will take a little bit more outing, especially in the

(01:40:40):
cold weather city that we're gonna have to go to,
where you're gonna have to got to put a grow
together and get it in the end, Z and I
just I just don't foresee it.

Speaker 7 (01:40:48):
But let me get to our question really really quick.
What happened to Christian Harris and.

Speaker 14 (01:40:54):
Was how because I know he was cleared. I remember Alabama.
I remember him a breakie year. I know he had
a slew of injuries, but I think he's been cleared
and he's just not on the field and I remember
him being Alabama guy. And if they're sour on him

(01:41:15):
with where they were probably going to drafts. If there's
not an office alive, then is there a scenario where
you see Jacob or Anthony Hill from Texas being drafted
where they would the Texas will probably pick.

Speaker 3 (01:41:32):
Christian Harris is able to play, he's just off the
depth chart. Did not record anything in the game against
the Chargers. He had one assisted tackle against the Raiders,
four tackles, two solo to assists against the Cardinals, did
not recording thing against Kansas City, and he had the
one assistant tackle against Indianapolis. So he's still with the team.

(01:41:56):
But yeah, out of side, out of mind, And I
think you answered your own question. I think it numerous
injuries just got them well behind everybody else. Linebacker always
could be in need, especially if Christian Harris is not
going to be in the long term future. I want

(01:42:18):
the Tecans to address offensive line and running back, and
I don't really know much more I can say beyond
that because I'm I would be highly doubtful that Joe
Mixon comes back. I'm not ready to I'm not ready.
I don't think I'll be ready to say that what
he marks is a three down back. Nick Chubb's got

(01:42:40):
nothing left in the tank, and Jui Jordan is who
he is, practice squad player who had a nice game.
You need to invest in running back and offensive line.
And I thought it would be a clean swoop with
offensive lineman. But maybe there's enough guys here that are
growing up that are playing better the second half of
the year that maybe the Texans would have some faith

(01:43:01):
and keeping those guys in where they are. But you've
got to resolve this running back situation. And I know
it's very hesitant for teams to take running backs in
the first round. I'm not even saying that per se,
But if you want Jacob Arriguez or something like that,
that's going to be something well advanced of taking him
over a running back. And I think you've got to

(01:43:22):
get that position, and you got to strip the offensive line.
I mean, I know the offensive line is playing better
and pro football focus, so great amount better is this,
but in your heart of hearts, you're still scared to
death about him, And in your heart of hearts, I
think Demiko Ryans is maybe that's part of the reason
why he's been so conservative as a coach, is because
he knows, at the end of the day that that's
just not a good enough offensive line to try to

(01:43:45):
do some of the things that maybe Nick Kelley would
like to do as an offensive coordinator and certainly CJ.
Stroud would like to do as a quarterback. I'm staying
with it, offensive line, running back focus. You need a
running back. It's going to scare somebody because right now
the play action works to a certain extent. Imagine how

(01:44:05):
good it would be if you had a running back
on this team that could really scare opposing defenses. Let's
go to Mark on the north side of twelve forty
one on seven. I mean, Mark, thanks for waiting. Good afternoon,
very good afternoon. I've been listening since yesterday. I mean,
one of your guys called in.

Speaker 15 (01:44:24):
He was saying CJ was scared, and then y'all we
were trying to say, no, he's not scared. But I mean,
this guy, he cannot handle any pressure at all anymore.
You look at those two interceveents he took against the
charter Man and I'm just I'm just just sitting there
shaking my head, like what is this guy doing? I mean,
who is he throwing it to? It was not even
close to any straight to one of those guys. And

(01:44:46):
I mean, yeah, he had two nice throws on the couple,
probably busted coverage or something and to mix up in
the secondary, which I mean Steve Wonder.

Speaker 7 (01:44:54):
Probably could have made those throws.

Speaker 4 (01:44:56):
But uh.

Speaker 15 (01:44:57):
I was listening to the Raiders game on DO a
couple of weeks ago, and Andre Ware was coming to
coming calling the game like he always does, but he
started pointing out that, you know, CJ, he's getting rattled
in the pocket. He can't have the pressures, getting happy
fee and he's sailing balls and it's starting to become
a problem.

Speaker 7 (01:45:16):
He was selling these balls and.

Speaker 15 (01:45:18):
Then, uh, you know, CJ. I mean, Andre he's a quarterback.
I mean, I believe he won the Heisman. I believe
with you of age, but I think he knows what
he's talking about. And he says he's been seeing that
and it's been rearing his head. He's selling these balls
and just amount of time before they start landing in
the defender's hands. And I think that's gonna be our
Achilles Hill in the playoffs. I got no fake to CJ.

(01:45:41):
And uh, there's a reason Jacksonville came to town and
beat CJ, and Mills went to the on the road
and beat Jacksonville on the road.

Speaker 7 (01:45:50):
That's my argument.

Speaker 4 (01:45:51):
Thank you guys.

Speaker 3 (01:45:52):
All right, did you listen by the ways you listened
to Andre talk about the two touchdowns that were throwing
in the first quarter. I mean, yeh of analysis is
something that everybody's going to have. You're going to curtisize.
I mean, the Texans game against the Raiders was an
offensive disaster.

Speaker 6 (01:46:07):
It just was.

Speaker 3 (01:46:08):
They should have put up thirty five points. So it's
selective hearing. And I'm not saying that Andrea isn't necessarily
defending CJ in one week crushing the next. He's only
commenting on what he's seeing. And I don't listen to
Texans radio, so I mean, I'm watching the game. They
don't listen. But you know, yeah, if you listen, if

(01:46:29):
you only listened to a Texans game, any of the broadcasters,
whether they were working for the team or on the
national side, are like, what's going on here? This This
team looks flat, It looks disinterested, It looks like it
doesn't have any diversity to it doesn't have a lot
of interesting play calls to it. I pretty much feel
like that. Andrea probably in the frost after watching those

(01:46:50):
two long bombs thrown in the first quarter of that
game against the Chargers, probably had a different philosophy to it.
But that's but that's how quarterbacks go. One week they
are awesome, the next week their suck. Now, the two
interceptions that CJ threw that wasn't very good. One may
have been tipped, one not I don't know, but those
those those are tough to stomach. But yeah, again, what

(01:47:15):
we have to understand is that c J. Stroud hasn't
taken the step that you want him to have. When
you see the likes of uh Jordan Love, when you
see the likes of Rock Purty, when you see the
likes of even for that matter, Drake May. This year
in New England and his second year has been just fantastic,

(01:47:39):
you want him to take that natural step. And the
question would be, are those teams I just spoke spoke
of are they able to have decent running games? Stevenson's
been fantastic for the Patriots. I'll just give you one
example of that, uh, is the are the offensive lines
protecting those quarterbacks better than what's going on right now

(01:47:59):
in Houston. I would assume the answers yes to that,
So I would just say, look at the big picture
of this and understand that you don't have a better alternative.
Cjs I having a poor season. I don't think he's
going to be the number one reason why this team

(01:48:21):
does not make it to the playoffs. But I'll say this,
who would be more likely to have a rougher game?

Speaker 2 (01:48:28):
A CJ.

Speaker 3 (01:48:29):
Stroud rough game passing wise, or a Texan defense against
up thirty points. I think you know the answer that
Texan's defense has been remarkably comfortable and being able to
keep around that twenty twenty one point mark in most
cases less than that sixteen yet against Chargers. Now, thank
you Cameron Dicker from blowing the kicks on two different occasions.

(01:48:50):
We know how this team is going to get there.
If they get to the super Bowl, it's because the
defense has been phenomenal, like it's been for the last
two months, really the entire season, and the offense does
just enough like it's done during this winning streak to
win ball games. What you don't, what you can't afford,
is for the Texans defense seven off game and then

(01:49:11):
expect this Texans offense all of a sudden put up
a thirty five spot. I don't think it's in their
DNA twelve forty six. When we return, Jonathan and I
will have our gut feelings on sports predictions, how we
did last week, what we're doing this week, And if
you have any sports predictions, you've got a thing in
your gut you want to tell us about seven one
three two one two five seven ninety seven one three

(01:49:33):
two one two five seven ninety If you have a
gut feeling, let us know next here on seven ninety
listen up, go poll so peal. Wasn't that Tomman?

Speaker 5 (01:49:44):
You'll they got a gut feeling.

Speaker 3 (01:49:46):
This is their gut feeling on the Matt Thomas Show.
All right, seven one three two one two five seven
ninety seven one three two one two five seven ninety Jonathan,
how did we do last week?

Speaker 2 (01:49:58):
All right, let's start with Let's start at Gordy we
had last week Texas Longhorns is going to land the
UF running back and U H. Cougars beat l s
U by ten, So I guess that's a win.

Speaker 3 (01:50:11):
But that's a win. It wasn't by ten, but it
was definitely a win for sure.

Speaker 2 (01:50:14):
Ross said, Woody Marx is not RB one for the
Texans next year. It's Texas made the playoffs as a
seat higher than seven. So yea gonna win on that.
Texans lose to the Chargers twenty.

Speaker 3 (01:50:26):
Four, A must call it battle red for that one.

Speaker 2 (01:50:30):
Yeah, Rockets will finish top three in West. Rockets win
the regulation and cover the seven five versus Clippers.

Speaker 3 (01:50:38):
That didn't happen. That lord did not happen. And then
Houston goes one and two versus l A oh u.
That is, they went and one against LA losing. The Clippers,
beat the Lakers and beat the Chargers. Okay, so he's
like two and two, He's all right.

Speaker 2 (01:50:52):
Uh, I've said Texans win by one score versus Chargers.
That's on me. And then Matt, you said the Rockets
beat the Clippers and the.

Speaker 3 (01:51:01):
Lakers, Yes, and the Chargers. Did I not say perfect
three and zero? In California or no, let's see, he says,
uh no, I don't got it anything, all right, Well,
I didn't get that one because the Clippers beat the Rockets.

Speaker 2 (01:51:12):
You eight's coolers beat LSU by seven plus.

Speaker 3 (01:51:14):
Yeah, it's a seven plus it should have been. We'll
take it, all right.

Speaker 2 (01:51:18):
James Haren is not in the season as a Clipper, yes,
and then Denver finishes as the number one seed. I
don't know if it's going.

Speaker 3 (01:51:26):
Out now, peeps, all right, if you got a gut
filling in right now, let us know seven one three, two,
one two five seven ninety seven to one three two,
one two, five seven nine zero, Jonathan, write this down.
The Texans play Baltimore next weekend AFC Playoffs Wildcard Playoffs.

(01:51:52):
I think Baltimore goes to Pittsburgh wins the game, they
win the AFC North. I think the Jaguars beat the
Titans at home, meaning the Texans cold game is meaningless,
meaning the Texans the five seed will take on the
four seat, which will be the AFC Nord champions. Texans
play at Baltimore next week of the World cart.

Speaker 2 (01:52:10):
Okay, you don't you have no faith in these Steelers
at all?

Speaker 3 (01:52:13):
Do I wouldn't say no, faith, I mean that wouldn't
It wouldn't be a terrible surprise if they win. I mean,
I think Baltimore is favored in it. But I just
watched Pittsburgh play Cleveland last week. Is that Metcalf gonna
be able to? I mean, is he gonna behave himself?
I forgot all about that? Is he back or no?
I think he's gonna miss one more game?

Speaker 5 (01:52:31):
Does he not?

Speaker 2 (01:52:32):
Two games?

Speaker 6 (01:52:33):
Right?

Speaker 2 (01:52:33):
Oh?

Speaker 6 (01:52:34):
Man?

Speaker 5 (01:52:36):
Mm hmmm? All right?

Speaker 3 (01:52:39):
Uh, let's see what else. Texas beats Michigan in the
uh whatever the bowl is cheese at Citrus Bowl, which
sounds weird Citrus Yeah, I got, I got. I got
Texas beating Michigan in that. I think Michigan really cares
because Lord knows of it a terrible experience. And what

(01:53:02):
other else do I have here for college football on
the bulls? Let's see here. I'm gonna go with Ohio
State beats Miami. Ohio State right this, Ohio State covers
a nine and a half against Miami. Okay, okay, I
got Oregon beating text Tech. Sorry, Cameron my Son, I

(01:53:33):
guess so I got Oregon giving up the two and
a half to Texas Tech Oregon covers. I like Indiana
to cover against Alabama, Indiana minus seven over Alabama, and
I will take ole Miss minus six and a half
against I'll think George, excuse me, Georgia minus six and

(01:53:53):
a half against ole Miss. I'm taking all the favorites
in the bowl games. So just want to write that down,
all the favorites against the spread? Really, mmm, is nothing
in there?

Speaker 2 (01:54:08):
Oh Rockets?

Speaker 5 (01:54:09):
Uh two?

Speaker 3 (01:54:10):
And oh this week they will knock off Brooklyn on
New Year's Day, go to Dallas and beat the Mavericks in.

Speaker 2 (01:54:15):
Dallas on Saturday night.

Speaker 3 (01:54:18):
Yeah, can that's me my bias, of course, I am
just so it's fine.

Speaker 2 (01:54:22):
I can live with it. It's okay, what.

Speaker 3 (01:54:24):
You got before we get to Braden, before we get
to email Doka, you know what I.

Speaker 2 (01:54:27):
Was gonna go these bowl games. But I think I
had the exact same things you said, So I'm not
gonna say that.

Speaker 3 (01:54:32):
Okay, Uh, you got want to shake Pittsburgh to be
Baltimore then once you try?

Speaker 2 (01:54:37):
No, actually know what I do believe that. I think
I think still is. I think we're gonna have a
versus the Stiller is. I think right down? Yeah, No,
I think I got. I'm one oer right now, so
I'm gonna go for it. Anything else. Uh, and you know,
let's go for an upset. I think Miami whims.

Speaker 3 (01:54:53):
You got Miami Wow, Miami beating Ohio State. Huh, just
just for the fun because if it happens, I'm gonna
be ever here. Well, if you're wrong, I won't. I
won't whip you too bad. Let me check real quick,
SFA basketball. Let me tell you see Southern Conference and
see what's going on the women's ball. No, we don't, no, no, no, no,
we're there on that side. Let's see SFA. Oh, I

(01:55:17):
got SFA winning at Northwestern State. Okay, all right about that,
Jack's okay, I got I let that Jacks are owing
to Northwestern State. Demons are three to nine. I like
SFA on the road at Northwestern State. Brad. Before we
get to email, Adoka, Brad, what's in your gut this week?

Speaker 12 (01:55:36):
You forgot about my team Texas State. They're going to
beat up on Rice again.

Speaker 3 (01:55:41):
You know you haven't.

Speaker 12 (01:55:43):
Said nothing, but they're joining the PAC twelve. Do you
know when your in your lifetime a small school that
eventually made it to the big dance.

Speaker 2 (01:55:55):
The small school.

Speaker 7 (01:55:58):
A small school.

Speaker 12 (01:55:59):
I'm not talking about your school. You're not small my school.

Speaker 2 (01:56:03):
Who's your school?

Speaker 12 (01:56:04):
Like my school that made it to the big now
they're they're just like they're in your conference time. They're
in the Pac twelve. But they can play you now
without they're supposed to be on level ground.

Speaker 3 (01:56:18):
Who's your school?

Speaker 2 (01:56:20):
You don't tell me?

Speaker 3 (01:56:20):
Your school is Texas State. Oh that's that's an open
enrollment school. Come on now, come on you guys. Are
you guys are under fire under five hundred and playing
in a bowl game.

Speaker 2 (01:56:33):
You gotta be ashamed of yourselves.

Speaker 12 (01:56:36):
They they're playing Rice. What are you talking about?

Speaker 2 (01:56:39):
Yeah, what's my fall?

Speaker 12 (01:56:41):
We picked when they picked Rice? Every time we play that.

Speaker 2 (01:56:44):
Doesn't even count.

Speaker 12 (01:56:45):
Fourth bowl in a row, Right, Well, what's the guy prediction?
I got one more prediction? Uh, the Astros don't seem
to care. I think it's Seattle's gonna win the division.
And if the Astros don't look out, I think the
athletics are just about to pass them by. They're paying

(01:57:06):
for all kinds, They're paying for all their players. The
askers decided to throw stuff against the wall and see
which picture sticks.

Speaker 2 (01:57:15):
Wait a minute.

Speaker 3 (01:57:15):
The ass of a top ten payroll in baseball, Thank
you for the phone call. Bright, Happy New Year, the
aswers of a top ten payroll, people tend to forget
about that. You just don't go right open checks during
off seasons. They just don't day before we get to email.

Speaker 16 (01:57:29):
Go ahead, Dave, Hey, Matt, I agree with all your
picks on the football, the college football playoffs this weekend.
I got to take it all the way after the end,
I'm gonna predict that. My gut feeling is Georgia beats
Oregon for.

Speaker 3 (01:57:43):
The National Who wow, that's you don't have Ohio they playing?

Speaker 2 (01:57:48):
Huh Now.

Speaker 16 (01:57:50):
I love Georgia. I think they've just been gaining steam
all year. Their quarterback, that Gunner Stockton guy, he's starting
to play with confidence. I just think they're a roller
at the right time of the year, gonna roll right
through everybody.

Speaker 3 (01:58:01):
All Right, thank you very much, David, I appreciate it.
Let's talk to Emay Doca. Next start the final hour
of The Matt Thomas Show with Ross. One o'clock on seven.

Speaker 1 (01:58:08):
Ninety is The Matt Thomas Show with Ross.

Speaker 3 (01:58:16):
All Right, e May is talking to the media right now,
So it's gonna be another five minutes or so before
we get to him, so we will do a short
segment here and then take a break and then give
you a full opportunity to visit with emy coming up
in just a couple of minutes. It is Matt no Ross.
He's off today, I'm off tomorrow. Our friends from the

(01:58:36):
Morning Drive will be in tomorrow morning for an extra
hour from ten o'clock until eleven, and then from eleven
to one you'll hear from Adam Wexler, and then at
one o'clock we will have the pregame show leading up
to the Texas versus Michigan Bowl game. By the way, uh,
we need to coronation, right, Jonathan.

Speaker 6 (01:58:56):
We have to.

Speaker 3 (01:58:56):
We have to announce our D of the Year winner,
and it was a on away D of the Year.
We'll make that announcement at the bottom of the hour.
We have thirty two minutes left to vote, and more
like twenty minutes or so the four candidates for D
of the Year. Pipavoc with the athletic director in Notre

(01:59:17):
Dame for his constant bemoaning the Notre Dame didn't make
the playoff.

Speaker 2 (01:59:21):
Fifty minutes by the way it's still going. The press
conferrace still going. Yeah, now press camera.

Speaker 3 (01:59:28):
Is going for like two weeks now, He's still answered
questions Sharon Moore, the former coach University of Michigan, for
basically using his ig and his only fans to have
group sex and to have sex with a coworker. And
then when she breaks up with him and he's not
happy with that, he goes through her house. He gets
fired and starts blaming her. Lane Kiff in the way

(01:59:50):
he left Ole Miss and the Coldplay couple. Now we're
a sport. My Twitter account is largely about sports. My
guess this is the Coldplay couple will be the viral
moment of the year in Twitter, wal Right Instagram.

Speaker 2 (02:00:05):
When you think, yeah, that was, I can't even compare
it to a different viral moment. It was like a
different type of viral. Like everybody knew it on every demographic.

Speaker 3 (02:00:13):
Every You're right, johnthan if you were eighty one years
old or eight years old, you knew who the cold
Play couple was. You don't know their names, you know
what the company they work for, It doesn't really matter.
You just almost the cold Play couple. So that's the
first poll question that is up. The other pole question
that we have up, and this one also looks like
it's going to be dominated by thankfully the right answer.

(02:00:36):
So tomorrow Rockets were traveling to New York to take
on the nets on New Year's Day. So the question is,
should Craig, Ryan, Vanessa and myself go to Times Square
tomorrow night to see the ball drop even if we
have to wear depends to keep our spot? Thankfully, If

(02:00:57):
fifty eight percent of you say it's not worth it,
forty two sense say it's once in a lifetime. That's
kind of close. I don't know how many votes are,
like one hundred, like one hundred and fifty or somewhere somewhere. No, no, no, close.
It's good enough, sample sized. I like the cafeter idea,
get the roller rubber and the one you know you
want me to walk around midtown manhatting with a catheter.

Speaker 2 (02:01:16):
I mean, if you've never done it, I mean I
don't want to do it. It's not on my to do list.

Speaker 3 (02:01:21):
And y'all and both of you guys are tall, so
I mean you guys can see past most people, so
you don't.

Speaker 2 (02:01:25):
Need that good of a spot.

Speaker 3 (02:01:25):
Women, I'm six to one. I'm I'm above average, but
I'm not super tall. Ryan seven feet by the way,
don't you think Ryan would get harassed by people trying
to walk around and look at things and he got
a seven foot in front of him?

Speaker 2 (02:01:37):
Yah, y'all might get a diaper dunhet or something.

Speaker 3 (02:01:40):
You know, women, you cannot women, if you're bringing the diaper,
you can't throw the diaper.

Speaker 2 (02:01:44):
You don't think. Come on, let's use our imagination. It's
New York. Alcohol is blowing, whatever substances are going on.

Speaker 3 (02:01:52):
Do you understand it's going to be like in the
high twenties. Yeah, My girl's there right now and this
people like packed to the brim.

Speaker 2 (02:02:00):
She going to the ball drop?

Speaker 3 (02:02:01):
I hope not something.

Speaker 2 (02:02:03):
I don't want her to because she's she's like five foot,
so it ain't gonna work out.

Speaker 3 (02:02:10):
How long is she staying for? I think, uh, leave
that Friday the second. Okay, they've been enjoying the New
York Times, you know. Okay, I'm just worried about her.
New York guys. She better stay honest. She hey, ain't
nothing wrong with me. Yeah, send me your phone number
and I'll put her on my GPS. Make sure she's
behaving her. I like this idea. I like, I need Yeah,

(02:02:33):
I need some. I need some need you know what
I mean? I wear funny glasses and I put it,
I'd put I'd put a wig on or something. I
can do that for you. What's the wig would you
put on? That's that's a good problems. Wigs are so
obvious that it would be painfully it would be take
you one second figure out who I was?

Speaker 2 (02:02:54):
Would you go for the long hair? Would you go
for the little like to to pail on the top,
try to go to fad and inside? What would you do?

Speaker 3 (02:02:59):
That's a great I never quite thought of it that way.
I don't know what that I would do if I
was to wear a wig. What would I a hair piece?
I've been bold for bold for so long. I don't
know what I would do.

Speaker 2 (02:03:13):
That's not I was like, this is a perfect answer,
a perfect question.

Speaker 4 (02:03:17):
M M.

Speaker 7 (02:03:18):
You know.

Speaker 2 (02:03:19):
Let me think about this.

Speaker 3 (02:03:20):
But I will go and I will snitch on her
because I'm team I'm team Jonathan.

Speaker 2 (02:03:24):
All day, all day.

Speaker 6 (02:03:25):
Did they you guys hear this?

Speaker 2 (02:03:26):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (02:03:28):
Yes, I don't. I don't want her.

Speaker 2 (02:03:29):
I don't want to go in.

Speaker 3 (02:03:30):
I don't want to go to Manhattan at night because
because think about when the ball drops those everybody do
kiss people? Didn't Jenny McCarthy years ago kiss a complete
stranger when she was anchoring the New Year's Rock and Eve.
I think she did now now let me put it
this way. And I know Kim's not listening. If Jenny
McCarthy was waiting for me, oh god, I might have

(02:03:52):
to go with a wig, with a wig and a catheter.

Speaker 2 (02:03:58):
We'll talk to im A dokin seven ninety.

Speaker 3 (02:04:03):
All right, it's Matt with he at one twelve, fresh
off the basketball practice court, joining us now for his
weekly visits. He made okay, head coach of your Rockets
beat the Pacers last night three straight wins. He may,
first of all, good afternoon, Thanks for spending some time
with me today. Tell me how your too big men
are feeling.

Speaker 4 (02:04:21):
Right now, I'll bring it is better, much much better.

Speaker 10 (02:04:27):
Went through a good workout today, feeling much better. So
I'd say he's probable for the game. I was hoping
to have him back ninety percentis I guess. And Steven
had a little swelling, little stiffness, but felt better after
the game with some treatment last night, so hopefully happened
back as well, but we'll know a little bit more
how you feel it tomorrow.

Speaker 3 (02:04:46):
Did Steven happen hurt on one particular player? Was it
just a progression of him playing minutes?

Speaker 7 (02:04:52):
Oh?

Speaker 4 (02:04:52):
He wrote down a play he fell over.

Speaker 10 (02:04:54):
I don't know if you remember that in the third
yell over with somebody, and yeah, he basically tweaked his
right there, didn't land on a foot or anything, but
was wrestling with somebody and it just rolled.

Speaker 3 (02:05:04):
Overy mean, why would any grown man want to wrestle
with Steven Adams. I mean every time he goes down
to the ground, I feel like the other guy's body's
going to break into like fifteen pieces.

Speaker 10 (02:05:14):
Well, yeah, I mean he got the first two or
three offense three rebounds of the game, and they subed
some guys out to come in and boxing the mountain.

Speaker 4 (02:05:20):
They can neither, so eventually you're gonna have to tackle him,
and that's what happened on the tackle.

Speaker 3 (02:05:25):
All right, So let's get to it. First of all,
you won. The game was comfortable for three quarters. It
kind of got kind of weird in the fourth, but
we wanted to bringing that up. They were the worst
three point shooting team in the NBA. They were making
a boatload of them. That had to shock you a
little bit. And then the turnover count started to get
high on the rocket side too. But other than that,
it was a dominant performance by Durant. You got your

(02:05:45):
Barie Smith doing his thing, you got a man Thompson,
so you were able to with stand missing out for
a couple of games and get some nice victory still
despite the absence.

Speaker 10 (02:05:54):
Yeah, I think, you know, with some guys that normally
don't make shots and make shots, and we're willing to
live with those, and so we know those percentage will
come back to earth eventually.

Speaker 4 (02:06:04):
And for us it was really stay of course, take away.

Speaker 10 (02:06:07):
What we wanted to make it tough on other guys
and those, like I said, in the second half the
numbers dropped from three point percentage and we did a lot.

Speaker 4 (02:06:16):
Of good things guarded at a high level.

Speaker 10 (02:06:18):
Overall, I think offensively been sharp and our spacing and
attacks have been really good. And so that's the result
you get in these last three games is really good
defense on point, decisive chrisp offense, and comfortable wins.

Speaker 3 (02:06:31):
You know, I think Kevin's been a fifty to ninety
guy for much of his life field goal free throw
three point percentage. It feels like it's been ninety percent
of his rockets career. I don't want to say you're amazed,
because this is what you brought him here for, but
it feels like there's such fluidity from his shots, say
fifteen feet and in would you agree.

Speaker 4 (02:06:51):
Yeah, I mean those are almost like a layup for him.

Speaker 10 (02:06:53):
And so his mid range has always been a big
part of his arsenal, one of the best to ever
do it, and let alone the last fifteen years or so,
and you know, he can rise up over those guys
very efficient.

Speaker 4 (02:07:06):
Get to his spots and it's almost it's almost money.

Speaker 10 (02:07:08):
So not surprised at all. You know, the reason we
brought him here was because of that. The efficiency hasn't
dropped it all, it's not. He's even more efficient as
you're getting older.

Speaker 3 (02:07:18):
Jabbari has a nice streak of going fifteen or more
for you, and that's always a nice way to have
that in the back pocket. It's the catch and shoot threes,
which are really good. It's that fade away from ten.
What do you think has changed most? The most improved
part of Jabbari's offensive game so far this year, I'd.

Speaker 10 (02:07:37):
Say the physicality and being decisive. He's driving it better,
taking contact better and getting into his spots and.

Speaker 4 (02:07:42):
So not getting knocked off off his drive as much.

Speaker 10 (02:07:46):
So, you know, just his body in general on both
sides of the ball. You know, he's more comfortable with
the physicality of the game and opportunity as well.

Speaker 4 (02:07:54):
You know, when you look at Jalen and Dylan and.

Speaker 10 (02:07:56):
Then Fred going down, that's three starters from last year,
So he's going to different role with that starting lineup.

Speaker 3 (02:08:02):
E May Doka with us here on Sports Talk seven
to ninety. All right, so the month of December go
seven and six, you obviously would like to have gotten
to at least ten wins. What would you say the
ups and downs of this last month for your squad.

Speaker 10 (02:08:15):
I would say it ups is that we played really
good basketball at points you know lately of course, but
even in the losses, you know, we had big leads
and two of those losses or played Denver really close
and had some late game meltdowns, and so there were
a lot of.

Speaker 4 (02:08:28):
Good things that you did in those games.

Speaker 10 (02:08:31):
You know that that got masked because of the late
they game breakdowns or fouls at the end, and then
the man would be those late game meltdowns and letting
the leads slip away.

Speaker 4 (02:08:40):
And so find the balance of doing what we did
really well to.

Speaker 10 (02:08:44):
Build those leads with staying consistent throughout and not letting
us have those roles To lose two fourth quarter leads
like that and then foul against New Orleans and Denver
to you know, let them back in the game and
lose the overtimes is obviously not a positive.

Speaker 3 (02:08:57):
He may did last year around the league teach everybody
a little something about not sweating the standings too much.
And obviously you want to be in seeding, and you
loved to be in the two seed, but Golden State
didn't know they were gonna be the seventh seed until
the playing round and you had constant shuffling. Is that
something you can live with that you know what you
want to win every game. You know there's gonna be

(02:09:19):
a few bad losses in the mix. But if you're
gonna sweat those things, you're gonna be miserable a lot
more times than you are when you celebrate good victories.

Speaker 10 (02:09:27):
Yeah, definitely, standings are you know, less important honestly, with
the with the play in you don't know who you're
gonna play if you're one of the two seed, and
the seven, eight, nine, ten are all really good teams,
especially in the West, and so you know, it's a
matchup thing in the playoffs, and sometimes certain massives are
worse depending on seating or just a team in general.

(02:09:47):
And so for us, it's really about playing good basketball,
and we want to do that at all times, but
especially late in the year, being healthy at the right
time and kind of hitting our stride and so yeah,
you want to avoid the lumps. But what I told
the team was go aheadto the Laker game. We're not
a different team than five games ago. We've lost some
let some leaves slip away and lost some overtime games.
But if you won those games, it would master the losses.

(02:10:09):
But there's still things we need to work on to
be sharp about. And so for us, it's playing the
right way regardless. And you know, like I said, you
want to be hitting your strike going into.

Speaker 4 (02:10:17):
The end of the season.

Speaker 3 (02:10:18):
I don't know if the guys would admit it as much.
I know that I talked to Jabari after the game.

Speaker 6 (02:10:22):
It was nice.

Speaker 3 (02:10:22):
It was his first Christmas Day game. You had a
lot of first time guys playing Christmas. Did you notice
any extra energy coming out of the locker room or
as they were playing the game knowing that it was
the only game being played on that time during that time.

Speaker 10 (02:10:34):
I think it's good for everybody to go through for
the first time. Like I said, all these benchmarks for
our young guys, whether it's in season, tournament, get into
Las Vegas or playoffs for the first time. It's great
to be on the stage and it means you're doing
some thing as well. And we've got some really good
players and so myself playing in some and coaching in some,
it's not new to me and Kevin's played in a
million of them. But for the other guy, it's a

(02:10:54):
great experience, and I think a little extra juice the
fact that we played the Lakers for the first time.

Speaker 3 (02:11:00):
For Let You Run, you got Dorian Finney Smith. You've
had him for a couple of games. I would expect
his game hasn't changed. Obviously, you're you're keeping him on
a minies restriction right now, but as a Houston Rocket,
what have you seen in terms of his plug and
playability for you right now.

Speaker 10 (02:11:16):
These are things because his rhythm, legs and conditioning back,
but the IQ, toughness and you know, intangibles are there
from day one.

Speaker 4 (02:11:23):
The communication has been really great. It's great to hear
him on the court in the loud arena.

Speaker 10 (02:11:28):
You know, he's one of the guys calling out coverages,
being very vocal, and we need that from everybody, let
alone our veterans, and so adds to our depth, adds
to our versatility and just overall rotations and lineups.

Speaker 4 (02:11:39):
Have that quality of player join us at.

Speaker 3 (02:11:41):
This point, at this point of the season, does it
feel like for the first time, and obviously Fred not
being with you is a huge loss, but does it
feel like you've got you can look down on the
bench get you've got a variety of different options depending
on the matchups about maybe using Josh, maybe using during
Finney Smith big lineup, small up. Do you feel like
that's that Dorian adds that to your list?

Speaker 4 (02:11:59):
Yeah, getting there.

Speaker 10 (02:12:00):
You know, we love our depth in general, and to
have Josh and Aaron a different guys step up all
year has been great for us. But now I would
say having the full compliment of guys back, it adds
that and and you know, once you get off the
minute restrictions for him and Tari and those guys, and
now he gets back healthy, we'll really get to see
what we are minus reread this year. But I think

(02:12:22):
it's just only added to our depth, which we have,
you know, three deep at every position that we're really
comfortable with.

Speaker 2 (02:12:28):
All right.

Speaker 3 (02:12:28):
Lastly, Ryan Hollins and I decided we're not going to
go down to the ball on New Year's Eve because
it's gonna be crazy, plus being in the twenty five
degree temperature. If I gave you a prime seat for
the ball dropping at midnight, would you go to it
or do you just pass and watch on TV?

Speaker 4 (02:12:41):
Absolutely not.

Speaker 10 (02:12:43):
I never wanted to go to that, and we'll avoid
the crowd and the code as well. We'll see if
I watch on TV either. But no, that's not one
of my bucket list things to do.

Speaker 3 (02:12:53):
It really isn't minding that people think I'm nuts about that. Emay,
thanks for the time. We'll seeing the plaane tomorrow. I
appreciate the visitors always.

Speaker 11 (02:12:59):
Thank you.

Speaker 3 (02:13:00):
We'll see it. You made good with us here on
Sports Talk seven Aunty Our time is so one twenty
one seven one three two one two five seven ninety
seven one three two one two five seven NINTI are
you a little nervous about your first coronation of the
D of the Year coming up here in about ten
minutes from now?

Speaker 2 (02:13:16):
You know this is it's rarefying.

Speaker 3 (02:13:19):
Your previous winners would include Jim Slosnagel, the University of
Texas baseball coach, Amy Strong Krunk, the owner of the
Tennessee Titans. I know I butcher her nas name. I
don't care because I hate her. She's a D of
the years, our first female D of the Year winner.
We've had some classics, so we're gonna announce that coming
up in just a few minutes.

Speaker 2 (02:13:38):
All Also, uh so.

Speaker 3 (02:13:40):
If you didn't catch it, it sounded like that alprin
chingoon is at ninety percent, which is a good sign.
Rockets will take have another day off tomorrow before going
up to play the nets on Thursday. And then, uh,
Steven Adams a little bit of swelling, you know what
clink at pella is? Then Okay, so that's why you
brought in additional depth. So it feels like that's a
pretty good spot. All right, Let's take a preak here
at one twenty two, and uh, we're gonna come back

(02:14:03):
and we're going to officially announce the nominees and the
winner of the two thousand, twenty five D of the Year,
D of the Year. And we'll check the final poll
on that. We'll check the final poll on whether or
not Ryan Hollins, Vanessa and Craig and myself should be
down at New Year's at the Big Ball.

Speaker 2 (02:14:25):
All right, You know I never threw this to you, Jonathan.

Speaker 3 (02:14:28):
If I gave you the spot, if I was able
to lift you up and put you in the spot
and put it and put a porta potty within about
fifty feet of you, three feet fifty feet, and you
can go back and free and go back and forth
that you want. Now, I can't guarantee you food and drink.
You probably have to bring that with you. Okay, okay.
Would you take a spot right near the ball if
that port point is there? Yeah, all day, but you

(02:14:51):
gotta wait eight hours. You gotta get there like at four.
And after that I'll dare and if I need I
need a little break, I'll go to the porta party.
Just sit down, you sit one of those things.

Speaker 2 (02:15:01):
No, no, no, no, no, no, you better. You better
bring some Kleenex or cleanser. They got the little hands
and ties them aside. You don't need it.

Speaker 3 (02:15:07):
You need a whole bottle of that, all right, one
twenty three D of the Year. We announced the winner.
Next on seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (02:15:18):
Is one thirty on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 3 (02:15:22):
The votes are in and we welcome you the special
presentation of the Matt Thomas Show with Ross.

Speaker 2 (02:15:30):
It is our D of the Year, D of the Year,
D of the Year.

Speaker 3 (02:15:44):
The nominees for D of the Year and the votes
are in and we have a dominant winner. Our four
finalists were the athletic director of Notre Dame, Pipa Vakua.
Poor Johnson's been listening to his press conference for multiple weeks.
He goes to bed at ninety, here's pepav Aqua speak.

(02:16:04):
He's here at the office. He's spending Christmas with his family,
and all he hears is peep of Aqua complaining again
about Notre Dame not being in the college football playoff
and refusing to go to a bowl. You, pepav Aqua,
are D of the Year candidates D of the Year.
Our second nominee was the former coach at the University

(02:16:27):
of Michigan. Charon Moore, want to say what Michigan's got
a bad culture? Jim Harbaugh. Charon Moore, Charon married, young
family has a side piece. Did side piece was a
subordinate worked in the football operations office. Sidepiece younger. Side

(02:16:52):
piece basically was asked about it and both he the
side piece and mister More said now we'll get doing nothing.
And then the side piece came and said, we are
doing something. Sharon Moore got fired. Charon Moore lost his mind,
went to the girl's house, threatened to kill her, threatening
to kill himself. Arrested, Probably gonna serve some sort of

(02:17:13):
jail time. And oh, by the way, he's fired from
one of the most prestigious college jobs in America today.

Speaker 2 (02:17:19):
Charon Moore, you were a D of the Year nominee.

Speaker 5 (02:17:23):
D of the Years.

Speaker 3 (02:17:24):
Lane Kiffin gets to take jobs, you get to leave jobs.
That's what happens in college athletics. You don't get to
finish you don't have to finish out contracts. But Lane, you,
let's be brutally honest. You basically lied through your teeth
the entire through the entire process. You lie to your players,
you lie to your coaches, You lie to your athletic director.
You wanted your cake and you want to eat it too.

(02:17:45):
You were mad that you were unable to coach Old
Miss in the college football playoff. You were mad that
people didn't like you when you left town. You were
mad when people were driving you off the side of
the road, people that were swearing at you at the airport.
It's going to happen to you eventually, not a matter
of if, but when I think some at least five

(02:18:06):
years uh ross things otherwise. But that's a different issue
for a different time. The way Lane Kiff entreated this
entire situation, Lane, congratulations, you were a d of the Year, g.

Speaker 5 (02:18:17):
Of the year.

Speaker 3 (02:18:19):
And then the cold Play couple all this husband and wife, Well, no,
they weren't with them. They were side piece and side piece.
You noticed something. Side pieces always get you in trouble,
do they not, Jonathan, stay away from side Peace, Oh no,
just stay away from him. The cold Play couple was
at the Coldplay concert, got on the big jumpbotron, and

(02:18:41):
now only did they take their hands off each other,
they turned around and hid. Meanwhile, the whole world saw
who they were, and they were viral as Jonathan said
earlier today. From eight to eighty eight, you knew who
the cold Play couple was. Coldplay couple, you were the
non sports candidate for D of the Year. G of
the Year in fourth place at thirteen Jonathan's best friend

(02:19:02):
Pete Pepe Fivlockwall at the Athletic director of Notre Dame
thirteen percent of you thought he was D of the Year.
Next at sixteen percent in third place, the Coldplay couple
in second place, Lane Kiffin the way he left Old
miss to go to LSU twenty five percent, you are
a third And ladies and gentlemen, the two thousand and

(02:19:25):
twenty five D of the Year is Michigan former head
football coach Sharon.

Speaker 5 (02:19:33):
Moore D of the Year.

Speaker 3 (02:19:44):
I would like to call for DA the Twitter year.
This guy named James underscore mice about the I just
saw it. I was like, what's going on here? So
you're allowed to comment on tweets? I could turn the
comment off, but I don't ever do that because I
figured this is a free form commentary. If you tweet something,

(02:20:04):
you should be prepared for comments. I was expecting comments
of hey, I think this person should be it, or
you forgot this person. There were people that said that
Chauncey Philps may be considered a d of the Year
candidate for his setting up these bogus poker games and
Damon Jones, former Houston Cougar.

Speaker 2 (02:20:21):
That's what it is.

Speaker 3 (02:20:23):
So Jay underscore Mike seven, who has seventy nine followers,
congratulations to those of you. He also follows me. I'm
surprised he still does. He doesn't believe in capitalization on
his tweets, which is fine. He tweets back at me
yesterday twenty hours ago. Are you efing retarded Sharon Moore

(02:20:47):
up against these people? Question Mark again, no use of capitalization.
You're a efing ugly ass bald clown. Hmm okay, I
don't know what. Then Rex pode x stends a reply

(02:21:10):
to him and says, huh, I happened to retweet this,
and I said back to him, thanks for listening ten
to two sports Talk seven nine. I don't know if
he listens or not. My dubt is he probably didn't.
And of course for following me. By the way, I
think I'm quite handsome. Happy New Year.

Speaker 2 (02:21:27):
I took a pull an angle to this and he
did probably. Thank you very much.

Speaker 3 (02:21:34):
His response, just say, and again it doesn't use capitalization.
Just say you're a low IQ individual and keep it moving.
The poll was embarrassing. Next I respond, listen, keyboard Warrior.
The suggestions came from listeners. I promise I'll continue this

(02:21:54):
amazing dialogue when you start using proper capitalization. Following up
by that, Ebu Yaku said, are you attracted at bbw's
what I did not reply And if you don't know

(02:22:25):
what bbw's are, can we say it wrong, Jonathan, we
can say it right. Say what BBWs what there stands
for Big Black Women? So naturally I went to EBU's
Twitter account. He does like bbw's.

Speaker 2 (02:22:47):
Real quick Before we on the topic of the end
of the year, Alice from Conward just called. He was like,
did y'all not say Diddy? And I was like, dang,
we completely forgot that.

Speaker 5 (02:22:56):
We did.

Speaker 3 (02:22:57):
We forgot about Diddy. Diddy is like an old timer
shout out to Alex. Yeah we should. Yeah, I guess
that was like it was too obvious, right, Yeah, I'm
afraid if we said something, if we said something about that,
he would have his people come after it.

Speaker 2 (02:23:10):
Oh yeah, you know what.

Speaker 3 (02:23:12):
But I feel like there's still not enough left. There's
still stuff uncovered on that that we maybe can make
him for an early twenty twenty six nominee for the
end of the year.

Speaker 2 (02:23:21):
You know what, smart smart smart smart.

Speaker 3 (02:23:24):
So I handled the right thing by saying I did
not respond to do I ibbw's.

Speaker 2 (02:23:36):
Does he follow you too? The yes he does? It
made me chuckle.

Speaker 3 (02:23:48):
I can if you're going to attack me, and I
guess Twitter is the easiest place to do it because
you don't have to put your name or your address,
your phone number.

Speaker 5 (02:23:56):
Who you are?

Speaker 3 (02:23:58):
Why are you not using capitalization? Don't give me any
room for me to think that you're basically an IQ
of forty? Why do you tryn to beat up on
you on a random.

Speaker 7 (02:24:10):
What did I do?

Speaker 2 (02:24:11):
I didn't insult them.

Speaker 3 (02:24:12):
I came up with the options based off of what
the people said were nominees. I said, what are your
nominees for day of the year? So I got the
day of the year nominations in there. I think in
twenty twenty six we ought to be nicer. We as
in you be nicer. Well, I'm gonna try right here
for all of you fake media who think you get

(02:24:34):
credentialed for sporting events, but you're really not.

Speaker 2 (02:24:37):
Oh my god, Jeff Blumm is here. Life is good.

Speaker 6 (02:24:42):
Okay.

Speaker 3 (02:24:42):
Back to what I was saying to all of you
that are fake media, I'm gonna take I'm gonna give
you guys your space YouTube pages are thriving. You get
to ask the easy softball questions to the Texans head
coach in the front office. I'm gonna leave you alone, Jonathan,
I iss you. I will not be talking anymore about

(02:25:02):
the boot lickers and the water carriers that are Texans
supposed media all year long ago. Rid finished? Okay, right down,
all right? Okay, So that's the one thing I'm giving.
I'm gonna be better in twenty twenty six about enough
of you guys that consider yourselves media.

Speaker 2 (02:25:19):
You're really not media.

Speaker 3 (02:25:20):
You make no money, you have no influence. You get
credential because the Texans credential everybody and their mother. Matter
of fact, if you remember the general public, you should
ask for a Texans creditial you probably get one done. Jonathan,
What do you be better about in twenty twenty six?
What all I'm gonna be better about? Yep, I'm a
good dude.

Speaker 6 (02:25:38):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (02:25:39):
So you're saying there's nothing wrong. You know what, Maybe
I could work out more. Oh it's a resolution you
want me to, Oh work out?

Speaker 2 (02:25:50):
This is a resolution, you said. You guys not being mean?

Speaker 3 (02:25:52):
Yeah, stop being I'm gonna stop being mean to that group.
Maybe that guy, maybe that guy that wrote those things
as is one of the Texans boot lickers. Mmmm, it
would make sense. Nah, coming after you saying low IQ
called you bald, tell me a bald ugly ass in
an effort. Don't forget the clown in the clown part too.

(02:26:13):
I reserve that kind of christens my from my wife.
Your wife calls you know, she does not not in
my wife close. If you can't call me things, my
wife can't can't call me.

Speaker 2 (02:26:26):
That's okay, that's fair. Yeah, I feel like that's the principle.

Speaker 3 (02:26:28):
All right, So if you if anybody has any New
Year's resolutions in the next fifteen minutes, Wait, we're not
playing to believe, We're not no prizes and we get
we get news for you get them.

Speaker 2 (02:26:36):
In the office and office all week, all right.

Speaker 3 (02:26:40):
So I'm gonna be better to the non credential and
the credential members of the media for the Texans who
shouldn't be credentialed. You're gonna work out more. Let's come
up with a resolution for uh for Ross? Mmm, I
got a few for him. Actually, if any of you've
got any resolutions for yourself, you can call us at
right now. One three two, one two five seven ninety

(02:27:02):
seven one three two, one two five seven ninety one
forty two. Final segment of the Matt Thomas Show at
Ross before we open up a brand new new year
next year on seven ninety and Michigan will have it
for you right here on seventy. Our coverage begins at
one o'clock tomorrow the uh what do we call the
show in the morning Morning Drive? First team?

Speaker 2 (02:27:21):
Drop up an Adam with Adam or.

Speaker 3 (02:27:22):
There's no Adam on that show?

Speaker 5 (02:27:24):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (02:27:24):
But yeah, the Morning Drive will be on an extra
hour from ten to eleven, and then it'll be uh,
Adam West's are gonna hang out eleven to one with
you tomorrow and then uh, one o'clock will be the coverage.

Speaker 2 (02:27:36):
All right.

Speaker 3 (02:27:37):
So things that Ross needs to improve on for twenty
twenty six, Okay, he needs to understand what a must
win is. There are way more must wins in life
than he is ever ready to declare.

Speaker 6 (02:27:47):
Don't you think you know what?

Speaker 2 (02:27:48):
That's a good point. It's a little too literal, He's
he's too literal. He's too literal.

Speaker 3 (02:27:55):
Number two, he needs to understand that mister Texas has
a different as a different palate, not for everybody, but
it's still a widely regarded palette.

Speaker 6 (02:28:03):
I can't.

Speaker 3 (02:28:03):
I can't back you up on this. Shut up, you
can't back me. If you need to back me up
on this, you gotta find myself on the show this year.

Speaker 2 (02:28:10):
You don't even like Timala's.

Speaker 4 (02:28:11):
I don't.

Speaker 3 (02:28:12):
Everybody was talking about Timali's. Where was I at that tonight?
I was getting my head shaved when I got back
from the trip. Yeah, they were talking about how they
enjoyed their having Tomali's on Christmas at the at the
barber shopp and I didn't say or nuts. I was
telling my barber and he I said, I got news
for you. I don't like Tamali's or Quackamoni. He says,
this cut is over with. I was like, you can't,

(02:28:32):
you can't stop mid shave you half and half?

Speaker 5 (02:28:36):
I could.

Speaker 3 (02:28:37):
I can't be half and half that wouldn't be good,
all right. So he's got to be more understanding of
my palate. He has to understand America's the greatest sandwich
is a McRib. He has to understand that that concert
we went to with Stevie Wander was sucked. And I
love Stevie Wonder.

Speaker 2 (02:28:52):
I can't believe you were saying that. It's truth.

Speaker 3 (02:28:55):
Just took forever to get the songs we actually cared about.
Stevie Wonder, I know, and I love Stevie Wonder. I
would go, you know what, as much as I bag
on that concert, if Stevie Wonder came back to Houston,
I would go see him again.

Speaker 2 (02:29:09):
Even if it was if he knew it was the
same format, it can't be the same format. He wouldn't
do that to us a second time. People liked it.
I left.

Speaker 3 (02:29:18):
I'd never left the concert before that early. I was like,
dam this is three hours plus and he still hasn't
played Superstitious. He hasn't done my Sharia Moore. He hasn't
done uh you know, sir Duke, I mean, just a
bunch of randos. And then he made us, for the longest.

Speaker 5 (02:29:33):
Time go.

Speaker 2 (02:29:35):
In the crowd goes Ollo like not pay one hundred
dollars for this. It's the r you gotta interact with
the any music. I need his hits.

Speaker 3 (02:29:44):
The man's got four decades of hits. I'll even listen
to I just say I I just called to say
I love you, which I don't like that much. I
can't believe you. You should believe me. I shouldn't surprise
you anything.

Speaker 2 (02:29:57):
I say, what else?

Speaker 5 (02:30:00):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (02:30:00):
This he got to fix? For twenty twenty six? Okay,
we should write these down. You're right, let me go
get a penn talk for a second time.

Speaker 2 (02:30:07):
What else would Ross?

Speaker 6 (02:30:09):
All right?

Speaker 2 (02:30:10):
Hold on, little literal you know we got that off
the off the way.

Speaker 3 (02:30:13):
Yeah, I'm ready to hold on, hold on, I'm ready
to down. Okay, I'm back on microphone. Here Ross for
twenty twenty six. There's more must wins, more must wins,
more must wins.

Speaker 5 (02:30:29):
Two.

Speaker 3 (02:30:30):
Admit that the Stevie Wonder concerts sucked. Okay, number three,
be nicer.

Speaker 2 (02:30:40):
To U of h fans. Oh you know what, Yeah,
put it down.

Speaker 5 (02:30:43):
Put that down down.

Speaker 3 (02:30:45):
And I'm not talking about all of them, those douchebags
at kook fangs dot net. Then go take a flying
jump somewhere I'm talking about normal U of H fans,
right right, Okay, let's see what else did we Oh,
except to make rid for what it is? A delightful sandwich, Yeah,
don't bring up the pork bumps whatever.

Speaker 2 (02:31:03):
Yeah he calls it.

Speaker 3 (02:31:04):
Yeah, poor gunk is what he calls it, except them
a grib?

Speaker 2 (02:31:08):
What else?

Speaker 3 (02:31:09):
Oh, let's I think he's way too metrical, brings up
he's crazy ass stats.

Speaker 6 (02:31:17):
I can I can.

Speaker 2 (02:31:19):
I can value that a little bit. Yeah, I can
accept that.

Speaker 3 (02:31:22):
What else do we and I argue about more than
anything else?

Speaker 2 (02:31:25):
I was gonna say him doing believe it or not earlier?
Oh yeah, how about prepping believe it or not earlier earlier?

Speaker 3 (02:31:34):
That's this is a good list. This could be a
segment on the show next week. Uh, let's see what
else does he hate me for?

Speaker 5 (02:31:45):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (02:31:45):
Accept my moniker of mister Texas. No see it because
people call me all the time.

Speaker 2 (02:31:51):
It's Texas.

Speaker 6 (02:31:52):
They call the show.

Speaker 5 (02:31:52):
They do they do?

Speaker 3 (02:31:54):
That's why.

Speaker 7 (02:31:55):
No.

Speaker 3 (02:31:55):
No, I think there's one person that called the actually
believes he miss take everybody else comes that.

Speaker 5 (02:32:02):
You don't know.

Speaker 2 (02:32:05):
Mason is gonna spread the word for us, But his
name is caso. There's no way to like to models
into ladas. You don't even like any of that.

Speaker 3 (02:32:11):
I like fetes, no, I like I like quso, I
like hot salsa.

Speaker 2 (02:32:18):
You don't even like spice.

Speaker 3 (02:32:19):
I love spice. My body isn't riskey. What are we
talking about here? Now I'm remembering all this. Yeah, Brisket's fine,
I don't like it was better than Try Tips delicious.
I had Try Tip in California on the trip.

Speaker 2 (02:32:31):
It could be the best thing on earth.

Speaker 3 (02:32:32):
But you're saying, if I get you a good piece
of Try Tip over a good piece of brisket, you're
gonna be you'd be on my side.

Speaker 2 (02:32:37):
It's not gonna win. It's not gonna you know what
for you and ros Waterburger is better than In and Out.

Speaker 3 (02:32:43):
That's ridiculously change. I have to come to go to Waterburger.
I did not stutter the best burger fast food burger
period in the story In and Out. I can't probably wager.
I love you Water Burger. You guys are great, big problem.
You drive through sucks. It takes forever to get to food.
It's making it right there. Yeah, but In and Not

(02:33:07):
does the same thing. If I want no pickles, extra
onions let us. I mean they'll they'll take care of
me too, but you will only get the burger. You're
not getting them.

Speaker 2 (02:33:14):
Nassy fries. Waterburgers fries are better. I'll give you that.
The whole selections better.

Speaker 3 (02:33:20):
No, the water Burger double double in the in and
out Waterburger double animal style is the best fast food
burger out there, period in a story.

Speaker 6 (02:33:28):
I can't feel that. It's just so.

Speaker 5 (02:33:31):
This is.

Speaker 2 (02:33:31):
I'm never gonna agree with that. That's fine. I don't
need you to agree. I'm not I'm not asking you
to chan. I'm asking for Ross.

Speaker 3 (02:33:37):
Is there anything else? I'm trying to think of anything
else we need? Here's our list. More must wins, he
must accept, more must wins It met Stephen Stevie Wonder
concerts sucked. Be nicer to you of h fans except
the McRib prep believe it or not earlier except my
moniker mister Texas.

Speaker 7 (02:33:55):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (02:33:55):
Do you think he uses points spreads too much or
is it just a gay as a metric rights?

Speaker 6 (02:34:01):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (02:34:01):
I don't think it's too serious. Oh, this is this is,
this is I'm really thinking about this.

Speaker 3 (02:34:06):
Hmmm. We've been around the show long enough to know.
Let's see here.

Speaker 2 (02:34:10):
Maybe something about baseball. What a he's doing baseball all
the time.

Speaker 3 (02:34:17):
He predicts the Texans win every game, right, your predictions?
Actually he picked the Chargers to win, did you not?

Speaker 7 (02:34:23):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (02:34:24):
He did twenty four eighteen. Okay, so he's more human.
I appreciate that a little bit.

Speaker 4 (02:34:30):
Uh.

Speaker 7 (02:34:31):
Oh.

Speaker 3 (02:34:31):
By the way, Jackie set me a tweet says, technically
BBW stands for big beautiful women. Oh, but if he's
a black guy, the beautiful might also be easily interchangeable
with black. I did look up BBW on AI, yeah,
and BBW standards stood for big black women. And then
I went to his Twitter count this guy and it

(02:34:52):
backed it up.

Speaker 6 (02:34:53):
As well he's black. Okay.

Speaker 3 (02:34:55):
Yeah, all right, Hey, everybody have a very happy, relaxing
New Year. The show will be in good hands tomorrow
and then we're going to take the next day, the
two days off, and then back for year number seventeen
of The Matt Thomas Show at Ross Monday, January fifth,
ten am. We will know who the Texans will be

(02:35:15):
playing come playoff time, and I think it's going to
be a night game or early Sunday game. I think
we're out of the three thirty spot against the Baltimore Ravens.
Up next, What the Steelers whatever? X Jeff Blum eighteen
on seven out eight